22. grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back from something, for whoever your heart desires
Going Taviloth and gonna double this up with a very, very, VERY old one from @rannadylin I still had sitting in my inbox \O/
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Tavi had never been fond of jungles, but this one was doing its best to make her loathe them. That was what it felt like, at least, as her hair went curly from the humidity and yet another cloud of midges swirled around her head.
“How come they ain’t fuckin’ botherin’ either of you?!” she growled at her companions as she batted away the flurry of insects.
“Must be drawn to your charming personality,” Aloth deadpanned, though he did shoot her a sympathetic smile.
Tavi glowered. “Anyone else’d end up neck deep in the next swamp we pass, city slicker.”
His brows arched briefly, understanding in his eyes. “Sorry.”
“It’s not you,” Tavi said, halfway between a sigh and another growl. She ran a hand through her hair and glanced around. “It’s this place. How the fuck do you live here, Khel?!” she demanded of their guide.
Her brother chuckled and raked reddish-blond hair out of his eyes(also curling, but not nearly as bad as hers). “First off, Tavi, by not living in the actual jungle,” he pointed out. “Second, it’s been almost forty years. You adjust. It’s not that bad.”
She shot him a skeptical look. “Really?”
“Too much for you, serre?” Khellin teased. “Here I remember you bein’ the adventurous one.”
Aloth coughed and she just knew it was to cover a laugh.
“Adventure is all well and good and I like that part,” Tavi retorted, smacking aside a tangle of vines. A pair of pygmy monkeys screeched at the disturbance and bolted deeper into the trees. “It’s mugginess an’ the fuckin’ bugs I wouldn’t wanna deal with all the time.”
“Good thing they’re only a problem in certain areas, huh? If this doesn’t pan out and we wind up somewhere else you might not hafta deal with them.” Khellin held aside some of the undergrowth. “The ruins we’re after are this way.”
Tavi wrinkled her nose at the track, even narrower and more overgrown than the one they’d been following. “...If you say so. How far?”
“Rate we’re traveling? Couple hours, but only the first part’ll be like this.” He gestured at the surrounding flora. “It does open up deeper into the valley.”
She growled and Aloth squeezed her hand sympathetically before stepping past to head down the path. If the move was intended to block the midges from her it didn’t work. The little pests still ignored both men to swarm her instead.
“So this is how you made a livin’ for decades?” she asked to distract herself. “Who the fuck comes here by choice?”
“You’d be surprised,” Khellin said dryly. “Explorers. Adventurers, scholars, sometimes trophy hunters bored of their local game and looking for something exotic.” He ducked under a huge, arching tree root that bridged over their path. “And like I said, not everywhere is like this. Some of the ravines and the flatlands aren’t muggy or full of bugs. They have angry monkeys or quicksand, or pesky little birds that peck your hands to steal food. This place just is chaos, Tavi. Every part of it has good and bad, you’re not escapin’ it.”
“I know, I know,” Tavi groaned, running her fingers through her hair. “Bein’ hot just makes me grumpy.”
“Oh, I remember,” Khellin said with no small amount of amusement. “S’why we’re goin’ the absolute fastest route instead of one that’s a little safer but twice as long.”
“Thank you,” Tavi said fervently.
“Also, it’s not that far to where the foliage starts thinning out, so you’ll get a break.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Let’s g-” She almost ran into Aloth, who had stopped dead.”Hylea’s tits, give a girl some warnin’, city slicker. What’s wrong?”
“Not... wrong,” Aloth said slowly. “Just....” He reached out to brush dirt away from a spot on the embankment next to the path. It revealed a cracked and weather-beaten plinth, the rest of whatever sculpture or structure it had supported long ago consumed by the jungle. The inscription was faded, worn away entirely in spots, but still familiar. “Tavi?”
“Engwithan,” she nodded, following what words remained. ‘To see...craft... or wilde...’
“We’re on the right track, then,” he murmured, more to himself than her.
“Good, I’d hate for this to have been for fuckin’ nothin’,” Tavi deadpanned, nudging his shoulder. “On that note....”
“Right.” Aloth turned from the plinth and resumed following Khellin. His gaze swept the terrain for any more signs of the Engwithans who had lived here once upon a time, brushing aside vines as he looked. And Khellin was a ways ahead, focused on picking out the pat of least resistance, so they both missed the flicker of movement from above.
Not Tavi. Even as the yellow ombre plant shifted, its petals splitting like jaws, she grabbed Aloth’s hand--”Watch out!”--and yanked him back toward her. Between her strength and his surprise, the force of it had him crashing into her and knocking them both on their asses.
But the needle-like spines edging the plant raked through the air instead of snapping around Aloth. That was more than worth having the wind knocked out of her.
“Tolja the plants’ll try to eat you, city slicker,” Tavi said breathlessly, smirking despite the way her heart pounded and Aloth’s elbow was digging into her ribs.
“I stand corrected,” Aloth muttered, still staring at the plant as he shifted to at least partly untangle them.
“First one I’ve seen this far east,” Khellin commented, frowning. He flicked one of the vines, and when the plant swung down again, he grabbed the stalk and sliced off the blossom and bud with his hunting knife. “They’re common in the valleys and swamps southwest. Do not want them movin’ this way, there’s enough to watch out for without addin’ another hazard.” He arched a brow at the two of them. “You alright?”
Aloth nodded, shooting Tavi a grateful smile. “Thanks to her, yes.”
“Just glad I was keepin’ an eye out,” Tavi mumbled, staring at the spines rimming the plant that now lay on the path. They were almost as long as her forearm, one edge rough and crowned with a barb. Really fucking glad.
“So you could save my skin for the umpteenth time?” he said dryly.
“Good thing we don’t keep count,” she said with a wink. “‘Sides, I’m pretty fuckin’ sure you saved my hide at least as often as I’ve saved yours.”
The two of them finished untangling themselves and stood, brushing dirt off their clothes and Khellin cut down all of the rogue man-eating (elf-eating) plant. Tavi leaned over to pull a small stick from Aloth’s hair and he flicked a spider off her shoulder as she pulled back.
“When you’re ready...?” Khellin waited until they both nodded. “Like I said; jungle starts to thin out not far ahead. We can take a proper rest before pressin’ on for the ruins.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Tavi said. “I like the idea of a break where I can see the fuckin’ sky.” She reached for Aloth’s hand as they resumed course down the narrow path and held it tight.
💩 for Adi, 🌼 for Tragen, 💣 for Tavi, 🦄 for Emiri, 💼 for Khellin, 🥛 for Charity?
💩- a ridiculous headcanon
(ridiculous is so subjective, idek if this counts) Sometimes when she gets stuck on a particularly tough problem, Adi will lay with her heels resting on the headboard of her bed/the wall if there’s no headboard to “look at it from a different angle” She has fallen asleep like that multiple times, requiring someone (friend or family) to shift her position so all the blood doesn’t rush to her head while she’s asleep.
🌼- a happiness headcanon
When Tragen is happy it’s physically impossible for him to stand completely still. He may be able to hide it from his face(if necessary), but that boy cannot hold still when he’s in a good mood. He’s ever so slightly dancing in place, or tapping his fingers, or bouncing his leg, or clicking his teeth, SOMETHING.
💣- a stress headcanon
Pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that Tavi’s two favorite methods for dealing with stress are beating the living daylights out of training dummies(or enemies unfortunate enough to wander in her path on bad days) and whittling. To build off the latter, the more stressed she is, the more detailed and difficult an animal she whittles. More detail means paying more attention, which means better distraction from whatever’s stressing her out.
🦄- a physical health headcanon
Emiri almost never gets sick. All the stuff she had to push through and resist through her childhood on a slave ship has given her one heck of an immune system.
💼- a work headcanon
He actually finds the guide work he does in the Living Lands calming, despite the number of things waiting to kill him in the forests/jungles. It’s routine, it’s threats he can see, and most of them he has experience defending against, so he knows what to do. It’s the comfort of the familiar, more than anything.
🥛- a drink headcanon
Given that she grew up in Readceras, which has a.... dim view on alcoholic beverages, Charity’s tolerance is really, really low. She’s also just not fond of the taste for most things she’s tried. The two exceptions are mead and what’s essentially hard cider. Even on those she’ll get tipsy real fast. She’s a very happy/affectionate drunk.
Strawberry: What does your oc look for in a close friend?
Similar interests, fun to spend time with, good person, usually outgoing but that one’s not a requirement(she and Aloth get along really well)… Really, she could be friends with just about anyone who isn’t, like, a vile heartless monster. She’s really outgoing and open-minded.Apricot: How does your oc feel about stuffed animals?
She may still have several from her childhood sitting on her bed back in Ixamitl that she still loves very much. Maybe. It’s just possible.Sky: What’s the best dream your oc’s ever had? Did they tell anyone about it?
She was in an unending library and had literally forever to read as much as she wanted. There were several thought-lost/destroyed historical texts in there, along with whole volumes on languages and cultures that had died out before her grandparents were born. Also, a teapot that was always full of her favorite apple spice tea. I’m pretty sure that’s one she would have told Lottie about, since Lottie’s one of the few who would appreciate it as much as she did ;)
Periwinkle: What’s your oc’s dream job? Do they have any chance of achieving it?
Dream job would be researcher or historian who travels around investigating various ‘local legend’ type phenomena, to see how real they are and what the story is behind them(probably with Kana as her assistant. For reaching tall stuff.) To an extent she does that during the game events? So I guess her odds are decent. And that’s pretty much what she would do in a world where she didn’t always stick around to play Roadwarden.
Lavender: What outfit is your oc least likely to wear? How many layers do they need to feel comfortable?
Something ugly. She likes cute clothes and won’t apologize for that. xD BLame her father being a tailor or whatever you want, she much prefers things in complementary colors that look good over “”””functional”””. Other people can do as they wish, but cute is a high priority for her. And one layer is usually good, unless it’s really cold.
TAVI
Peach: What’s your oc’s comfort outfit?
Bare feet, comfy pants, shirt with the sleeves hacked cut offLime: What’s your oc’s comfort zone with physical affection?
She needs a good bit of space at first as she warms up to you, but once she gets there, pretty much anything goes. Holding hands, snuggling,standing close enough to touch, cuddling while you sleep etc etc
Fuschia: What does it take to make your oc really blush?
Oh, it takes alot(h) *cough* A lot. (sorry, I made the typo and couldn’t resist bc it’s mostly true :P) Tavi’s usually pretty open and upfront about what she wants and has almost too much self-confidence, so she’s really, really, REALLY hard to embarrass(a fact which frustrates Khellin to no end when they’re kids) She does get a little shy and blushy with a certain wizard during the mutual pining stage, but she’s not ashamed of or embarrassed by hardly anything regarding her love/sex life(or really lack thereof on the latter–she and Aloth are romantically involved but they don’t Sleep Together until Deadfire)
Bubblegum: Describe your oc’s ideal aesthetic bedroom setup in as much detail as you want.
OOH. Big, comfy bed with the quilt her grandmother made for her(one of the only possessions she lost in the fire that she genuinely misses; it was really soft and comfortable), a spot to keep her weapons and armor, worktable along one wall for the whittling(yes, she wants that in her bedroom. Fight her). Two windows for sunlight, but they have to creak so if anyone tries sneaking in that way she’ll hear them. Ditto for the door; it has to be creaky. At least half a wall of bookshelves + a good-sized desk for Aloth(bc her dream bedroom is theirs, not hers. join me in having emotions). The walls are probably either teal or sunflower yellow, depending on how big the room is and how much light it gets. Fireplace with a couple chairs and a loveseat. She would probably only have one medium-sized armoire for her clothes; she doesn’t have a lot.
CHARITY
Strawberry: What does your oc look for in a close friend?
Good heart, animal lover, easy-going, enjoys spending time together but not clingyStarlight: Would your oc decorate with fairy lights or tiki torches? Why?
Probably fairy lights. She’s more into the natural aesthetic of them looking like stars while also feeling sort of magical.Fuschia: What does it take to make your oc really blush?
Now? Getting caught in a really blatant, passionate PDA with her very-nearly-almost husband(i need to write their wedding, I really do). Previously, Edér vague-flirting with her would do it, as would anyone hinting at there being more to their relationship than Fake Courtship.Rose: What’s something your oc wishes they could forget? Is it a bad memory dulled by time, or a happy memory tainted by it?
Her sister dying. She doesn’t want to forget her sister, but the circumstances of her death were very painful for Charity(her sister caught that vorlas farmer illness that went through Readceras, Charity was… fourteenish at the time and still only an apprentice healer, but she was the best they had and she tried everything but her sister still died), and if she could lose the memory of that utter helplessness that would be nice.
KHELLIN
Scarlet: What’s your ocs’s love life like?
Bold of you to assume he has one. :P I kid. He’s a very quiet, insular person, so he definitely has to have a good rapport with someone before he even starts thinking about them romantically. He’s maybe danced around the edges of something with a couple girls in the Living Lands, but he’s like the definition of that quote about prospective partners having to compete with his solitude rather than another person, so nothing every came of those(And real talk, with my love of the Uptight Loves Wild trope, I’m seriously tempted to change my plans and have him fall for Xoti instead of Maia *cough* ). He doesn’t actually have any love life to speak of prior to Deadfire.Mint: Would your oc ever plant a garden? If so, flowers or veggies? Would the garden flourish or die?
He… might? It’s not outside the realm of possibility. He is an outdoorsy type, but it’s more the hunting/exploring outdoorsy type. If he did it would be veggies, bc he’s a very practical person. It would probably do alright, assuming the weather didn’t get too crazy and animals stayed away.Cyan: Has your oc ever traveled? Do they like to relax or plan out their vacation days down to the hour?
Sort of? The move from Old Vailia to the Living Lands wasn’t exactly by choice, but I doubt he would have stayed, with all the memories and someone clearly out for his family’s blood. In Tavi’s canon, he’s pretty content to stay in tLL and just go on forays into the wilderness there; there’s definitely plenty to do and see. In his own canon, he does get a bit of wanderlust, hence traveling with Odema’s caravan. He doesn’t really plan it out, though. He’s figuring he’ll see what things are like in this Gilded Vale place, but probably move on rather than hang aroiund.Lavender: What outfit is your oc least likely to wear? How many layers do they need to feel comfortable?
Ostentatious formal clothes. He’s much more comfortable in a simple shirt and trousers, or the hide and fur armor he wears to hunt. There’s no appeal in clothes that feel like you can’t move for fear of getting them dirty.
This is actually what saved his life in the fire that killed his parents and brothers; he was making sure the stray cat living in Tavi’s part of the house got away(she did), and that part of the house caught fire last.
He’s almost, almost as bad as Edér with the whole ‘wanting to pet everything fluffy’ thing. Most of the wildlife in The Living Lands he’s tried to befriend at least once and nearly gotten bit for his trouble.
He didn’t talk at all for a year after recovering from the fire. The couple who rescued him were beginning to wonder if he was mute, until he started baby-talking their neighbor’s new guard dog. Had this ferocious beast laying on its back for tummy rubs in ten seconds flat.
His first wolf, Shadow, started following him after he saved her from a plant that was like a venus flytrap on steroids. She was pretty young, only a year or two, so he started training her to help him hunt.
He had a natural talent for the bow and arrow that only got better with practice. Once in Deadfire, he picks up pistols will relative ease. Rifles, however, are a different story.
He loves the solitude of hunts, no one around but him and his companion, no one he has to talk to, lots of time to sort through his thoughts
The only jewelry he wears is a leather cord necklace with a leopard’s tooth and a tuft of lion’s mane hanging from it. They’re reminders of times his wolf has saved his life. The leopard tooth was Shadow, she tackled the leopard and tore out its throat to protect him on their second trip hunting together. The lion was Fang(wolf #2); she jumped on the lion’s back and bit its neck as a distraction when it was running at Khel, which gave him time to shoot it.
After Fletch(wolf #3, the one he has during Pillars 1) dies trying to protect him from Eothas, Khel adds a chip of adra to the necklace. (I’m sorry bby I really wanna try Ghost Heart)
Fletch was one of Fang’s puppies, so Khel literally raised him and was bonded much closer with him than he had with Shadow or Fang. The first time Khel fights after Fletch dies(that little intro battle on the Defiant), Fletch’s spirit shows up to protect him. Khel takes this as a sign and doesn’t pick a new companion, just trusts that Fletch will show up when he needs him.
23. PETS: tell us about your watcher’s furry (scaly/winged/spacey) friends! what’s their (and your!) favorite pet in-game? are there any you’d like to see that aren’t in-game?
Tavi being my first serious playthrough and all, I missed pretty much every pet except the lagufaeth baby. I even forgot to download Cosmo the Space Pig. Shame on me. Tavi does love her bitey little lizard-person baby, tho. She names him Quaro and takes very good care of him until he’s old enough to be a danger to the Caed Nua staff. At that point she finds someone who has a preference for exotic pets and promises to take good care of him and gives him away. (Thus he’s not at Caed Nua when Eothas levels the place muahahaha HE LIVES)
Khellin is an animal lover, so he collected juuuuust about every pet in the game, including the tiny animat from.... Cliaban Rilag, I think? Didn’t name any of them, just calls them cat/pig/dog/wurm/etc. He will strenuously deny having a favorite, but it’s totally the black and white cat. Or the yellow lab. Or the beagle. Or....
No, it’s definitely the black and white cat. She reminds him of the stray mother cat he took care of back home. Before everything went to shit. Since he doesn’t know if that cat got away when the house burned down, he’ll take care of this one and make sure he does an even better job. (spoilers: yes, mama cat and all her kittens got away fine.)
7. STATS & CLASS: give us a rundown of those sweet, sweet base stats. do they line up with how you envision your watcher from a roleplay standpoint, or are they more gameplay based? do they line up with your watcher’s race and class? how did they begin training in their chosen class? (bonus! will they be multi-classing in deadfire?)
As the scribe tries to decide on the safest line of questions to pursue next, considering how badly the last one ended, a large, shaggy wolf wanders in to the Brighthollow courtyard. Ignoring Tavi and the scribe, it saunters up to Khellin and rests its head on his leg, whining softly until he pats it between the ears and gives a few scratches under its chin.
“I’m alright, boy,” he murmurs, and the wolf yawns wide before settling down at Khellin’s feet, amber eyes watching the scribe with more curiosity than caution. Khellin looks toward her as well. “Fletch,” he says by way of explanation, “I raised him from a pup. Being a hunter in the Living Lands is not a job to do solo, and if bonded to you, a wolf’s more trustworthy than most of the kith there.” He reaches down to scratch Fletch’s ears. “He hunts with me, watches my back, helps me bring down game too tough or fast to handle on my own.” An impish grin cracks his face. “We can’t all barrel into things fuck the consequences like my sister.”
Tavi shrugs cheerfully, taking another drink of her mead. “I ain’t even gonna argue. I may not be quite as fuck the consequences as a barbarian, but I am a good bit more reckless than your average fighter. Comes from bein’ self-taught, I guess.”
“So you didn’t have formal training, like an instructor or military service?” the scribe asks, finally taking a sip of her own mead.
“Oh, shit, no,” Tavi laughs. “Didn’t really know much beyond stick ‘em with the sharp end’ about swords and shit when I started running. I was more of a bare knuckle brawler up ‘til then. But a lot of the jobs I wanted were dangerous enough knowin’ some sword play was pretty much necessary if you wanted to come home alive. So I watched other kith an’ figured it out from them. Closest I got to ‘official train’ was some pointers from someone in S- a group I traveled with ‘fore comin’ here.” She snorts. “I’ve never been one for organized anything.”
Far as Deadfire, Tavi might multiclass into barbarian or monk, I’m still deciding, and Khellin’s gonna stay a straight Ranger (I think)
