[FERAL SCREAMING] I CAN'T WAIT TO DO THIS SO WRONG
✑ Share a snippet that was difficult for you to nail down/required a lot of revisions.
“Please relinquish your bow and sword to me for the safety of the other guests,” he requested with a wide smile.
Vigdis stiffened, then shot a hard, sharp look at Serana. The brunette side-eyed her, her expression neutral as her dark brows furrowed and her pale mouth slanted into a frown. He hadn’t asked for all of her weapons—only the most dangerous. She sneered, then complied with his wish, the dagger strapped to her thigh heavier than ever. They would learn soon enough that she didn’t need her bow or sword to be effective in their slaughter.
Satisfied, the Khajiit took her weapons and led them across the bridge. The quiet mutters of conversation swelled into a cacophony of individual voices, mingled with sly giggles and boisterous guffaws. Every guest was dressed in silks and intricate embroidery; their fingers decorated with signet rings and plain bands; their necks glittered with necklaces; their foreheads crowned with circlets; from their hips hung daggers—yet, like the rest of their attire, it was merely another ornate trinket to brag about.
As Vigdis scanned the party, her gut tied itself in knots. The guests’ eyes were glazed over, unfocused. Their smiles were too wide as if in a trance. The servants, with bright eyes like fire, slipped between them like shadows, their fingers and mouths bloodstained. Horror rose in her throat as it dawned on Vigdis that the dinner party wasn’t for the guests at all.
The guests were the dinner.
[This scene was actually rather difficult for me; it was one of those scenes that I wanted to get right, that I didn't want to fuck up, because it was just before one of my all-time favourite scenes. In the end, I think it turned out really well!]
✑ Share a snippet that’s all about relationships (good or bad).
“You should’ve let me fall.”
Vigdis harshly gestured to the cliff, fed up. “Well then go ahead. I won’t stop you.”
Serana stared at her with her mouth agape, her dark brows briefly raised in shock before they dipped in frustration. The hunter, who believed she had made her point clear, then turned on her heel—
“You can’t keep pretending that you don’t care!”
She stopped in her tracks. She whipped around and walked up to Serana so that she was in her face, her fury ablaze in her eyes. Vigdis felt as though she could breathe fire.
“I don’t care,” Vigdis snarled.
“You do,” Serana argued, unwavering. “You care. And you’re afraid of it. And it’s killing you.”
Vigdis trembled. Her stomach churned; her throat closed; her heart stopped. The world around her threatened to fall into the maw of her demons as they clawed and screamed and whispered in her ear—
“You don’t know me.” Her voice was a forced breath that shook over her tongue and lips. She stepped back as the demons grew louder. “Don’t pretend that you know what I am or what I can do.” Her icy eyes flickered to Serana’s persimmon ones. She couldn’t discern the emotion that laid there; she could only see the bright glow as they stared back at her. The demons fell silent. “You will never know me.”
Serana approached her, her hands outstretched until they wrapped firmly around Vigdis’ upper arms, her stare hard.
“Let me in, Vigdis,” she pleaded in a whisper. “Stop shutting me out. I won’t hurt you.”
[I honestly could choose any Vigdis/Serana scene, but this one is freshest in my mind since it was somewhat referenced in Chapter 22. I think it's also the best to showcase how much Vigdis is TRYING to shut out Serana, despite their growing closeness--hence, showing just how volatile their relationship is.]
