I’ve been seeing this go around so!! Here’s my take for Talinora!
icon credit || template credit: @kalidels
[ image id: a fillable sheet for character couples. on the left side of the sheet is an icon of a blond woman with short cropped hair labeled “talitha.” on the right side is an icon of a woman with long, curly black hair labeled “alinora”. talitha’s has a purple background, while alinora’s is red.
below the icons is a list titled “love languages” where 5 are listed—words, quality time, acts of service, physical touch, and gifts. alinora has quality time & acts of service checked off in red. talitha has words & physical touch checked off in purple.
between the icons are four boxes. the top two are labeled “height difference.” talitha is listed as 5’7, while alinora is 5’10. the second is labeled “ages.” talitha is listed as “30”, while alinora is 28.
below those is a checklist with several milestones / traits—
confesses first: alinora
initiated first kiss: alinora
says “i love you” first: talitha
big spoon: alinora
worrier: alinora
better with money: alinora
more experienced: alinora (note: i interpreted it as romantically. if sexually, it would be talitha)
wakes up first: alinora
steals blankets: talitha
speaks more: talitha
normally cooks: alinora
apologizes first: both
ticklish: talitha
on either side of the checklist are two squares. in the center of the squares are two lines, either end labeled.
the first square is labeled “pet names.” the vertical line has “uses often” and “never uses” on either end. the horizontal line reads “classic” and “silly.” talitha’s name is at the top of the “uses often” line, dead in the middle. alinora’s is on the “classic” side, and slightly more towards the “never uses” end.
the second square is labeled “jealousy.” the vertical line has “easily jealous” and “never jealous” on either end. the vertical line has “needs space” and “needs attention” on either end. talitha is on the “never jealous” side, but leaning towards “needs attention.” alinora is also on the never jealous end, but more towards “needs space.”
the third square is labeled “expressing affection.” the vertical line is labeled, “touch” and “words.” the horizontal line is labeled, “reserved” and “PDA.” talitha is in the center, more towards “PDA”. alinora is more on the reserved side, but leans more towards words than physical affection. however, after typing this out, i realized she’s supposed to be more towards “physical affection” than “words.” whoops!
the fourth square is labeled “attachment.” the vertical line is labeled, “over-protective” and “chill.” the horizontal line is labeled, “separation anxiety” and “independent.” both talitha & alinora are on the “chill” end, towards “independent.”
the last section is labeled “3 songs to describe them.” i picked:
alinora rubbed her face. “i’m sorry,” she said. “i was angry. it isn’t an excuse—no matter how i was feeling at the time, i shouldn’t have said it. and for that, i apologize.”
she wished the words didn’t sound as strained as they did; that it didn’t sound as if apologizing was the worst thing she had ever done. it wasn’t, and she was sincere, but it didn’t sound that way. she hated it.
talitha was leaned against her desk, arms crossed and face carefully blank in a way that alinora couldn’t read. she hated it. talitha was one of the most expressive people she had ever met. seeing her so… blank was unnerving. unsettling. she hated it.
she hated it even more knowing that it was her fault.
the longer the silence stretched the more words she could feel piling in her throat. they stacked on top of each other, scratching at the delicate skin there and making it ache. emotions brimmed, filling her skull until they were all pounding to be let out.
she swallowed them back, even though it hurt. she didn’t know which ones would fix things, which ones would make them worse. she didn’t know which ones would come out in the first place—and she wouldn’t, couldn’t, risk them being the wrong ones.
after what felt like an eternity, talitha’s arms dropped. she rubbed her face, looking tired and aching and more run down than alinora had seen since—since ansai, since weaver’s bane. “you aren’t the only one who said things they shouldn’t have,” she said, voice as scratchy as alinora’s throat felt.
“i knew you didn’t mean them,” alinora offered, stepping closer, hesitantly. “you’re not… you aren’t that kind of person. you can make the digs, stick the knife in, but—“ she shook her head. “it hurt, i won’t lie, but they didn’t land. they weren’t… lethal.”
talitha swallowed. “good.”
alinora hesitated. then asked, “were mine?”
“…almost.”
“i’m sorry.” it came out right that time—dropping with every bit of the regret she felt.
talitha stretched out her arms. “i know,” she said.
alinora took three large steps and let herself be wrapped up in the tightest hug she’d had in— ever. and she returned it just as fiercely.
“i love you,” she whispered. “i’ll do better. be better. i promise.”
talitha held onto her tighter, somehow. “i will too. i love you too, nora.”
alinora presses two fingers to the cut on her lip. it stings, and she grimaces. she can’t say she’s ever been in a bar fight before, which… is honestly kind of ridiculous given everything. you would have thought that, while stuck in tierani, that she would have pissed someone off enough to start a good, old fashioned brawl.
but, no. she hadn’t.
instead, her first bar brawl happened not because of soemthing she said, but something talitha had said. which honestly wasn’t that surprising, because that woman could piss off more people than alinora had ever dreamed. (and yet, somehow, she also had more friends than anyone who pissed so many people off had any right to.)
talitha stands next to her, prodding at the beginnings of a black eye and grinning at her own split lip in the mirror. she looks at alinora and wiggles her eyebrows, eyes shining.
“you know,” she says. “you’re not half bad to have in a fight. and you throw a hell of a right hook—which, by the way, is a trait i very much appreciate in a woman.” and she leers, but there’s an edge of humor that takes any discomfort alinora might have felt at the expression away.
“i’m sure you do,” alinora says, and hides a smirk when she adds, “though i’m sure it makes breakups more complicated.”
talitha snickers. “thats a very diplomatic way of putting it.”
“i pride myself on my diplomacy skills,” alinora says, mock serious.
“really? could have used those back there, i think.”
“well, sometimes diplomacy is best served up through fists.”
talitha laughs again, a bright sound that makes alinora want to smile. she doesn’t, but only through extensive self-discipline and the fact that her lip still stings.
“welp,” talitha says. “we better get back to the ship so aishlynn can yell at us.” a bit of mischief enters her eyes. “do you think she‘ll yell louder or stomp off if i call her ‘mom’?”
future modern ‘verse, this time!! no kids (yet) but tali & nora are married!!
as per usual i’m not satisfied with the ending but im p happy with the rest of it :) ty for asking!!
five word prompts
“Hello? It’s me. I-”
Talitha scowled at her cell, and didn’t even bother listening to the full thing (or reading the transcription) before swiping left. It disappeared in a flash of red. She dropped her phone next to her and covered her face with an arm, head tilted towards the ceiling.
She heard shifting from Alinora’s corner of the room, and then footsteps. The couch dipped as Alinora sat beside her. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Talitha moved her arm, to look her wife in the face. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just… annoyed.”
“Who keeps calling you, anyway?” Alinora asked. “They should know by now you’re not going to answer.”
“It’s my mom,” Talitha said, and Alinora’s face pinched. “She wants to reconnect, or whatever. Apparently, she and Lyn are having lunch together pretty regularly, now. She’s met James, and everything.”
“But you’re not ready for that,” Alinora said.
“No. And I probably won’t ever be. I don’t want to talk to her, I don’t want to talk to her new husband, I don’t want to talk to their kid—I just. Don’t want it.” Talitha sighed. “Lyn doesn’t get it. She does her whole–sour face thing, every time I decline her invitation, or mom tells her about how I’ve been declining all her calls.”
“Lynette doesn’t have to get it,” Alinora said, taking Talitha’s hand. “You have to do what’s best for you, and if not being around your mother or her new family is what’s best, then that’s for you to decide. Not your sister. It’s good that she’s able to reach out to them. I’m happy for her. But she has to show you the same courtesy.”
Talitha nodded. “Easier said than done.” She paused. “And no, I don’t need you to talk to her.”
Alinora shrugged, smiling a little bit as if to say, ‘yep. Guilty.’ Talitha couldn’t help but smile back. It was sweet of her to think of offering, but this wasn’t something Nora needed to intervene on. Her relationship with Lyn wasn’t like Alinora’s relationship with Aishlynn. An outside presence wouldn’t be welcomed, even if said outsider was the other’s spouse.
“Do you know what it is your mom wants to talk about?”
“No,” Talitha admitted. “I think–no. I hope that she’s calling because she wants to apologize. But I… I don’t know. And if she’s not calling to apologize… it’s going to make me angry. Angrier, I mean. Because I deserve one. Both of us do, really. But I don’t think she’s apologized to Lyn, either.
“I don’t think Lyn really recognizes that we need one, actually. But I do. I do. And I want one. I don’t… I don’t know if that would make me more willing to cross that bridge but… It would make me feel better. I think. Give me closure, maybe?” Talitha shook her head. “I just don’t think she realizes that I need one. She sees all three of us as the victims of dad’s shit–she doesn’t get that she did shitty things too.”
Alinora nodded, listening. She was a good listener, Nora was. Which was good, because Talitha did a lot of talking. A lot of talking. Drunken rambling, three am secret-sharing, passionate rambling about her areas of interest, and whining about her family. Among other things. Nora listened to it all–and remembered a really big chunk of it too. Talitha really needed to take her out to dinner again. One of those fancy places she loved and Talitha hated.
Talitha sighed. That was for later. “I’m so tired of her calling. But I can’t bring myself to block her number, because what if it’s an emergency? But if it is an emergency, am I really gonna know? I never answer her calls, I don’t listen to her voicemails… The only way I would know is if she sent me a text, and I’m not sure I’d even read that!”
Alinora’s thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand.
“I just… I hate this. I hate everything about this. I hate that part of me wants to know what she wants, if only so I can know if I’m justified for still being angry. I hate that I’m afraid that I’ll forgive her, because like, isn’t that what you’re supposed to do, to move on? I hate that I’m not ready to forgive her. I hate… I hate all of it, Nora. The whole damn situation. But I just… I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t know either,” Alinora said. “I just know that I’m going to be here for you, whatever you end up doing.”
Talitha sighed, and leaned against her wife’s side. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said, combing her hand through Tali’s hair, nails lightly scratching her scalp. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Talitha nosed Alinora’s neck. “We should go out this weekend. Somewhere fancy.”
“You hate ‘somewhere fancy.’“
“Not entirely true. I like getting out my fancy suits.”
Alinora snorted. “You do at that.”
“And showing off my language skills. And trying new, weird foods. And making people stare at me because I don’t act like a lady. And–”
“Making a scene in whatever subtle way you can so we don’t get kicked out of the restaurant. Yes, darling, I know.”
Talitha grinned. “So. Wanna go out?”
Alinora twirled one of Talitha’s short curls around her finger. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”
Talitha did a small fist pump. “Date night, for the win!”
“Why did I marry you.” Alinora heaved a sigh, and Talitha laughed.
“You love me. Duh.”
“How could I have forgotten.” Alinora rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
Which one is more easily made jealous? & Who confessed their feelings first? for Alinora & Talitha!
Which one is more easily made jealous?
Hmmm. Neither Alinora nor Talitha are very jealous people? But like... Talitha is a flirt; she flirts on automatic without really thinking about it? Whereas Alinora is more closed off & unfriendly. So I feel like, of the two of them, Talitha is the one more likely to get jealous :P
Who confessed their feelings first?
Hmmm... Talitha was definitely open about her flirting and interest in Alinora, though I don’t think she ever outright said, “I have feelings for you.” I think Alinora was the one/will be the one to actually sit down and say, “Hey, I like you, I know you like me too, let’s see where this goes.”
“I couldn’t hate you even if I wanted to.” pirate baby & gf
thank youuuuuuu. this one was super fun :o
modern!au ofc. p sure the ending kind of sucks but :shrug:
Alinora hated her mouth sometimes. Most of the time, really. She was always saying things she didn’t mean. Always. She was too blunt, too harsh, too cruel. Her knee-jerk response was always something scathing, sarcastic, or sardonic. Somehow she had made friends despite that, but she knew, she knew that she was always one callous remark away from losing all of them.
And she was pretty sure that she had just lost her girlfriend.
She pushed her hand through her hair and knotted it at the root. She pulled sharply, grimacing at the dull ache lancing through her skull.
“Alinora?”
Alinora glanced up. The door was open. When did the door open? She hadn’t heard it. It usually creaked. Had Aishlynn oiled the hinges? (No, because when Asa came over just a little earlier, it had creaked. She’d jumped, and Talitha had teased her.)
“What are you doing here?”
She was pretty sure Talitha had left. Not that Alinora blamed her. She didn’t want to be around herself most days, especially when she was more biting than usual. She still wasn’t sure what had set her off. A dozen little things, probably. All culminating in one highly insensitive comment.
“Uh, you invited me,” Talitha reminded, stepping into the room. She hesitated. “Am I not welcome?”
“No, no. You’re always welcome,” Alinora said, hurriedly. “I just... Don’t you hate me?”
Talitha snorted. “What, of course--” She stopped, then, and took a better look at Alinora’s face. Alinora wasn’t sure exactly what she looked like, only that her hair was a mess and her face felt hot. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes ached like she had been.
“Oh, Nora.” Talitha shut the door behind her and walked over, dropping to a crouch in front of her. “Darling, I couldn’t hate you even if I wanted to. Which I don’t, duh. You’re my girlfriend. The light of my life. The sun in my sky. My north star, my guiding light.” She took Alinora’s hands--one out of her hair, the other from around Alinora’s own waist--and brought them to her mouth. “You said something you shouldn’t have, but let’s be real. I stick my foot in my mouth all the time, and you’re still here.”
Alinora snorted. “Yeah, but it’s...”
“It’s the same,” Talitha cut her off. “Do you know how many times I’ve gone too far when I was bantering with your sister? Or how many times I accidentally made Ava cry? Or how often Lyr refused to talk to me for a few days? I can be just mean as you can, and one day, I’m gonna say something insensitive to you. And you’re going to say something cruel to me. But, y’know, it’s not the end of the world. We just have to try our best not to, and apologize when our best isn’t quite enough. It’s gonna be fine, babe.”
Alinora closed her eyes. She bent her head forward. “You’re right.”
“Go and die for all I care!” - tali & nora somehow pls
okay so i’m combining this with the other prompt you sent, 14 from this list. for extra angst purposes!
prompt source!
so this one is... set in the canon universe, but isn’t exactly canon??? a similar situation to this is planned, but it’s. very different. (very, very different lmao). BUT i adapted it to fit the prompt. because otherwise it wouldn’t have made as much sense.
CW: some discussion & references to suicide. under a cut bc it got long!!
"Fine," Talithasnapped, "just go and die for all I care!"
"Maybe I fucking will,"Alinora snapped back. "Beats hanging around in this lousy fuckinglife." Alinora slammed the door shut behind her and stomped down the hall.Tears burned at her eyes but she ignored them. That woman was so... she wasso...
She was so irritating!
Alinora wasn't exactly happy aboutthis either, thank you very much, but it was the only way. Nomagical solution was going to drop in their laps. There wasn't a deus exmachina waiting around the corner. There was only them versus a god--and evenwith the power they had accumulated, they were still mortal. Whathope did they have against Fate? The only way...
This was the only way.
She pushed through the doors,stepping out into the little pocket world Talitha had created. There were days,like this one, when Alinora really hated this place. Talitha was everywhere.Her magic fueled it, created it, shaped it. It no longer drew from her, but herhand was in everything. You couldn't turn around without seeing her.Which was the last thing Alinora needed--or wanted--right now.
She made for the gates. Maybe she'dvisit Elaena. Spend some time in Death's castle. Challenge Death to a game ofchess. Or poker. Or something. Anything to keep her mind off that terrible,wretched, awful woman.
Talitha slumped into the floor. Whyhad she said that? Of all the things she could have fucking said, shesaid that. To an already suicidal woman with a history ofsacrificing herself for the greater good.
Why am I such a terribleperson? She buried her face in her hands.Her only consolation was that Alinora was probably heading for the trainingroom, to ruin a few unsuspecting dummies. Lyr would probably bitch about havingto make more, but honestly, Talitha couldn't care less right then. She'd makethem herself, if it meant that Alinora had a safe, productive wayto work out her anger.
There was a distant squeal as thegates swung open. Talitha's head snapped up.
Oh no. Oh fuck. Oh, Talitha fuckingJade, you're a goddamn idiot. Shescrambled to her feet and threw open the balcony doors just in time to watchAlinora stride through the gates, head held high. Talitha turned and ran,nearly flying down the stairs in her haste to get outside.
She burst through the doors.Tracking Alinora would be hard, because as soon as she left, she probablyshadow-stepped away. But, Elaena was Alinora's handler. It wouldn't be thefirst time that Talitha had needed to contact her over Alinora disappearing.Not usually because of them having a stupid fight, though. Itwas usually Aishlynn. Or Asa. Or Lyr, once. Or. You know. Most everyone butTalitha, because normally, Talitha watched her fucking mouth.
Elaena. Babe. Need your help, please.Kind of panicking at the moment. Talithasent out the prayer, the thoughts lined with a desperate edge. Her heart washammering in her chest. Her tongue tasted of bile.
Elaena appeared, and for onceTalitha didn't even bat an eye at the way she materialized from shadow. Therewas a bored look on her face, instead of the usual bit of concern.
"If this is about Alinora,she's at the castle. Was in the middle of badgering Dad into playingchess." Elaena paused. "Pretty sure he's going to give in." Sheshrugged. "Got a fucking soft spot a mile wide. Guess you two got into it,then?"
"I said something stupid,"Talitha said. "And I want to apologize for it."
Elaena nodded. "You'll get yourchance. Go... prepare some grand gesture, or whatever it is you lovebirds do.I'll keep her out of trouble. Or whatever."
Talitha slumped. "Thanks,El."
She waved a hand. "S'my job. Godo yours."
And then she disappeared.
Talitha stared off into thedistance, over the bleak forest, where she could see the spires of Death'scastle. Alinora was in good hands, for the moment. Talitha needed to come upwith a damn good apology.
And then hope Alinora could forgivethe unforgivable.
Alinora rubbed her face. Three gamesof chess--two against Death, once against Elaena--, half a bottle of wine, anda really good spar later, and she was home. Sore and tired asfuck, but home. And dreading what she was going to find in their bedroom.
Would Talitha still be there? Or wasthis the last straw?
At the time, Alinora hadn't thoughtpast more than leaving. She hadn't thought about how it might look from theoutside. Not until her second glass of wine. She should have come home then. Butshe didn't. Instead, she took Elaena up on her offer to spar, and... leftTalitha to worry some more.
Obviously Tali would know that therehad to be very specific circumstances for Alinora to do what she was planning.It wasn't just something you rushed into half-cocked. But that wouldn't make itany easier to bear. Wouldn't make how they had left things any more comforting.Wouldn't have made it any more certain that Alinora was going to come home.
Alinora took a deep breath, andpushed open the doors.
Talitha was on the couch, lookingfidgety and nervous as hell, but also extremely soft and open in her too-bigsweater and leggings. Alinora's favorite dish was on the coffee table (oneTalitha hated dearly) and there was a mug of her favorite tea as well. Andcandles. The warm, cinnamon scented ones that Alinora only brought out onspecial occasions, because it was easier to just use magelights most of thetime.
Talitha gave her a little, crookedsmile. "So, um. I said something stupid earlier," she said, becauseof course she was just going to jump right into it.
Alinora closed the door softlybehind her, leaning into it, listening. Hoping her expression wasn't toosevere.
"And... I shouldn't have saidit. I didn't mean it. I was just... angry. And that's not. It isn't an excuse.I know better. I know that, that words hurt. That they mean things.That they can cut deep. Make scars that last a long time. And, I don't. I don'twant to do that to you? That's not the kind of person that I want to be. Not thekind of relationship that I want us to have.
"And. I'm going to try and dobetter. In the future. Whether, um. Whether you forgive me or not. But I'mreally hoping that you do, and we get to continue to this, because. You'rehonestly the best thing to ever happen to me. The light of my fucking life,honestly. And I don't want to lose you because I'm an idiot. But I mean, you'dbe well within you're rights to just. Drop me. Because I was an asshole.Majorly. Worse than I've been since---"
Alinora held up a hand. "You'reforgiven," Alinora said softly. She hadn't contemplated anything else. Hadbarely registered the words, barely realized what Talitha had said in the firstplace. All she had seen was Talitha's anger, her immediate shut down of themost obvious way to end this, before it got any worse. That probably saidsomething about her mental health, something she didn't really want to examineat that moment. "It's not like I haven't been an asshole... most of thetime."
Talitha snorted. "Yeah, but you'venever told me to--" She cut herself off.
Alinora raised an eyebrow. "Howmany times did I tell you to jump off a cliff, Tali?"
"Yeah, but you didn't mean it."
"Neither did you."
"Yeah, but mine was said out ofanger. It wasn't a joke. I wasn't teasing you. I was pissed,and frustrated, and I said something stupid. It's different."
"Are you trying to talk me outof forgiving you?" It wasn't working, but Alinora was curious anyway.
"No! Yes. Maybe! I don'tknow."
Alinora snorted. "It isn'tworking. Isn't going to work either." She walked over to her, and sat onthe couch next to her. "You said something stupid. I'll grant you that.But I don't think it was out of anger."
"No? What would you call thatthen?"
"Fear." Alinora leanedagainst her side. "You were afraid. So you said something mean. Becausethat's what we do, when we're afraid. You and me. Doesn't make it a good thing.But it's an understandable thing. So. I forgive you. Because I know you didn'tmean it. I know... that you meant the opposite, really."
"I did," Talitha murmured."Still do."
Alinora nodded. "See?" Shepaused. "Besides, if I didn't forgive you, who's going tocling to me like an octopus all night? I won't be able to sleep without that, Idon't think."
Talitha laughed, wetly. "Guessnone of the others are clingy like me, huh?"
"Not even close."
"I love you, Nora."
"I love you too, Tali,"she murmured.
Talitha kissed the top of her head."Light of my fuckin' life."
I'll use this as an ask to request misc. talinora facts now, throw 'em at me :p
aaah ty!! i’m always down to talk about my girls :D
Talitha is constantly singing Alinora’s praises. She calls her “the light of my life, the sun in my sky, my north star, my guiding light, the queen of my heart” and other such grand endearments. She’s also fond of using more normal ones like “babe, honey, darling, baby, sweetheart, doll, etc.”
Alinora is not really one for nicknames but she will call Talitha “darling” or “baby.” Sometimes she breaks out “honey.” Doesn’t matter which one she uses, Talitha melts every time.
Talitha is (loudly) vocally supportive and often exclaims “that’s my wife” when Alinora does... anything. Anything at all. The only time she isn’t super encouraging is when it comes to Alinora’s sense of humor, which she (fondly) insists is terrible.
Alinora isn’t as loudly supportive as Talitha, but she’s sitll very supportive of her. She will be one of the first people to remind others of how smart that Tali is & always listens to her plans, no matter how ridiculous.
Kind of inspired by some of the Vivji posts you made earlier, but Tali & Alinora both have/get tattoos. They have a matching one, though I haven’t decided what it is yet.
Tali is fond of latching onto Alinora’s back whenever she can. Usually at very inconvenient moments. Alinora pretends to be annoyed but never actually shakes her off.
Talitha will also plop into her lap whenever she feels like it, which Alinora also pretend to be annoyed about. Sometimes Alinora will plop in Tali’s lap instead, though, which makes her go very red.
For that matter, of the two of them, Tali is more likely to blush. Sometimes she can catch Alinora off guard, but for the most part? Alinora is better at getting Tali to blush. She doesn’t abuse this power... much. (Lyr thinks it’s hysterical.)
