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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
| Tiercel's Peregrinations | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 10 2017, 09:00 PM (4,174 Views) | |
| Kane | Feb 23 2017, 09:19 PM Post #241 |
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Overlord
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I actively try to not do it anymore. When I catch myself, it's typically subconscious and completely out of the blue. I'll go for a week or two, and then out of nowhere, I've got short, uncomfortable nails. |
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| Serethil | Feb 23 2017, 09:22 PM Post #242 |
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Et'Ada
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Yeah. Been there done that. One thing you could try would be actual manicures. Find a nail tech you like, and have him or her do short and buffed, without clear polish (which, take it from me, will CAUSE you to mess with your nails....) Go once a week. Explain that you do stress-biting, and see what s/he says. |
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| Brambleberry | Feb 23 2017, 09:36 PM Post #243 |
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Jarl
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Excellent Sere. In a word ---- INTRIGUEMAZIMUS! :book: |
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| Serethil | Feb 23 2017, 09:38 PM Post #244 |
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Et'Ada
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Oh, gosh, Bram, thanks! [Especially for giving me a new word!] |
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| Serethil | Feb 24 2017, 08:57 PM Post #245 |
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Et'Ada
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35 - This could get even more tangled - not to mention embarrassing.... Vartain slanted me an odd look. “I - don’t know what he might know. It might depend on how long he’s been back in Skyrim. And where in Skyrim he’s been - I wouldn’t bet on everyone in the province knowing that they even have a High King - or that there was one who died a year back, you know. It’s a sizable country - and only the bards and bartenders pass news around. “But what you’re thinking is that he knows.... and thinks to kill me, and become ‘me’, correct?” I nodded. “Considering how much trouble he went to, taking me, subverting our mine manager, getting rid of local miners in favor of his own crew - you don’t do that much work if you’re just playing at something....” “Why try to kill you though?” “I think.... maybe because I could identify him - if I’d ever met you. Which I hadn’t of course - until just now. He couldn’t have had any idea if I’d met you - but we live so close to Solitude.... He had to think he couldn’t do this without getting me out of the way.” His hands clenched into fists as he frowned. Rage glittered in his eyes. But his voice was calm and quiet. “It does make a good deal of sense. I wonder.... how to find out for sure. I can’t just kill him out of hand.... No, you can’t either - even though he did his best to do the same to you. Now you’ve come to me with this, we’ll have to handle it with due process. By the law. That’s mostly what I’m good for you know!” And then he looked at me, the rage damped out of his gaze, and smiled - a real one. “Do I.... have a niece or nephew?” My eyes flooded with tears again, as I shook my head. No one knew how much I had wanted a child once.... “I’m sorry. I’m not usually such a watering-pot. This has just been days and days of sheer hell, and like to get worse before better.” He laid his hand over mine where they were clenched in my lap. My heart thumped suddenly - what in...? “Will you stay here tonight? I’ll see you home tomorrow - but it’s far too late to leave now.” He surely couldn’t mean.... I flushed and then went pale again. “I’ll get a room at the Skeever. I probably should have left this until morning court, but I thought sooner was better....” I shrugged. “We can find you a bed here.” There was that smile again. “Alone. And - hmm. Hjaalmarch, and Morthal. I spoke to a man from there - Geravon?” “My grandda. He was just - I think - informing you that there was trouble in Morthal.... a courtesy belike. Though no doubt you’d rather not have known!” “Well, my predecessors would likely rather not have known. But I - unlike them - have a real love for my home country, and I mean to be as good a High King as I can. For everyone.” I looked over at him - this was a man who was.... upright, honest, caring. And my Raven blood knew all that, and sent surety racing through my veins. I’m just about positive that was when I fell in love. |
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| Areial | Feb 24 2017, 09:20 PM Post #246 |
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Et'Ada
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<shivers>... great read!! Poor Gal, as if she didn't have enough emotional crap on her plate! |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Feb 24 2017, 09:23 PM Post #247 |
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Jarl
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Oh my!! I think he's going to be a force to be reckoned with...for his brother AND Tier. *grin* Wonderful!! |
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| Serethil | Feb 24 2017, 09:27 PM Post #248 |
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Et'Ada
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Thanks, my sisters! Yeah.... Tier's done. Her first love - and her last one.... I'm not real sure how she's going to overcome that dichotomy.... |
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| Areial | Feb 24 2017, 10:27 PM Post #249 |
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Et'Ada
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ooofph.. yeah that would be... hard.. strange... an emotional nightmare! |
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| neildarkstar | Feb 25 2017, 05:24 AM Post #250 |
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Overlord
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Good and Good! :) |
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| Serethil | Feb 25 2017, 12:01 PM Post #251 |
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Et'Ada
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Thank you neil! |
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| Serethil | Feb 25 2017, 08:11 PM Post #252 |
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Et'Ada
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36 - ....and how in the hells am I supposed to explain this to everyone? Because of course - I’m going to show up home escorted by the High King, and then I’m going to tell them all that the man who kidnapped and tried to murder me is Vartain’s twin brother. Seriously, even the best bard in the world, much less my da, wouldn’t believe that! I’ve been accused by family all my life of having too good an imagination. This just sounds like more of the same.... On the road, a courier ran us down. “Got a letter for you, Tiercel Ravenwing, right?” I nodded. Ugh. The only reason anyone would send me a letter by courier was like to be bad news.... “Looks like that’s it, got to go!” He ran off as if he was a rabbit instead of human. I looked down at the letter as if it might explode as I held it, then took a deep breath and opened it. Oh. It was from Danica Kyne’s Votary in Whiterun. She’d sent me a drawing of the man who’d poisoned my water.... and of course it was Devis to the life. That new healer was an amazing artist. I explained to Vartain what it was, and handed him the drawing. “She’s extremely good. I think.... I might like to talk to her about becoming a roving crime artist....” Now that was an interesting idea. “Well, but if she’s really happy being a healer....” “Aye. It would of course be her choice. But talent like this.... It’s all but an exact likeness, as I’m sure you know only too well.” “Yes. And if it had shown up several days sooner, I’d have been on my way to fetch you I think. Had I known, I’m quite sure I wouldn’t have ever tried to smoke him out of the mine. But well - water under too many bridges now.... Time to cut our losses, and just figure out what to do with the man.” He nodded, and seemed off in a brown study as we rode. Then he surprised me yet again. “Your horse. How is it that it’s not like - well - mine. Or the rest of them in Skyrim.” “The stable in Whiterun took to breeding in some blood from Hammerfell horses - oh, forty or fifty years back I think. There was a family out of that province who brought some more like this boy with them, and the stable master at the time worked out a deal to improve our breed here in Skyrim. They’re a very hardy breed, as our own are, but slimmer as you’ve seen, and faster - though they’re more sprinters than stayers.” “Now that’s interesting! I’ll have to have a talk with Detka about doing something similar. I’ve seen the patrol horses in Hammerfell, and I can see the look of them in your gelding. Why did you cut him?” “Eh, we had too many stallions - and I just didn’t want to mess with all that studdy behavior. But this was such a good horse.... So we cut him, and I trained him myself.” And with more small talk we finished the ride in charity with each other, and with me at least more relaxed than I’d believed possible the night before. But of course, I still had to explain to the family. I was definitely not looking forward to that. And naturally, the first person besides the gate guard that we saw as we dismounted was Melki, who - recognizing the face he’d seen in the light at the mine - hauled back his good right arm and knocked Vartain on his very nicely contoured (to my eyes) butt. |
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| neildarkstar | Feb 25 2017, 08:31 PM Post #253 |
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Overlord
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Oy, it'd be rough having a twin who got you hit everywhere you go... :D |
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| Andra Hawksdaughter | Feb 25 2017, 08:39 PM Post #254 |
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Jarl
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LOL, that was wonderful Sere! Just wonderful! Her brother is going to be horrified when he knows...or maybe not. LOL Tier and her family are fun to read! Neil, I knew a set of twins on high school like that. Physically, they were like two peas in a pod, but in personality they were night and day. There was more than a bit of trouble caused by the extrovert of the two, hehe. |
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| Areial | Feb 25 2017, 08:41 PM Post #255 |
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Et'Ada
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<giggling> Oh man that would sooo suck! and I think I'd have to kick my twin's azz... hard! Good read! |
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| Serethil | Feb 26 2017, 09:06 PM Post #256 |
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Et'Ada
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37 - One word at a time, of course. If I can get them all to shut the hells up. I sighed, gave Vartain a hand to get him up out of the dust, and then turned to my brother. “This, my boy, is not Devis. This is his twin, Vartain - in other words, the High King.” Melki’s eyes bugged a bit, but then he slanted an eyebrow at Vartain, and said “Well, I’m sorry for landing you in the dirt - but I didn’t know then, did I?” “Melki - would I have ridden calmly in here with Devis?” “I dunno, sis. Yer female, ain’t? No telling what you might do.” Vartain was making some odd noises. I turned toward him, to see that he was about to die of holding his breath on laughter. I rolled my eyes, said “Deck him if you like, your highness. He deserves it. I’ll be inside.... trying to explain all this.” “No no. I’m not going to hit him, and I certainly hope he won’t be inclined in the direction of hitting me again. Damn near broke my jaw. That’s quite a punch you have.... Might you consider becoming a bodyguard? Mine specifically....” Melki’s eyes bugged a bit more. “I.... hmm. I’ll think on’t.” He wandered off to deal with the horses. “I’m sorry. For all he’s my youngest sib, he thinks I need taking care of. And after this last couple of weeks” I sighed again “he can be forgiven for thinking so, after all!” Vartain’s eyes lit with laughter again. And - that was a difference I had just noticed deep within myself: for all the time I’d spent laughing with Devis - um.... Vintan that is - his eyes had never been other than cold. Or maybe dead. And I’d been young and stupid - so I hadn’t noticed, until his twin’s eyes glowed with fun and laughter. “Eh, not to worry, lady. I’m sure the rest of your family is going to be - awkward - as well, right?” “Not so much. None of them have ever seen your twin. G’da’s going to know who you are, but until I tell the tale....” He opened the door to the hall, and bowed me inside. He’d called me lady - and made me feel like a true one. Ma would be both angry and happy over that - angry as she’d never been able to make a lady of me, but happy because someone else had managed to at least make me feel that way. So we walked toward the dais together, and g’ma’s brows flew toward her hairline as g’da bowed nicely and said “Your Highness! It’s good to see you here in Morthal.” I motioned the doorguard over, and sent him to find ma, da, Bordon, and Uncle Hed - if he wanted his boys along, he’d take care of that himself. “Is Tovis well enough to come down for a bit?” “Should be. I’ll go get him, shall I?” G’da’s eye were beginning to have that merry, ‘I smell a story’ cast. And da of course would do his best to turn it into a ballad.... I grumbled internally. Goddess forfend anyone in the family came to realize I was already more than half in love.... I bent to kiss my grandmother, then introduced her. “Your Highness, this is my grandmother Verinne Ravenwing the Ravensdaughter. Her aunt was the Jarl of Morthal for many years, Idgrod Ravencrone.” Vartain grinned. “You are welcome to leave off the ‘your highness’ stuff. I’m Vartain, and considering the situation, I’ll just be Vartain to all of you.” G’ma laughed. “Well, you’re a breath of fresh air after the last High King. That man never got enough of bowing and scraping!” He laughed. “Oh, I know it well. I’m pleased to meet you, lady. I’d met Geravon before.” He turned toward the north stairs as g’da helped Tovis down. And then the rest of the family, including Melki, trooped in the Hall door. So I set off into introductions. “This is the High King, Vartain. This is my family” and I went down through them, noting that he was careful to put name to face. When I got to Melki, Vartain laughed again, and said “Aye, we’ve met.” Melki reddened and muttered something inaudible. “Now, I’m saying this once and once only. Listen to the whole thing before any of you go off half-cocked. Please. If you don’t - well, I won’t be responsible for the damages. Agreed?” Vartain looked at me a bit puzzled, but I just said again, “Agreed?” And got the usual assortment of nods, which generally meant they wouldn’t do what I asked. “Remember that the High King is listening to this, as well. Try not to.... da?” He laughed and nodded. Vartain looked from me to da, but neither of us explained. He’d see soon enough I was sure. I took them through the whole thing, from the beginning, in case any of them might have missed something. And as I finished with walking into evening court in the Blue Palace, and seeing Vartain, then fainting, the generally quiet mutters burst out into full voice. Da’s eyes looked just about like Melki’s had earlier. “Yon git is your TWIN? Holy hells. What are you going to do about this? Um. Your Highness.” Vartain held up a hand. I noticed that while clean, his hands were also quite well muscled - he obviously was no stranger to work.... ‘Ach. Keep your mind where it belongs girl....’ “First thing is, I don’t blame any of you one bit for being upset and wanting justice. Second thing is, until Tiercel came to me with this news, I thought my twin was still - presumably anyway - languishing in a Cyrodiil prison, which was where I left him a while back. He had done things that got him a very long sentence - but he thought I’d get him out. I didn’t - but it’s obvious that he somehow got released or escaped. “And since he’s always been a family problem, and I’m the last of the family, he’s going to be my problem to handle. We should all think over what might need to happen - and how to make it so. I’m no coward, and nor is Tiercel - but the two of us showing up at the house would be making serious targets of us. Pretty sure neither of us wants to become a pincushion for Vintan’s arrows....” Talk went on for long enough that dinner got served, and still we gnawed it over. And then came time for sleep. Vartain agreed to take ma and da’s guest room, and I went to the inn. How sad was it that I could hardly keep my mind off having Var in my bed? |
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| Areial | Feb 26 2017, 09:20 PM Post #257 |
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Et'Ada
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*giggling* at least he has a sense of humor!! When ya know, ya know...and I think she knows! |
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| Serethil | Feb 26 2017, 09:35 PM Post #258 |
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Et'Ada
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Yup. And she does know. She's made that perfectly clear.... Thanks! |
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| Brambleberry | Feb 26 2017, 10:50 PM Post #259 |
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Jarl
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Excellent read Sere. There is "chaos" a brewing in their future and not just them with Devis/Vintain, but between themselves of another nature. ;) |
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| Serethil | Feb 26 2017, 10:59 PM Post #260 |
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Bram! I'm not commenting on the intimations there.... Everyone will see what they see eventually. |
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