Tilora hummed along with the music box she had wound up and let play as she undid her hair before bed.
"Do you dance?" she asked her girlfriend with a glance over her shoulder.
"Not...typically," Llevura said. She, too, had taken her hair out of its usual braid and put on an oversized shirt in preparation for sleeping.
Tilora turned around to face her and leaned back against the dresser. "Why not?"
"Not really the type, I suppose," she said. "At least, I'm not usually seen as the type, so I never really got into it."
"What if I wanted to dance with you?"
Llevura smiled softly. "I wouldn't object."
Arms around each other, they began to sway to the gentle beat of the music box. Tilora led her partner around the room, twirling along a meandering path that she made up as they went. Llevura wished she could rest her head against Tilora's shoulder, but being the taller one, she settled for focusing on the feeling of their chests pressed together. When the music began to slow, Tilora let go of all but Llevura's hand and stepped up onto the bed, followed by Llevura, and they let themselves fall backwards onto the mattress as the final notes rang out.
Llevura turned her head toward her girlfriend beside her and kissed her on the nose.
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[Llevura and Talvini unpack Ildari being the Nerevarine following the events of Tribunal.]
Llevura arrived at Tel Galen and triggered the alarm rune at the door to alert the tower's mage-lord to her presence.
"It's Llevura," she called up the tower's shaft once she was inside.
"Oh, how nice! Come in!" Talvini called down to her.
She cast a levitation spell and floated up to the next level to meet her friend.
"Would you like some coffee?" Talvini asked. "I have a pot that's just about ready."
"That sounds lovely."
She sat down at the table while Talvini poured two mugs of coffee. Knowing Talvini, it was likely more than "just about ready." She had a tendency to forget about coffee she had brewing while she worked on her projects. It was sure to be nice and strong—and, thankfully, kept hot with magic.
"So, what brings you all the way to Vvardenfell?"
"Would you mind casting a rune?" Llevura asked. It was a phrase uttered between them enough that she knew Talvini would know what she meant: a rune to block any divine onlookers from perceiving potentially dangerous conversations. As soon as the request left her mouth, however, she realized how futile it would be. Still, it was a source of tenuous comfort, and so she let Talvini cast it anyway.
Talvini joined her at the table once the rune was cast and looked at her expectantly, with a hint of worry in her eyes. Of course she knew that Llevura would not have asked her to cast a rune if she did not have something important to talk about.
"The Nerevarine—Ildari—she's your granddaughter, isn't she?" Llevura asked.
Talvini took a sip of her coffee and nodded slowly, as though she had been expecting the question for some time.
"She is. But she doesn't know about me. She can't know about me yet," she said. "Do you remember the Ildari we knew in the Second Era? Ildari Melas, she called herself."
"Melas...like Faryn," Llevura said. She did remember her, at least vaguely, but she had not put it together before today. "Faryn, who raised your granddaughter. But, how is that possible?"
"Several years from now, she'll travel back to the Second Era," Talvini said. "I don't know the details, since it hasn't happened yet."
Llevura sat in thought for a few moments as she sipped at her coffee. It was no wonder Talvini—and Milia, when she was still alive—had grown so evasive over the years. They had a timeline to protect.
"So you've always known what she would become? What she would do?"
"We knew she would be the Nerevarine, and vaguely what that would entail," Talvini said. She looked more closely at Llevura with a question in her eyes. "I assume there's something I don't know?"
"I suppose so," Llevura said carefully. She wondered for a moment whether she should even tell Talvini what had happened, but as Ildari's ancestor, she should have some special rights. "Ildari may have killed both of our patrons."
Talvini set her mug down quickly, barely wincing as a few droplets splashed onto her hand, and leaned in.
"Sotha Sil and Almalexia are dead?" she asked. There was a mixture of incredulity and devastation on her face. Although her orthopraxy from her younger years had faded with age, there was no doubt that her gods still held a place in her heart. "And...Ildari...?"
"I don't know exactly what happened," Llevura said. "I'm still processing it all, myself. What I know is that Almalexia told Ildari that Sotha Sil had gone mad and had to be dealt with, and that Ildari might have to kill him. She sent her to the Clockwork City and followed her soon after, saying that she might need help. Too much time passed, and my colleagues and I all lost access to our divine-granted abilities, and then Ildari returned alone.
"The next day—yesterday—Ildari came back to Mournhold with Vivec. They spent some time with Fedris and Archcanon Gavas; I suspect they may have all gone to the Clockwork City to see to...the remains. Then, when they were done, Vivec addressed the Hands and confirmed that both ALM and SI were dead."
She steadied herself with another sip of coffee, letting the heat on her lips ground her. This was not the time for a breakdown; she had done that enough already.
"They haven't told us exactly what happened. If Sotha Sil had truly gone mad as we were told, then perhaps he killed Almalexia, and tried to kill Ildari, who defended herself. But—Three forgive me—I don't know if I believe that.
"Almalexia said that Sotha Sil released fabricants to attack Mournhold. But she went to the Clockwork City immediately before the attack. It is...possible, if unthinkable, that they coordinated the attacks together in order to lure Ildari to the Clockwork City, where they could face her together. I got the sense that Almalexia resented Ildari's role in Azura's prophecy, and maybe Sotha Sil felt the same, and they wanted to...remove her—if you'll forgive my coarse phrasing—but thought they would have a better chance if they teamed up against her.
"On the other hand, Almalexia had her reforge Nerevar's legendary blade before sending her to the Clockwork City. So maybe everything she said was true, and Sotha Sil was beyond reason." She sighed. "I shouldn't try to understand the intentions of a god."
Talvini, who had been listening intently for the whole explanation, her face difficult to read, simply asked, "How are you doing?"
"Honestly? Not great," she said with half a laugh as if it would help draw attention away from her pain. "I won't pretend I didn't notice their decline; Almalexia had been struggling to hold on for some time. And while I don't know exactly what happened when Ildari defeated Dagoth Ur, I do know it changed them. Still, I wasn't expecting something so drastic to happen so soon. I've been trying to process it on my own when I can, but it's hard to mourn someone I loved and devoted my whole being to when I have to act like she's not really gone."
Talvini nodded sympathetically. "How is Tilora doing?"
"Tilora doesn't know," Llevura said quietly, as if she could otherwise hear them all the way from Mournhold. "She noticed that something was upsetting me, of course, and she knows I can't tell her the details, so she might have some guesses. But she has her duties as a priest, and priests are generally not supposed to assume their gods are dead. She'll learn what happened soon enough, but in the meantime, I'm more or less on my own." She took another sip of coffee. "What about you? Sotha Sil was your patron. Are you okay?"
Talvini's eyes drifted far away, and she offered a pensive shrug. "I knew he would die sometime between the prophecies and Ildari's jaunt into the Second Era. I didn't know it would be immediately after the prophecies, and I certainly didn't know Ildari would be involved—or, could be involved, anyway." She brought her eyes back to the present. "It's a lot to unpack."
"It is," Llevura agreed.
"Maybe someday Ildari will tell us what really happened."
"Not sure I want to know," Llevura said. "On the other hand, guessing is worse."
Talvini raised her mug in solemn agreement. Her eyes floated into the distance once more. "The weight she was carrying...the whole time we knew her..."
"I can't imagine."
"Nor I. Poor thing." She snapped her eyes back to present and added, "I mean, assuming she didn't just murder them both in cold blood, but I highly doubt that's what happened."
Llevura shook her head. "No, I can't imagine that's what happened. She looked as devastated as I felt when she returned to Mournhold. Hers was not the face of a foul murderer."
"Good, I suppose," Talvini said. "I just wish I could offer her...anything. Instead, I have to keep pretending I don't exist."
"You'll see her again someday," Llevura said. "How old was she in the Second Era?"
"Thirties, forties? I expect it'll be in the next decade or so. Good thing I'm not going anywhere."
Llevura smiled. "Good thing, indeed. Hope I can say the same." Her smile faded slightly. "Everything is going to be very different, very soon. I'll admit I'm afraid of what our world might look like tomorrow, let alone in a decade. But I'm glad to have a friend I can talk to. Thanks for having me, Tal."
She stood up to leave, and Talvini joined her.
"You're welcome any time. It gets lonely out here in a tower that's blocked off from most prying eyes. Bit of a self-imposed loneliness, granted, but I enjoy the company nonetheless."
She offered a hug, and only in her friend's embrace did Llevura realize how much she needed it. It lasted a bit longer than one might have expected, but she hoped Talvini wouldn't mind. They did just lose their gods, after all.
When they finally let go, Llevura took a step back.
"Thanks again, Tal. See you soon," she said as she cast the recall spell to take herself home.
[Llevura loses access to her divine spear shortly after Almalexia leaves for the Clockwork City.]
The Hands of Almalexia waited.
And waited.
It was to be a quick trip, no more than an hour or two. She was just going to follow the Nerevarine to the Clockwork City, in case she ran into more trouble than she could handle and needed a god's intervention. This was Almalexia's divine truth as given to her Hands.
So they waited.
Several hours passed, according to the tiring of Llevura's legs and the grumbling of her stomach. The Hands fidgeted quietly, awkwardly. Llevura, for one, was thankful that her helmet hid her concern. She wondered how many of her colleagues felt the same.
Finally, Llevura said, "Let's take breaks in shifts." As one of the older Hands, her words carried some weight when their god was not present to give orders.
She motioned for Drals, a younger Hand who had been fidgeting the most, to leave his post with her. They obtained some food from the Temple Ministry and then headed toward the front of the building.
"Let's eat on the front landing, if you don't mind," Llevura said. "I know it's ashy out there, but I'd like to keep an eye out for...anything."
For what, she was not even sure herself, but Drals offered no objection, and so they sat on the stone floor outside the entrance to the Temple with their kwama eggs and saltrice. Her old joints complained, but she had a feeling that no amount of cushions would bring her comfort right now.
"Don't look so nervous," she chided quietly when she noticed after a few minutes that Drals had hardly touched his food. "There's nothing to worry about, and you'll set a bad example for the priests and templegoers."
"You're right," Drals said with a forced smile. "Most likely the Clockwork City's defenses were more than the Nerevarine could handle, and the Sacred Lady in her unending mercy intervened to help her. They're probably fighting through fabricants as we speak."
"Exactly," Llevura said. Perhaps if she tried hard enough, she would even believe it herself.
They finished eating in silence. Llevura had to remind herself a few times to stay present and avoid worrying, just as she had reminded Drals. When they were done, they stood up and stretched, and replaced their helmets to block out the ash from the ongoing storm.
"You could take an hour or so to rest," she said. "I, however, don't feel much like resting right now, and might stay out here and train. You're welcome to join me, if you'd prefer."
"Training sounds good," Drals said. Despite not being able to see his face, Llevura thought she could hear some relief in his voice to be offered an alternative to being alone with his thoughts.
Llevura retrieved blunted weapons from inside, and they descended the steps to the yard. They positioned themselves across from one another, with the front door of the Temple in their view, in case any news should arise.
Llevura drew back her hands and called forth the spear of light granted to her by Almalexia. No spear appeared.
She glanced up at her training partner and laughed nervously. "Off day, I suppose."
She relaxed her hands, and then drew them back again. The same motion she had made every day for almost eight centuries, a motion as natural to her as breathing. Her hands remained empty. Her stomach lurched.
Drals clapped his hands together to cloak himself in burning light, an ability also granted to him by their patron. Nothing happened. He tried once more. Nothing.
Llevura's heart and mind raced. Perhaps it was simply due to Almalexia technically being in a different plane? No, Llevura's divine-granted abilities had worked during her own trips to the Clockwork City in ages past, and so the reverse would also be true.
There was only one explanation. One impossible, unspeakable explanation.
They stood facing each other, neither wanting to be the one to say it.
"Let's just stick with physical weapons for now, hm?" Llevura managed to say after what felt like an eternity.
Drals nodded. And so, despite the fact that Llevura could barely feel her limbs, she drew her practice sword and they fought. What else could they do?
After a few bouts, they were distracted by movement on the Temple landing. A mer who Llevura recognized as the Nerevarine stood talking to another mer in a blue dress, whom Llevura could not identify at this distance. Actually, as Llevura approached, it looked more like the woman in blue was doing all the talking, but she seemed to finish her speech and disappeared before Llevura reached the steps. She stopped in her tracks for a moment as the ash storm cleared up all at once, and then removed her helmet and continued her approach.
"Serjo Ildari," she called up to the Nerevarine as she ascended the steps to meet her.
The Nerevarine turned to face her. Her eyes were puffy, and her stance was that of a mer who was exhausted in much more than the physical sense. The poor girl looked like she would rather be anywhere but here.
"Good to see you've returned," Llevura said, because she could not think of anything better to say. "I assume everything went as expected?"
There was a look in Ildari's eyes, a pain well beyond her purported twenty-some years. It was all the answer Llevura needed. Her world shattered.
"Right," she said softly. "Carry on."
The girl nodded with some relief, as though she had feared being detained in any sense of the word, and channeled a spell to depart. Over the whoosh of the recall spell, Llevura barely heard her whisper, "I'm sorry."
This is a joke and also not very serious. It’s also like 16+. (It involves a euphemism for boobs.)]
Llevura stood atop the steps to the Tribunal Temple in Mournhold, dressed in her civilian clothes. Her friend Milia had been doing some adventuring that had brought her to the area, and so she had decided to stop by at the end of the day. They spent some time catching up while Llevura waited for her girlfriend to finish her own duties for the day.
"Doing anything fun tonight?" Milia asked.
"Actually, yes," Llevura said. "I have plans with Tilora this evening."
"Ooh, date night?" Milia said. "Gonna get a fancy dinner? Snuggle? See those Tilorbas?"
Llevura raised an eyebrow. "'Tilorbas?' Is that supposed to be in reference to my girlfriend's breasts?"
Milia looked like she had amused herself more than anyone, and was barely holding in a giggle.
"What, you don't call them that?"
"Why in Oblivion would I call them that?"
"I'll give you ten gold."
"What are you, a child?"
"A hundred, then."
Llevura folded her arms. "It's not going to happen, Milia."
"A thousand gold. Just have Tilora tell me you did it."
"A thousand gold for what?"
The door to the temple had opened while they were talking, and now Tilora joined them, leaning vaguely against Llevura, waiting for an arm to be wrapped around her. Llevura was happy to oblige.
"Something incredibly immature," she said. "No need to concern yourself."
"I asked Llev to say a simple word," Milia said, apparently having ignored her. "If she deigns to say it, tell me and I'll give you—or her—a thousand gold. Oh, and it has to be in context. She can't just say, 'The word was whatever,' and think that's good enough."
"And what's stopping me from just saying she said it so we can split the gold?" Tilora asked.
"Llev's honor."
Llevura tightened her jaw and said nothing. Her friend knew her well, unfortunately. Tilora smiled up at her, looking faintly mischievous, despite not even knowing the terms.
"One word for a thousand gold? Sounds like a bargain."
Milia looked satisfied. "I'll take my leave, then. Enjoy your date, ladies."
---
And so it happened as predicted. They went on their date, had a fancy dinner and a couple glasses of shein, went home and had a snuggle that soon escalated. When Tilora's shirt was partway off and covering her face, Llevura swallowed her pride. For a thousand gold.
"Ah, such lovely...Tilorbas."
There was a pause. Llevura's face was already burning.
"Did you just—" Tilora put her shirt back on. "Did you just call my tits 'Tilorbas?'"
She didn't look angry, luckily. Incredulous, maybe, but mostly laughing. Then it clicked.
"That was the dare?"
Llevura nodded, her face still as hot as the pit of Red Mountain.
"I'm so proud of you!"
Tilora tackled her to the bed and kissed her. Despite her embarrassment, she was happy for the kisses, and to have a girlfriend who could tolerate some silliness, even if Llevura could be a bit rigid herself.
Tilora sat back up and took her shirt off, for real this time.
"You can touch my Tilorbas, if you want."
---
The following day, Milia came by the temple again on her continued adventuring business. She caught sight of Tilora and veered in her direction.
"Anything to report?" she asked.
Tilora pointedly cast an energy orb in her direction and held out a hand.
i came to the realization today that since Llevura outlives Almalexia, she loses access to her spear (the one from her ESO templar abilities) around the time of the fall of the Tribunal
i want to write about that happening but i feel like it would be too heartbreaking and idk if i could really do it justice
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls Online
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Talvini (Vestige OC)/Milia (Vestige OC), Vestige OC/Vestige OC, Female Dunmer Vestige/Female Dunmer Vestige, Vetige OC & Vestige OC, Vestige OC & Vivec, Vestige OC & Almalexia
Characters: Milia Nyrandil (Vestige OC), Talvini Llothri (Vestige OC), Llevura Ranith (Vestige OC), Tilora Uvanil (Vestige OC), Vivec, Almalexia
Additional Tags: they pass the pov by touching don't @ me, Vestige trauma, PTSD
Summary:
Milia and Llevura hand their brain cells to Talvini and decide to fight to the (temporary) death to see whose faction is cooler. Milia is reminded about her trauma around dying.
---
This started as a joke about how Llevura could outparse Milia and how that would annoy Milia (and does annoy me because Milia is supposed to be my best dps), but Milia also has Vestige Baggage that needed to be unpacked, so here we are.
I was tagged by @alxxiiswrites! I’ve been kinda slumpy lately but I finally started writing something (even if it’s not super serious) so here’s a snippet:
Milia folded her arms. "Careful, Hand. Rivalries aside, when you disrespect the Buoyant Armigers, you're disrespecting Vivec hirself."
"I have no disrespect for the Armigers, and certainly none for Vivec. All I'm saying is that when one needs real muscle, one wouldn't exactly call on a poet," she said. "I mean, let's be honest. Any of us could take on any of you in a fight."
Milia raised an eyebrow and reached for her staff. "Is that a hill you want to die on?"
Talvini cringed. There was no way this would end well. She considered intervening, but no—not yet. It would be better to let them blow off their steam for now and throw up a ward if things were to get ugly.
"If I were wrong, sure—but I'm not," Llevura said. "But if you're intent on putting my words to the test, then let's take this out to the training yard and duel. To the death."
Milia's grip on her staff loosened. "To the death?"
"What, out of soul gems? Don't worry; I've got plenty."
I’m going to tag anyone who wants to do it even though it’s definitely not Wednesday anymore.
