[color=f26522][i][b]Character Opinions ft. Daro’Vasora[/b][/i][/color]

[b]Brynja:[/b] Ah, miss Whitehands. I didn’t always see eye to eye with her, and she’s a typically stubborn Nord, but she’s grown on me and her heart’s in the right place. She’s a bit of a mother bear and has been mostly looking after Rhona since her unfortunate encounter with her prick of an ex, but she could stand to lighten up a bit and stop letting herself be played like a fiddle emotionally. Sure, she can’t really help if one or both of her parents were probably trolls, but she’s an attractive enough woman, by man or mer standards. She just needs to get laid.

[b]Megana:[/b] Behind a simple and unrefined tongue lays one of the most empathic and pure souls I’ve had the surprise and pleasure of coming across. Meg is kind and full of compassion, something that would normally make someone like her vulnerable to this world we live in, but she possesses grit and is willing to do hard things to survive or protect others. She’s one of the few people who are both able to put others before herself while being able to be unflinching in her resolve to set things right in her eye. It causes friction, but look who’s talking. I’m surprised anyone’s still left after my earlier conduct.

[b]Calen:[/b] You know, he’s not as shifty as I’d first thought. Initially, Calen struck me as a snake charmer of a Nord who disarms people with his musical talents, large personality, and charming voice, and I’d had him pegged as a swindler. Turns out the only thing he’s swindling is Rhona’s heart, the way she looks at him. He’s been surprisingly dependable and has a set of morals and values he is loathed to compromise on. I hope this war doesn’t take that away from him, he’s good for morale and if he crumbles, I think it would be like seeing a historical landmark become destroyed; the sense of how things were would be gone forever and something truly valuable would be lost. 

[b]Gregor: [/b]There’s two sides to this man. The first is the somewhat soft-spoken and considerate family man who just happens to be incredibly unfaithful to his wife by fucking Raelynn like a man half of his age but still maintains this air of trustworthiness and courage that’s reassuring. And then there’s the other, a mask slips and there’s this dark maelstrom that emerges from the pits of his eyes and takes control of his body; he becomes more rigid, jerky, and he speaks like a man truly possessed by the same impulses that serial killers seem to employ to justify abhorrent behaviour. That on its own isn’t enough for me to feel he’s dangerous to any of us, but I worry that the day may come that he’s going to snap and that mask is going to evaporate in an icy fury that threatens to consume the rest of us. He assures me he is entirely focused on the Dwemer, our mutual enemy, and the rest of us aren’t in harm’s way. But what happens if any of us cross these invisible lines he’s laid out? He’s a man of absolutes who does not see the Dwemer as people, just a pestilence he feels he is the cure for. It’s haunting to think about, and I try to think of him like how he usually presents himself; that’s the part I could see myself befriending and trusting. However, it’s but a ship floating precariously on a sea, and there’s a storm on the horizon. I fear for Raelynn’s safety, but I warned her. I just hope she can curve those impulses he has.

[b]Raelynn Hawkford:[/b] She’s tightly wound, pretentious, and a tad arrogant thanks to her dear father and an opulent upbringing, and once I thought that’s all there was to her. After her… incident, I’ve seen a side to her that’s soft and vulnerable and caring. Even before all of that, she found a romance with Gregor that seemed to really let her hair down, so to speak. Maybe they’re good for one another? Mara, I hope so. But lately, I think we’ve actually come to appreciate one another and she’s something I actually consider a friend now; we have quite a bit in common, and she chose to trust in me when she was at her lowest point. I hope that still means something in the days ahead, because truthfully, true friends are hard to come by and it’s not a word I use lightly. She’s lost so much of herself the last while, I need to try to help her hold onto what’s left. It’s the least I can do.

[b]Latro de Couteau:[/b] Had you told me a couple months ago that I’d have fallen for the androgynous pretty boy with long silky hair and a soft voice that happened to be a fetching musician, I’d probably have assumed you meant a quick fling, but he turned out to be so much more. We’ve survived so much, and come to depend on one another to the point where it became clear that both of our lives would have been emptier without one another. When I thought he died in Imperial City, my heart broke, and I’d never experience such joy as when he came back into my life. I was an idiot and almost lost him again in Anvil because of my own insecurities and jaded, stupid ass, but this is new for both of us. I’d only loved once before, and that burned me. This burns in another way, a hearthfire if you will. I know who he really is, and I don’t care he tried to hide that from me; his heart is pure and he feared what I’d do. I understand that, and he decided to level with me a secret no one else knows. Besides, the Reachman bard’s good with his hands. It’s always the quite ones who have the most skill and dexterity. [i]giggles[/I] Look, he’s better than someone like me deserves, and I think he feels the same way. We’re both slightly bent and damaged goods that make a nice matching set. Scars tell a story, do they not?

[b]Rhona Amoretto:[/b] A pretty and polite girl who got picked up by Rhea because she liked to collect sad and broken things and see the good in people, I barely had a chance to talk to the girl. She’s not a fighter and doesn’t really do anything practical for the rest of us, and we haven’t eaten her goat yet, so I suppose she’s accepted as a part of the gang. I feel like she’s kind of a liability and way over her head, but then again I’m an anti-social treasure hunter with trust issues pretending I’m Ysgramor leading his companions against a dominant group of elves who’s really good at picking locks and sneaking about so I don’t have to get in a fight. She’s barely talked since she basically beat her deadbeat husband to death with a cudgel, and Brynja’s been mothering her. It wouldn’t surprise me if she finds somewhere safe to lay low, this isn’t her fight. She probably sticks around because Calen’s her knight in shining armour, or similar metaphor you find in some pulp romance novel under some teenage girl’s bed. I know I had a few.

[b]Nanine Tilhart:[/b] Here’s an enigma. So some affluent-looking, based on her armour, Breton woman who carries herself like she’s grown up being fed from a silver spoon her whole life shows up in the refugee camp and joins up with the Colovian Rangers, right? She sits down, and immediately tries to analyze people like she’s a head doctor and gives her prognosis of what’s wrong with a few of the party without being really prompted and then she lays low for the next few weeks, emerging for a few quiet chats. She’s just kind of there, like a wall fixture that you get used to seeing but wouldn’t notice it right away if it disappeared, but as soon as you have use of it would be strange. She’s a talented mage, perhaps a bit smug, but I couldn’t tell you anything else about her. I can’t even remember what her voice sounds like she talks so little.


[b]Alim:[/b] Speaking truthfully, I subconsciously pat down my pockets and belts every time he brushes by me. Man’s a thief, which I respect, and he’s done absolutely nothing to slight the rest of us, but he carries himself in such a way where it feels like’s he’s casing us and plans to make off with a big haul of our valuables. It’s irrational, and as odd as it does sound, I [I]do[/I] trust him, he just reminds me way too much of Roux. I gave Roux my heart and my unquestioning trust and he fucks me out of the biggest discovery in my life that paved his way to fame and fortune and ended up with me having a burnt down apartment and barely a Septim to my name. Anyways, he’s a brutal flirt, sometimes to the point where I cringe and die inside but the rest of the ladies in our company seem to dig it, except for Mazrah for being the most aggressive lesbian I’ve met and Judena being a very… ah, distinguished Argonian who is the most low key lesbian I’ve met. I don’t think he’s made a pass at me, but that’s not surprising. He probably has feline allergies, the wuss. That aside, he’s been very dedicated and kind to everyone and he’s dedicated to us all, and he adds an air of normality and comfort to the group. I’m glad he’s around, I like him.

[b]Tariyeh "Shakti" Nasaaj:[/b] How can anyone not find her enthusiasm infectious? Shakti is a charming girl with a huge heart and a spirit I hope never gets crushed. She reminds me a lot of when I was her age, just starting to take on the world and make my own way outside of Leyawiin. She’s naïve and has no idea what life’s like outside of her family enclave, but she’s learning fast and she went through great lengths to get her family sword back. She was generous to me, and it turns out a bit of compromise went a long way. I had to lie about what happened in the Jerall Mountains, I just don’t want her to hate us… me for our part in fucking up her life. I really don’t want to have to justify Rhea’s fuck up and the fact I didn’t punch Rhea in the face and let us all die. Life’s funny like that.

[b]Solandil:[/b] Remember how I was talking about pulp romances? Solandil is basically the stoic and tough love interest for our female avatar in those stories, only in the books he eventually warms up and gently makes love to the main character for thirteen pages by a moonlit river. Solandil so far has not done that, and I think he never will. Brynja kind of likes him, I think. I think it’s because he looks like a silver medal to the gold medal of the rest of the Altmer, so maybe he feels like he’s second best, so the defective-feeling Altmer and the defective-feeling Nord are probably going to make defective babies if they get together. That was cruel, wasn’t it? Look, I never claimed to be a paragon. I’ll get the little runts little ancient Nord and Aleyid helmets to hide their pale and homely faces like a good aunt…

Brynja’s standing behind me, isn’t she?

[b]Anifaire: [/b]When I describe to you an aristocratic Altmer who was born and raised completely in Alinor, you probably think of the Thalmor, right? Authoritarian bigots who basically treat my people and the Bosmer like sword fodder and think that the races of Men are a blight? Anifaire apparently skipped all of those lessons, because she’s a meek, quiet girl who can’t seem to loosen up and seems overwhelmed by the idea of her forks and spoons being mixed up for dinner, and probably wouldn’t fucking eat if there weren’t any. She’s overwhelmed by the real world, and the fact that she wants Alim to sneak into her pants to lockpick her chastity belt and make another 13 pages of love by a moonlit river…

If you tell anyone I read that trash, I will break your legs when you sleep.

[b]Mazrah “Maz” gra-Durash:[/b] Ohhh boy, so here I am in Hammerfell for the first time in years and avoiding curfew and I stumble across a mostly naked and physically robust Orsimer named Mazrah who is brutalizing a creep. I break his fingers, we bond, and I decide hey, let’s bring her home to show the family. Turns out being a great choice on my behalf because besides annoying the piss out of Raelynn, Maz legitimately enjoys our company and is devoted to our cause and she’s flattered me to the point where I’m starting to wonder if I like women or not. I never really thought about it, but had I not been with Latro, I maaaay have taken Maz up on her offer to see what the fuss was about. Did you know Khajiiti fur feels great on bare skin? So I’ve been told, I’m somewhat of a deviant and I’ve barely had Khajiit partners. Apparently my type is vaguely feminine Reachmen. Anyways, Mazrah’s an impressive warrior and she is blunt and to the point where she’s certainly not plotting anything devious in the shadows. She strikes me as the kind of person who would be offended by the idea of stabbing anyone in the back because then she can’t see the look in their face when she murders them. I missed such simplicity in my life.

[b]Judena:[/b] My oldest and most endearing friend, I’ve known Judena for years, ever since I first got started treasure hunting and doing historical research for a living. She’s a kind hearted old woman, even by Argonian standards, and she’s lost so much in her life, her homeland, her wife, and of course a lot of her mind. She gets up every single day, reads her journals and carries on with a smile on her face and the warmest disposition of anyone I’ve ever met; she struggles each and every single day and asks nothing in return because she wants other people to feel good about themselves. It bothers me when people are not patient with her for things she cannot help, and I’m glad she trusts me. Once you learn how to work around her limitation, she’s the most pleasant of company and she has decades of experience and knowledge that anyone would be a fool not to appreciate. I don’t tell her how much she means to me enough, and I fear that I’m running out of time to do so. She means as much to me as Zegol did, and I don’t think she knows that.

[b]Jaraleet:[/b] I respect Jaraleet for what he can do as a fighter, and he’s a sneaky shit who operates from the shadows. I feel like he might have been born under the sign of the Shadow, but I have no way to prove that and I don’t know enough about Argonian internal politics to know if the Shadowscale practice is still in effect. He claims he was a simple soldier, but simple soldiers aren’t proficient torturers who are socially stunted oddballs who handle relationships with the same amount of tact as a Skeever going through your trash bin. He seems to think his way of doing things is unquestionable, and while he fumbles when this perspective is challenged by someone with a bit more mental agility than he’s accustomed to, he entrenches and refuses to budge. He strikes me as someone who doesn’t believe in the divines and if Alkosh himself came and scorched half of the world in divine fire, he would still refuse to accept the obvious explanation. Meg fancies him and good for her. I just don’t know if she’s going to find what she’s hoping for there, but he seems to be thawing a bit with her around. I’ve been wrong about people before, and despite everything, I do trust him… just maybe not to make the most sound judgements on his own.