hey if you write a pattern for the chilchuck amigurumi I will buy it instantly
ive gotten multiple asks about this, so ill just answer them all here in one go.
i wrote down everything while i was working on it, but i theres some stuff that i would do diffrently and i also didnt take a lot of process pics so it wont be a full proper pattern for those reasons, but ill add all that i have under the cut!
i dont want any compensation, but if you wanna do me a favor you can donate to esims for gaza, unrwa, any of these gefundme's, or another trusted charity of your choice.
now to the pattern! i would love to see the results of anyone making a squeakychuck, feel free to tag or dm me :)
the dimensions of this depend on the size of ur squeaker and yarn, i had a 4ish cm squeaker and somewhat thick 4/8 cotton yarn (kinda 6/8ish thickness). depending on ur yarn and squeaker u might need to follow a different pattern for the body.
if youre using a different body base pattern, the tunic and blouse pattern are pretty easily adjustable. ill add some notes for that at those sections of the pattern. ill also link some videos i used at relevant sections.
if theres an Action store near where u live, see pic below for the yarn i used for the skin, reddish brown, black and light brown. i got 3 of these but 2 packs was enough. the dark brown and creme were from my stash. i also got the squeaker from a donut dog toy from Action.
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abreviations list (all in us terms):
mr = magic ring
sc = single crochet
hdc = half dubble crochet
slst = slipstitch
ch = chain
bobble = 5 double crochet in one stitch
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
what you need:
-skin color of choice yarn
-creme/white yarn (normal for body, thin for blouse)
-greyish creme (for boot flaps)
-black yarn
-dark brown yarn
-light brown yarn
-reddish brown yarn
-green yarn
-4 tiny buttons (for arm joints)
-cardboard (for shoe sole
-3.5mm hook
-squeaker
-needlefelt needle
-stuffing
-stitchmarker (optional, i always mark the first stitch of the round)
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once again disclaimer, this is not a propper pattern, this is just what i wrote down while i was crochetting. it may not nessecarily be the best way to do it. i wanted most clothes to be removable, but you have to partially disassemble the doll if you want to remove them. if you dont like how something looks or works ur free to do whatever you want. big fan of fucking around and finding out personally.
if you have any questions feel free to dm me, might take me a while to reply though.
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SQUEAKY CHUCK PATTERN 3.5mm hook
head (skin)
r1: sc 6 in mr
r2: (inc) x6
r3: (sc 1, inc) x6
r4: (sc 2, inc) x6
r5: (sc3, inc) x6
r6: (sc4, inc) x6
r7: (sc 5, inc) x6
r8-15 : sc 42
r16: (sc 5, dec) x6
r17: (sc 4, dec) x6
r18: (sc3, dec) x6
r19: (sc2, dec) x6
r20: (sc 1, dec) x6
r21: sc 12
slst, fasten off
ears x2 (skin)
r1: sc6 in mc
r2: (inc) x6
r3: (sc, inc) x6
r4-6: sc 18
r7: dec 9. slst fatsen off.
Body - leg up (skin, black, thick creme)
start with skin
r1: ch 6, inc in 2nd, sc 3, 4inc, sc 3, inc
r2: inc 2, sc 3, inc 4, sc 3, inc 2
r3: inc 3, sc 5, inc 6, sc 5, inc 3
r4: BLO sc in all
r5: sc 3, dec 2, sc 3, dec 2, sc 6, dec 2, sc 3, dec 2, sc 3
r6: sc 1, dec, sc 4, dec 6, sc 4, dec, sc 1.
r7: sc 6, dec 3, sc 6
stuff
-r8 dec, sc in all
change color to black [color change video]
r9-23: sc in all
1st leg: fasten off
2nd leg [joining legs video]:
r24: sc7, ch 1, sc join in 1st leg after last sc, sc13, sc1 in visible v loop of ch1, sc 7
r25: sc7, sc 1 in remaining v loop of ch1, sc21
r26-31: sc 28
r32: sc 7, change color to creme/white, slst 1, sc 20
r33-35: sc 29
r36: (sc 8, dec) x3
r37: (sc7, dec) x3
r38: (sc6, dec)x3
add squeaker
r39: sc21
r40: (sc 5, dec) x3
r41-42: sc18
r43: (sc 1, dec) x6
fasten off
Arms (skin, dark brown)
i made the arms movable with button joints, but after looking at some videos i discovered that what i did is not called a button joint and i dont have a video explaining it, so i hope this drawing helps.
the red bits are the buttons inside of the arms and body, and the thread (blue for clarity, i matched it w the skin) should be pulled tight and finished off with a double or tripple knot inside the body.
or you could just sew on the arms that also works. but wait with doing that until youve finished the blouse as the hands dont fit through the sleeves. i have a seperate section on assembly at the end of the pattern.
start with skin
r1:sc6 in mc
r2: inc x6
r3(sc, inc)x6
r4 : sc 18
change color to brown
r5: sc 18
1st arm r6: sc 3, bobble, sc 14.
2nd arm r6.2: sc 14, boble, sc 3
[i matched the top loop to the bobble color but i think it would look better if u didnt]
r7: sc 18
r8: (sc 4, dec)x3
r9: (sc 3, dec)x3
r10 sc12
color switch to skin (you might want to do this a round earlier, i didnt initially plan on making the gloves flared, and this color change part can sometimes be seen and look kinda weird)
r11-14: sc 12
r15: (sc4, dec)x2
r16-19 : sc 10
r20: (sc3, dec)x2
r21: sc8
insert button joint
r28: (sc2, dec)x2
slst, sew shut
glove flare (dark brown)
r1: ch 15, slst join LONG TAIL
r2: (sc4, inc)x3
r3: sc4, inc, sc8, inc, sc 4
r4: sc 2, slst fasten off
sew 2 rows below thumb bobble
boots (light brown, dark brown, greyish creme) [video]
these are removable but they dont go on easily, so you gotta patiently massage the feet in there.
start with light brown
ch 7, start in 2nd from hook:
r1: sc 5, 3inc, sc 4, inc
r2: inc, sc 4, inc 3, sc 4, inc 2
r3: inc, sc 5, hdc inc 7, sc 5, inc 2
r4: slst fasten off. sew in holes/tails, fray ends for flat gluejob. trace onto cardboard for sole.
switch color to dark brown
r1: BLO join slst, BLO sc in all
r2-3: sc in all
glue in sole
r4: sc 8, dec 5, sc 12
r5: sc 7, dec 4, sc 10
r6: sc7, dec2, sc 10
r7-10: sc in all
switch color to greyish creme
r11-12: sc in all
r13: slst, FLO sc in all
r14-16: sc all
slst fasten off
flip the greyish creme flap over.
blouse (thinner creme)
this is a standard raglan pattern, if you need the whole thing bigger/smaller you need to have more/less chains at the beginning. this change also carries over to the collar. the increases are evenly spaced for me, and unless your doll has a very broad chest this shouldnt have to change.
if the arms need more space you need to either add more rows to the r3-7 part and/or add more chains in r8 (this part should fit pretty sugg around the body)
i was experimenting a bit w using BLO to minimize the gap where the sleeve and body seperate (r8). it worked p good but you can ignore it if you dont understand it and just sc in all.
r1: ch24, slst join.
r2: (sc 5, inc) x4
r3-7: inc in first of previous inc. last row should have 10 sc between increases.
r8: sc5, blo sc 1, ch 5, blo sc join in 1st of next inc, sc 11, blo sc1, ch5, blo sc join in 1st st of next inc, sc 5
r9: sc6, blo sc 1, sc 5, blo sc1, sc11, blo sc 1, sc 5, blo sc 1, sc 6
r10-13: sc in all (36)
r14: (sc8, inc)x4
r15: sc in all (40)
slst finish off
Sleeve
r1: join mid armpit, slst ,sc2, sc in the leftover bits from the BLO stitches, sc 1, sc in leftover BLO bits, sc2
r2-6: sc in all
collar
join left-middle front, sc 7, inc, sc8, inc, sc 7. turn
r2: sc7, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 7. turn
r3: sc8, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 8. turn
cuffs
r1: join mid body-facing side, FLO sc 20
r2-4: sc 20, slst fatsen off
Tunic (red brown) [tunesian entrelac crochet]
if you want to make this bigger i recommend keeping the same square layout, but making the squares bigger. its a bit of measuring and math to figure it out.
the tunic is made in tunesian crochet and i dont really know what written patterns for that look like so i hope this makes sense.
for a single square:
r1: ch4, start in 2nd back bump from hook. pull up a loop from ever back bump. you should have 4 loops on your hook total. simplestitch in all
r2-4: simplestitch in all.
r5: slst in all. fasten off
for the slanted parts i did the decrease by pulling through the middle 2 loops in one go on the back pass
this is how the full thing should look, its worked from bottom left to top right.
sew together the shoulders together, then sew in all of the ends
:) good luck
tunesian crochet has a tendancy to curl, so if you used cotton i def recommend blocking it
i defined the grid a little bit with a dark brown pencil.
cowl (green)
BLO sc 7, repeat till desired lenght, then BLO slst join the last row to the first.
scalp undercut bit (dark brown)
r1: sc 6 in mr
r2: (inc) x6
r3: (sc 1, inc) x6
r4: (sc 2, inc) x6
r5: (sc3, inc) x6
r6: (sc 4, inc)x6
r7: sc36
sew on back of the head (recommend doing this before the ears and face, see end for more detailed assembly instructions)
hair (reddish brown) [hair video]
disclaimer, this is kind of a mess. the lenghts didnt line up the way i intended so i improvised by adding loose strands and spent a lot of time pinning every strand in place before glueing them down.
i used bison kit contact glue since its sturdy, transparant, flexible and waterproof. you can use hot glue as well, i just personally dont like it because its bulky.
r1: sc 21 in mc. join BLO slst
r2: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, gdc10, BLO slst join
r3: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, gdc10, BLO slst join
r4: ch13, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 11, BLO slst join
r5: ch13, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 11, BLO slst join
r6: ch 14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12, BLO slst join
r7: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, BLO slst join
r8: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, BLO slst join
r9: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, BLO slst join
r10: ch 14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12, BLO slst join
r11: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10, BLO slst join
r12: ch 10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8, BLO slst join
from now on, join in the FLO's of previous round
r13: ch10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8, FLO slst join
r14: ch10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8 , FLO slst join
r15: ch12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10 , FLO slst join
r16: ch12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10 , FLO slst join
r17: ch14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12 , FLO slst join
r18: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, FLO slst join
r19: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, FLO slst join
r20: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, FLO slst join
r21: ch14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12 , FLO slst join
1x ch 6, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 4
2x ch8, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 6
2x ch 10, sc in 2nd from chain, hdc 8, slst in same, fasten off.
2x ch 12, sc in 2nd from chain, hdc 10, slst in same, fasten off.
3x ch14
pin all in place until it looks good, tie +glue loose strands first. then glue back pieces, crown, and lastly bangs/ top back layer. some of the lose strands go behind the ears, one is the left sideburn, and the rest is to cover up the crown. these pics are the best i can do as a guide, this was my first time doing this so i was struggling lol.
i didnt fully glue down the bangs and the top back layer bc i thought it would be fun if u could ruffle his hair, but my friend who i gave the plush to has significantly abused him (its been 2 days) and his hair is a mess so im gonna have to glue it down again lol. might as well do it all the first time if u plan on throwing him down the stairs or something.
Face
for eyes + eyebrows, embroider outline with dark brown, then needle felt [video] the inner parts w unraveled dark brown fluff. the dark brown i used was probably acrylic. cotton doesnt really work well for this.
Belt and pouch (dark brown)
the belt is a 3 strand basic friendship bracelet! [video]
sew together the ends and hide it with by sewing the pouch on top.
i didnt write down the pattern for the pouch, but from the top of my head its the same start as the squares for the tunic
r1-9: simple stitch in all
r10: simple stitch 1, decrease by putting your hook through 2 vertical bars when pulling up a loop, simple stitch edge 1.
r11: slst in all, finish with a long tail
use tail to sew together the sides, and sew the pouch onto the belt. use some yellow thread to make a button.
ASSEMBLY.
put on the blouse, put the arms in their place and finish the button joints.
put on the tunic, lace the sides with dark brown yarn, finish with a knot and hide the tails underneath the chest part of the tunic.
slide on the belt and boots.
sew the scalp undercut bit to the head
sew the ears to the head
tie + glue the loose hair strands behind the ears
glue the back of the hair
glue the back of the hair
glue the middle circle part of the hair
glue the top back layer and bangs
sew the head to the body
put on the cowl
i hope this is somewhat clear, feel free to dm me is you have questions.
enjoy your squeakychuck :D
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⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆
Angel - Paige bueckers
• summary {when an unsuspecting girl falls for the basketball star}
• warnings {angst}
• comment if you would like to be added to the taglist
bellas pov
for everyday this week, azzis been over and i haven’t seen jake in a while. hmmm
avery has taken away my weed, and my valium because she says i need to ‘deal with things naturally’ blah blah blah
this week has sucked. especially because avery keeps dragging me to azzis basketball practice, and every practice, paige ignores me. i really need to stop thinking about her.
“its friday, that means you don’t have to go to a practice until monday” avery says, trying to convince me to show up to yet another practice. i don’t even watch basketball, theres literally no point to me being there
“ok, fine”
azzis pov
i know what avery’s doing is wrong. i mean shes cheating on her high school boyfriend with me, but i think im falling for her.
“paige cmon we have practice” i say, shaking paige, attempting to wake her up
“ok, ok, calm down. im up”
“also, avery and bella are coming to practice again”
“bro why” she says, complaining. she doesn’t like bella for some reason, like every time bellas around, she gets annoyed quicker than usual.
“why do you hate bella so much”
“cause she gets to attached” she says.
what.
“what do you mean paige” i say, somewhat yelling
“i mean, we hooked up and she got all mad when i kicked her out, then she blocked me”
“paige are you fucking kidding me” i say, fuming
i cant believe this, the one girl i actually like, of course paige has hooked up with her best friend
“it was before you guys got close” she says, defending her actions
“it doesn’t matter, avery definitely knows. oh my god” i say, getting more and more stressed
“bro it doesn’t matter” she says, getting ready, clearly unfazed by my anxiety heightening
“of course you would do this. why do you have to get with every girl on campus paige, she clearly isn’t like that” i say, yelling
“she was loving it” she says, smirking. why is she not talking this seriously
“your disgusting” i say, slamming the door and walking to practice on my own
azzi
- hey bella, im so sorry about what paige did
- i just yelled at her for you lol
bella
- did she tell you?
azzi
- yeah
- im so sorry
bella
- its ok
- it doesn’t matter
azzi
- does avery know?
bella
- yeah
- its pretty obvious
azzi
- yeah lol
fuck.
bellas pov
i mean, i appreciate azzi’s texts, but she shouldn’t be apologising for her shitty excuse of a best friend
“hey guys” nika says, as we walk into practice
“bella” kk says, spinning me around. i’ve gotten pretty close with kk over the past week, so this isn’t out of the ordinary
im talking to the team, as avery sticks to conversating with azzi, until
“paige” ice and kk say, somewhat screaming
azzi and avery just look at her, blankly
paige comes and stands with myself and the rest of the team, standing next to me
“can we talk” she whispers
“about what” i say, turning to face her. i obviously want to talk to her, but i dont want her to know how bad i want to
“i just need to talk to you”
“ok, fine”
she drags me to the bathroom and i sit on the bench
“azzi knows” she says, leaning close to me
“yeah, she texted me”
she looks at me, blankly
“is that all you wanted to say
“im sorry”
what.
“wait what” i ask, genuinely confused
“i shouldn’t of kicked you out”
im in shock
she continues “i was just horny and desperate, i genuinely do want to get to know you, im sorry”
she wants to get to know me?
“what do you wanna know” i ask, somewhat seductively
she bites her lip
“no”
huh?
“i want to know you, in a friend way”
“oh” i say, jumping down from the bench and walking out of the bathroom
“no bella, not like that” she says, chasing after me
i walk out of the bathroom and towards avery
“im leaving”
“ok tell me later” obviously referring to paige and i in the bathroom
im getting deja vu, walking through the halls, crying. fuck why do i care so much about her
paiges pov
i fucked up. i didn’t mean it like that, i meant that i want to know everything about her, like a friend. but i want to be more. fuck
why would i say that
“avery, whats your dorm number” i say, running up to avery and azzi
“why” she asks, confused
“what did you do” azzi adds
“i fucked up, i think i like her. and i fucked up” i say, shocking myself
they both look at me in shock
“no fucking way” azzi says, covering her mouth in shock
“its 235, be quick, run!” avery says, and i begin to charge out of practice. fuck that. this means more
after basically running through the dorm halls, i begin to hear soft cries. thats her
“bella?” i say
“leave me alone” she says, i run closer to the voice and i see her. standing outside her door
“bella, please talk to me” i say, standing infront of her, towering
“why paige, you just wanna be friends” she says, looking up at me with teary eyes
“please let me in, i need to explain” i beg, and she complies
“sit” she says, coldly
“ive always had a crush on you, ever since your freshman year, i’ve noticed you, more than any other girl. seeing you in the halls genuinely brightens up my day, at the bar. i had finally mustered up enough courage to talk to you and i just found myself falling more and more for you. i kicked you out because i was scared, ive never liked anyone like i have with you, your different. i tried to distract myself but i just cant. im so sorry”
i cant even look at her right now. fuck
“paige-“ she starts
i interrupt “i shouldn’t of done that” i say, and basically run out of her dorm
fuck
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Poor Form
✧ Nebarra x human!LDB, ft. Xelzaz & Khash
✧ Fluff, maybe angst (if you squint), slow-burn with tension; 2k+ word count
✧ Mentions of blood, (poorly written) fantasy violence
♫ "Ritual" - AWAY, Echos
✒ @dalishthunder come take responsibility for this
It was the grey hour when you woke, the quiet lull between full night and the oncoming dawn. From where you lay in the tent, the only sounds you could hear were the steady breaths of your companions, the breeze rustling by outside, and the lone call of a bird, faint and dim in the distance.
Slowly, you sat up, grimacing at your sore neck and shoulders – though you had long since grown accustomed to sleeping on the ground, that didn't mean you, or your body, appreciated it. You'd have to look into getting some bed cots instead. Until then, though...
At least we stay warm through the night. The oiled leather tent kept out most of the wind, and the beasts you'd felled along the journey had long since become the bedding everyone slept on.
A sudden snore drew your attention to where Khash lay, bundled in her sleeping bag beside you, red eyes shut tight and jaw slightly parted, her sharp little teeth on display. Across from her was Xelzaz, sleeping quietly on his side with his back turned towards you; you could just make out the lump of his tail beneath the blankets. And next to him...
...was an empty bed roll, the fur still fluffed, apparently untouched through the night.
Frowning, you pushed back the blankets, habitually reaching for your sword as you rose – just in case, always just in case – and, taking care not to wake Khash, crawled quietly out of the tent.
The morning had teeth. You felt it the moment you stepped outside, the cold biting into your bare arms, gnawing through the fabric of your tunic and raising goosebumps across your skin. Your breath plumed white amidst the grey, and the dirt underfoot was cold and hard; not even the morning dew had loosened it. You found yourself wanting retreat back into the tent and burrow under your furs once more, pulling them all the way over your head and falling asleep beneath their warmth. Any other morning, you might have done just that. But...
The empty, untouched bedroll.
You squinted into the mist, eyes searching, searching... there. A figure, seated on a rock several metres away, smudged and blurred in the gloom, but glinting a familiar gold.
As you lowered your sword, a sigh slipped from your lips, drawn from some strange mix of frustration, concern, and relief.
"...How long have you been out here, Nebarra?"
"Morning to you too, guar-face," the elf drawled, and though he didn't rise, his helmeted head turned towards you. A thin layer of condensation covered the metal, droplets falling at his movement; his bangs, escaping through the visor, were damp and plastered to his helm. "And all night, to answer your question. Somebody has to keep watch."
"Obviously. But you volunteered for the first shift last night." Frowning, you looked him up and down, not bothering to mask your concerned displeasure. "Why didn't you wake me or Xelzaz? We could have relieved you. We were supposed to relieve you."
"Oh yes, a human and a lizard! I'm certain I'd feel very safe with you two on watch. Your species' eyesight is so much better than an Altmer's, after all."
Your frown deepened, brow furrowing as you stared him down. It was too early in the morning for his snark.
Wordlessly, you brought up your sword and levelled it at his throat. "I can see that gap in your armor just fine. I could kill you right now – and the same goes for whatever may have come up on us in the night."
Nebarra gave a disdainful snort, gloved hand clamping down on your blade and giving a sharp tug. Unprepared, reflexes still sluggish from sleep, you stumbled a whole two steps forward before managing to check yourself.
"Poor form," the elf sneered. "You won't be killing anything like that."
Your nostrils flared, a dozen retorts surging to your lips, but you held them all in.
He's right, and you both know it.
"I wasn't ready", "I'm still waking up", "I wasn't serious" – excuses that could get you, and maybe the others, killed. How long had Nebarra seen this in you? Why was he only mentioning it now? Why hadn't you realised it on your own, that despite your confidence, your skills, your strength – you were still very much mortal? And when had that confidence become something more dangerous – arrogance?
"...What?" Nebarra asked suddenly, drawing you from your reverie. "You have that expression again. The one where you're about to do something stupid."
"Spar with me."
"Terrible idea, absolu... wait. What?"
"Spar with me," you repeated, staring into the black of his visor. "I'm getting rusty, fighting nothing but bandits and mindless undead. This just proved it."
Nebarra was silent for a beat, his head tilting to the side. Something about the motion reminded you of a bird; the eagle-shaped helm only added to the effect. You waited patiently for his answer, wondering what exactly he had to consider –
Metal, arcing toward your sword arm.
You barely managed a dodge and a weak parry with the flat of your blade – you'd been holding it low, unready. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Clearly, Nebarra was done thinking – the two of you were sparring now.
Fair enough. Enemies wouldn't be so polite as to give you time to gear up, either. And now, for once, the odds weren't in your favour: a fully-armoured Altmer veteran with decades of experience, versus you, young, disoriented, and unarmored, only a single blade in hand.
It was thrilling.
You sidestepped another swing of Nebarra's blade – only to connect with it a moment later, coming out of the feint you had failed to read.
Sharp, stinging pain. Scarlet, dripping from your arm.
He was trying to hurt you. And you were giving him ample opportunity.
You needed to ground yourself, regain your rhythm – something you couldn't do without an opening, and Nebarra wasn't giving you any.
A glint of metal on the left – block, step back. Movement overhead, an oncoming blow – raise your sword, throw your weight behind it, disrupt his momentum.
At least, you tried. Fully armoured as he was, Nebarra had an extra thousand angaids of weight behind his swing, if not more. The sheer force of his blow knock your sword out of your hands, sending you staggering back. But the grass underfoot was slick with the morning's dew, and you were moving too fast, too unsteadily. Before you knew it, your back was colliding with the ground, and all you could see was grey sky overhead – and a golden sword coming down.
Careless.
But there was still a chance.
Contorting violently, you grabbed Nebarra's arm as the blade sailed by, nicking your face as it passed. You didn't let go of his arm just yet, though. Instead, you pulled, leveraging your weight against his, abdomen taut as you used him to haul yourself upright. Nebarra, clearly not expecting such a move, found himself betrayed by his own momentum, drawing him forward and down, aided by your weight. Gravity took care of the rest, and he crashed towards the earth, twisting even as he fell to avoid face-planting into the ground.
As he struggled to right himself, you rushed to retrieve your sword; Nebarra was already rising by the time you turned back to him.
"No you don't," you growled, charging the mer, sword raised.
His hand shot out, a ward rippling to life, though it buckled slightly under your sword's impact. Nebarra staggered, his half-risen stance precarious, unbalanced.
Now. Now. Now.
Once, twice, thrice more your sword glanced off the ward – and on the fourth blow, it shattered, leaving the Altmer open to your assault.
Metal clanged as you brought your sword down, colliding with his gauntlet as he struggled to block with it, not given enough time to raise his own sword in defense. You let the blade slide off, intending to follow up with its momentum, but Nebarra didn't give you a chance. The moment the sword glanced off his gauntlet, he lunged, catching you in the abdomen and bringing the both of you to the ground.
The tussle that followed was a blur.
His sword arcing down, yours blocking. Hilts catching, blades flying, yanked out of your grasp and his.
Panted breaths, heaving chests, grappling and rolling across the grass.
A glint caught your eye – your sword and Nebarra's, just within reach.
He saw it too, the both of you reaching out in unison for your weapons, desperate to be faster than the other.
Leather-bound metal brushed against your palm – the hilt. Your hand closed around it, drawing it in close. Brought it swiftly upwards, blade against Nebarra's neck.
At its touch, he froze – and so did you. Because resting against your own neck, biting into the tender flesh, was the edge of Nebarra's blade.
Stalemate.
Ears ringing, heart racing, you shift your gaze from the sword to the one holding it.
Hunched over and straddling you, a leg to either side of your waist, there was hardly any distance between your bodies. The beak of his helm was close enough to brush your nose; your breath fogged on the metal. His gasping breaths may has well have been your own – you could feel them, swift and hot, slipping through the gold feathers that covered his face, carrying the faint scent of wine.
Of course, he'd been drinking. It had probably kept him warm through the night – and he'd still managed to keep you off-balanced for most of the fight.
You were in worse shape than you'd thought.
That, or... maybe Nebarra was better than he'd ever let on.
"...Tonight," you breathed, staring up at him. "Let's... spar again tonight."
Nebarra grunted; you could hear the sound echo faintly in his helmet. "Fine. Don't expect me to go easy on you."
A smile tugged at your mouth – you could feel your lips crack and stretch at the motion, dried out in the cold; you gave them a brief lick before answering. "What, and this was?"
Another affirmative grunt. "I'll be sober by tonight. Unfortunately."
You snorted, then fell silent once more. With your eyes, you found yourself tracing the curves of his helm, pausing at the sight of his bangs peeking through, dark and tangled threads of gold. Something about them was like an itch you couldn't scratch, and you had the sudden urge to brush them aside, or at least tuck them back into his helm.
As your gaze drifted upward, toward the visor, a glint in its shadows caught your eye. Again, you paused, staring intently into the dark.
A reflective sheen, a gleam of crimson –
"Are you done breathing on one another, yet?"
Xelzaz's voice shattered your focus, and both you and Nebarra snapped your heads toward the sound.
The Argonian stood just outside the tent, arms crossed, head bare of its usual hood, scales shimmering in the pale light. Beside him was Khash, a shadowy smudge in the mist; her wide red eyes seemed to float amidst the grey.
"Good morning," you said stupidly, even as Nebarra scrambled to get off you.
"Why were you fighting?" Khash asked. "Did something happen?"
"For your – obviously necessary – information," Nebarra sniffed, dusting off his armour, "we were sparring. And you had better get used to it. Our dear Dragonborn and I will continue to do so, apparently, starting today."
As you sat up, you distinctly heard Xelzaz mutter, "By the Hist." When he turned his head to you once more, there was something incredibly deadpan about his gaze, an unspoken, "Really?" in his eyes.
"What?" you mouthed back, blinking at him in confusion. He only shook his head, and have no answer.
"Right... Well, let's get the fire going again, and I'll see about getting us all breakfast."
At that, Khash's gaze snapped towards him. "Ohh, Xelzaz, can I have some Hackle-lo with it?"
"Khash, you've eaten almost my whole stock."
"Oh..."
"...I'll see if I can't spare a few more."
"Yay! Heh."
"Horker stew for you, Nebarra?"
"I'm too tired to say no... but I'll watch you every moment of its making."
"Yes, yes, as usual. And what of you, friend?" Xelzaz turned towards you, and for a moment, you couldn't answer him – you'd been too distracted watching the scene unfold, a smile on your face.
"Ah... it doesn't matter to me, I suppose. Surprise me."
And so, thirty minutes later, as the sun climbed through the sky and burned away the mist, breakfast was served.
But for some strange reason, all throughout the meal, you found your gaze drawn... repeatedly...
...to Nebarra.
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