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nerevar-quote-and-star · 3 months

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Look, we thought pairing my LDB up with freaking Yrsarald Thrice-Pierced instead of Ulfric would be funny.

It wasn't. It was just sad.

As I told my dear sweet @elder-dragon-reposes, it's one thing for one of Ulfric's followers clear across Skyrim to get heart eyes for Ulfric's girlfriendsword arm, but it's another matter entirely if it's one of his generals. In his own city.

Yrsarald remembers the Dragonborn from when she came to call Ulfric to the Greybeards' council. He remembers that she was soft-spoken and adamant about the World-Eater. She's hopeful and compassionate, and that stands out to him, even if she is an elf.

Ulfric doesn't seem to mind her ancestry, so Yrsarald elects to ignore it untilunless it becomes a problem.

News comes that Alduin has been banished, and the Dragonborn is about Skyrim, helping people. It's . . . nice that the foreign half-elf seems to care so much for the well-being of Skyrim and her people. Yrsarald keeps tabs on her through the informants and spy networks. It's a matter of security if the Dragonborn turns traitor to Skyrim and helps the blasted Thalmor. Galmar isn't keeping up with it, so for Ulfric and the Stormcloaks' sake, Yrsarald is.

But all he hears are good things. She wins admiration everywhere she goes, but she doesn't belong anywhere. Balgruuf the Greater is trying to tie the Dragonborn to Whiterun, but she's as flighty as Kyne's winds. Somewhere in there, Yrsarald learns her name is Leara Ormand and she's from HIgh Rock. She grew up on magic and chivalry. She probably sees life as a fairy tale. He may disdain her for it.

But then she comes to Windhelm. They've had troubles of their own, being stretched between the care of the city and fighting a war. And she solves problems. He hears she's investigating the serial killer in town . . .

. . .then finds the Butcher, and she's hurt? Ulfric is concerned, but Yrsarald finds himself livid. He cannot see his Jarl's worry for his own shame that their hero came to help them, and all she got in return was a bleeding wound and permafrost on her skin.

Imagine being so in love with an otherwise mythic figure, a celebrity, that you can't see that your friend, your brother, is also in love with her. How can you see it when you aren't ready to admit your own feelings?

Leara is renting a room at Candlehearth when Yrsarald decides he needs to pay his respects to her. She is surprised when he meets her near dinner. He has never seen a woman so precisely featured before. She's not in armor (he's only seen her in silver plate); her hair is down (curling in blood rose vines) and she's bundled in a cornflower blue dress (it's loose to accommodate her bandages). He wants to sit down and talk to her, but he doesn't. He thanks her, though, and she smiles. He stops by the counter later to make sure Elda sends her a dessert .

"But don't bother her with who it's from." "Well if that's how you choose to show your appreciation."

Yrsarald buys Leara sweets after that. She doesn't know it's him. She knows it's someone who appreciates her service and feels bad about her getting hurt, but Elda won't crack. Drat the woman.

Leara wonders if Ulfric is gifting her the sweets. She wants to hope it's Ulfric. She wants their past to be past and for her to appreciate everything she continues to do not for him, but to his benefit; she wasn't drawn in by his smile or anything. Who else would it be if not him? Ralof? He's not in town. General Stone-Fist didn't seem too bothered about her.

Leara's still healing. She's not bedridden or anything, but she's not fit to go beyond the city gates where there are bandits and dragons and necromancers (oh my!), so she decides that visiting the court wizard might be a fruitful investment of her time. She shuffles off to the Palace of the Kings. She runs into Jorleif right off and, on telling him she'd like to visit the court wizard, he's ready to take her to Wuunferth because she's been to see him before, and after all, she is the Dragonborn.

And this is that delightful moment when fate can swing either way because if Ulfric shows up and offers to walk Leara, that's all she wrote. Yrsarald's lost his chance because now that soft smile from Candlehearth is directed at the Jarl, not him, and Yrsarald will never get it back.

But maybe, just maybe, if Yrsarald gets to Leara before Ulfric does, if he captures her attention in conversation, maybe she'll look at him.

For a general commanding troops, it's terribly hard to be brave before a woman.

He would ask her how she's healing from the attack, and Leara would sigh, tired with herself but patient in her speech, because she's healing but she feels like she's letting the people down. And the tips of her ears might turn pink (Yrsarald didn't know elf ears did that) because Leara didn't mean to be that candid and trouble him – but Yrsarald is tripping over himself to tell her that she's done more for Skyrim than anyone (why is his neck red?) and it's reasonable for her to convalesce after an injury.

"Rest and eat apple tarts." ". . . how did you know I was eating apple tarts?"

Yrsarald coughs (he did not mean to tell her that). Leara is staring at him. They're at Wuunferth's quarters. She blinks at him before thanking him for guiding her through the palace. Then she's gone, and Yrsarald is kicking himself for being an idiot.

He's smitten.

Soon (too soon) Leara has healed from her injury and she's at the palace again, but this time she's offering to help Ulfric negotiate a permanent peace between both sides. Ulfric's seen Leara at the table, he knows what she can do. Galmar is more skeptical, but when Ulfric looks to Yrsarald for his opinion (and Leara's too-blue winter deep eyes follow) he says to let her have at it.

Leara needs to be brought up on the Stormcloaks holdings and Ulfric says he'll help her, but then Galmar needs him for something else and Yrsarald (does NOTdoes) jumps at the chance to help the Dragonborn. She's attentive and quiet, and asks the right questions about supplies and movements. And Yrsarald realizes as he's talking to her that Leara has been in a war before.

"Were you in the Great War?"

The stiffening of her shoulders is almost imperceptible. He'd have missed it if he weren't watching her so intently.

"Yes."

Her reply is measured. She does not lie.

"Legion?"

Because everyone was in the Legion then. Back when it fought for Skyrim. He wouldn't fault her if she was . . . why is her face sour? Her mouth is pinched.

"It doesn't matter–" "It does."

Why does it matter? He wonders, why is he pressing?

Her eyes are wide. So wide and too-blue.

Leara looks ill.

And then he knows.

He knew from the beginning she couldn't be trusted. She was an elf. All elves scurried back to the Thalmor in the end. She was here for that blasted Thalmor "ambassador" – she would betray Ulfric and the sons of Skyrim to their deaths!

There's a breathless scream.

Yrsarald doesn't realize until then that he has her on the ground. She's so small and too precisely featured. Her eyes are too blue. She's a traitor, a liar, a fraud–

The Dragonborn does not care for Skyrim.

"Yrsarald, please–"

Yrsarald growls.

Why is she crying? Doesn't she realize what she's doing to Skyrim? – Done to him? All this time and Yrsarald realizes he let Leara lure him into a fairy tale, only for her to shatter it with frigid reality when he thinks, when he thinks . . .

He might love her.

But elves can't love.

"You will rue the day you stepped foot in Skyrim, elf!"

She's sobbing. If she were really a true Dragonborn, she'd try and Shout him off, but Yrsarald wonders if she lied about that, too. High Elf illusions.

"Yrsa–" "What's going–?!"

Then Yrsarald is yanked back forcibly. Galmar is there. And Ralof. And Ulfric.

Ulfric is on the floor with her. Kneeling beside her as she gasps and tears turn her white gold face into wet porcelain. Kneeling beside her as if the elf wasn't going to sell Ulfric and everything they'd worked for to the Thalmor!

Yrsarald strains against Galmar and Ralof. He grits his teeth.

"She's Thalmor!"

Galmar stills. Ralof pales. Ulfric's head is bowed. She isn't making any noise but she struggles to breathe and it's tearing Yrsarald apart and enraging him all at once.

"I know."

And with those words, Yrsarald questions everything he ever knew about Ulfric Stormcloak. Ulfric knew she was a Thalmor spy? Was he coming to stop her – but . . .

Then Ulfric is lifting Leara from the ground, helping her to her feet, and it's too gentle for a King about to arrest an enemy.

Her hands are grasping Ulfric's arm, her eyes wide. Ulfric's face is drawn.

"We will discuss this later."

And he walks out with her. And the elf is free. And Yrsarald doesn't understand.

And then Galmar speaks:

"What in Oblivion did you do?!"

Yrsarald . . . doesn't know anymore.

What he learns later is more than he could stomach. Leara was a member of the Thalmor and she was a member of the Blades before that, and during the war, she smuggled information from the Dominion to the Blades intelligence networks and then defected while smuggling Ulfric Stormcloak from captivity.

He's nauseous when Ralof tells him this. Respectful Ralof – save this time there's steel in his eyes and disdain in his voice.

Yrsarald realizes he deserves that.

Later, when she finds him at Candlehearth, drinking his weight in ale, he realizes he does not deserve the understanding and forgiveness and the self-loathing in her face.

"I know why you did what you did. I can't fault you for it, not when I could've sold your Jarl and cause out to the Dominion. But I–"

Leara's eyes trail off.

"I'm sorry."

He chokes out the words. Her eyes slip back. She was far away.

"I think it's for the best if we're not alone together anymore."

Then she's gone.

Yrsarald buys another round.

The next day, Galmar says Ulfric wants him in the Pale. Far away from the Dragonborn goes unspoken between them.

Yrsarald goes. Ulfric's face is hard when he bids Yrsarald goodbye. The Jarl is not as easily forgiving as the Dragonborn.

Yrsarald is in the Pale when, a month later, news comes that the Dragonborn is handling an armistice in Whiterun. Skyrim divided. What was she thinking? She's thinking for Skyrim, Yrsarald realizes. That's all she's thought about this entire time.

It's a year before he returns to the Eastern capital of Windhelm, and only then, it's because the High King is getting married.

Yrsarald sees her. He doesn't stay long after that.

After all, Ulfric would protect her. Had protected her. Even from Yrsarald.

He could live with that.

#thrice pierced/roseblade hurts actually like i am LEGIT hurt #i mean i actually made my fren CRY 😭#YRSARALD! SHE WAS ALMOST THERE AND THEN YOU THREW HER ON THE GROUND AND SCREAMED IN HER FACE #if he hadn't been an idiot they would've held hands #Or rather #his hand would've been on the table and she'd have put hers on his and done this cute quirky thing with her mouth and he'd have stared at i #skyrim #me at Yrsarald: Marny could've been YOUR SON! Kyneiren could've been YOUR DAUGHTER! You could've had ICE CREAM with Leara all the time!#BUT YOU HAD TO GO AND CHOKE HER ON THE FLOOR AND MAKE HER CRY #You could've bought her MORE apple tarts and she would've actually thanked YOU instead of thinking they came from some other guy!#but ulfric really said check mate and got the firl #yrsarald you dumb LOSER #anyway #rosecloak #FOREVER #oc: leara roseblade #ulfric stormcloak #yrsarald thrice pierced #windhelm #tes #the elder scrolls #ralof #galmar stone fist #last dragonborn #mod post #the ship name is very telling #pierced rose

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krikeymate · 1 year

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@wabitham For you I will try and think about Amber and Tara. I started writing this and then you posted this, and I gotta say I agree with what you've written.

I decided to put a read more for a ramble, and add a summary of Amber and her relationship with Tara up here.

Amber is protective and possessive: once she determines she wants something or that something is hers, it's hers. Tara is one of those somethings.

Amber hates Sam because Tara still loves her despite hurting her, when Amber is the one who has been there for her.

Amber becomes Tara's person once Sam leaves. She pretty much relies on Amber for her entire emotional fulfilment, and Amber loves the feeling of power it gives her.

Amber has never been a people person, but she knows the world is easier with connections, and that it makes Tara happy, so hence the friendship group she associates with.

The year after her dad leaves is super hard on Tara, she ends up getting held back a year, much to her frustration. She was already older than her classmates, and now she's even older. Not to mention the embarrassment of being held back, of everyone whispering about you and staring at you all the time. It's like everyone knew what was going on in her life except her.

Amber has always been studious & mature for her age; she's at the top of her classes. When Tara is put into her grade, Amber is asked to help her assimilate back into the school environment and help her with her classwork. Everyone knows that they're already familiar with one another, and it's expected that that's what Tara needs in these trying times, a familiar face.

Amber doesn't think much of Tara at first, she doesn't really think much of anyone. People are just annoyances she has to deal with. She likes that Tara does what she says, even though she's older and people let her get away with things they wouldn't let others get away with. She's used that to her advantage sometimes, Tara would do anything for a smile and a compliment, Amber realises. She stops demanding her parents get her dog a month after being saddled with Tara.

It's just after Christmas, 4 months after receiving the role of Tara's tutor and buddy when The Incident happens and Amber begins to see Tara in a whole new light. She realises there's an anger inside of her, just like Amber, and it feels important to the girl somehow. She decides that Tara is no longer an obligation, she's hers.

So Amber becomes protective, possessive some (their friendship group) might say. Tara doesn't mind, so the others only grumble about it jokingly.

Amber hates Sam. Sam doesn't deserve the love and adoration her Tara heaps on her. Amber is the one who's always there, who sees her sadness and her tears. Amber is the one to hold her hand and cheer her up and help her with her school work and scare away the bullies. Sam is too busy getting drunk and fucking her way through every teenage boy in Woodsboro.

And Tara? She's needy. She's emotional and weak and she didn't realise how much she needed her sister until she wasn't really there any more. Then the world sends her Amber. Amber who couldn't stand her at first; carrying a dismissiveness that reminds her of her own mother. But it didn't matter, because she let Tara tag along and come home with her after school and she helped her with her homework even though it had to be frustrating for her sometimes. Tara just didn't want to be alone.

Skipping forward.

Sam leaves and Amber is all Tara has. She has her other friends sure, but they don't know her like Amber... or Sam. They don't fill her with comfort and radiate safety, they don't protect her like them. They don't love her like them. But Sam left and so she clings to Amber, and Amber doesn't push her away. She revels in it. Tara adores her and she takes advantage of it, curious; Tara's not unwilling, embarrassed, to curious to learn, to practise. She doesn't date though, Amber won't have that, she scares anyone who might try away. Amber doesn't share.

Years pass. She moves into the old Macher house. She develops a new obsession. She remembers the little secret Tara's mother once revealed to her. It consumes her. She speaks to people online about it, to others just like her who share her passion and her thoughts. She can't speak about things like this with Tara, Tara's too sensitive, Tara likes characters and stories and happy endings. They don't share this love.

She meets Richie. She let's it slip that she knows Billy Loomis' daughter. He makes a suggestion, she makes a suggestion. Before they know it they've got a plan and they've committed to carrying it out.

Amber pries when Tara's half asleep: have you talked to Sam lately? Do you ever wonder where she ended up, what she's been doing? Does she ever plan to come home? Tara reveals she knows where Sam is, she's been stalking her social media ever since she left, she never reaches out (if Sam wanted her in her life she would contact her, she would come home, Tara thinks). That's a surprise to Amber. Tara's never kept a secret from her. Of course it would be Sam's fault.

She tells Richie, and he begins his part of the plan. It takes him 2 months before Sam will even give him the time of day, another 2 before she ever opens up to him. They bond over shitty families and legacies left behind by their fathers and being disappointments, both of them skirting around the details. Until one day he catches Sam on Instagram, looking at a specific account. She reveals she has a little sister. He waits until she's drunk next, to bring up her little sister. He pries, and she talks about the little sister she loves so much who she abandoned. How much Tara must hate her. He asks if she would ever go back - not a chance - not even for your little sister? I would do anything for her. Even go back? Even go back.

It hurt Amber, doing what she did to Tara. But it had to be done. It irritates her and fills her with pride in equal measure when she fights back. Unfortunately, it means she gets a little more hurt than she intended. She shouldn't have fought back if she didn't want her leg broken. This was about Sam.

"This will all be over soon," she says as closes the cupboard door. She could convince Tara to keep her mouth shut, to say it was the robed and masked figure who tied her up and locked her away, that she didn't know who the Ghostfaces were. After all, once Sam is gone, Amber really will be the only one she has. But first Tara has to see. She wants her to see, to know she's all she has left. Tara's a good girl, she'll do as she's told.

It wasn't supposed to go down like this. Sam wasn't supposed to untie her.

Fuck Sam Carpenter.

#/mp #Scream #Tara Carpenter #Amber Freeman #scream headcanon tag #topic: timeline #topic: childhood #Scream 5 #so here's the thing. I'm single-minded and obsessive.#When I enter a fandom I enter it immediately having fallen in love with one or two characters & a single relationship related to 1 of them #That's it. No compromise. I am literally incapable of more.#For Scream - the characters are Sam & Tara and the relationship is also them. It's so very hard for me to care about the other characters.#Final notes: they're all queer. Sam and Chad? Bi. Mindy? Lesbian. Tara? Demi.#Also typing this all up made me realise Tara totally has BPD. Which also frequently happens to be comorbid with schizophrenia

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