baht

How (some) of my characters hug, totally @brielleroux‘s fault.

J’hasi’s hugs vary in intensity, from the cautious ‘oh, okay I think we’re friends (???) and they want to hug and that’s ok’ to ‘I missed/care/etc you, I-would-die-for-you’ sort of hugs. The former is easy to get out of, almost as if he thinks you’re made of glass: overly cautious and gentle. His hands rest on your upper back while his chin just barely touches at your shoulder, typically on your right side. It’s brief unless the other person doesn’t seem to want it to end just yet, but eventually he’ll get fidgety and pull away.

The ride-or-die hugs are firmer, not suffocatingly tight, but firm enough as if to say ‘I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere’. His face usually ends up buried in your shoulder or rubbing against it or your face (or chest, if the recipient is taller than him), his eyes are shut and his hands, rather than resting almost timidly on your back feel more like he’s actually holding you rather than 2 seconds from pulling away. His tail even curls around both of your legs, either brushing or hovering. Purring may happen. It happens a lot.

—

Maarzi hugs you like you’re her best friend and lover all in one, always. A big hug, oftentimes picking you up and spinning you around before setting you down again, arms going around the back of your neck as she starts talking to you, usually not letting go for a while unless requested. She puts her forehead to those she’s especially close with, gently rocking side to side. The hug usually parts with a smack on the ass if she’s feeling playful. Family or those who request more platonic forms of departure get a hair/mane ruffle instead. J’hasi usually gets both, with a steady dose of grump in reply. She thinks it’s cute.

—

Jeer-rah hugs like they haven’t seen you in ages, and usually just with one arm, though it’s more of a squeeze than a hug. They’ll jostle you a little bit and keep their arm around your shoulders when they chat with you for a bit, eventually slipping off and the hug is over. They only hug with both arms when they’re comforting someone. Comfort hugs are firm, their head pressing against the side of yours, moving to pressing against your forehead if they’re talking to you, their arms around your shoulders initially and moving to around your ribs when more at rest. The hug doesn’t so much as end as drifts apart, Jeer letting you pull away at your own pace.

—

Stalks-In-Shadows’ hugs are death. If he’s hugging you it means you’re about to get stabbed in the back, strangled, or your neck snapped. DO. NOT. HUG.*

*J’hasi is rare exception, but his hugs are possessive ‘this is mine’ hugs rather than ‘I care about you’ hugs.

—

Baht is an awkward hugger. He doesn’t know where to put his hands, so he ends up curling his hands into fists and holding you around the shoulders or middle, depending on height. Tends to pick people up when he’s excited. Also doesn’t know his own strength, and apologizes when he squeezes too hard.

—

Sees-In-Mist has only been seen hugging one person, ever. They still hug ‘their little Ei’ as they did when he was a wee hatchling, almost like they’re trying to gather him up and carry him. One hand is on his lower back, the other at the back of his neck, guiding him to rest his head over their shoulder, oftentimes stroking J’hasi’s fur. Their tail curls around both of their legs, but doesn’t touch. Protective and safe vibes on the inside, the outside has a firm warning of ‘you fuck with my kid and you’re dead’.

Full Name: Baht
Gender and Sexuality: somewhere between male and genderfluid, panrom/sexual
Pronouns: he/him
Ethnicity/Species: Saxhleel
Birthplace and Birthdate: Soulrest, Black Marsh, 5th of Mid Year, 4E 151
Guilty Pleasures: ….romance novels……
Phobias: werewolves, horses (eventually got sort of ok with them later on)
What They Would Be Famous For: being the biggest sweetheart this side of the Abecean
What They Would Get Arrested For: Wrong place at wrong time, or a misunderstanding (Cyrodilic is hard okay?)
OC You Ship Them With: I’m sure I’ll think of someone when I get to that timeline refinement (it takes a while to fill out nitty-gritty details for 200+ years)
OC Most Likely To Murder Them: a Thalmor did :c
Favorite Movie/Book Genre: ~~romance~~ Action, obviously…knights and princesses and uh…fighting…yes…
Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: The ‘oh we can’t be together because of [insert some societal norm here]’ thing. Baht loves a good happy ending to his stories, damn it.
Talents and/or Powers: He’s pretty average in all but his sense of empathy and kindness, along with being fairly stubborn.
Why Someone Might Love Them: He’s a sweet kid and he tries to help out those he can despite his initial dislike and distrust of certain ‘smoothskins’.
Why Someone Might Hate Them: His naivety might be irritating to some, but those sorts of people need to chill, he’s just a kid. He’s still in the age range where he thinks of the world in ideals and still has hopes of changing it.
How They Change: Baht opens up more to Cyrodiils and their weird fucking culture on his trip outside of Black Marsh.
Why You Love Them: He’s a sweetheart and his and J’hasi’s relationship warms the cold dead cockles of my heart :3c

[ ☤: a memory of death/loss ]

4E 171, Cyrodiil

Another crash, heat billowing in as the tunnels crumbled more, mortar hissing between the stones to color them ashen. J’hasi coughed, shaking his head as he pulled his scarf up over his nose better, feeling Baht blindly grope for his tail to lead him. The Khajiit gripped his sword tighter, keeping his head low as he heard the sounds of battle upstairs where the Thalmor had breached the interior. He could hear the newer recruits’ shaky breathing alongside the unsteady veterans’ as he fought to keep his own smooth and calm. Small skirmishes he’d long been accustomed to, but it was like the Battle of Bruma, or the invasion of the Imperial City all over again, except…except Daedric banishments would be of little use.

The sound of barked Altmeris prompted J’hasi to press on further, only able to smell the dust and fear in the tunnels. His hands and legs were shaking, licking his lips and tasting dust as his eyes caught the familiar bend in the tunnel before they would be outside, safe. …hopefully.

“Up ahead, quickly.” he whispered. He felt Baht squeeze his tail in response, his hand shaking. They’d nearly gotten to the bend when the howling wail of another fireball sailing for the Temple made Baht freeze, J’hasi looking back to prompt him to keep moving. The fireball struck the walls, another shuddering rumble rippling through the old stone and mortar. Part of the ceiling collapsed behind them, the Khajiit hissing at the others to keep moving, seeing light filtering through from above. They had to move quickly before the tunnel was found.

It was only once they were outside that J’hasi could see the damage wrought on the place he’d called home for a while now, fires blazing over old Akaviri architecture, walls blasted open, the blood of Blades and Thalmor alike staining it and the snow around it, bodies littered about. It made his legs shake, making it hard to breathe before he pulled Baht forward, ushering the recruits ahead.

Of course it was too easy to just let them get away, lead the recruits away from a battle they weren’t at all prepared for.

A fireball struck the trunk of a tree, far too close to the Khajiit’s head for comfort, turning around and spotting a few of those dark-robed bastards and others in golden Elvish armor. He pushed Baht ahead, turning to face them.

“GO! Run!” he snapped, turning to bare his fangs at the mer rushing him. The scent of steel and iron, blood brought him back down from the fear making him tremble, a normal battle, combat he was used to, practiced movements day after day in the Temple courtyard, against other Blades for a bet, or as punishment, and eventually, wooden dummies when the Blades there knew better than to fight him.

It never got any easier, but it was familiar.

One slash cut right through robes, the mage startled when he turned to fight them so quickly and crying out in pain before scarlet soaked the cloth darker, staggering back. Another mage tried to use a shock spell, only for it to just tingle, another sending blazing pain through his arm and rendering it useless for precious moments, but he lunged at them, the tip of his blade sinking into their stomach and out the back. It was by then that the ones in armor caught up, ducking back to avoid a swing of a greatsword, bringing up his twitching arm, the blade glancing off the steel bands over his forearm, but bruising and leaving it feeling hot and unsteady.

His tail whipped behind him, snarling before slamming his shoulder into the mer’s stomach, knocking them both into the snow, tumbling, disoriented, a slice on the Khajiit’s cheek appearing when the greatsword nicked him. When they finally stopped at the bottom of the hill, he took his blade in both hands and drove the edge down over the mer’s throat, seeing shock and surprise, fear, before blood sprayed out from their neck and splattered over their skin, the Khajiit’s face and armor.

J’hasi flattened out over the body to avoid a roar of flame, catching the scent of burning cloth behind him and rolling over into the snow, putting out his scarf. He staggered a little while getting up, still a little dizzy as the two other armored mer and the last mage came at him. The Khajiit took deep breaths as they ran to him, darting to the side of the mage, swiping their dagger from their hip before stabbing them in the kidney with it, shoving them down the hill before blocking one of the armored Thalmor’s swings with his sword. He ducked, shoving the blades up when the other armored mer ran at him with a warhammer, the two of them hitting each other with a screech of metal before backing away.

In the brief seconds that followed, J’hasi kicked at the legs of one, throwing the dagger at the mage struggling to aim a spell at him below, striking their side with a thump. A brief moment when a Thalmor snatched the edge of his scarf caught him off-guard, a sharp slice of his sword and he was free, running up into the mountains and trees, heart racing. He could hear the remaining two huffing, trying to keep up with him, his own lungs and limbs burning with fatigue and strain, unused to wearing heavy armor for so long. When he finally caught up with the recruits, he was gasping, seeing Baht spot him and rush to him, shaking.

“J-J’hasi, y-you okay?” he asked, his ‘s’ a hiss in his panicked state. The Khajiit pat him on the shoulder.

“Fine. W…we need to move. Bolar, scout ahead, make sure there aren’t more ahead trying to cut us off.” Velyn started, eyes wide.

“We got more incoming.” J’hasi turned to see the two he’d left behind, as well as a few archers, arrows already being drawn.

“Archers! Move!” he barked, hearing the creaks of bowstrings before sharp hisses, one sinking into his side, dinging against a Breton’s shield, Velyn’s armor…and one diving right through Baht’s armor and into his stomach.

The next few seconds seemed like an eternity, yet an instant. Blood dribbled from the Saxhleel’s mouth, eyes wide as he staggered back, not quite sure what had happened to him just yet. J’hasi ran to him, grabbing his arm, trying to get him to move, get him out of range. Baht’s steps were fumbling, slow, the Khajiit straining to keep him upright, keep him moving. Another volley, recruits screaming as they were shot or saw their friends dropping to the ground, dead, Velyn trying to get them to keep running.

J’hasi pulled Baht along, surprised when the Saxhleel suddenly fell on top of him with a huff, the scent of blood filling his nose. The Khajiit struggled to get out from underneath him, pushing him onto his back, eyes lighting up with fear when he saw the Thalmor closing in on them. The pounding in his chest grew too painful, gasping sharply before a series of cracks and snaps erupted from his body, claws swiping at the bindings of his armor, trying to get them off before he could be crushed inside his own armor. His short gasps turned into sharp snarls, his scarf slipping off of his neck as it grew thicker, the Khajiit almost feeling sick with how quickly he was rising up. He saw a flash of Baht’s face, fear in his eyes before the Thalmor made sounds of panic, and the wolf rushed in, full force.

…

J’hasi’s limbs shook with exhaustion and the fading rage as he walked through the torn bodies of the dead soldiers, collapsing into a heap next to the Saxhleel still breathing, still whimpering with pain and fear, trying to push himself away. The Khajiit puffed out a few breaths before hushing the Argonian.

“S’alrigh’…s’…s’fine… Baht. Baht, look at me.” His ears flicked back when Baht shook his head, jaw trembling, unable to make much noise other than whimpering. J’hasi looked over his body, seeing and smelling the blood from the wound in his stomach, but also blood pooling from underneath him. He let out a low curse. Had it gone all the way through?

“<Baht, I need you to talk to me, okay? I’m gonna get ff-that arrow out, and fff-then we’re gonna have to move, alright?>” The Argonian shivered, hand shaking as it grabbed at the snow under him.

“<I-I-I c-can’t feel m-mm-my legs.>” J’hasi’s blood went cold, realizing that while his arms were trying to push at the snow to move him, his legs, his tail…they were still. He pulled Baht onto his side, spotting an arrow that had gone right between the plates of his armor into his back at an odd angle. The Khajiit grit his teeth, then snapped the shaft off, Baht yelping before he pushed him onto his back again. He pat the Argonian’s face, trying to keep his eyes open.

“<Listen to me. I’m going to get you out of here, okay? Baht?>” The Saxhleel was looking at him, throat convulsing as he kept swallowing, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth, from his nose, panting and whimpering, tears streaking down his cheeks as a shaky hand grabbed a handful of his fur. J’hasi shivered, his vision blurring a little as he tried moving him, only to feel horror clawing up his throat when the grip at his arm tightened, those yellow eyes pausing, unfocusing…the shaking and watery gasps and whimpers quieting. A few seconds of silence passed, before…

“<…B…Baht?>” The Khajiit gently shook his shoulder, jaw trembling. No response. His vision blurred, tears overflowing and spilling out over his fur, soaking it and rapidly growing cold in the freezing air.

“Baht.” J’hasi sniffed, a small whimper coming out before he dropped his head, fingers curling over the cold breastplate of his friend, his mentee…

“<P-please…>”

(2, 4 and 13 :>)

2. Do others like you? Do you want others to like you?

J’hasi frowned, ears flattening a little.

“Seems like some people do. Or they at least tolerate my presence. I’m…not exactly sure someone likes me unless they come right out and say it, and normally people don’t do that.” He sighed, rubbing at his jaw as his eyes flicked to his boots.

“Wanting people to like me, though… That’s… …I do and I don’t… I’d like that, because…I miss familiarity. I miss having friends. But…” ‘I’m afraid of hurting them. I’m afraid of messing everything up. I’m afraid they’ll be in danger because of me. …I’m afraid that they’ll turn on me…’

“…I’m a fugitive. I can’t afford to get attached.”

—

4. How do you know when you’re in love? (romantic or platonic)

“I don’t.” The answer was abrupt, ears flicking back as his gaze lowered.

“At least…I don’t think so… …when someone I cared about…really cared about was in danger…” J’hasi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away off to the side.

“I don’t know… I never asked Maarzi about that. Part of me wishes I just would’ve. I still don’t know what I felt about her… It was different than with Baht or Brynring, even Jeer-rah.” A long sigh issued from his nose before he shook his head.

“I don’t know. If they’re my friend, I care about them. That…that should be enough…”

—

13. What could make you break your own moral code?

The Khajiit’s expression hardened.

“Ask the Thalmor. Or anyone else who hurts or kills those who can’t defend themselves. Any who abuse their power over those without…they don’t get mercy.”

Is there anyone you love, J’hasi? And by that I mean platonic love. Who is the first to come to mind and why? How about romantic love? Have you ever been ‘in love’ with someone, that you know of?

His brows furrowed, mouth pressed tight as his tail tip flicked quietly behind him.

“I’ve only been in Skyrim for maybe a month, month and a half now. That’s hardly enough time to grow to love anyone. Platonic or otherwise.” The Khajiit’s flattened ears pulled back as he was made to continue answering the questions, despite wanting to leave it off at that. He sighed, gently rubbing his forehead with the tips of his fingers.

“There’s at least two people I would like to see again, but…they’ve their own lives and paths to keep them occupied. I’m fond of Rhen and Brielle both, but I haven’t known them long enough for much more than that.” J’hasi’s gaze lowered a little, a little hurt flicking over his face.

“And that Aldaril lad…I can’t trust him, knowing that he’s in the Thalmor. I can’t risk getting any closer to him. It would be stupid to get too attached to people around here anyway. I’m a fugitive, and a monster on top of that. Too much at stake.” His expression pushed a notch closer to miserable, his ears drooping a little as his shoulders tensed closer to himself.

“Far as…relatively recent platonic love goes…Baht was one. Good kid. Most of the Blades I felt some form of bond with, but Baht…he was special. I trained him myself and watched over him as he grew up… I was so proud of him. …I’m pretty sure I was in love with Maarzi. Whether it was romantic or not I can’t say. I have no idea. I don’t exactly know how romantic love works. From what I can tell, it’s the same as platonic love, except that people who aren’t even involved expect you to bed each other and get married and have little ones. But then again, I was told by Maarzi herself that none of that was required. Even after mulling over what she explained in the years since, I still don’t understand it.” J’hasi rubbed at his jaw with his knuckles.

“People always say that they would die for their partner, but I would die for my friends just as quickly if it came down to it. In stories, I used to wonder why people would do such overtly suicidal things for each other, to ‘prove their love’, and it was packaged to be the prime example of romantic love. If it truly was love, one wouldn’t have to prove it to anyone. It just is.” The Khajiit sighed, looking confused and frustrated as his ears pinned back.

“I would kill to protect my friends if required, but I wouldn’t do stupid things like jumping off of cliffs and related idiocy like that. So that, and how other people view you and whoever you love seems to be the only difference. Idiocy and expectation. Both of which I try to avoid on a daily basis. If I give a damn about someone, the only people who should be concerned about the exact nature of it is me, and whoever I have those feelings for.” he huffed, gaze flicking back to the ground.

Don’t chase the rabbit.

The clacks of wooden staves echoed across the courtyard, each strike vibrating up the Khajiit’s arms as he circled his opponent. The Argonian’s face twisted into a grimace as he was forced back a step, two, taking one forward, only to hop back quickly as a strike was directed at the stones just in front of his toes. His face twisted into a snarl before he lunged, then yelped as the Khajiit sidestepped and gave him a passing whack across the back with his stave before it was flicked to touch the end of his own. The contact put the Saxhleel’s stave in a perfect place to trip him and sent him sprawling into the dirt.

“You know, I’m starting to get the feeling you’re just playing with me.” he said grumpily, his spines flattening as he stared across the remaining courtyard towards the mountains beyond. J’hasi grinned, walking around his fallen sparring partner before leaning over, tail curling up high behind him in amusement.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” he teased before the Argonian turned and lifted his head just enough to look him with a slight scowl. A moment later it softened and he chuckled quietly.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” J’hasi grinned before offering a hand up.

“You are getting better Baht, despite what you may think.” Baht rolled over before he took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

“There’s a reason you’re not allowed to train new recruits. You’re relentless.” J’hasi chuckled and gently bumped the Argonian with his elbow.

“Look at it this way: by the time you can beat me, anything else will be easy.” Baht huffed out a laugh before brushing himself off as J’hasi flicked the dropped stave up with his foot to catch it midair.

“You ready for another round?” The Saxhleel let out a small exasperated laugh.

“I’ve barely gotten back up on my feet and you’re asking me that now?” The Khajiit laughed, grinning as he rested the hafts of the staves on the ground.

J’hasi’s ears pricked, head perking up at the sound of rapid hoofbeats in the distance. Moments later, the gate was pulled open, allowing an out-of-breath Blade on horseback inside the walls of Cloudruler. The clatter of hooves over the cobblestone of the courtyard brought everyone’s attention to the center as a Dunmer walked forward, grasping the reins of the winded horse to steady her as he looked up at the Breton in confusion.

“What’s wrong? Where are the others?” The man’s hands shook as he gripped the horn of the saddle, panting.

“D-dead… Th-there was too many… I-I…” J’hasi’s gaze turned from one of unease to steely.

“What. Happened.” he asked firmly. A quick swallow and the Blade looked down, shoulders hunching, his voice hollow.

“The Aldmeri Dominion has declared war with the Empire.” J’hasi’s eyes widened, a heavy silence settling over the courtyard as snowflakes started to drift down from the sky.