Felix Caelus

1. “I just don’t think it’s Mara’s will.”

“Oh.” Felix stared at her a moment. He realized that he wasn’t entirely surprised. Even the thrill of catching a real noblewoman’s attention hadn’t made him a complete idiot. Indara Carvain had had two favorites before him (in Bruma) and now, quite inevitably, his turn had come to a close.

He was perplexed by the sudden appeal to Mara, though.

“…Of course, my lady. As you say.” What else was there?

It seemed to please her. He took that thought off to nurse along with his pride.


2. “Cute, but it’s time to go.”

Felix couldn’t muster much regret. He’d come to the conclusion that the most interesting thing about the Marquis of Tellmere was his title - and that, because he still hadn’t learned where Tellmere was supposed to be.


3. “Look, Felix…”

“I know. I know.”


4. “My sister set me up with a really nice Redguard girl…”

“Yes? …Ah.” Felix sat up straighter on the bed, searching Soscean’s face while his heart sank. “You think she’s nice.”

“I- yes. But I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this…”

He shrugged and smiled thinly, lifting the scroll held tight in his hands. It fluttered and rippled in the sea breeze from the window. “I know how it goes.”

There were fully a hundred and ten reasons the man’s family wouldn’t accept him. He’d guessed that to begin with; known they’d get wind of him eventually. The parting hurt little less for that, but at least it wouldn’t be bitter.


5. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“You don’t have to... to explain. Things just… they aren’t the same, are they?” Since Abagarlas. Since Nilas had gone. The memory clung to both of them, a goading sting of fear at the back of their thoughts. Fear, and shame.

They were listless when they spoke now. Smiles between them were wan and strange; plans wouldn’t come together. They only huddled up because the nights were turning cold.

“I think I’d like to visit Hammerfell,” she said slowly. “Study there a while.”

“Then I’d best take Skyrim." He tried to pull a silly grimace, bending forward to feed the fire. "Maybe we’ll meet in High Rock.”

Lionne smiled when he looked back, and it almost felt right. “We can try.”

It was very nearly a plan, if you squinted right.





OOC Notes:

- These are roughly in chronological order, except the last scene happened first.

- They're also unrepresentative of Felix's romantic history: I tried to stick to the letter of the prompt and only use scenarios where his partners might have invoked the L-word. It also excluded the ones who'd just tell him straight-out 'Yes, I loved you, and now I don't."

- I have notes on all these characters because never give me an excuse to make NPCs.