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ANNOUNCEMENTS: UPDATED 12/16/2017

Happy Holidays, fellow Kinkmemers! I have returned and have no reasonable excuse for my absence except LIFE. I will be working on updating the archives. If anyone sees anything amiss, please let me know.

I am also hoping to find another Mod and an Archivist.

The more dedicated people we have in this Meme the less chance of it dying. I admit that being the sole keeper of the Meme is not great for the fandom. If something were to happen to me, for good, this place would go the way of the Fallout Kink Meme. Let's not let that happen! If anyone would be interested in Modding/Archiving, please drop me a line. Thanks! <3

From: (Anonymous)
Audric needed to collect his breath, to keep his voice down. “Can’t you understand? I woke up on a cold, bloody floor. She demanded blood payment. Me, murder one of three innocent people.”

“And you thought it wise to take on Astrid?”

“She was the only guilty one.”

“And as for the Brotherhood?”

Audric could not look him in the face. “I was ordered –”

“You've never followed orders, Audric. You follow your whims. The order was simply convenient for you.” Brynjolf was right, and it stung.

“You were the one who told me not to kill,” he murmured weakly.

“Yes! Don’t kill clients, don’t kill marks–”

“Don't kill innocents.”

“And most of all, do not kill associates!”

The silence of before closed in on them now, and Audric wondered if he might choke on it. Down the hall, he could hear people begin to stir. He had lingered too long already. “Can you look me in the face and tell me,” he breathed, “that you don’t feel a little bit more comfortable, knowing they’re gone?”

Now it was Brynjolf’s turn to look ashamed. “Someday, I really hope you learn that your own interests aren’t necessarily the most important.”

“My interests?” Audric barked. “She would’ve killed me!”

“She would’ve tried, and you could have defended yourself. And you could have left it at that.”

Then, Audric had a terrible idea. “You’re not upset about the Brotherhood; you’re upset about Maven.”

“Of course I’m upset about Maven! When I heard about your stunt with Stormcloak, I was waiting in horror for your head to arrive on a platter!” He was bristling, no longer even attempting to reign himself in. “And after all our hard work, after all we went through to restore the Guild, that you would be the undoing of it – I’m tempted to garnish you, myself!”

“Maven can’t touch me,” Audric hissed, “and by extension, the Guild.”

“And could you do me the courtesy of explaining the mechanics of that?”

Audric stalled. There were two very different, both very relevant answers. “I told you,” he began, “I did not whisk Ulfric Stormcloak onto his throne in the night, like a stolen gem into a drawer. There was planning, and careful execution involved.”

“Is that what all the fuss up in Solitude was about?” he asked, though somewhat skeptical.

“Mostly,” Audric gulped. “Maven is caught in her own web,” he reassured, “she has aligned herself with the Empire, and the Empire put Ulfric back on his throne.”

“Really? Because to hear Maven tell it, it was you and Tullius, and unless I missed something very important, that hardly makes the Empire.”

He was sorely tempted to ask just how many Emperors it took to change out a lantern, but refrained for fear of knuckles cracking into his jaw.

“I think it’s more than just Tullius’ authority that you’re resting on.” Brynjolf placed both his hands on Audric’s shoulders, gently though. He locked eyes with Audric, as if he might be able to sieve out the truth on his own.

“I…” he faltered. “Solitude wasn’t about Ulfric, entirely.”

“No, I didn’t think so.” Putting some space between them again, Brynjolf sat and awaited Audric’s long-overdue explanation. “Etienne and I had a little chat. He needed someone to confide in after his...detour through the Embassy.”

He must’ve overheard things, Audric thought, must’ve put two and two together, once I showed up. “How long have you known?” he asked.

“A while.”

“You could have said something,” Audric grumbled.

“I could say the same of you. I wanted you to tell me, yourself.”

Chewing on a few curse words, Audric snapped, “When are you going to start trusting me?”

“When you’ve earned it! When you stop keeping things from me!” Getting to his feet, he rose with his voice. “You’ve been lying to me, like Mercer!”

Audric’s blood ignited and his skin prickled and every muscle in his body coiled for a fight. “Don’t you ever, ever, compare me to that scheming son of a –” stopping himself before he could get out of hand – before his words became Words – he closed his eyes, and forced himself into calm submission. Then, a thought came to him. “You’d have forgiven him,” he croaked.

Brynjolf’s face drained of color. “Excuse me?”
From: (Anonymous)
Audric’s chest felt constricted and a cold sweat broke out on his neck. “If Mercer had asked it of you,” he accused, “you’d have forgiven him. If he’d told you, if he’d have asked you to go in on the heist with him...you’d have run off with him so fast, it makes my head spin.”

Rather than scream at him in earnest, as Audric half expected him to, Brynjolf sagged, frowning. “Perhaps I might have, who can say? But he didn’t ask my forgiveness, and he didn’t include me. He lied to me, cheated me and our family, and I can’t forgive that.”

“I have to go,” Audric whispered. “I’m expected in Windhelm, and there is a carriage waiting for me.”

“Your timing is impeccable.”

“Bryn, please, forgive me.” When this did not satisfy, he elaborated. “Forgive me for lying to you, for leaving  you out of my plans.”

“And?” he asked expectantly.

“And I’ll never do it again,” he promised.

Brynjolf pulled him into his arms, nearly crushing him. “I don’t give a damn if you’re Dragonborn,” he said, “I wish you hadn’t tried to keep it from me.”

“I thought…” Audric choked.

“It makes no difference. But why would you think you could keep such a secret?”

Audric shrugged ineffectually, shaking.

Brynjolf pulled him closer and said, “Write me from Windhelm.”





This installment alternatively titled "Audric Bellamy Is A Huge Entitled Baby." Thank you again to the anons who took the time to leave me feedback. It's very encouraging, and I really appreciate it!
From: (Anonymous)
Are you posting this story anywhere else? The meme has been a bit dead lately, and I'd like to be able to tie all my comments together so you can see it's the same person who keeps coming back :)

Hmm. So it's all getting rather interesting. I'm still not sure what game Audric is playing. I'm not even sure whether Audric knows what game he's playing. I'd forgotten that he was hiding being the Dragonborn. To risk losing Brynjolf...

“Forgive me for lying to you, for leaving you out of my plans.”

You've been doing that a lot, Audric. Compartmentalising your life. It's one thing to keep Ulfric and Ralof's secrets, but another to go antagonising the Empire-supporting jarls.

author!anon here

Date: 2014-01-10 03:05 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
At present, I have not posted this story anywhere else, though my intent is to polish it and post it to Archive of Our Own upon completion. Though I may consider revising early and posting to ao3 as I go.

Audric does have a habit of making rash decisions and then regretting them (even if he'd never admit it). I'm glad his antics have kept you amused!

Thank you for the comment, and for coming back! It's always nice to know my work has kept someone's interest.

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