Lydia's busy life in Solitude

[76561199033721062]

I made Lydia my spouse and while she did nothing but sit around Breezehome eating and drinking 24/7, she became much more active at Lakeview Manor, chopping wood or mining, working indoors, or staring down the cow. But when we moved to Proudspire Manor in Solitude, she really assumed a new life.

In the morning, she'll leave the house. A few weeks ago I caught a rabbit and released it into Solitude, where it would hop from the Blue Palace to the city gates. Today I killed it, and Lydia, who I hadn't noticed walked up behind me, commented, "Now that's how it's done!" She then sauntered over to Radiant Raiment and went inside. Curious, I followed, and she opened the door to the private area, went upstairs, opened the door to the bedroom and took a seat. I call Lydia "The Chairwoman" because she can find any chair, bench, throne, stool or perch without fail. After a while, with Endarie staring at me suspiciously, Lydia left and went into Bits and Pieces.

Here, she stood in the main hall while Sayma gnawed on a chunk of bread, sitting in her chair. I entered the private quarters which alarmed Sayma such that she followed me, and no sooner than she quit her chair, Lydia marched right over and sat in it!

After a while she left Bits and Pieces, went up through the courtyard of Castle Dour and into the Temple of the Divines. There Lydia took a pew, fished out a tankard from who-knows-where, and sat for a time gazing at the shrines and drinking.

From here she ambled east and at first I thought she'd take the back route to Proudspire, but she walked past the house and went into the Bard's College courtyard where she sat down to gnaw on that crust of bread she keeps on her. it's now about 10:30 am.

Leaving the college, she entered Proudspire. Curiously, she'll never use the "main" door, preferring either the basement or the patio entrance, as was the case today. I found her at one of her favorite toys, the alchemy lab. I have also added an anvil, workbench and grindstone to the basement, all of which entertain both Lydia and Jordis, although neither know which end of the heated bar to hit with the hammer.

Lydia completed her work and left via the basement door and went into Solitude. This time it was to hang out at the city well. After a while she visited the fruit and veg stand. From here, at a bit past 11am, she went back to the Temple for a short while.

From there she returned home to join the kids for lunch. After a time, she left the house via the basement, went around the house and up to the patio. As soon as I took a seat there she left and revisited the college courtyard. From there she went back to the fruit and veg stand, then on to Bits and Pieces. Close to noon, she went to Radiant Raiment. And so went the rest of the day, returning home briefly, then visiting various spots in town.

In the late afternoon, she returned home briefly, to sit on one of the children's beds. From there, she heads back out around town. At almost 8pm, she enters the Temple and heads upstairs, only to turn about immediately and leave the Temple.

Having put a torch in Lydia's inventory, she carries it after sundown while out and about.

It's after 8pm, and Lydia visits the Winking Skeever. She'll take a seat on either the ground or the second floor, or just hangs about. When Lisette starts a song, Lydia starts clapping and dancing. Instrumentals don't interest her, apparently. Lydia just keeps drinking and dancing until midnight, when she finally ends her Solitude day by going home and to bed.

Well, this is how she spends her evenings in Solitude. No other town claims her attention like this. Poor Jordis, she's just like Lydia in Whiterun, a homebody who never sleeps.

I'm curious as to whether my Lydia is an outlier or just normal compared to yours. I played Skyrim many years ago and only just upgraded it and started playing again.

[AquaPrime]

This is really neat. Well written.

[Wolfpack]

I think Improved Adoptions will have your spouse more active in all the locations. Also more interaction with kids. Thank you for a really nice Day In the Life.

[76561199033721062]

I don't have the mod Improved Adoptions, but I do have The Kids Are Alright. Curiously, I don't get any dialog option with Lydia to inquire about how the kids are doing, nor do I get "a father's love" perk on waking anymore.

The weird thing about this game's AI is that it'll seem to get bogged down or stuck until stimulated by something else, sometimes something apparently unrelated or peripheral.

Yesterday I was bored, did a major save, and started earning a major bounty. Lydia was so inspired she started on her own killing spree, but when I hit a courier that was a line too far and Lydia attacked me!

We arrived in Whiterun which, like most of my Skyrim cities, has no more guards. Apparently the Jarls can't convince anybody to do the job. Perhaps because some miscreant keeps spawning high-level enemies in the towns... However, I did see something really odd: There were a number of "hired thugs" in town. Who hired them? They didn't even seem to be hostile.

Fun times in Skyrim!