Dirty deeds! (Done dirt cheap!)



Dirty deeds! (Done dirt cheap!)



Dirty deeds! (Done dirt cheap!)

GAH! Damn... now I've got that song stuck in my head.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought Maxical was absolutely adorable in this episode.

Just a few pics:


Original Vanilla Janus:








*** Younger Janus after I modded him:

Thanks for sharing, mALX! I was getting ready to say, "Gee, can't that wealthy count spring for a robe or something to cover up the poor girl? Then I got to the last picture where I guess he finally gave her a dress. Wonderful pictures of our beautiful kit!

mALX...EPIC! Janus is by no means the most brilliant Ancient -- to spy on someone's thoughts but not be able to control his reaction, LMBO! Although, in fairness, I guess I wouldn't expect someone's thoughts to run in quite such a delightfully jumbled way if I was reading minds either, lol.

As always, fantastic!!

Maxical's reaction to meeting Janus is wonderful - typical of a young girl meeting her crush face to face for the first time! I remember mine! Yikes, how embarrassing!

Oh my goodness! Nekkid Maxical wins!!

@ Jacki Dice - Thank you so much Jacki !! That line almost got edited out, it was part of a bigger dialogue that ended up cut - I just had to slide it back in there, hated losing it, lol. Thank you again, Jacki !!!

***
@ Acadian - You are right, he never got to actually hear her mind in action when she was at the castle, lol. Can you imagine Maxical trying to be inconspicuous while she checks to see if "buckled up?" I doubt she has the savoir faire to pull "inconspicuous" off, lol. Thank you so much Acadian !! (and for the great comments on Maxical's screenies)

***
@ Thomas Kaira -


Thank you so much, that meant TONS to hear !!! This is to help get that out of/into your head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_t5GPbp5IY

***
@ Rachel the Breton - I agree, Janus picked the wrong person to eavesdrop into their mind !!! We may end up with another loony vampire in the IC before this is over, lol. Thank you so much for your kind words Rachel !! And I hope everyone sees todays chapter on Edward - I nearly died laughing !!!

***
@ Haute Ecole Rider - Yeah !!! I am tickled to hear you liked that chapter, and that you stopped in again !!! WOO HOO!! Thank you so much, Naughty Haute !!!

***
@ Grits - Actually, Acadian started it, then SubRosa ... and then Subrosa more or less threw a challenge out there that went something like this ... "Who's Next?" Er... Maxical is !!!

Unfortunately, my aim with the camera is as good (or technically I should say bad) as Maxical's aim with magic or the bow and arrow ... so I settled for all "shots from behind" to keep everyone from being shocked.

Not to mention my notoriously poor eyesight which on one occasion caused me to inadvertantly post a pic of a man on SubRosa's thread ... lets just say that ... "IT" ... was not the "pattern of his pants or a tatoo" in his nether regions as it appeared when I looked at it.

Thanks to Destri's immediate intervention and comment ("GAAAAH!") I pulled out a magnifying glass and looked at the pic more ... closely ... the offending pic was immediately taken down and my membership on this forum remains intact. (WHEW!!)

Thank you so much Grits!

@ Everyone - just so you know - those screenies were taken for the original story on the BGSF when Maxical was living at Castle Skingrad.

What on EARTH were you doing posting a pic of a MAN on SUB ROSA's thread!

O, the humanity!

Er...

Wait, that's not right for Rosie..


O, the pullisimanity!!!

I don't think Pulls-his-manatee is apropos either.

Hmmpf! Well, he pulled his Man-a-tee so hard it became a Man-a-DONG!!!

Meh meh meh!!!

Wait! Wouldn't that be "Mast-a-dong?"

Finally caught up! And I think that Fathis is going to be disappointed in the near future.

Tatoo?! I hate that I missed it!!

I was going to wait until I was totally caught up to do this, but I just can’t. A force beyond reason has moved me to the keyboard.

Chapter 88:

Vicente’s handling of Agronak was sensational! You manage to convey the level of contempt that Vicente must feel for the Orc even while he remains obsequious. That is not an easy thing to do. For his part Agronak remains one of your most inspired creations. I am left to wonder, what did Agronak do in your game that left you with such a negative opinion of him?

And only you could find a way to incorporate Spanish idiom (‘that loco Orc’), Anglo-Saxon idiom (‘his loony father’), and Semitic idiom (‘the schmoozing worked’) in a single section set in the Elder Scrolls universe! From anyone else such fast and loose treatment of setting and language would bury the needle on the BS meter. Only you could make it seem like it actually belongs in the story, like Vicente would think in such terms.

Chapter 89 & 90:


Amen to that!!

I think that Jack is speaking for all of us!

Okay I’ve read both the chapters and all the comments that followed them (especially TK’s), and I just have to say that I TOTALLY DISAGREE!!! Now let me preface these comments by saying that the scene in which Maxical is started is some of the most emotional and arresting writing that you have done so far. It is no wonder that these two chapters reduced so many of us to blithering idiots . . . they’re that good! Don’t change a word!

With that said [beginning of rant], I have to take the contrarian’s view and point out that Maxical didn’t choose Gils. Gils BRIBED Owyn to lure Maxical back into his embrace knowing how close he was to starting her. In that way he shows himself as being just as manipulative as Fathis. Hell, a horny kitty (especially one with Maxical’s lack of experience) would of course have a problem differentiating between love and lust. Both of the men in Maxical’s life have used her inexperience to manipulate her to suit their own ends, and they have done so with no regard to her feelings on the subject. Was Anvil so long ago that Maxical has forgotten Gils’ true priorities? Even after he starts her he wines because she still has to break things off with Fathis, and acts indignant when faced with the reality that Maxical might still wish to wear the glass armor that Fathis gave her. It’s GLASS ARMOR fer cryin’ out loud!!

Speaking of Fathis . . . he may be in thrall to an ancient vampire, but now that he knows this he has chosen to manipulate Maxical rather than be honest with her! After he weds her in the most duplicitous way imaginable, he has the gall to dictate wifely duties to her through A LETTER for Dibella’s sake! All in some nefarious plot to lure her into the presence of the very vampire that holds him in thrall (Now I admit that I haven't finished reading yet, and that there are probably events on my horizon that will render this rant moot. All I can say against that time is that these are my impressions right now, and I am sure they may be subject to change). It seems very much like both Fathis and Gils see her as the prize to be won, if for no other reason than to spite each other.

My fondest wish is that Maxical finally comes out of her stupor and realizes that she is far more powerful than either of these two cowards! She should tell them both to go to Oblivion because, unlike Rachel, I think that the vampires would be an improvement! [end of rant]

See what you’ve done? You get me so worked up over these characters that reason (and brevity) fly out of the window! I can’t think of a better compliment than that.

Now I have to finish catching up! Bravo mALX!

@ Foxy - Thank you so much - and thank goodness you are back!!! I have missed your dherty in-you-endo!!!

***
@ King Coin - Thank you so much King Coin !! It tickles me to see you over here too, and thank you so much for stopping by my story and letting me know what you thought!! You've read through them both now, that is a ton of reading, lol. I hope you like this one as well, and you are greatly appreciated!!

***
@ Grits - Oh, it was baaad. I never knew till I held the magnifying glass up and then it was like ... GAAAAH !!! Thank you so much Grits !!!

***
@ Destri - YOU'RE BACK !!!! WOOOOOT !!!! ** mALX's head popped off and blew around the room!!! Thank you so much Destri - you have been MISSED !!!

*

** Please note that the sections italicized are what Maxical is thinking to herself. As Janus can read minds, these places are what he is hearing.



Chapter 92: Promises in the Dark - Part I



Leaning my head closer to the Immortal, I spoke softly. “This cannot get out or my life would be forfeit in the Arena, and the Khajiit over there is the press. I have a blockage of some kind and can‘t heal through the methods taught at the Arcane. Hannibal wanted me to learn an alternative method for my own protection.�

“How high is your magicka?�

“Tremendously high. I can cast destruction…well…did you hear about the Arena being blown up?�

He nodded.

“Well that was an accident. But that spell is rarely able to be cast even by masters due to its high magicka usage. I can cast it many times over and still have reserve magicka. Unfortunately the disorder causes increased damage and an inability to aim, so I have had a few…mishaps. Hannibal may have told you I blew up the Arcane as well.�

“That was you?�

Every word he spoke caused a light-headed pleasant feeling as if his breath were magic. His voice seemed to stroke over me and I felt a purring beginning inside me.

“Er…yes. Hannibal said you use a different method to heal, could you teach me?�

“Yes; though not here. Perhaps another time, under more private circumstance?�

“Thank you, I would greatly appreciate it.�

“Most mages go on to work in the guilds after graduation, what caused you to choose the Arena? You appear quite petite for this line of work, can you even ply that longsword you carry?�

“Oh, I’m no mage, and I‘ve wielded this longsword since I was twelve. The Legion has qualified me to teach Blade…it‘s the only thing I do well.“

“You’re a Blademaster? But the Arcane…�

“The Arcane only graduated me because Fathis paid for my schooling…and they needed to push me out or the campus would not be standing much longer.�

“Dear gods, I remember Traven’s ranting…Daedra turned loose on campus, the windows of the tower shattered, a horse in his bedroom…that was you?�

“Actually, the conjuring of hostile Daedra is part of the healing disorder…and the inability to aim.�

“And the horse in the bedroom?�

“Er…well…that was a scientific experiment to find out if they could ride the transporters. I had no idea it would frighten the beast into evacuating.�

He choked, but turned toward me quickly. “You are interested in scientific experimentation?�

My eyes lit with interest as I nodded. “I‘m a cat, we are always curious. Unfortunately…most of my experiments turn out like that one. I have been strongly encouraged to leave science to those whose abilities are more matched for the field.�






***


He turned toward me, his cowl watching my facial expressions as he began what sounded like a rehearsed speech; words measured out in lecture form complete with hand gestures. I gaped, stunned.

“Something I find particularly fascinating…Hermaeus Mora once said ‘The ultimate purpose of the Daedra Lords…deplorable character of mortals‘….danger of blaspheme…"

I barely listened to the words as he spoke, catching only occasional snatches of them. Was he lecturing me because he felt me beneath him? Should I be offended? He said Fathis is his good friend, would he talk down to me then? No…he wouldn‘t be rude deliberately. Is it possible he doesn’t know he is?

The melodic sound of his voice held my interest in spite of the lofty speech, but the last word caught my attention. I responded excitedly, interrupting him.

“Oh, the Acceptable Blasphemes! Hannibal and I used to debate them! Are you doing Mora first?�

The cowled head seemed frozen in place, but after a momentary pause he started over from the beginning again as if his rehearsed speech had to be spoken in its entirety. I bit my lip and listened quietly.

“Hermaeus Mora is said to be made of tossed out ideas…his realm…the draw of…� He raised his hand up, pointing a finger to the sky as if at a podium.

I turned in my seat to face away from him and barely whispered, “power;“ knowing it would have to be his next word. His speech ground to a halt again, his hand lowering slowly.



Oh no, I’ve interrupted his lecture again. He must have practiced it a lot, and those hand gestures too. I wish we could just discuss them instead of this rehearsed monologue. Still…it’s exciting to hear it in that Colovian accent. I wonder how he pronounces [censored]? All drawn out and elegant sounding, like … [ce..n..sor..ed] … ‘I find you a repulsive [ce..n..sor..ed]’... Wait! Maybe he’d say it more like … [cen..so..RED]. ‘Remove your hand from my cloak, you thieving [cen..so..RED]’! Oh! Or what about [censored], I’ll bet with his accent even that sounds elegant! ’Oh [ce..n..sor..ed], I seem to have misplaced my..’ … oh dear, is he choking?


“Er…do you need me to whack you?� He seemed to be gasping for air.


Is he overheated? His clothes look very heavy…


I watched fascinated in case he leaped up and began stripping them off. His hand was poised in front of the cowl to quell the choking; the sunlight glinted off his ring, catching my eye to the hand.


Strong hands…but soft; not hands that do labor, that’s sure. He must have servants.


Then my eye fell to the ring itself, a wide gold band with a raised platform and crest imprinted on it.


A signet ring? He is a Count? No wonder his identity must be kept secret! That’s an Imperial ring, his appointment must be in Cyrodiil! Not Terentius, I’ve met him. Oh! Umbranox! That would explain why he disappeared for thirty years!


The Immortal lowered his hand, tucking it under the folds of his cloak. “You said power?�

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your speech, I apologize.�

He signaled me to continue.

“Well, I’ve always been fascinated by the transporters at the Arcane. Hannibal said they were once tossed out ideas, scrapped as impossible. Can you imagine what science and technology one could find in Mora‘s realm…the power and wealth one could have?�






***


The Immortal cleared his throat before speaking, once again reverting to the rehearsed lecture complete with hand gestures.

“Hermaeus Mora is seen holding the paper to the light. One assumes this speaks of revelation rather than obsfucation, yet those who enter never leave…�


Did he just say [censored] in the middle of his speech? I’m sure I heard it. Is it a trick to see if I’m paying attention? Uh oh, he is choking again. He should remove that heavy cloak before he suffocates, maybe the suit as well. I wonder what Jack would do if he stripped to his drawers suddenly?


When the Immortal finally stopped choking he turned toward me, his cowl watching my face.

“I’d like to hear what you think about that.� He prompted me.


Uh oh, is this a test? Does he want to know what I think about Mora or what I think about him saying [censored] in the middle of his lecture? If I don’t mention that he’ll think I didn’t listen…


“Tell me what you believe that blaspheme means.�

“Oh…er…Well…I envision Hermaeus Mora’s realm as my room at home, always a mess. My mother goes in there seeking a letter I carried from school that she must answer. While in there she finds many items that she didn‘t know about. She spends days in there cleaning the room to see what else she can find. Do you blame me for owning the mess, or she who lost her focus?�

The Immortal’s voice perked with interest. “I see where you’re going with this; what kind of things?“

“The list is endless, I was grounded for weeks.�

His cowl spun toward me and stared before responding in a voice that sounded slightly suspicious.

“Why wouldn’t she just make you clean it yourself?�

I lowered my voice conspiratorially “Because the greed for forbidden knowledge is in all of us, even my mother. She had to know what else she would find...and for a while the fear was very real that she would never leave my room.�

“So you see Mora as naught but a doorman lighting a candle that we may see? What of his power?� He countered, his cowl watching me closely.

“He possesses the power already, it gains strength through the weakness of the mortals who seek it for themselves in his realm.�

“Your example isn’t workable, or you’d have power over your mother.“

“Who cleaned whose room for them?�

“But she grounded you.�

“In a clean room.�

He gasped. “That is Machiavellian; devious! Was there even a letter to begin with?�

“There was always a letter.�

“That’s right, I remember Traven’s ranting…but…�

“We had just finished studying Mora‘s realm, it was an experiment in theory.�

“But why? Didn’t you know she would ground you?�

“Yes, but my parents were extremely overprotective of me anyway. Where would I have gone otherwise? The why is obvious, she was insisting I clean it.�

The Immortal‘s voice quavered “Then you deliberately planted items to catch her interest?�

“Only a few things I found…‘tossed out‘…placed so they couldn’t be missed, but appearing as if the intent was that they be hidden.�

“Tossed out ideas…that is terrible! Corrupt! I hope they beat you well for that.�

“No, my father didn’t believe in squelching a child’s creativity by punishing them for misdeeds. My mother had to catch me before I reached my father, or no beating took place…and I am quite fast.�

“You’ve never been whipped?�

I shook my head no.

“Dear gods, I may have escaped far better than I knew in not reproducing.�

“You have no idea.�






***


“I was an only child too. My room was always neat, though; and I never remember misbehaving.� The edge of superiority was gone from his voice.

“You should have, it keeps parents on their toes.� I glanced into the cowl with a look of pure mischief.

“Dear gods, your parents probably should be canonized.�

“They can’t be, they still live. Er…why do you give prepared speeches in place of conversation?�

“No one usually voices opinions on the blasphemies when I bring them up.�

“I remember the first time I realized that something I found so fascinating was boring to everyone else. Their eyes would glaze over and they made a face like this…� I stuck my ears straight out to the sides and lowered my eyelids halfway. “Did you get that too?�

The Immortal chuckled, but his voice was serious when he answered. “Not that I noticed. I‘ve only recently realized the subject palled on others.�

“They may not have dared to offend you. With me they roll their eyes and make a face like Ocato’s. Except Hannibal, he enjoys it as I do.�

“I thought them abstract, a subject for discussion. You applied…proved them. Your understanding of them exceeds mine, my speech must have seemed…�

“Och, a lot of people underestimate cats. Our curiosity takes us places few would go. Can we do another one?�

“You choose this time.� He turned sideways in his seat to face me.

“Azura, the Rim of All Holes; the Tonguemaster.�

“Better choose another, I see that conversation going downhill fast.�

“You choose then.� I pulled my legs up into a cross under me so I was facing him too. The Immortal wouldn't be lecturing me anymore, now to see what he was really like.

He began speaking then; thoughts and ideas cascading as if a dam burst, and not just about the blasphemies. He was interested in everything, had a vast array of knowledge about any subject brought up. I was drawn in with full interest, and the god-like status he held in my mind submerged under the debates that followed each new subject.



Fathis chose the wrong term to describe him. There is nothing benign about this man. He is intriguing, touches on every sense within me; each facet a pleasing discovery. I have no doubt he could find some interesting aspect to discuss about crop rotation, or even rats. He is mesmerizing. I could talk to him forever and never pall of it.


I suddenly realized why talking to him felt like being with someone I’d known all my life; without the deep voice and accent, my eyes closed…it could be Hannibal and I discussing these things. They had known each other over fifty years; the Immortal was just eighteen years when they met according to Hannibal’s research notes. Nothing in them detailed a personal friendship, but I wondered if…like he did with me, Hannibal had inspired and mentored the Immortal in his youth; leading his interest to scientific research.



*


This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 4 2016, 06:54 AM

“Azura, the Rim of All Holes; the Tonguemaster.”

"Ah...Hannibal, he enjoys it as I do. Can we do another one?”

“Butt she pounded you!”

“In a clean poon!”

I saw the first section as distinctly different from the rest of this wonderful episode. I was smiling and quite tickled by it. Maxical at her very finest! I loved some of the clarification on her strengths and limitations.

The remainder of the episode was like a fantastical trip down the rabbit hole into mysteries and things not fully understood - I think that was your intent. Yes, fantastical and confusingly whimsical. The effect was quite neat indeed!

Here's what I did get though: It seems Maxical is quite drawn to Janus. It smells like some serious emotional confusion ahead for our kit.

What a fun read!!!

*** Just to keep down any further confusion: The blasphemies are what Jak kept teasing Janus about using for conversation in trying to pick up women - now you see why Janus hasn't been laid except with prostitutes, lol.


I will quote Jak below to aid in memory, since it was quite a ways back:







Janus tried to come across with a scholarly lecture - that is a put-down, like "you're too dumb to discuss this with me, so I will just tell you about it so you will realize how intelligent I am..." - which should probably have shown a lowly Khajiit from the Arena that he felt her beneath him.

- Instead by the end of the conversation, Maxical had the upper hand in the conversation and had worked it around to where she wanted it. - and shown Janus that even a dumb Khajiit can understand the blasphemies.

Janus being isolated as long as he was has left him socially challenged. First Jak manipulated him, and now Maxical just did too - (although her motive was just to get him to stop lecturing her, who knows what Jak's motives are).

Janus may be getting himself in WAY over his head, lol.

*

This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 4 2016, 07:19 AM

I edited the story this morning - hopefully what I was trying to get across is a little clearer now.

Maxical meeting the Immortal was (in her mind) like meeting a Daedric Lord or one of the gods.

Regardless of the fact that she thought it was the most exciting thing in her life to meet an Immortal - she was still insulted when he talked "AT" her instead of with her - so she kind of put him in his place. (showed him that even a dumb Khajiit in the Arena can understand the blasphemies)

At the end of the chapter, she compared him to talking to Hannibal (a friend). She has no romantic thoughts in her head toward him at all, just finds him interesting to talk to.


If these things did not come through in the story (as edited now) - please let me know and I will re-write this chapter.