Buffy's Book of Short Stories, Somewhere in Time Options

[Acadian]

Welcome to Buffy's book of short stories! Rather than another chronological saga, this will be a collection of independent (generally short) stories that freely span Buffy's long and ongoing adventuring career. She'll tell you a bit more about that choice of format in her prelude below. One feature of the format she has insisted on is that the stories are not directly linked, sequential or particularly interdependent. While I believe you will find them reasonably consistent with 'Buffy lore', I'm looking forward to what I hope will be quite a bit of freedom and flexibility. The format should also make it easy for any readers who join us in progress or return from an absence, to jump right in with the current story.

For those well-familiar with Buffy, I hope you will continue to enjoy the enigmatic elven mage as she presents selective peeks into her neverending adventures across Tamriel. It is easy for Buffy and I to become emotionally overwhelmed as we contemplate the kind, enthusiastic and encouraging support that many have graced us with over the years. And for that we are profoundly grateful. My fervent hope is that you continue to find our efforts worthy of your valuable time.

For those new to Buffy, please do not let her long history deter you from jumping right in and joining us. While her series of full books are available on the Acadian sub forum, their sheer size makes reading them a daunting prospect. Fortunately, our 'Executive Summary' thread on the same sub forum offers what I believe to be a very effective summary that can easily be read in one sitting per book.

Table of contents

- Hard Crowds and Dancing Whales (1 episode) – post #12
3rd Era. Buffy fills in for a sick bard at an Anvil tavern.

- Unfinished Business – Buffy and the Box (1 episode) – post #24
3rd Era. Buffy finally reports back to Sanguine after inflicting nakedness upon the Courtess of Leyawiin and some of her party guests.

- A Bard’s Tale (5 episodes) – posts #34-66
4th Era. Buffy receives some musical training at the Bards College in Solitude.

- The Case of the Missing Court Mage (2 Episodes) – posts #76-85
4th Era. Buffy helps locate an absentminded missing mage in the Riften area.

Prelude

"Acadian, I don't want to write about the Oblivion Crisis right now." Getting up from the desk, I climbed up atop the corner bookshelf and sat down. "I want to write about being ambushed in the Reach by a Thalmor patrol. Or my first encounter as a Slayer with the vampiric Count of Skingrad. Or how, after I managed to lose Azura's Star, we traveled through time to retrieve it. Or maybe about that time when-"

"Buffy," interrupted the paladin, "all those things can eventually be crafted into your larger, overarching plot such that they fit properly along your timeline."

I hopped to the floor. "No!" Both hands planted themselves on my hips as my chin lifted defiantly. "I want to write about those things when the passion moves me to do so, not wait until it 'fits' into some silly book that's so long and complicated we can never write it. Whenever I write something I want, you complain if it doesn't make 'perfect sense' or that it doesn't fit at this point in our 'chronology'. By the time most of the tales I want to share fit into your unmanageable plan, I've long lost the passion that motivated me to write about them!"

There was a long silence before Acadian dubiously remarked, "Are you proposing a book with neither plot nor timeline?"

"Exactly! I am not a plot. I am an elf who travels, adventures and explores - with you, of course." I spread my arms expansively and twirled all the way around once before seating myself on a corner of the desk. "What's hard to understand about that? And would you rather read a story that I wrote when passion moved me to do so, or one that I had to force myself to write in support of some silly timeline?" I softened my tone. "Look, Acadian, you and I can travel between worlds and even move through time together. Why do my stories have to be 'in order'? When a butterfly moves across a meadow visiting flowers, does she do so 'in order'?"

The old paladin chuckled. "Despite my years and experience, the ability to successfully argue with an impassioned woman continues to elude me. Your butterfly metaphor contains a simple logic that I cannot refute. I will never fully understand the. . . whimsy that drives your choices but, over the years, I have grown to at least appreciate it."

"Does that mean. . . ?"

"Yes," he replied. "You are the true source of our passion for writing. I shall constrain you with neither plot nor chronology considerations."

"Thank you, my paladin." I crossed my dangling legs, folded my hands in my lap and smiled. "I know that I can sometimes be a little, well, erratic or even elusive."

Acadian sighed. "Like a butterfly in a thunderstorm, my bowgirl."

"This will be fun!" I chirped.

[Acadian]

mirocu- Thank you! The songs Buffy will sing during the five parts of this story are all actual bardic songs featured in either Skyrim or ESO.

Lopov- Despite the brevity of the prose portions in this series, I’m grateful that you found the interactions still seemed effective. I expect Lady Pantea will provide Buffy plenty of guidance to fine tune her natural talents going forward.

ghastley- You are right that Buffy’s projected image of a dragon (and her tempo, I might add) will need some adjusting by the pros to suit Skyrim audiences. Due to our sharp focus on developing Buffy’s musical gifts, we won’t be able to work any Bards College quests into this series. Great idea for later short stories however!

SubRosa- Thank you. I look forward to showing how, with plenty of help, Buffy develops some more depth to her abilities. Between you and me, Talsgar has probably (unknown to Buffy) seen and heard the elf singing while bathing in various rivers, ponds and waterfalls across Skyrim.

Grits- It is not easy to bring the verbose elf in with a low word count, but I really do want the actual songs to take center stage during this tale – your endorsement that my editing still retained what it needed to is very encouraging. That Flowing Bowl performance really was a good peek at the ‘end product’, whereas this series shows some of the sausage making required to get there – thanks for pointing that out!

mALX- Thank you for your kind words! I do agree that Buffy’s chipmunk nervousness did produce kind of a cute singing voice. She’ll need to settle down some for Skyrim audiences though.

DE- I consider you an authority when it comes to most of the Daedric Princes, so your encouraging words were most welcome. I agree that Sanguine is not so bad in his own way. And more songs ahead!

Renee- Thanks! How neat about Gabrielle and her barding! I say that because I confess some influence from Xena and Gabrielle when it comes to scenes involving the mighty Sir Mazoga and little blond Buffy.

*

A note on Buffy’s singing voice: While the amazing Enya often lends the haunting beauty of her voice to help power Buffy’s songs, this entire short series features the voice of a stunningly talented songstress called Malukah. Her voice was artificially accelerated during the above episode to achieve our intended ‘chipmunk’ effect. The remaining four songs, however, are not accelerated and I think you will readily agree that Malukah’s voice magnificently enables Buffy to project the passion she is capable of through song.

In the first episode (of five) in A Bard’s Tale, Buffy got dragged into trying to sing for two professional bards. Even as she was singing, she could see that they were not impressed.

* * *

A Bard’s Tale – Part 2

As my song finished, Lisette’s valiant efforts to stifle a giggle were faltering into facial contortions. Lady Pantea’s eyebrows had traveled up and down her forehead reflecting surprise, curiosity and very possibly some dismay. My eyes went to my feet, regretting I had ever agreed to sing for someone other than my paladin.

It was Lady Pantea who spoke. “Buffy, that was. . . fascinating. Let us begin by discussing your voice. Every note was flawlessly in key. You allowed your nervousness, however, to run away with your tempo. I’m surprised Lisette’s fingers could keep up on the lute.”

“Too fast?” I said, looking up to meet her eyes.

“Like a little chipmunk.” Her face creased into a warm smile and she placed a hand comfortingly on my shoulder. “We can fix that though. If you pull your voice up from deep within instead of just from your mouth and throat, it will necessarily slow you down. At first, you will also find it helpful to consciously think about tempo as well as take your pacing from Lisette’s lute. Can you remember those things?”

In response to my nod, she continued, “As for your nervousness, take comfort that you are among friends here who want to help bring out the talent that both Lisette and I can clearly see. I have performed for kings, courts and festivals all across Skyrim for many years. I have also trained countless young voices. If and when I proclaim you ready for real audiences, you may rest assured that they will not find you lacking.”

I snuck a peek at Lisette to see her nodding encouragingly.

Pantea continued, “Now let’s talk about this amazing gift you have of projecting images via your voice. How much control do you have?”

“I have no say over the fact that my singing voice carries visions. What you see are reflections of what a song means to me and flashbacks of what I have seen in my travels. I do have some control over what memories I focus on.”

“I see,” said Pantea. “Do you understand that few share your interpretation of dragons? Most do not see them as creatures to peacefully frolic with in some idyllic meadow.”

I nodded. “I was at Helgen when it was destroyed.”

Pantea’s eyes widened. “Then you do understand the carnage they can bring and the terrifying feelings of helplessness that such nearly indestructible monsters inspire.”

I shuddered as I recalled exactly what Pantea was talking about. “I-I remember.”

“Buffy, that song serves to not only remind people of the horror and death that dragons bring, but to inspire them with hope that the gods have not abandoned them. That a hero will arise who is mighty enough to slay even dragons.” She squeezed both my hands and studied my face carefully. “Do you understand?”

“I believe I do, Lady Pantea.”

“Splendid!” She replied. “Let us try it again, ladies. Buffy, pull your voice up from down deep. Take your pacing from Lisette’s lute. Remember Helgen.”

Lisette began strumming through one verse to help set our tempo.

This time, I did not seek the comfort of Acadian’s beautiful ice dragaon, Phantom. Rather, I focused on the grim horror and carnage I knew that Alduin and his ilk were capable of.

As Lisette’s lute returned to the top of the melody, I began to sing.

1:55 min music video