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> Outlanders (Morrowind Crossover)
SubRosa
post Nov 6 2022, 01:01 AM
Post #241


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“I’m sure most of Morrowind felt the same way,” Daria muttered.
Badum Tiss! This little quip was a nice reminder that Daria was indeed present as well.

Just scare up some cool threads for the shindig. Yep, this is that 50s guy. smile.gif

Haldskyr Bear-grip again. I wonder if his name has something to do with him being a Master Bator?

It sounds like Jane is set to have some fun at the party. Of course Daria is going to be poo poo the idea. She hates fun! biggrin.gif You can't be a cynical edgelord and be happy at the same time.

Oh my, Jane is indeed going to get fashion advice from Quinn! As difficult as I am sure that was. It was also clearly the right move, and the right person.

Ahh, dainty Jane and her waifish figure.


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Acadian
post Nov 6 2022, 09:33 PM
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Nate is certainly saying the right things and appears to be quite charming. Could there possibly be not only be help for Jane’s struggles as an artist but a possible romance on the horizon?

Daria’s being downright bitchy. Wasn’t it only recently she was blushing and fangirling over Trent? C’mon, Daria, at least be a little supportive even while urging caution.

Hmm, building an outfit around a purple veil. Sounds like a job for Quinn all right. Uh oh. Quinn's been in Morrowind too long and has become quite adept at dealing in the currency of favors – one dress loan for one promise of a painting.

I’m glad to see Jane taking this risk that could possibly boost her career and/or love life, even though I can envision numerous pitfalls at this upcoming party. Can’t wait to see where you take this!


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WellTemperedClavier
post Nov 9 2022, 05:49 PM
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@Renee - If I get the waterworks going, I must be doing something right.

Thanks! Jane's work is both a financial and psychological lifeline for her. It is something she loves doing, even if clients sometimes make it far harder than it should be. In the show, Jane is quite driven (far more so than Daria--though Daria aspires to be a writer, we only see her make a few efforts, while Jane is always practicing) and I tried to stay true to that aspect here.

@SubRosa - So Daria's behavior in "Life in the Past Lane", where Nathan makes his one and only appearance, still drives me up the wall. Yes, she's absolutely right about him! However, she's so unpleasant about it that I really can't blame Jane for brushing her off. Especially given that Jane's in a pretty vulnerable place after that Daria did to her...

I ranted about the episode here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17623430/chapters/41831183

The context here is obviously pretty different. But Daria's still not the best at empathizing with other peoples' situations. Her warnings sound more like mockery than genuine concern, so naturally that's how Jane will interpret them.

@Acadian
- One of the interesting aspects of this version of Jane is that she's in a position where she almost has to grab what few opportunities come her way. A noble patron can make all the difference when it comes to career, and she knows it.

Episode 15: The Tell-Tale Art

Chapter 4


Putting on Quinn’s dress turned out to be harder than Jane had expected. The damn thing was tiny. Apparently, Jane’s dainty Mer figure wasn’t quite dainty enough. The fabric squeezed her shoulders and upper arms like a vise once she got it on.

She hurried out to the coppersmith’s shop, taking care not to get too much of Labor Town’s dirt on the dress, or on her. The public bathhouse was cheap, but she’d already gone once that morning and didn’t want to pay for a second round. Once at the smith’s she crept off to the side where he’d set up a big sheet of polished copper that worked as a mirror.

Quinn had been right about one thing, Jane realized: pink did not suit her.

The smith took notice and chased her off. Back home, Jane adjusted the dress as best she could, imagining how it’d look on her. Art was good practice for that, at least. But each stumble made her situation look more hopeless.

Who the hell was she fooling? Some Dunmer menial, not wanted anywhere, hoping to get in Natalinos’s good graces? She wanted to smack herself for being so stupid. Worse, all the time spent primping meant more delays on her work.

But she was already committed. If she’d agreed to give Quinn a freebie…

“I need this to work,” she said, as she looked into her tiny brass hand mirror to apply some white ash around her eyes.

Jane left the apartment late in the afternoon and retraced her steps to Haldskyr’s home, a respectable adobe box on a little alley adjoining Ules Plaza. The bitter cold stabbed right through the dress’s thin wool fabric. She supposed freezing to death was one way to get out of having to paint the Fashion Club.

She lingered across the street from the house. The first guests arrived as the last slivers of sunlight disappeared. A well-dressed Imperial couple stepped up to the door and knocked on it, getting ushered in a few moments later.

Then came what felt like an hour of waiting. She crouched to conserve body heat and rubbed her arms. Where the hell was Natalinos?

She recognized the next guest as a former client: Lyfsa Storm’s Daughter. With her was her husband, Karl the Golden. Lucky for Jane, their son, Karl the Unctuous, hadn’t tagged along. The arrivals got more regular once those two showed up, coming in pairs or trios to Haldskyr’s door. Meanwhile, it kept getting colder and darker. Jane breathed onto her hands to warm her shivering fingers. Her heartbeat quickened, her stomach twisted: Natalinos wouldn’t show up. Just like how mom and dad left, how Trent never did anything, how patrons always stayed out-of-reach, how—

He was there!

Jane sprang to her feet as Natalinos sauntered down the street, his blue silk shirt iridescent in the torchlight. He was there, he was there, and it was all going to be okay. She hurried over.

“Hey! I was wondering when you were going to show up,” she said, breathless and giddy. “It was getting cold.”

“Janieta? How long were you waiting?”

No one had called her by her full name in a while. “Since around sunset.”

“Haven’t you heard of being fashionably late?” he asked. Jane was pretty sure he was only pretending to be offended.

“I thought Imperials were real sticklers for time.” Daria always showed up on time, though she probably wasn’t typical.

“Maybe Colovians are. But in the city? You gotta show up late if you want to be taken seriously.” He shook his head. “Whew, that dress is going to be a tough sell. Looks like something a country kid would wear.”

Jane blushed, and then gulped. Dammit, didn’t he understand this was the best she could do? “Sorry, but I had to get it on short notice. Us artists aren’t exactly swimming in cash.”

Natalinos stepped back, appraising her outfit. “I guess we could pass it off as a retro statement. Be careful, Janieta. My reputation’s riding on this, too.”

“Sorry,” she said. At least he wasn’t mad. “Do you have that veil?”

“Sure do.” Natalinos reached into his coat and took out a silk purse, its surface decorated with a rose made of silver thread. Opening it up he took out a bundle of purple cloth and handed it to Jane.

“Wow,” Jane said. It was the real deal, all right. A circlet of genuine gold and a veil of thick moth-silk. A nasty part of her—her inner Daria, she guessed—wondered why Natalinos would have such a garment. Memento of some old romantic conquest?

Not now, she told that part of herself. She placed the circlet on her head, its weight like an affirmation of everything she could ever be. Drawing the veil over her face, she quivered in excitement.

“How do I look?” She couldn’t see much other than the torchlight.

“Damn good.”

“Damn good now that you can’t see my face?” she asked, kind of as a joke, kind of because she wondered. She held her breath.

“You look like a stylish Cyrodiilic lady with a retro streak. You’re a diamond in the rough, Janieta. But don’t worry. I’ll polish you up.”

She didn’t like the way he’d said that. But then he offered his arm and she took it, felt the weight and strength in his body, saw the way he strode like a king among peasants and all her worries flew away.

Together they walked to the door. Natalinos knocked, and an Imperial servant brought them inside. Moving between the densely packed crowd took some doing, especially with the veil. Natalinos found a path, swapping greetings with the guests he knew.

“Who’s this fine young lady?” asked Naspia Occulito, a merchant Jane had once painted (her immense hair, piled high on layer after layer, had taken way longer than any other element).

“Pallia,” Natalinos lied. “She’s quite a gal.”

Pallia. Jane could get used to being called that. “Charmed,” Jane said, imitating what she hoped was a convincing capital accent.

“So good of you to accompany Natalinos to this dreary little town!” Naspia said.

Jane had done it. No one stared at her for being an outlander among Dunmer or a Dunmer among outlanders. She’d only needed to dress and act the part, and she could be anything she wanted. A blank canvas for the painting of her life.

With Natalinos as the artist.

Wait, no, she corrected. She was still the artist. But Natalinos could be the patron. Every artist needed a patron.

Dizzy with delight, Jane followed him as he made the rounds. Lucky for her, he filled in a lot of the details. Jane, now Pallia, was the daughter of wealthy Dunmer immigrants to the Imperial City. Following his lead sure beat figuring everything out on her own. Best of all, no one recognized her. Jane was gone, like she’d never been.

Finally, Natalinos came to Haldskyr. The Nord's rugged face beamed as he showed Jane's painting off to his guests. The old skinflint sure seemed proud of it.

“Is that the one you did?” Natalinos asked.

“Yup,” Jane said.

“Haldskyr!” Natalinos said.

The Nord’s eyes lit up and he ambled forward, gripping Natalinos’s free hand. “Ah, you must be Natalinos! Any son of Marcus will find a warm hearth and warmer welcome beneath my roof!”

“The honor’s mine.”

“And who is this lovely creature?” Haldskyr asked, looking at Jane.

Jane froze up behind her veil. He couldn’t see her, right? Since if she was lovely, didn’t that mean he could see her face? Or maybe he was being polite. Maybe, like a lot of humans, he was too damned lazy to distinguish one Dunmer from another.

“Pallia,” she said.

“Well, Pallia, if Natalinos is anything like his father, and I can tell he is, you’ve chosen a fine companion for the evening.”

“This is quite a painting you have,” Natalinos said.

“Aye! Commissioned it from a Nord artist who was passing through.”

Jane closed her hands into fists. The bastard!

“Really?” Natalinos made a knowing glance at Jane. “Don’t suppose this artist is still around.”

“I fear he’s already left for lands better than this one. But look at the detail! Not many artists could capture that. You see that cameo of Talos Stormborn? It’s as if from life! And my beard in the painting is almost as magnificent as my real beard!” He patted his beard and laughed.

“She—he must’ve gone the extra mile for that,” Jane said.

“We Nords always do,” Haldskyr said, following it up with a loud laugh.

More than anything, Jane wanted to tear off the veil and cut Haldskyr down to size. But that’d backfire on her. No one would hire an artist that yelled at them for telling a few lies.

“Natalinos, darling? I’m feeling a bit peckish, and these hors d’oeuvres look delightful,” she said.

It was a good excuse to get the hell away from Haldskyr.

“Go nuts.”

Jane retreated. She didn’t actually eat much. Anger stifled her appetite, and she didn’t trust herself to use utensils. Instead she drank rice wine, carefully positioning the ceramic drinking cup so that it didn’t lift her veil too much. She could still hear Natalinos and Haldskyr talking from where she stood.

“Son,” Haldskyr said, “I’ve a wandering urge in my bones. Mayhap it’s time to uproot myself from this dreary town and do business in the capital. I’ve worked with your father for some time, and perhaps he and I could strengthen our partnership.”

“An interesting proposition,” Natalinos said, scratching his chin with his thumb. “But my dad’s boats, and your furs, already make for a good combination.”

“Aye, they do. But I’ve been working the fur market for many a year, and I’d like to see the Imperial City before I’m too old to appreciate its charms.”

Natalinos laughed. “I’ll let him know. If you do that, you’ll need to make some changes.”

“Like what?”

“Shaving off that beard, for one. Not trying to be mean, Haldskyr, but it makes you look like some hick.”

Haldskyr gasped and clutched at his braided beard. Jane grinned, smelling blood in the air.

“I’ve worn this—”

“Hey, you do what you want. But I’ve lived in the city all my life, and no one who matters wears a beard like yours. Try to talk a little more normal, too.”

“You forget yourself, Natalinos! I’m a Nord! Of Skyrim!”

“Sorry. But in the Imperial City, what’s in is in, and what’s out is out.”

Jane burst out laughing, tried to hide it by downing some rice wine, and then laughed some more. She wished she had a sketchpad and a pen with which to capture Haldskyr’s look of dismay, all that arrogance wrecked with a few well-chosen lines. It was glorious, absolutely glorious!

They lingered at the party for quite some time after, Natalinos flitting from guest to guest all the while. He told Jane to keep quiet—and that she hadn’t gotten the accent right—but the thrill of Haldskyr's humiliation kept her smiling all the way through. The rice wine helped, too. When he finally said it was time to go, Jane happily followed him out. The freezing cold stole the breath right out of her lungs, and she impulsively hugged him for warmth.

“How did I do?” she asked.

“Rough around the edges, but passable.”

“Thanks for cutting Haldskyr down to size,” she said, hugging him tighter. He put his arm around her and her heart raced.

“That guy! He’s a dumb hick who’ll never make in the Imperial City. That beard of his pissed me off.”

“It’s not going to hurt your dad’s business, is it? Making him mad?”

“Who cares? My dad’s got more money than he knows what to do with.”

“You think I could make it in the Imperial City?”

“You? You're unrefined, but we can work on that. Your art’s one-of-a-kind, you know? My family could use an artist. Probably time to put the one we have now out to pasture. Who knows? Maybe you could be more than just an artist, if you get my drift.”

Jane thought she’d pass out. She moved the veil to the side, the winter air like ice on her face. “Oh yeah?”

Natalinos leaned in and kissed her.

Time stopped. His lips on hers, the two of them together high above the ground, the city and all its lights spinning around them as Jane lost herself in the kiss.

Just as quickly, it finished. She stood in his arms, smiling like she hadn’t smiled in years, their red eyes locked.

“How about you spend the night at my place?" Natalinos said.

Musical Outro - What Do You Want From Me?, by Monaco
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Acadian
post Nov 10 2022, 01:06 AM
Post #244


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After a chilly wait and some veiled adjustments, Jane transforms into Janieta then into Pallia!

And the Nordic milk drinker who is hosting this affair attributes the painting Jane labored on to a ‘passing Nord artist’ and that ‘he’ has left town. Grrrr!

Natalinos cut the Nord down to size pretty smoothly which, of course, further captured Jane’s heart. Though I think Natalinos is quite too full of himself, I understand Jane’s hopeful infatuation – a boost to her career and love life all in one wealthy, handsome package?


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SubRosa
post Nov 12 2022, 01:57 AM
Post #245


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So Jane is not quite the waifish elf that Quinn made her out to be after all. Maybe she ought to switch to eating that no salt, no butter popcorn that the fashion club treat themselves to. Not!

Upchuck's father is Karl the Golden? Of course he is. sigh.

Wow, it didn't take long for Nat to start criticizing. Like you pointed out in your link, both he and Daria are behaving possessive and judgemental. Poor Jane is caught between wanting to have a good time for once in her life, and being surrounded by jerks.

A Nord artist painted that portrait you say? Wow, that must be why it is so good.

I have to admit to being amused at Nat taking Haldskyr the Self-Groper down to a peg or two. But it also reminds me that he probably turns that same criticism loose upon other, less deserving targets.

I really do like the subtle gaslighting you wrote into Nat's behavior. Every compliment he makes is somehow couched with a criticism, and the through line is that he can fix Jane. Because what she is now is ok, but still needs work.


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WellTemperedClavier
post Nov 13 2022, 06:14 PM
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@Acadian - With this story, I wanted to show why Jane's situation led her to overlooking all of Natalinos's red flags. She's treading water, but only barely and it's not clear how much longer she can keep this up without support.

@SubRosa - I always found it interesting how the show didn't really do much to explore Jane, despite her featuring so heavily. She's usually there as a support (or occasionally foil) to Daria. But there are a lot of interesting hints. Her parents are completely neglectful, and even if they do have money (which is likely), they're irresponsible to the point that Jane and Trent don't necessarily get the financial support they need.

Nathan's one of my least favorite characters from the show (I think he's one of the least favorite for a lot of viewers), so I'm glad that I at least wrote him well.

Episode 15: The Tell-Tale Art

Chapter 5


Note: This chapter makes reference to cults. These are the cults mentioned in the Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition, and are thus analogous to Greco-Roman mystery cults, rather than the modern definition of cult.

A hundred different answers to that question swirled in Jane’s head as she stared at Natalinos.

“Uh,” she uttered.

“Come on, let’s walk,” he said, putting his heavy arm over her shoulders. “I’m staying with a friend of mine who has a house on Silk-hawker’s Street.”

“Okay.”

She probably had some time to figure out what she wanted. Pretty easy to tell what he wanted.

Was that how she won him over? A night of passion followed by moving back to the Imperial City and meeting great artists from all over Tamriel? A life of adventure and luxury where she never slept hungry?

Or maybe he’d ditch her after he got what he wanted. She’d seen the results of that: the sad lonely mothers sweeping the temple floors, all exploited by the handsome and heartless.

But Natalinos wasn’t like that. The whole world seemed to bend to him, give him what he wanted. He’d always have room for her.

Jane almost laughed. Since when did the powerful care about people like her?

But he did. She’d seen it in his eyes, felt it in the way he held her.

She wanted to go home. Sleep on it a bit. But home was all the way back in Labor Town, and she didn’t want to brave its nighttime streets. If Natalinos cared about her, he’d walk her home, right? Or let her sleep on his couch or something, warm under a blanket and her mind teeming with dreams of the Imperial City’s splendor? Vague memories of the place tugged at Jane: the sweltering heat; the horizon’s green haze; high towers gleaming in the tropical sun; canal water thick with the lilies and hyacinths of a thousand colors; the streets thick with faces from a hundred different nations.

Away from grasping Balmora and its dust and greed. All she had to do was trust Natalinos.

She could figure this out. All she had to do was decide on an approach—

“We’re here!” Natalinos said.

Damn.

Natalinos guided her toward a corner house, the doorway lit by a lantern. Jane shuffled her feet on the flagstones to buy a few more seconds of time. Suddenly, a dull metallic clang sounded out from within the house, followed by a groan.

He stopped. “Oh, dammit.”

Confused, Jane didn’t say anything. Had she imagined it? Then she heard it again.

“Uh, what’s going on?” she asked. The groan was kind of creepy, but she didn’t feel threatened exactly. “Hey, about tonight, I don’t know if I want—”

“I forgot it was my friend’s penitence night.”

“His what night?” Jane asked.

Natalinos looked to the door, and then to her. “So I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but I will anyway. My friend and I both follow the Way of the River Woman. It’s how we met, actually. Anyway, he’s doing penance. He’s second tier, so we gotta let him be for a bit," he whispered.

“The what of the what woman?” Things had taken a bewildering turn.

“The Way of the River Woman. It’s a cult,” Natalinos said.

Fear stabbed into Jane’s heart, and she pulled herself away from him. “Wait, you worship the Bad Daedra?”

Natalinos laughed. “No! No, we don’t worship anything like that. The River Woman is a spirit who helps shipping merchants. The Imperial City’s a really spiritual place. Everyone who’s anyone is part of a cult.”

Jane relaxed a bit. “Oh, okay. I think I get it.”

“There are a lot of deities like her who aren’t that well-known. But that means they’re more grateful for the worship. Plus, joining a cult is how you network.”

Again, with the networking. But it was probably naïve to think that was just a Balmora thing.

“You know,” Natalinos said, “follow my lead, and I could speed up your cult initiation once we get over to the Imperial City. You’ll find a lot of clients in the Way of the River Woman.”

“Huh. Look, Natalinos, I appreciate it, but—”

“Or you can join a different cult if you want. I’m pretty sure there’s one or two for artists specifically. There are some I won’t let you join, because we don’t like them, but I’ll tell you what those are.”

“No, that’s not it. I’m part of the Tribunal Temple.”

Natalinos scoffed. “What, that hick religion? You gotta be kidding me, Janieta. Sharp girl like you shouldn’t be worshipping them.”

Jane’s lip quivered. “Yeah? Well, why not?”

Natalinos raised his eyes to the stars, as if looking for divine help. “I don’t believe this!" he complained, no longer whispering. "Come on, Jane. I thought you were serious about coming to the Imperial City with me. Look, being part of a cult doesn’t mean you can’t join a regular religion. I worship the Nine Divines, same as anyone else.”

Jane hesitated. The Tribunal Temple didn’t deny the existence of other gods. But what she had with the Tribunal was special. She didn’t want to leave offerings at any other altar.

“I don’t know,” Jane said. “This is a lot to take in. Is it okay if I sleep on the couch or rug or something? I’m pretty beat. We can talk about it over breakfast tomorrow.”

“Janieta, you think I like coming to Morrowind? I’m not here to soak up local culture. I thought you wanted out of here—”

“I do!”

“So why are you dragging your heels on this?”

“Because the Tribunal Temple is special to me!" Jane protested. "The Tribunal never let me down.”

Natalinos raised his voice. “Really? Looks to me like they haven’t done much for you."

“I get by because of them!”

“Please. You get by because you’re on okay painter and because you’re sorta cute! Maybe that counts for something in Balmora but sister, you wouldn’t stand a chance in the Imperial City. You want to make it big, you better—"

“Natalinos!” bellowed a man’s voice from the house. “Quiet down, I’m doing penance here!”

“Dammit!” Natalinos cursed. “Sorry, honored one.” Then he turned back to Jane, his voice an angry whisper. “Look what you made me do!”

“You’re the one who got all worked up, not me!” Jane said.

Everything started falling into place. Natalinos being so picky about what she said and did, his comment about polishing her up, even him tearing into Haldskyr... none of it had been about her. Hell, he hadn’t known that Haldskyr had stiffed her. He’d just wanted an excuse to slam down on someone who didn’t meet his standards.

Natalinos didn’t want Jane. He wanted someone to mold.

Jane stepped back. “You know what? I think I’m going to head home for the night.”

His nostrils flared. “Yeah? Well, have fun being poor forever!”

Jane turned and stormed off.

“You’re gonna regret this, Janieta!” he shouted.

“My name’s Jane!” she shouted back.

“Why can’t you people shut up!?” cried the voice from the window.



*********



Jane took shelter in the temple. She didn’t tell Muthsera Feldrelo Sadri the full story, only that she needed shelter.

“Of course, child. But Jane, it saddens me to see you garbed like this. I keep hoping one day you will truly return to your people, outlander though you may be.”

I would if my people would let me, she thought. Too tired to argue, Jane accepted the criticism with a numb nod. Muthsera Sadri showed her to the small guest room, where the flame of a single candle flickered next a Tribunal triolith.

“Sleep well, and think of the gods,” Muthsera Sadri said, as she closed the door.

“Thanks,” Jane said. “I might do that.”

She walked to the triolith and knelt before it.

Like Natalinos, the temple as an institution wanted her to act a particular way. The problem with being part of someone else’s painting is that you didn’t get a say if they decided to paint over you.

She bowed her head to the rough ground and thought of the god Vivec, who’d always found his own path.

“Holy Vehk,” she whispered. “Bring me to a place where I belong and can still be me. Please.”

Musical Outro - Dead Sound, by The Raveonettes
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Acadian
post Nov 13 2022, 09:21 PM
Post #247


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Aww, poor Jane. sad.gif

In a way I’m glad Nate showed his colors strongly and early enough for even smitten Jane to realize he’s not for her before she committed to his path.

I sure hope Daria has enough smarts and compassion to avoid ‘I told you so’.

“Bring me to a place where I belong and can still be me. Please.”
^ This is my wish for Jane.


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SubRosa
post Nov 15 2022, 12:06 AM
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Oh boy, is Jane going to spend the night at Nat's place? What does she want from this?

It looks like the River Woman might have just come to Jane's rescue.

And more warning bells when Nat brings up that there are cults he won't let Jane join. This guy has more ref flags than a Communist May Day parade.

And finally Jane sees the light.

I like what you are doing with the Tribunal Temple and Jane. It has proven to be a refuge for her, in a world where no one wants her. Poor Jane.


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Renee
post Nov 15 2022, 02:49 PM
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I agree with Quinn. Pink doesn't usually go well with blue-green. Too much contrast, not enough compliment.

Aw man.... I feel so sad for the gal. sad.gif Really, she just needs some more confidence. I feel like she could face anything if she had that bit of confidence. Problem is, that sort of confidence for young, poor females who aren't as gorgeous as Quinn usually comes with wisdom. And wisdom usually comes with time (lots of it). By the time we're middle-aged, we've got this sort of wisdom. Problem is, we're not young and cute anymore by that point. laugh.gif Ah well...

Janieta, that's pretty. Still though... This is going to go wrong, right? Ah, let me shush.

Wow, she's seeing some others she's painted before. This sure is some stuffy party. Wow, that Nord is racist and sexist. mad.gif I feel like something bad's gonna happen, still. But nothing too awful. This is based on a Mike Judge creation. Nobody dies in Mike Judge creations, afaik. Cool. Looks like I was wrong. I thought Natalinos was going to expose her at the party somehow, ruining her business for good or something.

Yeesh. Religion. rolleyes.gif I kind of agree with Natalinos. Don't drag your heels girl! Look at the bigger prize here. And here's me, talking to my laptop screen once again!

Hey, I know this is off-topic, but whatever happened to the two guests who were staying with Quinn & Daria's folks?

This post has been edited by Renee: Nov 15 2022, 05:14 PM


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WellTemperedClavier
post Nov 16 2022, 05:39 PM
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@Renee - That is the upside of dealing with obvious jerks: you figure them out pretty quick. It's the subtle ones you have to really watch out for.

@SubRosa - Natalinos might not have the mid-century Americana obsession of his show counterpart, but he's otherwise the exact same kind of person: cruel, manipulative, and vain.

The Tribunal Temple being a refuge might be a sad commentary on how hostile a place Morrowind it is. Still, any port in a storm. In-game, the temple does allow outlanders to join, so I figure they'd be willing to shelter Jane (even if they are sometimes condescending about it).

@Renee - I gotta admit: I was kind of guessing with the color combos. I wasn't even sure pink would go great with Quinn's red hair, but she wears a pink shirt on the show so I guess that's okay?

It's hard to get confidence when you're shoved to the margins the way Jane is. She's able to muster up enough confidence to hustle for work, and she does it well. But it takes it's toll, because at the end of the day, she knows it won't get better for her until she gets a noble patron.

Some folks have died in Mike Judge cartoons. Like Buckley getting blown up in the Mega-Lo-Mart explosion. That's pretty rare, though.

As for the Tribunal faith... yeah, the Tribunal gods are actually all pretty awful. But in this particular case, they did help Jane, even if it was mostly by accident.

You mean Fox and Willow? They went down to Ebonheart to sign up with the East Empire Company. I figure they're doing dock or warehouse guard duty somewhere on the mainland, maybe in Firewatch or Old Ebonheart. Hopefully, this time, they're wiser about the importance of fulfilling a contract.

Episode 15: The Tell-Tale Art

Chapter 6


Jane woke up to the smell of fresh snow.

She unwound the layers of blankets around her and stood up in her cluttered little apartment. Opening the shutters revealed flecks of white drifting down on Balmora’s flat roofs. She stuck her hand out of the window to feel it for herself, each falling flake like a cold little kiss on her palm.

It was Saturalia morning. And Daria had invited her to the Morgendorffer house.

Jane ate a breakfast of cold scrib jerky, got dressed, and walked out into the streets. She loved how bright the white looked against the faded adobe. It wouldn’t last for long. Snow in Balmora never did. But seeing it always felt like getting a secret promise that someday, things would be different.

She shoved her hands in her pockets. Taking careful steps, she avoided the snow on the street as best she could. The stuff would soak right through the holes in her old guar-hide boots, which were probably more sewn-in kresh-cloth patches than actual hide at this point. Outlanders gathered in the street drinking tea or spiced sujamma, chatting with neighbors while kids ran around. Wreathes of bittergreen vines hung on front doors, their dark leaves tied with bits of colored cloth.

Most of the Dunmer kept quiet, keeping to their own and walking the long way around clusters of happy outlanders. But not all of them. Some Dunmer joined in, their faces guarded but not unfriendly as they greeted their outlander friends and neighbors.

Saturalia was the big Imperial holiday for gifts and remembrance. Jane still figured it was mostly an excuse to break the winter monotony, but hey, she’d take it. All things considered, her situation wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

She’d told Gallus that things hadn’t worked out with Natalinos. Not the specifics, only that she couldn’t work with him, which meant no commission for Gallus. He’d been okay with it.

“Sorry, Jane. It’s always a risk working with kids like him,” he’d said.

“You mean kids like me? I’m only seventeen.”

“Yeah, but you’re reliable.”

Not that she'd shed her troubles. She still owed the Fashion Club a free painting. Nor did she know exactly where things stood with Daria. Jane hadn’t told Daria about borrowing Quinn’s dress, or the emotional messiness of the entire night, but she’d admitted that yeah, Daria had been right about Natalinos.

“It’s like I always say: the better someone seems, the worse they actually are,” she’d said.

Jane shrugged it off, but she kind of wanted to take a break from Daria. From everything. But then Daria told her the whole family wanted her over.

It beat shivering in her cold apartment. She’d always treated Saturalia as a normal working day. At most she might have dinner with J'dash, or Trent if he was in town. But both had fled Balmora: J’dash visiting an old friend in Pelagiad, and Trent freezing his butt off way up north in Gnisis.

Seeing all the people chatting to each other from one window to another, Jane was glad she’d accepted Daria's offer.

The Morgendorffer home provided a warm and toasty sanctuary. Quinn at least acted nice, while Helen and Jake welcomed her in like family. In a way she was: their eldest daughter’s one real connection to the world. Daria herself smiled quietly, wrapped comfortably in a thick green robe.

“Hey, there!” Jake said. He fussed with a big potted roobrush, its scrawny branches drooping under the weight of coins and other ornaments. “Glad you could make it!”

“Thanks for inviting me, Mr. Morgendorffer.”

“Sure thing. Is this your first real Saturalia?”

“First I can remember. My family never made a big deal about it when I was a kid.”

“You're gonna love it! Saturalia’s a great Imperial tradition!” He turned his attention back to the roobrush.

“Actually,” Daria said, stepping up to Jane, “Saturalia was originally a Breton holiday associated with debauchery and gift-giving. One of the Imperial governors decided he liked it, and spread it around, minus the debauchery.”

“That’s the Imperial way!” Jane exclaimed, in a mock dramatic voice.

“The act of stealing and reinventing a holiday probably does count as an Imperial tradition at this point, so my dad’s not exactly wrong.”

The day passed in a genial haze of conversation, songs, food, and a noontime walk around town, punctuated with small servings of Cyrodiilic brandy. For dinner, Jake experimented with kwama eggs and some sweetened sticky rice from Cyrodiil. It was edible. Jane felt okay. Not great, exactly. Her problems remained. Problems Daria would never have to deal with. But they felt farther away with a warm hearth, a full stomach, and the company of friends.

The family passed around the gifts shortly after dinner. It looked like the Morgendorffers had pooled their resources to get something for each member: a rose-colored winter dress for Quinn, which she hugged and twirled around with; a new pair of shoes for Jake; a gem-studded necklace for Helen; and a copy of The Axe Man, a book about a legendary Morag Tong assassin, for Daria.

Jane sat and watched, wondering what her family would’ve given to one another if they still lived under one roof. She was pretty sure Trent would still forget.

“Ahem,” Quinn said. “I have something for Jane. She came to me a while ago and asked for some advice on, like, color and stuff, ‘cause she’s an artist, and I told her I wanted her to paint the Fashion Club one day and to do it for free.”

Helen’s eyebrows raised at that. Quinn kept going. “But I thought about it and realized that by the time we need a painting commissioned we’ll already have like, tons of cash from being a guild or whatever, so we’ll totally pay you.”

“Oh, thanks. Always looking forward to new clients,” Jane said.

“I don’t know why you’d expect Jane to do something like that for free,” Helen scolded.

“But mom! She wanted my advice. And you say to never give away advice for free if it’s something you’re an expert in. Isn’t getting paid for advice your whole job?”

Helen sighed. “At least you did the right thing in the end. Daria, I’m sure you must have a gift for Jane.”

“I do, in fact. But if it’s okay with everyone, I’d like to wait a bit longer to give it to her. For maximum dramatic impact, you understand.”

“Keeps things interesting,” Jane said.

The rest of the Morgendorffers lounged in the warm parlor for a little while longer. Quinn retired first, followed by her parents. Without anyone to disapprove of their snark, Daria and Jane jumped right back into the good old mix of observation and mockery that had sustained them for so long.

“Oh,” Daria said, sometime later. The candles burned low, and Jake’s snoring drifted down from the second level. “I should probably give you that gift now.”

“By all means. I’m wondering what’s so dramatic about this,” Jane said. Still dizzy from the drink (plus the bottle of sujamma she and Daria had started on after everyone else had gone to bed), she had to admit she was getting pretty tired.

“Not dramatic,” Daria said, heading over to a big trunk in the corner. “Just practical.”

Daria opened it up and reached inside. Jane heard the clink of coins as her friend pulled out a bulging cloth pouch and handed it over. She gasped at the weight.

“One-hundred septims,” Daria said. “Mom wouldn’t approve of me giving away that much, but it is my money.”

“Daria!” Sure, Daria wasn’t even close to poor, but that was a lot of cash for someone who didn’t have a job. She could’ve bought a bunch of new books with that.

“I know you wanted art supplies, but I figured it’d be better to let you be the judge of what to buy.”

“This really helps, Daria. Thanks.”

“I remember you telling me about how Haldskyr had cheated you. And how you worked hard to find new clients to make up for the loss, no thanks to certain nameless friends who were too busy being arrogant jerks to offer any meaningful support. With all that, you deserved something nice.”

Jane hefted the pouch again, impressed at the weight. The debacle with Haldskyr still hurt, but not as much. “Would this nameless friend be trying to buy her way back into forgiveness?”

“And if she is?” Daria asked.

“Consider my forgiveness bought!” Jane put the coins on her lap and picked up the nearly empty sujamma bottle, pouring out a bit for herself and for Daria. “Not sure how you guys toast for Saturalia. Something like ‘Happy Saturalia to all’?” Jane asked.

“Close enough.”

“Wait,” Jane said. “How about happy Saturalia to all, except those jerks Haldskyr and Natalinos?”

“How about a happy Saturalia to us?”

“Agreed!” Jane said.

The cups met, and they drank deep. Outside, the city shivered in a winter’s night, but the cold was a million miles away so far as Jane was concerned.



The End

Musical Outro - After Hours, by The Velvet Underground
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SubRosa
post Nov 17 2022, 10:22 AM
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Happy Saturalia!

I see even Balmora is celebrating, at least some of Balmora is. If nothing else the fresh snow brings with it the promise of building snowmer and starting snowball fights.

Trent is all the way up in Geonosis? Is she helping the Jedi Order and the Grand Army of the Republic fight off the evil hordes of the Separatist army? What am I saying. He is doing an USO tour for the Old Republic. I hear the clone army are big fans of the Spiral.

Daria has a thick green robe? That reminds me of the Mages Guild introductory robes from Oblivion. Or the Green Bags as I am used to thinking of them. I hope Daria's is a bit more stylish.

I like all your Morrowindlia, such as the guar hide boots, kresh fibers, and roobrush. They are nice subtle reminders of what world we are in.

Just like those stuffy Imperials, taking out the debauchery out of a holiday! mad.gif laugh.gif

If I have learned anything about Jane, it is that you can never go wrong buying her art supplies... But hey, cold hard cash is always accepted! Especially when your arrogant friends are being total jerks...


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Renee
post Nov 17 2022, 02:19 PM
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Mega-lo-Mart is Idiocracy, right? Been a while since I've seen that movie, so I'm thinking of the cartoons, excuse me, animated works. tongue.gif Even on King of the Hill, I never saw all those episodes but there's never a moment when a propane tank explodes, and kills someone. Surely something exploded on that show, I mean, that's a given. But that's probably as far as that went. laugh.gif

Yes, okay, so if Jane's gotten assistance from the Tribunal I can see that. She feels obligated to follow with the Temple then, and moving in the direction of the Imperials' faith wouldn't make sense. I tend to get worked up as I'm commenting sometimes, (right SubRosa?)

I remember Saturalia from TES 1: Arena. smile.gif Some merchants (and the Temples, I think) would give discounts on holidays. santa.gif Like we needed them in that game. It was all too easy to become ridiculously rich for those who were brave enough to go into dungeons in that game. Alright, let me shush. This portion of the story is incredibly bleak, but that's a compliment. Because it's supposed to be bleak.

She doesn't have to share commissions with Gallus, but wasn't he was going to take almost half her damn take! mellow.gif

Nice, they're exchanging gifts. The entire story's feel has shifted to good times. I'm actully tearing up again over here. Oh wow. She's giving a LOT of coin over. Nice. "She could have spent it on books"... meanwhile, does Daria really need more books? 📚

QUOTE
The cups met, and they drank deep. Outside, the city shivered in a winter’s night, but the cold was a million miles away so far as Jane was concerned.


You really got me today, Clavier. What a good cry!

This post has been edited by Renee: Nov 17 2022, 02:24 PM


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Acadian
post Nov 17 2022, 09:52 PM
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What a wonderfully warm and winter holidayesque episode! The perfect way to close this chapter. Jane has increased her wisdom stat and she and Daria remain friends.

“Saturalia was originally a Breton holiday associated with debauchery and gift-giving.”
- - This sounds like a perfect holiday. Why is the original always better before folks start mucking around with it? tongue.gif

Like SubRosa, my first thought at the mention of a green robe was the 'green bag' they issued to new mages at the University in Oblivion. Buffy's, of course, was too big and she tripped over the hem whenever she tried to wear it.

It was nice to see Daria not giving Jane the ‘I told you so’ routine. And a pouchful of septims was just icing on the cake! Even Quinn selected a perfect gift for Jane.


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WellTemperedClavier
post Nov 19 2022, 05:36 PM
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@SubRosa - For the Spiral, the biggest challenge of performing in a war zone isn't the danger: it's actually having to show up on time.

You know, I'd completely forgotten that the default mage robe is green, but that's a neat coincidence. And yeah, I try to put in a lot of little details. They're a long way from Cyrodiil.

In the show, Daria gave Jane art supplies for her birthday. Here, I wasn't sure that Daria would necessarily know what kinds of supplies to get, so I decided a monetary gift would be better.

@Renee - No, Mega-Lo-Mart is King of the Hill! The finale for the second season involved a propane explosion, and they led up to it with ads saying that one of four characters would die (Buckley, Chuck Mangione, Luann, or Hank himself). I actually didn't know Chuck Mangione was a real person at the time, so I figured it'd be either him or Buckley (who was Luann's irritating boyfriend).

Jane does feel some gratitude for the Temple. She's never entirely happy with it, but it's been there when she's needed help.

Funny how money almost never matters in these games after a certain point. If only the real world were so easy.

Glad it tugged the heartstrings! Daria can be a difficult person, but Jane is better off with a friend like her. For now, anyway.

@Acadian - Thanks! Funnily enough, Daria never had a proper Christmas episode. Though it did have an episode where anthropomorphic personifications of the holidays showed up, including Christmas (it was a very, very odd episode).

I think this version of Daria is actually a little more mature than the show's version in some ways. Maybe a side-effect of growing up in Tamriel. At any rate, though she was right about Natalinos, she also knows that she wasn't being that helpful to Jane and to make up for it.

Episode 16: Arena

Chapter 1


Daria hated to admit it, but she kind of liked Drenlyn Academy’s library. Considering that Drenlyn existed only to help rich outlanders and rich natives exploit one another, it was remarkable that someone had taken great care in choosing the 64 books that rested on the library’s shelves. In addition to Morrowind mainstays like The Book of Dawn and Dusk and The Consolations of Prayer, it also held a wealth of well-researched regional histories, intriguing philosophical texts, and a few novels.

It was around noon and the late winter rains were busy turning Balmora into an enormous puddle. Done with classes and not quite ready to face the inclement weather, Daria instead sheltered in the library. As she read about distant Cathnoquey province in A Pearl Betwixt Empires, an errant drop of water splatted on the open page.

She pulled the book away and surveyed the damage. Not too severe, but the page was paper, not parchment, and that stuff didn’t last long with water. Taking the candlestick, the flame at the end bright and steady, she raised it to the ceiling and squinted. Hard to make out in the darkness, but there was no denying the dark damp spot spreading across the earthen surface. The rain kept up its assault, a steady drumming that filled her ears. This would get worse before it got better.

“If only this could’ve happened to Magistrate Lli’s office, instead,” she said. Most likely, Lli had reinforced her own office to withstand a full-on student siege. She’d never expend that much effort on a mere library.

Daria grabbed the book and placed it within the safety of her pack. But a half-dozen other books lay on the table. The leak turned into a steady drip-drip-drip, the puddle getting wider by the moment.

The ceiling could collapse.

In a classroom, she’d have gotten out right away. It wasn’t as if major head injuries would have seriously affected most of her peers. But she cared about books. Books were quiet. They offered sanctuary from people. And, if they got too annoying, she could shut them.

The drops fell faster. No way to save all the volumes. Working quickly, Daria took each book from the table and put it in her pack. When that got too full, she shoved them onto the nearest shelf.

The library groaned and shook. The leak quickened into a steady stream. Water snuffed the candle with a subtle hiss and the room plunged into darkness, but she still heard water spilling down the edges of the table and turning the earthen floor into mud.

“Dammit,” she whispered.

Nothing more she could do. Daria relied on memory to get to the door and groped in darkness for a few panicked seconds before finding the handle. She turned and pulled it open.

A roaring sound filled her ears as the library ceiling collapsed, and she darted through the doorway and into the frigid rain.



*********



“Dammit! Do you have any idea how much a new roof for the library will cost?” Magistrate Lli slammed her hands on her desk and leaned over it, glaring at Daria.

Daria sat on the wooden chair before Lli’s desk, cold and soaked with bits of adobe clinging to her hair. She’d immediately alerted Lli about the collapse. Lli then ordered Drenlyn’s custodian (along with Sera Dimartani, for some reason) to salvage the situation as best they could. The lowest shelves were lost but they’d managed to save the books above, which, along with Daria grabbing the ones from the table, left the school with 50 intact volumes.

The same could not be said for the library itself, now flooded and gutted. They’d moved the books to crates in Lli’s office, where she, Sera Benniet, and Daria now sat.

Meeting Lli’s baleful gaze without a tremor of doubt, Daria spoke. “I wasn’t aware that keeping track of maintenance costs was my job.”

“It’s, uh, my job actually,” Benniet said, her eyes roving up and down a paper she held in her hands. “We’d have to find a contractor first, but it’ll be at least two-thousand.”

“Two-thousand!?” Lli cursed and took her hands off the desk and folded her arms, her face like a round gray storm cloud.

“It’s within our means to pay, though we might have to reduce instructor salaries.” Benniet gulped. “I would point out, that as your main administrator, I do considerably more work than any of the other instructors, and—”

Lli made a cutting motion with her right hand and shook her head. “I need to think!”

“Is there a reason I’m still here?” Daria asked. “Frankly, I’d just as soon get home and forget this day happened.”

And finish reading A Pearl Betwixt Empires, which was still in her bag. She’d return it when she was done.

“Young lady, you should show some respect,” Lli fumed.

“It sounds like you’re blaming me. All I did was alert you—”

“Oh, stop being so self-righteous and show some goddam respect!”

Daria narrowed her eyes. “Look, Muthsera Lli, I don’t have any interest in, or knowledge of, Drenlyn’s finances. I say, get some bids out there and let the contractors fight over it—”

Lli snapped her fingers. “That’s it!”

“What?” Daria asked.

“I know how to raise money!”

“Whatever it is, I’m happy to let you take full credit for it.”

Lli was already tearing through some papers. Tired and eager to go home, Daria stood up, bowed and thanked ‘Muthsera Lli’, and then opened the door to march out into the rain. She’d lost her bug-shell hat in the collapse, but given she was already drenched, she supposed it wouldn’t help her much on the walk back home.



*********



A cold drizzle fell from gray skies the next morning as Daria walked to Drenlyn. She hadn’t wanted to tell mom and dad about the whole near-miss with the collapsing ceiling, but of course Quinn did (since she’d heard it from Satheri, who’d heard it from Agrippina, and so forth). The initial bout of concern was almost touching but felt a bit much.

Daria stepped aside to make room for an Orc porter carrying a big box full of squirming molecrabs, the creatures poking their shelled heads over the rim while he tried to shoo them back in with his massive green hands. Yesterday’s incident might have rattled her back on Stirk, but it didn’t seem so unusual in Morrowind. She’d already been beaten by Camonna Tong thugs, dealt with Mages Guild corruption, run into a Telvanni agent, fought a rat and a nix hound (not at the same time), and explored a still-dangerous Dwemer ruin.

Not that she wanted to get too casual about the danger. But she was tougher than she used to be. Maybe that had been Morrowind’s doing. Or maybe it was part of growing up.

She reached campus and walked past the forlorn library ruins. Once inside the warmth of Ondryn’s class, she sat down next to Jane.

“If it isn’t Death-defying Daria!” she said, scooting aside on the bench to make a bit more room.

“Oh, please. It’s not like I’m the first person to nearly get brained by poorly maintained structures in this town.”

“Hey, you’re better off than the ones who did get brained. Seriously though, you okay? Last time I had something like that happen I went on a pilgrimage, but I know that’s not really your speed.”

“I’m just disappointed that it happened to the one building on campus I actually liked.”

“Think Lli will fix it? Or will she spend that money on a full-time security complement?”

“I was in her office after the incident yesterday,” Daria said. “She has some plan to raise money for repairs.”

Jane rubbed her hands together. “Do tell!”

Daria shook her head. “She didn’t say, and I didn’t want to stick around. I’m sure we’ll find out sooner or later. Whatever it is, it’s almost certainly stupid.”

Sera Ondryn cleared his throat to begin the day’s lecture only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. It opened a moment later, revealing the short and stocky form of Sera Benniet.

“Hello! I wanted to inform you that our honored Magistrate Lli is about to make an announcement in the courtyard, and you are all required to attend. See you there!”

She darted back out.

“And it looks like we’re about to find out how stupid,” Daria said.

Musical Outro - Pretend We're Dead by L7

A Pearl Betwixt Empires (Part 1) (Part 2) - If you don't recognize this book from Morrowind, that's because it isn't there; it's an exclusive I wrote for Tamriel Rebuilt.
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Acadian
post Nov 20 2022, 09:12 PM
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A rainy day in Blamora. . . .

When some of Daria’s best friends are in danger of melting, she unhesitatingly leaps into harms way, shepherding them to the dry safety of her pack and onto upper shelves. And many indeed did she save. No appreciation from the cadre of course but I’m sure she can appreciate how long it would take to refill the library with such literarily gifted friends to curl up with by candlelight, given how much Lli whined about replacing the roof.

I’m quite curious about what the ‘money for a new roof plan’ is but I suspect student labor will be involved.


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Renee
post Nov 21 2022, 02:21 PM
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Aggh, so Mega-lo Mart is KOTH. Yes, Chuck Mangonie is a horn player if I'm not mistaken, although don't trust my word 100%. I thought MLM was Idiocracy. laugh.gif

Funny how money almost never matters in these games after a certain point. If only the real world were so easy.

Phew, ain't that the truth? Maybe that's why RPGs get made like this. We get to struggle early on but after a point we're so rich, and there's nothing to spend our money on (without mods, of course).

Daria's saved all the books. 📚 Too bad she can't find a job at the library, or can she? Hmm, maybe not. She's not a native of Vvardenfell. Wow, why is Lli scolding Daria??? Without the outlander, ALL of their books would be nothing but paste and garbage!

No more bug-shell hat. sad.gif

QUOTE
“Oh, please. It’s not like I’m the first person to nearly get brained by poorly maintained structures in this town.”


Hee hee this made me laugh. Always with the deadpan one-liner, this girl is.

Nice, you know L7 too? smile.gif Love them. Every song they do has that one-note guitar riff going bee-bee-bop-bop-bee-bee-bop-bop... That's their signature sound. 🎸





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SubRosa
post Nov 22 2022, 03:55 AM
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I think I recognize this episode. Daria, is Daria through and through. Classmates? Bah! Books? Save them at all costs! laugh.gif Not that I am casting blame. I would make the same calculus in my head.

Oh boy, Muthsera Lli needs to raise money. I smell a fund-raiser coming up! Maybe Quinn can go door to door selling pre-paid phone cards... wink.gif

I had to look up molecrabs. I see they are a Tamriel Rebuilt thing. Interesting.

Daria has indeed leveled up a few times she first arrived in Vvardenfell on that prison ship with Jiub with her parents.


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RaderOfTheLostArk
post Nov 23 2022, 04:57 PM
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The relatively near but non-Tamrielic places like Cathnoquey have always interested me. I'm a sucker for mysterious islands. Neat, I'll have to read the books that you wrote on Tamriel Rebuilt sometime.

Too bad books like The Progress of Truth won't be found in that library, but perhaps it is for the best. Lli is already bad enough—we don't need the Tribunal Temple to get involved, too.

The rain just made me think about the weather-related soundtracks in Daggerfall. I love Daggerfall's soundtrack. Maybe you'll find some neat tracks to use from there if you want more music to set certain scenes.

Ah, yes. Blame somebody else for an issue that you directly or indirectly caused. Totally haven't seen that countless times in real life. Can the Nerevarine come in with Sunder and bash Lli's face in already?

2,000 gold? Pfft. Daria just needs to find a daedric weapon, sell it to Creeper in Caldera or the Mudcrab Merchant in the Azura's Coast region, and you have all the funds you need. Caldera is probably going to be much easier to get to.


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WellTemperedClavier
post Nov 23 2022, 05:44 PM
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@Acadian - So the funny part is that I took this basic scene from an episode in the show ("Fair Enough"), where a leak in the library roof causes a collapse similar to what you see here. The difference? In the show, Daria just leaves.

But I figured that she'd behave differently here simply because books, while not exactly rare in the late 3rd Era, are still far less common than they were in the '90s. There are works of value to her on those shelves and it's not clear how easily some could be replaced. Thus, she makes an effort to save as many volumes as possible.

@Renee - Granted, it helps that in RPGs we (usually) don't have to buy food, our clothes last forever, and taxes almost never come into the equation.

You know, you bring up an interesting point with the librarian comment. Books are rarer here, so it seems like Li would have someone watching over them. But the way I presented it, there doesn't seem to be any dedicated librarian. Maybe she's just relying on student disinterest to protect the books from theft.

I didn't know that about L7, thanks!

@SubRosa - Books are just a lot easier to deal with all around.

Daria getting more skilled over time reflects the game a bit. Morrowind's not a friendly place, but you'll likely get stronger if you persevere. Sure enough, that's true for Daria as well.

Sure, if she'd stayed in Stirk, she'd have still grown up to some degree. But probably not to the same.

Though in the show, Daria went from a seedy and declining town (Beavis & Butt-head's Highland) to a bland and wealthy suburb (Lawndale). Here, she went from an isolated fishing village to a busy (though often more dangerous) city. Definitely some differences in the nature of her relocation.

@RaderOfTheLostArk - Same here. The only real documentation came from Kirkbride's non-canon "Pocket Guide to the Empire: Second Edition". I built on what he wrote so that the Tamriel Rebuilt/Project Tamriel people could develop it further.

The upcoming TR release (upcoming as in, this week, probably) will actually have some Cathnoquy diplomats in one of the Imperial cities, and there are people designing assets to one day make Cathnoquey and the other Padomaic Isles a place you can explore.

Which reminds me, I have a write-up on Esroniet I really need to finish...

Daggerfall's the only TES I haven't played. I hear Daggerfall Unity makes it a lot more approachable?

Episode 16: Arena

Chapter 2


Drenlyn’s students soon gathered in the wet courtyard. The drizzle had stopped, though water still dripped from the gutters of classrooms and the cap of the old emperor parasol. Magistrate Lli stood before her office, sheltered by an umbrella held aloft by a shivering Sera Benniet.

“Want to take bets on what this is?” Jane asked. “I’ll put down a septim that she’s going to offer us a fantastic educational opportunity doing grunt work in a sponsor-owned egg mine.”

“Hm, that doesn’t seem quite off-kilter enough for her. I bet she’s going to try and arrange us to be married off to some creepy Hlaalu nobles.”

“Attention, Drenlyn students!” Lli announced. “I have an exciting announcement to make!”

“Then make it already and save us some time,” Daria muttered.

“The thrill of arena combat is known across Tamriel, from Sentinel to our very own Vivec City. That’s why I’m excited to inform you that this Loredas, the arena will be coming here to Drenlyn Academy!”

Daria and Jane looked at each other, neither quite believing what they heard.

“We will be holding an arena tournament in which all students are invited to participate. Combat is strictly non-lethal of course, but this is a fantastic opportunity for all you young people to show your martial courage!”

The crowd murmured. Daria heard a lot of “whoas” and “cools”.

“I strongly encourage you all to invite your families to this event. Those who fail to bring their families will be penalized. We need money for that damn roof—” she cleared her throat. “Excuse me. I’ve already sent notices throughout the city so that other interested parties might attend and buy tickets.”

Jonus, near the front, raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“Do we have to know how to use weapons and stuff? Because I totally do, but I, uh, am asking for a friend.”

Julien stepped forward. “But that friend he’s asking for isn’t me! I know how to fight, like really good!”

“I’m not that friend either, I know all about swords and stuff,” Jeval added.

“Prior experience is not required, though obviously those who have it will do the best," Lli said. "Anyone here is invited to test their mettle in the arena, and in so doing bring honor, and glory—and funding—to Drenlyn Academy!”

With that, Lli turned around and strutted back into her office.

“I never thought I’d say this, but it looks like I overestimated Lli’s good sense,” Daria said.

“You ask me, this is a good thing,” Jane said. “A good arena bout will clear out the slower and stupider students.”

“You’re forgetting it’s non-lethal.”

“Darn my optimism. But at least we get to watch people beat each other with padded sticks.”

“You can watch the boys play with their swords if you want. I’m going to use this as an excuse to get mom, dad, and Quinn out of the house so that I can finally get some peace and quiet.”

Jane smirked. “Now who’s being optimistic?”



*********



Quinn had an eye for opportunity, and this whole arena thing was loaded with it! She got the Fashion Club together as soon as Lli finished her speech.

“Guys, I have an idea!” Quinn said. “What if we picked like, a fighter to be our champion? It’d be a great way to make us more visible and stuff.”

Satheri tensed up. “You mean, one of us has to fight?”

“No, of course not! I mean one of the guys. Like we’d ever do something that’d get us muddy.”

“Speak for yourself,” Treads-on-Ferns said. “Mud’s nice after a dry day.”

“Right, but that’s like spa mud, not gross arena mud. Totally different. Anyway, we should pick a cuter guy and then give him a makeover so that he’ll look better than all the other fighters.”

“Then… everyone will see like… how great we are...” Tiphannia said.

“That’s such a good idea!” Satheri agreed.

“I like it,” Treads-on-Ferns said, “but would most guys be interested in a—"

Quinn scanned the crowd for the right guy. Too risky to announce it to everyone. Better to get someone who was kind of cute and, more importantly, was sure to do what she wanted.

Jonus, Julien, and Jeval were standing like, right there!

“Brave young sirs!” she called out, “the Fashion Club needs a champion for the arena!”

“Pick me!” Jonus proclaimed, dropping to one knee. “I’ll be your knight, fair lady! I’ll quest to the ends of the earth for you!”

“No, pick me!” Julien begged, falling to one knee. “I’ll conquer Akavir in your name! Plus, I’m a Breton. We basically invented this whole knighthood thing.”

Jonus glared at his friend. “Nuh uh!”

Jeval shrugged. “I was going to do this arena thing anyway because it sounded fun. But why do you want a champion?”

“Because as the Fashion Club champion, you’ll get our wardrobe advice!”

Jonus and Julien froze up and looked at each other. “Wardrobe advice?” they both said.

They sounded scared, like guys usually did with that kind of thing. She could fix it. “Yeah, you’ll be better dressed than any guy in Drenlyn!” Then they could get girls. Other girls. Not that she’d say that, of course.

Jonus, Julien, and Jeval didn’t look too sure.

“That fashion stuff is lame, though!” Jonus protested.

“Yeah, us guys don’t care about that,” Julien insisted.

“It’s not really my thing,” Jeval said. “But like I said, I’ll fight anyway.”

Quinn thought about the options. The goal was to show off the Fashion Club’s fashion know-how, so that wasn’t negotiable. But maybe she could motivate them by saying she’d go out on like a one-time date (no guarantees of holding hands, hugs, kisses, or anything beyond acknowledgement of the guy’s presence) with the champion so long as he won.

“Jeval, you said you’d fight?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Jeval, I dub thee Fashion Club champion—”

“Wait!” Jonus cried. He threw himself on the wet ground before Quinn’s feet and raised a tear-streaked face to her. “Please forgive me! You can make me wear anything you want! Please let me fight for you!”

Julien groveled, too. “I take back what I said, Lady Morgendorffer! I’ll gladly be your champion, and I’ll wear whatever you want. Even a dress!”

“Sorry!” Quinn announced. “Jeval gets the job.”

“Man, this sucks,” Jonus muttered as he stalked off, Julien right behind him.

Quinn ignored the losers. “Well, ladies! It looks like the Fashion Club has a champion! And a most fashionable champion he will be—”

“Hold on!” Jeval said, holding out his hand. “Look, I’m not always that big on dressing up. I want some veto power.”

Quinn put her hands on her hips. Why did things always get complicated? “Jeval, the Fashion Club knows what’s best for you.”

He crossed his arms. “No way. You can pick an outfit, but I won’t wear it if I hate it. If you have a problem with that, find a different champion.”

“Ooh!” Quinn stamped her feet. It’d be super-easy to get Jonus or Julien. But she wanted someone who wasn’t all cringey and pathetic.

“Okay, fine,” she said. “You’ll get veto power, but you have to promise to at least try what we recommend before using it.”

“Deal,” Jeval said.

“Now it’s time for me to announce it!”



*********



Synda Grilvayn observed and calculated as Quinn proclaimed her champion before the student body.

Unforgivable. How dare Quinn—and that traitorous foreign-loving bitch, Satheri—seek to lift themselves up? Picking a scrawny Bosmer like Jeval for their champion only proved their foolishness.

“Nedrasa,” Synda said, to one of her supporters, the second daughter of the eminent (though less so than it once was) Leldro family. “If the Fashion Club is going to sully this arena with their own sartorial abominations, the Haute Society ought to find a champion of its own to show Drenlyn an example of proper Dunmer style.”

“Of course, Muthsera Grilvayn,” Nedrasa said, with murmurs of assent from Ferara Andrana and Dralora Sethro.

“We need a handsome Dunmer of esteemed pedigree,” Synda said. “No one from a disreputable family. And, of course, he needs to be a capable fighter.”

“Perhaps Rovern?” Ferara suggested.

“Hm, yes. The Draalo family is respectable. Rovern is a giant, trained in the art of combat. No one will stand a chance against him.”

Synda smiled as she watched Quinn raise Jeval’s skinny arm. “We’ve beaten the Fashion Club before. It won’t be hard to do it again.”

Musical Outro - Can I Kick It?, by A Tribe Called Quest
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SubRosa
post Nov 23 2022, 10:17 PM
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The Arena? Ok, I did not see that coming! And the students are welcome to join in the fighting! Wonderful.

I wonder if the staff will compete as well? I am remembering the episode with the hockey match between the teachers the DJs, where everyone was betting on whether Mr. DiMartino's eye would pop out again.

Oh boy, the Fashion Club is going to sponsor a fighter. Who would be dumb enough to do that?

What am I saying. We all know who is that dumb! laugh.gif

Uh oh, the evil Synda is scheming once more. I don't give Larry, Moe, or Curly good odds against the ringer they are likely to put in the arena.


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