Teresa of the Faint Smile, Adventures of a Stringy Bosmer Options

[hazmick]

first things first, hello. after reading about Acadian and Buffy's adventures i have stumbled upon this gem. i have spent the past few days reading Teresa's story and i love it, i would go into individual chapter detail but it would take some time to type I'll just say that it is a brilliant story and i can't wait for the next chapter

[Acadian]

@ hazmik: Yes, Teresa's story is a gem! I'm glad you found it.

@ SubRosa: Thanks for the update. I hope things settle down for you, and we will all be patiently waiting for more TF goodness!

[Winter Wolf]

Delicious writing SubRosa.

The way you tied up all (some ) of the loose ends was a joy to read. Julian is the perfect character to weave in and out of your story. I am so glad that you have remained steadfast, loyal and true to Teresa. This epic tale continues to go from strength to strength because the characters are soooooo real.

Teresa knows her limits and you write within those limits. She does what she can to help her friends around her but will never become an uber protagonist. The pains you have gone to when writing says a lot about your skill. Bravo !!

I really enjoyed when Teresa realized that she had been carrying around the Amulet, the important piece in the whole MQ saga. Lol.

And Brother Piner. Wow!! And Teresa, a spy. Wow!!

Did I say it was delicious??

[treydog]

There is so much for me to catch up on, that I do not want to write a book…. So I will just savor the material and note the impressions that come from it.

Chapter 8

Teresa is happy in the wild, yet still has much to learn- e.g., how to gather edible plants. Your descriptions of the enlarged Cyrodiil are breath-taking and remind the reader that it is worth pausing every now and then to just look.

Our first view and conversation with Morcant is magnificent- she is wise without being stuffy, clever without being superior- in other words, a perfect teacher.

“Did you ever actually stop and pay attention before?" Morcant asked pointedly. "Or were you too wrapped up your mundane life to notice? It takes two to dance you know."

Had to quote that standout description of how most of us live. The world waits only for us to wake from our slumber…

8f- “So different from how they had treated her in the in first…” An extra “in” crept in- ach, now it’s got me doing it!

Things I did not mention and meant to- your vision of welkynd and varla stones is much more satisfying as opposed to the “one and done” in-game. Of course, if they were rechargeable in-game, they would be a bit over-powering- unless the welkynd stones were much more rare… or perhaps came in 2 varieties- magical-recharging and light-giving. (Visions of mods begin dancing in a furry head).

Your continued “oblique approach” to the events of the crisis allows this story to go in such wonderful directions, while at the same time reminding us that those events are happening “in real time.”

8h
More magic lessons!

The (slight) sparks that fly between our headstrong Teresa and the wise Morcant was a fun scene, especially when the older elf decides that a demonstration is in order. “First, you have to get the mule’s attention.”

Will have more to say when I read more. But this is such fun to catch up on- esp. with all the changes.

[SubRosa]

hazmick: Thank you haz. Teresa is glad you like it, and would smile faintly if she were not so embarrassed by the praise!


Winter Wolf: Thank you Wolf. Writing Julian was a lot of fun. I have always liked doing cameos of other characters. Hers was certainly the largest, and most influential!


treydog: Thank you dog. Morcant is meant to be a very down-to-Nirn character. A little prejudiced in certain regards (such as the Mages Guild), but generally someone who feels both humbled by her experiences, but also confident enough in herself to not need to boast.


Next: Teresa catches up with an old friend. I have to give a special shout out to Destri, for without his inspiration this entire chapter would have never been written.

* * *

Chapter 15.1 - Old Friends, Not Forgotten

10th Sun's Height, 3E433

Teresa paused to wipe the sweat from her brow and cast her green eyes southward. Hills covered in heather and strewn with boulders met her gaze as far as her eyes could see. Wild goats and antelope grazed off to one side, and geese honked across the sky overhead. Turning to look back, the forester saw the ghostly white spire of White Gold Tower floating in the azure summer sky. Three days walk, she thought, and she could still see the phantom of its shape. It was even more incredible far away than up close.

"The lake must be somewhere nearby," the forester said, turning to the other Bosmer woman with her. "We can cool off in the water once we're there."

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into this," Methredhel breathed, likewise wiping away the sweat that poured from her forehead. "Let alone doing it in all this leather. We should have worn those Redguard crop-tops I saw at the Copious Coinpurse."

"That's more Adanrel's style than either of ours." Teresa bit her lip. She was not sure if the thief really meant what she had said about coming to the wilderness with her, or if the other wood elf was only joking. The forester hoped it was the latter, but was afraid that was not so.

"Especially now that she's 'waiting tables' at the Rampant Razorback," Methredhel chuckled.

"Yeah, on her back." Teresa rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe she's working at that dive. They are so cheap, they make the girls all sell at least one drink a day so that they can call them barmaids. Just so they can hire women who aren't in the Prostitute's Guild."

"Hey that's the Waterfront," Methredhel said, "cheap is a way of life. Still, she's the first of us to ever have a real job."

"Hey, I have a real job," Teresa insisted. "I'm an alchemist, and an explorer."

Methredhel did not reply. Instead the thief stared off to the west, where the ground rose to a rocky hill. Her brow furrowed as if she was puzzling something out, and she lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the sun.

"What is it?" Teresa said, one hand drawing her bow stave from her back and the other reaching for a string. "Do you see something?"

"No, it's nothing," the brown-haired wood elf turned back to Teresa. "Just my eyes playing tricks on me. Everything is so, weird out here."

"What do you mean?" The forester still took the time to string her bow. "It's beautiful out here. A little hot, but what can you do about that?"

"It's all so empty, so wide open," Methredhel said, glancing back to the west, "It's so strange after the city."

"I know, isn't it wonderful?" Teresa looked up from her ready weapon, and she could see that the other elf felt anything but the way she did herself. She had seen it in Methredhel's eyes from the first day. The thief did not see the same paradise that she did. What the other woman did see Teresa was not sure, but it obviously felt foreign to her. They really had grown apart, the forester thought glumly. Ever since she had met the Emperor, she and Methredhel had lived in different worlds.

"Hey, there's nothing there!" Teresa heard Methredhel call out as she purposely strode in the direction that the thief had been looking. The forester set an arrow to the nock of her bow, and scanned the boulders above for any signs of movement. All was still however. There were no sounds of rocks falling loose under an ambusher's heel, no heads poking around rocks, nor any sign of anything else untoward. "Are you always like this?" the other Bosmer asked as she sprinted to catch up.

"Always pay attention to your instincts," Teresa murmured, still advancing up the slope and looking around cautiously. "You never know what you might find."

With that, the two wood elves skirted around a large boulder and reached the crest of the rise. Before them was a road of hard-packed dirt. To their right it vanished in the hills heading toward the Imperial City. While straight ahead it meandered back and forth down an incline. Finally it vanished into a massive pit dug within the surface of the ground. The depression must have been at least a hundred yards across, and rather than dropping straight down, it gradually fell in a series of terraces. The road curled along each level, and finally disappeared into a pool of crystal clear water that filled the bottom of the pit.

"It must be an old quarry," Methredhel observed. "Doesn't look like anyone's been here in ages."

Teresa unstrung her bow and slipped her arrow back into its bag. She was drawing the pack from her back when she noticed the other elf doing the same. "Are you thinking what I am?" she fairly giggled with a faint smile, looking back to the inviting waves below.

"Last one in's a rotten kwama!" Methredhel cried, tearing off at a run.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 7 2011, 03:55 AM

[hazmick]

A relaxing stroll in the woods with Methredhel gives Teresa a chance to catch her breath after the business with the emperor and that 'Oblivion crisis' that everyone was going on about. It's a shame that Methredhel doesn't share Teresa's passion for the forest.

One question: What's a Kwama?

[Acadian]

SubRosa, this was beautiful! You did wonderful justice to the hills and forests.

I'm with you, Teresa - it's beautiful out here! Oh well, at least you tried, and that shows a great deal of affection for Methredhel. You can lead a wood elf to the forest, but you can't make her drink and all that. Methie is just an old lockpick in the mud.

Kind of bittersweet, the sad distance now between them. You can't go back to being a street urchin stealing bruised apples.

Prostitute's guild? Oh my. Maybe Teresa should consider one of the guilds, but not that one!

Well, we are greatly relieved to hear that there are at least a couple other wood elves for whom the statement, 'Water makes her clothes fall off' rings true.

As you know, some of my fave Teresa stories are ones just like this. We learn more of Teresa and just feel, 'ahhh'.

Oh, for hazmick: A kwama is a Morrowind creature - http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Kwama

This post has been edited by Acadian: Aug 15 2010, 06:46 PM

[hazmick]

Thanks Acadian. I've never played Morrowind. Looks...interesting.

[Olen]

Back into the wilds then, but with Methredhel. You caught the confusion of people who like the empty country when confronted with those who (rather inexplicably) don't perfectly, and I'd guess from experience.

A prostitute's guild?! Well it's an interesting addition anyway.

Still swimming in any natural water which can be found, this I approve of, though you haven't offered much indication of where they are. I'm sure something will happen to draw them a bit closer... but what

One nit:
She was not sure if the thief really meant what she had said about coming to the wilderness with her, of if the other wood elf was only joking. -- a matter of or or of if I'm not mistaken

[haute ecole rider]

A wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Teresa returns to her natural environment, only to find out that it's not 'natural' for everyone. Oh well.

Growing apart happens to everyone at some point or another. Bittersweet to see that happening here.

Funny that I should read this now, when I have just returned home after a wonderful walk through the local state park here (woods, wetlands and a riverbank). Your description of the area just jumped off the page at me.

[D.Foxy]

B'wana, Kwama be an insect - in the TES world.

[treydog]

Still reading as fast as I can while still doing justice to your prose:

9a

Slowly the forester drew an arrow from the at bag her right hip…

Apparently, Teresa was rattled enough to misplace her preposition.

Teresa decided that she might as well try honesty. She was doing enough other new things lately that it seemed worth giving it a go as well.

Be careful with that; too much honesty can be as bad for you as too much fresh air!

You again show your descriptive power with Teresa’s survey of Cheydinhal.

9b

The business with the welkynd stones was an excellent way of revealing a number of things about Teresa- she is not an experienced haggler; although she has learned a great deal about nature, “civilized stuff” like where to sell your goods is still new to her.

9c

This whole installment is lyrical and lovely. I especially enjoyed Teresa’s overt understanding of her own spirituality.

Were the good ones always taken? she wondered.

With awareness of self often comes awareness of loneliness- and it never gets easier.

9d

The way you animate your vision of a larger Cyrodiil is masterful- the fenced towns giving way to stockades, etc.

The letter was priceless, especially the part about: “Oh, never mind about the armor. Why would I need armor? Just forget I said anything.” And the mention of the Oblivion Crisis events also gives us a sense of the wider world.

9e
Funny how ruins or caves seem smaller once you have explored them.

In re- Bubbas and their gun-racks, you would have to come up with a TF equivalent for the usual mundane-world contents- an umbrella, a cane, and a contractor’s level….

Loved the horse-ferry. Not so much the vision that came while Teresa was on board- but the Crisis is not over….

This post has been edited by treydog: Aug 16 2010, 10:54 PM

[Destri Melarg]

Yes! You decided to explore more of Teresa and Methredhel’s relationship. Thank you for the shout-out. I am genuinely touched, given how small my contribution to this wonderful interlude was.

You have left us with a lot to digest here. Hautee found the perfect word to describe this brief chapter: Bittersweet. I always had the impression that there was a bit of hero worship in Teresa’s relationship with Methredhel. I have no idea how your forester talked her thieving friend out of the city, but I think there is a part of her that now regrets it. I can understand why, in the wilds it is Teresa who is confident and self-assured. Removing Methredhel from her usual haunts has diminished her in Teresa’s eyes. It is always hard to discover flaw in one’s hero. For my part, I thought it was nice to see Methredhel as the fish out of water for once. Usually she is so confident in what she is doing that it verges on the annoying. I have no idea how this is going to inform the rest of Teresa’s story, but I am going to have a lot of fun finding out.

The addition of a Prostitute’s Guild and the Rampant Razorback provide more succulent meat to the already rich bounty that is your Waterfront. We just HAVE to see them in action now!

I saw only one nit:

Her brow furrowed as is if she was puzzling something out,

[SubRosa]

hazmick: Thank you haz. I see Acadian already handled the kwama issue. Kwama eggs were a common foodstuff in Morrowind.


Acadian: Thank you Acadian. Methie is indeed lockpick in the mud. She is a city girl through and through. Her theme song would be You Belong To The City by Glen Frey.

Water does indeed make Teresa's clothes fall off! In fact, that is how this next segment begins!


Olen: Thank you Olen. The Prostitute's Guild is in Oblivion. The History of the Fighters Guild mentions them being formed during the Interregnum, along with the FG and a slew of other guilds.


haute ecole rider: Thank you haute. Teresa and Methredhel have indeed been growing apart ever since the beginning of the story. Yet as we shall see, both have reasons to hang onto their relationship as long as possible.


treydog: Thank you dog. The Oblivion Crisis is only reaching its crescendo! (at last where you are) your testosterone should like chapters 10 & 11.


Destri Melarg: This is only the first segment, much more to come, all inspired by your suggestion to see a story with Teresa, Methredhel, and Adanrel as kids. After this segment, we will be going back in time to see just that.

You are quite right, Teresa has always been a little in awe of Methredhel, and this chapter will show why. However, she has always seen a few chinks in her armor as well, again, as we will see.

The Rampant Razorback was my way of coming up with a name for a really cheap brothel. Something like Porky's only more ES-ized.


next: Water makes wood elf's clothes fall off.


* * *

Chapter 15.2 - Old Friends, Not Forgotten

Teresa sat on the wild grass with a sigh of contentment. The green blades tickled her slender legs, and the sun blazed hot upon her bare skin. She glanced at the turquoise band of the Jewel of the Rumare beside her pack and the pile of her leathers. She knew that all she had to do was slip it on her finger, and she would be instantly dry. But the water glistening along her pale skin was the only relief from the blistering rays of Magnus overhead. So she would wait instead, she thought, and relish the coolness while it lasted.

Glancing at Methredhel beside her, Teresa felt her blood flow hotter. The thief was as naked as she was, and lay stretched out on her back with arms out over her head. Droplets of water glistened across the other Bosmer's smooth skin like a robe of diamonds. Her brown hair - turned dark from the water - was drawn back from her face, showing off her high cheekbones and soft lips.

The forester had to resist the urge to reach out and caress her naked frame. Biting her lip, Teresa turned her head to avoid the temptation, and was thankful for the fact that Methredhel had her eyes closed. Damn! Teresa silently cursed, usually she could force herself to ignore how attractive some other women were. But usually they were not naked and soaking wet beside her…

"Lay down and relax," came the voice of the thief. "This is the most fun I've had since we came out here."

"I'm sorry," Teresa bit her lip once more. "I thought there would be more trees in this part of the island to give us shade. There are plenty on the north side. It looks like it's all heath down here in the south."

"Relax," the thief repeated, "it's not your fault it's hot. What do you expect from Sun's Height on the City Isle?"

"I know." Teresa turned back to look at Methredhel, who she found was now staring back at her from eyes the color of emeralds. "I just wanted things to be perfect, you know, and Adanrel didn't even come at all."

"You worry too much," the other Bosmer shook her head. A moment later her hand fell to rest upon one of Teresa's knees. "You always did. She's just working is all. They'd fire her if she was gone for a week. Everything is fine."

"You don't like it, do you?" Teresa looked down, staring at the long, slender fingers of the other woman's hand. The soft bronze of her skin leapt out starkly against the pale white of Teresa's own flesh. "Out here I mean, in the wilderness."

The forester heard the other woman sigh. and saw her rise to a sitting position from the corner of her eye. The thief's fingers rose to cup the side of Teresa's cheek, turning her face to meet her own. A crooked smile crossed Methredhel's features. It spoke volumes to Teresa, who knew from experience that it meant the other woman felt guilty about what she was about to say.

"I think I understand why you love it so much out here," the thief began, "No smell, no filth, no thugs, no soldiers. But it's just so eerie how quiet it gets, how empty it feels. I'm used to having walls to sneak behind, crowds to blend into. Out here, there's nowhere to hide." Then the other woman winked, and Teresa knew that she was trying hard to be cheerful. "There's no hot food stands either, or pockets to pick. Nothing for a city girl like me to do!"

Teresa felt her heart sink like a pebble tossed into Lake Rumare. She had so hoped that Methredhel would feel the same joy and freedom that she did from being in the wild. They could have travelled Cyrodiil together, picking plants, making potions, and just discovering what the world had to offer. Yet that was just not to be. Methredhel really did belong in the city, and Teresa knew that she had been a fool to hope otherwise. They really did live in different worlds now.

Teresa nodded. She did not know what to say, and Methredhel did not press her for a response. So instead the forester looked down again. Her eyes settled upon her pack, and on a whim she leaned over and began to rummage through it. A few moments later she drew forth a long, slender dagger in a sheath of soft brown leather. Its gently curving handle was made of amber wood, and was overlain with a latticework of gold branches and flowers.

"Happy birthday!" Teresa smiled faintly and handed the dagger to Methredhel.

The other woman's eyes lit up as she stared at the weapon. Drawing it from its sheath, her green eyes lingered over the sweeping blade of golden metal. The elvish steel flashed brightly in the sunlight, as if welcoming the embrace of an old friend, and Teresa had to squint when she looked at it. Yet even in the glare, she could still clearly see the elegant branches and leaves etched upon the surface of the brilliant metal.

"This is real elven steel!" the thief gasped, "and the handle's sila wood, from Valenwood! Where did you get this?"

"Vilverin," Teresa breathed. "I knew you would like it, so I kept it. I was waiting for the right time to give it to you. I guess now is as good as ever."

"It's beautiful!" Methredhel exclaimed, "just like you." The next thing the forester knew, the other elf wrapped her arms around her in a warm embrace. Teresa closed her eyes and sighed, wishing the moment could stretch on forever. The thief leaned away far too soon for the forester's liking however, and looked into her eyes.

"You don't have to give me this," the other elf said. She slid the blade back into its sheath and held the dagger out to Teresa. "Really, I'm happy with dinner at the Bloated Float. It's not like we're rich. You should sell it."

"No, I want you to have it." Teresa insisted, and was gratified when Methredhel pulled the blade back. "I just wish I could have been there for your actual birthday."

"Well, it's not your fault you were arrested!" Methredhel laughed. "It happens to the best of us after all. I wish you hadn't been though. Adanrel said I got so drunk that I tried to climb the mast of the Float and nearly fell into the harbor. If you were there, you wouldn't have let me get that grogged."

"Good thing you didn't turn invisible!" Teresa allowed a real smile to escape her lips as she thought of the star sign the other woman had been born under. "If you passed out, no one would have ever found you."

"Not until Hieronymus Lex tripped over me at me at least," Methredhel chuckled and began to pull her clothing on. "About the closest he'll ever get to catching a real thief. You know it's funny, you're the one who was born under the Thief, but I don't think you've stolen anything since we were kids."

"That's ok," Teresa slid the turquoise band of the Jewel of the Rumare on, and instantly felt her skin and hair dry. Reaching for her leather, she followed the other Bosmer's example and began to dress. "You've pilfered more than enough for the both of us! Being born under the Shadow certainly has been good for your purse, and bad for those of everyone else!"

"Hey, that reminds me of how we met…"

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 30 2020, 02:14 AM

[hazmick]

Aaw, poor Teresa. so near yet so far away from Methredhel. Will we see Teresa hookin' up with anyone in the future? A thief? an inkeeper in weye? The next chapter sounds intersting. good job.

[Acadian]

SubRosa, this is a lovely piece - er, um. . . I mean interlude. The only thing nicer than a naked wood elf drying in the sun is two of them. You managed their actions and dialogue, along with Teresa's thoughts in a way that truely did justice here.

What a pleasure to read. Wonderful how you wove in Teresa's time at Vilverin (the dagger) and how you incorporated the birthsigns of both elves. What a handy ring that Jewal of the Rumare is for Teresa!

Just the perfect touches of oh my, ahhh, bittersweet smiles and even a giggle or two.

I'm so pleased that it seems you may linger on Teresa and Methie for a bit.

Ahhhh.


Nit?

Glancing at Methredhel beside her, Teresa felt her heart quicken his pace.

Did you mean to use the masculine form for Teresa's heart? I would have thought perhaps 'its' pace?

This post has been edited by Acadian: Aug 17 2010, 02:55 PM

[haute ecole rider]

So now we get to see how Teresa and Methredhel became such fast friends in the first place?

I look forward to seeing the time traveling.

As for Teresa's attraction to Meth, it's sad, really. Reminds me of all those romantic triangles where the second fiddle never gets the girl!

[Olen]

Poor Teresa, she'll find someone suitable eventually I'm sure. It was very smoothly written, you worked a lot of description in there but with dialogue so neither became too static while you layed some more ground (and background like the birthsigns).

And now we get to see how they met and a bit mroe of Teresa's history.

Nit (?):
Chapter 15.1 - Old Friends, Not Forgotten - that's two 15.1s, previously you've numbered each part individually (I think). Me? Bullet counter?

[D.Foxy]

I think you have captured Love which in its teenage form is, whether gay or straight, achingly bittersweet. Especially if it is doomed from the start...that adds an especial poignancy.

[Kazaera]

I love this story so much. Not only does Teresa feel so real and believable it seems as though she might walk off the page any moment, her friends and the people she meets do too! I also really enjoy the way you diverged early from the main quest in order to explore Teresa's journey - one which feels very true to her as a character and lets us see her growth as a person. What I think you also do especially well is explaining why Teresa does the things she does, giving her motivations for her actions - something which I think is easy to skip over given that we're all used to the "go here, deliver this package" style that is actual gameplay.

The last chapter was brilliant - I really felt for Teresa, discovering her best friend who she was also in love with can't share a really important part of her life with her. I've had experiences like that with friends (who hasn't?) and this tugged at my heartstrings. Poor Teresa!