Outlanders (Morrowind Crossover) Options

[SubRosa]

It sounds like Balmora has grown tremendously in a relatively short time. It's basically a boom town, but with more staying power, as it is not dependent upon one single source of nearby extractive wealth.

So Tom gets all the obsequious praise, and while Daria gets the stink eye. I am sure all the shallow fawning gets as frustrating though. Especially since Tom is smart enough to see it for what it is.

“Another thing you may have noticed is that I’m very bad at filtering my thoughts.”
No Daria, no one has ever noticed that!

It's Synda, and working no less! Being stuck at the front desk is probably a form of punishment from her parents.

Ah, while Tom's pressing social engagements press, Daria gets to go off into some dark and lonely corner with her arch-nemesis. Good thing she has learned a thing or two about Destruction magic...

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 5

Daria followed Synda to a hallway going out from the back of the room. Doors lined the corridor's right wall while sickly light shone through the green resin windows on the left.

If I follow Synda down here, Daria thought, will I ever be seen again?

Daria shot a venomous glance at Tomal, already gabbing with his associates. But Synda didn't have much in the way of real power. Sure, Great House Hlaalu didn't care about people like Daria, but they did care about putting up a good front for the Empire. Dead Imperial teenagers only raised uncomfortable questions. She was probably safer in the council manor than anywhere else.

Still, following Synda into a dark backroom didn't strike Daria as the wisest of moves.

Resigning herself, she stepped into the hallway, with Synda a few feet ahead of her.

"I saw you at that wretched apartment," Synda said, her face forward. She slowed down.

Daria decided to play dumb. "That doesn't narrow things down much in Balmora. Though, if you're talking about Jane's, I think she does a pretty good job with what she has."

She'd never give Synda the satisfaction of fear.

"You know that to which I am referring. You and Sera Dimartani—the Empire and Great House Redoran—working together to humiliate me."

"Wait!" Daria halted. "So you were conscious when we saved your life."

Synda turned and drew herself up as best as her diminutive form allowed. "Yes. I am not so fragile as to be completely undone by a few minor injuries."

"You sure seemed pretty undone to me. You're welcome, by the way."

Synda frowned. "Perhaps you truly are that ignorant. If you had wished to show mercy, you would have let me die."

If I had wished to show some damned common sense, I'd have let you die, Daria thought. But she held back. "I'll check the dictionary again, but I'm pretty sure that's not what mercy means."

"You think you know Morrowind. You don't. But even if you and Sera Dimartani saved me so as to humiliate me, it matters not. I have survived and found a way to restore my reputation."

"Is that a threat?"

Synda smirked. "No. Outlander, you are too far beneath me to be worth any further effort."

She whirled around and resumed her march to the end of the hall. Daria resumed following, trying to process the conversation. Saving Synda had been a cruelty? Maybe, she realized. Strict Dunmer parents might not be too forgiving to a daughter who'd given in (at least at first) to blackmail. It depended on how much the senior Grilvayns knew. But Daria had no idea what Synda had meant by restoring her reputation. So far as she could tell, Synda was the same as ever.

She supposed she'd accept it so long as it kept Synda off her back.

Synda had almost reached the door at the end of the hallway when it opened, and Kavon walked out, clad in his ill-fitting armor sans helmet. His black hair was disheveled, and the smile on his face radiant.

"What are you doing here?" Synda demanded.

Kavon blanched. "Oh, uh… I was guarding the place! Yeah! There was like this, uh, thief-looking guy sneaking around the manor. Being the guard I am, I figured I should check it out. Looks like the coast is clear."

"Oh? What use would a thief have for city records?" Synda demanded.

"Uh…" Kavon scratched his head. "Oh, hey, Daria! You're pretty smart. What would a thief want with city records?"

"He probably wanted to make sure his new thief hideout didn't violate any zoning laws," Daria said.

"Yeah, what she said! Anyway, gotta go!"

Kavon jogged past Synda, one of his bonemold pauldrons almost hitting her head in the narrow hallway. She glowered at his retreating form and then stalked to the records room. Daria wasn't entirely surprised to see Briltasi already standing there, peering into a small glass hand mirror and applying some kohl around her eyes. The bookshelves stood in a state of disarray, with some of the records having fallen to the floor.

"Serjo Talori," Synda said, not quite able to hide her annoyance. She looked around at the mess, and then at Daria. "You figure it out," she said, and then walked back into the hallway and shut the door.

"Oh, hi, Daria!" Briltasi said, looking up from her mirror.

"Hi, Briltasi. I don't suppose you and Kavon stumbled onto the records of the building we're in during your latest research session?"

"Research session?" she squeaked. "Why would we do that? We were making out!"

"Your candor is as refreshing as always." A thought occurred to Daria: Synda had called Briltasi "serjo". The Taloris were, in fact, lesser nobility. Yet nobody treated Briltasi the way they did Tomal. She supposed that marked the difference between a family like the Taloris and one like the Sloans.

"Briltasi, does it bother you that I don't call you serjo?" Daria asked.

"Why would it bother me? You're just an outlander."

"I'm glad my barbarous foreign ways haven't caused any offense."

Briltasi smiled and shrugged. "It's not your fault you don't know better. A lot of Dunmer won't call my stepmom by her title, all because she's a Breton. That bothers me a lot. She married into the family, so she's noble too, even if she isn't Dunmer. I don't get why people are mean like that."

"Do you know anything about Serjo Tomal Sloan?"

"Oh yeah! He's… uh… well, he's really rich."

Daria decided to press a little harder. "What does he think about outlanders?"

"I know his family does a lot of business with them. Oh, he's nice to my stepmom and called her serjo! Now a few other people are doing it, too."

Daria supposed that boded well. She still couldn't afford to trust Tomal beyond the scope of an ill-conceived school assignment. But within that scope, he might be okay.

Satisfied with her cosmetic application, Briltasi put her mirror back in her purse. "Boy, I hope Synda didn't hear me and Kavvy," she said.

"About that: if you're keen on keeping your relationship with him a secret, you should probably try to be more discreet."

"Hardly anyone ever goes back here, though!"

"Speaking of which," Daria said, thinking back to her situation with Synda. Briltasi did know about Dunmer culture. Maybe she could illuminate Synda's comments.

"Yeah?"

Daria took a deep breath to prepare. "I have a hypothetical question: suppose you were in a situation that, if discovered, would be deeply embarrassing to your family. Let's also suppose that you were badly hurt in this situation and someone saved your life. But in saving your life, they blew your cover. Would you be mad at them for saving your life?"

Briltasi pouted. "Hmm…" Her face scrunched up in concentration. "You're not thinking about telling people, are you?"

"No, this is a hypothetical question."

"Right, I know. But I don't want to hype this to the wrong people because then me and Kavvy could get in trouble! Reputation matters a lot to us Dunmer, Daria. There's like, a saying: a crime's only okay if it's secret, because that way nobody knows about it. I think that's how it goes."

"How poetic."

"It's not easy being a Dunmer daughter. I'd be pretty scared if someone got me in trouble. And really mad at them if they did it on purpose! Just kind of mad at them if they did it by mistake." Her eyes narrowed. "You're not going to tell on me, are you?"

"Your secret is safe with me," Daria said. "Though, like I said, you should be more careful. I'm pretty sure Synda figured it out, as would anyone else with half a brain."

"Hmm, she won't tell anyone. Hurting me wouldn't help her family's reputation. But I'll be more careful. Maybe me and Kavvy will make out in the Drenlyn library next time!"

"Try to restrain yourselves. The library just got a new roof."

"I better go; this place is kind of boring without Kavon. Have fun doing whatever you do with records!"

Daria sighed as Briltasi left. With nothing else to do, she searched for the records covering the Hlaalu Council Manor. This turned out to be harder than she'd expected. The records weren't arranged alphabetically, by date, or by any other pattern she could see. They did seem to go roughly by neighborhood. Records on the top shelf covered High Town, with the shelves beneath dealing with the Commercial District and Labor Town.

She was still rooting through the High Town records more or less at random.

The door opened as she searched.

"Sorry about that," came Tomal's voice.

"If you're quite done earning a dozen new fortunes, I could use some help in searching for the record book covering the Hlaalu Council Manor."

"Oh, it's right here," Tomal said, going up to the shelf and plucking out a book at random.

Daria stared at him. "How did you know that?"

"Dunmer arrange records according to the status of the families associated with them. The Hlaalu Council Manor is directly run by the Hlaalu Council Company, so even though it's in charge, we don't want this fact to hurt the feelings of the more prestigious families in High Town. So after you go through the properties leased by the big movers and shakers—the Drilers, the Murvayns, and so on—the company-run buildings get their turn."

"Seems complicated," Daria said.

"Oh, ridiculously so."

He handed her the book, and she opened it up. The early pages consisted of eviction notices, justified by the locals failing to pay the new leasing fees. It didn't mention any names. But Daria already knew a few.

"Tomal," Daria said, pausing a bit to see if he reacted to the title being cut. He did not. "I'm guessing that Ondryn wants us to do a feel-good piece about how great this place is."

"Definitely. He's hoping I'll tell my dad and put in a good word for him. Don't worry, I won't."

"Would we get in a lot of trouble if we presented a more realistic picture of the Hlaalu Council Manor's history?"

Tomal rubbed his chin in thought. "Not if we worded it right. What do you have in mind?"

"I'm glad you asked," Daria said.

Musical Closer - Teenage Kicks, by The Undertones



This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 05:48 AM

[Acadian]

Synda smirked. “No. Outlander, you are too far beneath me to be worth any further effort.”
- - That’s a keeper, Daria. Hopefully, Synda is good to her word of sparing Daria any ‘further effort’.

Haha, Britalsi and Kavon making out in the back shelves. Love your use of the uncommon word kohl.
I think Britalsi actually gave Daria enough to figure out why Synda resents Daria saving her.

Intriguing exchange at the end. If Daria actually works with Tomal, they might be able to present a less than glowing picture of some aspects of Balmoran history.

[Renee]

Weird. Synda wanted to get killed? Weird. Maybe some kind of noble death sort of situation. No, honorable death? Maybe dishonorable? "I'm not worthy, you should've let me get killed?" Whichever. I remember feeling like I hated Synda but then this changed to sympathy. And now I'm just confused. Don't get it. It's like she hates herself too much, or hates life or something.

"A crime's okay if it's secret, because nobody knows about it?" Ha ha somehow I don't think that's the actual phrase. But you know, as light as I'm taking Bril's words and casual teenage manner, there's an undercurrent of serious here. A lot of little social things Dunmer have to deal with which a Heartlander doesn't notice up front. Daria learns these things here and there partially because she's observant and partially because she cares. I wonder if the Big Mer does.

WOW. He knows how their records system works? Seems like he does know a few things. How arbitrary. "That's pretty random" some of us Gen-Xers would say back in the day.

This post has been edited by Renee: Mar 31 2023, 12:07 PM

[SubRosa]

I can certainly understand Daria's misgivings about going anywhere with Sydna. At least these days Daria has a grasp of destruction magic.

So a little showdown with Syd the Squid, and cards laid on the table. Hopefully she has moved on from trying to take out her frustrations on Daria. I'd still be a little paranoid about that, if I was Daria however.

And a little bit of growth on Daria's part, as she realizes that just because an Imperial would think of her actions to save Syd as being heroic, another culture might have a very different value system.

Kevvy! Is Brittney hiding behind a file cabinet? They were making out in the one place no one would every want to go, weren't they?

They were! Don't ever change you crazy kids!

I love how Tom just picks the right book. Again, different culture, and he understands how it works, in a way an outlander like Daria never can. You really are bringing home the clash of cultures in this episode.

Uh oh, Daria is going to get herself in trouble by being all honest and sarcastic! It is just the thing we love most about her.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 6

Cold weather simply did not agree with Synda. She'd spent her early years in the humid mushroom mangroves of the Thirr Valley, where no one ever shivered, not even at night. Air was meant to be warm and thick, like blood. Balmora's frigid clime was best left to Nords and other savages.

The autumn chill didn't hurt as much with Tomal. Side-by-side, the pair walked through the Commercial District in the hour before Drenlyn opened, their faces placid as was proper for a young noble and his common-but-still-respectable friend. Since the Grilvayns were respectable. Enough that a marriage to the Sloans, though a bit unlikely, was certainly within the realm of possibility.

"I have not had to suffer through Sera Ondryn's lectures, though even the outlanders describe him as tiresome," she said. Tomal had been telling her about the assignment he'd been working on. She feigned interest as she analyzed each word he uttered for signs of their future.

"I'd say that's an overly generous assessment. I hate how he keeps sucking up to me."

Synda laughed. "Let him. He'll never get anywhere. Um…"

She trailed off, not sure how to say what was on her mind.

"What is it?" Tomal asked, his tone a bit tense. Like he was worried.

Worried about what?

"Do you think you can speak to your father? About, like, us?"

"Oh! We haven't known each other for that long."

"True. But given my family's deep investments in this region, I think an official arrangement would make business sense for the Sloan family. Not that I know better than you, serjo."

"Please, call me Tomal, okay?"

She gulped. "Tomal," she finally said.

Tomal turned to face her. "Synda, I really like you. You're sharp, confident, and gorgeous."

Her heart turned cold. Nothing good ever started with "I really like you".

She needed love.

"But we've only known each other a few months. There's no rush for this kind of thing. We aren't humans. Time's on our side."

Synda sniffed and hung her head. He needed to see her disappointment. Her heart ached. She was so close to making up for her failure.

"Do you care for me?" Synda asked, her voice catching.

Tomal scanned the street, then pulled Synda into a narrow space between two houses, the shadows a blanket upon them. Her hands grasped hers.

"Of course. I'm so glad I met you. But I want to give this more time."

"How much?" she demanded.

"I don't know! A year? You can't plan these things, Synda. I don't like to be rushed."

"I'm not rushing you!" she insisted. "I want to know. Planning ahead is like, sensible."

Her body quivered with each heartbeat. She needed certainty. Then she could tell her parents. Prove beyond all doubt that Synda, their wretched and dishonorable daughter, had secured a marriage to one of the wealthiest families in Morrowind. Her efforts would justify the blood and tears of all their ancestors, and no one could again tell her she wasn't wanted.

"Of course. But romance isn't the same as a business plan. Though my parents might disagree." Tomal sighed. "Look, isn't it enough that I love you? Can't we enjoy the moment?"

Perhaps. But moments passed quickly. Synda took a quick look at the busy street. No one paid them heed. Then she hugged him fiercely, as if she could press herself inside and have him protect her for all time. She raised her face and closed her eyes. His lips met hers. The cold vanished.

The kiss lasted but an instant, as kisses must in public. They walked back into the street, Synda hiding her boundless joy behind tight lips and cold eyes. Tomal's love would redeem her. Until then, she could wait.

*********

Daria watched as Tomal finished up his half of the report. Sera Ondryn watched him with the eyes of an enraptured puppy. The class didn't bother feigning interest.

"In short, the people in the Hlaalu Council Manor can be credited—or blamed—for any policies that take root in Balmora," Tomal said.

His report had been dry, informative, and mostly safe. He'd given her the latitude to write her section as she pleased. Daria still wasn't sure she should read it. Because, at the end of the day, he was one of them. Promises from him meant nothing when given to someone like her, because he'd never get in trouble for breaking them. She could only rely on his moral compass, and she didn't know him well enough to trust that.

"And now, my colleague Daria will offer our findings on the history of the Hlaalu Council Manor."

Good. He'd said 'our findings,' which at least meant he took ownership. Then again, that might make him all the angrier if the report annoyed too many people. Daria felt suddenly faint. But there was nothing to do except go forward.

"Thank you, Serjo Sloan," she said. "I'm here to give everyone the unvarnished history of the Hlaalu Council Manor and of High Town. Here, unvarnished means it has all the ugly details that people don't want you to know."

A few students perked up at that. They cared nothing for history, but they loved scandal. Ondryn frowned but took no other action.

"It turns out that Balmora's actually a lot older than the boomtown we see around us. For centuries, Dunmer lived where High Town is today, in much humbler homes where they raised families, tended egg mines, and fished the Odai."

"The development of modern High Town certainly was an exciting process," Ondryn interjected, looking nervously out onto the class.

"Oh, it was," Daria continued. "Especially if you were one of the Dunmer living in old Balmora. See, when Great House Hlaalu formally took control of the place, they immediately imposed leasing fees on the houses that had been there for generations. Fees that the residents obviously couldn't pay. An entire town's worth of people got kicked out so the wealthy folks of High Town could build their mansions."

Ondryn gasped.

"Where did they go?" Jeval asked. He, at least, seemed interested.

"Wherever they could. Most moved into outlying villages. I know for a fact that a few are still in Balmora, typically in Labor Town."

Ondryn cleared his throat. "Daria, it's not your place to criticize!"

Daria decided to play dumb. "I'm simply relaying my findings, as you requested. All of this is written plain as day in the records office." She glanced over to Tomal.

"It's exactly as she says," Tomal confirmed.

Ondryn blinked in surprise. "Serjo Sloan! I think she is criticizing you."

Tomal shrugged. "No big deal; I've got a thick skin."

"But… the point of this exercise was to show what a great place Balmora is to live in!" Ondryn sputtered.

"As I recall, the point of the exercise was to do a deep dive into Balmora's history," Daria said. "Which we did."

"Not that kind of history!"

Daria shrugged. "Maybe we misunderstood. Regardless, these are in the publicly accessible records. I guess the people at the Council Manor are counting on everyone to be too indifferent to check."

"We are all very fortunate to live under the aegis of Great House Hlaalu!" Ondryn fumed. Then he turned to Tomal, his face suddenly beseeching. "Serjo Sloan, is this a test of my loyalty? I would never say anything negative about Great House Hlaalu. This whole report is counter to what the Hlaalu project stands for!"

Daria again wondered how far Tomal would be willing to take this. He'd said no one would get into real trouble, but as a noble, how would he know?

"Actually, as a member in good standing of Great House Hlaalu, I disagree," Tomal said. "Think about it: where else in Morrowind could a regular person access reports and find the real history of a place? Great House Hlaalu keeps good and detailed records, even if it's only so we can keep track of our finances.

"That means normal people have the power to learn the truth. For all the problems we have, Great House Hlaalu can actually take criticism and learn from it, which is not a trait you see in Indoril or Redoran. That's why we're working so closely with the Empire as it institutes changes that make some of us uncomfortable. We know that the old ways aren't always the best ones. Becoming better isn't fun, but I'd rather be uncomfortable than keep doing something stupid."

Ondryn slowly nodded. "I see. So by criticizing Great House Hlaalu, Daria is actually demonstrating why it's so great!"

Here's where it all fell apart. She didn't want to say it was great. But how could she make that clear? She still walked on a knife's edge.

"I'm making a pointed criticism—" Daria started.

"Certainly an unorthodox interpretation of the assignment," Ondryn said, talking over her as he walked up to the front of the class and gesturing for her to sit back down. "But a fascinating one! As the most dynamic and forward-looking great house, Hlaalu has advantages that others do not. I am honored by such an intriguing report, Serjo Sloan!"

Tomal shrugged as he and Daria walked back to their seats in the middle row.

"Now, let's hear from Marcus and Tiphannia and their report on St. Roris Square!" Ondryn said. Then gave Daria a very ugly look.

*********

Class had finished, and Daria stepped out into a cold, gray afternoon. It was lunch, which meant an hour holed up in the library before her next class. Hiding in the library didn't seem so bad with such bleak weather, but she'd have rather gone to the Lucky Lockup with Jane.

"Are you doing okay?" Tomal asked. He hurried up to walk alongside her.

"I suppose it was inevitable that my reasoned critique would be turned into pro-Hlaalu boosterism."

"At least people know, right?" Tomal said.

"Do you think any of them will care?"

"Maybe one or two will. But I'm an optimist."

Daria sighed. "I will say I appreciate the support. I probably would have been in a lot more trouble if it hadn't been for you."

"Most likely."

"I don't like depending on another person for protection."

"Nor should you," Tomal agreed.

"But at a certain point, I guess I have to accept that's the way things are for now and that it's better to have protection if you can get it. Please answer me honestly: do I owe you anything?"

Tomal shook his head. "Not a thing. There's a lot about Great House Hlaalu that I don't like either. The way I see it, you and I were working toward the same goal."

"As much as I hate to admit it, that would have gone a lot worse for me if we lived under the Telvanni," Daria said, thinking back to her time in Sadrith Mora. "But I don't think the failings of the other great houses justify those of Hlaalu's.

"Absolutely not. But what I said wasn't entirely wrong, even if it was mostly to keep Sera Ondryn happy. Great House Hlaalu can change for the better. Every now and then, it actually does."

"I'm far too lazy to be a good idealist," Daria said. "Mostly, I like ruffling people's feathers."

"Hey, as long as you're ruffling the right people's! That's the kind of mercenary attitude a half-hearted reformer like me loves to see."

"Just don't expect too much from me in that department."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Daria watched as students gathered in their cliques. No room for her there.

"Who do you usually eat lunch with?" Daria asked.

"No one in particular. I'm actually done with classes today."

Her heart sank a little at that comment. Wait, had she been considering spending time with Tomal? For all his baggage, he annoyed her far less than most students. Still no substitute for Jane. But in Morrowind, one took what one could get.

"I guess I'll go hide in the library," Daria said.

"Oh!" he sounded surprised. "Okay. Well, see you around."

"You too, Tomal."

A chilly gust of wind blew past them. Then Tomal nodded and walked toward the gates. Daria watched for a few long moments, wishing he'd asked her to hang around. Finally, she entered the library and returned to the books she'd already read a half-dozen times.

Musical Closer - Funny Little Frog, by Belle and Sebastian, covered by God Help the Girl

The End

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 05:51 AM

[SubRosa]

I like how Sydna considers Balmora to be cold, while to Daria is it hot. Again it shows the very different backgrounds of the two.

So Tomal and Sydna. I did not see that coming. It looks like it is mostly Syd's design, in order to regain her standing. Again, it is nice how you show that her priorities are founded on her culture's beliefs.

If things go the way they did in the TV show, this does not bode will for Sydna-Daria detente however...

“Not that kind of history!”
This sounds so relatable IRL!

Tomal actually spun the criticism of House Hlaalu in a positive way. The ability to take control of the narrative like speaks well for his future in house politics.

You really captured Tom's speech patterns here, with his short, direct responses, which are usually agreements to whatever Daria just said.

[Renee]

Ah, okay, kewl, now I get it. There's a whole lot of family shaming going on, with Synda that is. Still, it sucks her parents decided to react that way. My gosh. If I was getting extorted and my family found out, only thing they'd say is "what can we do about this?" Then again, I'm not a Dunmer from Vvardenfell.

No, it's not from any of the games, but it certainly does fit. Some real-life cultures, this is a daily sort of thing.

“Do you think you can speak to your father? About, like, us?”

Noooo!!!! Don't!!!! ... Eesh. I get it, though. WE want what we want. But damn girl, chill. You're gonna ruin it if you rush!

The part when Daria's turn to read, Ondryn seems surprised about her biting tone. Like, what did he expect? It's Daria!

“But… the point of this exercise was to show what a great place Balmora is to live in!” Ondryn sputtered

Wow, he's really lost. Really would rather conform than question.

So the chapter ends. The Big Mer on campus is pretty much only "big" due to the opinions of others. Inside his own head, he's not really arrogant at all, right?

Another thing I noticed: Daria's stumbling a bit. Not necessarily trying to be Tomal's girlfriend, but there's something there. She's wanting to spend more time with him. Interesting.

[Acadian]

A very neat episode that sheds a lot of light on Tomal.

I couldn’t quite tell if he was being honest with Synda. He does seem a little too kind and smart to be seriously interested in Synda’s rather obvious goal of social climbing. He’s very diplomatic though so its hard to tell if he’s being honest or politely stiff-arming her. On one hand, she could make for a reliably rule-following trophy wife; on the other hand, I suspect Tomal has to see that her underlying personality is that of a shrew. Fascinating stuff regardless.

I think the Tomal-Daria report went rather well. It was both clever and elegant of Tomal to turn the House criticism into a positive and equally so of Daria to defend herself using Ondryn's own description of the assignment. That said, I'm glad Daria somewhat gracefully let Ondryn save some face and that she also acknowledged to Tomal that his support was very helpful.

Oh my. . . she seems to be growing fond of Tomal. I’m pretty sure that’s a bridge too far though. Daria and Tomal would be an even odder couple than Synda and Tomal, not to mention the dramatic class/life span differences.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Episode 24: The Wedding Wringer

"Hey, are you hungry? Huh?"

Not that Satheri needed to ask. Tollie always wanted a snack. She smiled as the bantam guar trotted on his little leathery legs toward her outstretched hands full of marshmerrow pulp. Daddy had bought Tollie at the market a few years ago, and Satheri couldn't imagine life without him. The guar dipped his snout into her hands, and she giggled as his warm tongue lapped up the ground marshmerrow.

"I know you're not supposed to eat too many sweets," she whispered. "But you've been such a good boy, huh?"

Tollie raised his head as if in affirmation, his pink tongue still lolling from his wide mouth. He dove back in for the rest. When he finished, the little guar pressed his head against her thigh.

"Aw, you want some attention? Okay, Tollie, so do I," Satheri cooed. She reached out, picked him up, and cradled him. He was heavier than he used to be. Maybe she'd been spoiling him a bit, but he was easy enough to carry for a short while.

Satheri closed her eyes and rocked Tollie back and forth. Good training, Mom had said, for when Satheri became a mommy. Which might not even be that long from now.

"Don't worry, Tollie," she whispered. "When I get married to Serjo Lowendral, I'll take you with me, okay? Serjo Lowendral will love you, too!"

At least she hoped so. She didn't know anything about Serjo Lowendral. Did he like animals?

"The Lowendrals have a big estate down in Shipal-shin, so there's going to be lots more room for you to run around. And I hear there's wild marshmerrow growing everywhere, so you can get snacks whenever you want. But I'll still feed you treats, too."

Did marshmerrow grow down there? Satheri didn't know that for sure. She gulped.

"Daddy says the wedding will be in a year. Before that, we'll get to go on a fancy ship and then take a silt strider way down to the south, where it's always warm and lazy."

Her voice trembled. It was getting closer every day, and she knew nothing about him except that he was from a noble family that didn't have a whole lot of money any longer. The ship probably wouldn't be that fancy. But it was nice to pretend.

"I bet there will be a lot of other bantam guars you can play with. But don't worry, Tollie: I'll still be your best friend. Forever."

She stopped before her voice broke, and tightened her hug. It was a little past noon. Serjo Driler's birthday party was that night, which meant she had to get ready. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Satheri put Tollie back down on the ground. He nuzzled her hand, and she smiled.

She wished everything could be as simple as Tollie.

*********

It seemed like all of High Town had come to Serjo Driler's 173rd birthday party. Satheri, dressed in the dark blue gown she usually wore for fancy occasions, loved seeing everyone in their finery. She couldn't dress like a noble, but one day she would, so she took mental note of everything she saw.

Not many others from the Commercial District had been invited, but like Daddy always said, money was its own form of respect. Daddy actually had more wealth than some of the people in High Town. Not coins or jewels, but things like farms and ranches all the way in Cyrodiil. Assets, he called them.

Satheri stood next to her parents on the outskirts of the party, watching the well-wishers paying their respects under the lanterns strung up over the street. She couldn't see the Driler manor over the crowd, but she heard the music and the voices, all of them happy. Her husband-to-be would have parties like this, probably. She'd be at the center of it all, greeting lifelong nobles and pretending she knew how to behave like one.

"Quite a crowd," her mother said to her father.

"Hardly a one of them is here for the Drilers. They only want to talk to the Sloans."

"That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"A bit of both, dear. There's something I've been wondering about the Sloans," her father said, speaking quietly.

It was the voice he used when talking about complicated business things that Satheri wouldn't understand. So naturally, she inched closer to hear him.

"Yes?" her mother asked.

"Serjo Angyar Sloan freed all his family's slaves decades ago. Do you think…" he shifted closer and whispered, "…do you think he's seen the twin lamps?"

Her mother scoffed. "I'm sure he only freed them to look good to the Empire. And you know better than to discuss that sort of thing here."

"No one's paying attention, dear."

"Don't be so certain. Do not ask the Sloans about this!"

"I wasn't going to!"

Satheri, curious, decided to ask a bit more. "Are twin lamps some kind of business thing?"

Startled, her father looked back at her. "Don't eavesdrop, sweetie. It's not ladylike."

"Sorry," Satheri said, looking down at the ground.

Her mother sighed. "Your father had some odd idea about selling lighting infrastructure."

"But what does that have to do with freeing slaves?"

Her parents looked unsure. Satheri knew she wasn't that smart, but she could tell they were hiding something.

"Oh, well, it looks like Great House Hlaalu will one day give up slavery, which is good! Anyway, that means there will be more openings for, uh, employed people to carry lamps for their bosses. Since slaves won't do that any longer. Hence the lamps," dad explained.

Her mother sighed again. Satheri nodded as if she believed it. Satheri hung out with people smarter than her, since she knew she couldn't usually figure things out on her own. Mother and father were both very smart, so they protected her. Muthsera Morgendorffer was practically a genius!

So, what would she do when she was cut off from all of them? Maybe her husband would be smart. But would he look out for her?

The night went on. Only a few High Town nobles said hello to the Rowenis. When they did, Satheri bowed and smiled and greeted. At least she was good at that.

They reached the brightly bedecked front door of the Driler house to find Serjo Driler standing there in full regalia, wine cup in hand. Servants stood at attention to accept gifts and bring them inside. Now that they were at the center of the party, they had maybe an hour to talk to everyone. More people clustered around the Sloans than around the Drilers. Seeing Tomal standing at the side, politely listening as an old Dunmer talked about something, Satheri got an idea.

"ALMSIVI watch over me," she whispered. Then she walked over to Tomal as quickly as her tight, stiff dress would allow. She'd act like she was there to pay her respects—which wasn't an act, she was being respectful—and then ask her question.

Satheri smiled and tried to look every inch the proper Dunmer girl she was as she waited for the old Mer to finish yammering about wickwheat prices. But already she was nervous; her skin getting all prickly. What if she made a mistake? Mom and Dad were elsewhere, and one wrong move would make the whole Roweni family look bad. Then the marriage might fall through, which she sort of wanted it to, but then that might mean a worse marriage and…

Satheri clenched her teeth together and stared straight ahead. She felt like she'd explode. Muthsera Morgendorffer always talked her down from those attacks, but she wasn't there. Finally, Serjo Driler stepped away, his wine cup empty. Tomal exhaled in relief as Satheri darted in.

"Three blessings to you, Serjo Sloan!" she said, and bowed.

"Sera Roweni," Tomal greeted. "This is an honor."

Satheri bowed again, more deeply this time, to show how she appreciated being acknowledged. "My family is, as always, at your service."

"My family recognizes your dedication." Tomal sighed. "But you know, this is Serjo Driler's birthday—"

"I know!" Satheri interrupted and then gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh! Oh, forgive me, Serjo Sloan! I didn't mean to interrupt! That was so disrespectful of me—"

He held up his hands. "It's okay! No offense taken. Honestly, these overly formalized meet-and-greets get pretty boring. The interruption made things interesting."

Satheri sniffed, and then nodded. It was so easy to be careless! She took stock of things. Tomal didn't seem mad, at least.

"Begging your pardon, Serjo Sloan, but I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Um, well, I am arranged to be married to Serjo Lowendral's son."

Tomal looked unsure and then brightened. "Oh! Othren Lowendral?"

"Yes, him! The marriage is in a year, and well, I don't want to bore you with my problems but... is he nice?"

Satheri turned her eyes to the ground. She didn't want to see it. Didn't want to see Tomal's face turn grave and give her the worst news possible: That Serjo Lowendral was mean. Because she couldn't defend herself against mean. Without Mom and Dad and Muthsera Morgendorffer she wouldn't have anyone to defend her, and she'd be alone forever.

She stifled a sob.

"Othren? He seems nice enough. To be honest, Sera Roweni, I don't know him that well. I only met him a few times when I spent the summer in Narsis eight years ago. I was about ten years old, he was maybe nine?"

Satheri raised her face. Well, that was something. "Does he like animals?"

Tomal shrugged. "I don't know. Oh, wait! He did have a riding guar he liked. I think it belonged to his dad, but he rode it around a lot. The guar was named… Champion? Hero? Something along those lines."

"Oh! That's good. He was nice to you?"

"He was nice to me." Tomal scratched his head, his eyes downcast. "Sorry I can't offer you more. I don't know him that well."

"No, it's fine! Thank you so much, Serjo Sloan. If he's good to you, I'm sure he's a good person."

Tomal looked oddly helpless. "Uh, right," he said.

"May ALMSIVI guide your path, Serjo Sloan. And your family's." She bowed again.

"May the Three bless you and your kin," he said.

Satheri took the customary three steps back before turning around. He didn't know Serjo Lowendral that well. But the hints were good!

She still wished she knew more.

*********

The Rowenis returned home a few hours before midnight. Satisfied with drinks and hors d'oeuvres from the party and too tired to draw water for baths, they all prepared for bed.

"Daddy?" Satheri said.

"Yes?"

"Is it okay if I put Tollie inside? I'll get his cage. It's too cold for him outside."

"Oh! I suppose winter is getting closer. Good idea."

Satheri prepped the big wooden cage. She went out onto the balcony and called for him, and the poor little guy practically jumped into her arms.

"Aw, poor baby! It's too cold for you, so you're going to stay indoors with us. It never gets cold down south, where Serjo Lowendral lives. Isn't that great?"

Tollie made a squeaking noise as she put him in the cage. Picking it up, she returned inside and placed the cage next to her bed.

"It'll be really nice," she said as she tucked herself in. "I talked to Serjo Sloan at the party today, and he said Serjo Lowendral has a riding guar! That's like a big version of you. But don't worry, Tollie, I like you small."

Tollie squeaked again and pressed his leathery snout against the bars. Satheri smiled and stuck her fingers through the gaps to stroke Tollie's nose, his skin dry and pebbly.

"It's still kind of scary, huh? Serjo Sloan doesn't know much about him. But Serjo Lowendral's a noble, so he'll be good, I'm sure."

She listened to Tollie's breathing. Gods, she hoped Serjo Lowendral was good. No one was supposed to say bad things about nobles, but she'd heard bad things about some.

"That's a good idea, Tollie. I'll donate to the temple in the name of Mother Alma. She'll protect us. She loves her children. You aren't one of her children, but you're with me, so that doesn't matter. You're like my kid, and I'll protect you."

Plus, Serjo Lowendral probably liked animals. So, that was something.

"It'll still be another year before we have to go anywhere," she whispered. "Another year where we can have fun with Muthsera Morgendorffer, and Treads-on-Ferns, and Tiphannia."

Not like a year was very long.

"And a lot can happen in a year. So, it'll be fine, Tollie. You and me will be fine."

Musical Closer - Stay Young and Beautiful, by Al Dubin, covered by Annie Lennox

The End

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 05:55 AM

[Acadian]

Satheri is absolutely adorable, in her childlike naivte, view of the world and concerns. I loved how she worked up the courage to ask Tomal if he knew anything about her prearranged intended. As she says, a lot can happen in a year but if this marriage goes through, I sure hope this Lowendral fellow is a good sort and worthy of Satheri. And Tollie.

[Renee]

OH yea, I know what you mean about family life like that. Sucks Synda's got to deal with all that.

Maybe so (about Tomal being arrogant). I don't really see him as arrogant though, huh.


Anyway, that'd be neat, having a pet guar. I've always thought as guars as friendly, rather than hostile. That's one of the only creatures I modified across the board, once I began playing on PC: almost all the guar in my MW won't attack.

Is Satheri's marriage being forced? You'll have to remind me, if so. She seems pretty nervous. Obviously hasn't even met the guy, yet.

And it's weird the way she's thinking, like "soon I'll be a noble, then it will be okay to dress like some of these others at the party."

Muthsera Morgendorffer is definitely a genius, indeed.

Ah, so she IS being arranged into marriage. That sucks. Unless she wants to be, of course. She seems unsure, though. I know I would be!

I do not know about Twin Lamps, yet, so thanx for explaining.

This post has been edited by Renee: Apr 7 2023, 02:54 PM

[SubRosa]

I never hated Tom, or even disliked him. I hated the whole "bangs her best friend's boyfriend" storyline that the Daria writers did. It makes me cringe on so many levels. But that is not Tom the character's fault. It is the writers of the show I blame for that.

Awwww, who's a good boy? Tollie is!

So Satheri has a wedding date already? How... wonderful for her. At least she has Tollie, if Lowenbrau turns out to be a dick.

So mom and dad are in the Twin Lamps? Good for them! That brings them up in my estimation. Hopefully that translates into them picking a decent fella for her to marry.

It really does feel odd seeing Satheri without Muthsera Morgendorffer around to talk her down from her bouts of self-consciousness.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Episode 25: The Dark Arts

Chapter 1

Jane blew on her cold-numbed hands and wished she didn't live so far north. Shivering, she extended her hands so that they hovered by the flickering flames in J'dash's hearth. Rain crashed in torrents on the roof of her landlord's junk shop, as it had been doing since yesterday morning. Because winter always brought the rain and the cold. And this time, an empty belly.

Feeling slowly returned to her fingers, and she rubbed them together to hasten the process. Once they got as warm as they were likely to get, she turned her eyes back to her commission: a painted portrait of one Marco Menculo, a visiting EEC man who didn't have much to pay with but promised her that a commission made for "good experience". Except experience wasn't much of a selling point, at least not on its own. Established outlanders usually hired the established artists these days. The only clients Jane still got were fly-by-nights like Menculo, who never stayed in the city long enough to build up her reputation.

But commissions of any kind were hard to come by. So she worked with a piercing pain in her eyes and a bone-deep soreness in her painting arm. Part of her hoped she'd never see another damned painting for the rest of her life.

A heavy knock sounded on the door.

"We're closed!" Jane shouted.

"Janey, it's me!" came Trent's voice.

Good news, finally. He should have been back a week ago. Jane hurried through the dusty junk shop to the door, glad that he was safe and sound. He'd been playing in Suran, and gigs there usually paid pretty well.

She opened the door and saw Trent, gaunt and soaking wet, his clothes torn and his right arm in a sling. His lute was nowhere in sight.

Jane gasped. "What happened?"

Trent sighed. "Got robbed on the way back."

"Get inside," she urged, standing aside to let him squeeze through even as her heart sank. They'd needed that money. Jane's earnings slipped through her fingers, used for rent, food, and more art supplies. She spent cash to make cash but never seemed to keep any. She still had to manage the lean times.

Like always.

*********

Trent still shivered as he dried out near the fire, wrapped in a ratty woolen blanket. J'dash had come out of his room with aged and creaking steps to offer what comfort he could while Jane boiled water in a tempered clay pot above the fire.

"It was my fault, Janey," Trent said, his voice quiet.

"Pretty sure it was the robbers' fault," Jane replied as she tossed some ground trama root into the bubbling water. She carefully picked up the pot by its handles and laid it on the ground.

Trent shook his head. "Iesse wanted to go back to Balmora on the silt strider, but I'm the one who talked the Spiral into walking to Pelagiad. I should've listened to him. No one robs silt striders."

Trent looked so tired and old. She knew Trent's flaws well, but he'd always at least tried to keep them afloat.

"Dunmer could not have known," J'dash said, his whispery voice a wheeze. Each of the old Khajiit's movements seemed to bring him pain. He'd been getting a lot slower over the past few months: opening up late, closing early, and forgetting where he put things.

Jane wondered how many years he had left.

"Yeah, it's not your fault. The Ascadian Isles are supposed to be safe, too," she said. "There must have been a bunch of them if they attacked all four of you guys."

Trent coughed. "Well, Max kind of ran away once he saw the bandits. So, it was more like three of us. And Nick dropped his sword right after he drew it. So, I guess it was more like two of us. And Iesse was hungover. So, it was really just me. And, uh, I was still asleep."

"But Trent's friends are safe, yes?" J'dash asked.

Trent shrugged. "The robbers roughed us up, but nothing too bad."

Jane pointed to his limp arm. "That doesn't look like nothing too bad."

"It's not broken, just sprained. Anyway, Mystik Spiral isn't a thing anymore. We're too traumatized. Max is gonna go back to Cyrodiil, and Iesse might go with him."

"I'm sorry, Trent."

"I don't have my lute anymore, either. I guess I could try to play that Ashlander harp."

J'dash bared his teeth, and his ears flattened against his head. "Trent is better with lute, J'dash thinks!" Then he sighed. "But J'dash knows times are hard. Dunmers have been like cubs, and J'dash will not charge rent this month."

"Thanks," Jane said. "I appreciate that."

But J'dash wasn't some big Hlaalu magnate with properties and money to spare. Not getting the rent meant harder times for him.

She looked at her options. "I'm working on a commission now, but it's not paying a whole lot. I mostly did it for money to buy better paints."

"I bet you can do great art even with crappy paints," Trent said.

"Let me talk art, Trent, that's not how it works." He'd meant well, but the cluelessness of his statement irritated her. Clients expected the best, and that meant she had to step up.

The last real good job she'd gotten had been that pity commission from Daria's mom and dad. Sad truth was, Jane had nearly exhausted her pool of reliable outlander clients. Of course, there was one other possibility. One she wasn't sure she believed in.

"I don't know if I mentioned this to you or not, Trent," Jane said, "but Daria actually made a friend in High Town: Tomal Sloan."

"Whoa. The Sloans have tons of money."

"That they do. The Sloans already have a family artist. But I showed Tomal some work, and he said he'd try to talk other Hlaalu into hiring me."

"But does Hlaalu speak truly?" J'dash asked.

Jane shrugged. "Do they ever? Everything the guy says sounds kind of rehearsed, but I figure there's got to be something real there if Daria puts up with him. Me getting a Hlaalu client could be a game-changer."

"J'dash does not trust the great houses." He slowly lifted his hand to scratch at his neck. As he did, the sleeve of his robe slid down to reveal the bare pink skin on his forearm, the fur rubbed away by the slave bracers of his youth.

"No one should trust them," Jane said. "But I don't have many options left."

"Maybe this place is the problem," Trent said. "We've been stuck in Balmora for too long. We need a new vibe. I know this girl in Vivec City we can crash with for a while. Is that too far for you, J'dash?"

J'dash lowered his head. "J'dash's wandering days are long done."

"We're not going anywhere," Jane said. "Besides, I'm not sure Vivec would be any better than Balmora."

Trent nodded, his eyes far away. "Yeah, guess you're right. I know some other musicians here who might need a singer. I could do pretty good with that. My voice is the only instrument I'll ever need."

Jane didn't have the heart to correct him.

"But I'll still save up to get a new lute. Feels weird to perform without one."

"Good thinking," Jane said. "As for me, I'll scrounge up a few commissions. And hey, who knows? Maybe this thing with Tomal will pan out."

She didn't really think it would. But she still hoped.

Musical Closer - About A Girl, by Nirvana

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 05:56 AM

[SubRosa]

I am glad you are not planning on doing the "Daria betrays her best friend to bang a dude who she later breaks up with anyway" storyline like in the show. I always hated that. I think it was in the final season, and my guess it was the writers were in Jump the Shark mode, desperate to come up with anything that would keep the show going. Instead it makes me not want to watch those episodes at all.

Yay, Jane is back! Though it is sad to see her struggling, and saddled with cheapskate clients like Mercutio.

Oh noe! Trent got mugged on the road! Time to hire a Thief-Taker - I mean player character - to get that money back.

The fight sounds exactly like how I expected one with the Spiral would go! It also reminds me a lot of the time they got arrested and thrown in jail.

Ok, now I see where this is going. Jane is going to try to paint Tom, or the Sloans. Dum-Dum-Dum. That drama you mentioned incoming. Just not about Daria stealing Jane's boyfriend, I hope...

[Acadian]

Hard times for Jane, Trent and J’dash. You paint their bleak and bare existence quite poignantly. Cold hands, empty bellies and meager gold that goes out as fast as it comes in.

“J’dash does not trust the great houses.”
- - Khajiit is wise.

I think Jane is right to be cautiously optimistic about Tomal coming through. But she is wise to not count on it.

[Renee]

Sure, I suppose some nobles can be fun and easy-going. They're people too. But somehow I get the feeling... Sath won't be that lucky. I mean, just think of the people you've dated (if you have) or at least the people your friends have dated. And how often things don't work. Blech.

Oooh, so Twin Lamps gets activated after we free some slaves! Cool. Joan's ahead of the game already then, she's freed two sets of slaves (maybe more) by now.

Phew, what a sad story this week. I feel bad for Jane and Trent. Honestly, I remember when they first went to Pelagiad though. Did they take the strider then? I don't remember. But I do remember being a bit freaked by something as they traveled. Not Daria using her father's sword... something else. Pretty sure it was just the fact that they wandered through wilderness instead of the roads.

Edit: it was when they slept outdoors in the dust & cold, I kept thinking they were about to get attacked by cliffies! And then Daria traveled by foot (with someone else as I recall) back to Balmora.

No more Mystik Spyral? Hey, they stayed together for quite a good while though, at least. This story's been going on a couple years by now, right? Most bands don't last but a few months. At least the Spyral also went on tour! 🎸 🎤

I like the way J'dash speaks, in Third Person! I know a lot of Khajiit do this, and the reason they do it is actually a bad reason. But I still enjoy this aspect of their vocal delivery.

Interesting how the topic of Tomal comes up. The Big Mer factors into this conversation, but mostly because there's some desperation involved. Phew, what a depressing episode!

About a Girl. 🧏 Love that song. Kurt wrote it after his first girlfriend (I think she was his 1st, and this was well before Courtney Love) asked him to write a song about her. I remember reading she didn't have much faith in his music; wanted him to get a "real" job and so on. But he wrote a nice song about her, eh?

My favorite Nirvana song: Sappy. Listen to the way the guitars kick in! That's a trademark of GenX music, I think: the music's often slightly louder than the lyrics.

This post has been edited by Renee: Apr 12 2023, 01:33 AM

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 2

The crisp, meaty smell of roast scrib wafting up from the Morgendorffer kitchen alerted Daria that breakfast was ready. She marched down to the rest of the family. Mom and Quinn already sat at the table, wrapped up in thick robes and gripping cups of steaming tea, while Dad cooked breakfast.

"Good morning, Daria," Mom said, her eyes bright but her voice a little tired.

"Let's see," Daria said, "it's cold, gray, and drizzly. If I didn't have to go to Drenlyn today, it would be a pretty good morning."

"About that. You've been an attendee for almost two years now."

"Really? It felt like twenty."

"Many of your peers are getting ready to move on to their adult lives."

Daria poured herself a cup of tea. Mom meant Jane, specifically. Gods, Jane leaving Drenlyn had caused so many other problems.

"I'm prepared to accept my place as a cog in the machinery of imperial governance," Daria said.

"It might be a good idea to start making plans so that you can be more than just a cog."

"You mean I could be an honest-to-goodness gear?"

Mom ignored the comment. "Maybe you could ask around Drenlyn to see what kinds of opportunities are available?"

"I'll check them out, Mom!" Quinn volunteered. "As the head of the Fashion Guild—or at least the organization that will one day become the Fashion Guild—I need to make as many connections as possible. Tamriel's style depends on it."

Mom smiled. "You've still got a little more time, Quinn. But I do like your attitude! It's never too early to start planning for the future."

"A future of being a cog," Daria said.

Mom's face darkened. "If you don't put yourself out there, Daria, you might not even get that! Anyway, you have made some strong connections at that school. Didn't Armand say you'd have a place on the next archeological expedition? That might be a good place to start."

Daria hated to admit it, but Mom had a point. Armand had been in Old Ebonheart for the past few months, but Jolda did say he'd be back for the holidays.

A sharp rap at the door grabbed everyone's attention.

"Who could that be?" Mom muttered as she stood up. "My first meeting's not until mid-morning."

Daria watched as her Mom walked out of the kitchen and through her office to open the door. A smartly dressed Dunmer stood there, a rolled-up scroll in his hand.

"Can I help you?" Mom asked.

"I am here at the bidding of Serjo Tomal Sloan to deliver a message to one Daria Morgendorffer," the Dunmer announced, holding the scroll out for Mom.

"Oh, well, that is quite the honor! I've heard so many wonderful things about the Sloan family." She gave a nervous little laugh. "What's this about?"

"I do not know the contents of the message, which are for Daria's eyes only. Good day." The man inclined his head, wheeled around on his heel, and marched away.

"No way!" Quinn exclaimed, staring at Daria. "You're getting letters from Tomal Sloan?"

Pleased at her sister's indignation, Daria smiled. She wondered what Tomal had to say. Though she didn't talk with him often, his presence was the only bright spot in post-Jane Drenlyn.

"Daria, what's this about?" Mom asked as she returned.

"I'm not entirely sure," Daria said. "Could I see the letter? I'd hate to displease the Sloans by letting anyone else look at it first. It probably has very sensitive information pertaining to Great House Hlaalu's long-term plans."

Mom sat back down, still holding the scroll. "Daria, you aren't… seeing this boy, are you?"

"Only when he happens to be in front of my eyes," Daria said.

"You know what I mean," Mom said, a warning in her tone.

"Please," Daria said. "He's barely a friend. Our relationship is best described as a strategic alliance."

"You're telling the truth?" Mom asked. "Dating a noble—particularly a Morrowind noble—is very risky."

Daria rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I'm well-aware, which is one of the reasons I'm not doing it."

"Good, because you'd mess it up! Dating nobles is what I do!" Quinn said. Mom looked at her, aghast. "What I will do someday, I mean. Once I'm head of the Fashion Guild."

Mom handed Daria the scroll, and she unrolled it.

Daria—

I can't make it to Drenlyn today, but I found someone who'd be interested in hiring Jane full-time. The Olerlo family has interests in Balmora, and the patriarch, Serjo Navas Olerlo, is looking for an artist to paint his portrait. So as to prevent any surprises down the line, I told him about Jane's background, and he has no objections to hiring her.

Serjo Olerlo has agreed to meet with her this Sundas at his home in High Town. Tell Jane to bring some sample paintings, her usual equipment (I think he expects Jane to do a test painting on the spot), and to dress as well as she can for the occasion.

Please let Jane know about this once you're done with school. It was a lucky break to get an appointment with Serjo Olerlo on such short notice. I'm available tomorrow afternoon if you or Jane have any questions. Feel free to visit me at the Driler manor.

- Serjo Tomal Sloan, Son of Serjo Angyar Sloan, Gentleman of Morrowind and of the Imperial City, Retainer in Good Standing to Great House Hlaalu

Daria decided to be charitable and assume that Tomal had simply written all the nonsense at the end out of habit. Otherwise, she might not be able to deal with him any longer.

No, she was being silly. He'd only included all that to show how ridiculous it was.

"What's the letter about?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, spill it!" Quinn urged.

"You all ready for some fried scrib a la Jake?" Dad asked. "Hey, what's going on?"

Daria made her announcement. "A few months ago, I asked Serjo Tomal Sloan, Son of Serjo Angyar Sloan, Gentleman of Morrowind and of the Imperial City, Retainer in Good Standing to Great House Hlaalu..." she figured she deserved an award for saying all that with a straight face, "...to see if he could find any aristocratic clients who might be willing to take Jane on as a full-time artist. According to this letter, he might've found someone."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Mom said. "I'm so proud of you, Daria. You really came through for Jane."

"Yeah, that's great!" Dad agreed. "You all want breakfast, right?"

"Don't get too enthusiastic," Daria said. "Nothing's been confirmed yet."

"Still, it shows great effort on your part."

"Hey, what's the point of a rigidly stratified society if you can't leverage friendships with the upper strata for your own benefit?"

"Wait!" Quinn cried. "You told Tomal about me, right? And the Fashion Club?"

"No, because I'd like to stay on good terms with him."

"Great House Hlaalu doesn't have any say on what does or doesn't become a guild, Quinn," Mom said.

"Hold on," Daria said, "weren't you warning me about dealing with nobles?"

"I was warning you about being involved with them romantically. Working with nobles does pose risks, but sometimes that's the only way to get ahead. A patron could be a tremendous boon for someone like Jane."

"Or, like me!" Quinn said.

"Doesn't anyone want the breakfast I cooked?" Dad wailed. "The one I labored over the hot stove to make?"

"Yes, Jake, we'd love to try your breakfast," Mom said. She looked at Daria. "You're helping Jane secure her future. I only want to make sure you spend some time securing your own, as well."

Daria grunted as Dad served up the roast scrib on a big wooden platter.

Musical Closer - Wrapped Up in Books, by Belle and Sebastian

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 05:57 AM

[SubRosa]

Ahh, some nice yummy bugs for breakfast. That is the way to start a day.

Uh oh, mom is having the career talk with Daria. That is bound to be fun.

Oh my, that nice young lad Tom sent a messenger to Daria? What sort of rich shenanigans does this portend?

Well it looks like squire Tom did drum up some business for Jane. Look at that, Daria's networking with people is paying off.

I love the way everyone is talking around dad and his breakfast. Chef's Kiss! Just like the TV show.

[Acadian]

Well, it looks like Tomal might just be coming through for Jane. I’ll be optimistic.

Quite the contrasts: Synda wants to marry up - via Tomal. Quinn wants to rule the world of fashion - via Tomal. Daria wants to get Jane some paying customers – via Tomal. Mom simply doesn’t want nobles getting into her daughters’ knickers.

And Dad just wants breakfast.