Outlanders (Morrowind Crossover) Options

[SubRosa]

So Sergio Venom is a big shot I see. Even in the meritocracy, there is an aristocracy. Good to see that some things never change.

Wow, what a bunch of dicks. Clearly those Hadrubalites were never going to let Mr. DiMartino back in. They were looking for the flimsiest excuse to drum him out. Definitely not Homies...

Whatever Dimartani’s eccentricities, he stood by what he said. He would light the fire again and accept the punishment again
Now that is a real Homie.

“EVERYONE is part of the problem, Daria. But we can strive to do better.”
Mr DiMartino continues to shine in this Episode. Hopefully some of this will sink into Daria's thick skull.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Episode 27: A Kiss to Build A Scream On

Chapter 1

Quinn Morgendorffer, first of her name (so far as she knew), finally had the world in her grasp. Well, maybe not the entire world, but she almost had Drenlyn Academy in her grasp, and that'd get the whole thing started, right? The boring old school was having an honest-to-goodness fashion show! Lli called it the "Pageant of Sartorial Splendor", but that basically meant the same thing.

Now, she could show everyone what she'd been doing. The hours observing people in the marketplaces—and not just in Balmora, because she'd totally spent some time in Caldera—and learning how different colors and textiles worked together. Quinn had ideas. Tons of them.

"Emergency Fashion Club meeting, guys!" she declared. Not that she needed to; Satheri, Tiphannia, Treads-on-Ferns, and Jeval already stood around her in the Drenlyn courtyard. Lli had just told everyone about the show, and that meant they had to start planning.

"This is so exciting!" Satheri squealed, practically jumping up and down.

"This is like… our time… to show… what we—" Tiphannia started.

"Gotta admit, I'm kind of ticked off that only girls can go on stage for this," Jeval said. "I've got some ideas, too."

"I know it's frustrating, Jeval," Quinn said, "but this could be like our first big step to becoming the Fashion Guild! And you'll be part of that!"

"Ohmigosh!" Satheri exclaimed. "I knew you'd get us there."

"Well, I haven't yet... but I totally will! It won't be easy. Synda and her little Haute Society will be competing in this too. But we can beat them!"

"They're so… gauche…" Tiphannia droned.

"They have a bit of a disadvantage, too," Treads-on-Ferns said. "They don't have anyone for the outlander bracket. We at least have a shot at winning both brackets."

"Exactly. Satheri Roweni?" Quinn said, drawing herself up.

Satheri looked at her with rapt eyes. "Yes?"

"As steward of the Fashon Club, I nominate you to run in our name for the Dunmer bracket of the Pageant of Sartorial Splendor!"

She gasped, and her hands flew up to her cheeks. Don't cry, Quinn thought; it'll mess up your kohl. Then Satheri threw her arms around Quinn and hugged her tight.

"Thank you so much for choosing me, Muthsera Morgendorffer!"

"I mean, you are the only Dunmer we have," Treads-on-Ferns said.

Quinn waved at Treads to get her to be quiet while she wiggled out of Satheri's grip.

"Between me, Tiphannia, and Treads-on-Ferns, the outlander bracket will be a cinch for the Fashion Club," Quinn said. "One of us is sure to win."

"Wait!" Satheri said. "If you guys are all in that bracket… I'll be up against all the Dunmer girls on my own!"

She made this weird whiny noise and started breathing in and out really fast.

"Satheri, it'll be okay!" Quinn said, trying to sound soothing. "You already look better than Synda and her loser friends."

"But… but I can't go against Synda. She… she…"

Satheri's eyes rolled up, and she dropped to the ground. Jeval lunged to catch her but missed, and they both fell in a heap.

The Empire wasn't built in a day, Quinn thought as she surveyed the scene. "Okay, so the first thing we're going to cover is how not to faint when you're on stage," she said.

*********

Daria crossed her arms as she watched the student body (Quinn chief among them) throw themselves into paroxysms of vanity.

"Drenlyn Academy, where you learn the important things, like how to conform to artificial standards of beauty set by fashion experts in Narsis and the Imperial City," she said, to no one in particular.

In the old days, Jane would have shot back with something witty. Something like, "At least Lli's letting us exercise some creativity. Fashion's not my thing, but it's a kind of art."

Daria blinked. How in the world had she imagined Jane saying that?

"A kind of art for people who are already beautiful and well-connected, or who don't care who they trample over to get to that state," she said. Her heart pounded.

Imaginary Jane shrugged. "I can't blame people for doing what they need to do to survive."

Daria shook her head. Getting this worked up over an imaginary conversation was a new low for her. Except that's probably what Jane would have said. Worse, she'd have been right to say it.

"Talking to yourself?" Tomal asked. She blushed at the sound of his voice and looked to see him striding toward her, hands in his coat pockets and a smile on his face that, for a moment, let her think everything would be okay.

"I don't blame you," he continued. "Sometimes that's the only way to get good conversation."

"Especially in this place. Nothing like a celebration of the superficial to make me want to become a hermit."

"Way I see it is, we get to watch our peers do ridiculous things in their desperate bids for attention. It's a comedy if you look at it the right way," Tomal said.

"I'd probably categorize it as a farce, but point taken." She relaxed a little. This felt right. "Anyway, it's lunchtime, so I'll probably hide in the library and pretend I'm in a place that values literacy."

And maybe, just maybe, he'd go with her. Whole days now went by without real conversation. The solitude she once loved now felt like torture, her thoughts bouncing around endlessly in her own head with nowhere to go.

"Good call, though I'm not sure the Drenlyn Library's selection is conducive to that illusion."

"It is by Balmora standards." Daria actually still rather liked the library's selection.

"Low expectations save the day again. I'd join you, but I have to head out. My dad wants me to help negotiate a contract this afternoon."

"Keeping the little guy down to get a good deal?"

"More like keeping a similarly big guy in his place, but the ultimate goal's the same. See you later!"

"Yeah, see you," she said.

He waved and headed out the gate. Daria watched him go, wishing he'd stick around a while longer and hating herself for doing so. Commoner-aristocrat romances were best confined to the cheesy novels that inspired them. Sure, they sometimes happened in real life, but always with complications. Besides, life never turned out as well as it did in stories.

It'd probably fade if she waited. She'd gotten over Trent soon enough.

She glanced around the courtyard, where the students were already broken up into their little cliques to talk about the fashion show. Other than Tomal, who in Drenlyn could she count as a friend? Briltasi, maybe, but Daria had nothing in common with her. Her only real option, currently standing by Director Lli's office, was Jolda, who'd been civil but distant ever since Daria's fight with her father. Daria didn't know how much, if any, fallout from the conflict had landed on Jolda's shoulders, though from what she knew it sounded like Jolda's parents put everything on her shoulders.

Bracing herself, she walked across the courtyard to Jolda, who glanced up as Daria approached.

"Uh, hi, Jolda," Daria said, not able to look her in the eyes.

"Hi. How are things?" She asked, her voice perfectly neutral.

What the hell was she supposed to say? "So, in hindsight, I'm realizing that I probably didn't act very wisely regarding your father's job offer."

"That's putting it mildly."

Still looking at the ground, Daria continued. "Anyway, I wanted to apologize. I was, uh, not in a very good mental state, and I hope you didn't get in any trouble for it."

Jolda shook her head. "I didn't. He's mad at you, not at me."

"Right." Daria nodded. "Good."

Standing before Jolda, Daria wondered how anyone ever made friends.

"Actually, Daria," Jolda said, "Lli's having me do a ton of the prep work for the pageant, and I could use some help."

Daria looked up. Normally, she'd shoot down the idea. But these were not normal times.

"Help me out, and I'll see if I can talk my dad down. I think he already filled your slot in the expedition, but he might have another opening. No promises, though."

"Uh, that's very generous. Since you don't owe me anything."

"You're right, I don't. But I do kind of like you, Daria. Even if that's sometimes against my better judgment."

Mom still didn't know that Daria had refused the offer and, in so doing, had probably ended any possibility of employment with the IAS. At the time, Daria had almost looked forward to the blistering lecture that mom would deliver once she found out (and she inevitably would). Now, she dreaded it more each day. Mom losing it in a big way would confirm Daria's fear: That in the end, everyone hated her.

"Okay. I'll do what I can to help out," she said, not quite believing the words she said.

Jolda smiled. "Great! So we'll be working every day after the Drenlyn noon classes up until Loredas. Can you be here for that?"

"Sure. It's not like I have anywhere better to be," she said.

Which was true.

Musical Closer - Harness Your Hopes, by Pavement



This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 06:41 PM

[Acadian]

What a fun upcoming event for Quinn. It should let her bask right in her element. Satheri is a hoot and reminds me of a hyper puppy.

Daria, on the other hand is quite basking in her loneliness. At least she is taking some ameliorative steps. An imaginary Jane is better than no Jane. Tomal admires her blunt honesty and independent thought, so trying to cultivate his friendship is good. And she seems quite aware of the pitfalls that could accompany her crush on him. Trying to make amends with Jolda is a wise move that could benefit Daria in more ways than one. And Jolda does not seem at all a bad sort.

[SubRosa]

Quinn's plans for world domination are about to bear fruit! Muwhahaha! Tremble before me ye mighty, and despair!

Oh wait, it's a fashion show. Ok.

Uh oh, fashion club emergency meeting. This stuff is hot folks.

I love the meeting. I see Jeval is now in the club too! Good for him. Hopefully he will be able to compete in the future. We all deserve some man-candy to go with the hottie honies.

Okay, so the first thing we’re going to cover is how not to faint when you’re on stage,
Wise choice.

Oh boy, Daria is having imaginary conversations. This is... not good.

Well, at least that nice young lad Tom is there to make things better.

it sounded like Jolda’s parents put everything on her shoulders.
It certainly does. That woman is Tamriel's version of Atlas.

Wow, Jolda comes through. I knew I liked her for a reason. Hopefully Daria will not sabotage this as well.

[Renee]

True. And it's also more inspiring when others read and dig your material. Motivating.

My new illusionist is my first character who uses Mark & Recall. Wow, what a wonder! To be here, plan ahead to make sure you can come back to this same spot. I still enjoy walking 90% of the time, but it's going to be a novelty to be with someone who uses teleport spells. And BTW, she already met some Telvanni. Didn't exactly get a warm welcome from them.

Dimartani's loss, I guess. Hey, some ppl love banging their heads against walls, I guess. Bye bye, teacher. No more ALL CAPS, unless he's featured in a FUTURE cameo.

The hours observing people in the marketplaces—and not just in Balmora, because she’d totally spent some time in Caldera

OH yeah, like totally she spent time in Caldera, too. Like, rully, she did. Cool, another "Emergency" fashion meeting. Last time, we didn't get to find out what constitutes an emergency. ⛑

I agree with Satheri. I'm totally stoked!

Oh absolutely not, Jeval. Dudes can go into fashion too. Right Quinn? Hmm, Quinn does not concur. But that's a falacy, that men cannot rock the catwalk. Perhaps things are different in uptight Vvardenfell, though.... Maybe he'd get jailed or something.

Tipphania is the gal who's sort of spacey, right?

And it's exciting that an Argonian is also a part of the guild. Because we might think: what can a walking, scaly lizard bring? But I'd imagine there's plenty of decorative options she can bring, especially for accessories, especially for that tail. Options which would not work for other humanoids.

This scene's humorous, Clav! You're really good with humor, as well as tragedy.

Uh oh, it's Tomal.

The solitude she once loved now felt like torture, her thoughts bouncing around endlessly in her own head with nowhere to go.

Damn, that's deep. Yeesh. Poor gal. I am glad she's taking up this oppurtunity with Jolda. Honestly I think it'd be a bad idea to go off to that Dwemer expedition... it's too far away.

Wow, I really like today's song. Never heard of this band, Pavement. Gosh the 90s were fun.

This post has been edited by Renee: May 22 2023, 02:17 AM

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 2

With every second that Serjo Sloan dithered, Synda's future slipped a little further out of her hands. Not, she thought with some pride, that anyone would guess it by looking at her. She walked through Balmora's streets and markets with perfect posture and her head held high. Her soul trembled in terror, but she'd never add to her failures by showing fear to the rabble.

A good thing, too. The rabble was out in force that day, spilling out from Labor Town to protest taxes at the doorsteps of their betters. She did not so much as grant them the honor of an angry glare as she passed by.

She stopped briefly at the home of Nedrasa Leldro, the daughter of a slightly less respectable family and the majordomo of her Haute Society. As befitting Nedrasa's lower station, she gave Synda use of her mirror so that Synda could touch herself up for Serjo Sloan. Not that Nedrasa knew about Serjo Sloan. She only knew that there was a man and that Synda needed to be her best for him.

For her part, Synda knew that Nedrasa's father skimmed money from the city treasury. Nedrasa knew Synda knew, and this meant Synda could trust her with nearly anything. Leverage was the bond that brought them together, closer than sisters.

"He is honored to have you, Muthsera Grilvayn," Nedrasa had said, her head bowed. Synda said nothing. She held back the tears, resisted the urge to hug Nedrasa tight and thank her for saying she deserved him.

Instead, she continued applying foundation. She loved Nedrasa, but could not let Nedrasa forget her place. The world must think it owed Synda.

Once finished, Synda took her leave and waited for Serjo Sloan at the foot of the great stairway leading to High Town. Each passing moment squeezed her heart a little tighter until she feared it'd burst. Everything hinged on him telling his parents about their relationship and them accepting. They probably would. The Grilvayns weren't noble, but they were respectable. The Sloans were noble, but not always respectable. Clearly, the match made sense.

Serjo Sloan finally showed up, a hint of his inner louche manifesting itself in his messy hair and the relaxed ease of his walk. Gods, that annoyed her. It was the sort of thing his parents ought to have corrected. His years in the Imperial City had left their mark, and not for the better. She studied his face for signs of something different. Some hint that he'd finally made the move and secured her future.

Serjo Sloan didn't know the truth. That Synda's parents hated her, and with good reason. Her failure with the blackmail situation had rendered her unreliable, and Mother and Father talked (in secret, though she heard everything) about sending her away to a life of contemplation within the Tribunal Temple. In other words, a life spent groveling like a worm in the dirt. She'd worked too hard to let that happen.

"Serjo Sloan," she said, bowing her head. She smiled in that subtle way he seemed to like, as if she were letting him in on a secret.

"Sera Grilvayn," he replied. He arched his eyebrows, meaning he'd seen the smile. He still approved.

They fell in alongside each other as they climbed the stairs to High Town.

"Has serjo discussed my proposal with his father?" she asked.

Her stomach twisted like it did every time she asked that question. Because what if his father said no? With one casual refusal, he'd consign her to a lifetime of darkness and poverty without realizing it. He had no idea and never could know.

Serjo Sloan sighed. "Um, not yet."

With that came a curdled sense of relief. That at least she still had hope.

"Our marriage would benefit both of our families, Serjo Sloan. Though the Grilvayns are not wealthy, our name is in high regard, something that might be useful, considering how much time you spend with outlanders."

"Do we need to talk about this right now?" he asked. "It's a beautiful day; we're outside, and we have the entire city at our disposal!"

Damn you a hundred times over, she thought, fury blazing in her chest. He had everything, and she only had him! "The city's hardly at our disposal when we have to, like, hide our love."

"Right, we still have to be careful," he conceded. "But this isn't the place to talk about it."

He was right. A public street in High Town was certainly not the appropriate place. But at least that'd pressure him. Gods, if only she had blackmail. Surely, the Sloan family held all kinds of scandals. Anything to grab onto, to pull herself out of this ordeal and finally breathe easy for a little while.

"Why not? You do plan to marry me. Right?" She raised her volume a bit. Let the world hear.

"I never said that. Look, it hasn't even been a year since we met."

"Almost a year. Eleven months, to be precise," she corrected.

"Okay, fine. Eleven months. But marriage lasts for centuries. I'm just saying it'd be prudent if we waited a bit longer before committing."

She sniffed. "Then we should get betrothed. Betrothal is like, a testing period."

It'd also get both families involved. Momentum might then take its course and make marriage all but inevitable.

She stepped closer to him, let her hand brush against his. "We're Dunmer. We'll make it work."

"Synda, this is moving too fast for me. How long did your parents know each other before they were married?"

"Their marriage was arranged," she said.

"Yeah, same with my folks," he admitted.

"Then what's the problem? As Dunmer, it's our duty to marry and produce children," she said. "I am surprised that you'd be so cavalier, given your lofty position."

"I'm eighteen years old; this is the one time in my life I can afford to be cavalier!" he protested. "Besides, my parents were past their first century when they had me."

Did such carelessness run in their family? Doubtless, it stemmed from too much exposure to outlander ways.

"What if something happens to you? Someone must carry on the Sloan name. You owe that to Great House Hlaalu."

"You sound like one of my dad's advisors. Why can't you act like a girlfriend?" he demanded.

"This is what a good Dunmer girlfriend acts like! Maybe that's not what you're used to after the girls of the Imperial City," she said. She made her voice break at the end, as if about to cry, only for the tears to actually flow.

She was losing him. Losing her future.

"I don't like all this talk about my family. Right now, we're two young people with time and money. Let's enjoy that while we can," he said.

Synda was silent for a moment, holding back further tears. "Whatever you wish, Serjo Sloan. I'm actually needed at the Hlaalu Council Manor today."

Not true. But she didn't want to go home. With any luck, they'd have something for her to do over there.

"Right," he said. "I guess I'll get going then. Have a good day."

Panic bubbled up within her, breath hissing between her teeth as her lungs frantically pumped. No, no, no, she was Synda Grilvayn, daughter and first child of Tamric and Lynda Grilvayn, a virtuous Dunmer maiden who'd strived all her life to be better, to be adorned in gold and finery, and be obeyed for her strength and virtue and it could not end now.

She turned around to face him. "By the way, I will be participating in Drenlyn's pageant with the rest of the Haute Society."

Should she prompt him to go? No, he needed to make that decision on his own. She held her breath and watched, her head pounding.

He had to say yes!

"Oh. Uh, I'll definitely come over to see it. To see you, I mean."

Synda exhaled. That was apparently the best she'd get for now. Winning the pageant—which she would do—was sure to make her more worthy. "I would be honored by your presence, serjo," she said.

Enough weakness. She'd shown too much that day. Standing straight and perfect, for her station demanded no less, she walked with careful steps to the Hlaalu Council Manor as panic devoured her from within.

Musical Closer - Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Joy Division



This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 06:43 PM

[Acadian]

Very fun to read as I enjoyed watching Synda squirm and plot only to be blown off. Synda’s internal thoughts are every bit as shrewish as one could imagine and I would not wish her on anyone. I think Tomal is wise enough to avoid such a fate. Hmm, I suspect Daria once again becoming the target of Synda’s scheming ire as I imagine she will perceive Daria as competition.

[SubRosa]

I think Synda is going to have to get used to disappointment where Tom is concerned. He might go through the motions for the sake of propriety, but in the end that is just never going to happen.

Wow, her life is so incredibly toxic. The very foundations of her relationships are built upon corruption, power, and privilege. If only she could blackmail herself into marriage. Sheesh!

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 3

Helping with pageant preparations turned out to be less annoying than Daria had expected. Most of the time, anyway. Going over expense accounts, arranging the schedule, and so forth, was fine. She couldn't dispel her unease, though. Not long ago, she'd have vented out all her fears to Jane and, in doing that, come up with a solution, or at least kept her fears at bay. Now, simply thinking about that reminded her that she'd probably never talk to Jane again.

Maybe she could talk to Tomal. An absurd idea on the face of it. Not like he'd ever suffered real trouble. In truth, she only wanted to see that smile of his, so sure and unflappable. A comforting reminder that nothing mattered all that much, so why worry?

Jonus and Julien walked up to the small pavilion that Daria used as an office. Jolda was off at the Mages Guild trying to secure the use of smokeless lights for the show, leaving Daria to hold down the fort.

"Yes?" she asked, already suspecting why they were there.

"Uh, me and Julien fixed the poster the way you wanted us to."

"Hopefully you followed basic directions this time," she said. "Hand it over."

Jonus did, and Daria laid it out on her desk.

Come One, Come All to the Pageant of Sartorial Splendor at Drenlyn Academy!

Good, she thought. No spelling errors so far.

The Gorgeous Girls of Drenlyn Academy will be Showing their Style this Loredas Evening! See What They Wear! It's the Future of Fashion—Today!

She shook her head and slashed out the more questionable words. "This is a fashion show, not a peep show," she said.

Jonus shrugged. "I mean, the only reason any of us guys are going is to check out the chicks."

"Yes, but we also want girls to attend. So it might not be wise to alienate half the potential audience by leering at them," she said. "And maybe lay off on the exclamation points."

Entry Fee is Five Septims Per Person. All Funds Raised Go Toward School Maintenance.

Okay, they hadn't screwed that part up. That was about it, except for some small writing in the lower right-hand corner. She peered in for a closer look, adjusting her lenses to make sense of the cramped letters.

Quinn you're the most beautiful girl in Drenlyn! Will you please go out with me!

- Jonus

She sighed and massaged her forehead. "Jonus, do you know what a conflict of interest is?"

He was silent for a moment. "Yes."

"Then you understand why it's a problem for you to endorse my sister on a poster that needs to be impartial to the contestants?"

His eyes looked from side to side, like an animal that sensed it was walking into a trap but lacked the intelligence to comprehend the situation. "Uh, yeah. Totally."

Julien blinked. "Wait, you endorsed Quinn? That's what I was going to do! But I was going to write it in after Daria approved, dummy!"

Jonus looked down at his feet. "Oh, yeah."

"Also," Daria added, "you shouldn't end questions with exclamation marks. My sister's a real stickler for punctuation."

Jonus flinched. "Okay, okay, let me fix it—"

Daria pulled the parchment back. "I don't think so. This is the second time you bozos have screwed up a very simple assignment, so I'll handle it from here."

Julien threw his hands in the air. "You messed it up, Jonus!"

"Hey, at least I was trying!"

Daria tuned the two idiots out and began working on an alternative poster. The pageant was only a few days away, and the poster ought to have been out at the beginning of the week. At least Jolda had hired some competent criers to spread the word.

Jonus and Julien went off to settle their quarrel somewhere else. The sun had begun its descent by the time Jolda returned.

"I fired Jonus and Julien and finished the mockup myself," Daria said.

"What happened?" Jolda asked.

"They seemed to be under the impression that the purpose of the poster was to impress Quinn. I disabused them of this notion."

Jolda chuckled. "Sorry you had to deal with that. I'm amazed your sister has the patience for them."

"She has patience for anything that gets her attention, hence her enthusiastic participation in the pageant," Daria said. "How did the negotiations go?"

Jolda moved her head from side to side. "Not as well as they could have, but we're still within budget."

"I'm heartened to know that Lli is able to meet minimum safety standards while being as cheap as possible."

"Something like that," Jolda said as she walked into the tent and rifled through the records.

Daria hesitated. Did she want to ask if Jolda had talked to her dad about Daria's job prospects? Because if Armand was still mad, the night of the pageant would go from an annoyance to an ordeal. Mom was going to be there to support Quinn, and she'd almost certainly meet Armand and hear all about Daria's latest bridge-burning escapade.

"Uh, by any chance, did you talk with your dad about me?" Daria finally asked, forcing the words out of her throat.

"I haven't yet." Jolda turned to face Daria, her limpid eyes and faint smile giving her a slightly too practiced look. "I promise I will."

"Appreciated, but this does need to be before the pageant. Which is the day after tomorrow."

"My dad's at Moonmoth meeting with some government reps. He'll be back on Loredas morning, and I can talk to him then."

More likely, Daria thought, you didn't want to talk to him until I did all this damned busywork. But she kept her suspicion to herself. Besides, it didn't actually seem like something Jolda would do.

"You know, Daria, it might help me if I knew a little more about why you got into that big fight with my dad."

Daria raised her eyebrows. "He's not exactly shy about making his opinions known. He didn't rant to you about it at length?"

"Not exactly. He said something about you being self-righteous."

That stung. "Hm. I did object to some of the ways that the Empire uses the IAS."

"I remember you voicing your criticisms back in Arkngthand," Jolda said. "But if it bothers you that much, maybe the IAS isn't for you."

"Maybe. At this point, I just want you to smooth things over so that my mom doesn't get on my case. My goal is to keep her thinking that I'm still looking for ways to advance myself."

Jolda sighed and sounded almost disappointed. Daria narrowed her eyes. "What? Are my motives too self-serving for your liking?" she asked. "I thought you'd be used to that after working with Director Lli for so long."

"Don't give me that, Daria," Jolda said, crossing her arms.

"Okay, sorry." Alienating one of the last people still on her side wasn't a wise move, though part of her wanted to do it anyway. Why not, at this point?

"It's all right. But if you don't approve of the IAS, there probably isn't a way to get you and my dad on the same page. Assuming that's truly the reason you were angry."

Feeling exposed, Daria lowered her gaze. She didn't want to admit the real reason she'd gone off on Armand. Her motivation had been idiotic.

"I'll admit that I was dealing with some personal issues," Daria said. "Maybe some of the stress carried over to the interview."

"Was it something with Jane?"

Daria glared at Jolda and narrowed her eyes. "I have a life outside of Jane, you know."

That was probably a lie, she realized.

Jolda raised her hands. "Not saying you don't. Okay, so you were having a bad day. That happens. How about this? I'll tell him that you felt a little overwhelmed."

Which, Daria realized, was true. But she hated that idea. She'd never been a sentimentalist. The small-minded hicks in Charach had taught her the harsh truth of things early on, and she'd accepted their lesson with cool-eyed clarity. The world didn't care about her, so she'd return the favor tenfold. But somehow, against all logic, she now did care. And caring about the world created so many more ways for it to hurt her.

"I'm not sure your dad would be too keen on an easily overwhelmed archeologist," Daria said.

"What do you want me to say, then?"

Daria thought about it a bit but came up with nothing. "Go ahead. I guess I can stand your dad thinking I'm occasionally soft-headed, so long as it gets me out of trouble."

"I'll do what I can," Jolda said. "I promise."

Daria said nothing. She swallowed her bitterness and wished she was still the hard-hearted little girl she'd been back in Charach: Cold, smart, and safe.

Musical Closer - If I Only Had A Heart, by Ozma

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 06:45 PM

[SubRosa]

It's funny that the parts Daria minds the least - the logistics like scheduling and accounting - are the parts that most people absolute loathe. You know, the boring parts. That is so Daria.

Daria talking to Tom about it. That is going to go over so well with Sydna being his soon to be ex girlfriend.

Is Jolda going to bring back some of the those light crystals that the Ayleids used in their ruins? Well, they were using them before they became ruins. Or maybe some of those Dwemer gas/electric lights (not sure what they run on).

Love the little bit added by Jonus! He is so never going to get anywhere with Quinn...

Moonmoth always makes me think of Monmouth, and the battle there. Not to mention Moonmouth, which makes me think the fort is going to eat people.

“Not exactly. He said something about you being self-righteous.”
That would be quite accurate.

But somehow, against all logic, she now did care. And caring about the world created so many more ways for it to hurt her.
January can relate. She and Daria just go about dealing with it in vastly different ways.

[Acadian]

Jonus and Julien still trying to impress Quinn. . . .

C’mon, Daria – Jolda is trying to help, in spite of you trying to alienate her. At least you realize that you are alienating her. If Jolda’s going to advocate for you, you have to give her something to work with. Your mom, the lawyer, would tell you that as well.

[Renee]

There's an epilogue... All good things must come to an end, but still.

You bring up a good point: Daria might simply not be psychologically ready to go that far from home.

It's more than distance though. My sister went to school in England for a year, for instance. She was a stewardess for awhile too, flying all over the world. I moved to California in my 20s and later to Oregon in my 30s. But in all these cases, I never had to worry about finding work in a dark, dangerous location packed with animated automatons! On the way to these destinations, I didn't have to worry about getting attacked by giant creatures!

I'm just saying that Daria's not really the right candidate for that sort of thing. Arkngnthand was different. It is close by, with people she knew from her everyday life. Anyway...

"Hey, let me use your mirror."

"Uh, what for?"

"Yours is not to question me, peasant. Mirror, now!"

Just paraphrasing.... but Synda's motives take presedence, even to freshen up her looks. Ah. But it's really about the fact that this Nedrasa knows Synda can blackmail her father. But Synda's feeling really bad in side. She wants to tell Nedrasa (whom I just referred to as 'peasant') but can't. Because she doesn't want her to know she's actually got feelings. Wow, what a complicated scene.

Anyway, I don't think this is gonna go well with Tomal Sloan.

Serjo Sloan finally showed up, hints of his inner louche manifesting itself in his slightly tousled hair and the relaxed ease of his walk. Gods, that annoyed her

She's not in love with him. If she were, she'd overlook this sort of thing, perhaps. Maybe be endeared by it. But actually, this isn't above love (from her perspective).

Meanwhile (goodness) Daria can't stop thinking about the Big Mer!

Jonus put his deepest desires on a poster everyone in Balmora's gooing to see? Ah, geez.

This post has been edited by Renee: May 31 2023, 03:56 AM

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 4

"Okay, let's go back to basic breathing," Quinn said.

Satheri gulped and nodded. Then she opened her mouth and breathed in and out, sounding like a punctured bellows.

"No, Satheri! Breathe through your nose! Come on, you know this."

Quinn didn't get it. She'd never seen Satheri so nervous! Worst of all, the pageant was in a few days. She'd been so busy trying to help Satheri that she'd barely had time to figure out her own routine.

"Right. Through my nose... Oh my gosh, Quinn, I don't think I'm ready for this!"

"Satheri, you're fine. You're way cuter and more stylish than any of the other girls competing." Quinn almost added "in your bracket" but stopped herself. No, Satheri needed to believe she was the most stylish girl in the whole freaking world for the next few days.

"Green eyeshadow… looks weird… on me…" Tiphannia droned, looking at herself in Satheri's honest-to-goodness glass mirror. The pageant was a big deal, so Quinn had called for daily meetings. This one was at Satheri's house. Treads-on-Ferns hadn't shown up yet, which was kind of worrisome since Treads hadn't been to yesterday's either.

Satheri sniffed. "It's just, well, I have to compete against girls from good families, Quinn."

"But you're from a good family, too! The Rowenis are like super-rich."

Satheri looked down at her feet.

"Eyes up, Satheri!"

"Right! Sorry!" Her head shot up, and the poor girl's eyes bulged in a way that did not look good. "I'm scared about competing against some of the other girls, like—"

The door swung open, and Treads-on-Ferns stepped in with Jeval. "Hi, sorry, we're late."

"Treads, don't you think Satheri's like the cutest Dunmer girl in Drenlyn?" Quinn prompted.

"I have to admit, I'm still a little hazy on what Men and Mer see as cute—"

Quinn glared. "Treads!"

Gods, sometimes Treads was as bad as Daria!

"Sorry! Way cuter," Treads agreed.

"The cutest," Jeval said.

Treads cleared her throat. "Uh, Quinn? Look, I hate to spring this on you at the last second, but I'm not going to compete."

Quinn's jaw dropped. "But why? Oh my gosh, guys, we cannot fall apart this close to the pageant!"

"Maybe… I should use… red… eyeshadow… instead…" Tiphannia said.

"Sorry, but I've made up my mind."

Quinn hurried over to Treads. "But you'd be so good on stage!"

"I know. Here's the thing: I'm the only Argonian in Drenlyn Academy. Nobody there looks like me. Nobody there thinks I'm pretty."

"Fashion transcends beauty, Treads. And I'm sure Argonian guys would be like falling over themselves for a chance with you."

"Thanks. But you know there aren't any Argonian guys in Drenlyn, and I don't want to draw attention to myself. Frankly, there are some folks who'll hate to see any Argonian on stage."

Quinn looked at her friend. Really looked at her. She still wasn't good at reading Treads' expressions, but she could tell Treads meant this. She also knew that a lot of people—a lot of Dunmer, especially—hated Argonians.

She couldn't do that to Treads. She or Tiphannia could still win the outlander bracket without her. But they needed Satheri for the Dunmer bracket.

"It's okay, Treads. It sucks that things are like that." She hugged Treads, feeling her soft fine scales pressing against her cheek.

"Wait, guys!" Satheri said. "It's not fair for us to compete when Treads-on-Ferns can't. Maybe none of us should do the pageant. In like…" she trailed off.

Oh, great! Quinn disengaged from Treads. She needed to fix this, and fast!

"Solidarity?" Treads asked.

"Yeah, solitaire!" Satheri pressed her teeth together in this creepy fake grin. "There, all settled!" she said, her teeth still clenched.

Treads shook her head. "Hold on; I don't want you guys to give up. This is my choice, and I made it for me. Besides, Satheri, I'd love for you to show up Synda. You totally could, too."

"We'll win for you, Treads!" Quinn promised.

Satheri made a noise stuck somewhere between a squeak and a scream.

"What about…" Tiphannia said, "violet… eyeshadow…"

*********

By Fredas, Synda was exhausted. Not that it mattered. There was no shame in exhaustion so long as it stayed hidden.

Each day passed in a haze of style experimentation. Her reflection paraded across her full-length copper mirror in each of the hundreds of combinations of gowns and accessories. She tied her hair into a thousand new styles until the strands no longer obeyed her numbed fingers. When she saw how she looked—face slathered in paint, her locks askew—she'd fall to her knees and pray to Mother Alma for mercy because she had no other hope.

"Make Serjo Sloan love me! Then Mom will forgive me!" She'd cried out, pressing her face against the floor.

It'd be decided at the pageant, she was sure. Serjo Sloan would either see her and deem her an acceptable wife, or he would not.

She went to Drenlyn early on Fredas morning. The protestors had come in force to the riverside markets, a festering mass of the intermittently washed and mostly foreign-born. Her contempt for them provided a far better mask than the cosmetics that only imperfectly hid the dark circles beneath her eyes. No matter how far she fell, she'd always be above them.

Magistrate Lli had done well in preparing campus for the next day's pageant. A wooden stage stood in the courtyard, along with rows of benches. Synda took note of all the details: Where she'd walk, how many (more or less) would see her, and so forth. She caught sight of Satheri walking into the campus, as slight and frightened as always. A joyful little surge of cruelty welled up in Synda's chest. At least she could keep Satheri in her place.

"Satheri," she said, casting the naïve young girl in her coldest glare.

"Oh! Sera Grilvayn! You honor me with your presence." She looked up at Synda, the fear in her eyes making Synda feel like a giant. "I was actually kind of hoping we could talk?"

"Then talk," Synda said, stern and patient, as was proper for a lady of her station.

"Um, I'm going to be competing against you tomorrow. But please don't take that as any kind of challenge to the Grilvayns!" She made a high-pitched giggle. "It's just a silly little school fashion contest, anyway."

"Silly though it may be, the positions of our various families cannot help but be taken into account," Synda said. "Perhaps this is why Briltasi chose not to compete. As she is highborn, we would be obligated to lose to her."

"I'm not sure this is the same—"

"Oh, Satheri, it is!" Synda said, relishing the false concern in her voice. This girl was so simple. Synda's to break, to shape, to remold. Satheri would be a fine daughter if she only had a bit of spine. "I am sure that you will remember my family's position tomorrow."

"Oh!" she gasped. "Yes. Of course. I'm only doing this because Muthsera Morgendorffer wants me to. I won't get in your way."

"Good. Don't worry. I still haven't told Quinn how you truly feel about outlanders like her." Nor was Quinn the worst of that bunch, Synda thought. "Her and that disgusting lizard she keeps around."

"Treads is… uh… but I didn't know what it meant to burn those flowers, Sera Grilvayn!" Satheri said, somehow managing to shrink even more. She looked like some helpless scrib trying to curl into itself to escape a predator. Synda smelled blood in the air and smiled.

"Perhaps not, but you proved yourself to be a true daughter of Morrowind that day. Perhaps we shall again gather heather for the bonfires."

Satheri gulped.

"Has our conversation been to your satisfaction?" Synda asked.

"Yes, Sera Grilvayn," she said.

"Good."

Muscles locked from tension and anxiety suddenly relaxed, and Synda let herself smile as Satheri scurried away. She still had power. She still had life.

Maybe it was time to set things in motion.

She found Karl the Unctuous looking through some papers behind the stage. Magistrate Lli had, for some incomprehensible reason, decided he'd be the event's announcer. It at least made him potentially useful.

"Karl," she said.

"Ah, what's this?" He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "I'm at your disposal, Muthsera Grilvayn."

She resisted the urge to strike him for failing to understand Dunmer honorifics. "I want you to make an announcement when I come on stage tomorrow."

"Hmm, an intriguing request! But what do I get out of it?"

"Your father will get an ally in a very high place, which will benefit you as well."

His leer faded. "Interesting. Go on."

The greed of outlanders knew no bounds. He'd never understand how much the Grilvayns had fought and bled and worked over the centuries to ensure her position. Her ancestors had earned this foreign upstart's obedience. But she stayed calm.

"When I walk on stage—not a moment sooner—introduce me as the daughter of Tamric and Lynda Grilvayn, and as the beloved of Serjo Tomal Sloan."

Karl's eyes widened. "I see. I trust Serjo Sloan knows about this?"

"Of course," Synda lied. "I'd never be so gauche as to do this without his permission."

"Right. So you won't mind if I ask him myself?"

She huffed. "Do not insult me, outlander. When I am among the Sloans, I will be in a position to offer great opportunity to the East Empire Company in Balmora."

"Yes, well, the Sloans don't work with the company—"

"And as Serjo Sloan's future wife, I can change that," Synda said. "Your father will get credit for bringing the Sloans into the fold, and I'm sure he'll be grateful to you. But again, I do not tolerate insult or doubt. You must decide now."

Karl tented his fingers. "Hmm, I have always enjoyed a good gamble."

"It's hardly a gamble when the payoff is guaranteed," she said.

"However!" Karl interjected. "You're on your own if Serjo Sloan is upset with this. I am, after all, merely a humble announcer, powerless to do more than occasionally embellish my scripts."

She sniffed. "Of course."

"If there's a problem, I'll simply say you set me up for it. Your people don't expect much from clueless outlanders like me, but they do have expectations for proper ladies like yourself," he said, an oily smile spreading across his freckled face.

Synda considered her options. At this point, she no longer had any. "There won't be a problem," she said.

He bowed his head. "Marvelous doing business with you. I'm sure it'll be even more marvelous once you marry into the Sloans."

The bell rang, the sound thick and doleful in the cool morning air. She turned away from Karl without another word. The events had already been set in motion. It was a gamble, but the Dunmer did not fear risk. Her ancestors had traversed desert and jungle to reach Morrowind. The holy Tribunal had dared to make themselves gods. The Dunmer people had wrenched a paradise from desolation through grit and righteous cruelty. Synda's plan was simply the latest example of a long and proud tradition.

Musical Closer - Musician, Please Take Heed, by God Help the Girl

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 06:48 PM

[Acadian]

Quinn’s meeting was a hoot! Everyone was so very much in character and the way you played them off each other was superb. Quinn is struggling but really skilled at trying to hold them all together. Satheri is freaking out from anxiety and lack of self confidence. Treads makes some fair points about being an Argonian but does fall in line trying to buck up Satheri. And Tiphannia is obliviously Tiphannia.

Then we spend some time inside the nasty darkness that is Synda’s head. The only thing that improved her mood was some time berating poor Satheri. I looked up the word entitled in the dictionary and, sure enough, there was a picture of Synda. Oh my. It is with pleasure that I anticipate her proposed announcement that she is the beloved of Tomal will absolutely backfire on her. You’ve really done a good job with Synda. We love to hate her but, at the same time, understand that some of who/what she is has been forged by her family and culture. That, combined with what I believe to be her natural inclination toward shrewishness, scheming at the expense of other and downright cruelty, have combined to create quite a villain.

[SubRosa]

Back to basic breathing. Not what I was expecting. Ok, so this is Satheri, and her insecurities about being in the spotlight. Yeah, she needs training. But if anyone can prepare you for being the center of attention, it is Quinn.

Hmmm, where is Treads?

The Tribunal forbid that Treads be as bad as Daria!

And Tiphanna is in the background so completely self-absorbed that she has no awareness of the drama unfolding around her.

Sydna is - as ever - a pleasure to spend time with.

UpChuck is back! I have been wondering where has gotten to with his slimy self.

Oh boy, Sydna's is going to find that stunt with Tom is soo going to backfire on her... Now I am starting to look forward to this.

[Renee]

Quinn's trying to be supportive while Satheri's having fits while Tiphannia seems stoned or something! The Argonian is a no-show. Believe it or not, this is how it goes in the fashion world sometimes. My grandma owned a studio long ago in Baltimore. I never participated in any shows myself (well... I was forced to when I was really young) but I remember how intense it could be behind the scenes. Quinn's having to keep it all together; she's supposed to be the rock.

Uh oh, Treads is dropping out. This cannot be! Come on Quinn, get this lizard back in line!

I get it, though. Thing is, it'd definitely be scary being up on stage parading around, if you're the only example of a particular race, and you KNOW plenty of others hate your kind. Oh well.

Tiphannia's still worried about her stupid eyeshadow!

And Synda seems as though she's trying way too hard, once again. I swear that girl... this is all going to backfire on her.

Whoa.. I really like today's song. 'God Help the Girl'? That's the name of this musical group? Or the name of the song? Lords, this is nice. I really like when the beat kicks in. Listen to these lyrics! These harmonies! I must depart to visit my favorite MP3 site, now!

This post has been edited by Renee: Jun 4 2023, 02:05 PM

[WellTemperedClavier]

Chapter 5

The setting sun smoldered as the Morgendorffers arrived for the Pageant of Sartorial Splendor.

"I'm sure this will be an interesting evening!" Mom said, using that slightly falsetto voice she always used when praising something she didn't actually like.

"In the same way that torture is interesting," Daria said.

"Come on, kiddo!" Dad said. "You worked on this too, didn't you?"

"I did work hard, which is why I think I should be rewarded with a quiet night home."

More specifically, a quiet night away from where Mom and Armand would likely meet. Her future balanced on a knife's edge. Best-case scenario: Jolda had smoothed everything over, and Daria could go on doing… What, exactly? Sign up for the IAS and count gears for the rest of her life? Hang around Balmora doing nothing?

Worst-case scenario: Armand was still mad and would tell Mom that Daria had sunk her single best chance at gainful employment. It wasn't something Mom could easily forgive. But maybe it didn't matter. Sooner or later, everyone hated her, so she might as well get it out of the way.

Quinn and her lackeys huddled near the stage in their flashiest outfits. Quinn had spent hours getting her hair and dress—her blue one but gussied up with a bunch of insect-shell accoutrements around the collar and hem—just right.

Quinn's voice drifted through the smoggy air. "Okay, guys, we can do this!"

The words jabbed Daria like spears. Everything came so damned easily to Quinn.

Mom and Dad had started talking with some of the other parents, so Daria ambled over to one of the food vendors and bought a handful of roasted beetles wrapped in a hackle-lo leaf, barely noticing the tangy succulence as she scarfed it down.

"Hey, Daria!"

It was Tomal, dressed up as always. Maybe this night wouldn't be a total waste.

"Hey," she said, her cheeks suddenly warm. Hearing his voice lightened the load. "What brought you to this den of depravity?"

"I see it as part of my responsibility to bear witness to civilization's gradual descent into howling barbarism. That and get away from my dad talking about Heartlands investment opportunities. What about you? I figured you'd have fled this venal superficiality in favor of your hermitage."

She smiled at that.

"I am partially responsible for all this venal superficiality," she said, gesturing to the stage. "Helped go over the expense sheets and everything. I hope that doesn't shatter your image of me."

"On the contrary, Daria. That's what I like about you. You're not afraid to embrace the horror."

"Mindless busywork can be a good way of avoiding uncomfortable introspection."

"There you go!"

"Are Lord and Lady Sloan here?" Daria asked.

Tomal shook his head. "I sneaked off on my own. Thought it might be fun to see all this desperate social climbing."

Easy for you to say, Daria thought. Then she wondered if Jane had thought the same thing about some of Daria's own jokes. Looked like that uncomfortable introspection was more stubborn than she'd have liked.

The sun's last livid rays vanished into the west. Arcane light sprang to life a moment later, nestled in orbs of tempered glass that glowed with soft yellow warmth amidst the smoky darkness.

"Actually," Tomal said, "this is my last night in Balmora."

Daria's heart skipped a beat. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"And you're spending it doing this?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Make it a joke, she thought. It can't hurt if it's a joke.

"There are a few other people in Drenlyn I need to say goodbye to," he said. "Uh, business reasons, basically. I've been too busy helping out at home to come here for the past few days."

"Huh. Is Balmora too humble for the refined Sloans?"

"My mom's scared of the protests. Personally, I think she's overreacting, but she talked my dad into going back to Ravil Manor out in the countryside. We're leaving tomorrow morning."

That was that. Daria swallowed the lump in her throat. One disappointment after another. No, she wasn't going to cry like some lovestruck kid. Tomal was a noble. He'd be trouble anyway. Better for her to be alone.

"In that case, I hope you have a safe journey," she said.

"Thanks."

Taking a deep breath, she left to rejoin her parents.

"Hey, Daria?" Tomal said.

She considered pretending she hadn't heard. Except she burned to know what else he wanted to say.

"Yeah?" She turned back to face him, wanting to run her fingers through his hair.

"I'm glad we ran into each other. Honestly, you're the most interesting person I met in Balmora."

"That's setting the bar pretty low, isn't it?"

"How about you're one of the most interesting people I've ever met, period? I wish we could have had more time to know each other."

Damn you for saying that, Daria thought.

"Yeah, uh, you seem pretty interesting yourself. Uh, I better go back to my parents."

The lights from the Mages Guild were reliable, but not strong. Daria was glad for that, since it meant no one could see the tears running down her cheeks. Still reeling from Tomal's news, Daria didn't see Jolda until she was almost on top of her.

"Daria, I'm sorry... I thought I'd talked my dad down!"

Stunned, Daria stared.

Jolda continued. "I brought it up when he came home this morning. He said he'd think about giving you another chance and didn't seem angry about it or anything. But on the way here, he started complaining about you again. I'm sorry—"

"Is your dad here?" Daria asked.

"At the entrance. I ran in to find you."

Daria nodded.

"Are you going to be okay? If you want, I can—"

"It's fine, Jolda," Daria said, feeling strangely numb.

She might as well let it happen at this point.

*********

Quinn brushed her hair one last time. The show was about to start. Outlanders first, and Dunmer after. Director Lli and the other judge, whom Lli said was a middle-ranking Hlaalu, would be there to ruthlessly go over each decision she and the other girls had made. It'd be tough. But if they'd made the right choices? Sure, a little school pageant show wasn't much. A victory here didn't get them that much closer to being a guild.

It'd be a start, though.

"You two ready?" Treads-on-Ferns asked.

"I am," Quinn said.

She looked over to Tiphannia, who was absolutely gorgeous in the rose-colored moth-silk gown Quinn had picked for her. What really stood out was her headdress, made up of a bunch of flowers and a pair of horns. Traditional Keptu-quey garb, according to her. It looked a little strange. And also amazing, Quinn had decided.

"Tiphannia's definitely ready," she added.

Which only left…

"Satheri?"

Satheri stepped out of the shadows. Instead of the dress they'd decided on, she wore that boxy dark blue one that Quinn had kept trying to talk her into throwing away, and barely had any makeup on! Not that Satheri needed makeup—she was cute enough to go without—but the whole point of the pageant was to look better than your best.

"Uh, hi, Muthsera Morgendorffer!" she said, and giggled. Not the happy kind of giggle, but the kind of giggle Satheri made when she tried not to freak out.

"What's going on? Was something wrong with the dress we picked?"

She shook her head. "Uh, sorry. Something happened to it. Yeah."

"What happened to it? You should have told me! My yellow dress would look great on you."

Satheri shrank back. "I'll, uh, tell you later."

Quinn's heart sank. She'd seen the other Dunmer girls, all decked out in their absolute best. Satheri didn't stand a chance.

Why had she done this?

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Karl's voice rang out from the front of the stage. "It is my humble honor to present the stylish and visionary young ladies of Drenlyn Academy in our first ever Pageant of Sartorial Splendor…"

Quinn straightened up. Nothing to be done about it now. They could still win the outlander bracket.

*********

The problem with doomsday is that it never happened soon enough.

Daria sat between her mom and dad as the outlander girls paraded across the stage. Karl opened with a florid introduction for each contestant. Then the girl would say a few words about what she wore and why she'd selected it. Then the judges asked a few easy questions.

Armand and his family sat on the bench across the aisle from the Morgendorffers. Mom had spotted them just before the show had started, which made an encounter inevitable.

So Daria sat and waited. Quinn got her moment on stage. She earned applause from Mom and loud cheers from Dad.

The family's future rested on Quinn. Daria was already spent and used up. Sure, the IAS wasn't everything, but it had been her best shot. Maybe she was too weird to fit in anywhere. Once upon a time, she'd have been proud of that fact. Now it only made her sad.

Quinn stepped off, and Karl walked on, a broad grin on his face.

"So ends the first half of the Pageant of Sartorial Splendor! We've watched these outlander ladies bring styles from all over the Empire to our humble stage. After our break, we'll have a chance to see the styles coming from the heart of Morrowind itself!"

Audience members stood up and stretched. Daria's heart lurched in her chest.

"I thought Quinn looked great, didn't you?" Dad asked.

"She did! She's in her element tonight," Mom said. "Oh, Daria, let's go talk to Armand. Maybe he'll be more open about taking you on at the IAS."

"Uh…"

"Armand!" Mom called out her voice cheery.

Armand already walked toward Mom, his expression guarded. Jolda, still seated, gave Daria an apologetic look.

It's not like Daria hadn't been scolded before. She remembered how disappointed Mom had been after the fracas at the Mages Guild. This would be worse. She couldn't flee to Jane's house the way she used to.

"Hey, I'm going to grab a bite to eat," Dad said. "Be back in a jiff!"

Mom and Armand were talking. She couldn't hear the words over the noise of the crowd, but she heard the emotions. Ambition disguised as polite conversation on her Mom's part, followed by something gruffer from Armand. Then surprise from Mom, and a stumbling apology.

This was it. Daria closed her eyes.

"Daria!" Mom said. "Armand told me that you insulted him all through the interview! What's the meaning of this?"

She didn't yell. She didn't need to. The hurt in her voice was enough.

"I'm plain no good?" Daria said.

Better to apologize. But at this point, she wanted to bring things to a head. Drop the charade once and for all.

"Your father and I have done everything for you. Do you... do you understand any of that? Do you think that all of this is free?" Mom gestured at the school. "Armand gave you a wonderful opportunity, and you threw it back at him!"

"It wouldn't have worked, Mom. There's not a place for me in the IAS." Daria made it sound casual. Like it was no big deal.

She knew that'd make her mom angrier.

"There's no place for anyone, Daria! Not unless you make one for yourself! What, do you think the School of Julianos welcomed me in? Do you think I've had it easy? No, I had to fight every step of the way!

"I'll never understand how you became so spoiled as to think the world owes you a place. Your father and I always tried to teach you the value of hard work and the importance of doing well. We didn't raise you like some damned aristocrat. Quinn understands it. Why don't you? You're a brilliant girl, Daria, but you're wasting that intelligence. I am just so tired of you!"

Daria stood up. Her head spun, each word from her mom hitting her like a blow from a hammer. She walked away, no longer able to say anything.

"Daria! Come back here at once!"

She picked up speed. She needed someone to talk to.

She needed Tomal.

Musical Closer - Only In Dreams, by Weezer



This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Dec 1 2024, 06:50 PM

[Acadian]

No lives on the line in a pitched battle; nor is the balance of Morrowind hanging in the grip of some big bad Daedra Lord. Yet, you had me on the edge of my seat for most of this episode. Testimony to your ability to really make your readers care about what Daria and Quinn are worried about as each of them have their own disparate concerns about the evening.

Daria’s self-doubts and introspection were poignant and contained elements of truth. Mom's initial reaction after being enlightened by Armand is understandabe anger at Daria. It is too bad Daria has been so closed off; otherwise Mom might realize how her angry words just seem to fulfill Daria’s prophecy of failure. I do have faith that Mom is an Imperial mother – not a Dunmeri or Altmeri mother who discard imperfect children.

I feel quite sorry for Daria at this point – despite much of her problem being self-inflicted. Jane has left, she has blown the IAS job opportunity and now, Tomal is leaving.

Meanwhile, Quinn is valiantly attempting to salvage another Satheri crisis. Thankfully, the Tipstress seemed to have settled on the proper eye shadow and is looking good. I’m hoping Synda’s challenges and problems when her gang’s turn comes up are bigger than Quinn’s.

[SubRosa]

This night is shaping up to be a showdown, in more ways than one. It looks like Daria's antics with the IAS are likely to come out to Mom and Dad. Likewise Sydna's best made plans are definitely about to end as well those laid by mice and men.

But at least Tomal is here. Wait, at least Tomal is here? Well now Daria, tell us how you feel about him, without telling us how you feel about him. Someone's thirsty for Tommy.

Uh oh, Tom is headed to the countryside because the peasants are revolting. Well, almost Revolting. Given Daria's current state of gloom - as she realizes that the finding out stage of her previous fucking around is likely to arrive at any moment - it must come as a double whammy. What could make things worse? Quinn pushing her on stage and expecting her to model?

And cue up Cyndy's Lauper's song Time After Time. It is a legal requirement whenever a teenage girl runs away in tears after her boyfriend leaves her.

I see Synda's intimidation worked on Satheri. No surprise. One cannot help but feel sorry for the poor girl.

Oh boy, here it comes, Mom meets Armand. I am bracing myself for what is to come.

Well, that was not quite as bad as I expected. Granted it was just the tip of the iceberg. As Acadian noted, it is hard not to feel sorry for Daria. This must be her lowest point ever. She's lost her closest friend, alienated her family, and likely destroyed her future opportunities.

[Renee]

Yeah, God Help the Gal's really got some depth on several levels. One of those acts who probably doesn't get as much exposure, mostly due to producers only focusing on that 1% of talent these days.

Ha ha, mom and dad are back. Too bad they haven't got more lines! Always love the back and forth between them and their children. Yicch.... roasted beetles! 🐞

“I see it as part of my responsibility to bear witness to civilization’s gradual descent into howling barbarism. That and get away from my dad talking about Heartlands investment opportunities. What about you? I figured you’d have fled this venal superficiality in favor of your hermitage.”

I read the first half of this week's episode a couple nights ago, but I was half-asleep at the time. I remember thinking at first it was Daria who made the above statement! In a way it seems like he's mirroring her speech patterns, or something. Bitter humor, that is. Seems like these two could make quite the poignant pair.

Tomal though... one gets the sense he's got a lot more going for him than gets stated in print. He's got a lot going on, from the way he's always zipping in and out of these locals' lives.

Really shocked Tomal's leaving Balmora. Honestly didn't see that coming. It's not as much of a shock as Raven leaving Michigan, but that's only because the matriarch of SubRosa's tale has been with us for 4 years, whereas the Big Mer's been around maybe 4 months.

But from Daria's perspective it's just as much of a shift. And for Synda... uh oh. Life-changing. THAT is going to be the death of her. Because I don't think Tomal's answer to that clingy chick will be "yes".

Tiphannia's outfit sounds absolutely stunning. I hope she found the correct eyeshadow! But it sounds like Synda (that B!TCH) got to Satheri. Right?

I feel for Daria concerning this mess with Armand. I'm more on her side than I am on mom's side. Only because my perspective of Morrowind is how dangerous it is. I don't see Daria going off to some ruins in the middle of nowhere because of this; and this feeling has only compounded after the episodes (three of them, so far) in which Daria nearly lost her life during actual combat. So I feel like Daria made the right decision, burning that bridge. *shrug* And I feel like Daria's got enough smarts that she doesn't need to go so far away from home. Gotta be something for her here in town.

Really anticipating these fashion show results!

This post has been edited by Renee: Jun 7 2023, 11:56 AM