Maybe parties aren't all that bad (Talvas)

 OTP Challenge Dancing

I’ve never been a very good dancer, and that’s a fact made all the more obvious when you have not one but two people close to you who’ve been involved in ballet practically since they could walk. Isabelle, while I don’t see her often, sometimes shows up with Valan looking for Neloth to ask all manner of questions involving oblivion to which he usually refers to Fyr as the expert on the subject when his ego allows him. The other is Lin, who aside from Fyr might be the other best expert on all things daedric in the world, especially if they involve Mephala. How I met Lin originally I don’t remember, probably through Valan, or maybe Teldryn, as both have currently or former ties to Eno Hlaalu and the Morag Tong, who Lin works for tracking down all manner of sacred artifacts for the grandmaster assassin. Or did I meet Ling, the fiancé and friend of Teldryn first? Oh I don’t remember, but what I do know as I stand in the middle of a crowded inn common room is I have two left feet and social anxiety and I’m better off getting out of here. Slipping my way past this person and that I reach the exit to the room, and after a solid ten minutes of wandering through winding imperial corridors I find the exit to the building itself and step outside. No one will miss me I’m sure, Neloth was busy chatting with Fyr who in turn was making sure Ayron was up to no trouble and the girls I didn’t see. Isabelle had skulked off hours ago despite the event being primarily for the blades with the exception of the Skyrim chapter who apparently are not on good terms with the rest of the lot regarding some ancient dragon. Valan I last saw talking to the twins about different kinds of weapons while Anna sat nearby looking nearly as bored as me, and Teldryn had walked off with his sister and Ling to discuss something likely work related while Lin entertained little Xu with ballerina stances and fairy stories. There were more people I didn’t recognize, a red headed fellow and a brunette both armed with paper and pen rather than swords were busy scrawling things down, what looked to be an Altmer doctor chatting with another few elves- perhaps from the dominion? I doubt it, the blades wouldn’t allow it, and besides they seemed rather friendly with them. One blade, a redguard I’ve seen in the company of Isabelle frequently giving each of the four altmer and their smaller bosmer friend a big hug. Other blades wander around, some in armor some off duty and dressed in more formal wear, though the grandmaster of the blades an older Breton man whose name escapes me still wears his ceremonial armor. “Now what’s a wizard doing out here all alone?” A familiar calm voice draws me out of my sulking thoughts and I look up from the ground. In front of me with a slight smile on his face stands Eno Hlaalu, grandmaster of the Morag Tong. “Sulking.” I reply looking up at the old man who like Fyr, and Neloth, and almost anyone I know who somehow knows Fyr, looks unchanged even after so many years have passed since Valan first met him. The master assassin moves and comes to sit next to me with a sigh, the ceremonial Tanto and Wakizashi carefully adjusted to not be damaged and the red robes and scarf he nearly always wears wiped off to get rid of any dusk. “The moons are beautiful tonight, don’t you think, Talvas?” He asks me, pointing to Masser and Secunda in turn as they sit amongst the stars over the imperial city. The sky is so much clearer here than at home, I never would have imagined so many stars, twinkling bright lights scattered against a dark blue sky. However I find them to be a cold light, distant and intangible, not like the ash and fire of home. “Yes, they are master. Why do you ask?” The old man chuckles slightly “Sometimes when faced with strangers in a strange land, all you need to do is look up and see something you know.” Ah, old men and their life lessons that make no sense, haven’t I had enough of those already being around Neloth all day long? How does Valan deal with all of them at the same time?! After a few more minutes of conversation Eno gets up from his spot and goes to walk inside, gesturing for me to follow though I hesitate. “There’s zombies in the sewers and guards out there Talvas, and maybe even the thieves guild or dark brotherhood.” Eno points out calmly, which is enough to get me scrambling to follow, and the turn of events only causes him to smirk slightly before closing the door. Back to the party we go, now to just hope I don’t make a fool of myself.

We seem to have come back at almost the perfect time, Teldryn and Qin along with Ling have returned and so Eno and I join them. There seems to be some kind of performance we’ve stumbled upon, Isabelle had grabbed her flute at some point shortly before our return and on a nearby stage she stands along with Lin, now dressed in a beautifully colorful traditionally styled dress and performing a millennia old style of ballet in addition to singing in her native dialect found in the middle and northwestern areas of Redoran territory before switching to the more common dialect that is mutually intelligible by inhabitants of almost all great houses. The two performers get a standing ovation, as they deserve, the combination of Isabelle’s flute which in and of itself if very Breton in sound and design combined with the uniquely Dunmer style of song and dance is interesting. A combination of the two northern counties, one furthest east and one west, and yet three things unite them; magic, artistic culture, and hatred of the altmer above almost anyone else. The grandmaster of the blades thanks the two for their performance and display of cultural unity before exiting the stage to resume talking to Eno. “I wish I could dance like that.” I find myself muttering to myself, unfortunately while gifted with magic I failed when it comes to motor coordination, much to my farming employed parents disappointment, still their encouraged me enough that I somehow became apprentice to one of the most powerful wizards in Tamriel, so I haven’t brought them complete dishonor, at least yet. Long after midnight the party eventually ends save for a few straggling conversations, the twins talk among themselves as Anna seems to have fallen asleep at a nearby table, Fyr and Neloth discuss the Psijic order as neither really need sleep or so they say, and the blades discuss their own things as they help clean up. I end up helping them clean, the urge to help was simply too great, and the redguard fellow who I recognized and now know as Baurus, who was apparently personal guard to the last Septim emperor Martin and youngest member of the emperors guard, thanks me for my assistance and gives me a container that has a dish he calls Shakshuka, which I’ve never heard of. It seems to be made of eggs and vegetables with spices, maybe it will be good with rice? Eno had quietly disappeared with Valan long ago just as quietly as the two had appeared in the first place, Lin as well had gone too with Ling leaving shortly after as she needed to finish up with something. Qin and Xu left early, toddlers get fussy when it’s past their bedtime, after all, and so aside from our Nordic friends and token Breton mage, a few spare highly trained guards, myself, and Teldryn, it’s only Fyr and Neloth. “I have a feeling we’ll be here awhile.” I say to Teldryn as I plop down into a chair looking at the two elderly wizards, Fyr seems to have noticed my comment “you two can go we’ll find you later. And no Neloth it made total sense to try to kill Sotha Sil ask Valan or see if you can track down that annoying adventurer who helped me in the second era and as them!” The two go back to discussing, or arguing, about whatever it is they were talking about. Taking that as our cue to leave we do and tiredly walk back to where we’re staying, a little inn called Luther Broads boarding house.

Getting out of itchy and annoying dress clothes is a relief like no other and having washed up I fall asleep quickly. However much to my annoyance I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, Eno’s words about zombies in the sewers must have stuck with me. “Teldryn…Teldryn…..Teldryn!” I say quietly, poking him in the arm each time “What is it?” A lump forms in my throat as I try not to sound like a child or an idiot “I had a nightmare can I sleep with you?” And…it still comes out sounding like an idiot despite my best attempts. Teldryn however doesn’t seem to mind and just moves over slightly and opens his arms for me to climb in next to him. The lucky bastard got here first and thus took the bed that can fit two. Wrapped up in a tight hug under the blankets is comforting “You want to tell me about it?” I’m asked about the dream, and I’d rather not. In fact I’d rather forget about all manner of scary things and drift off into a dreamless sleep until I wake up in the morning. Instead of that though, I find Teldryn had heard my comment about my two left feet and fills my head with rather delightful images instead

In the quiet darkness of the early morning I fall back asleep with sweeping magical pictures passing across my field of vision and fade into the realm of dreams with Lins song still in my head and graceful dancers, though I am one of them, and Teldryn another, and around and around we go in an ancient custom practiced and passed down for millennia from nobles to farmers and everyone in between. It is a good dream, though somewhere in the back of my mind hasn’t get forgotten about that Shakshuka for the morning. I may be unable to dance, and I might be socially awkward and hate parties, but even the most horrid of parties are a little better with familiar friends and good food. The mysterious sound of Breton flute still resonates in my head as all consciousness leaves me. Maybe parties aren’t all that bad.