Chapter LVI: The Painting

I pointlessly try and dust my hands off as I reach out and open the door, and there, completely failing to hide an excited glint in her eyes, stood Sybille.

"Go-" A long yawn interrupts me "Good evening Sybille." I say groggily and attempt to wipe the sleepiness from my eyes, but just end up smearing them with oil.

Her excitement dims a bit as she asks "Are you doing alright?"

I pick up a rather expensive blanket, now turned oily rag, and try and clean out the oil from my pained eyes.

"Reyvin, you are a mage for Divines sake."

I still almost as if struck. Dear God, I am an idiot.

I quickly summon up my robes and all the oil slides off me like rain off of glass. Turning back to Sybille I give her a grateful smile "Thanks for that, I haven't slept in days." I cup my chin "I think I even forgot where I was for a moment there."

There is an amused glint in her eyes as she asks "And what were you working on with such dedication."

I spread my arms dramatically and cast a mage light, lighting up the room and showing the massive enchanted Dwemer ballista platform "Behold! My stuff!"

She blinks in astonishment and barely holds back a gasp "You actually made it work!?"

I nod proudly "Indeed, coding the damn thing took me almost as much time as building it, making it shoot only enemies was rather hard" I wince at the memory "But I finally managed it and now I have a glorious death machine to throw at my enemies!"

"Coding?" She raises an eyebrow.

I wave her off "Think of it like enchanting specific commands onto the animonculus via runes. Without them, it would be just an immobile piece of junk." I blink "Well, an extremely expensive and well made immobile piece of junk, but a piece of junk non the less."

She nods rapidly, as if to tell me to get on with it and excitedly asks "Did you name it already?"

"No..." I say slowly.

She perks up "Then you are lucky I am here to provide my opinion!"

"That I didn't ask for." I drawl, but there is a glint of amusement in my eyes.

She scoffs playfully "Oh don't be such a brat, I give great names!"

"Uh-huh."

She cups her chin in thought "Maybe..." her eyes snap to mine "The Destructor!"

The amusement from my eyes fades.

She cringes slightly but redoubles her efforts, after a moment her excitement returns "I know, The Heaven Piercer!"

I palm my face in disappointment.

She raises a finger weakly "The-"

"Just" I raise a hand "Please."

She pouts and crosses her arms "Well come on then, oh warrior poet of Morrowind, why don't you give it a name?"

"First, don't associate me with that androgynous cunt." I glare and she chuckles "Second, I was about to do that when someone barged into my chambers."

She huffs "I don't hear you complaining when I barge in for other reasons."

"Fair." I smirk "But back to the point." I turn back to the automaton... hmmm, something meaningful or just something cool? Why not both?

"Gatecrasher." I say after some consideration.

Sybille sighs "It fits but it's so..."

"Not outrageously over the top?" I ask with an amused smile.

She pouts with a bit of red worming its way onto her pale cheeks.

Deciding to rescue her from the awkwardness I ask "So, what did you come here for?"

She perks up "It is finished!"

"What is finished?" I ask slowly.

"Oh please." She rolls her eyes "You know damn well I was painting something for months now."

Oh? "I thought that was just your usual hobby."

"Never you mind." She starts dragging me "I have something to show you."

And without a care in the world, she just yanks me with her supernatural strength, dragging me like a wet sack. 

By the time we reached her room, I was already half asleep and she had to lightly slap me awake "Really Reyvin?"

I slowly get up from the ground where I was unceremoniously dropped "I might have understated just how tired I was."

She gives me a faux-disdainful look "I keep forgetting how weak mortals are."

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up you bloodthirsty monstrosity." I drawl humorously.

She huffs and signals for me to follow her to a large covered canvas, once there she tells me to stay put and in one careful yank, she removes the dark cloth covering it.

I blink rapidly upon seeing the picture. Well, that is certainly not what I was expecting...

In front of me stands an extremely lifelike artistic representation of our defiance of Meridia.

On one side are the two of us, signs of battle and slight damage to our robes, standing in front of a long trail of destroyed undead and defeated necromancers while an army of Nordic warriors battles the stragglers.

On the other is a furious Meridia glaring at the sword that I threw at her as it levitates in front of her face, I can almost taste her rage just by seeing the picture, and it is one of the most satisfying things I have ever seen.

I remain completely silent as I take in the impressive scene.

Sybille shifts uncomfortably "It isn't bad is it?"

In a flash of speed, I grab her shoulders and start shaking her "Bad? It isn't bad?! Woman this is easily one of the best things I have seen in b- my entire life!"

Thankfully she doesn't notice my little slip of the tongue as a wide smile spreads on her face "Good, consider it a gift."

I still completely, still holding her at an awkward tilted angle "Whut?"

She chuckles and plainly repeats "It is a gift."

My heart skips a beat and I blink "For me?"

"No, it's for Meridia." She drawls as she gives makes a 'duh' expression.

Completely ignoring her sarcastic answer I hug her tightly, making her let out a surprised yelp and whisper "That is easily the best thing anyone has ever given me."

She shifts in my embrace but seems way too awkward to give me any kind of response.

I chuckle and teasingly say "Easily decades older than me and this is what leaves you speechless."

She huffs "I might be older, but I sure as oblivion am not old."

"Aaaand of course that is what you choose to focus on." I roll my eyes.

After a moment of silence she clears her throat "So... do you plan on letting go yet?"

"Hmmm, let me think about it..." I tilt my head "Nah."

She huffs "Fine then, I am glad you liked my gift."

I chuckle as I let her go "See, it wasn't so hard now was it?"

She looks away "It was just a bit sudden..."

Dear Dagoth, she can be cute sometimes "We have done far more than hug it out previously." I say suggestively.

She crosses her arms "You know that isn't the same."

I take a comically terrified pose and ask with a quiver in my voice "You aren't going to ask me to do something as degenerate as holding hands now, are you?"

She stares at me for a moment and we both burst into a fit of chuckles. After calming down she sighs "You are right, I am being quite silly."

"What seems to be the problem?" I ask slowly.

She once again shifts uncomfortably, a long beat of silence passes and she finally forces out "I just... don't think that you should trust someone like me so easily."

"And why is that?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

She scoffs "Reyvin I literally drink people." like that explained anything.

"And I burn them alive." I respond immediately and cross my arms "So would you care to tell me the difference?"

She completely stills for a moment and then bursts into laughter, of the self deprecating variety "You are right of course" shaking her head she approaches me and looks me in the eyes "How come you are the mature one when it comes to this?"

I respond immediately in a completely deadpan voice "I am actually a reincarnated century old man stuffed into the body of a young elf."

She rolls her eyes "If you don't want to tell me then don't." then starts shifting around uncomfortably again "Could... could you stay with me tonight?"

"Tireeed" I groan.

She lets out a mirthful chuckle "I just want your company right now."

"Fiiine" I sigh dramatically "I guess I can grace you with my soothing presence."

She rolls her eyes and pulls me toward her bedroom.

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A bit of a shorter one today unfortunately, next chap begins yet another adventure!

In any case *Eh hem* Interact with different cultures and explore their traditions, only in Cidhna mine!

Get to work prisoner!

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