Hey, @undersaarthal I was your Secret Santa! I loved writing Ancano and his interactions with Calne!!
Ancano blanked as he read the letter. A party. For Saturalia. A gift exchange. Held by Elenwen of all people.
There had to be an ulterior motive. Elenwen was notorious for dislike of parties that didn't hold a reason, seconded only by himself (there was a reason he was a rare appearance at Elenwen's political soirees).
He had sworn he wouldn't make the trek to the Embassy in the mountains around Solitude the moment the letter was refolded and placed with a stack of various dossiers, journals (the one detailing his unfortunate experience with the drugged meal his manic nightmare of a subordinate had prepared for him remained hidden in a locked drawer. His pitiful attempt at protecting his remaining, yet quickly fleeting dignity) and letters. It didn't matter how much Calne pressured him, Divines, she could go by herself. He wasn't attending.
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The stone steps of the Embassy were lined with snow that had clearly been pushed to the side by servants.
Calne was eagerly bounding up the steps. If you were to ask him, his companion was too excited for this foolish gathering. At least it wouldn't be filled with Imperial nobles, and the servants would be more busy in the kitchens than be out where they would be.
Small victories.
He met the eyes of a soldier guarding the door, giving the Altmer a tight nod as he opened the door for them.
Inside they first met Elenwen who waited by the foyer to greet the attendees, as well as to give them instructions for the gift exchange.
There are rooms designated to each person, put your gift on the bed, then join the others back in the ballroom for the festivities.
Of course, Calne eagerly nodded to their mutual superior, and all but the word dragged Ancano through the door and up the stairs.
"Let go of me, woman!" He hissed, managing to pull his arm free halfway up the steps.
Calne only laughed, "Its the holidays, have some kind of merriment."
He grumbled his annoyances, pushing past the large snow elf. Walking down the hallway he eventually found the room dedicated to 'his person', and places the gift on the bed before turning around and heading back.
Calne was already back, talking idly with Estormo, already with a drink in hand.
A drink. That sounded divine, and probably would be the only way he'd survive this night.
Upon the island where a Bosmeri servant stood behind sat multiple cups and a keg. As the servant poured him a glass he felt a strange sense of foreboding, but when he brought the freshly filled cup to his lips, the worry that had twisted his gut vanished.
The drink was sweet, creamy, and almost overbearingly cinnamon in flavor. But.. it was nice.
Ancano ended up talking with Ondolemar about rumors that people started about both of them in their respective holds for a while as he drained his glass. Calne stood over him, managing to sneak up behind him, and asked if he wanted her to get him a second serving, to which he agreed.
Something about the eggnog was addictive. Perhaps that should have been his first red flag. Or the second if he had a reason to suspect that gut feeling when he was handed his first cup.
The next red flag was how his head pulsed and the room spun by the third glass. Sure the eggnog was usually mixed with some kind of alcohol, but this.. this was something more.
Looking around and squinting to try to make the room stay still, he could hear Estormo talking about... something to do with the apprentices at the college at a louder volume then necessary. No one else seemed effected.
Was he really that much of a lightweight? There's no way.
As the time crawled passed, with Ancano foolishly getting more and more eggnog, the other attendees also showed signs of intoxication. However for the others it was if it just suddenly hit them, hard, instead of the slope Ancano felt.
Calne giggled to herself as she practically hugged him from behind, refusing to let go.
A few hours, many more spiked drinks, and a confident declaration from Estormo later saw them all crammed into the room at the bottom of the stairs, attempting to sing whatever songs came to mind.
After listening to Ondolemar belt out another song, Ancano grimaced as the feeling of a headache grew behind his temples. With a slurred grumble, he made his leave and went up the stairs to his room.
With a groan he plopped himself onto his bed, cursing when he hit something hard.
Right. The secret gift...
Unskilled hands unboxed the tightly wrapped box, revealing it to be fire resistant robes and a small glass (?) sculpture of an indrik.
Doing his best to gently place the gifts somewhere that wasn't his bed, Ancano quickly burried his face in his pillow and fell asleep.
WEEEEEEEEEEPS THANK YOU!!!! I am so cheesed.. it is so cute and I was especially amused by the fact that you must have read my very ridiculous fic about Ancano's unfortunate brush with Calne's cooking given that it was referenced here 😭 thanks so much for checking it out AND for taking the time to learn enough about my character and the ones I love to WRITE about them, something I certainly struggle to do.. much appreciation and THANK YOU once again!!! ^_^
hi @valtheimm I got you for the secret santa exchange! I wanted to draw Rhea in a more painterly style for her current-day Skyrim self, but that incorporated some design elements from her Morrowind days. she is so gorgeous and this got me to make a fully rendered piece again!
thank you for entrusting your lovely dunmer into the hands of a stranger.. i hope the holiday season is treating you well! ^_^
bonus: I imagined Calne as the artist painting the portrait :) would Eris be the type to want a painting commissioned of her?
they will never convince me to take fuck out of my star wars fics. i'm fine with throwing in some kark and kriff and osik and shab whatever that's all well and good but they will have to pry the real life swear fuck from my cold dead hands. kark simply does not hit the same and canon can eat dirt when i've decided it's time for commander cody to say "what the fuck are you talking about sir" or some shit equivalent