A Relaxing Day

I was given the next task of speaking to the count in Skingrad once again. It was a "sigh and roll your eyes" type of situation for me because I don't really feel like traveling all the way back there just to talk to someone I already spoke with before. I guess i'm just being too lazy at this point. However, I had no choice because the task was given to me by the arch mage or whatever.. *teenage sigh*
Val and I turned in at the local Inn that night to sleep because frankly while the mages quarters are free they are cramped, tiny, you have no privacy, dirty, have no food and I really don't feel like sleeping with two dead bodies tonight. The Inn in the imperial city (the expensive one, of which I can never manage to get a night for free no matter how hard I try to butter up or beg the inn keeper) is very nicely built, clean, very spacious as are the rooms and I get a whole room all to myself. A whole room is a lot in this inn due to the size! The room often has its own food in it on its very own table, too! Not to mention down in the lobby entrance area they always have a buffet all you can eat for 20 septims. Can you really blame me for choosing this over the other? :P
I slept especially well that night, after having spent the previous nights in the cramped mages quarters, and awoke in a good, very calm and relaxed mood. It was 5 in the morning, still dark out side and Val followed me down to the lobby where I ate like a pig at the buffet (it's a single plate but holds as much food as you want, Realistic hunger mod.) as usual. The lobby was its usual warmly lit spacious yet cozy self and I enjoyed a little rest there, enjoying the atmosphere and the various people also hanging out before heading out in to the day. When I was ready to leave Val and I stepped out into a very dreary, soggy and wet, stormy morning.. the whole warm comforting atmosphere of my morning has been estinguished...
Deciding to get a move Val and I walked through the city to the front gate and out and by the time we reached my tricorn we were soaked to the bone and chilled. I decided I couldn't take it any more (nobody likes to be doused with cold water after waking up in a nice warm bed!) and quickly ducked under the eves of the local horse ranch's building, followed by Val who didn't seem as disappointed in the weather as I. I took a seat on the wooden bench and was pleased and flattered to find Val sat beside me.

We sat while waiting for it to stop pouring out and while watching the poor woman who worked at the ranch slave away at the daily chores in the rain. I chatted a bit with Val, we didn't have anything interesting to say. Then we just sat, watching the rain... an hour or so passed and it didn't let up. I didn't even have anything to think about.. so I soon got very bored and the voice in the back of my head was warning me "you know, it could end up not letting up for many hours. Sometimes it rains all day.." It nagged at me until I finally gave in and stood up quite antsy. Val followed me as I went inside the little ranch house to get away from the constant sound of the rain.

Inside the room was lit by a fire that gave the whole place a warm glow. It was a welcome change from the cold, breezy and wet outside. I was greeted by the lady orc who owned the ranch and she had this to say when I chatted with her:

Uh huhhh....

So I asked if she ate them.. she laughed heartily and said Oh no! No no no..
Riiiight...

Then an old, worn man walked in, looked like he had lead a hard life. he sat down by the fire to tend something and I couldn't help but feel all warm inside again, like I did in the inn, at the sight of the whole atmosphere. I spoke with him and questioned him about the horses (this is a ranch, why the heck would you not sell them?):

Uh huh. I gave the orc a brief steely gaze >.> She didn't seem to notice. That's okay. I really don't want an orc angry at me...

well we had waited inside for half an hour to an hour or so when the pitter patter of rain on the wooden roof still hadn't let up. That voice nagged me again in the back of my mind echoing what it'd said earlier.. and so I decided enough time has passed and I'm waisting day. It's time to get a move on.
Val and I headed out, I hopped onto my soggy tricorn and we left. Thankfully, just a ways from the city the weather finally cleared up. It immediately picked my mood back up!

I decided to make the trip peaceful and sight see along the way. We were passing another shrine so I stopped to see who it was for:

I like this shrine, it has an animal in the statue! I forgot who it said it was, but the only offering needed was a few septims which I easily can spare. I decided to walk up and offer the spetims, but again the featured god said I was too weak for the quest he was going to give, and to come back later. Grumbling briefly I pocketed my spetims and hopped back on my tricorn. Then we continued.

Here is another example of a random occurance you can find. I came accross a guard fighting with a bandit in front of me on the road. I just stopped and watched, patiently waiting because I knew a bandit has no chance against a blades guard. Eventually the bandit was killed and I hopped off to loot the body. Unfortunately there was nothing of value except a lock pick which I took. Ohwell, maybe next time.

Well I eventually reached Skingrad and spoke with the count. Seems he wants me to do 2 tasks. One is to rid a near by cave of vampires.. easy enough. Two is he wants me to rid the town of vampire hunters.. aw man... I don't really feel like doing that. I hate this quest because the game doesn't ever allow you to do it easily or in a cool fashon.
The last time I tried to do this quest in my last incarnation I tried various ways. You have to do it without being seen or else you'll be arrested for murder. I tried poisoned apples.. they never eat. I tried waiting until they were somehwere where you can't be seen, they never go there. I even tried turning invisible with my ring and doing it.. which I may just do again. But all they do is run away from you into public where the guards begin to go beserk anyway.. blah.
We'll see if I can come up with something better this time.