Night Mom is Naggy
A story of the Elder Scrolls

You wouldn't think Mino Belizane was the Listener from the looks of him. Every Imperial in Skyrim had the same nondescript brown locks, the same murky gray eyes. (Once, he wore a handlebar mustache that looked like what a naive country boy would think a villain looked like. Of course, it was gone the day after I noticed it.)

Admittedly, his attire was striking, at times; he often wore exotic and mighty armors he'd gathered from all across the world. One of the more memorable was a suit made out of what seemed to be sheets of ice. He claimed it was stalhrim, and contained fragments of captured Nord souls (which, given how he normally ranted about the souls of the people we killed and how they went to a wondrous place at the side of Sithis, was slightly odd, but it's not like I was going to argue).

No, he was easy to peg if you sat next to him. It was the way he acted.

Arguing with someone who wasn't there, interrupting himself and changing the subject at random... and don't get me started on the mood swings.

I don't envy our current Listener. Having the Night Mother in your head all the time must be an ordeal and a half.

-overheard from Kareena Swims-In-Sewage, Slayer of the Dark Brotherhood

Remember, young one. The Sanctuary is out of milk.

"Yes, I know. I know, Mom, I know. Thank you." Mino Belizane's hand unclenched from being an angry fist. The humorless smile faded from his face, replaced by a pained frown. "Thank you, Mother, I'm happy you remind me about some stuff. Really. But can you... I don't know, remind me only when I don't remember?"

Watch your tongue, whelp. I will tell you whatever I want to tell you.

"So can I. And you know what else I can do? Stop speaking."

What a wonder. I never knew that was among your repertoire.

"Ha ha. Funny." Mino glared at a nearby wall. "You know what I mean. And you know that I can back that threat up. I could kill anyone you sent after me. I killed the Lord of All Dragons, and all of his High Priests, without your help."

Do you know what I've done without your help, child?

Mino straightened up; he was intrigued. "Oh?"

Precisely.

Mino rolled his eyes. "Oh, not this again..."

"The words of the Night Mother are sacrosanct. Disrespecting them is death and disfavor."

"THANK YOU, LUCIEN!"

"Also, bandits are-"

You think you're safe from the afterlife with Sithis because you've promised your soul to an afterlife five times over, not because he favors you. You're a fool. All lives go to Sithis in the end, no matter who. Tinker, tailor-

"'-Soldier, sailor, potter or pastrel, wizard or wastrel, the Brotherhood punishes all without distinction', yes. I know. You've told me that like, seven times today."

You seem to keep forgetting.

"Oh, go to Oblivion."

"Listener, there-"

"I KNOW, GODS DAMN IT!" Mino yelled as he drew his mirrored daggers and cut the approaching bandits to pieces. "I CAN SEE, YOU STUPID SHADE! I..." Mino drew a ragged breath. "Lucien, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm sorry."

"You labor under the misapprehension that I have an ego to bruise, Listener."

"Unlike some."

I can hear you two.

"I was aware."