Desmond shifted from foot to foot, fighting the urge to squirm under Jarl Balgruuf's gaze like a guilty child.
"Dragonborn," Balgruuf said flatly.
Desmond rocked back on his heels. "Uh, if it makes any difference, they're probably wrong? I'm like 99% sure I'm not a dragonborn."
Now, instead of merely being annoyed, Balgruuf also looked confused. "What on earth do you mean? You absorbed a dragon soul. The greybeards called you to High Hrothgar! They would not do that had you not been dragonborn."
"Okay, but consider this- the greybeards? They were probably reacting to the dragon dying or whatever. And, no matter what any of the guards told you, I'm almost certain we all had a dragonfire and adrenaline induced mass hallucination."
He paused, and then gestured to himself. "Also, do I look like a dragonborn to you?"
Balgruuf snorted. "A dragonborn does not look specifically like any one man or woman of any race, although the first were Nords. They are given the gift of dragon blood by Akatosh, born as a mortal with the soul of a dragon."
They stared at each other. "Um, okay? I'm not exactly sure what you want me to say to that, but I'm pretty sure I'm not a dragonborn. I'm not even from Skyrim!"
Balgruuf flapped a hand in dismissal. "Bah, there have been dragonborn from Cyrodiil before."
"What the fuck is Cyrodiil?"
You could have heard a pin drop in the hall. Everyone was staring at him, astonished.
Oh fuck, he thought. I said something wrong.
"Uh, I should- yeah, I should really just- I'm going to leave now." And, as fast as he could, he turned and all but ran out of the hall.
Welp, that could have gone better.
#
"Aeelllaaa," Desmond whined, as he was literally dragged back from the city gate by the back of his shirt.
She had intercepted him as he was trying to leave the city. He had sold all of his useless junk(and only gotten 351 gold for it, too. That Belethor was a cheap bastard) and was on his way out to do some exploring or something. To be honest, he really didn't have a solid plan in mind, his main goal was just to get out of the city and into some breathing room. It was strange to think about how such a tiny town could be so stifling. It wasn't even as large as the Farm- nope. No thinking about the Farm today or ever, no siree, he was trying to have positive thoughts here-
"-ou even heard a word I've said to you this entire time?"
Desmond smiled obnoxiously. "Well, I think I got it. But just in case- tell me the whole thing again I wasn't listening."
Aela groaned. "You absolute idiot. I said, 'Where do you think you're going you absolute utter asshole, and what makes you think it was acceptable to leave without telling me? You are coming with me and you are staying with me and my shield brothers for at least a week and we are going to work out some of those frankly alarming issues of yours because I have… grown attached to you.'"
"Aww, Aela," Desmond cooed. He was probably going to get punched. He didn't care. "I didn't know you cared. That's so-"
"If you know what's good for you you will shut your mouth until we get to Jorvaskrr."
He did.