So, it turns out that Solstheim is not unduly burdened with restaurants, and Marcus is a terrible cook.

Thankfully Sedave knows what he’s doing, so lunch was pretty good.

After lunch Sedave started in on some project Marcus wanted help with. Not sure how alchemy ties into all that stuff Marcus says he does, but perhaps it’s better not to ask.

Sedave’s pretty good-natured about letting us take some pictures, but he’s wondering why anybody’d care to look at him.

Sedave says: “it’s them ovvers what usually pay for the dressin’, loves.”

Huh?

But he said he’d wear some of the other outfits we brought just to vary things up. He and Marcus are pretty much the same size, so it works out.

Hey, Sedave?

How did you and Marcus meet?

Yeah, uh-huh, right.

Marcus says, no, he is not THAT bad.  Maybe Sedave should stop trying to be funny?

Sedave is laughing.

So Sedave needs to summon himself friends in from a plane of Oblivion?

Nah, they’ve been knowing each other awhile, from Riften. Marcus’ brother owns a pub where Sedave likes to hang out, and Marcus used to help out a bit there. Sedave used to do a lot more work for the Guild, but now he’s got a legit business. Marcus says it’s been very useful to him in his chosen profession.

Hm?

Marcus says: No. Not what you’re thinking.

ANYWAYS… when you are in the business of acquisitions, says Marcus, sometimes it’s best if your neither your clientele nor your, ah, targets know what you actually look like. And the Face Sculptor is never a good idea. Not that it’s really necessary– what Sedave can do is

“Pract’cly magic, ducks. Wait’r’y’ see it.”

Sedave offered to show us what Marcus used to look like back way back before he took advice from Sedave:

Oh.  … I had no idea that the Guild had graduation photos, lol…

Sedave says that all you’ve gotta do is change the clothes and deal “wiffa barnet! an’ paint on’m mince pies…”

Marcus? Could you get back here please and translate?

Sedave says nope, he’s gone off for an ocean.

What?

Oh, I get it.

Before we get started, Marcus asks could we have a moment of silence… Sedave says he’s got to “do a spot of god-bovvering.”

Marcus says thanks for waiting.

It’s a Dunmer thing. Something about how if you’re going to make use of the ah, attributes of the New Temple,  you’d better placate them first.  They’re …. funny that way.

No, not funny like Sedave– they’re uh-oh funny. The kind you don’t want to have drinks with. Nobody likes it when the daedra get upset. So it’s better to give ’em what they might want, right up front.

Uh, is that okay?

Marcus says that New Temple are okay with non-Dumner giving them honor as a what? quid pro quo? Marcus says that Daedric princes care about what you can do for them, not what’s in your inner heart.

Marcus likes gods who mind their own damn business.

Sedave’s going to change and then we’ll be ready to get started, Marcus says.

Sedave’s ready.

So, Marcus tells us that when he’s out in the world he does not worry much about keeping up appearances– in fact he kind of lets himself go.

Because no one who sees him going around like this–

Is going to recognize him later when he presents himself like this:

Which is really good if you’ve just, you know, poisoned some mead or run off with somebody’s golden claw.

Marcus wants to know, do we have any questions?

Because it’s time to see what Sedave can do.

What the face sculptor does for faces, Sedave does for appearances.

That’s what he means when he says ‘pay for the dressing’.

Oh, I get it now.