(2021-08-12) Happy For People Just, Uh, In General

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Author:	Athena
Summary:	Elohad and Oranna discuss how Orgrimm became canon and then Elo decides to confide in…Oranna??
Rating:	T for Teen

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discussion of romance

[Elohad]: "So… I still haven't heard the whole story of how you and Bargrimm came to be, exactly. Is it nosy of me to ask? I'm a sucker for a romance. And it's not like this is a business meeting."

Oranna blushes and laughs a little, not nervously, but almost happily. She tucks a bit of hair behind her ear. "Ah, well, ye were there fer th' first part o' it. When we met, ye migh' remember, in Westfall?" She smiles fondly. "I remember I jus' thought, it'd be nice ta ha' another dwarf around. An', well, I'd ne'er really known any Wildhammers afore." She makes a little hmming sound* "I think e'en then though tha' I liked him straight off. He mentioned Aerie Peak, travelin' ta see it, an' thought, I'd like ta see tha'. An' I think e'en then I jus'…assumed he'd be there. Ta show me it." She smiles and turns a little pinker. "An' with him bein' an engineer, an' all…well, I mine, time ta time, an' come across a lot o' th' rocks tha' are useful fer bullets an' such, so, I sent him some. An' then he sent back bullets. An' I sent more rocks. An' then…well, we ended up crossin' paths in Duskwood, actually." She strokes Oswald's head. "I already liked him righ' well, by then. He's jus'…got a way about him. Put me righ' a' ease." She pauses and closes her eyes. "An' when I needed someone ta be there, ta jus'…ha' someone who wouldna look a' me like I was…" She lowers her voice and looks down, "broken, he was there. E'ery time."

Elohad smiles at Oranna. "Makes me so pleased I introduced you two."

[Oranna]: "Ta listen, an' ta think…well o' me. An' then…it was jus'…I dinna e'en know when it happened. But, I jus'…stopped thinkin' o' my future without him in it." She smiles happily and turns a little pink. "He's a truly wonderful man. I…I canna e'en tell ye how lucky I feel, ta ha' been able ta know him." Her eyes shine a little with almost tears, but her face is almost glowing with happiness.

Elohad glows right back at her. He might be a little misty. "So how did you… take that step, exactly? You know, to go from being friends to … more than that?"

[Oranna]: "Oh. Tha'…well." Her cheeks go a little red and she looks up at the ceiling. "Ah. It…well. I'm no'…sure when it happened. But, I know…we…ah, both knew tha' things had, ah, changed. On th' way back from…Gagetzan."

[Elohad]: "If it's uh… too personal, you don't have to… I mean, you can… soft-focus it. Ahem." Elohad turns a little red.

[Oranna]: "I, ah, had…time ta appreciate tha' there were…things I admired about him tha' werena jus'…ah." She turns brighter red, staring up at the ceiling like she might be able to escape through it. "Friendly. But, aye."

[Elohad]: "I'm just… curious about how you crossed that barrier, you know? It can be a little intimidating, to do that. Did one of you say something? Or did he just… haul off and kiss you? Or…?"

[Oranna]: "Oh, I suppose…I didna." She almost giggles, her face still quite red, but she's smiling brightly now. "He came ta see me, an', well. Told me he loved me. Said he couldna see his future withou' me, an'…well. Then we set off quite a lot o' fireworks." She smiles over at Elo. "Hopefully we didna startle anyone too much with it. There were…" She laughs, "quite a lo' o' them. But, well, it's no' really his way ta jus'…haul someone off. Much as he looks like Arnathorn Firststone these days, Bargrimm's a gentleman. Well, in a Wildhammer sort o' way." She sighs happily like this is the Best Possible Way.

[Elohad]: "You know, I tried telling Nir over and over and over that I loved her. She always just sort of assumed I meant in a friendly way, I guess, or some holy Light kind of love, because she'd always just smile and then change the subject. But now I guess… I guess she's made up her mind she uh, wants me, so… so that's going to be a thing." He clears his throat.

Oranna's eyebrows go way, way, way up. She looks around the room for a little bit like there is any other possible way to interpret this and finding none says, "Ye…love her like tha' way then? Romantically?"

[Elohad]: "Absolutely and wholeheartedly and desperately. You girls probably shouldn't gossip about it just yet though. I don't know if she wants to be public about it. But I thought you should know."

[Oranna]: "An'…well. Tha's…tha's lovely, tha' is." Her eyes go very misty, and Oswald makes some sort of mrrrp sound. "Oh, is it all righ' if I tell Bargrimm? I know he'd be so happy ta know she's happy."

[Elohad]: "Oh, um, maybe let her tell him. I'd mostly like to let her take the lead on this, but I had to tell somebody. And I know I can trust you two."

[Oranna]: "She was th' first one Bargrimm wanted ta know, when we were courtin'." She nods. "Could ye tell her then, ta tell him? It would mean more ta him, comin' from her, I'm sure."

[Elohad]: "I mean, I can't tell Nir to do anything. She'll do what she wants when she's ready." Elohad laughs.

Oranna nods at Elo. "Oh aye. We farm lassses are best left ta our own devices." She laughs brightly at Elo, with clear affection in her eyes. "I'm so happy fer ye, Elo. I'm glad ta know it."

[Elohad]: "Just… just between you and me for now, though, right?"

Oranna nods and smiles warmly at him. "I'll jus' let people assume I'm happy about me an' Bargrimm. They'll know I'm happy when I look a' ye two, but, well. I willna say a thing, I promise."

Elohad grins wickedly.

[Oranna]: "Oh! I suppose then…ye'll be Uncle Elo?" She seems to be considering something about this and nodding. "We really will ha' ta make sure we dinna wait too long. Is tha'…all righ' with ye? If we make ye an' Niris th' sort o', well, I dinna know wha' humans call it, but bit o' clan adjacent ta us? If anythin' happened ta us, ye'd be considered part o' th' clan family. With, ah, children." She turns a little red. "An' well, it's no' tha' ye'd ha' ta really do anythin', if ye didna want ta, but ye'd be always welcome inta our home, as part o' our family."

[Elohad]: "Um, let's… take things slow, shall we? Nir's a bit odd about… clan and family and stuff right now. There isn't really a "me and Niris" quite yet, officially. It's just… feelings, right now." Elohad looks like he might be regretting his choice of confidant. He's on the verge of sweating.

[Oranna]: "Oh aye. Tha's…well, Bargrimm an' I jus' dnna want ta wait too long afore there's…no chance ye'll know them. So, probably soon. Maybe five years out? Tha's when we'd need yer answer fer it. I know tha's a bit soon." She blushes redder. "But, well, waitin' seems…like it wouldna be th' best thing." Oranna appears to be tiptoeing around mentioning that humans die like, really, really young.

[Elohad]: "Oh, right, you should of course have children any time you both wish. There won't be any from me and Nir, of course; we're uh… past that. Even if we do… make this an official… thing. Too old, I'm afraid." Elohad clears his throat. "Anyway. I just kind of had to tell someone, but I really shouldn't talk much more about it. I don't know how she'd feel."

Oranna nods and smiles. "Though, there's lots o' ways o' havin' children tha' are no'…direct." She strokes Oswalds head. "I dinna know how adoption works exactly with humans but…aye."

[Elohad]: "She's awfully… shy in some ways."

Jocoza waves.

Oranna laughs a little, turning redder. But waves to Jo brightly.

[Elohad]: "Well, also I lead a merc — Oh hello Jo!!" Elohad speaks very loudly and cheerfully to the new person who is here now, Oranna, look!

[Jocoza]: "Hi again! And hello, Oranna." Jo notices Oranna's blush. "What are you two talking about?"

Ginevieve feels her way down the steps with one probing toe, trying to see around a stack of books. She pauses and looks around them, down at the main room, frowning.

[Elohad]: "Uh, her and Bargrimm."

Oranna looks like she's so happy she might be casting just a very slight glow around her, and her face is still definitely red.

[Elohad]: "Isn't it grand?"

[Oranna]: "We did talk a lot about me an' Bargrimm."

[Jocoza]: "Happy things, I hope?"

Elohad looks up. "Oh hello miss!" Elohad gestures toward the stairs. "A newcomer."

[Oranna]: "I should probably go an' see him. We're workin' on gettin' things together fer th' house." She looks up at the new person with a wave.

Jocoza waves in the general direction of the stairs.

[Elohad]: "All right! Was very nice talking to you. I wish you both the absolute best."

Oranna walks up to Elo, with her arms out in a clear expression of a hug.

Ginevieve hesitates and debates, but sighs heavily and evidently decides it's too much trouble to go somewhere else with all these books. She keeps descending, feeling her way

Elohad hugs the stuffing out of Oranna.

[Elohad]: "Hello, Miss! What can we do for you?"

Oranna makes a tiny squeaking noise, but laughs a little. "I'm verra happy fer…ah, me. An'…people in general." She pulls away and nods to Jo with a smile. "See ye soon."