(2021-09-27) Father Knows Best

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	Ben and Mizzy share their news with Elohad, who shares some Strategy with them.
Rating:	T for Teen

Chain: Bizzy

Ben offers Ismene his hand. He still looks a little delightedly bemused.

Ismene grins at Ben, eyes sparkling. For her, this is the easy part and it shows.

[Ben]: Ready?

Ismene nods. "You?"

Ben nods back at her.
Ben knocks on the door. He's holding Mizzy's hand.

Elohad opens the door and smiles in surprise when he sees the two of them.
[Elohad]: Hey there, kids, c'mon in.

Ben smiles bashfully at Elo. "Hey. Okay, sir."

Ismene is abruptly shy, and ducks her head.

Ben lets Mizzy go first. Because: gentleman.

[Elohad]: Have a seat! Can I get you some wine or anything?
Elohad definitely has more than two chairs.

[Ben]: I'm okay. Thanks. *He looks inquiringly at Mizzy.*

Ismene walks to a chair in a gait that's more a scurry than anything. She does not momentarily get stuck on a bear skin rug's head or anything. "No, thank you, sir."

Elohad has a seat on what's absolutely a nearby chair.

Ben takes a seat almost reluctantly, shifting his sword to accommodate it.

[Elohad]: Been out working?
Elohad eyes Ben's armor.

Ismene chews at her lips, glancing at Ben.

[Ben]: Yessir. In Stranglethorn.
[Ben]: Killed some trolls.

Elohad nods, his warm gaze moving between the two of them with leisurely interest.

Ismene sits at the edge of the chair, not relying on the back to keep her spine straight. Her ankles are crossed demurely and tucked to one side, Her hands are folded in her lap. If she had tea, her pinky would be up.

[Ben]: So, um. The — thing you helped me with, sir? The speech?

[Elohad]: Uh huh?

[Ben]: I said it to her. And she said yes? *He glances sidelong, as if to verify this is still the case.*

Ismene is about to expire of blood rushing to her cheeks. And face. And neck.

Elohad smiles warmly. "That's great news! I'm so glad for both of you."

Ismene glances at Ben and can't hold back a grin.

[Ben]: Thank you, sir. I — thanks for your help with it. *He is also quite flushed.*

[Ismene]: Um. It's just… I thought that…

Elohad listens amiably.

Ismene waves a hand in the air. She thought that airplanes would land. That water would flow downhill. Who knows what that gesture means?
[Ismene]: Well. Of course, the next step…
Ismene shrugs. Because of course she doesn't use verbs.

Ben waits somberly for Ismene's thoughts.

Elohad continues listening, as though Ismene were saying things.

Ismene glances up at Elohad and turns pink again. This may take all afternoon. She clears her throat and eyes the rug as if it might be coming to life at any minute.

Ben notes that Ismene does not seem to have thoughts that make words. He glances at Elo.

Elohad 's rug stays politely put.

[Ismene]: The next step would be you speaking to my family, I believe, sir.

[Elohad]: Okay. There may be a bit of a delay on that, of course, as I don't know that it's safe for me to leave here for any length of time just now.

Ben glances toward the stairs. He nods somberly.

[Ismene]: Oh! Of course! I completely understand, and Southshore is so very far away.

Elohad nods.

[Ismene]: It's just… My parents can be…
Ismene is using up a lifetime's supply of ellipses. "Difficult."

[Elohad]: I understand completely. And I'm sorry about the delay. I would just hate it if it hap- er, if something happened while I was gone. I know Estel could handle it, medically speaking, but— I feel like I should be here.
[Elohad]: But this will give me some time to think about my approach, hm?

[Ismene]: With all due respect, Sir Elohad, I'm not sure you do understand.

[Elohad]: Oh?

Ben gives Ismene an inscrutable look.

Ismene glances to Ben as if he can help but he hasn't met them either and he cannot. But she still looks.

Ben makes his blankly earnest puppy-eyes face at her.

Ismene looks at her knees instead. Knees understand.

[Elohad]: I'm sure it's just a matter of approaching them in the right way. That I can do, if I know what to watch out for.

[Ben]: He's … real good with people.

Ismene picks at a loose thread on her gloves. "Well, you likely won't see my mother beyond when you first arrive. My father won't bother to consult her, you see."

[Elohad]: Mm hm.

Ben narrows his eyes.

[Ismene]: And it would b— If you could perhaps send a note beforehand? He would respect the propriety of it.

[Elohad]: Of course.

Ismene just blurts it out, "There's a chance he'll say no, I don't know, I don't really know him well, but mostly I'm afraid that when you met them — him — you'll say no."

[Elohad]: Why would I do that?
Elohad peers at Ismene searchingly.

Ben looks startled by this new information.

Ismene peeks up at Ben, then at Elo, sad as anything.
[Ismene]: They're not very nice people, sir.

[Ben]: Mizzy, I ain't courtin' them.

[Elohad]: Were you planning to move in with your folks at some point?
[Elohad]: If you were married, I mean? Or live somewhere else?

Ismene blinks. That was in question? She looks at Ben. "Well… yes?"

Ben looks at Mizzy. He may be hazy on specifics.

[Elohad]: Normally the woman goes to live with the husband, unless there's some reason she can't.
[Elohad]: If your parents are into doing things traditionally, they probably know that, though, hm?

[Ismene]: Of course, we'd normally set up our own household but there's the business to learn and manage, and all the tenants should get to know Ben.
[Ismene]: Since really, he'll be inheriting.

Elohad nods. "But would you be residing there? Sleeping there? Or just working there?"

[Ben]: I mean. Mizzy's orchard is there, *he ventures cautiously.* But I still got Cobalt and all. I was not planning on … quitting Ironforge for all time. Not yet while it's still in your dad's hands, I mean.

[Elohad]: You can run a business without -living- there. I never slept at Cobalt HQ, though I know some of us did. *He winks*

[Ismene]: I— I don't— I mean, I hadn't— Well, it's not like he can pass and we'll just move in and take over. There's so m—
Ismene licks her lips and looks between the two men in worry.

[Ben]: Okay, okay. Listen. We'll — sort it out. I mean, we can … be there part of the time. I will get to know the tenants, I promise. And the business. I mean, half that stuff you can teach me. It's gonna be -your- business, Mizzy.

[Elohad]: Okay so, the Crawfords were like that, too. Business but also a noble title. They had an estate they lived on, but Sebastien went into the city to work at their alchemy shop during the days.
[Elohad]: There are gryphons and all, a man can travel from his home to his business to work.
Ismene begins to be a bit more hopeful.
[Elohad]: If you don't want to live there but you think someone needs to be there overnight, you can hire someone for that, to be the night manager or what have you.

[Ben]: I mean, we can always tell 'em that Ference lands — in theory, cos they ain't really lands no more — are Duskwood, and there's the Darkshire council and all, so just to be -Ference- we can't be at Callis all the time.

[Elohad]: Yeah, I have a little place in Darkshire, for the address, so I can have a vote on the council, and Ben would inherit that.
[Elohad]: But I sleep here in Ironforge. You can have as many different places as you need.
[Elohad]: You will -own- the business, but how much you want to actually be there will be entirely up to you. You can hire people do to whatever you don't want to, and just do the bits of it you like.

[Ismene]: I suppose I sound incredibly silly and like I'm digging up things to be worried about.

[Ben]: Mizzy. It's okay. Your people — I understand, okay? Feelin' that worry eatin' you all the time.
[Ben]: But it's gonna be okay.

Elohad nods in agreement.

[Ben]: Between me and Mr Ference, we will make it okay.

Ismene smiles at Ben, heart-eyes.

[Elohad]: It's certainly complicated; you're not wrong. But it's just like… a tangle of yarn that needs to be spooled up, it's not impossible.

Ismene looks over at Elohad with traces of that still in her expression. "And if they are horrible, you wouldn't say no, would you?"

[Elohad]: Not if you don't have to live with them.
[Elohad]: Would actually make some sense, sleeping here, as it's between your orchards and the Ference property in Duskwood.

Ismene perks a bit. "Oh. That would make sense…" She looks at Ben.

[Elohad]: Little closer to the orchards, which would need more visits.

[Ben]: I already know some about land management, for the business. I mean I know I come off like … a hog farmer's son, but I promise I do know it. An' I been reading some about apples already.
Ben 's ears are red again.

[Elohad]: Apples. *Elo smiles.* I think there's something of fate, in apples…

Ismene frowns. "You do not come off like that at all! You've come so far and learned so much, I doubt anyone else could've done half as well."

Ben smiles back at Elohad. And then at Mizzy. Gosh.

Ismene will take on anyone who talks badly about Ben. Even Ben.

[Elohad]: Did I ever tell you how I met Mr. Atley, Ben? It's relevant, if only symbolically.
[Elohad]: …Maybe literally relevant, more I think about it.

Ben sits up a little. A Mr Atley story! "No, sir, you did not."

Ismene looks over at Elohad, curious.

[Elohad]: You know Mr. Atley? Leads Blue Squad? Big hulking scowly fellow?

Elohad smiles at Ismene.

Ismene nods. "Quite terrifying, I must say."

[Ben]: Aw, he's okay. Ben says this a little more firmly than the words alone imply.

[Elohad]: When I first met him he was a scrawny thing, maybe nine or ten, sitting on a fence watching the horses. I came with a basket of apples to feed my horse, and the others.

Ben listens, intently.

Ismene grins, clearly able to see it in her mind's eye.

[Elohad]: Well he was obviously underfed, and there were more apples than horses, so I gave him one and taught him how to feed the rest to the horses.

Ben smiles. He looks away from Elohad for a moment, scrutinizes the far wall, and then looks back. He is regarding Elo as if he were Turalyon Himself.
[Elohad]: Thinking on the geography of it, there's almost no way those weren't your parents' apples, Mizzy.

Ismene blinks and manages to sit up straighter. "Goodness!"

Elohad smiles. "Anyhow, I guess it made an impression, because he never forgot my name. That apple, from your orchard, endeared him so much to me he signed up for my new mercenary company as soon as it started. I couldn't have started it without him."

[Ben]: That's — really somethin', sir. Really.

[Elohad]: Cobalt Company exists because I gave a kid one of your apples. So you see what I mean about fate?

[Ismene]: Well. *She blinks a few times.* Fate, indeed. If you hadn't started the Company, I can't see how I'd ever have met Ben.

[Elohad]: Mm hm. And here you are, and my son happens to take a shine to you… it all just… fits. So I have faith.
[Elohad]: Whatever your parents are like, I know I'll know just the right way to get through to them.

Ben nods firmly.

Ismene smiles at Elohad because he is Wonderful. "And you gave me an apple, too. Do you just carry them around, in case you have to change the course of someone's life dramatically?"

Elohad nods solemnly. "Absolutely."

Ismene hides a laugh behind her hand, ducking her head again.

Ben grins.
[Ben]: He is real good at that. Changing the course of a life, I mean.
Ben nods solemnly at Elohad.

Elohad now takes a turn at this whole "turning red" thing.

Ismene | They all turn the color of red apples. Thematically.

[Elohad]: Aw, shucks, son, you're going to embarrass me talking like that. It's nothing we don't all do from time to time. Change lives, I mean.
[Elohad]: You're both about to change mine, hm?

Ismene returns to smiling at Ben. "I hope so."

[Ben]: Well, sir, I mean. You done a hell of a lot more than you had to. Are still doin' it.
[Ben]: You know I will do what all I can to make you proud an' pay you back for it.

[Ismene]: I agree completely.

[Elohad]: There will still be trials ahead, of course, all kinds of dangers and things we didn't expect. But this feels like the right path to me. Feels Light-blessed.
[Elohad]: So I'll do what I can to help it along.

Ismene reaches out for Ben's hand.

Ben takes it, because there is not a table with a globe on it between them.

[Elohad]: But to help you, you might need to help me a little, Mizzy. I want to really understand your folks, best I can.

Ismene gives his hand a squeeze, then lets it go.

[Elohad]: You know 'em best, though from the sound of it, probably still not that well. Just give me your best picture of 'em.

Ben sits back again and looks between the two of them. He is also interested.

[Ismene]: Well. I— I confess I'm a bit torn between politeness and honesty. I'm not sure there's a way to accomplish both.
Ismene reviews her entire vocabulary of adjectives in her head.

[Ben]: You got to be honest with Mr Ference, Mizz. I know you are a sweet girl, but.

Ismene eyes Sir Elohad for his take on it.

[Elohad]: I don't think politeness has much place in a war room, and that's essentially what this is now, hm? We're making a strategy. We need the facts. Nothing we say here leaves this room. It's just the three of us talking here.

Ismene laughs a little at the war-room analogy but shrugs to indicate agreement with it. "All right, then. My father is arrogant, cold, and controlling. He won't quite cross the line into rude, not with a Lord, but he'll come close I'd imagine."

[Elohad]: Okay, good to know. I've dealt with those types.

[Ismene]: More from lack of experience actually talking to a noble than anything else. Everyone else is a social inferior and not really worth the trouble.

[Elohad]: So I could go one of two ways, then, with him. You can tell me what you think will work best.

Ismene nods eagerly.

[Elohad]: I can either let him think he's in control, steer him to think the whole thing is his idea. Or I can come in real strong, play up the forty-generations-of-nobility thing, kind of try to awe him into respecting me.

Ismene 's eyes light up in a not entirely wholesome way. "Oh that would be lovely! The second idea, I mean."

Ben nods, not because he knows but because he thinks Mr Ference is Awesome.

Elohad nods. "It makes things a lot easier in the long term, if I go in that way, because I don't have to keep coming up with ways to convince him he's coming up with my ideas. But you know better than me the kinds of things that'll awe him."
[Elohad]: Gotta get it right 'cause if I fail -that- approach, the whole thing kinda falls apart, heh.

[Ismene]: Oh, I expect if you just stay firm on making him call you Lord Ference, he'll stay properly cowed.

[Elohad]: Nice.

Ismene laughs in delight. "I almost wish I could be there!"

[Elohad]: I'll also dress the part, make sure the Ference coat of arms is visible on something or other… this'll be kinda fun actually.

Ben grins.

Ismene colors and looks down a little, but her eyes are still dancing. "I'm sorry, it's terrible of me to be so malicious."

[Elohad]: I suppose it's a little mean-spirited of us, but in truth, some people really could stand to be put in their places. It's just a fact. *He grins.*
[Elohad]: 'S'not like I'm gonna actually -harm- the man, anything but his ego, and it sounds like he has enough to spare.

[Ben]: I mean, I feel like I am the one who would object here mostly, but if you are gonna be doin' it at a fellow like that on behalf of a fellow like me, I am pretty much all in favor, so.
Ben shrugs. Live by the snobbery, die by the snobbery.

Ismene shakes her head. "It'll be like a play for you, won't it? Acting a part. You'll have to convince that man you're not at all warm and kind and generous."

Ben grins again.

[Elohad]: Exactly. I've actually played a very similar part in a play, back in the day, I'll just channel Lord Thibault for a few. Ah, that was a fun role.

Ismene laughs again. "Well, enjoy it. And I beg you to remember every detail so you can tell me. Purely so I know what to expect at my next visit home, of course."

[Elohad]: Of course. There's one bit I should warn you about though. I may have to -subtly- indicate that he needs to convince me you're good enough for my boy. He might come back to you sounding like he thinks I don't like you.

Ben sits up again.

[Elohad]: Which you know isn't true, right? I just need to make sure he understands he's in the position of reassuring me you'll be a good wife to bring into such an ancient and storied bloodline.

Ismene wrinkles her nose. "Probably. In that case, he'll likely offer you a tour of the lands, to see his accounts, that sort of thing. Do feel free to say no and wave him off, unless you'd like to see either. He'll want to prove to you that he's wealthy."

[Elohad]: I'll be easy to convince, of course.
[Elohad]: Oh, I might enjoy the tour.
[Elohad]: The more work I put him through, the more he'll commit to the idea.
[Elohad]: I might stay there all day.

Ismene clasps her hands tightly together, visibly restraining the urge to leap up from her chair.
Ben is grinning so hard it must hurt.

[Ben]: He's -real- good at people.

[Ismene]: Oh, I can't thank you enough. This is so beyond anything I could've hoped for.

[Elohad]: You can count on me. By the time we're done, he'll be so grateful for this opportunity. *He smiles broadly.*

Ben slumps back in his chair and laughs a little.

Ismene has to clap, just a little, in excitement.

Ben glances over at Ismene, still grinning.

[Ismene]: He might want to meet Ben at some point, but he'll regard that as a formality. Once things are decided between you, Sir Elohad, and him, that'll be the end of it.

[Elohad]: But yeah, like I say, it'll have to wait until I feel safe leaving the house for long enough to do it right. So Ben'll have some time to study up a bit and practice the impression he wants to make as well.
[Elohad]: Even if your father's already committed to it, it'd still be nice for Ben to feel good about the meeting.

[Ben]: I can … clean up pretty good. And maybe if I ain't say much, just kind of give him a -look- a lot? Or not. *He glances at Elohad for his view.* I will study up.

[Elohad]: Ah, yes, the strong silent type! That could work. Give you fewer words to practice. I can give you some sort of vague answers that work for just about anything.
[Elohad]: Stuff like, "Well said, sir," and "Is that so?"

[Ismene]: And perhaps don't say 'fuck' in front of my father.
Ismene looks pleased with herself for saying a Very Bad Word.

Elohad double takes, and his mouth does a wobbly sort of not-gonna-laugh thing.

Ben can't stop grinning at Mizzy now. His face might be stuck that way.

Ismene giggles. She has to.
Ismene slumps back in her chair. "Oh, I feel so much better. Sir Elohad, you are a miracle."

Ben looks at his dad. His look clearly reads, 'Is she not the Best, sir?'

[Elohad]: We're a whole family of miracles, truth be told. I think that's the Ference specialty.
Elohad smiles at Ben.

[Ismene]: Lady Niris did ask me to speak with her. Do you know if she's available now? I wouldn't like to tire her.

[Elohad]: I can check…
[Elohad]: Lemme just duck upstairs for a sec.
Elohad ducks upstairs.

Ismene peeks up the stairs and hops from her chair quickly, skittering over to Ben to kiss him with a quick peck, then skitters back to her chair.