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| Details |
| Author: | inkie |
| Summary: | Ben and Sil are joined by draenei newcomer Nunuzac, who is finding Azerothian life to be a hell of a thing. Ralaea reappears, with some disconcerting news about Harvey. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
Ben is seated alone at a table with a mug of beer and a book. He's reading the book, his chair tipped back on two legs, his foot propped against the table.
Nunuzac scurries up to pester the barmaid who appears to recognize her. Nunuzac holds out her hands expectantly. "More please!"
Edris sighs and answers, "You do know we have real meals you can buy, right?"
Ben glances up absently from his book to cast a glance that way, drops his gaze to the page again, and then looks up once more. He squints at Nunuzac.
Nunuzac shakes her head quickly. "But I like them most."
Edris dutifully empties a bowlful of bar peanuts into a bag. "Suit yerself."
Ben sets his book on the table and peers at Nunuzac, still rocking his chair back. "Nun… cy?" he guesses.
Nunuzac gasps. "Benhazaaaan."
Ben grins at her and lets his foot fall from the table's edge, dropping his chair flat with a thud. "Hey! Thought I remembered you. Wasn't sure it was a dream. But the peanuts are a tipoff."
Nunuzac greedily gathers up her new bag of peanuts. "Hello! You are awake this time, yes? How you are doing?" She helps herself to a chair and begins messily wrestling with a shell.
[Ben]: I am awake, ma'am. An' I am doin' pretty good. How about yourself?
Ben watches the peanut process with interest. He reaches idly for his beer.
Nunuzac pauses to throw up her hand. "Ah! Wait, you were there when the big dragons were everywhere? There were so many, I lose track."
Ben shakes his head regretfully and has a swig of beer. He sets the mug down and grimaces. "I was not, ma'am. I missed a hell of a thing, sounds like."
Sil waves at Ben and the draenei.
Ben up-nods at Sil and gestures at the draenei. "Sil, this's Nun… zy? Ma'am, this is Sil."
Sil plops down in a chair. "Hey, Ben, took me a while to find a portal."
Ben shrugs and signals to Edris for a round of beer.
Sil smiles warmly at the draenei. "Great to meet you Nunzy!"
Nunuzac nods vigorously. "Hell of a thing, yes it was! The little small king was alright, but otherwise-wow!" She blinks across at Sil, correcting Ben by way of placing her hand to her chest momentarily. "Nunuzac."
Nunuzac giggles a bit at the misspeak.
[Sil]: Nunazac, *Sil repeats, almost correctly.*
[Ben]: Oh, I beg your pardon.
Ben rubs the back of his neck ruefully, his ears red.
[Nunuzac]: Ooooh, no begging please, it does not suit you. But yes, I guess I helped a bit, because now I get Cobalt newspapers.
[Ben]: So you was there with all of 'em, then? I still cannot believe. I mean, I known the nobles in Stormwind is shady as all hell, but that's new deeps of it.
Nunuzac rifles around in her belt pouch for a crumpled paper. "Oh yes, I wonder how many of your important humans are dragons. You may never know! How exciting."
[Ben]: … exciting is for sure a word.
[Sil]: Oh! You all are talking about Onyxia? That must've been a hell of a thing to see.
Nunuzac clicks her hoof on the stone, repeating again, "Hell of a thing."
Ben nods respectfully to Edris as she slides pints of beer from a tray onto the table. There are quite a few more pints than there are people, at present. Ben slides one over to Sil.
Sil catches it and takes a gulp.
[Ben]: So, uh. Are peanuts a new thing? I mean, I have not seen peanuts on Outla– Draenor, so I am guessin'.
Nunuzac waves around the very sorry looking wrinkled newsletter. "Exciting here too! Shadowmoooon valley. I want to know more about what is happening there." She nods swiftly to Ben. "They just have them lying around the beer house here! I can not get enough."
Ralaea wanders up the stairs, finds a corner, and stands in it, quietly listening to the others present.
Ben grins at Nunuzac. "I mean, I guess I have not thought about 'em too much, but peanuts are pretty goo– Rae! Well, sh*t, hey!"
Ben sits up and beams at Ralaea.
Nunuzac lifts her head and smiles at the newcomer.
[Sil]: Oh, hi Rae! Haven't seen you round here in a while!
Ralaea ducks her head and gives him a wave. "Ben. Sil. Been a while." She nods to Nunuzac.
[Ben]: Nu-nu-zick, this is Rae. Rae, Nu-nu-zick. Zack? Nu-nu-zack.
[Nunuzac]: Hello next human. Nunuzac.
[Ben]: We got plenty of beers. You want to sit? We are talking about how good peanuts are. And also Shadowmoon Valley, I guess. How's things up north been?
[Ralaea]: Nunuzac? *She speaks carefully.* I'm Ralaea but…you can just call me Rae.
Ralaea slides into a seat.
Ben nudges a beer at Sil and nods toward Rae.
[Ralaea]: North is…calmer than it's been in a while. I'm here on a supply run. We're staying the night, then headed back.
Nunuzac glances between the insignia on Sil and Ralaea, then back to the rumpled letterhead. "Rae, like ray of shining sun? How good."
[Sil]: Oh yeah, I heard that they killed that lich, right?
[Ralaea]: Yeah, big crisis averted. For now, I guess. North never stays calm, still a lot to do. Wish I could… do more.
Nunuzac tilts her head slightly at that. "What is this word? Litch."
[Ben]: A lich is like a skeleton in a nightgown. They are … real powerful undeads. That for some reason decide to go around lookin' like skeletons in nightgowns.
[Ben]: They store their souls in jars. You can't kill one 'less you break the jar.
[Sil]: I think its a power trip. Like, I'm so scary you can't even laugh at me in a nightgown.
Ben tips his head from side to side, noncommittal on this theory. He has another swig of beer.
Nunuzac nods a bit. "Oooh, yes, oh no, but it's dead again extra now! How good. This happens often on this world?"
[Sil]: Killin' liches? I think so. We're like experts, Cobalt. We didn't kill that one, though.
[Ralaea]: I've been up there a long time, but the only fighting I got to do was when a Cobalt group came up to kill some Ranger General.
Ben glances at Rae and then back to Nunuzac. He shrugs a shoulder grimly. "Liches did not use to. But since the wars, it is… yeah. The Lich King, I guess — I mean, it's right in his name, so. He's the fellow behind 'em."
Ralaea stares at her lap upon mention of the Lich King.
Ben gestures with his beer at Rae. "An' I missed that one, too. The Ranger General." He peers at Rae, misconstruing her demeanor. "… was it rough?"
[Ralaea]: Not especially. If it was, a certain someone would have forced his way into coming along, and had me back with the healers rolling bandages.
[Sil]: I wasn't at that one either.
[Sil]: Oh, are you not doin' combat anymore, Rae?
Ben raises his eyebrows.
[Ralaea]: I'd be fighting if I could.
[Nunuzac]: Cobalt does very much. Every time I turn to listen, doing more. I wonder.
[Ben]: You wonder, ma'am?
[Nunuzac]: I wonder if I ask to join. Learn more about Azeroth, and maybe help keep the land from flying away back in Draenor. Little Erixa joined after all.
Sil raises an eyebrow at 'little Erixa'. "That Vindicator? I wouldn't call any draenei little from my view, no offense."
[Ben]: Oh, you know Erika?
Ben smiles.
[Ralaea]: If you haven't got another outfit, Cobalt's a good bet. They'll look after you. I mean… we. We will.
Ben turns his smile on Rae, warmly.
Nunuzac laughs brightly. "Not very close, but you get to know everybody a little bit back on the ship when we go very far."
Ben looks back to Nunuzac and nods. "Sir Elohad was just sayin' yesterday that we need to bring in more no– uh, more folks. You should, for sure."
Nunuzac tilts her head to Rae slightly. "I go on my own for a while, try to help fix the things coming apart here and there. But wow, I run into Elohadference by luck, and ever since then so much happens."
[Sil]: It is not a dull company, I tell you what.
[Nunuzac]: I even met the little small king. So cute!
[Ben]: King Anduin? He — sure, yeah.
Nunuzac holds her hand out at around king height, simply delighted.
[Sil]: It's rough for him, I bet, his dad being away. But yeah, he'll grow into being king-sized.
Ben grins at Nunuzac.
[Ralaea]: Well, he is only a child after all.
Sil nods. "That's sort of what I mean. Can you imagine bein' in that position, when you were his age? I think I'd run away."
[Ben]: Honestly I reckon we're all pretty lucky that Fordragon is around. King Anduin included. He seems like a solid fellow.
[Nunuzac]: Oh, right, there is a bigger one? When I first met humans I thought Lothar was the king, Lother this Lothar that. Oh, those humans were so happy the portal came open again.
[Ben]: Yeah, there was Varian, he was the… bigger king. Anduin's dad. Lothar — the Lothar they all meant, he was not the king. Just… a hell of a man.
[Ben]: War hero, an' all.
[Ben]: He was a friend of Varian's dad.
[Ralaea]: Dead now, though.
[Ben]: … I guess to a draenei it must seem like humans go through kings pretty fast.
[Ben]: Though the last couple decades haven't helped, prob'ly.
Nunuzac nods along, wide eyed. "Well you go through humans pretty fast, so it is to be expected."
Ben laughs.
Sil chuckles. "I think Anduin will stick around for a while yet."
[Ben]: Hope he is a better king than his dad was, then.
[Ralaea]: Hope we can keep the world from ending long enough to find out.
[Sil]: Oh I bet we can. We have so far, right?
Ben raises his beer gravely to Rae.
Nunuzac gnaws open a peanut shell. She pauses a bit before devouring the contents, perking an eyebrow and glancing to Sil with an unusual level of reservation.
[Ben]: Well, I mean, we are tryin'. We got to try. Azeroth has got peanuts, yeah?
Nunuzac clutches the peanut bag possessively. "Oh I am sure it will be fine," She beams with exacting politeness.
[Sil]: Peanuts are worth saving. *Sil nods seriously*
Ben eyes Nunuzac. He inclines his head. It might or might not be a nod.
[Ben]: How's Harvey an' them, Rae?
[Ralaea]: Harvey can lick my boots. When I get back there, I will demand he let me go on patrol.
[Ralaea]: Though it… hasn't worked yet.
Nunuzac wrinkles her nose a bit at the expression, laughing mildly. "I let you catch up, humans. We meet again soon maybe." She rises and bundles up her bag and longsuffering newsletter.
Ben sits up and nods respectfully. "Ma'am. I hope we will see you around. You put in an application maybe, yeah?"
Nunuzac nods sharply. "I think so. Be safe and well, protect peanut place." She skips down the stairs, her thin voice trailing back up, "Dioniss acaaaa~"
Sil waves at Nunuzac.
Ben gazes after her for a moment, and then turns his focus back to Rae.
[Sil]: Dioniss Acaaaa! *Sil calls after her*
Ralaea glances towards the stairs. "Certainly a spirited one."
[Ben]: I like her a lot. *He arches a brow at Rae and frowns.* What's Harvey keepin' you in a glass for?
Sil turns back to the other two humans. “Why's he not lettin' you fight?”
[Ralaea]: Seems to think he's protecting me. In Outland, he didn't have a choice. I was on squad. Best he could do was teach me to fight better. Now, though…
[Sil]: "Does he get a say, though? I mean, you're still Cobalt and he ain't."
[Ben]: Yeah, you are Cobalt, Rae. You want I should have words with him again?
[Ralaea]: Yeah, I am. But… I'm supposed to be working with the Argent Dawn, and that's… where the problem lies. He's been going around telling people I can't handle myself. Thought about goin' off alone once or twice, but… I'm sure no one wants that either.
Ben glowers. "What the hell, Harvey? You ought to talk to Sir Sev or someone direct."
[Sil]: Do you want to come back to workin' in Outland? We can watch out for you there, if watchin's needed.
[Ralaea]: I'll consider it. Once I'm sure there'll be no more emergencies up there.
[Sil]: I bet anybody'd be happy to have you. We know you can handle yourself.
Ben sets his beer down and leans forward. "I mean, I am gonna — he can't go around tellin' people you can't handle yourself, because first off that's horsesh*t, but second off, you are Cobalt, an' he can't talk about our people like that."
[Ben]: He can't go round implyin' — to the Argent Dawn, no less! — that Cobalt people ain't in order.
Sil nods at Ben with firm agreement.
[Ralaea]: Normally I'd beat him up and be done with it, but things've been… weird lately.
[Ben]: Weird how?
Ben is focused grimly on Rae.
[Ralaea]: Weird like… I may've done something I shouldn't have. …To him. And that was the start.
Ben knits his brows.
[Ben]: … like what're we talkin' about, here?
[Sil]: To him? Did you beat him up? But you said that'd be normal…
Ralaea shifts in her chair. "I shouldn't… say, but… just don't tell?"
[Ben]: On my word, Rae.
[Ralaea]: I… may have… kissed him. Just… the once.
Ben blinks. It's a good thing he wasn't drinking beer. He blinks again, and clears his throat and glances at Sil.
[Ben]: Oh. Uh, okay. An' so now he's bein'… uh.
Sil looks a little more worried. "And you think that's why he suddenly thinks he's in charge of you?"
Sil glances back at Ben.
[Sil]: That is… a different sort of talk. To be had.
Ben nods slowly.
[Ben]: He can't just — yeah.
[Ralaea]: He's… a Lord, even if his home is… overrun, and I know he's conscious of that fact, meaning… it never should have happened. What I did. That is.
[Sil]: I do not know what you were taught, but I am pretty sure lords kiss non-nobles all the time.
[Sil]: Maybe they don't talk about it, but…
[Sil]: And a kiss doesn't give him any rights over you, whether you did it or he did it or what.
Ben is glowering again now, an almost-visible slow bristling.
[Ben]: … he is so full of sh*t.
[Sil]: Ben, maybe you an' me should have a chat with him…?
[Ben]: Oh, I will f*cken chat with him.
Ben slides his beer away.
[Ben]: The fact he is a noble does not count f*ckall. An' noble or not an' kissed or not he cannot go actin' the boss of you.
Sil looks at Ben. "Maybe I ought to come with. In case things get… uh… heated."
[Sil]: I got poisons for that. *Sil says under his breath.*
[Ralaea]: Just… take care. My brother is one of his retainers, and he takes his job seriously. If things get violent, he'll…
[Ben]: I remember your brother. He is a good kid. I got no quarrel with him. By rights he ought to have a quarrel with f*cken Harvey himself.
[Sil]: I got to head out now, but… I do want to be there to talk to him.
[Sil]: Let me know when you're headin' up?
[Ralaea]: Thanks, Sil. Good seeing you again.
Ben nods curtly at Sil.
[Ben]: Evenin'.
[Sil]: Later, Rae. It was great to see you again, too.
Ben studies Rae. He reaches for his beer and lifts it to his lips again. After a swig, he sets it down and slides it away. He addresses the mug neutrally.
[Ben]: You want me to have Cole talk to him, instead?
[Ralaea]: The… the last time that happened… something about a bow. Gave him nightmares.
[Ralaea]: Can't claim to understand nobles.
[Ben]: So bowin' would be … worse than me maybe hittin' him again, you are sayin'.
[Ralaea]: Probably. It's how he was raised. His father wasn't… a good guy.
Ben straightens again slowly. "Raised how? Hittin'? Or… bowin'?"
[Ralaea]: I only heard bits and pieces when we were smaller, but… he'd lock him in dark places when he did things that weren't proper or noble. He probably got hit too, just… nowhere you could tell.
Ben 's expression is a hard mask, his eyes very dark. He nods once.
[Ralaea]: And one time… he came to live with us a few weeks, because his father disowned him after a fight we had.
[Ben]: Well. All right. Well. I am… I ain't glad to know that. But it is good I know it.
[Ben]: On the other hand, world is full of fathers who ain't sh*t, and it does not give excuses to their sons to ain't be sh*t neither.
[Ben]: Those are the fellows who sure as hell ought to know better.
[Ralaea]: I suppose, yeah. We've had… complicated lives, me 'n him. I just didn't think he'd go so far to keep me out of the war up there.
Ben nods and fiddles with his nearly-empty mug. His gaze is distant and speculative now.
[Ben]: Well. Me an' Sil will go have some words with him. An' I promise I will not hit him unless it's good an' asked for. Sil will make sure.
Ben's smile is self-deprecating and humorless.
Ralaea nods. "Thanks. Sorry for… all this. I only meant to come say hello since I was in the city. Sort of… missed everyone."
[Ben]: Hey. We missed you too, yeah? I am glad as hell to see you again.
[Ben]: You better come back soon. 'Specially if Harvey ain't lettin' you get any real work in anyhow. We can do better by you.
Ben nods decisively.
Ralaea offers him a smile. "Yeah. I'm sure I'll be back." She gets to her feet. "I should call it a night, and let you do the same. Be sure to keep well in… what was it… Shadow-moon… something."
[Ben]: Yeah. Do my best. You too, Rae.
Ralaea salutes Ben with respect.
Ben gets to his feet and stretches. He nods respectfully after Rae.