(2023-06-25) Interview of a Wolffia

Details

Author:	Saaron
Summary:	Elohad meets with Iphindra for a job interview. Expectations VS reality things ensue.
Rating:	T for Teen

Iphindra knocks on the wide open door of the Cobalt Company HQ.
Elohad: Come on in!
Iphindra comes down the stairs, very slowly, visibly nervous. "He— hello!"
Elohad: Hi! Grab something to eat off the table if you want, apples, bread, whatever you like. And have a seat!
Elohad seems fairly casual and relaxed about the whole thing.
Iphindra: Oh, thanks! *She looks at the table, staring very hard at all the food, pondering her decision. She ends up going for the apple.*
Iphindra goes to sit at the opposite side of Elo. Very far away.
Elohad: So! What made you decide to apply to Cobalt Company?
Elohad smiles.
Iphindra: I heard of some of your adventures! Even one with evil undead who hypnotized one of yours, but then it turned out that no, and that she was tricking him! And… I want to help and see the world like this too.
Elohad: What sorts of skills do you have that you believe would be helpful to a team?
Iphindra smiles. "Everything my sisters taught me! I can communate with animals and plants too, and I can heal. With plant magic."
Elohad: How are you at defending yourself in combat?
Iphindra: I'm… I don't like combat, but we know sometimes it's necessary. So, I learned spears, and plants help me too, when I'm in danger (…)
Elohad: That's good. Our work can get a bit dangerous, even here aqt home. But you primarily see yourself as a healer, then?
Iphindra: A common technique I use is to hide, and then attack when enemies don't know I'm here. My sisters and I use poison on our weapons, too.
Iphindra nods. "That is what I do best!" She blows petals from the flowers in her hair at Elo, showing him the power of her rejuvenation spell.
Elohad blinks in surprise, but doesn't object. "Well, healers are always useful, that's for certain."
Elohad: Were you thinking of working closer to home, or were you looking to help out our members who are assisting in the war up north?
Iphindra: I think… this is where people need most help. Up north. I would like to be there for that.
Elohad: But you said you don't like combat. What was it you were hoping to do up there?
Iphindra looks at Elohad with doe-eyes. "I…"
The plants around her shoulders tighten slightly around her, as if comforting her.
Iphindra: I think… this is where people need most help. Up north. I would like to be there for that.
Elohad: But you said you don't like combat. What was it you were hoping to do up there?
Iphindra looks at Elohad with doe-eyes. "I…"
The plants around her shoulders tighten slightly around her, as if comforting her.
Iphindra: Well, I could work with others… to heal them. Others who fight!
Iphindra: That is what I did in Hyjal.
Elohad: So you don't mind being near combat, you just don't want to be a front-line fighter. *He nods.*
Iphindra nods silently.
Elohad: It does get pretty grim up there. It might be best if we start you out closer to here, at least for a month or two, and you can see if you really do like the work, hm?
Elohad: And then when you're ready, we can send you north, maybe.
Iphindra slightly curls up onto herself. "I…" She stares at the ground, frowning uncertainly.
Elohad frowns.
Elohad: Forgive me, but you don't strike me immediately as a very adventurous, confident sort. Sending you straight to Northrend would be cruel.
Elohad: It's an absolutely hideous place, freezing and full of Scourge. Everyone there is in constant mortal peril, and it gets worse every day. It only makes sense to work your way up to that a bit.
Iphindra shakes her head, speaking with all the confidence she can muster. This isn't a lot. She whispers, mostly. "… But…" She shakes her head, not whispering anymore. "That is why I must work there!"
Elohad: I understand that you want to help, but sometimes well meaning people who aren't skilled or confident just end up causing more complications in an already complicated situation.
Iphindra: This is a place of death, and I work with life. A life Northrend needs!
Elohad: The people up north are already taxed to exhaustion; they're in the middle of an all out war. Having to orient a new green recruit and reassure her on top of that - it's just too much to ask, hm? So let's build up your confidence and skills a bit first.
Iphindra: I won't need to be reassured, I promise! I was at Mont Hyjal when the battle was had!
Elohad: Is there a reason you object to us taking some time to train, orient, and observe you before sending you into the middle of a brutal war wearing our tabard?
Elohad peers at you searchingly.
Elohad: I don't generally send brand-new recruits straight to Northrend, you see.
Elohad: That would be irresponsible of me.
Elohad: If you can send us some references, people who can attest to your experience as a veteran, that could help. But your application didn't mention any names we could contact.
Elohad: And I'm just… I'm not getting a real "veteran" vibe off of you somehow.
Iphindra shakes her head. "I just hear what you say about Northrend, and what others say, and I know this is the place I want to go." She curls up on herself again. "I want life to flourish there again. Not undeath."
Iphindra: And… references I… my family is hard to contact, from outside… But they were there to fight, and I healed my sisters when the battle happened.
Elohad: Without references, I'm afraid I'd need some time to see you in action before I'd send you there. The people I've sent north are our very best and most experienced. Fully two-thirds of Cobalt Company has stayed in the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.
Iphindra: What is the references you need? I don't know much, about armies and… official papers. *The plants in her hair grow and wrap themselves around her a little more again.*
Elohad eyes the plants with the beginnings of concern…
Elohad: Just a written statement from one of your superior officers from the war, or if none survived, one of your fellow combatants, attesting to your skills and suitability for battle. And a way I can contact them if I have questions.l
Elohad: But you say you don't know much about armies… so that means you were not officially a part of the Mount Hyjal offensive, yes? You just… what, kind of… showed up?
Elohad: To heal people?
Elohad: That's admirable in its own way, of course, but again, with no military experience, we'd need to train you.
Iphindra: I'm… I never left my forest much before, I said, because I lived hiding in Ashenvale Forest, with dryads. I call them sisters, and they taught me the magic I know.
Iphindra: My sisters and me, we were not… really part of the army, but we fought together because we had to protect life in Hyjal.
Elohad: We do take on lots of people who are inexperienced, or sheltered in various ways. But we don't send them straight to a war zone, generally, *he says gently.* It just makes more sense to take things one step at a time, hm?
Iphindra: But… *She looks at him with sad doe-eyes this time.* I have experience, I helped people survive during a battle, and I saw people who were too far for my plant friends to reach and save. I had to plant a spear in a demon's heart to save a sister and I saw what happened when I was too late to save another…
Iphindra: I'm not afraid of Northrend. I know life there needs help, and I want to give back to life all the joy and warm it gave to me.
Elohad: I do believe that you want that. Can you try, now, to look at things from my point of view, a little?
Elohad: I run a mercenary company. We're very good at what we do, and we're based, quite a lot, on military discipline. Paperwork. Things you admit you're not yet familiar with. You have told me you want to join us, work with us. Yes?
Iphindra: I do! I understand but I… *She sighs.* When you say I'm too small to go help there, I feel my heart twists in my chest, and my shoulders shake, and my head feels a little heavy…
Iphindra looks at him like he's the one who's supposed to make sense of whatever emotion that is.
Elohad sighs. "I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings."
Elohad: But this is just.. this is no different from what I'd ask of any other applicant.
Elohad: This is… honestly the first time anyone has put up this much of an objection to basic orientation and training.
Iphindra: No, no, you didn't hurt me, I have no wounds! It's… *She tilts her head, frowning sadly.* I will follow the training, if that is what I need for to help in Northrend.
Elohad: Let's just give you a few other assignments first, so I can get an idea of how you work with a group, how you take orders and give reports and so on. You can learn how Cobalt Company does things and decide if it's really what you want.
Elohad: And if you don't like how we do things, you do realize, nothing is stopping you from just taking a boat to Northrend yourself and doing as you like, hm?
Elohad: The question is, do you want to do it as part of Cobalt Company, or not?
Elohad: Iphindra nods. "I know I can do that but… As long ago as I can remember I've always been in a group. And I looked at many groups who were going there, but only you I like, and has so many stories of heroes."
Elohad: We are an honorable and accomplished group, to be sure. But we didn't do that by rushing into a war zone unprepared. We started by just… investigating misbehaving kobolds near home.'
Elohad: We've developed systems, ways of working together, over the past two years. This stuff takes some time to get used to, when you're new.
Iphindra: I'll… I'll learn them! Faster than anyone ever did! When it's where it belongs, any living being can grow and change into something extraordinary, and I promise that that will be me in your Company!
Elohad beams.
Elohad: That's the spirit!
Elohad: So let's give it a trial run. I'll find a good assignment for you, and send you out with a partner or two, and you can all report in on how it goes. Hm?
Iphindra beamed for a second as well, then her face dropped a little. "The partners… W— what kind?"
Elohad: Well, that is a question we generally ask our interviewees, so now is as good a time as any. Are there any particular sorts of people you aren't willing to work with?
Iphindra: Well I… *She tilts her head sadly.* I don't do well with night elves, especially when there are many. But for others… *She looks up at the ceiling, a finger on her chin.* Not really, no!
Elohad frowns slightly, and makes a note on her application.
Elohad: Okay, so I'll try to find a non-night-elf group for this first assignment.
Elohad: Is there any particular area of the Eastern Kingdoms or Kalimdor you're interested in seeing? I know travel and seeing the world was an important motivator for you.
Iphindra: Thank you! *She beams.* Hmm… Not really. I saw all of Ashenvale, and I saw some of Ironforge and Stormwind, but that's all!
Elohad: So would you like to be sent somewhere familiar or somewhere you've not seen before?
Iphindra: Somewhere new!
Elohad nods and makes a note.
Elohad: Okay. I'll just send to the same address when I've got an assignment for you, then?
Elohad: It will tell you where to meet and whom to look for.
Iphindra: Yes, please! *She beams, the plants gently unwraps themselves from her shoulders and the leaves open fully.* I look forward to this! I promise I will be the best new recruit!
Iphindra: Do you… have a book, with instructions? So I can prepare what I must do when I wait.
Elohad: Yes, I can give you our Code of Conduct, which is instructions on how to behave. And I can try to write up a little summary of things like, how we get paid, how chain of command works, and so on. Here, at least - *he rifles through the drawer next to him and pulls out a sheet of paper* - is a list of our leadership and what their roles are. Be sure to sign the Code of Conduct once you've read it, and return it to us. If you need help understanding it you can ask anyone at HQ.
Elohad: Uh, this is HQ, by the way. *He gestures around the room.*
Elohad: I try to make sure someone is here at all times. I won't be around quite as much, as I just got voted onto Stormwind's House of Nobles. That's like… uh… well, we help the king lead Stormwind.
Iphindra grabs the papers. "I know for HQ and your new role! I was told at Bruuk's night!" She immediately leans forward, basically folded in two, and begins reading the Code of Conduct. Best recruit ever, she said!
Elohad: That was written by a gnome, so uh. It's a bit… wordy.
Elohad: You don't have to finish it right this minute. Feel free to take your time. And I'll get to work on finding you a good first assignment.
Iphindra frowns a little at the wordy words of the Code of Conduct. "Thank you, but I said I was going to be a fast new recruit! I'll be an old recruit before you finish blinking!" She looks at him, a bright smile on her face.
Elohad: There's no substitute for time, my dear. Take a deep breath, and be patient with yourself, hm?
Elohad smiles warmly.
Elohad: There's no rush. I promise the Lich King isn't going anywhere. And if he does go that fast, I mean… I don't think we should be upset about that.
Iphindra beams at being called 'deer' again. These humans really know how to speak to her! "I know, life takes lot of time to grow properly…" She nods sagely. "But no tree has ever won against me in a race! I'm faster than most life for many things!"
Elohad smiles again, reassuringly.
Iphindra: Aha! Cobalt Company needs me to practice fights! That's good to know!
Elohad: I don't require speed. I don't require perfection. I only require that you do your best, and that you represent Cobalt Company well when you're wearing our tabard or using our name. That means being kind, courageous, and helpful, which you can do.
Elohad: I feel pretty confident of that.
Iphindra looks up, "Kind, courageous, and helpful, uh— EEK!" She jumps from her seat, finally noticing the DEER HEAD RIGHT ABOVE HER HEAD.
Elohad: Oh, sorry about that, that was here when we moved in, and I've just never redecorated.
Elohad: I don't know why dwarves are so fond of putting animal heads on their walls.
Iphindra: … that's… *Some flowers on her hair wilt. She can't help but look at the deer.* I… I'll study somewhere else. *She puts the Code right into her face to avoid looking at it any longer.* Goodbye. Thank you.
Elohad lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
Elohad: I'll get that assignment to you as soon as I can.
Iphindra goes up the stairs, reading the Code which is still just a few inches from her face. "Thank you!" She goes surprisingly fast in these stairs she's not actually looking at, and miraculously doesn't fall.
Bimble Longberry says: Straight from the lush forests of Elwynn, get your fresh fruit right here.