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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Lena meets up with Terrineth and they discuss recent events, who they are, and who they might be in the future. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Lena rushes up the stairs in the Blue Recluse, and then her face breaks into a smile when she sees Terri. She walks over and drops into a seat.
Terrineth sits at a table up top with a few bottles of Dalaran Noir and a glass in front of her. She looks a little distracted, but her face lights up when she sees Lena, "Heya gorgeous. I missed ya."
[Lena]: I missed you too. *Lena smiles and looks around for her glass.* I feel like I'm traveling more than half my life these days.
Terrineth slides the glass toward Lena and takes a whole bottle in her hand for herself, "Heh, I feel you there. Mercenary work keeps ya busy, huh."
Lena nods and takes a sip from Terri's glass, then sets it down. "Even though I'm not on squad anymore… I've been working with the fleet lately, sort of as a consultant."
[Terrineth]: Oh yeah. You're with that one guy who threw the party or whatever, yeah?
[Lena]: Mm, *Lena says, taking a noticeably larger sip of wine.* The Fallons. Commodore Fallon, I suppose. Treats his people well at least. What've you been up to? Keeping up with the latest news?
[Terrineth]: Been tryin not to. *Terri takes a big swig herself* Got too much !@#$ on my mind, so I've been keeping myself busy with jobs and bounties and crap.
[Lena]: I suppose it's good to keep busy. *Lena sighs* I hate that it's keeping us apart so often, though. And… I think some of the news you might want to hear. Have you heard about what happened at the Wrathgate?
[Terrineth]: I heard there was some crazy %^&* that happened up there, but I never looked into it.
Lena winces. "I was there at the time. Well, not at the Wrathgate battle itself, but at Wintergarde nearby. It was… a bloodbath. Forsaken turned on everyone, covered the battleground with plague."
Terrineth 's eyes go wide, "!@#$… the rotters really turned on everyone?"
Lena nods. "No one expected. I reckon they thought to kill the Lich King and all of us in one hit. He got away, though."
[Terrineth]: Damn. I'm sure the king took the chance to %^&* some !@#$ up while he was at it. *she says rather bitterly*
[Lena]: He… The king… *Lena pauses, an odd look on her face, and tips back an unusually large amount of wine. After a moment, she says, "He declared war on the Horde. Invaded the Undercity."
Terrineth rolls her eyes and scoffs, "Figures…" she lifts her bottle up and takes a few healthy gulps.
[Lena]: I don't really know if we're at war now? *Lena taps one finger against the stem of the glass.* Can he just… do that?
[Terrineth]: The king always just does whatever the fel he wants. *Terri waves a hand dismissively* Don't see that changin any time soon. But I know I ain't got no bone to pick with the Horde, so if he expects me to tag along then he can %^&*in think again.
Lena relaxes visibly, and sits back, nodding. "He stopped invading Undercity anyway, for some reason. And I've confirmed they're not going to ask me to go up there. I'm not fighting up there."
[Terrineth]: Yeah… I can't imagine that'd be real comfortable for ya. *Terri gives Lena a sympathetic look and reaches a hand across the table toward her*
Lena reaches out to take her hand. "I know… some people want to take it back. I don't. I think maybe you understand. The past is dead. That place is dead. There's only this now, right?"
[Terrineth]: Yeah… I think I get it. Light knows I wish I could go back and have things play out right this time, but… I guess we just gotta move on sometimes.
[Lena]: I don't know if there is a right. *Lena says, looking at the wineglass.* So many things are beyond our control. I don't… regret. I did what I needed to do to survive, back then. You did, too, I'd guess.
[Terrineth]: I guess… *she swirls her bottle* Some days I feel like I've still got fight left in me, though…
Lena smiles. "I don't doubt that. I do, too. Maybe more than I had then. At least, I've got more power at hand to use, you know?"
[Terrineth]: Heh, *she chuckles joylessly* That makes one of us then.
Lena tightens her grip on Terri's hand. "What's that supposed to mean? Something got you down?"
[Terrineth]: Nothin, gorgeous. *she squeezes back but looks away* Just I ain't got friends in high places. Most anyone I knew had my back's either locked up or takin a dirt nap right bout now.
[Lena]: You know me, *Lena says, a little sharply.* And I've been climbing. Only ties I had when I got here were former…. clients… but I'm reaching. We went to an exclusive nobles' wedding, right? You and me.
Terrineth smiles a little at that, " S'pose so, huh."
[Lena]: An' now I'm a fleet warlock. I bet I could get you a place in fleet if you wanted, but that's all… sailing… *Lena frowns*
[Terrineth]: Sailin don't bother me much, I jus… *she trails off and looks off in the distance* I ain't real sure bout myself anymore feels like…
[Lena]: What do you want to do? Are you not happy with the bounties? The fights?
Terrineth pulls her hand back and rubs her face, "I don't know, gorgeous… All this diggin !@#$ back up from years ago… It's like I don't know who I am anymore. Fel, I ain't even been drinkin as much since I met you."
Lena smiles faintly at the last, and says, "Maybe instead of worrying about who you are, you could think about who you want to be? Then you can see how to get there. I'll help, if I can."
[Terrineth]: Pfft. %^&*, that's even worse. *she glances down in her lap as she pulls on a red bandana that's peeking out of her pocket*
[Lena]: You don't know who you want to be? *Lena's brow creases slightly*
[Terrineth]: I mean… I got an idea, but I don't think people are gonna like it much.
[Lena]: Why not? What're you thinking?
Terrineth stuffs the bandana back in her pocket, "Hey, don't worry about it."
[Lena]: Oh, come on, *Lena leans forward a little* How can I help you if I don't know where you're going?
[Terrineth]: If I told ya, then you might change yer mind on the helpin. *she looks serious*
[Lena]: Then I'm more worried about it, not less. *Lena's own expression grows more serious.*
Terrineth looks at her for a minute, trying to size her up and decide if she wants to speak up or not, "Alright, but you can't tell no one bout this, kay?"
Lena hesitates, then nods. "You have my word."
Terrineth takes a deep breath. She goes to speak but picks her bottle back up and finishes it instead. She takes one more deep breath before she continues, "Well think about it. !@#$ everywhere is a mess. I bet you've done plenty of jobs round these parts. Elwynn and the city is doin ok, but Westfall? Redridge? %^&*ing Duskwood? And forget for a second that we got the Lich King tryna kill us all, and the king wants to bring the fight to the whole-ass Horde cause of the rotters goin rogue on em?"
[Lena]: World's in a state, yeah. But Westfall, there's some Cobalt people still working there. Duskwood and Redridge too. So they're doing what they can, while some of us are up in Northrend. You thinking to stick around here, help against bandits and orcs and undead and the like?
[Terrineth]: Maybe… But how much good is that all gonna do if this all keeps up? We're down here neck deep in !@#$ without a shovel and the king is itchin to pick a fight with a bunch of people who haven't done %^&* to us in years, and even better, live on the other side of the damned world!
[Terrineth]: I ain't know bout you, but I don't much care for a life spent cleanin up after Wrynn's mess.
[Lena]: I'm not in service to the Crown direct. That's the point of being a mercenary. I'm not aiming to go fight the Horde in Kalimdor or up north, and I've got nothing anybody could do to force me to. I mean, you're not talking about…. *Lena blinks, considering that she is in Stormwind, and quietly draws a finger across her own throat.* I don't reckon this is all on one guy.
[Terrineth]: Maybe not but, and I know this is rich comin from me, but the guy seems like a bit of a loose cannon. I ain't saying we gotta go *she drags her own finger across her throat* unless we gotta, but…
[Terrineth]: I'm glad to hear yer able to think for yerself, but there's a lotta people out there who are gonna just go with him, or soldiers who ain't got much choice but to follow.
[Lena]: Mm, *Lena presses her lips together in thought for a moment.* Humans aren't everything. We've got the whole Alliance. Even if Wrynn is kind of… well, he ought to be balanced by the others.
[Lena]: And you're not the only one upset. Ben's not a fan, and I heard a lot of the folk who got roped into the Undercity thing were furious.
[Terrineth]: Tch… That why everyone stopped him from invading the Undercity and declaring war?
[Lena]: They… they did stop him from invading Undercity. *Lena says quietly.* Or at least, someone did. They got the Apothecary who did the whole plague thing at the Wrathgate, and then teleported out.
[Lena]: Declaring war, I don't know. Seems like that's held up in committee. Like, he definitely said it? But I haven't heard of any other battles or anything.
[Terrineth]: Good. *Terri picks up her bottle and keeps drinking*
[Lena]: So what's your solution, then? There's the militias in Westfall and Redridge. The Night Watch in Duskwood.
Terrineth sighs, "I don't !@#$ing know…" She taps her fingers on the table, "Just tired of being pushed around and watchin other people get beat on when they're down to make good on someone else's stupid ambitions…"
Lena folds her own hands together. "You could try one of the local groups. Working as a mercenary. Might be you could get someone in Cobalt to come along with."
Terrineth waves a hand in front of her, "I don't know… I'm just gettin sick of all the fighting. Just wanna nip it in the bud and be done with it."
[Lena]: …Nip what in the bud? *Lena's brow furrows.* I wish everyone could get along too, but I think that's pretty well out of our control.
Terrineth shrugs and finishes off her bottle, "I don't know. I guess I figure if we get rid of all the crowns and big %^&*in egos then !@#$ won't gotta be so damn complicated…"
Lena considers. "I don't think that's a problem you can solve by subtracting people. What happens when they're gone? More people decide they want power, and the whole thing starts over again."
Terrineth groans and slams her fist down on the table absentmindedly, "Sorry…" she apologizes for the noise.
Lena dismisses the apology with one hand. "I think the problem's not the crowns and the nobles. It's just… what people are like, you know? And you can't change what people are like altogether."
Terrineth just looks down at the table and shakes her head. Her leg starts to bounce.
[Lena]: I think… you see a lot of what people are like when the chips are down. And a lot of it isn't pretty. But some people… some people are good. I don't know if I'm one of them, but I want to be. I'd imagine you do, too.
[Terrineth]: I guess so… *she starts tracing her finger along the grain of the table*
[Lena]: I don't… know if I see a path in all that. If you want to stop fighting, though, you can. There's work to do. Lot of orphans, after Wrathgate, and they'll need help.
[Terrineth]: Yeah… *she seems to be getting lost in thought*
[Lena]: What is it? *Lena sips the remainder of her wine, waiting patiently.*
[Terrineth]: Sorry… I just… I haven't given much thought to my future in a long %^& time. None of this *!@# really turned out the way I thought it would, and I'm not too sure what I want anymore…
[Lena]: It's easy not to think of the future, when the present is a whole pile of #@$% itself you got to live through. *Lena nods* But… there's time now, right? You don't got to run out and kill a… Lich King or whoever today.
[Terrineth]: I guess not, yeah…
[Terrineth]: Sorry… I guess I don't got too much to say right now.
Lena reaches a hand across to her. "I can tell you some of what I'm up to. I'm trying to make things better."
Terrineth squeezes Lena's hand and smiles, "Yeah. That sounds like it'd be nice. So what have you been up to?"
Lena smiles. "Well, there's the sailing stuff. We've been poking into the Scarlet Onslaught, trying to figure out what's got them gone bonkers. I did some spying, warlock-style, and looks like they got a connection to Icecrown."
[Lena]: That's where I'm off to next, a little expedition to follow their route, see where it leads. What they're up to. If they're Scourge or not.
[Terrineth]: Oh yeah? I thought those were the crazies who thought everyone is undead and wants to kill em all or whatever.
[Lena]: Yeah! Which is why it's weird, right? Why would they team up with the Scourge?
[Lena]: Anyway, there's supposedly the uncle of a friend of mine - Rae - who's leading them. Only he's supposed to be dead.
[Terrineth]: Huh… you think the Scourge is tricking em or something?
[Lena]: That's what I'd figure, yeah. So maybe somehow they've got it all turned about in their head that everyone but the Scourge is the enemy? It doesn't make any sense to me, but maybe we'll learn more.
[Terrineth]: Yeah. It's probably hard to say for sure what they're thinkin when they already got a few screws loose.
[Lena]: I think they started good. They took a lot of people in when Lordaeron was falling apart. Just… lost the path somewhere along the way.
[Terrineth]: Sounds like it if they're with the Lich King now, yeah.
Lena nods. "Guess the other thing I'm in is a bit more certain. I'm a founding member of the Warlock Ethics Bureau." Lena smiles a little.
[Lena]: It's gonna try to make sure warlocks don't go off the deep end like that. Or well, in any other way either.
Terrineth smiles back, "Well hey, look at that. Out here makin the world a safer place and all that." she tries to pull Lena's hand up to her mouth to kiss it.
Lena grins and lets her do it. "Doing what I can. Big thing is going to be making sure warlocks don't get all isolated, hiding in the basement at the Lamb. Going to have regular checkups with priests and stuff to monitor the fel."
Terrineth nods along, "Sounds like a good idea. Don't know much about demons and all that, but I can't imagine bein around em all the time is great for ya."
[Lena]: Yeah, I try not to let 'em get in my head. There's been a few bad cases recent. But I think it's good advice for anybody, really. I mean, obviously don't be around demons all the time, but…
[Lena]: Trying not to be isolated. Learning how other people see things.
[Terrineth]: Yeah, I can get that I think.
[Lena]: There's for sure a lot of people I don't understand. *Lena lifts her glass, finishes off the wine.* Tyrrell thinks we even ought to consider death knights. With, you know, caution.
Terrineth makes a strained face, "I'm not so sure about that one there… The little bit I've heard about them hasn't been great."
[Lena]: Yeah. *Lena gives a little shiver.* I think I made a weird face when he said it. But I guess I don't know their perspective, so from that angle… I wouldn't want to be alone with one, though, for sure."
[Terrineth]: Can't say I disagree on that point.
Lena sits back and smiles, looking at Terri. "There's one person I would like to understand, but I got no rush on that. Willing to take the time."
Terrineth blushes and looks down bashfully.
Lena reaches out one hand. "I don't need to be on a boat tonight, if you'd be in for… more of that."
Terrineth takes it and smiles, "My bed's too big for just one person anyway." Terri blushes and winks.