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| Details |
| Author: | Saaron |
| Summary: | Lena comes to visit Sandy as he's recovering from the past few months. He talks about what happened, lets her in on a secret, and they discuss the future. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: The Sandysappearance
Averlena knocks hesitantly on the door, and then opens it slightly to look in the room.
Averlena: Sandy?
Gausanders gets startled. He takes a moment to answer, looking around, taking in the sight of his own room. "Oh! Hi, Lena." He stills looks rather pale, and still fairly thin, but most of his wounds have healed by now.
Gausanders sits on his bed. "Come in."
Averlena moves into the room, looking over Sandy critically. "How're you feeling?"
Gausanders: I'm… Uh…I'm getting better. *He looks a little exhausted.* Thank you. For trying to rescue me, with that portal! I… didn't get to say it until now.
Averlena: I'm sorry it didn't work. *Lena hesitates for a moment before adding* And I'm sorry it took so long. I should've done something, right away.
Gausanders shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm back here now! And there was plenty of stuff you didn't know, before acting. It would have been too dangerous for everyone involved. I get that."
Averlena: I should've known, that first day you didn't show up. But I just thought, oh, he must be busy with something else. *Lena goes to take a seat by the bed* They've got her locked up now, at least.
Gausanders smiles sadly. "Hey, it's like me to disappear from time to time! One time I disappeared because my undead mom bit me." His eyes move down towards the feet of his bed. He gives Lena a puppy-eyed look. "Can I tell you a secret?"
Averlena: A secret? *Lena pauses to consider. At least she's taking it seriously. Then she nods.* I'll keep it.
Gausanders: We made a whole escape plan for Helyn— not from the prison! From… when you'd all eventually come to rescue me.
Averlena: We? *Lena blinks* You and… Helyn?
Gausanders nods. "I told her where I keep the keys of my brother's home. We thought she could hide there, wait for a bit, and that I'd send someone with gold for her to run away somewhere really far. Like Outland, or Northrend!"
Averlena just stares at him in silence for a long while. Finally, she asks, "But… why?"
Gausanders: Because she's… very young. She's a kid, and she was manipulated… I didn't want her to end up locked up! *He pauses.* She was just… very sad, and lonely.
Averlena: Sandy… *Lena bites her lip, trying to think of what to say* Sandy, from what I hear, she was manipulated by her demons. Sending her away with them only sets her up to fall further.
Averlena: And what would she learn? That being hurt gives her a pass to hurt other people, to hurt you, with no consequences?
Gausanders joins his hand on his knees, looking away. "I— I don't know. I think having to move away forever, far from everything she's ever known, everything her family ever owned… That's a consequence, right? And she told me she wouldn't listen to demons again!"
Averlena: She says that now, but you don't get to set them aside. She's bound forever. That's what we are.
Averlena: Once she gets over the guilt, and starts to think on how it's not fair she's got to atone forever… they'll still be there.
Gausanders 's sad frown deepens. "But… isn't that the same with prison, then? If she gets out, she'll have resentment either way. And now, she's not even getting a chance to build something new to get over this."
Averlena sighs. "I don't know when, or if, she'll ever get out. This coming alongside the whole poisoning ring thing, I don't think Stormwind's looking to be lenient on warlocks. But if she's in prison…"
Averlena: You can visit her, if you want. And there's… have you heard about WEB? That's a recent thing.
Gausanders looks even more tired at the thought that Helyn might never get out. "I, uh… I'm not kept up to date with much of what's happening outside right now. There's some bad news, apparently, and my doctor think I might lose sleep over it. But the WEB I've heard of! That's, like… a warlock team for better warlocks, right?”
Averlena: Yeah. I'm a founder. *Lena smiles* I was going to say… of course they're not going to vouch for Helyn, but…. maybe we could try to do some rehabilitation, while she's in prison?
Gausanders perks up. "Rehabilitation? How so?"
Averlena: Like, counseling? Teaching her better ways of thinking about the fel? I reckon she can't do any magic in there, but maybe we could try to fix the things gone wrong in her.
Gausanders: And you think the WEB would be okay with helping her? I mean… you're the WEB, since you founded it, but… what about the other?
Averlena: I'd have to float the idea, and I got to make it clear I'm not talking about WEB getting her out of prison.
Averlena: I think that'd be more the priests and the paladins than the warlocks that'd need to talk to her. But if you believe she's not beyond reaching, then… well… maybe it's worth trying to salvage?
Gausanders chuckle softly. "Can you imagine though? A warlock heist to get someone out!" He looks at Lena, nodding vehemently. "I think she is. She deserves a second chance."
Averlena: Maybe not a second chance to be a warlock. But a chance to be a better person. *Lena watches Sandy's face to see if he understands.*
Gausanders keeps nodding. "Yeah. That was the plan, when she escaped. To live a quiet, normal life, somewhere where they couldn't find her."
Averlena: She can still do that, then. Just, you know, in a way that we know she's not going to do to somebody else what she did to you.
Averlena: Because she'll be confined.
Gausanders moves to the side, out of his bed. He grabs his crutches, and slowly gets out. "Confined?.. Where, if she gets out of prison?"
Averlena: Well, I guess if she gets out of prison she won't be.
Gausanders: Oh… you didn't mean… she'd get the normal life!
Averlena comes over to the other side of the bed, looking to see if he needs help.
Averlena: She'll get a life. That's more than she wanted to give you.
Gausanders: It's okay! I just wanted to show you. I can do that now! *Looks proud to be up.*
Averlena: Is your leg healing?
Gausanders sits back on his bed, taking in Lena's words about Helyn.
Gausanders: It is. Our physician said I should get a prosthetic soon. Always said I wanted to be a pirate, I didn't expect to start with the wooden leg!
Averlena smiles sadly. "It'll go well with Dragon, right? And I bet gnomes have got some really nice ones."
Stormwind Royal Guard says: Looks like we're going to have ourselves an execution.
Gausanders: Mhm! Mom shut down the wooden leg idea. She's getting one of the fancy, metal ones from an engineer in Ironforge.
Averlena: I bet some pirates have engineered legs, too. *Lena nods.* Maybe you can come with me to Scalawag Point when you're better, and we can ask.
Gausanders's eyes widen. "Scalawag Point? What's that?"
Averlena: It's a pirate island. In the Howling Fjord. *Lena's smile grows a little more genuine.* Have you ever been to a pirate island?
Gausanders: Never!
Averlena: Then you absolutely must go. *Lena sits next to him on the bed.* Did you know I'm a sailor now too? Not a pirate, the Commodore would have a fit if I said that. But the Fallon fleet's hiring warlocks.
Gausanders: Really? The Bloodsail Bucaneers aren't basically the only pira— sailors recruiting warlocks anymore?
Averlena: Nope, Fallons have realized how handy we are to have around. You'd probably need to get in good with WEB, though, if you wanted to go that way. You'd have to be willing to follow the rules.
Gausanders: I'm sure I was already following a lot of the rules with Cobalt Company. *He smiles.*
Averlena: Oh, for sure. *Lena nods* And the rest are there to make sure we don't go wrong. To keep us from going down the same path as Hel… Natasya.
Gausanders: I'll join the WEB, for sure. And isn't my mom involved? I don't think I'll get a choice to not join, anyway!
Averlena: Oh, really? That's good news. They wanted to have some Kirin Tor mages in the group.
Averlena: I think the main new thing is mandatory counseling. Which… I think would be a good idea anyway, given… *Lena glances over his injuries again*
Gausanders glances over his own injury. "Oh… So, like… talking to someone? About stuff?"
Averlena: Yes, basically. About your thoughts, your feelings, that sort of thing.
Gausanders: Well, I'm already doing that, right? With you, Gwen, my dad, my mom, my pets…
Averlena: This would be with a priest, somebody who's trained to help people deal with thoughts and feelings.
Gausanders: Oh.
Gausanders: I don't… know what I'd say to a priest about my life! *Sandy doesn't think about starting with everything that's happened recently as well as how he views the person who kidnapped him.*
Averlena: They're good at that too, I bet. Helping you see where to start. *Lena smiles encouragingly.*
Gausanders: I guess that can't hurt!
Averlena stands from the bed. "Well, I don't want to wear you out, and I've got to get back to the Fleet soon. Keep in touch, okay? And let me know when you're up to visit the pirate island?"
Gausanders nods, rubbing his eyes. "I should probably rest some more, yeah." He smiles, looking sleepy. "Thanks for coming to see me!"
Gausanders: And as soon as I can, I'd love to visit there!
Averlena: Rest up, Sandy. I hope you feel better soon.
Gausanders: Thanks… *He shivers, wrapping himself in his blanket and seems to go right back to sleep.*