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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Slicket meets up with Natlee and Birdie in Ironforge HQ to ask for help with his goblin problem. He's not the only one who encounters a surprise from the past. ~3100 words |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
The setting is Ironforge HQ. Slicket is pacing on the carpet, his mohawk bobbing with the motion.
Bertrand heads downstairs.
[Bertrand]: Slick, you okay?
Bertrand drops into a chair to ease the height difference right away.
Slicket looks up at Bertrand. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Or I will be. Thanks for coming out this way. I just… there's a situation. I should probably wait till Nat's here to get into it."
[Bertrand]: Yeah, okay. No problem.
Slicket pauses, looking at Birdie. "I can't remember, did I ever tell you what I did before Cobalt? I know we were all serious business in Westfall."
[Natlee]: Heyyyy.
Slicket smiles. "Hey, babes, good to see you! That cold finally let up, huh?"
Natlee makes an exaggerated sadface at Slicket. "What's the matter, big guy? Your note sounded all weird."
[Bertrand]: Hey, Nat.
Bertrand is distracted from having to answer the question by Natlee's arrival.
Natlee settles herself primly into a chair and arranges her pigtails.
Slicket is acting uncharacteristically nervous. He straightens his rod-straight mustache.
[Slicket]: So it's sort of a problem come out of the past, which I really thought was all underwater. Literally.
Bertrand leans forward in his chair. "Mm?"
[Natlee]: So this is like, something to do with the racetrack?
Natlee leans forward, elbows on her knees.
[Slicket]: You know I used to race rocket cars at the Mirage Raceway in the salt flats, yeah? Or if you didn't, you do now. *Sil glances to Birdie, and then back to Nat.* And more or less, something to do with… other stuff that got flooded before I left.
[Bertrand]: So what's the problem?
Slicket hops up onto a chair, trying to stop his fidgeting. "I wasn't the top racer, but I was on my way. I had a pretty great plan to win, too, when the floodwaters came."
Natlee frowns a pouty little frown.
[Slicket]: But that plan sort of involved… buying a special engine on credit from a group in the Steamwheedle Cartel.
[Natlee]: Uggggggggggh.
[Natlee]: Slickkkkkkket Throttleblast.
[Slicket]: Whaaat? You used to hang out in Kezan! They make good stuff sometimes!
Bertrand taps his fingers on his leg restlessly.
[Natlee]: Just when I start thinking you might be smarter than you look… Yes, you hang out with goblins, you do not borrow from them.
[Natlee]: Ugh.
[Slicket]: Yeah, okay, but I did check the contract. No serious loopholes, all the usual clauses in place.
[Bertrand]: And you got it notarized?
[Slicket]: Nota-what?
Bertrand sighs.
Natlee just buries her face in her hands, but she seems to still be listening.
[Slicket]: Uh. Is that a magic thing?
[Bertrand]: Certified by a notary as a witness. No, it's a legal thing. Continue.
[Slicket]: Well, it also didn't have any magic protection on it, which might've been useful if I'd known it was gonna end up on the bottom of a lake. My copy did, at least. Down there with the engine somewhere.
[Natlee]: But of course they still have their copy I'm assuming.
[Slicket]: You got it in one, Nat. Their copy. *The finger quotes are audible*
[Natlee]: Ugh ugh ugh ugh.
Bertrand groans.
Natlee facepalms again.
[Slicket]: Seriously, I barely got out of that place with my life, I wasn't crawlin' along the bottom to find my paperwork to take with.
[Natlee]: No, no, that's fair.
[Natlee]: Like, just to be clear here? It is totally not the leaving of the contract on the bottom of a lake I have problems with. It's the fact that you signed one with them in the first place.
[Natlee]: Uggggh. I'm trying so hard to be a good little priest here and not handle this how I would've back in the day.
Slicket sighs. "But you didn't see the engine. Or hear the purr of that power…"
[Natlee]: Um I don't think that purring engines have the same effect on me that they do on you.
[Bertrand]: So what've they done to their copy?
[Slicket]: They've got it somewhere in Booty Bay, probably under lock and key, so only the people who want to extort money out of me can modify it.
[Natlee]: Ugggggggh.
[Slicket]: I was gonna try and figure things out on my own, but I… I thought maybe I should go to people I trust for help. *Slicket looks at Natlee and Bertrand with big hopeful eyes.* I thought maybe one of you two would see a way out? One that doesn't involve me indenturing myself in kaja’mite mines?
[Bertrand]: Take them to court?
[Natlee]: Um, most of the ways I see out of this are stuff I kind of like, swore I was never gonna do again.
[Slicket]: Okay, so my options are the law or breaking the law.
[Natlee]: Yeah, um, let's listen to the gentleman's ideas. Do not ask me.
[Slicket]: Would the court work out? Goblins are pretty smart.
[Bertrand]: Then get a smarter lawyer. Cobalt has a few they contract, let me get you a name.
Slicket nods seriously. "Lawyer, alright. They can tell me at least if I've got a case. And if not… Nat, would it really break any promises if you were doing it to to stop somebody bein' crooked?"
Bertrand stands and heads to one of the side offices to ask Alaisa.
[Natlee]: Oh thank the Light Birdie knows what to do. I am like, so determined to stay on the side of good and whatever.
[Natlee]: Yes, Slicket, it would totally break promises. Not even promises, like, vows.
[Slicket]: Okay, okay. *Slicket raises his hands* I wouldn't want to trip up your relationship with the Light or anything. I just… I didn't know what to do.
[Natlee]: They didn't agree to train me just because I batted my baby blues. Though I did try that.
[Slicket]: It's hard to imagine that didn't work.
[Natlee]: I had to do like, all these solemn vows and prayers and stuff.
Bertrand returns with a business card.
Slicket reaches out for the business card, a light of hope in his eyes.
[Bertrand]: Here, Slick. Incunabulum P. Kettleblack. Mercenary, Munitions Expert, Attorney-at-Law.
[Slicket]: Hm. They sound pretty cool.
[Natlee]: OMG, I know them! Well, I know OF them.
[Bertrand]: Ally says they're a gnome, for what that's worth.
[Natlee]: Don't they also run a mercenary company? Aren't they like, competition for Sparkwire?
[Slicket]: Is that bad? Should I not go for the competitor? But uh, Sparkwire isn't a lawyer.
[Natlee]: True. And at least they're a gnome.
[Slicket]: Yeah, that's a plus. No offense Birdie, humans are great too. I'm sure there's really skilled human lawyers.
[Natlee]: But when you're up against goblins, it is definitely a gnome you need.
Bertrand laughs. "None taken."
Slicket grins nervously at Bertrand, and nods at Natlee. "And if they tell me no dice, then, well… I did have a backup plan."
[Natlee]: What's your backup plan?
[Natlee]: Is it gonna require someone who knows how to resurrect you if it goes wrong?
[Slicket]: I could just pay the goblins, valid or not, and get them off my back. But like, I don't have that much money, what they're asking. So I'd have to borrow and pay, borrow from somebody more trustworthy. And, uh, hopefully not somebody who's gonna kill me.
[Bertrand]: How much are they asking?
Slicket names a sum that's probably as much as he'd expect to make in a year.
[Natlee]: Uhhhhhhhhh
Bertrand sighs. "And how much did they actually loan you?"
Slicket names a sum that's probably about as much as he'd expect to make in a month.
[Natlee]: Mkay while that's a really dumb amount of money to owe goblins, I do think that you have like, a super good chance of finding someone to take over the loan? We know like, so many super rich people.
Slicket nods eagerly. "And the reason they want more is because they're claiming I ran off on'em, just because I moved to another continent. But honestly, I thought the whole thing was void after the flood."
Bertrand sighs. "I'll cover your legal fees with Kettleblack. Did they give you a date by which they want you to make a payment, or were they just being generally menacing?"
[Slicket]: Generally menacing. *A look of dismay comes into his eyes* They hurt my mechanostrider. And they'll do worse if I don't pay, they said. I don't know how much damage that bird can take.
[Slicket]: And thanks, pal. I'll owe you one.
[Natlee]: Ference likes investments. A loan is like, an investment, assuming the person pays it back, and you totally would, right? So what if you ask Ference to take over your loan while we sort out the deets of it so it's less highway robbery?
[Natlee]: Also they wouldn't dare threaten someone like that, right?
[Bertrand]: Where'd they find you? Do they have your address?
[Natlee]: Where do you live?
[Slicket]: Oh yeah, think Ference would go for that? I could ask him. And uh…
[Slicket]: They found me out at Steelgrill's Depot, that's south of here, the gnome place at Kharanos.
[Slicket]: And right now I'm living here in Ironforge. Tinker Town. It's probably the most obvious place to find a gnome. I should move.
[Natlee]: I think that Ference might go for it if you really play up the "poor victim in need of rescuing" thing. Like, can you make your lower lip quiver, like this? *She demonstrates*
[Slicket]: Maybe if I imagine the damage to my mechanostrider…. *Slicket tries to make his lip quiver.*
Bertrand taps his fingers on his leg. "How bad's the damage? Glyphe might be able to sort it out."
[Natlee]: Ooooh, yeah, you should totally ask herrrrrr.
Natlee's eyes glimmer with mischief.
[Slicket]: Just a dent on the side casing right now. Might be something Glyphe could handle?
[Bertrand]: Oh! Yeah, absolutely.
[Natlee]: We should send some letters.
[Natlee]: Since we've got a table and stuff right here.
[Slicket]: Yeah, okay, I'll contact her. It'd be good to see her again. Miss the Westfall crowd sometimes. So Glyphe, Incunabulum, Ference… and I'll keep in touch with you guys. Wow, I have more allies than I realized.
[Natlee]: Of course! Duh
Slicket reaches into his pack and pulls out a grease-stained, rumpled paper and a pen. "Here, I'll write her now, and we can send that off. Ference maybe in person."
[Bertrand]: Sparkwire too, I don't think she'll like her people being threatened. She probably knows Ironforge better than I do, she might be able to help you find somewhere more secure to park your strider.
[Natlee]: Ooooh, good call, Birdie-bird.
[Slicket]: Hey Glyphe, How you doin'? *Slicket murmurs as he writes on the paper. He keeps writing, and then glances up* Oh, yeah! I ought to contact Sparkwire. She has a place in Booty Bay, I think, so she might have some good goblin-proof locks, too.
[Natlee]: But yeah, Slick, even though I give you crap sometimes - because you sometimes suuuper deserve it - you know I'm totally on your team, right? I mean come on.
Bertrand smiles at Natlee.
Slicket smiles at her. "I know. And you both know I'm on yours, yeah? Even if I do sometimes super deserve crap."
[Natlee]: And now that you know me, you have someone to go to before you sign any contracts or… make any decisions whatsoever.
[Bertrand]: Whatever you do, don't give them any money until you've spoken with a lawyer, alright?
Natlee points to Bertrand. "What he said."
[Slicket]: Okay, yeah. No money till the lawyer, tell Nat before any decisions or contracts. I got it.
Natlee beams.
Bertrand gives Slicket a thumbs-up. "You got it."
[Natlee]: You do learn, at least.
Slicket folds up the paper. "Of course! You gotta be able to learn, if you want to win races. Alright, first things first, fixing the bird. Let's go mail this out."
[Natlee]: Kay.
Slicket rises from his chair and waddles over towards the door.
Bertrand trails after the gnomes.
[Slicket]: Can't thank you enough, though, really. I feel really positive now.
[Natlee]: Let's see, where's the nearest one?
[Slicket]: Probably the inn, just around the curve.
They head over to the nearest mailbox.
[Natlee]: Oooh! I got mail!
Natlee reaches into the little arcane compartment.
Slicket cheerfully tucks the grease-stained letter in the mailbox. "Oh yeah? Hopefully not from a goblin."
[Natlee]: You don't think so, do you? *Her eyes widen.*
Slicket laughs. "I doubt it. Maybe from Arric? He was sad to miss meeting you."
Bertrand checks his own mail while they're here. "Dexterity boot enchantment warranty…" He rips the envelope up.
[Natlee]: It's not like it's any secret we're pals. *She starts breaking the seal.* What if they decided they're going to try to trap and abduct me and — oh wait, no this is from –
[Slicket]: From?
Natlee reads the letter silently, her expression strangely blank.
Slicket glances at Bertrand, and jerks his head towards Natlee. "Nat? You okay there? Uh… bad news?"
Natlee folds up the letter. She clears her throat in a ladylike manner, tucks it away, and smooths her robe.
Bertrand sorts through his own mail quickly enough. Most of it is spam. One might be a bill or something; he puts it away.
[Natlee]: Um, so.
[Bertrand]: What's up?
[Natlee]: I was… doing a little investigating into um… Captain Sparkwire's fiance? And I guess I wasn't… quite as subtle as I hoped. But it's fine. It's fine.
Natlee smiles brightly!!
[Slicket]: Captain Sparkwire's fiance? You mean, that guy in the 7th Legion…?
[Natlee]: Mmmmmmyep. That's the one.
[Slicket]: The one who… uh… is that from Sparkwire?
[Natlee]: Nnnnno. It's… from him.
[Natlee]: Siege Engineer Kerlo Quarterflash.
[Bertrand]: Yeah?
Natlee clears her throat again.
[Natlee]: It's not like, a huge deal or anything? Just like… I guess it turns out that he's kind of… sort of a little bit… um… my dad?
[Slicket]: He's… wait… and he… he knows? *Slicket blinks at her*
[Bertrand]: Q's a great guy.
Natlee gestures vaguely with one hand, theatrically waving away the whole thing. "Yeah I guess my mom like, kind of abducted me and ran off with me when I was a baby or whatever. So I never met him."
Bertrand moves off to the side of the mailbox and crouches, because he's very tall.
[Bertrand]: I've met him. Never had, like, an in-depth talk about family with him, but our units have done stuff together. He's smart. Reliable.
Slicket glances worriedly at Bertrand, and then back to Natlee. "And is he happy about it? I mean, not that your mom ran off, but that uh, to hear now?"
Slicket stays standing upright, because he's very short.
[Natlee]: He's acting like it? But like, he's marrying someone else and starting like, a whole new life or whatever, so it's got to be super awkward having me show up like some kind of… last year's fashion.
[Bertrand]: Hey, no. Hold up.
Natlee folds her arms. She tries to make it look sulky and tough but it looks a bit more like she's giving herself a hug.
[Bertrand]: Don't project your own insecurities on this, Nat. Did he actually say anything about it being awkward or are you just guessing because you'd feel awkward.
Natlee looks over the letter.
[Natlee]: Well I mean he wouldn't put anything mean in writing right?
[Natlee]: But yes, the letter is super nice and sweet and whatever.
[Natlee]: Says he never stopped looking for me, blah blah blah.
Slicket looks between the both of them. "I mean, if he's like, a great guy… maybe it's just genuine?"
Natlee tucks away the letter casually and blinks a few times.
[Bertrand]: That'd be my guess.
[Natlee]: Well I don't know him. So. But he wants to meet or whatever. So… I guess I should?
[Natlee]: It's not like I have any other family.
[Bertrand]: Yeah, you definitely should.
[Slicket]: Do you want to? You were looking into him, but… was it because you wanted to meet him?
[Natlee]: I just wanted to know what the deal was. Mom was so weird about it. Ugh. Sorry for the Personal Drama Bomb. *She fans herself a little, disdainfully.*
[Slicket]: No, no, I brought rocket car drama, you can bring dad drama.
Natlee giggles.
[Natlee]: I tooootally prefer rocket car drama.
[Bertrand]: You don't wanna get your hopes up, huh?
[Natlee]: Well that would be silly, right?
Slicket laughs. "Maybe it's a little more straightforward to deal with the rocket cars. But this is important drama."
[Natlee]: He's marrying like, the greatest woman in the universe, he's mostly going to be focused on that right now. My timing could not be worse. Ugh.
[Slicket]: But if his reaction to finding out you were looking into him is to send you a letter - doesn't sound like he's too busy.
[Natlee]: I guess, I dunno. Whatever. I'll go talk to him.
[Slicket]: He could've just pretended not to notice, if he wanted you out of the way.
[Natlee]: I guess.
[Natlee]: Whatever, I'll straighten it out with him soon enough.
[Natlee]: Your thing is a little more urgent.
[Slicket]: Yeah, okay, but urgent and important - not the same thing.
Natlee considers. "I guess if nothing else, it's kind of cool that my dad is some kind of big fancy hero. So I've got more in me than just, you know. Mom."
Bertrand smiles at her. "Look, you've been looking out for yourself a while, I don't think it's a bad thing that you're guarded. You're smart, Nat. But if you meet him, and he really seems like he wants you in his life… make your decision according to what you actually want, okay? You don't have to know yet.”
Natlee blinks at Birdie. Her eyes get a little shimmery, and she blinks again. Clears her throat and looks up at the vast vaulted ceiling. "Yep, sure, makes sense."
[Slicket]: Yeah, listen to that guy. He's full of good advice today.
[Natlee]: Yeah, he's super smart.
[Natlee]: Like, almost gnome smart.
Slicket grins at Birdie.
[Bertrand]: Aw, thanks.
Natlee giggles.
[Bertrand]: Alright, I'm gonna take off before I get coerced into buying juicy fruits.
[Slicket]: And if you need somebody to have a drink with and commiserate after, I'll be here.
Natlee giggles.
[Natlee]: Thanks guys.
[Bertrand]: Any time.
[Natlee]: You're the best. Don't let anyone tell you I said different.
Bertrand grins and stands up.
[Bertrand]: You two take care. See ya.
[Slicket]: Will do. See ya soon.