(2025-04-12) Not Staring, Meeting

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	Estel's elusive partner, Shun, stops by the Cobalt Clinic to say hello. It turns out that maybe Stormwind isn't the only place you can get ambushed these days.
Rating:	T for Teen

Kenelly scurries into the clinic, quickly comporting herself. "Oh goodness, am I late? So sorry. Hello, I'm Kenelly." Kenelly is most definitely not late for the shift she volunteered for. She is early.

[Estel]: Hey! You're, uh, not late. I don't think. Niris'll be down in a minute or three. I'm Estel.

Kenelly smiles with relief. "Very good. It's lovely to meet you, Estel. Ah… shall I just wait here, then?"

Estel slides out from behind the counter and gestures to the stool in case she wants to sit. "Yeah. Won't be long. Unless Dane doesn't feel like napping."

Kenelly lifts her eyebrows. "Dane…?"

[Estel]: Her son.

[Kenelly]: Son? Oooh, a wee one? How sweet. I shall keep my voice down in case he's napping.

Silvestre steps quietly up to the door, glancing in through the frame after Kenelly enters. "Everything going okay in the clinic these days? I brought some of those whiptails from Uldum, in case you need 'em."

[Estel]: Sil! Hey, Sil.

Kenelly is distracted by the new voice.

[Estel]: Those're useful for like a general elemental resistance elixir. And mana potions, for that matter, but that's lower priority.

Silvestre holds out the said cattail-like flowers. "Hey, Estel! Good to see you. Sure, yeah, I'll just put 'em with your stock then." He comes into the clinic. "Oh, and Nelly!"

Kenelly beams at Sil. "Hello, Sil. Lovely to see you! Ooh, herbs from Uldum? May I see?”

Silvestre holds them out for her to examine. "Less edible than the cookies I had, the other day."

Kenelly takes the whiptails to examine them curiously.

Niris calls downstairs, "Is that Silvestre?"

[Silvestre]: Uh, yeah? Aun– Mrs. Ference?

[Estel]: Yeah, Sil's here! And your next shift volunteer. Kenelly.

[Niris]: Oh, bless. I'll be right there. Shhhhh, shhh.

There is the sound of someone pacing and humming from upstairs.

The bell above the door jingles.

Shun grunts as he steps through the door, looking around briefly.

Silvestre glances over curiously at the newcomer.

Estel nearly knocks the stool over as she gets up instantly.

Silvestre's eyes snap from the guy at the door to Estel, and he tenses. Trouble?

Estel dodges around Sil, holding both hands out to Shun.

[Shun]: Estel.

Estel says very affectionately, "Hey, you." Maybe not trouble.

Silvestre relaxes, and greets Shun with a friendly wave.

Shun's eyes flick to Sil briefly before turning his attention back to Estel. He places his hand in hers silently.

Estel squeezes his hand. "I'm at work, but it's almost Kenelly's shift. You gotta meet Niris! And Sil, this is Sil."

[Silvestre]: Hey, yeah, that's my name. Sil Silentstep. And this is…?

[Estel]: This is Shun, my partner. Sil's the knife-thrower.

Shun just slowly nods in acknowledgement.

[Silvestre]: Oh, really? Wow, good to meet you. Been in Ironforge long?

Estel tugs Shun into the room so he doesn't block the door.

Shun shakes his head. "No. Mostly passing through."

Kenelly sets the whiptail on the counter and steps forward to meet the new person. "Pleased to meet you. Shun, is it? I'm Kenelly Ashewood." Her Gilnean accent is fairly mild, softened by a more uppercrust inflection.

A tall, middle-aged woman comes breathlessly down the stairs.

[Niris]: Silvestre, Kenelly. Oh, and have we got a… ?

Niris eyes Shun.

Estel grins. "Niris," she says, keeping her voice down just because there's a kid trying to sleep upstairs. "Niris, this is Shun. My partner."

Niris's eyebrows go up. She re-surveys Shun. Perhaps a little more critically this time.

Estel looks ridiculously happy. This is birthday-tier levels of happiness.

Shun eyes Niris as she comes down the stairs, as if doing some sort of threat assessment.

Kenelly turns to face Niris and bobs a little curtsey of greeting. "Lady Ference."

[Niris]: Oh, please, Kenelly. Just Niris will do. And hello, Shun.

Kenelly beams. "As you wish, Niris. Please, call me Nelly. All my friends do."

[Shun]: These all your co-workers, then?

Niris props her hip against the table and folds her arms.

Estel nods. "Yeah. I told you about Niris, she's my — " Estel waves a hand vaguely. "Mentor? Boss? She's awesome. Kenelly I just met, but she's in Cobalt, yeah?"

[Shun]: Right.

Kenelly nods vehemently. "I am!"

[Niris]: Nelly, then. Did Estel show you where the aprons are?

Niris keeps one eye on Shun.

[Kenelly]: Oh, no, I'm sure she would have. We've just had a stream of people through the door, though.

[Niris]: I see.

Niris looks between Shun and Sil. They are the stream of people, she supposes.

[Estel]: Oh, aprons are by the curtain there. And Sil brought in whiptail.

Kenelly nods and searches by the curtain. Aha, aprons! She takes one and ties it around herself.

[Silvestre]: And I'm Cobalt, too, if the tabard wasn't obvious enough. Known Estel for ages.

[Niris]: Whiptail, very helpful, Silvestre.

Silvestre smiles at Niris, brightening a little at the appreciation.

Shun utters towards Estel, "Did I show up at a bad time?"

Raschal jogs by the open clinic doorway, then does a cartoonish backpedal-doubletake.

Shun sharply looks towards the door as a new person enters.

Raschal winks and gives Shun a weird little salute.

[Estel]: Not bad, just, you know. Work. Niris, since Nelly's here early, can I take my break now?

Shun grunts.

[Raschal]: Well well well, the Cobalt Clinic's lively today!

[Niris]: Of course, Estel. And — Mr. Crowflight. A message?

[Raschal]: Mmmm, no, not at present. Except one from a Mr. Crowflight to a Lady Ference, saying, how do you do and you look lovely today!

[Niris]: Yes, thank you.

Silvestre stifles a laugh.

Raschal leans against the wall and smiles at everyone.

Estel waves lazily at Raschal and takes the intensity of her happiness vibrating down one (1) notch because she is now technically on break.

Shun moves his hand to Estel's shoulder to maybe help settle her down further.

Niris smooths her skirts and smiles brightly at Shun. It is a little alarming. "Shun. We've heard so much about you."

Shun blinks, "What sort of things?"

Raschal smiles wider and fixes his twinkling gaze on Shun.

Niris absolutely has not heard so much.

[Niris]: Oh, you know. The usual sorts of things.

[Shun]: ….

Silvestre nods. "I mean, mostly that you, uh, exist. At least, that's the part I know. Guess you don't get to come by the clinic all that often?"

Estel pats Shun's hand on her shoulder. "He was stuck in a long-term assignment for years."

Raschal looks like he's failing spectacularly to completely contain a fit of delighted laughter.

[Shun]: Not often, no. I am not around Ironforge much–

[Raschal]: I'm Raschal Crowflight, for anyone who doesn't know me yet. *He waves.*

Silvestre waves cheerfully at Raschal, and says, "Sil, not sure if we've met."

A very tall young man carrying a paper bag pauses in the open doorway. He blinks and looks around cautiously.

[Niris]: Ben. There you are.

[Ben]: Yes'm. I, uh. Brung sandwiches. Maybe… not enough.

[Estel]: Ben! Ben, come meet Shun.

Ben sets the paper bag on the table and turns to eye Shun.

[Ben]: Hey, Shun.

[Raschal]: Oooh sandwiches! Do I have to be hurt to get a sandwich?

Raschal pulls out a knife, just in case.

[Niris]: If you hurt yourself deliberately you will absolutely not get a sandwich.

Raschal makes a pouty face at Niris and puts away the knife.

[Raschal]: It was just gonna be a little poke…

Shun nods to Ben in turn before furrowing his brow.

[Estel]: Ben was team captain when we were trapped underwater. He's great. Also I would like a sandwich please. How many you got?

"Like a dozen an' a half," Ben tells Estel. It probably says something that he thinks this may not be enough for six people.

Ben returns his attention to the bag. He begins taking out paper-wrapped sandwiches and stacking them on the table.

[Niris]: Not that side, Ben. That's the purple lotus side.

[Shun]: Seems like I have you to owe for helping keep Estel safe out there, then.

[Silvestre]: Yeah, at least some of the time. She keeps us safe, too.

Ben glances up and smiles affably at Shun. There is a gap between his front teeth that makes him look about five years younger. "I am glad to meet you. An' yeah, you know Estel keeps anybody as safe as they could keep her."

Ben moves the sandwiches and resumes stacking them. "I got ham an' pickle or roast beef an' mustard. How long you in town for, Shun?"

[Shun]: Not long. Mostly passing through.

Estel holds her hands out. "Roast beef and mustard please." Her visible happiness drops several notches. "Not long?"

Raschal just continues to watch Shun with a strange, ambiguous smile. Maybe he thinks Shun is cute? Maybe he's just curious about the stranger? Who knows?

[Silvestre]: But your long assignment — this mean it's up? You'll be around more often, maybe?

Ben picks up a wrapped sandwich from the stack. He pauses, then picks up a second one, and turns to offer one each to Estel and Shun.

Estel takes her sandwich. "It's safe," she tells Shun. "You can eat Ben's food."

Shun shakes his head at Ben, "She can have my share — " A sigh, then he accepts the food.

[Estel]: He makes great sandwiches.

Ben tilts his head slightly at Estel's reassurance but doesn't comment. He flashes the smile again.

[Shun]: Got called out to Stormwind for a meeting of sorts. So… not long this time.

[Raschal]: Oh a meeting in Stormwind, huh? Do you know the city well?

Rascal smiles at Shun.

[Shun]: I do, yes.

Estel unwraps her sandwich. She takes a big bite.

[Estel]: S' good.

Shun looks over the sandwich for a moment, then starts eating. He doesn't remove his mask. It works out.

Ben openly watches the masked sandwich eating. He looks a little impressed.

[Raschal]: It's kind of a maze, right? Who built that place?

Raschal knows darned well who built that place.

Shun grunts, "You get used to it after a while. The shitty layout works out sometimes anyway."

Raschal laughs at Shun.

[Raschal]: I know exactly what you mean.

[Silvestre]: It's where I'm from, so… *Sil shrugs* …seems sort of like how a city should be? But that could just be from growing up there.

Estel leans against Shun and makes her sandwich disappear. By eating it. At an only slightly alarming rate. She's chewing.

Raschal gets distracted for a moment, watching Estel eat as though she were some fascinating wild creature in its natural habitat.

Kenelly finishes familiarizing herself with the inventory and turns to Niris. "I think I'm ready. Where do you want me?"

Niris goes to the sandwich stack herself to consider her options. "Is there coffee?" She peers into the bag and makes a delighted noise, lifting out a thermos. To Kenelly she says, "First you ought to have a sandwich."

[Kenelly]: "Oh, well… I suppose I am a bit peckish."

Ben scoffs at Niris's question. "'Course there is coffee. I ain't a heathen."

This may be up for debate.

"I want a saaaandwich," Raschal whines. Just straight up whines.

[Estel]: Say please.

[Shun]: …

[Raschal]: Me?

Raschal blinks at Estel in innocent surprise.

[Estel]: Yeah, you.

[Raschal]: Pleeeeeease?

Raschal opens his eyes wide.

Kenelly pinches her lips to stifle a giggle at Estel and Raschal's exchange.

Niris is busy pouring coffee into alchemy flasks. They are clean, I promise. "Very well. Since you said please."

[Raschal]: Woo hoo!

[Shun]: Is it always so… lively here?

[Estel]: Sometimes it's quiet for hours. Sometimes it's worse than this.

[Shun]: …Worse?

Niris glances up. "When we have actual patients, you know?"

[Kenelly]: Yes, I imagine we're fortunate that it's friendly visits, as opposed to patients.

[Silvestre]: Yeah, we're all just visitors. Imagine if someone came in, like, distressed.

[Estel]: Yeah. And sometimes the kids start crying.

[Raschal]: I can make it worse, if you want a demonstration!

Kenelly blinks at Raschal. "Oh… no, please… no."

[Niris]: You are this close to forfeiting your sandwich privileges, Raschal Marie.

Shun eyes the door for the moment.

Kenelly smiles over at Shun. "Don't be alarmed. I'm relatively new to the company, but Cobalt is very friendly. This is all just playful banter." She hopes.

[Raschal]: Raschal… Mariiiieeeeee?

Raschal looks comically horrified.

[Niris]: You heard me. If you're having a sandwich, come and get one, and let the grownups make conversation.

Estel finishes the sandwich and eats crumbs off her fingers, then wipes her hands on her skirt.

[Shun]: I. See.

Silvestre says in a faux-whisper to Shun, "You might get called Shun Marie at some point, if you're lucky. Or unlucky."

[Raschal]: I go to all the trouble of picking out a really amazing surname and you just go and change it to Marieeeee? Okay, I can get a sandwich?

Raschal cheers up immediately and grabs one.

Shun hasn't finished his sandwich. He doesn't eat nearly as quickly as Estel.

[Ben]: Marie is your middle name, not your surname, *Ben informs Raschal.*

[Shun]: Why Marie…?

Niris eyes Shun. "Because everyone's middle name is Marie."

[Kenelly]: What is your amazing surname?

Raschal says CWOWFFIPE to Kenelly with his mouth full of sandwich.

[Estel]: Crowflight.

Estel translates.

Raschal taps his nose and points to Estel.

Kenelly blinks. "Sorry…? Oh Crowflight." She smiles at Estel. "I quite like that."

Raschal hurriedly gulps his bite of sandwich so that he can inform Ben and Niris, "Kaldorei do not have middle names!"

[Shun]: Careful talking with your mouth full. You may choke. Would hate to have to cut it out.

Estel says, deadpan, "That's not a threat, he tells me that constantly."

[Niris]: Bless.

Silvestre laughs.

Raschal laughs at Shun's threat regardless. Not in a mocking way, but as though he thinks it is extremely awesome.

[Raschal]: I gotta write that one down.

Estel is already eyeing the sandwich pile.

Shun passes Estel the rest of his sandwich without a second thought.

Estel takes a bite of it and then asks, "You sure you're done?"

[Shun]: Yes.

[Shun]: … Thank you. By the way.

[Raschal]: Oh right! Thank you!

[Estel]: Yeah, thanks.

Estel happily eats the rest of Shun's sandwich.

Niris is eating a sandwich herself or she might have said 'Bless' again.

Silvestre claims a sandwich, too, now that the pile is a little less contested. "Ben makes the best sandwiches."

Kenelly finally takes a sandwich, since it seems like everyone has had a portion.

[Raschal]: It's pretty good, yeah, what is it?

Ben looks over at Raschal's selection. "You got ham an' pickle. I done the pickles myself."

Ben takes two sandwiches. He's a growing boy.

[Raschal]: Oh, pickles, that's the thing I didn't know. What's a pickle? It tastes weird, but I like it.

[Ben]: It is, uh. A vegetable, but edible.

Raschal laughs at Ben.

Niris eyes her nephew.

Estel snort-laughs.

Ben grins.

[Raschal]: Ugh, vegetables are the worst. Congrats on the edible.

[Kenelly]: It's been preserved in brine. It gives it quite a potent flavor.

Ben taps his nose and points at Kenelly.

[Raschal]: Brine, wow, okay.

Shun nods.

Raschal crams the rest of the sandwich in his mouth.

[Ben]: So, sorry, Shun. You are passin' through, you said?

[Raschal]: Business in Stormwind, he said!

[Shun]: I am. I am, however, not in a hurry at present.

[Kenelly]: And you and Miss Estel are partners? Business partners… ooorrrrr…?

[Shun]: Yes.

[Silvestre]: Are you an alchemist?

[Raschal]: OOooOOOOoooooh.

Kenelly blinks.

Estel crams the last of the sandwich in her mouth and leans against Shun. "We're engaged."

[Kenelly]: Awww!

[Raschal]: OOOOOH.

Kenelly puts her hand to her heart, smiling sweetly at the couple.

[Kenelly]: Congratulations, that's wonderful!

[Estel]: Thanks, Nelly.

[Niris]: Bleff, *says Niris with a mouthful of sandwich.*

[Shun]: I happen to dabble in alchemy as well, yes. Oh. Uh. Thanks.

[Ben]: Aww. Y'all better come to dinner or somethin'.

Raschal is looking between the two of them like a kid who's just been told someone LIKE-likes somebody.

[Silvestre]: Oh, yeah, congrats. And really? That's cool, so you two can talk shop, too. I mostly just know plants and poisons.

[Estel]: Oh, you low on anything? We got supplies.

[Shun]: Plants and poisons are the first step.

Silvestre grins. "Yeah, and might be the step I stick with. Still a lot of time to decide. Poisons are pretty neat though — are you into 'em too?"

[Shun]: They have their uses.

Estel looks at Sil and mouths 'yes'.

Silvestre flashes a grin at Estel.

Shun takes a moment to think before answering Estel, "Nothing I am in dire need of right now."

Niris finishes her sandwich. No evidence remains. She blots her mouth with the inside of her wrist and then turns to collect a rag from under the counter and wipe her hands.

Raschal is watching Niris now, as though she were a cat cleaning herself and just so cute.

Niris tucks the rag in the pocket of her apron and picks up one of the glass flasks of black coffee. "Anyone else? Coffee?"

[Raschal]: Ugh, coffee is the worst.

Niris eyes Raschal. "Is your business here concluded?"

Raschal just gives Niris a big, bright smile.

[Silvestre]: Think I'm good with the sandwich, I'll leave the coffee to others.

Estel raises her hand. "Coffee please."

To Shun, Ben says, "You get stared at by this many people a lot?" He reaches without looking for one of the flasks of coffee and passes it to Estel.

[Estel]: Thanks.

[Shun]: Not typically. I prefer to not be seen in a crowd.

Estel does not act like there's anything unusual about drinking coffee out of an alchemical flask.

[Niris]: Tch. *Niris arches an eyebrow at Ben.* No one is staring. We are meeting.

[Raschal]: You aaaare kinda staring.

[Ben]: Yeah usually you meet people with more, like, conversatin' and less starin'. Just sayin', ma'am.

Kenelly averts her gaze from Shun. "Sorry."

Kenelly glances around for someone else to look at.

[Raschal]: If it's making you uncomfortable, you can tell them all to stare at me. Or I could do a little dance or something.

Silvestre stares at Raschal for a moment, waiting to see if he'll do a little dance.

[Estel]: Do a little dance. But don't knock anything over.

Shun furrows his brow.

Ben resumes eating his second sandwich. He ate the first one between emotes when no one was looking.

Raschal obligingly does an odd, loose-limbed little dance, without knocking anything over. He looks like any minute he might crash into something or fall down, but he always somehow manages to catch himself just in time.

[Shun]: …

Estel looks ready to lunge across the floor at any moment to protect the interior of her shop.

Raschal concludes the little dance with an extravagant bow.

Silvestre claps.

[Raschal]: Thank you, thank you!

Shun lets out a breath and pats Estel on the shoulder.

Estel claps with one hand against the flask.

[Ben]: You an' Estel known each other a while? Raschal, I am just lettin' you know before Aunt Nir murders anyone that murderin' is maybe on the table.

[Niris]: Bless.

[Shun]: … About 15 years or so.

Raschal nods; this is a very normal brief amount of time to know a person.

[Niris]: … bless.

That one has a different tone than the others.

Niris reevaluates Shun.

[Silvestre]: Oh, wow. Long time then. You were… kids back then?

Shun makes a so-so motion.

[Estel]: I was like sixteen when we'd met?

Ben nods approvingly. That is a good age to meet people.

Raschal double takes at Sil when he says it's a long time, and then nods to himself like, oh, right.

[Raschal]: Heheh, I'm the only elf in here.

Silvestre chuckles. "Yeah, maybe fifteen years is a sneeze to your people."

[Niris]: I keep forgetting you're an elf, for some reason.

[Raschal]: Thanks!

[Niris]: When is the wedding?

[Shun]: …

Niris eyes Shun like she suspects her invitation has been lost in the mail.

[Shun]: No set date.

[Estel]: When he can actually be around for at least a few days at a time.

Niris raises an eyebrow. It is not quite fatal but it is definitely an expression to chill the blood.

[Raschal]: You're awfully patient, especially for a human, Ms. Herald.

[Shun]: As she mentioned earlier, I had a long term assignment for awhile.

[Silvestre]: Yeah, that'd help. Bein' around to plan it, that is.

[Estel]: Hey Niris, you wanna be my matron of honor?

[Niris]: What?

Shun blinks.

Niris almost drops her coffee flask.

[Niris]: Me?

[Raschal]: What's that?

[Estel]: That's like if the bridesmaid is already married. Right?

Ben gives Estel a gap-toothed grin.

[Estel]: The, uh, maid of…

[Raschal]: Okay. Uh, what's a bridesmaid?

[Kenelly]: Oh! Well, in human weddings, the bride and groom have a retinue of friends there to support them.

[Niris]: I would be — well. Oh. Bless. I suppose I could. If — I suppose.

[Raschal]: Oh neat, like an entourage?

[Raschal]: I've always wanted an entourage.

[Kenelly]: Yes, quite so! But… only for the ceremony.

[Silvestre]: Yeah, sort of like an entourage.

Niris sets her coffee flask down, blinking rapidly, and turns around to find another rag. She does not seem to need the rag, just folds it carefully.

[Raschal]: Temporary entourage.

Estel beams, holding her coffee flask with both hands.

Kenelly laughs. "Yes, a temporary entourage."

Raschal sits on a barrel.

Estel mutters to Shun, "Don't stress about it, yeah? I'll invite a normal amount of people."

[Shun]: What is a normal amount of people?

Estel smiles and shakes her head.

[Estel]: Like, my friends.

[Shun]: You have a lot of those.

Niris folds a second rag. These rags are gonna be so folded.

Shun utters to Estel, "I think you might have stressed your boss out."

Niris has never been stressed out a day in her life, how dare. She places the folded rags back on the shelf, then takes out a third and folds it.

[Raschal]: What's a normal amount of friends?

[Silvestre]: Cobalt Company's like, what… sixty, seventy people? And we're all friendly.

[Raschal]: I'm your friend!

[Estel]: I ain't gonna invite the whole company, that's wild.

[Raschal]: But you have to invite me! So I can not show up and you can say, ugh, Raschal, he never shows up to things.

Shun furrows his brow.

[Ben]: You got someone to cook for it? Never cooked for a weddin' before. Reckon Mordecai ought to do the cake, though.

Ben is making a lot of assumptions.

[Raschal]: Wait, there's food at a wedding? Maybe I'll show up.

[Estel]: I get to have food at my wedding? That's not just a rich people thing?

[Estel]: I thought it was a rich people thing.

Shun shrugs.

[Silvestre]: All sorts of weddings have food. *Sil nods.*

Ben blinks. "Everyone gets to have food at their weddin', yeah. It's like a whole… thing. You get married an' then you eat."

Estel fistpumps. Her coffee does not spill because it is in a flask. "Yessss."

[Raschal]: It's definitely not an elf thing, at least not all the time. Only elf wedding I ever saw was very serious and I only saw a very small part of it. …. Maybe I missed the food.

Raschal looks suddenly stricken with regret.

[Silvestre]: Maybe elf ones are different. I've never been to an elf one before.

[Raschal]: Elves are extremely serious about all that.

Shun tilts his head in thought.

[Niris]: It's called a reception. Although it used to be called a wedding breakfast for some reason, no matter what time of day, but that's quite old-fashioned now, and — did one of the babies make a noise?

Niris glances up.

Estel puts a finger to her lips and looks up, listening.

[Ben]: I do not think so, ma'am. Unless you want one to have made a noise, in which case we understand.

Niris glares at Ben and flaps the recently-folded rag at him reprovingly. Which means she has to fold it again.

[Raschal]: Wait there are babies??

Raschal looks excited.

Raschal looks around for babies. He seems to think one might be under the table?

[Estel]: There are sleeping babies.

[Raschal]: Awww.

Raschal looks disappointed.

[Niris]: I am just going to go check on the babies.

Niris smooths her skirts.

[Shun]: Right.

Estel smiles. "Okay."

[Raschal]: Well if any of the babies wants to play, lemme know.

Raschal seems to be thinking of the babies more as peers than objects of caregiving.

Kenelly looks longingly after Niris. Babies? Plural?

Ben watches his aunt go and then flashes another smile at Estel. "You broke her, prob'ly."

Ben takes a third sandwich.

Estel lowers her voice after Niris disappears upstairs. "Was that, uh, should I not have asked her in front of a bunch of people?"

[Raschal]: Wait, someone broke Lady Ference? How do you do that?

Ben shrugs. "Reckon she was gonna be like that no matter what but this way she got an excuse to leave the room. Be more awkward if she was just sat with you and could not take a break."

[Shun]: Hm.

Ben has a bite of his new sandwich and eyes Shun again.

Raschal's ears perk up at this interesting but slightly incomprehensible intel.

Shun catches Ben's gaze.

Estel sets her coffee flask down on a shelf for now. Surely she won't forget this. It doesn't match any of the other potions on the shelf.

[Ben]: She is prob'ly proud you asked her in front of people, because there is no way she will brag on it on her own, so this way people know and she don't have to tell no one.

Raschal laughs.

[Raschal]: You know a lot about her!

Ben shrugs. "She is my aunt. Ma."

Raschal tips his head, confused.

[Raschal]: Your aunt, or your ma?

[Ben]: Yeah.

Estel does not explain this to Raschal. She whispers to Shun, "Aunt by blood. Then adopted."

Silvestre glances over at Shun. "You got family around Stormwind? Or from the same place as Estel?"

[Shun]: I was born in Stormwind. Not much to say about family, though.

[Raschal]: Same.

[Raschal]: Uh, except the Stormwind part.

Estel laughs.

Silvestre nods agreeably at Shun. "It goes that way sometimes, doesn't it? Mine too. Which, I… better run by Stormwind real quick before this evening."

[Ben]: Hey, Sil. You want to come by dinner tonight?

[Silvestre]: Sure, yeah!

Ben nods approvingly at Sil.

[Raschal]: What's this evening?

[Silvestre]: Great to meet you, Shun!

[Shun]: Right…

Estel waves to Sil. "Later, later!"

[Raschal]: Oh and he's gone. He meant REAL quick.

Raschal laughs.

[Ben]: So — an' sorry if you said it — what you got goin' now that your assignment is done?

[Shun]: That is… partly why I am headed to Stormwind.

Raschal listens intently to Shun.

[Ben]: You got a innerview or somethin'?

Raschal smiles a slow, innocent smile over Ben's head.

[Shun]: Or something.

Ben nods genially.

[Ben]: Good luck with that, yeah?

[Raschal]: Yeah, good luck!

[Shun]: Thank you. I think.

Raschal waits until absolutely no one else is looking at him, even Estel, before he drops Shun an almost subliminally quick little wink.

Ben arches a brow at that 'I think'. It is not nearly as terrifying as when his aunt does it.

Raschal doesn't even have eyebrows.

[Estel]: Can I have another sandwich please?

[Ben]: Oh, yeah. I mean, you can help yourself however many. *Ben picks up another one and passes it over to Estel.*

Estel collects sandwich number two and a half. "Thanks."

Kenelly positions herself behind the front desk, looking over patient logs and other work-related items.

Shun catches the look from Raschal, but doesn't react for now.

[Estel]: You'll let me know when you're goin'? I can walk you to the tram if you want, I'm on break.

[Raschal]: So since none of the others have said it, at least not while I was listening, you should look into Cobalt Company!

[Shun]: Eh?

[Raschal]: You know, if you ever want extra money or occasional assignments or whatever? Short term things?

[Raschal]: They're really flexible about multiple commitments, which is why I like them.

[Ben]: Oh, yeah. If you are lookin', I mean. Estel ain't mention?

[Estel]: I mean, I did, but that was years ago.

[Raschal]: He did say he had an innnnterview. Or something.

Shun nods, "I was not in a position to join a mercenary outfit at the time."

[Raschal]: Yeah, I know what you mean. I wasn't either and then I got half-digested by silithids.

[Raschal]: And suddenly found myself in need of pretty easy part time work while I recovered.

[Raschal]: No regrets!

Is he talking about the silithids?

[Shun]: Hm. You lot hiring or something?

[Raschal]: Oh yeah, they're always hiring. They even hired me!

[Shun]: … Noted.

Raschal laughs.

[Ben]: I mean, we are a mercenary outfit. We are most always hirin'. We even hired him.

Ben jerks a thumb over his shoulder at Raschal.

[Shun]: Something to consider, perhaps.

Raschal nods seriously. Or with the appearance of seriousness, anyway.

[Shun]: Where is the company headquartered?

[Raschal]: Here in Ironforge. Also Dalaran.

[Raschal]: Look for the white wings on the blue sign.

[Ben]: If you are innerested, I reckon Estel can tell you whatever you need. Or, you know. You can ask someone like me. Or Aunt Nir. Prob'ly not Raschal.

Shun slowly nods.

[Raschal]: Hey, I know things.

[Raschal]: I know lots of things.

[Ben]: You ain't know what a pickle was, buddy.

[Raschal]: Okay, fair.

[Raschal]: My knowledge tends to be specialized, let's say.

[Raschal]: I'm a whiz at geography.

[Raschal]: Speaking of which, I have a faraway place to be in about twenty minutes.

[Estel]: Better hustle. Later, later!

[Raschal]: Try not to cry too hard that I'm leaving!

[Ben]: Aw. Damn.

Ben reaches for another sandwich.

Raschal laughs at Ben.

Raschal blows Ben a kiss.

Raschal waves at Shun.

Shun shakes his head to himself.

Raschal waves at Estel.

Ben flashes a sidelong smile at Raschal.

Raschal waves goodbye to everyone. Farewell!

Raschal sprints out the door.

[Shun]: …

[Ben]: He is not real exemplary of our people. *Ben tilts his head.* Or maybe he kind of is. In that we got all kinds.

[Shun]: I suppose when you have about 80 strong it is bound to happen.

Estel remembers her coffee. Success!

Ben nods solemnly.

[Estel]: It's a whole lot.

[Ben]: We got people right now workin' on Tol Barad, Mount Hyjal, in the highlands in Khaz Modan, down to Stranglethorn… lot of business.

Ben waves his sandwich vaguely.

[Ben]: Anyway I ain't tryin' to do a pitch on you. Just sayin'.

[Shun]: Still good to know.

Ben glances at Estel and tries to convey telepathically that he is totally doing a pitch.

Shun glances at Estel, "What do you think?"

Ben looks satisfied. He eats more sandwich.

Estel says to Shun, "It'd be real nice to work together more again."

[Shun]: … It would.

[Ben]: I mean, if you are innerested.

[Estel]: You'll think about it, yeah? After your interview-of-sorts?

[Shun]: I will consider it, yes. I will have to come through Ironforge again after most likely, anyway.

[Ben]: We will be here. Me an' the HQ an' all, I mean. Unless I ain't. I might not be. But I'm around.

Shun mumbles, "Assuming I do not get ambushed in the streets or anything."

[Estel]: You'll be fine.

[Ben]: Stormwind ain't that bad right now. They cleaned up some since the thing with the King.

[Shun]: Never know.

[Shun]: I could be walking into a trap.

Ben shrugs affably. "Reckon, fair."

Estel deposits her flask in a basin to be washed later and takes her apron off.

[Ben]: Maybe think about Cobalt some though. If you are innerviewin' right now with people who might be a trap.

[Shun]: I shall.

Shun looks to Estel, "I should probably start heading over soon."

[Estel]: Yeah, okay. I'll walk you to the tram. Thanks for the food, Ben.

Shun nods at Ben.

Ben nods again. He dusts crumbs off his hands. "I am gonna go upstairs an' check on Aunt Nir checkin' on the babies."

[Shun]: Right.

[Estel]: You've got the counter, Nelly.

[Estel]: Later, later!

Estel takes Shun's hand as they leave.

[Ben]: See you. Nice to meet you, Shun.

Shun grunts in turn.