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| Details |
| Author: | Luridel |
| Summary: | Rozalin invites Bertrand over for dinner, and he is surprised to learn she has a pet wolf. Oh, and she's pregnant. Bertrand is as always a gentleman, but he is not allowed to do the dishes. ~3.3k words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Bertrand comes up to the Graufowl farmstead. It still looks a bit worse for wear. The door looks like it was scrap taken from another ruined house and slapped onto this one with some hasty repairs done on the framing. One new detail is the huge black dog, or… actually that's definitely a wolf laying on the front porch.
Bertrand fully stops and stares. Wolves are not typically domesticated animals. He starts to reach for one of his less-obvious knives, but pauses as a collar catches his eye. "Huh."
Bertrand takes a few careful steps closer, eyes on the wolf as he approaches the porch.
The wolf perks its ears and raises its head. It spots Bertrand and then stands up. His tail raises up like he's trying to assert himself and he barks a few times before breaking into a howl.
Bertrand holds eye contact with the wolf and calls, "Rozalin?"
"Jasper! Shut up, I'm coming!" Rozalin's muffled voice comes from inside, "Wait, shit. Is that you Berdie?"
"I'm not early, am I?" Birdie does not look away from the wolf to check a watch or the placement of the sun.
"No, you're fine! Sorry. I just lost track of time." Jasper the wolf seems to have calmed down now and his tail is relaxed. He starts to pant and makes his way over to Berdie to try and sniff him.
Birdie holds still to be investigated. "How tame is he? Will he let me go in?"
"Just a sec! I'll be right there!" Rozalin grunts as she makes her way to the door. Meanwhile Jasper sniffs Berdie and starts licking his hands. Finally, Rozalin arrives to open the door. She is wearing a simple dress and has elected to go barefoot. Most notably, however, is her very big and very pregnant belly. "Heya Berdie! Long time no see." Roz smiles.
Bertrand is dressed in a brown vest over a dark green shirt and black pants, with his hair tied back in its customary ponytail. He's carrying a cloth bag, which he is trying to hold out of the wolf's reach with one hand while Jasper licks the other one.
"Hey, Rozalin. He's just playing right now, it seems like, but I nearly…" Birdie cuts off as he actually looks over at her.
"Jasper!" Roz yells just as he's about to jump onto his hind legs to lick Bertrand's face. Jasper tucks his tail between his legs and goes over to Rozalin's side. He's bigger than she is, even with the extra belly. "He's good. He's just a stinker. You don't gotta let him slobber all over you." Roz pets Jasper's head absentmindedly.
Birdie laughs. "Gonna need to wash my hands before dinner," he says, and shoots her a grin as he finally approaches. "Maybe warn your guests about the wolf, I wouldn't have assumed he was yours if I didn't see the collar."
"Yeah, sorry…" Rozalin chuckles, "It's been a bit of an interesting time you could say…" Rozalin pats her belly. "Food's almost ready so why don't you make yourself at home."
Birdie gestures with the bag. "Brought wine, but it'll keep just fine until you're ready to have it, considering. I didn't know about that, either. Congrats. Scilla's six months in."
Bertrand wipes his boots on the mat and finds a surface to set the bottle down on that seems safe from excitable wolves who would knock it over.
"Sorry for not tellin ya. It's been a bit of a time." Rozalin winces and grabs her back as she heads back to the kitchen, "Wait, shit really? She's havin a kid too?"
Jasper follows the pair inside and is glued to Bertrand's side while he sniffs him.
Birdie pats Jasper's head, given that he's going to have to wash his hands anyway. "Yeah. It's been a bit of a time, too." He smiles, but there's something a little dimmer about it. "Been a rough six months for her."
"I bet. This is starting to really suck." Rozalin groans and squats awkwardly to check on the food in the oven, "I'm bout six months in too."
Bertrand goes to wash his hands at the sink. "Anything I can give you a hand with?"
"You're my guest. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it." Rozalin grunts again and pulls out a tray of twice baked potatoes which she sets onto the counter next to a bowl of sauteed vegetables.
"Extra pair of hands is an extra pair of hands," Birdie counters, but with a sense of friendly acceptance. "Oh, those look fantastic."
Rozalin grins, "You know it." The table looks to already be set but Rozalin starts heading toward the back door, "If you wanna help then keep Jasper inside for a sec. I got some ribs smoking in the back and he's already tried to steal em three times today."
Bertrand moves to intercept the wolf. "Sure, I got it." He's going to have to wash his hands again, but that's fine. "Jasper. Sit."
Jasper grumbles menacingly at being handled but stops after Roz shoots him a stern look. The wolf keeps his eyes fixed on the back door until Roz returns with two big racks of ribs, "There we go…" She groans and struggles to carry everything.
Bertrand places himself between the wolf and the ribs. "Somehow I think I got the harder job."
Jasper tries his best to weasel his way past but ultimately fails. Rozalin sets the more well seasoned and fragrant ribs on the table and then calls Jasper over, "Want some dinner, boy?"
Bertrand gets out of the way. His hands are still clean. Success. He does go to shut the back door.
Jasper is already drooling all over the floor and heads over to snatch the ribs, "Now go outside and eat." Jasper obeys and makes his way out the front with Roz closing the door behind him, "There we go. Why dontcha have a seat."
"There he goes," Bertrand says, and takes a seat. "This smells incredible."
"Thanks." Rozalin beams and pours each of them a big glass of milk, "Well, help yourself there's plenty to go around." She's not kidding. This could feed five hungry people and it's just the two of them.
"Thanks." Bertrand serves himself some of everything. "This is… wow. Your appetite's still good?"
"You bet. I been eatin like a horse." She loads up her plate too, "Priscilla not eatin well?"
"She's… she's not been keeping much down." Bertrand sounds worried. "It's been… I guess this isn't really a dinner conversation, when I've got delicious food in front of me. She's still alive, and we're hoping the baby won't be born too early."
Rozalin knits her brow with concern, "Sorry to hear that. I got sick a little in the beginning, but that went away after a while. I wish I'd reached out sooner. Maybe I could've helped."
Bertrand smiles sympathetically. "You gotta take care of yourself first. Is the father in the picture?"
"I'm doin just fine. Don't be afraid to ask if y'all need anything." Rozalin pauses and picks at her food for a bit, "Yeah, he's in the picture. He's just… It's a little complicated. I-I shoulda told you before, but it's been kinda… A-and I've just been so busy too." She stumbles through the words.
"Hey, no, you've been busy. You've got a whole charity going! Those clothes've been getting to people who need 'em." Bertrand starts eating.
Rozalin smiles a little, "Yeah… I had to stop back in to check on things and drop off everything I've been working on…"
Bertrand nods. "And you picked up a pet wolf of all things."
Rozalin chuckles, "Yeah. Took me a while but I finally got my dog that I've wanted forever."
"One hell of a 'dog'." Bertrand shakes his head, but he's smiling. "Is he gonna be safe around the kid? Pups don't always know their own strength."
"I reckon he'll be fine. Pa knows how to train him good." Rozalin smirks a little, "He likes to snuggle my belly while he naps."
Bertrand nods. "I've got a healthy respect for any animal that can bite my face off."
Rozalin lets out a big belly laugh, "I get that. The coyotes damn near shit themselves when he starts howlin, I tell ya." She laughs some more and winces, grabbing her hip.
Bertrand tenses, starting to reach out for just a moment before he makes himself relax and keep eating dinner. This is a much sturdier pregnant lady than the one he's got at home.
"I'm fine. Just some joint pain. It's started really acting up lately." Rozalin assures him, "So how've things been with Cobalt Company?"
"If you start feeling faint, please tell me, because I'm on the wrong side of the table to catch you." He smiles to inject some levity, but this seems like a real concern for him. "Cobalt Company… have you been reading the newsletters?"
"I try to skim em when I can, but I don't get em delivered to Ratchet so I'm a bit behind on the news these days." Rozalin takes a big chunk of meat off of her ribs.
"We got one squad out in the Molten Front - that's what they're calling it, the front lines of the Firelands. My brother-in-law's on that one. Another squad's up in the Highlands dealing with…" Birdie pauses. "Twilight's Hammer, I think. But also Dragonmaw orcs. And the Old Gods' creatures, the n'raqi."
Rozalin nods and swallows, "I heard bout the whole Molten Front thing. Sounds pretty intense from what I hear."
Bertrand nods. "I haven't been. But the Alliance has been… they've got this ring of connected portals out in Stormwind to critical areas. Always makes me nervous to think about."
"Yeah, I hear that. Crazy world we're livin in ain't it?"
Bertrand nods. "Yeah. I can only imagine what it would've been like ten, twenty years ago, going home for tea between battles."
Rozalin snickers, "Sorta funny way to look at it, but I guess it ain't wrong."
"Most of the battlemages I worked with in the army couldn't even do portals." Bertrand helps himself to a second serving of ribs and potatoes.
"All that's a bit out of my depth I feel like. I never been on a big battlefield like that. Just fights and then odd jobs, ya know?" Roz helps herself to some seconds as well.
Bertrand nods. "Wouldn't recommend it. Being a soldier is… tough in a different way from being a mercenary."
Rozalin nods, "Don't plan on givin it a try. Still not even sure if I'm gonna go back to fightin again once this is all over." She frowns a little, "I miss bein part of the action if ya know what I mean, but I been likin what I been doin now too."
"Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean." Bertrand smiles. "Yesterday I helped a goat who got his head stuck in a fence."
"That's some real big damn hero shit there." Roz snickers, "Seriously, though. I been hearin your name a lot whenever I go into town. Which ain't as often as it used to be, but still. I appreciate you puttin in the work out here."
"It's good work. For good people. And it's close to home. So… you're welcome, and I'll keep at it." Bertrand playfully salutes her with his fork.
Rozalin smiles. She keeps working on her meal quietly for a bit while she musters some more nerve, "You, uhh, hear anything in town out here lately?" Roz sort of hints at him.
Bertrand pauses. "Dunno how much your neighbors trust you," he says. "But nobody was gossiping about the wolf, which is the real surprise."
Rozalin frown just a little. She did see that coming after all. "They know I can be a bit wild, so havin some random animal ain't the craziest thing in the world."
"Also means he hasn't been breaking into pens and eating livestock, which is great. Pretty sure I'd have heard about that if it were happening." Bertrand waves a hand.
"Ha! Yeah. He'd be makin headlines if he was goin round like that." Rozalin bounces her leg nervously and keeps watching Bertrand, "I try not to let that shit bother me none, but it does get a bit lonely sometimes… I got Pa and Jenzelle checks up on me every couple weeks or so to make sure I'm doin alright, but I don't get much company other than that."
"You want me to stop by some days when I'm doing the rounds?" Birdie offers. "See if you've dropped anything on the floor you can't pick up?"
"I'd like that." Roz smiles weakly, "I'm spending most of my time in Kalimdor these days though with Pa." Rozalin looks at Berdie for a bit, "I don't… want it to be an issue… ya know?" She hints to him, not sure if it's working or not.
"You bring the wolf back and forth with you?" Birdie asks. Is it working? It's hard to tell.
"Yeah. He's my puppy. I like keepin him around. Red too." Roz smiles.
Birdie nods approvingly. "Good idea. He's protective of you, I think he'd fetch someone if you — needed help."
"Y-yeah…" Roz pokes her veggies with a fork, "I'm ummm, sorry again though for not tellin you bout the whole…" She gestures to her belly, "I shoulda said somethin."
"Hey," Birdie says, waving a hand. "Don't worry about it. Was it a surprise?"
"Uh… A little?" Rozalin says uncertainly, "I mean I know what happens when ya… I just wasn't thinkin that one time would, uh… Get me knocked up… I guess…" Roz is being uncharacteristically reserved right now.
Normally she wouldn't shy away from this sort of topic.
Birdie winces sympathetically. "Ah. Yeah. That's some luck."
"Yeah…" She chuckles, "Come to think of it, if Priscilla is six months along then we were probably both pregnant already last time we met up. How bout that hehe…"
"Oh, hey. Yeah." Birdie drinks his milk, and then wipes his hands on a napkin. "You don't owe anybody details about your personal life, Rozalin. Only what you wanna share."
Rozalin blinks, "You really ain't like… curious or nothin?"
"Oh, of course I'm curious, but I'm not entitled. Having a child is about as personal as it gets, isn't it?" Birdie gestures vaguely.
"I mean yeah, but… We're friends, right?" The question is rhetorical, but something in Roz's voice suggests she is hoping for an answer, "Yer s'posed to tell friends stuff, yeah?"
"Yeah, we're friends." Birdie smiles reassuringly. "Scilla and I haven't gone around making a bunch of announcements because… well, we don't know if the baby will be born healthy."
Rozalin frowns and pokes her food some more at the sobering news, "Yeah… I got some reasons for not bein too public bout my kid too…" She lays the bait.
"Has it got anything to do with the Defias?" Birdie asks, concerned.
"Naw, it ummm…" Rozalin swallows, "Now I'm tellin ya this because I trust you. Ya hear?"
Bertrand nods. He seems to be done eating, at least for now.
"So uh… you remember pickin me up in Stranglethorn, right?" She clears her throat.
"Yeah."
"And, umm… Ya know I got my, uh, pal with me there?" She adds on bit by bit.
Bertrand nods slowly. "The orc who was with you?" He looks like he really does not want to jump to conclusions. That would be rude.
Rozalin blushes, "Y-yeah…"
"I'm sorry for not tellin ya…."
"He gave you the wolf," Bertrand says in sudden realization. "And… the father?"
Rozalin nods, "Surprise…" She says weakly. She looks pretty nervous right now.
Bertrand frowns. "Have you had a doctor look at it? Or a priest, a… druid? Shaman?"
"J-jenzelle's been lookin after me. So far so good far as anyone can tell. Crim ain't sensed nothing off neither." Roz coughs.
Bertrand leans back in his chair and exhales. "Thank the Light."
"Yeah… Guess I been pretty lucky there." Roz smiles weakly.
"Yeah. Yeah." Bertrand runs a hand through his ponytail. "That's good. You should have a midwife on hand - or know where the nearest one is, in case."
"Jenzelle said she'd lend a hand when the time comes. I got the nursery and all the just about ready too." Rozalin starts to regain her usual confidence now that she sees Berdie is calm about this. Relatively anyway.
"And she lives nearby?" Bertrand checks. He does not know very much about Jenzelle.
"Yeah. She's been helping out in Westfall a lot too." Roz takes another small bite of potatoes.
"I'm glad you'll have somebody in an emergency." Bertrand sounds relieved. "So that's why Ratchet, I take it?"
"Y-yeah… This is my home and all, but it's not fair to be so far away from Crim all the time." Rozalin cracks into a little bit of a smile, "And it's been real nice havin him close by too."
Birdie nods. "I hope you won't be forced to pick just one," he says, genuinely.
Roz sighs, "I hope so too… And thanks for not freakin out or nothin. I was a little scared bout what you were gonna think."
"It's gonna be rough for your kid," Bertrand says, honestly, and there's a little apologetic smile.
"Yeah… Best I can do is hope the fighting ends sooner rather than later. Crim makes a point not to tell me things to keep both of us out of trouble, but even I can tell that new warchief has got him at his wit's end."
Bertrand nods. "It's rough out there. When I joined the army, it was a bit because my older brother did it first, but I think my biggest motivation was that I wanted a world where kids wouldn't have to live in fear."
Rozalin nods, "That's a good reason to do it. I don't want this little guy to be afraid growin up." She rubs her belly.
Bertrand smiles and looks down at his plate. "Think I could take a couple potatoes home?"
"Go right ahead." Roz flinches a little and grabs her belly, "Ooh, that's tight." She breathes in through her teeth and slowly eases down, "Need to make sure Scilla gets some too." Rozalin hazards a wink.
"Ribs're probably too much, but I think she might be able to handle these," Bertrand says optimistically. He fetches the cloth bag he brought the wine in and packs up some potatoes to take home.
Rozalin gets up to try and help him. It takes her a few tries to get on her feet, "If you ever need anything just lemme know, ok?"
Bertrand offers her an arm up. "I might ask for a recipe to take to Ms. Fisher at home."
Rozalin hums, "Mmmmm, I dunno. These bad boys are my pride and joy. I think I can let just one slip for you though." She winks.
Bertrand grins. "I'll tell her they're proprietary."
"Attaboy." Roz chuckles, "And thanks again for bein so calm about this whole deal. It ain't easy, but I really am excited to be a mom."
Birdie smiles. "Thanks for dinner. It was really fantastic. Any clean-up you'll allow a guest to help with before I head home? I could wash dishes?" He sounds like he does not expect to be allowed to wash the dishes, but he wants to.
"Out." Rozalin says firmly and points to the door, "Just lemme grab Jasper first. He still wants to lick your face. It's some wolf thing I guess."
Birdie laughs. "Have it your way," he says, obliging. This is her house and she gets to make the rules.
Rozalin takes the lead out the door and intercepts Jasper as he jumps up to ambush Bertrand. "Not today you little shit!" Rozalin laughs as Jasper licks her face instead and keeps trying to get to Berdie.
Birdie slips out past the wolf, chuckling.
"Have a good night!" he calls.
"You too Berdie!" She calls back, "Maybe in a few months we'll have a lot more to talk about, yeah?" She tries to end on an optimistic note.
"That'd be great!" Birdie waves to her and starts on home.