(2025-05-06) Ozzy and Elle

Details

Author:	Aly
Summary:	Joelle and Ozzy have a conversation early morning in Highbank.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: The Red String Game

The sun hasn't even finished making its way above the horizon, but Oslynn Gravehowl is already awake and slinking downstairs (literally) to the common room of the inn. There is minimal staff on duty at this hour, and those who are there are familiar with the large feline by now, and pay her no mind. They know if she wants something, she will ask. Loudly.

Joelle Ebek is already awake, sitting at one of the tables next to a device engineered to generate light, a small lamp of gnomish design. He has a pen and parchment in front of him, and appears to be writing.

The cat spots him and stops in apparent confusion - anyone who has ever spent time with a cat can read the "????" body language easily.

After a moment she shifts into human form, wearing the same undyed peasant-style dress she was wearing the day before, and the same shoes, which is to say, none. Her hair is… not good. She may have forgotten to glance in a mirror on the way out the door.

In blatant defiance of the protocol for coming across people who are reading or writing, Ozzy addresses Joelle immediately.

"Wot you doin up at this hour?" Her voice is pitched somewhat softer in deference to the hour, which is to say, a normal person's midday volume.

If there is a protocol, Joelle does not seem aware of it. He stops writing immediately, and his gaze on her is friendly, the hint of a smile in his eyes. "Writing letters," he answers dutifully.

"To who?" Ozzy says, heading over to flop into a seat next to him. She does not actually look at the letter, at least.

"My friends," says Joelle. "The ones that aren't here. Ren, Finley, Mordecai… So they know what we're doing." He looks as though he might want to ask why she is awake, but something holds him back, as usual.

"Tha's a good idea," she says. "Real thoughtful. You seem like a real thoughtful guy." She tips her head then, something feline lingering in the gesture and in her expression. "But also loike… hm. How do I put it?"

She considers for a moment. Not choosing the right words, surely, because that does not seem to be a thing she does. Perhaps, judging by her expression, trying to sort out her muddled half-awake brain and find her thoughts among the wool.

"Somefing's… off wif you," she finally declares. "Not bad off, don't be 'urt or nuffing. I just mean loike, a puzzle, yeah?"

Joelle considers this in silence, glancing back to his half-written letter. "Ren likes puzzles," he finally says.

Ozzy frowns at him. "Well oi'm pants at 'em," she says. "So I'll just arsk."

A pause as she apparently realizes she doesn't even know exactly what she's asking. She frowns more, forehead wrinkling. Chews on the ends of her hair. Then spits them out as a thought coalesces.

"Okay so why'd you do that play?" she asks. "Let's start there. 'Cause you're quiet as @#$%, an' I know quiet blokes, two in me pack, near an' dear to me 'eart, nuffing wrong wif bein' quiet in an' of isself, but neither o' them blokes'd be caught dead up on a stage. So wot gives?"

"Someone I'm not supposed to talk to told me I should try expressing my feelings more," Joelle reports. "She offered to teach me about acting, so I could do it safely without breaking down any doors."

He averts his gaze at the admission, some lingering guilt and shame strong enough to appear on his face.

Ozzy frowns even more. Her frown lines are frowning now.

"Okay, tha' just opened up a whole new box o' questions," she says. She lays a hand on his arm, briefly, a soothing gesture. "Sorry to be nosy, but you said we was friends, an' tha's 'ow I do wif friends. First off… Someone you're not s'posed to talk to? Says 'oo? You're grown ain't ya? 'Oo gets to teww ya 'oo you can and can't talk to? Glad you talked to 'em anyway, good on ya, but okay yeah two questions to start, who ain't you supposed to talk to and who said you ain't?"

Joelle glances at her hand as she touches him, and his expression evens out again. Soothing success. "Her name is Ilanya Ravendusk, and she works for Count Lester Amerith. She was watching Lathrik for a while and we weren't sure why, so Natalyah said not to talk to her. Ren did anyway."

"Okay, okay, tha' makes a bit o' sense a' least, if she seemed maybe dangerous or somefing. I guess I just assumed it was loike— weww nevermoind, I go' more questions."

She shifts in her chair, leaning her elbow on the table. Unfortunately her hair hit the tabletop first, so now her elbow is on her hair. On a place where people eat.

"You said you gotta try to express your feelings?" she asks. "Wotzat? I mean, I dunno 'ow not to. Maybe you could teach me your fing an' I can teach you moine? Heh heh. No but seriously, izzat a fing? For real? You loike… feel stuff but you can't… say it or… laugh it or cry it or punch it or wotevah?"

"I feel things," Joelle says, nodding, though there is an uncomfortable tension in his posture. "Too much. My mother always says I must master myself. I have been training to do so since I was young, but sometimes… it comes out, and I hurt people."

"Loike… 'ow?" Ozzy looks, for a moment, slightly fearful. "You kill someone or somefing?"

"Almost," Joelle replies, the guilt returning. "I broke down Fallon's door while his wife was with child. It frightened her. It was dangerous to their health. I am a Guard of Stormwind. Putting civilian lives at risk goes against my role."

His head lowers in shame.

Ozzy puts her hand on his arm again.

"But you didn't mean it. An' 'ow's it your fault there was some knocked up lady be'ind the door? You didn't know tha'. Sure, breakin' down doors ain't the best fing, but it ain't like you're beatin' up kids on purpose or somefing. I bet you 'ad a good reason, roight? Wot you break the door down for?"

Joelle focuses on the table. It's clear this is a difficult subject for him. "Ren was dying," he says quietly. "Lathrik sent me to tell Fallon. I… let my feelings take over."

"But did you ever 'urt anyone on purpose? Anyone 'oo wasn't tryin' to 'urt you?" Ozzy's gaze is intent, insistent.

Joelle shakes his head. "I don't want to hurt people."

Ozzy sits back a little, looking satisfied.

"Oi knew it," she says. "See, oi can tell about people. You ain't got that energy or I'd 'ave stayed clear of ya. Oi fink uvver people are just doin' a bit of overreactin' of their own. Oi see it all the toime. Someone gets upset, then someone else gets upset they're upset, an' next fing you know, there's blood everywhere. When someone is all upset, best fing to do is be calm an' bring em down, not get upset roight back an' try to one up 'em wif upsetness an' stir it all up like some kinda … air elemental fing."

She makes an illustrative swirly upward gesture. Then she leans in to give his arm another pat.

"You got goodness in you. Oi seen it roight off. Well… not roight off, I wasn't lookin' at yer personality when you was in the play, you was just a person in a story, roight? But I mean when we was introduced proper. I knew you was good."

Joelle finally lifts his gaze, twin pools of melted dark chocolate regarding her softly. "You are, too," he says. "A good person. You care about people, and help them."

She averts her gaze. "Not always," she admits. "I done some bad stuff. Nuffing evil, but… well let's just say you an' I would not've been friends, if I'd kept on loike I was goin' before Gabby an' Merry found me. Your job would've been to lock me up or cut off me 'ands or wotever they do to thieving scum in Stormwind. I didn't care nuffing about the people I was takin' from, just about wot I wanted. Somebody 'ad to care about wot I wanted, an' no one else was linin' up, so." She shrugs, looking at the wall.

Joelle reaches out to gently pat her head. "I didn't live like that," he says. "But Lathrik did. And Ren. And now they're guards, like me, and they are my friends. Sometimes good people do things that aren't good. But the really good people feel bad about it, and try to do better. Then, when they can, they help others. Like you are."

She looks back at him, giving him a lopsided smile. "Fanks," she says. "Oi'm not as good as you are, won't ever be, but at least these days I try, roight? But we got off topic. " She tips her head, gray-green eyes studying him. "Last question, an' I'll leave you be for now… did it 'elp? Did you loike it? Doin' the play, I mean."

Joelle considers her question seriously. "I liked it," he says. "I don't know if it helped. But I haven't broken any doors down lately."

Ozzy rises from her chair with a satisfied smile. "Good," she says. "But tell you wot, li'l fella. You feel the need to break down a door? You come break moine. Oi'm no' some delicate laydy gonna swoon an' put me delicate blueblood baby in danger. Oi've seen way worse'n a broken door an' still kickin'. Plus. worgen. We're 'ard to break." She gives him a little wink. "I'm off to have a bit of an 'unt now before it gets too loight out. Just rabbits an' fings, not purses, don't you worry. "

There is a moment where Joelle looks like he might ask her which door is hers, but instead, he gives her a nod. "Good luck," he says softly.