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| Details |
| Author: | Disknight |
| Summary: | Velrin comes to the Ironforge clinic to pay Ismene a visit. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Evening in Ironforge varies little from any other time in Ironforge. Lava flows, its feral glow illuminating carved rock walls. The forge is going and hammers can be heard echoing throughout the great chambers. People come and go, some come and go from the small clinic in the Mystic Ward. Ismene Hazan is there to greet them and/or see them on their way as is appropriate. Sometimes, as now, there's a lull that lets her take a deep breath and make some tea that isn't purely medicinal. The scent of apples and honey drifts from the pot as the herbs steep; she inhales and exhales in a sigh of contentment.
As she sits there a sharp knock suddenly comes from the doorway. Velrin is standing there dressed in a comfy looking knit sweater, “Hello.”
Ismene turns to the door at the sound of the knock, her Official Smile of Welcome turning more warm and personal. "Velrin!" she says. "Hello. Please come in." She blinks. "Oh, I hope you're well… You're not here for the clinic, are you? Although of course you're welcome to be! Everyone is welcome to the clinic, it's just not the place one hopes to see one's friends."
"I'm doing quite well, thank you." Velrin smiles and wiggles her ears, "It's just been so long since I've seen you that I thought I'd come stop by." She steps inside and approaches Mizzy.
"It's true I haven't been very good at keeping up my friendships," Mizzy admits. "But everything was so terrible for awhile, I just didn't seem to have any energy. And even when things got better, it still seemed…" She gestures vaguely. "Well. Anyway, that's in the past. I'm glad you're here! Will you have some tea? It's my own blend, apples and wildflowers and honey."
“I’d love some tea. Thank you.”
Velrin smiles ruefully at Mizzy’s comments but she takes a seat next to her, “And I think I understand what you’re going through. I… I know you’ve helped me while I was…. not feeling myself… for a while…”
Ismene reaches high to take a teacup down from the shelf. "Well, at least I helped! That's a good thing. You're feeling better lately, then?" She glances inquisitively at Velrin as she pours the warm and fragrant tea.
"I am. It's been nice…" Velrin watches Mizzy closely, not fully convinced by the cheery exterior quite yet, "I'm glad I can come see you and hopefully not be so sullen this time."
"You're never sullen," Mizzy says, handing the tea over. She sits on a small stool. "Distracted sometimes, I'd say, but not sullen."
"If you say so…" Velrin takes her tea and sips it, "Are you feeling… distracted?" She probes Mizzy carefully not wanting her to clam up like Velrin knows she would in her place.
Ismene laughs a little. "No. At least not in a bad way. It helps to stay busy, of course, and I'm helping manage a small apple orchard." She shifts on her stool, a little uncomfortable. "I didn't think I'd enjoy it, but I thought I had to try. And poor Lord Falrevere isn't sure how to manage one. He has help, of course, and from one of the tenant farmers from my old orchards so there's that."
She sips her tea. "It's not the same, though," she admits, looking down at the cup in her hands. "As having my orchards back. It helps a little. Fall was always one of my favorite seasons in the orchard, what with the harvesting and then making cider."
Velrin nods silently and warns her hands with the cup. She starts thinking of her own home and how much it’s changed.
"Well, but I probably don't need to go on and on to you about how things've changed," Mizzy says, shaking her head to dispel the maundering mood. "You know better than I. It doesn't seem to ever get much better, does it?"
“N-no… it seems like it’s one thing after another sometimes…” Vel grips her cup tighter, “I’m just glad that I don’t have to go through it all alone anymore.”
"No, neither of us do. There's that." Ismene relaxes a little. "Ben's… well, he's Ben which means wonderful and supportive and caring and just everything good in the world."
“And I have Ven when he’s not busy with the 7th Legion, and Nylarria too…” Velrin says a bit absently while tracing her finger along the rim of her cup.
Mizzy cocks her head. "That sounds like there's a 'but' in there somewhere," she says gently.
Velrin snaps back to attention, “O-oh, sorry. I… I didn’t mean to bring you down or anything, just… I’ve just been a-a bit… Lately I’ve been… it’s been a bit hard… I guess.” She finally gets it out, “B-but please don’t worry too much about me. I’m making sure I get help. I just… wanted to make sure you were ok too.”
"If I promise not to worry too much, will you tell me what's been hard lately?" Mizzy asks. "Sometimes helping other people is the best way to make me feel better. That's why I keep working at the clinic, you know. That, and it keeps me busy."
Velrin curls up a little in her seat and takes a big breath before responding, “I don’t know… Just sometimes everything feels… off. It’s like nothing can make me happy anymore sometimes…” Velrin shrugs, “I still have people who try and let me know they care but…” she sighs.
"But it doesn't seem to matter," Mizzy says softly. "You appreciate that they care, but there's just something inside that feels impenetrable."
Velrin nods. Her expression slowly grows a bit guilty.
Mizzy leans forward. "I know the feeling," she says. Then she leans back. "If there's a cure for it, I haven't found one. There's still something missing. Lots of somethings, really. Friends. Family. The place I grew up. It's all gone and turned to rot and ruin. I don't know if there is a cure for something like that."
She sighs and sips her tea, taking a moment to savor the sweetness of the apples and honey. "But if you haven't recovered after so many years, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that I'm not better by now. Aren't we a pair."
Velrin smirks a little at that, “At least we’re not alone in that way…” she pauses for a moment, “Maybe I never noticed before because my min’da and an’da were always right there.”
"Min'da?" Mizzy asks. "An'da?" She shakes her head, frowning a little in confusion.
“Oh, my umm mama and papa.” She clarifies.
Mizzy's expression clears. "Oh. I lost my father before everything with Southshore happened. And I lost my mother when Deathwing attacked the Park in Stormwind. We were never very close, but they were still my parents. I suppose I grieve for them, but honestly it's mostly for the land and the people on it. That probably makes me a horrible daughter but I don't mind that. They were horrible parents. It sounds like yours were better?"
Velrin nods, “They were the best parents in the whole world…” she starts to tear up a bit but wipes her eyes and puts on a brave face, “I want to make them proud of who I’ve been able to become. That’s why I need to keep trying even when it hurts sometimes.”
"I can't imagine them being anything but proud," Mizzy says. "You've done so much, saved so many people. You're a hero. It may not feel like it, but you are one."
Velrin smiles a bit, “Thank you.”
"What about becoming a parent yourself?" she asks. "Have you given that any more thought?"
Vel’s smile fades away, “Elune… hasn’t chosen to bless us yet…” she says with a clear tinge of disappointment, “Maybe it’s her way of saying I’m not ready. Not that I can blame her I suppose…”
Mizzy snorts. "Rot," she says sharply. "Elune has nothing to do with you having children or not. There are supplements and teas you can take to help you conceive. At least, there are for humans." She cocks her head. "I don't know if they'd work on you or not. I should ask Niris; she'd know, or at least know who to ask."
“Maybe…” Velrin says doubtfully, “I know a woman who tried to have a baby for almost 10000 years but never could.”
Ismene blinks. "Goodness," she says. "Are babies so rare among Night Elves?"
“I’m afraid so. I’d actually never seen one in person until a couple years ago. An old sister of mine from the Sentinels had a baby toward the end of the Scourge War.” Velrin explains.
"Well there you are, then. Unless you think Elune doesn't want any of you to have babies, it's not her fault you haven't conceived. It's just biology." She sits back with her tea. "I'll still ask. It can't hurt, though I suppose if there were anything that enhanced Night Elf fertility, it'd be in widespread use by now."
Velrin opens her mouth like she wants to say something but decides against it. “Thank you.” She says after another moment.
Mizzy's eyes take on a more normal sparkle. "That wasn't what you were going to say," she says, "but I suppose it's rude to point that out. Would you like me to change the subject? We could talk about Pandarians if you like. Pandarans? I'm still not quite sure what one calls them properly."
“Oh, yes. I’ve heard that your darkest thoughts take shape there.” Velrin shudders.
"They must be a happy people then, generally," Mizzy says. "Certainly they're adorable. I haven't met one personally yet, but I've seen a few and they look like giant stuffed toys to me."
Velrin smiles a bit at that, “I haven’t had much chance to meet any, but they do look cuddly don’t they?”
"Imagine being hugged by one! It'd be so warm and soft." She blushes. "And of course it seems they're very fierce fighters, too. Not just peaceful fluffies."
“They sound like my kind of people.” Velrin giggles, finally breaking out of her sullen mood.
"And mine," Mizzy admits. "Though I don't think I'd be able to speak sensibly with a Pandaran. I'd sound like a fool, I'm sure. This is why I hide behind Ben and make him do all the talking! I'd be there thinking only about hugging him or her, and they'd be trying to have a serious discussion about warfare."
“Why not talk while you cuddle?” Velrin offers with a chuckle.
Just the thought makes Mizzy blush a little. "Can you imagine? I'd set relations with Pandaria right back to scratch."
“I’m not sure. They seem pretty friendly. Why not ask?” Velrin giggles again.
"And have them declare war because I was so offensive? Never! I'll just have to make friends with one and sort of hope hugs happen eventually." Ismene grins at Velrin. "Then I'll report back. Or, if you get a hug first, you have to come tell me what it was like. Deal?"
“Deal.” Velrin says with a big smile.
Mizzy smooths a hand down her skirt. "Well. I feel better just talking about Pandarans. Pandarians? Do you?"
“A little bit I think.” Velrin responds. She seems to really mean it this time.
"Sometimes that's all there is, these little bits." Mizzy sets aside her empty teacup. "It makes them more precious for their rarity, I think."
“Thank you.” Velrin says again, “I came here to see you and help cheer you up if you needed and now here you are making me smile.”
"We cheered each other up," Mizzy says firmly. "And now we have something to think about when we start to get too depressed again: hugging Pandarans and trying not to start wars over it."
“That we do.” Velrin can’t help but chuckle at Mizzy’s resolve.