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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Atley, Bran, Estel, Florande, Gwenivene, and Mi Shu meet up at Pang's Stead for good food and good company. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Atley marches into the Thunderfoot Inn, helmet tucked under his arm.
Bran sits at the counter, having a cup of tea.
Estel, on Bran's left, is eating peanut chicken skewers.
Florande pads up to the inn as a panther. She pauses outside, maybe considering whether one is supposed to take off cat form indoors in Pandaria. She shifts back into elf form before entering.
"Hoew are they?" Bran says to Estel, peering at her food, not particularly politely.
"Hullo', you lot," Atley says, briefly glancing over his shoulder to nod at Florande.
"Lo there, Red!" Bran says with a smile over his shoulder to Atley.
"Damn good," Estel says, and offers Bran a bite.
Florande almost says hi, but doesn't quite voice it.
Bran gives the skewer a try. "MmmMMMm," he concludes.
Mimi is eating a big bowl of noodles and sipping some tea as well.
Atley grunts and looks behind the counter at Nan, muttering, "So bleeding hungry I could eat a horse."
"Mrs. Thunderfoot, if ye'd be so kind as ta get me a plate o' those as well I'd be grateful." Bran beams at the innkeeper.
"Hey, Dane. Oh, Florande!" Estel waves her over.
Atley marches closer and raises his hand. "A plate of that for me as well — and a bowl of noodles with a bit of broth in a cup. Cheers."
Florande brightens and comes over to kneel by the counter. "Food is good here?"
"Seems to be at every Pandaren establishment," Atley says.
"I've liked everythin' I've tried so far," Bran says. "Gettin' a bit soft around the middle."
“Meals are the best part of the day!" Mimi declares after slurping up some more noodles.
"Maybe not as welcoming at Zhu's Watch, before," Florande says. "But things are a lot better now."
Bran chuckles.
Atley inclines his head to Florande. "Ought to try the noodle bowl. Won't fail you."
"Noodles over meats?" Florande looks a little puzzled, but she nods gamely. She orders a noodle bowl from Mrs. Thunderfoot.
"I'm not what ye'd call picky about food," Bran says, "but I have ta say I like the food in Pandaria especially."
"I mean, whatever you wanna eat, I don't think I've had anything bad here yet." Estel keeps eating her skewers.
“Can have it added in, if you fancy," Atley says. He looks to Mi Shu and grunts. "Been journeying farther inland?"
Florande hastily amends her order to also include a few 'meat sticks'.
"Just a little bit." Mimi answers Dane, "I'm still really busy getting things ready with aunt Jiji. We're planning to show off our brews to the Alliance proper real soon!"
"Oh, back in Stormwind?" Florande says. "Or um… Ironforge? Wherever brews happen."
Atley's small pile of food is set in front of him on the counter. He nods his thanks to Nan as he starts unclasping his gauntlets.
"Yup!" Mimi keeps slurping up her noodles.
Estel peers at Mi Shu. "Oh, I don't think I know you. Hi, I'm Estel."
Nan Thunderfoot sets down Bran's order; he begins chowing down on the skewers.
Florande reaches out to accept her own plate, noodles with a few chicken skewers on top. Her eyes shine with anticipation.
"Oh! Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Mi Shu Jadepaw. It's nice to meet you." Mimi bows as best as she can while remaining seated.
Estel grins at her and waves with a skewer in hand.
"Are you from Pandaria?" Florande asks, through a mouthful of noodles.
Atley hangs his gauntlets from his belt with the clinking of metal and separates his chopsticks with a snap. "Mi Shu arrived from the turtle. The rest of are Cobalt Company," he says for Mi Shu's sake.
"Oh! You are one of the new pandaren in Cobalt?" Florande brightens. "I am Florande Wildbloom. I came to here less than a week ago."
"It's nice to meet you as well!" Mimi beams, "It's been a really exciting past few months."
"Aye," Bran agrees heartily.
"I had to pause my dancing career to work here," Florande says seriously. Does she have a dancing career? "But it has been amazing so far. The people are friendlier than I worried."
Gwen makes her way carefully down the stairs for the first time in a few days. The color has returned to her cheeks and she's spent some time making herself presentable.
Atley goes quiet for a moment, eating his kebabbed chicken and drinking his broth.
Gwen smiles. "I thought I heard some familiar voices down here."
"Lo there!" Bran says to Gwen. "Tha's a pretty dress ye got."
Atley does turn in place when Gwen arrives, raising a fist to his mouth until he's finished chewing. "Gwen."
Gwen looks down and brushes her hands over the gown. "Aw, thank you, Mr. Stillwall!"
"Gwen!" Estel waves her over. "You wanna sit?" She starts getting up to offer Gwen the chair.
Gwen looks like she's about to refuse the offered seat, but thinks better of it. She's not 100% yet. "Thank you, Estel. You're a dream."
Estel pats her arm. "No problem. How ya feeling?"
"How are you, then?" Atley asks Gwen.
Mimi waves to Gwen but returns to address Flo, "You're a dancer?" She asks, dripping with curiosity.
"So much better, thanks you to you and Iphindra." Without thinking about the appropriateness, Gwen leans over to briefly nuzzle against Estel's side. Gwen beams a happy little smile at Mi Shu, waving back.
Estel shifts her plate a little to the left. She's running out of peanut chicken skewers.
Florande nods. "It is an unusual style of dance, but Raschal and I are going to make it popular. Everyone will do it soon, I am sure."
"Ooh, sounds exciting." Mimi's eyes sparkle, "Who's Raschal?" She probes.
Atley furrows his brow at the familiar name and looks over at Florande.
Bran seems interested in the dance-related conversation as well, though he's too busy stuffing chicken in his face to participate.
Florande looks over at Gwen, tilting her head like she's trying to assess wellness. At the question, she glances over and says, "My partner! Well, dance partner. I think he does other things we're not partners in, like couriering and… stuff."
Estel smiles at Florande. "So he's taking dance seriously now? That's fun."
"I can't wait to see this unusual dance," Gwen says.
"Hmmmm I see…" Mimi sits and lets the information simmer.
Atley looks from Mi Shu to Nan. "I trust the pandaren have their own ceremonial dances."
"We have some dances back on the Wandering Isle, yes. I was never all that good, though." Mimi giggles.
"It's a little hard to show without another person," Florande says apologetically. "I can't throw myself around in the air very well. Or I can, a little, but it looks different when someone else does it."
"He throws you?" Gwen's eyes widen.
"Sounds like fun!" Bran says. "Though I doubt anyone would want ta throw a dwarf." He chuckles.
Flo nods. "Good throwing, though. Not bad throwing. Just a matter of trusting." Florande smiles at Estel. "You and Raschal are friends? Maybe we can all dance, if he comes to visit."
"Yeah, we're friends!" Estel says brightly. "I'm not a great dancer or anything, though."
Bran leans toward Mimi a little. "Do ye know about dwarves?" he says. "I mean, ye've seen 'em, but do ye know we're basically made o' rocks?"
Atley nods slowly and keeps eating, eyeing Mi Shu and Bran.
[Mi Shu]: "I've actually been spending a lot of time in Ironforge and Dun Morogh recently. I want to learn everything I can to become a better brewmaster and you dwarves seem like the people to go to for that. Aunt Jiji and Uncle Lo and I are trying to figure out if we should set up things there or in Stormwind."
[Brannagen]: "Oh aye! An' we've quite the history as well. But I've got ta say, when it comes ta brews, yer people sure give us a run for our money."
"I tried some of your people's drink," Gwen says to Mi Shu. "It was…um…unexpectedly strong! Tasty, but…yeah…very powerful."
"I recommend Ironforge highly," Bran says. "Much better organized, damn near impregnable - only city on the continent tha's never been wrecked."
"Powerful?" Florande says, blinking. "I have not tried anything brewed here except the tea, so far."
Atley knits his brow, reminded of something. "That sake was smooth."
Mimi laughs, "If you ask me the dwarves make the only brews I've had since leaving thr Isle that have had much kick to them."
Florande idly kicks against the ground with one foot.
Estel leans down to Gwen. "You wanna get something kinda bland for your stomach? I bet you could get, like, soup broth or somethin'."
"I am sooo hungry. And the chicken smells so good…." Gwen makes big, pleading puppy-dog eyes at Estel.
Bran grins at Mimi. "Me family are brewers, though not big-time. But aye, dwarves know their brewin'." Bran shifts his gaze to Gwen. "Been feelin puny, lass?"
"Hey," Estel says, "Can Gwen get some skewers with the sauce on the side, maybe?"
"Bit of meat ought to do you well," Atley says to Gwen.
Gwen nods to Bran. "I had a bad bout of something. I think I might have picked up a local bug. But I'm feeling much better now." She looks up to Estel with a grateful smile.
Nan Thunderfoot starts preparing the order.
Gwen nods emphatically to Atley.
"Sometimes that happens with traveling," Florande nods. "I am glad you feel better."
"You really all should eat up as much as you can. You're all so skinny. How are you gonna stay warm in the winter?" Mimi says with a mixture of teasing and genuine concern.
"Oh it's fine, I can change into a bear," Florande says casually. "Not a pandaren, but a bear bear."
"On your time table, Mi Shu," Atley says, still working on his noodle bowl.
"In human culture it's pretty rude to comment on somebody else's weight," Estel says casually.
Gwen looks down at herself again. She is a rather slight creature. "I dunno…I've always been like this. I never could seem to put on much weight."
"Really?" Mimi says in surprise.
"Everyone's got their own natural shape," Bran says. "Dwarves tend ta be stocky, though I'm on the slim side as we go. Humans an' elves are made more tall an' slim like."
"Yeah," Estel says, but she smiles at Mi Shu - she didn't take offense.
"Pandaren seem like very good huggers," Florande offers. She eyes Mi Shu's fluffy fur.
Nan Thunderfoot serves Gwen her chicken skewers with a dipping bowl of peanut sauce.
Gwen looks up at Nan like she is her savior. "Thank you so much, miss." She picks up one of the skewers and gives it a light nibble. Still hot!
"Have you much experience with druids, Mi Shu?" Atley asks, looking from Mimi to Florande.
Mimi giggles at Flo's comment, "You know, that's not the first time I've heard that one." She turns to Dane, "Not at all. We don't have anything like that back home."
"Shapeshiftin' sure seems like fun," Bran says to Flo with a smile.
"Florande's a more than capable druid. I've seen her take many forms," Atley says.
"It is!" Florande says with a big smile. "I wish I could teach it."
"I mostly thenk of her as a bear," Bran says. "Tha's how we got ta know each other, aye?"
"Bear cub," Florande nods. "Up in Outland, first time. I shift more to cat lately, but bear always feels safe."
"What's that like?" Mimi inquires, "Being a bear, that is."
Bran listens with interest.
"Feelings are less complicated than they are when I'm an elf," Florande says, pausing as she considers how to describe. "I feel strong. Capable."
Estel finishes her own food. "Okay, I gotta get back to my potions," she says. "See y'all later!"
Florande waves to Estel. "Good to see you! Say hello to Raschal for me if you see him first!"
"Been transformed into different beasts before. Birds. Sheep. Wouldn't mind a bear," Atley says.
Florande looks to Dane in surprise. "You are a shapechanger?"
Bran cackles.
Mimi blinks at Dane in surprise.
Atley scoffs with amusement. "No. These were spells done to me. The lot of us were polymorphed into sheep, during the Third War, for an ambush."
Bran baaas softly.
Gwen giggles. "Lord Ference once let me turn him into a sheep."
"No way!" Bran says to Gwen, and laughs.
"Lord baaarence," Florande says with a giggle, eyes shining.
Gwen nods, snickering. "He wanted to know what it felt like. So I obliged!"
"Did he like it?" Florande asks.
"I think he liked being able to say he'd experienced it," Gwen says. "I'm pretty sure he found it interesting, at least."
"I prefer having my own two feet," Atley says.
Mimi laughs at the amusing story.
Gwen nods. "Heh, me too. I get embarrassed any time some sorcerer manages to polymorph me."
"I just make sure ta bleat as loud and obnoxiously as possible," Bran says.
Gwen giggles.
Florande gnaws at a skewer and giggles.
Atley finishes off his broth and lets out an exhale of relief. "Warms the bones."
"Much as I love Ironforge, I gotta say I wish I never had ta leave Pandaria," Bran says. "This place is just the absolute best."
Gwen is taking her chicken skewers slowly, with just a little dip of sauce, but seems to be thoroughly enjoying them. "It's so beautiful," Gwen agrees.
Atley raises his gaze at that and vaguely glances around the tavern. "And we've only seen a fraction of it."
"The despair parts are a little less good," Florande says, taking another bite of chicken. "But we're fixing those."
"There's so much more adventure out there." Mimi's tail wiggles excitedly.
Bran's turquoise eyes sparkle with excitement. "I canna wait ta see what's around the next bend. But I'll be patient; I know we got stuff ta do in the area before we move on."
Atley grunts and gestures vaguely behind him. "It's been some time since I've seen such fertile farmland."
"I dinna ken the ferst theng about farmin'," Bran admits. "I was always a city boy."
"Isn't Elwynn very fertile?" Florande asks, looking at Dane curiously.
"'Tis. And it has a number of farmlands — enough to support Stormwind. But the Valley here has no dense forests as far as I've seen. Only sprawling hills to the horizon," Atley says.
"Stretches are far to a jungle to the south, by the name of 'Krasarang,'" Atley adds.
"It sounds like a toy," Florande says, tilting her head.
Atley knits his brow and finishes off his bowl. "Seems dense. Untamed. Pandaria's got its own wildernesses, by the looks of it."
"I hope we get to see more of it," Florande says, glancing towards the door.
"I'm gonna travel every inch o' this continent!" Bran declares confidently.
"Every inch," Florande repeats, slurping more noodles.
"We ought to return to Zhu's Watch, speaking of," Atley says to Bran, setting down a gold coin as he puts his gauntlets back on.
"Ah? Oh," Florande rises. "I should probably as well, then. Good you are feeling better Gwen, and good to meet you Mi Shu."
"Oh aye," says Bran. He gives a little nod to the ladies and then heads after Atley.
Atley tugs his helmet on. "Ladies."
"See you later." Mimi waves.