| abstract | - Fae moaned into a pillow as Shaena patted her shoulder. "I'm such an idio-o-ot!" she groaned, drawing out the last syllable. "Oh, light, now everyone thinks I'm retarded, I know it!" "Oh, come on Fae, it's not that bad," Shawna insisted. "Yeah," added Shaena. "I'm sure they didn't expect... Er..." The twins exchanged a helpless look above Fae's head. The young elf was sprawled on their bed, her face buried in a pillow and her arms hanging over the edge - when they weren't clutched in her hair. The twins sat on the edge of the bed on either side of her, taking turns patting her back. She'd been having kittens since her gryphon had arrived in the Bay after a brutally long flight through three rainstorms so they'd taken her up to their room for some tea. The tea sat untouched and cold on the table. A sharp knock at the door made all three of them jump. The door opened before they could say anything and Mikinda strode in to the room with Layla at her heels. "What be all da trouble, den?" the troll asked, plopping herself down onto the floor in front of the girls without waiting to be invited in. "We been hearin' ya moanin' all da way doon tha hall, girl." Layla closed the door and came over, taking a chair from the tiny table and spinning it around to sit backwards on it, leaning over the low back as she peered at the whimpering elf. With a bit of creative translating on the part of the twins who spoke some goblin and some orcish and Layla, who spoke a little bit of everything, Fae told Mikinda the story of her most embarrassing night since coming to the Hole... Which, strangely, hadn't taken place at the 'Hole at all... "So you know how Miss Spellfire - " Fae began. "Oh, call her Pheala,-" a twin interrupted. " - really! She's not omnipresent," finished the other with a teasing grin. "Ah… Okay… well, you know how um, Phealea had a package to deliver up to Mr. Jiang, and you two couldn't go, cause you were dancing, and Sharly's on dishwashing duty -" "Heheh!" "Well, I kinda had to take it. To Stormwind. That's where the trouble started, that stupid package. It was heavy too…" "Aw, don't pout, Fae. What's so wrong with Stormwind, anyway?" "Yeah, I would have loved to go! " "Well I… I just left on bad terms with a few people, is all. I'm afraid to run into them." "Enh?" Mikinda demanded. "Wha's wrong, den?" "Nothing, nothing! It's complicated… There was a boy involved," she said quietly, obviously embarrassed. "It's not important." "Ooooh, a boy?" "Was he cute?" "Oh please don't tease me, I don't think I could bear it right now!" "Oh! We're sorry Fae -" "- just joking around. Go on then, tell us what happened?" "W-well it started all right. I had a huge stroke of luck and found Mr. Jiang right away. He was with his lady, by the town square. Only, he was talking business, so I couldn't dare to interrupt him." Everyone nodded at that. "So I had to stand there waiting… next to the druid," she finished venemously. The reaction of the twins was very satisfying. "That bitch was there?" "Oh, no wonder you're wrung out!" "I wish she'd just die, do us all a favour…" "What was she doing there? What did they say?" "Oh I don't know - she works for Mr. Jiang and them, now, and she had just done a big job - they were talking about it later - and she was sucking up to them, I swear, just like a big dog, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of Von - " "Eee! Von was there?" "Bythalight!" "… I don't know what you three see in him," Mikinda muttered, unimpressed. Layla barked out a laugh and gave her friend a boot to the hip. "Dey be likin' da wild side," she said with a grin. Mikinda just snorted. The twins had each put a hand to Fae protectively. "Actually, he's gorgeous" one said sternly to the trolls. "Yeah," added the other, "and... and very charismatic!" The trolls giggled, but Fae didn't care, she hugged the pillow to her chest and propped herself up on her elbows with a little sigh. "He's so beautiful," she said forlornly. "He's like a wild, untamed beast." Mikinda had to shove a fist in her mouth to keep from laughing in the girl's face. Layla played it cooler though, tipping the chair forward as she peered at the elf. "So? Did you say anything to him?" Fae blinked, coming out of her reverie. "Oh! Oh, I wanted to - but, Miss - I mean Phealea was there - " "What? When did Phealea get there?" "You said she couldn't go!" "Oh, I'm telling this all out of order!" Fae fretted. "See, I met up with Mr. Jiang in the streets and then when he was done his business I was about to give him the package only then he said we should all go get a drink 'cause he was thirsty, and you know, when a man's thirsty you get him a drink first before you bother him with chores, right?" She paused as everyone nodded. "So then we went to this pub and it was so awkward 'cause it was all… you know, his people and stuff, and there's me, so out of place, and I just wanted to run away but he got us all wine, and he seems like a nice man, and I was just starting to relax a bit and then I had to go and open my stupid mouth!" "What did you say?" a twin asked in horrified fascination. The other girls just stared. Drinking with the Jiangs? What the hell? "Th-they were talking about something the sh-she bitch had done that was sooo great, something about their ship. S-so I…. I asked what had happened!" she finished in a wail, burying her face in the pillow again. Her next words were muffled. "I'm so stupid, of course they weren't going to talk about it in the bar, where anyone could hear, it was probably something to do with that ship that exploded I'm sure, but then he had to say no, I couldn't ask, and it was so awkward and stupid and embarrassing!" Shaena and Shawna made sympathetic noises, patting shoulders soothingly. Mikinda just shook her head at the elf's foolishness. Layla made a clucking sound. "Ah, girl, s'no so bad, joo wah jus' makin' wit' da conversation eh?" Fae looked up and sniffled. "No - it was stupid of me. I shouldn't have spoken, I was so out of turn. And then - that's when Phealea walked in. Light, I wanted to just die." "What did you do..?" "Oh, I - I don't even remember. I got up and offered her my seat - I just wanted to leave - but she wanted to stand or something I dunno, I had to stay longer. They talked a bit, and she was introduced to Kayce's mom - yeah, she was there, she was very nice - I think she felt as out of place as I did, only at least it was for different reasons, it wasn't her bosses all sitting around and joking at each other." "What did Phealea say?" "Oh, she was very kind, as always! Mr. Jiang told her that the druid had done some great job, but she wasn't too impressed, I'll tell you that. She-bitch was all 'Oh, I'll have to make it up to you,' for the mess and the trouble, like she even could, but Phealea just said 'We'll see' - you know, in that tone of hers." "Hah! Good." "And then Master Von came in," Fae said, her voice getting dreamy again. Layla made a little gagging face at Mikinda, but the twins ignored her. "Ooh, what'd he say?" "He recognized me!" Fae said, blushing. "He asked me to dance for him, only I think he was just joking, and then I got him a drink and he went to pay me and dropped the coins right down my shirt!" She burst into giggles, covering her face as the twins squealed. Mikinda and Layla rolled their eyes. "He even asked me to come sit on his lap… but Phealea was there," she said, her ears wilting again at the remembered disappointment. "She wouldn't let me. I got to sit beside him for a while, but you know - he gets so restless at a boring table he got up to walk around the pub for a bit. That's when she started after him." The venom in her tone made it clear which "she" she meant. "Ugh, I don't know what he sees in her!" "Didn't he try to kill her or something?" "Light, who wouldn't." Mikinda and Layla exchanged a knowing grin, but remained silent. Fae re-burried her face in the pillow with a sob. "It was going so well and she ruined it all!" "Who, Phealea?" "What? No! Ruadh! She ruins everything!" The twins patted her on the shoulders again softly. Fae and Marieke had been quite close before the… unfortunate business. Everyone had liked the smiling orc girl. Clearly, Ruadh was to blame for everything. "So… er, what happened then?" Shawna asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the druid. Fae sniffled a bit as she propped herself back up on her elbows. "Oh.. Stuff… some other employees of Mr. Jiang's came by. They talked about, I don't know. Dwarves and planes and money. Eventually people started to go home, and then Mr. Jiang got up and I still hadn't given him the package! So I got up too, to give it to him, see, and he said to walk with him so I had to leave. Oh, but Von came down the stairs to say good night to me before I left!" Her ears perked up as she brightened. "He said he'd have to come to the 'Hole more often!" "Ohh, Fae, next time he comes, you have to dance for him!" "Ohh, do you think I could?" "Course joo could," Mikinda snorted, a bit scornfully. "It be easy. Joo jus' wiggle yer arse at 'im an' pretend da pole's 'is!" Layla burst into laughter as Fae blushed a deep purple and the twins giggled. Mikinda leaned forward intently. "Ah wanna 'ear 'bout what choo be sayin' ta T'ai." "Oh," Fae said, her ears falling again. "Oh that was the most embarrassing end to such a terrible night. I'm such a… flakey spazz!" "Oh don't say that, Fae," "It couldn't have been that bad!" "Tell me what 'appened." "Well, we… were walking and I was nervous, because we were getting close to the area where the boy I mentioned used to live. And Mr. Jiang noticed I was nervous, I guess. He's very perceptive. I'm such a potato… he… he thought I was afraid of him, because I'd stolen from the package…" she finished in a whisper. Mikinda hissed as the twins gasped. Layla just raised her eyebrows as Fae hurried on. "I didn't, of course! I never opened it! I told him so, and I think he believed me, but then he started asking why the fel I was so jumpy, and that only made it worse -" "But why didn't you just tell him?" "About the boy?" Fae laughed bitterly. "I think a man like him has better things to do than listen to my problems! I didn't want to bother him. He was curious though, or stubborn, so I did tell him. That there was a boy I was avoiding. Then," she paused, her ears drooping in mortification at the memory "he even offered to 'have a talk' with someone... Said that his people look out for us girls." "But that's a great idea!" "Why not let him?" "Jah, if joo're too scared ta even go ta Stormwind," Layla agreed with the twins. "Go 'ave one of dem big-boys beat in someboddeh's arse for ya!" Fae just pressed her lips together and shook her head, horrified at the thought. She noticed Mikinda giving her a thoughtful look - bordering on suspicious - so she hastened to explain. "It would be so inappropriate for them to be doing the likes of me favours. Plus… then I'd owe them a favour, wouldn't I?" The girls all nodded at that, and Fae pressed on. "Anyway, I told him it wasn't important - and it's not! - but that I just wanted to get out of Stormwind as fast as I could. So he lent me a cloak and hat and walked me to the gryphon master. He even paid my fare, and a bit extra so the man wouldn't tell tales," she finished with a bit of wonder in her voice. The twins gushed at the kindness of the man but Mikinda just nodded matter-of-factly. That was Tai's style. Be generous and cautious, make some allies… all the more people to call on for favours later. Fae was in his debt anyway, it seemed, no matter what she said. Mikinda sat back, leaning back on her hands as she considered the elf girl. Mostly-elf girl, she mentally corrected herself. Fae's mother had been half human and it showed in her softened features and paler colour. She was short for an elf, too. And silly. Mikinda shook her head mutely as the twins alternated between gushing about Von, harping about the druid or comforting Fae on a truly bizarre evening. Fae seemed happy enough to be wrapped up in their attentions and the story was apparently over so Mikinda gave Layla the nod. The troll and half-troll unfolded themselves and smiled down at the girls. "Joo be takin' it easy, sistah," Mikinda said with a smile, reaching down to pat Fae on the head. The girl's ears lowered meekly as she looked up at the club's most senior dancer and she offered a little smile. Mikinda smiled back and moved to the door as Layla chucked Fae under the chin and gave her a wink. "Get some sleeps, elfy girl." The two dancers spoke softly in trollish in the hall as they walked back towards their own rooms. "Dat girl's gotta grow up," Mikinda grumbled. Layla shrugged good-naturedly. "Eh, everaboddeh be born stoopid. Personalleh, ah tink she be needin' ta relax. If ah been havin' problems wit' a boy an' some nice tigah lad be offerin' me a free beatin' on 'is arse, ah'd no be refusin!" Mikinda nodded with a grunt. "Makes joo wondah." Layla just smiled. "Nottin' be makin' me wondah annehmore. G'nite, sistah." "Spirits be witch'oo, sistah."
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