trans_9 | Story time is the best time. [open]

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Story time is the best time. [open]

The last few days (or was it weeks? He hadn't bothered distinguishing one day from the next.) seemed to go by in a flurry of new sights, textures, and plenty of delectable sounds. The number of things that still remained to be examined by a curious touch, or heard by a wobbly ear firmly pressed against it, seemed limitless. And so, his wanderlust was in full force.

With all the running around, he only barely made enough time to eat. And sleep? Well, sleep happened when he was just conscious enough to drag himself back to the living quarters; though a nook or cranny in a relatively deserted locale served him just as well. Despite his eagerness to get into anything and everything (even if that sometimes meant trouble), he still couldn't ignore the melancholy look his companion seemed to have about him, lately.

There was no feigned arrogance or annoyance when Fontaine referred to him as 'kid', 'side-kick', or 'elf', nor had the spirit beast made any innuendo-laced comments when referring to anyone and everyone they had met. His jokes seemed half-hearted and he hadn't even complained more than once about the elf's confrontation and following avoidance of Fontaine's so-called 'soul-mate'. It was all thoroughly depressing seeing his comrade in such a state, though he had just the plan that would cheer him up.

That had been more than an hour ago and what had brought him into the sensorium in the first place. Usually he just walked through, observing things the others tended to do, or did inane things, such as enjoying his daily ooze-like meals in new, exciting ways; seafood stew with equal parts Makrura, Whale Shark, and Kraken was surprisingly tasty. This time, though, the gentle hills and thick, twisted forests of Ashenvale surrounded them. Darkness would consume the entirety of the area if it weren't for the large, brilliant campfire in the middle of the clearing where they sat.

A variety of large beasts and creatures sat about; a crab, what appeared to be dinosaurs, spiders, a wasp, foxes and Fontaine. They all appeared to be clacking or screeching in low conversation, though most huddled near the edge of the clearing where a gargantuan wolf stood; his coat was white, tipped with silver streaks and his eyes shone brighter than the campfire did. He seemed to be telling a story about demons, a magical well and a group of 'Ancients' who fought them off long ago.

Nokosi was situated next to the fire, his long arms draped over lanky legs. His body was propped against the huge stump of a tree and a seagull was perched atop his head. As excited as the other creatures were to be in the presence of the great white wolf and hear his words, the elf seemed to only be half-listening. By the way his head was lolling to the side, only to have the seagull peck him in indignation, it was clear he was barely staying awake.

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"Not me, but some of the others on Azeroth. It's not like they're pushovers, though," he nodded matter-of-factly and the bird squeaked in agreement.

"They're like Ronnae said; conniving, manipulative. They talked my people into letting them into our world thousands of years ago. Then they blew up the entire thing and nearly killed us all!"

He sounded far too excited to be talking about the near-destruction of their people and planet.

Ronnae looked down at the grounr still resting her head on her knees.

"Not only that, it takes an army of amazing strong adventurers to take down some of their lieutenants or champions. It's never an easy task. But the denizens of our world aren't pushovers either. They've been fighting this threat for thousands of years coming close to full destruction more than a few times now... And the Legion hasn't suffered great loses ever. Only keeps getting pushed back." The girl said the last bit solemnly unfocused.

"...So these allegedly really strong demons are basically just grinding out levels for you guys and your world," Zetta said. (Zetta, aware that he came from a game, steadfastly refused to consider that other worlds might not run on the same logic as his own.)

"I should go kick their asses," the book said, disgusted. "They deserve it. Thousands of years of failing? Just cut your losses already, idiots! Ugh! Why is my race composed of dumbasses?!"

"If it makes you feel any better, according to the elves, they've conquered and destroyed (allegedly) hundreds of thousands of worlds before ours. Though it probably won't."

He gazed sidelong at the book, contemplating rubbing his hand over the surface of it and possibly opening it. He couldn't read, but he was curious what was inside.

"Being a demonic book sounds like it's really bottom of the barrel."

Ronnae couldn't help but snicker at the comment. "Kosi... never...." She stopped and laughed warmly realizing what she was about to say. Almost not being able to complete the sentence.

"N-never... ha... N-never judge a b-... book by its cover." She grinned, her youthful smile beaming.

"Like I haven't heard all the book jokes a million times before," the Overlord groused. "Everyone thinks they're the first!"

He wasn't even really upset at this point, just irritated that it was so trite. "It's not like I was BORN a book. The same damn Ohm that wrecked everyone else's worlds are responsible for this!"

"They turned you into a book? That sounds lazy when you have world-destroying powers."

He did press his hand against the surface of the book, this time, and attempted to lift its cover. "What's written inside you, anyways?"

Ronnae snickered at Kosi's usual curiosity.

"Kosi... that's rude. You don't jus' go up to sentient stuff and rub on them." She smiled curtly offering an appologetic look at the book.

"But he's right, if you were that powerful why didn't they try to recruit you or something? Back home the Legion just assimilated the powerful races into their ranks enslaving and transforming them."

"Hey! Get out of there!" The book held itself quite tightly shut as the face on its front gave the elf such a withering glare. "Don't mess with the Sacred Tome!" How the book could make a distinction between itself and the Sacred Tome proper was anyone's guess.

"They did this because they couldn't beat me! I'm an OVERLORD! The most badass freakin' Overlord in the cosmos! I could've wiped them up with both hands tied behind by back! While drinking a glass of water! SIDEWAYS!"

His lips pushed up into what was either a pout or annoyance. "I can't? It's not like he has limbs to hit me with." He poked and prodded the blue crystal on the book's cover before pressing his face near its spine and sniffing curiously.

"Hey booky," he sang, with a ring of affection to it, "If you are the most 'badass freakin' Overlord' (whatever that means), how did they change you into a book in the first place? Wouldn't you have seen that coming while you were sipping on your silly straw in your glass of sideways water?"

Ronnae facepalmed. She knew there was no deterring his curiousity. She sighed and pulled him back some.

"Back Kosi back! Remember that talk about personal space? You're breaking it right now." She looked back again towards the book and smiled appologetically before nodding her head. "Sorry, he's easily enthralled by things. And seeing as you're all shiny and majestic and all that, it's not hard for him to want to touch and stuff." (Ronnie rolls her diplomacy check!)

"I will drop a warehouse on you, blue boy," the book growled. But Ronnae had discovered one of his (many, glaring) personality flaws; he straightened up a bit. "True, I am those things. Just -- not a hands-on book!

"And not an Oracle either," he added. "I don't read the future. Pram the Oracle DID warn me, but the Ohm can screw with time, so they'd already tampered with the Sacred Tome before I got there."

"Yes, he is shiny. But fine, I understand." He dropped his arms back over his legs and re-adjusted the bird on his head.

"Are you the Sacred Tome, booky? Because I kind of sort of (really) want to see you in your non-book demon form," he nodded slowly. "And tossing warehouses," he added.

Ronnae laughed and was happy to see Nokosi in a better mood. Not that she ever thought he'd stay hurt for long, he knew how to get back up pretty quick.

Her attention turned back to the book tilting her head curiously. "You know? I'm kind of intrigued myself. Not the warehouse tossing. But, you know, your real form." One of her long twin ponytails lolling to her side as she studied the book more curiously.

"Right now, this is my real form." The book simply glared at them, daring them to make a joke. "I lost my body because of those damn Ohm. If I hadn't bound my soul to the book, I'd have lost my life too."

The elf regarded the book with a look disappointment that was quickly replaced with an ear-to-ear grin. "I guess a book tossing warehouses is more interesting, anyways." The seagull squawked in agreement. "Barnaby thinks so, too.

"So, you're going to be on some amazing journey to retrieve your body or find a new one, one day, right? If so, I want to go, too." Nokosi spoke casually, as if going on an inter-galactic adventure to assist a demon Overlord was an everyday occurrence.

Ronnae looked down for a moment, a frown on her face. Without looking up she sighed.

"Pretty sure we're already along for the ride Kosi.... If the Ohm took it, along with the rest of everything we've.... everyone has lost. Then safe to say no one will get anything back till we defeat the Ohm."

"Soon as we take down the Ohm, someone will have enough mana power to wish everything back to normal," Zetta said with a nod (that almost sent him plummeting out of his minion's arms BUT NOBODY SAW THAT, RIGHT?!). "Including my Netherworld, and my body."

"Wish everything back to normal? It's really that easy?" He looked thoughtfully into the campfire before turning back to the book, "So does that mean we won't remember anything that happened here?"

Ronnae stared at the flickering flames, her gaze was distant. Wish everything back....? Does that mean I can go back to my family... Dad's loving embrace... Mama's kind laugh... all the fun times with my brothers and sisters... It all sounded too good... good enough to make her eyes water, tho at first she didn't notice.

Soon enough her head sunk a bit lower trying to hide it, her loose bangs did their job in helping in this act, tho her glassy teal eyes were still visible and still glossy.

"That easy... yet... first these Ohm that everyone.... even the people who seem unbelievably powerful aboard this ship are afraid, concerned or worried about..."

She held her knees tighter against her frame. It wasn't like Azeroth wasn't in a losing battle every few years, and they had succeeded. Yet this felt much much bigger... I had always been inspired and placed at ease by Mama and Dad or the other amazing heroes of the family and our friends.... Here I had no one... Well not no one... I have Nokosi, and well regardless of anything anyone said, I couldn't be happier having at least a fragment of my life here... And yet.... Her mind just drifts away to thoughts of home.

"Oh no," Zetta said, smugly. "You'll remember everything that happened, so you can spread the name ZETTA across the cosmos! Hyaaa ha ha ha ha!"

Then he snapped a sharp glance to Ronnae. "I'm not worried. I'm the most badass freakin' Overlord you'll ever meet, girl!"

"Zetta? That sounds like a type of cheese that they sell in Stormwind. Sounds tasty," he said, his pallid lips curling into a smile.

Barnaby hopped from the elf's head, onto the orc's own and begin pecking at her ponytails, attempting to get her attention.

"At least it won't be a wasted effort, Ronnae. And we could probably have better knowledge to help defeat the Legion and the Scourge and the Old Gods and...all the other things trying to destroy Azeroth, when we get back." He was, for once, being very careful with the words he spoke, if anything because things had been infinitely harder on the girl than they were for him.

"Besides," he added, "we also get to see a demon Overlord book bludgeon things to death! Or...you know, however demon books fight."

Ronnae smiled weakly, she appreciated the notions greatly.

"You both should be careful with what you say. Usually in the novels and stories, the heroes who exclaim out loud that they are not worried or that they will triumph are usually the one's caught by surprise."

She kept her head rested on her knees, she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve when she felt no one was looking.

"...you two are --" He was going to say idiots, but considering he was about to give them orders, he thought better of it.

"You want to help out around the ship, deeds of heroism and all that crap? I know someone looking for your sort."

Nokosi stretched his legs out and yawned loudly,"What's the worst that can happen? It's only death."

His head dropped to his shoulder to gaze at the book, causing a racket of jingling and clanking from his densely pierced ears.

"Deeds of heroism?" He laughed, shaking his head, "If you have some interesting work, I might do it. Nehaa and Ronnae would be better suited to the 'deeds of heroism' thing, I think."

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