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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"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."

Ronnae looked up momentarily before turning her attention back to the Great Wolf Spirit.

"Depends on what these heroic deeds entail really."

"I'unno, what do I look like, a hero? No, there's a girl on the ship who runs an organization called the 'Outsiders'. Her name's Katara. You go to the hotel in the City, that's their headquarters. I told her I'd send people like you her way."

If the Overlord knew her and was doing something for her, was that a recommendation in her favor... or quite the opposite?

"You're a little high on the age end... I think... how old ARE you anyway?" he said, peering at Ronnae as if he didn't expect to like the answer.

The elf had seemingly tuned out the other two conversing; instead he was eying the minion who held the book aloft, poking her in the leg as if to test if she were real or not.

She eyed the book curiously. "Does it matter? My age has nothing to do with my capabilities..." She frowned before sighing, noticing she had come off a bit defensive.

"I'm seventeen if a needed to know. Not that I'd know how time passes here."

The minion's look changed from vapid-but-cheerful to vapid-but-mildly irritated as she looked down at the poking elf.

The book she held, meanwhile, sighed. "Because every competent girl on this ship is still a teenager! I keep hoping SOMEday I'll find someone worth knowing that isn't a kid!" He squinted at her. "You at least had enough T&A that I had some hope. Oh well."

"I'm not a kid," the elf replied, still distracted. He leaned back, apparently finished with his prodding and regarded the book with a satisfied grin.

"I know someone here who's a competent girl and not a teenager. She's around..." He pursed his lips in thought, then nodded, "Around one thousand to three thousand. Something like that."

Ronnae's eyes went wide. Her face quickly reddening. "Th-that's not-nothing to do with my capabilities! I am well aware of how I look! And I am well aware of my age! And more than anyt-anything I am damn confident in wh-what I can and can-can-cannot do!"

Flustered she stood up quickly only to realize this would give a better view of what he had just stated. She quickly hurried off. "S-see you later Kosi..."

"That's a decent number. Who's th--"

Interrupted, the startled Overlord watched her go in frank confusion, then looked at the elf.

"What, did I hit a nerve?"

Nokosi simply shrugged as he watched the orc scurry off. "I guess. I don't know what 'T&A' is, but I guess it's embarassing. Or shameful," he added.

"Curves. Assets. Feminine charms. Stacked. Loaded. Double-bubble." Is any of this getting through?

He stared at the book, unblinking for what seemed like minutes. Finally a smile-turned-grin cracked on his face an he began laughing.

"I've never heard those terms for that before, not even from Fontaine. I'll have to remember that!" he exclaimed, cheerily. "And the woman I was talking about? She's got 'T&A' to spare. Though I'm fairly certain she hates demons. I don't know if books fall in that category, though."

Yes! New words for his ever-expanding vocabulary. Humans were right; you did learn something new everyday!

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