Harrowheart (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
westfallcorndog) wrote2017-05-26 10:08 am
westfallcorndog) wrote2017-05-26 10:08 am
Missing – For Adia
Days have passed since Khan invaded the Nexus, leaving havoc and destruction in his wake and abetting some of the most unsavory figures of the Nexus to cause their own chaos in the hours that the anti-violence field was down. Harrowheart had missed most of the initial efforts to save survivors after the final confrontation – it was difficult enough for him to return to his own world and save himself after the destruction of one of his runeblades. In the time he'd been gone they had to be reforged and his body somewhat mended from the physical and magical wounds he'd sustained. Strips of flesh remained burned away from his face where Khan's plasma had melted anything it touched, and he was still forced to wear an eyepatch until his eye regenerated.
All that mattered was that he was well enough, and with an ominous new runeblade slung over his back, he returned to the Nexus to check on the people he cared about. His family, of course, was safe in Ixis Naugus' impenetrable tower, and he suspected Isidor and Viatorus were just fine – they were magically talented, and if worse came to worst they could have escaped back to Earth... But some couldn't have been so lucky.
His first stop is Steve's apartment. He knows where to find the key and doesn't bother knocking. If he comes in and finds Steve nakedly lounging, at least it means he's safe. What he doesn't expect is to find... Nothing at all. No Steve. He sniffs the air, but isn't sure what he was expecting to find. Of course it smells of him. Is it a distant smell, though? He can't quite tell.
He steps hesitantly inside, and the sound of his plate armor shifting seems so loud in the utter silence. The strange little animals Steve lives with aren't around, either...
"Is anyone home?" he asks, feeling stupid even as he does. It's not like anyone could be hiding out of view in this apartment. "Steve?" Light, what were the little beasts' names?... "Eth...el? Bucky? Sarah?"
It's empty. Totally empty. But that doesn't mean anything, right? Maybe they're out. They're all out helping people who need help. Of course that's the situation. Steve wouldn't sit around if he knew people were in need, and his little creatures were intelligent enough to go with him.
At a loss for what direction to take, Harrowheart does what he's spent the last few months in Acherus perfecting: Standing watch. With the door to the apartment still open he positions himself in the center of the room and stands stark still, his lone, glowing eye unblinking as it watches the doorway. It's only out of habit that he draws his weapon and stands it up, the blade's tip on the floor and his palms resting on the hilt as he waits.
All that mattered was that he was well enough, and with an ominous new runeblade slung over his back, he returned to the Nexus to check on the people he cared about. His family, of course, was safe in Ixis Naugus' impenetrable tower, and he suspected Isidor and Viatorus were just fine – they were magically talented, and if worse came to worst they could have escaped back to Earth... But some couldn't have been so lucky.
His first stop is Steve's apartment. He knows where to find the key and doesn't bother knocking. If he comes in and finds Steve nakedly lounging, at least it means he's safe. What he doesn't expect is to find... Nothing at all. No Steve. He sniffs the air, but isn't sure what he was expecting to find. Of course it smells of him. Is it a distant smell, though? He can't quite tell.
He steps hesitantly inside, and the sound of his plate armor shifting seems so loud in the utter silence. The strange little animals Steve lives with aren't around, either...
"Is anyone home?" he asks, feeling stupid even as he does. It's not like anyone could be hiding out of view in this apartment. "Steve?" Light, what were the little beasts' names?... "Eth...el? Bucky? Sarah?"
It's empty. Totally empty. But that doesn't mean anything, right? Maybe they're out. They're all out helping people who need help. Of course that's the situation. Steve wouldn't sit around if he knew people were in need, and his little creatures were intelligent enough to go with him.
At a loss for what direction to take, Harrowheart does what he's spent the last few months in Acherus perfecting: Standing watch. With the door to the apartment still open he positions himself in the center of the room and stands stark still, his lone, glowing eye unblinking as it watches the doorway. It's only out of habit that he draws his weapon and stands it up, the blade's tip on the floor and his palms resting on the hilt as he waits.
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"I don't know," she admits. "After she knocked out Four, she told me to run. That's the last I saw of her... I hope she's okay. Four would have resurrected by now, probably." Which makes her wonder, how do Cylons punish other Cylons for their crimes? The death penalty is pointless if you can resurrect...
Her gaze instinctively travels up the tower looming before them. "Is that where we're headed?" She's never noticed it before, but when the Nexus skyline is full of all sorts of strange buildings, a wizard's tower doesn't stand out quite as much.
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He nods when she asks about the tower. "That's Ixis Naugus' place. He ain't been out in a long time. Family barely sees him, except when they bring him food or he comes down for supplies. I don't know what he's up to, but he's an archmage, so I figure he's cookin' up somethin' big."
Still, there's a little bit of silence to fill before they're there, and something has been scratching at his mind since Adia mentioned it. "What's the Cylon god like? What do robot clones believe in?"
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She looks ahead to Sarah, then up at Bucky, making sure they're both headed in the right direction. Ethel is still plodding along beside her. "An archmage," she repeats thoughtfully. Guess it wouldn't make much sense for someone non-magical to live in a tower like that. "He's your friend? Is that why he let your family move onto his property?"
The question doesn't surprise her, considering how much they've talked about Cylons and gods. She frowns a little, trying to remember what Julia told her. "They only believe in one god. He's not a -- an even bigger robot or A.I., so far as I can tell. He's big on forgiveness, but you have to prove yourself worthy of it." Her frown grows. "Cylons have passed his test, but humans apparently have not. For what it's worth, I haven't seen any evidence for him, either."
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"Is Naugus my friend?" he repeats. He's... Honestly not sure. His expression twists up into a thoughtful confusion and there comes another shrug. "I thought he was? But... Y'know, I'm pretty sure he don't think of people in terms like 'friends.' There's useful and there's not-useful. I... I mean, I ain't tryin' to sound ungrateful or nothin', but when I showed up at his castle with my family all bleedin' and scared from leavin' our home when the demons came, he was kinda..."
His mouth shifts side to side as he debates how to explain this. "He kinda didn't give a damn? Like he didn't understand. Like it didn't matter to him. Before that I thought he was my friend. Now... I guess I know how he works a little better. And I guess it don't bother me too bad anymore, 'cause he did give my whole family a home, after all. He pays for them to eat, pays for them to have clothes, doesn't ask for rent. He didn't even ask that they work on his land or clean his castle, but they do, 'cause what else would they do with their days? It's a lot like bein' back home, I guess."
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She stays silent during Harrowheart's explanation, her gaze divided between him and the tower. "But he didn't turn them away... does he think that they're useful for something?" She's not used to people like that, who don't even pretend to buy into the concept of friendship. "What sort of magic does he do? Do you know?"
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"I think he thinks I'm useful," Harrow says, nodding toward the tower. "Long as Naugus protects my family, I owe him one. Whatever he wants, I'll do it. Sounds like a hard bargain, but I don't think there's anyplace in the universe they could be safer than in his tower." He gestures to it, to the strange crystals it's made from, and says, "He conjures crystals that can't be broken except by him. No one can get into his castle unless he wants 'em in. It ain't gonna burn down, or blow over in the wind... Nobody like that Khan guy can hurt my folks if the anti-violence field goes down... It's worth it. I'll do whatever Naugus wants so long as they can stay there."
And then to her last question he laughs. "He's an archmage! Actually, he's an 'Ixis,' which is a title, not his first name. Far as I can tell it means the same as an archmage, anyway. He's good at all sorts of magic. All the elements, at least. You don't get to be an archmage bein' a one-trick pony."
There's a split rail fence made mostly of new wood surrounding the property now, and even the beginnings of a gate lying just inside, waiting for a few final boards to be added before it's finished. And the person who's working on it arrives in short order. He's a man who looks to be in his mid-to-late forties with a sketchy hairline, a stubbly beard, a thick-rimmed pair of glasses, and facial features that are strikingly similar to Harrowheart's. He squints at the two when he's a few yards off. Of course he recognizes his dumb brother, who waves like an idiot, but that woman? That's not Isidor, is it? Shit, he hopes not...
Following close behind him are... The pokémon! A short, squat snover is waddling behind with her arms raised to hold up a few planks for the gate. A fuzzy little swinub is following close behind, grunting and huffing as it struggles to keep up. Its mouth is concealed by its long hair, but sticking out from the tip of its snout are the ends of a few iron nails it's carrying. Swinub has to be a helper somehow, too!
Unfortunately for Lawrence, both pokémon drop their cargo the split second they see... Other pokémon! Planks and nails go flying and Lawrence mumbles some colorful language under his breath as he scrambles to find the nails in the grass before they're lost for good. Snover and swinub make a break for it, both overfed little beasts waddling at top speed to meet Adia's pokémon. All humans will have to wait for their greets!
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She hopes so, anyway. As Harrowheart describes his relationship with Naugus, she wonders if Julia has the same expectations. She saved Adia's life, will she expect something in return? She hopes not... that's not how friendships are supposed to work. Not that she thinks less of Harrowheart for the bargain he's made. He's keeping his family safe... a lot of family safe, if the size of the property before them is any indication.
His explanation of Naugus's powers gets the faintest of nods as she catches sight of the man working on the gate. He must be related to Harrowheart. An older brother, maybe? Oh, and Harrowheart is waving at him, should she wave too? She's about to, but then --
A furry piggie! And a little snowy tree thing! They are so cute. And look, they're helping! It takes all of Adia's willpower to not clasp her hands in front of her and squeal like a small child. Which is good, because then she'd drop the Mary statue and go to Steve's god's equivalent of Tartarus for a thousand years, or whatever happens when you destroy a Catholic relic.
Steve's pokémon are far less subdued, racing to meet their distant relations, Sarah leading the way with a loud, cheerful bark. Ethel plods along as fast as she can, adding to the noise with her oddly metallic call. And Bucky, who had been lazily gliding in circles most of the way, swoops down and chirps in greeting, with none of the wariness he saves for humans.
If any of them had arms, they'd probably give out hugs. Instead, there is friendly sniffing and playful tail wagging. Hello, new friends!
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"The piggy's name is Lil' Buddy," Harrow says, which catches Buddy's attention. Swinub quickly realizes he's not being called and gets back to grunting and romping with
Steve'sAdia's pokémon. "And the treant's name is Miss Dank Nugz," Harrow says, smiling like the idiot he is.He hardly gets that out of his mouth before Lawrence, his fist full of nails, stomps over and loudly clarifies, "No it's not! Holy shit, Harrowheart, that's the dumbest, most demeaning name you could have possibly come up with." Embarrassed, he turns to Adia and calmly explains, "Her name is not Miss Dank Nugz, it's Magnolia, and we call her Miss Maggie, and she appreciates that."
For what it's worth the snover doesn't even look over at the mention of any of these names. She's patting Sarah and Ethel on the head with both arms and squeaking out her little pokésounds with glee.
The man stows away the nails he had in his hand into a pouch on his toolbelt and removes his long gloves so that he can shake with clean hands. A clean... Robotic hand? His right arm from the elbow down has been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic made of steel and covered in a black material.
"Lawrence Weatherhill," he calls himself. "I'm Harrowheart's brother. You're a friend of his?" Then he nods his head toward the pokémon and, smiling faintly (because pokémon make everyone smile) asks, "And these are friends of yours, I take it?"
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Lil Buddy is an adorable name. Miss Dank Nugz is not. She's visibly relieved when she's provided with something far more appropriate to call the cute little tree-creature. But that relief is short-lived, because it's introduction time, and it's important that she make a good impression. This isn't just anybody, it's her friend's brother.
First, she has to carefully shift the statue into the crook of one arm so that she can shake Lawrence's hand. The robotic arm gives her pause, and she stares at it a moment before blushing and realizing that she's staring. Rude! She shakes his hand with more enthusiasm than the greeting probably deserves to make up for it. "Hi, I'm Adia. It's nice to meet you. Yes, I'm friends with him. Harrowheart -- your brother. He invited me over so that our pokémon could have a playdate. Well, um, they're not my pokémon, they belong to Steve, who is another friend of your brother's. And mine, obviously. He was hurt during the invasion so I'm looking after them. The one that looks like a dog is Sarah, the one with the shiny head is Ethel, and the bird is Bucky. Bucky is wary of strangers. Um, strange humans, anyway. Not that you're strange! Strange to him, I mean..."
She trails off, embarrassed by her own babbling. Looks like hair color is the only thing this woman and Isidor have in common.
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"Pokémon? That's what they're called? Hmm..." Adia taught him something without even meaning to. She can't be all bad, even if she is almost painfully awkward. He waves to the pokémon then, even if they aren't watching, and says, "Hello Bucky, Ethel, and Sarah. Buddy, Maggie, don't tell them anything bad about me, you got that?" Lil' Buddy grunts cheerfully and Lawrence takes that as a promise with a nod of his head.
"So?" he says, turning back to Adia and slipping his gloves back on. "Did you come for lunch?" He's going to breeze right past her comments on strangeness and save her some shred of dignity. "Half of us are working and half of us are asleep, so don't be offended if it's not a big affair." Having said that he waves his hands in an unspoken offer to take the statue from Adia, freeing her for the remainder of the walk.
Harrowheart asks, "Is Tamminy around? 'Cause I know somethin' about Adia that I think Tams is gonna like."
Lawrence eyes Adia up and down with a renewed sense of suspicion... But he does eventually nod. He motions for them to follow and Maggie, who had been watching, mimics his gesture to bring the pokémon along. She and Buddy scuttle after the long-legged humans and know their exact destination: the U-shaped table built in the center of the yard. And the best part about that table? There's food! It looks like the family has eaten about half of the potato stew they'd made, and Maggie is more than happy to helpfully begin ladling soup into small bowls for herself and the other pokémon. Are Steve's friends used to eating People Food? They're about to be. Maybe it explains why poor Lil' Buddy isn't so lil' these days?...
The arrival of new pokémon sparks the attention of the pink-haired woman who had already been sitting at one end of the table, her mind and hands busied with calculations and stacks of notebooks. She beams at the sight of the dog and the bird and – gasp! – even a dinosaur! In a rush she closes up her books and weighs her papers down so that she can hop down from the table and greet these fantastic new monsters. When she's seated on a stack of books it's not so obvious that she isn't the height of the average human, but when she's standing and patting her short knees with her long arms to coax Sarah over it's immediately obvious.
"Tamminy!" Lawrence shouts despite the fact that he could certainly speak at a normal level.
"What?!" she shouts back in her high-pitched voice, "Can't you see I'm trying to pet a do– Oh! We've got a guest!" She wipes imaginary dust from her pants and hurries over with an eagerly-extended, three-fingered hand to greet Adia.
"She's a friend of Harrowheart," Lawrence says, and Tamminy raises her eyebrows.
"Really?" she asks in surprise, "Them walking here together and having a playdate with her pets... I thought maybe they were enemies." Lawrence rolls his eyes and scoffs while Tamminy giggles.
Harrowheart puts an armored arm around Lawrence's shoulder to cool him off and helpfully tells Tamminy, "Adia's a scientist! Just like you! Which is somethin' I definitely knew about her for a real long time and didn't just learn about on the walk over here."
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"I... yes?" Adia looks up at Harrowheart to double-check that she is still invited for lunch. She smiles gratefully at Lawrence as she passes off the statue. "Oh, no, that's fine. Thank you so much for having me over." She follows dutifully when motioned, taking in the U-shaped table in front of her. Okay, wow, that table is huge, thank goodness she won't be eating with all of Harrowheart's family at once.
Steve's pokémon certainly seem okay with eating people food. Sarah already has her face in her dish, snarfing up potato stew like it's her job. Distracted by how adorable Maggie is serving the other pokémon, she only frets a little over whether it's okay for her charges to eat potato stew or not. It's a special occasion, this playdate, some bowls of "sometimes" food should be fine.
Adia smiles brightly at the petite scientist and shakes her hand. "H, Tamminy. It's wonderful to meet you. Harrowheart told me a little bit about your research. You're currently working with solar energy, is that right?" Unlike her awkward encounter with Lawrence, there is no hesitation or staring. She even laughs softly at Tamminy's friendly teasing. "I'm a microbiologist, I study infectious diseases."
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Tamminy gasps excitedly when Adia announces her profession. "Microbio! Ohhhh, that's fascinating! And a human microbiologist at that..." She rests her chin in her hand and looks Adia up and down with a little smile, like an art critic enjoying what she sees. Suddenly something occurs to her and she gasps again, this time with flushed cheeks. "Oh, that must have come off so rudely! I wasn't trying to talk down to you, I hope you don't think of me like that! Only... On Azeroth, there really aren't that many human scientists? Great architects, great leaders, even some of the greatest magi! But science is mostly for gnomes." She puts her hand on her chest to clarify what a gnome is on the off-chance Adia didn't know.
Tamminy takes a seat at the bench and pats the spot beside her encouragingly. Sit, talk! Still a little embarrassed at her previous comments she continues, "It's social, not biological. Of course humans have the capacity for great science. Harrowheart even tells me there are whole worlds with nothing but humans, and their advancements might even outpace ours. Do you come from a world like that? Can you tell me about it? I'd love to hear a little background before I ask you about your research."
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She takes the seat next to Tamminy without hesitation. Harrowheart has his brother to talk to, so she doesn't feel bad about ignoring the two men in favor of giving the woman her full attention. "It is so nice to meet a fellow scientist in the Nexus. There are so few of us, for whatever reason." She nods in response to Tamminy's questions, flattered by her curiosity. "There are only humans where I'm from... well, humans and Cylons. Sentient robots... but, um, if you've met anyone from a 21st century Earth, our science is about on par with that, save for space travel and robotics. Oh! I should add, I'm not from Earth." She glances Harrowheart's way briefly and smiles. "it's nice to have that in common, too."
Further elaboration will have to wait a moment, because that bowl of stew in front of her smells really good, and she can no longer wait to start eating it.
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Harrowheart quietly sets a bowl of soup in Tamminy's lap, but she immediately sets it back on the table. Come on, death knight, she's thinking here! Interrupting her with food...
She's back to looking at Adia and watching her eat with the distant stare of someone who isn't thinking about what's in front of them.
"A world full of humans and sentient bots... And you're implying you've mastered space travel? Fascinating... Your world's understanding of batteries and energy generation must be incredibly advanced. This whole Nexus puts me in the strangest predicament. My first instinct is to ask for the schematics for your ship's power supplies, but then I stop and think it over, and I wonder how much I want someone else's work to influence my own..." Her eyes narrow and she forces herself off the topic. Or tries to, anyway.
"So, infectious diseases, hmm? Have you learned anything groundbreaking here in the Nexus? Would you take knowledge you gained here back to your own world? Can that even be done?"
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She eats a little more, content to let Tamminy take whatever time she needs to think. The stew is very good, flavorful and nourishing. She'll be sure to profusely compliment whoever made it, if she gets to meet them. "Oh... well, I wouldn't say mastered, but we had twelve colonies at one point, and we're quite far from home now..." Should she tell them about the War? It never seems like a good time to drop that kind of heavy information. "I don't have access to any schematics, but I can tell you that we use a teleportation technology that allows us to travel great distances instantaneously. We call it a jump drive. I'm sure we wouldn't have gotten as far as we have without it."
When the topic shifts back to microbiology, she sets down her spoon and laughs. "I've learned that a lot of people don't know what microbiology is. I have done some research at the library, but any experiments I've come across would need to be replicated on my ship anyway. It seems for the most part that preventative care is still the most effective way to stop a disease from spreading, no matter what world you're from."
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Mentions of jump drives don't surprise her. "Faster-than-light travel, or actual physics-based teleportation? Either way, I'm riveted to hear one of those methods is working! Most non-magical teleportation on my world is prone to... Accidents... And really not very long-range anyway. It's always easier to slip through a magical portal back on Azeroth."
The subject of Viatorus she saves for last and approaches it with some sense of trepidation and a lot of soup-sipping. "Viatorus, yes... He and his sister showed up here for dinner a few weeks back..." Her large eyes dart to the boys, who are busy arguing about how to undo a feisty buckle on Harrowheart's shoulderpads. It's Harrowheart's armor, but Lawrence knows best, of course, and it looks like they'll be at it for a while by the way their hands are pushed into each other's faces.
Tamminy leans up so her face is a little closer to Adia's, and in a lowered voice says, "Viatorus was a lovely young man. Very nice, if quiet. His sister was..." Oh, so much shifty-eyed watching of the boys right now. Even quieter than before, in a barely-audible whisper she says, "She... Wasn't very kind to Harrowheart, in my humble and singular opinion. Lawrence isn't her biggest fan now, Harrowheart wound up crying – not that it's hard to make him cry – and... Things are complicated. I think some one-sided romance is involved. Call me a vulture, but I'm really curious to see how it all shakes out."
So as not to look suspicious she raises her voice to normal conversational levels and says, "A research center would be fantastic! If there's anything I could do to help, count me in."
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Compared to the food rations on board the Chiron, the potato stew is heavenly. She gets in another bite or two before she's asked about jump drives. "FTL," she confirms, pleased that Tamminy knows the terminology. "We can only jump so far each time -- the farther you go, the more calculations the jump drive needs to make so you don't end up teleporting into an asteroid field or something like that. We don't have any sort of small range teleportation, though..." She's surprised to hear that Azeroth has anything like that, even with accidents.
Adia leans in instinctively, her eyes widening as she listens to the whispered gossip. Isidor was mean enough to Harrowheart to make him cry? But she doesn't get a chance to respond before Tamminy is speaking at a normal volume again. "Oh... um, okay, thank you! Maybe I can come back here again soon and show you the plans I drew up? I made up a list of what sort of equipment would be useful, but it's all from a biologist's perspective, obviously. If there's some basic engineering equipment you think is necessary, I can add it to the list."
She glances over at the two men to see if they have overheard anything, but it looks like they are still working out their buckling-undoing differences. Rough-housing is about as foreign to her as magic and gnomes, and part of her wants to keep watching for anthropological purposes, but Tamminy's gossip is still poking at the back of her mind. Taking the chance that she won't be noticed, she lowers her voice to the faintest of whispers and turns back to the other woman.
"I've only spoken with Isidor once, but she said Harrowheart was her friend, and this was after telling me that she doesn't have many friends and almost never turns to them for help. So I'm surprised that she'd be mean to him..."
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Cheerfully she says, "FTL! That's astounding! And yes, yes, I'd love to see your plans! I could advise on some equipment for the study of physics and electrical engineering too, absolutely. Ohhh, this all feels so self-indulgent already. There are a few machines and tools I'd absolutely kill for. Or pay someone to kill for, anyway. And an office of my own... It's been too long since I've had an opportunity like that..."
Leaning in once more she continues on with her gossip. "She wouldn't stop using Harrowheart's birth name, which he hates. But you see, his mother absolutely insists we call him by it when he's not around – which he wasn't when the Durants came by. Mrs. Weatherhill's a nice lady, don't get me wrong, but she's totally in denial about her son. About a lot of things, but we won't touch on that. Anyway, ever since Isidor vindicated her, she's been 'accidentally' calling him the wrong name to his face, too. I've had a harsher opinion of them both ever since, but now that you've said what you've said I'm wondering if I was right from the start... Maybe Isidor didn't know better... But Mrs. Weatherhill should."
She sits straight again and takes a few spoonfuls from her bowl. Without bothering to lower her voice she muses, "Maybe my disappointment is misplaced... I lost sight of my own advice. It's strange how that happens, isn't it? It's much easier to give advice than take it, even when it's your own..."
Tamminy looks to her side to find that Lawrence and Harrowheart have come to an agreement and somehow managed to undo the buckle. Lawrence is adventuring in the world of soup-eating and Harrowheart is undoing his cape's clasp, then folding it neatly on the table near his pauldrons.
"You asked if gnomes have microbiologists?" Tamminy says, only half-remembering that part of the conversation. "We do! We... Did. Gnomeregan, our only city, had scientists of all kinds, as well as magi, and arcanotechnicians who studied science and magic combined. My wife was a biologist herself. A neurologist." With a little laugh she says, "It's such a strange relief not to have to define that to someone." Fondly and distantly she says, "She taught me so many things. If it weren't for her I'd have never been able to advance my research the way I have. Lawrence wouldn't have his arm. I wouldn't have met the Weatherhills. I'm not even sure I'd still be alive. I owe her... Everything."
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Then, with another furtive glance in the direction of the brothers, she leans in and whispers, "The Durant family and their social circles... it's like royalty, practically. Lots of rules, lots of social obligations. You have to be super careful or your reputation will get ruined. I think Isidor gets caught up in the rules because it's the only thing she trusts to keep her brother from getting hurt. He means the absolute world to her. If she used Harrowheart's birth name... which I agree, that isn't cool... she was doing it because she was following what she thought were the social rules for his family. I don't think she'd intentionally try to hurt him..."
All the same, she's glad when the whispering comes to an end. She's happy to provide a perspective on Isidor if it will help improve things somehow, but she hasn't even met Mrs. Weatherhill yet, it feels somewhat inappropriate to discuss her shortcomings.
She blinks at the mention of a wife. Aren't Tamminy and Lawrence...? Oh, but it's past tense. it evokes a strong feeling of melancholy within her, and a great sympathy for Tamminy. The city is mentioned as something of the past, too, and it reminds her so much of how she talks about Leonis that she has to suddenly blink away tears. "I -- I'm sorry. It sounds like she was a very accomplished woman. I wish I could have met her."
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"Thank you for your condolences," she finally says, a little more rushed than intended. "Losing her was difficult, but she's been gone for a very long time and I've made my peace with her passing. When things were hardest I reminded myself that death is natural – even wrongful or accidental deaths that come too soon – and change is inevitable. All any of us can do is try to be an agent of change ourselves, working towards a better future in any way we can."
She smiles encouragingly, or tries to anyway, and watches Adia's expression closely. "That's the most important role for people like you and me, don't you agree? Not to learn for the sake of learning, but to create for the good of everyone who's left to share the future with."
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It's so calmly optimistic, so scientifically minded, that at first Adia can only nod in mute agreement. The tears come again, but this time she doesn't bother to hide them. "We're at war," she explains. "With the sentient robots. They destroyed our colonies with our own nuclear weapons, chased us across the galaxy... there's been so much death. I-it's... my profession is all I have left, and I've tried so hard to use it to help others." She laughs sadly and wipes at her eyes again. "Sorry... I'm glad you've found a new home. I'm hoping my people will have the same fortune."
While Ethel and Bucky continue to eat their stew like polite little pokémon, Sarah licks up the last of her share and looks around hopefully for more. Spotting a crying Adia instead, she hustles over to the table and plops her big furry head on her lap. Don't be sad! Now is the time for pettings.
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"Your people will. Don't worry. If there's anything I know about humans, it's that they're brave and full of spirit, and above all, they're tenacious. Your people will find a new home, Adia, trust me. Sooner or later they will, because humans never give up."
Then she points a stumpy finger at Adia and, smiling very slightly, she says, "And what are you? You look like a human to me. So it stands to reason that given enough spirit and tenacity, you'll succeed, too."
She goes to pat her knee once more before she realizes there's a guest in Adia's lap! Instead she folds her hands neatly in her own lap and nods at Adia. "Just have faith in yourself, your people, and your future. It's cold advice to hear, but... Don't look back while you're running, or you might trip."
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It's almost funny, being reminded that she's human but having it be a blessing, and not a curse. She spends so much time comparing herself to non-humans, or humans with magic, and feeling more helpless because of it. It's encouraging to hear otherwise, especially from someone as bright as the woman before her.
Adia looks down at her sudden acquisition of a furry friend and laughs softly. "I'm okay," she tells Sarah, rubbing her behind the ears. And she is... more or less. There's a small, lingering worry at Tamminy's final piece of advice. "We have an old myth, where I'm from, about turning back and... and losing what you've tried so hard to save. It's something I struggle with sometimes." She exhales deeply before smiling at the other woman. "I appreciate it, though. Everything you've said."
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Lawrence and Harrowheart, who may have been watching more than they let on, finally decide it's time to reinsert themselves into this conversation. Or, rather, Lawrence stands from his place at the table and tells everyone, "I know a couple people who'd love to meet your pokémen, Adia. Why don't you wait here while I go get them?" Except he doesn't wait for any kind of approval. He's off, a lone wolf following his own orders. Without further goodbyes he disappears inside the magically shifting door of the castle.
A few minutes later the doorway to the castle twists open again to let out a little girl who comes peeling out with the sort of excitement only a young child can have. At a glance she's probably eight years old, her skin is much darker than the suntanned Weatherhills and her hair is thick and puffy. She makes a beeline for poor Ethel, who can't possibly be fast enough to get away, and when she's close enough she falls to her knees and skids to a halt in the grass just next to her. She immediately drapes her whole body on the steel pokémon's and begins to stroke her head shield.
"You're wonderful!" the little girl shouts as she pulls away. She holds Ethel's face at arm's length and, starry-eyed, soaks in her full glory. "You're the best four-legged monster I've seen!"
Harrowheart laughs and elbows Adia lightly. "That's my niece," he explains in a whisper. "Her name's Kenny, and she loves monsters. I hope Ethel ain't too offended by bein' called that. She means it as a compliment, I promise."
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She returns to her soup, pausing now and then to ask Tamminy more about her research. She's not expecting a small child to come careening towards Ethel, and apparently neither is Ethel, who barely has time to get her nose out of her bowl before the little girl is upon her. "Shield...on?" she questions, before rumbling happily at the head petting. She looks over her biggest fan with warm brown eyes and leans forward to give her a friendly nuzzle.
"No, I think she's enjoying herself," Adia replies, laughing as well. It's nice to see Ethel getting some positive attention. Bucky, meanwhile, abandons the rest of his stew and flies over to perch on the back of one of the chairs, away from everyone. He chirps at Adia in alarm. Kenny's not going to try to do the same thing to him, is she?!
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