Booty Bay (Stranglethorn)

Taizen had never been too close to his sister, it was something to do with their polar opposite personalities, he was sure. Though the family was tight knit for the most part, Taizen was as black sheep as you could get in it. Taizen was pretty sure he was never a favorite in the house hold, sure he was closest to his mother and spent the most time with her. It seemed to him however, that she never really saw him as the model son that Tuli was.

It was right around the beginning of his teenage years that he decided he wasn't going to be the model son. He tried, and for some reason or another always failed. And now he was embracing what he thought of as his own path. And here comes his sister tromping in here like she owned the place again. It was something he had to deal with his whole life in the house, and he wasn't about to put up with it out here now. He'd gone so far to get away from that sibling mess, it wasn't going to drag him back.

"Listen to me, ya friggen priss.", Taizen's tone was very different, he was stressed, and tired of this whole ordeal. He leaned into his sister's face making sure he got his point across.

"Ah spent years studying in that dusty old library for preparation on movin' out and dealin' with this world. And ah be almost there when you decided you needed to come prancin' back into my life. I be thinkin' maybe just maybe it would be okay to have ya around for a little. An' I gave you a chance. Gods know that we didn' get along. And its lookin' like it'll never happen.

An you know what? I be startin' to be okay with that! You ever consider I not be havin' it as easy as you? Dat your need to be suckin in all the attention cause you got some friggen problem in dah head is causin' yah brother to be left out on dah side of dah road? No, ya didn't. Cause ya be a stuck up bitch, an' frankly I be questionin' my da decision to be gettin you out of dat camp. Maybe, dey woulda given ya all the fuckin' attention you wanted."

Taizen too a moment to breath, looked down at the Goblin, and apologized for his outburst.
"Ain't nottin' to do with ya buddeh. To beh honest, I dun know what be going on, but I be goin for a walk."

He gave his sister a stare he never though he would give someone in his family. He felt betrayed, despite all he did she couldn't see past his faults. Taizen turned to walk out of the door.

Elsie completely ignored the goblin.
“You got ME?! Got MEEE out of that camp?! I GOT YOU out of there. You’re the one who went all bat shit crazy and came back. I didn’t ask for your help. So don’t carry it around like a martyr.” She marched after him, fists clenched, yelling at the back of his head.

Elsie considered herself rather bulletproof when it came to argument. But his last words to her cut her deeper than he would know. She set her jaw as tears welled in her eyes.

“You insensitive JERK!” She threw a fist at the back of his shoulder. Bitter tears ran down her cheeks. She stopped following him and stood near the doorway. Half-heartedly she went to point at him, but let it drop to her side. “You have NO idea.” Elsie felt the overwhelming pull of despair tug at her. It just never seemed to matter. No one could see the forest for the trees with her. They’d always see her as a little girl. Even people she didn’t know were so quick to judge her.

Vulnerablity, anger, remorse, fear. It was a toxic cocktail of emotions she wasn’t used to dealing with. She felt like things were going to be different between them. That everything would change and they would be closer. Have each other’s backs. But to her it just seemed like more fodder for the cannon. Throw ‘disapointment’ into the mix. She just wanted him in her corner for once. Maybe that was expecting to much based on previous history. Wasn’t blood thicker than water? Not today.

All she could do was stand there, shoulders shaking, crying.

Juniper leaned over to see what he was doing. “Are we gonna play doctor?” She half-laughed up some blood, then laid flat again. She licked the blood from off her lip and stared a the rickety ceiling. There was a chatter downstars. They were fighting again. Her brow furrowed. There had been so much quiet in the house since Taizen had moved out. She missed him like crazy, though. The memories it called up allowed her a break from the headache. She barely felt it.

“Zeno, they’re fighting… I can hear them”

She felt a familiar pang of sad nostalgia. ‘Zeno, they’re fighting’ ‘Zeno, they’re jumping on the beds’ ‘Zeno, the baby’s crying.’ All that was gone, now. And at times, she mourned for it. It even made her angry from time to time. That things had unwillingly disapeared from her life. She watched her husband work, lost in thought. The wars just continued to take and take and take from her.

But at least for now the headache had seemingly subsided.

Gipnig threw up his hands in defeat when the two trolls kept arguing over his head. That was it. He was done, finished, out, he'd had enough. This wasn't any of his concern anymore. When Taizen turned away, so did Gipnig. He stomped back towards Berny's cowering bulk without a second look back. He growled, and tugged the bear's bobbed tail until Berny came loose from behind the bar. Then Gipnig stuffed the last of his errant fireworks back in Berny's packs and said.

“We're leaving.”

Berny whined the whole way out the door, and it took a good deal of shoving to get him through again, especially since the bear kept looking back over his shoulder at Elsie. But Gipnig didn't move an inch. He apologized briefly to Gear for the mess (including the new one Berny made on his way out) and promised to pay for the damages. Then he slipped out into the alley, pushing at the Berny's back legs.

“Move, you big arse,” he commanded. “Ah went along with you this far and it's brought nothing but trouble, you're gonna keep your nose out of other peoples business from now on,” Gipnig lectured.

He kept berating Berny (and himself) until they were out of the narrow alley leading to the Stubborn Barnacle and back into the busy streets.

Gear had gotten most of the mess cleaned up as the patrons went about their hysteria. The girl was crying, the male was trying to escape, as was the goblin. The dwarf had gone. What about the general and his...wife? Gear looked back at the door and wondered what had happened to Clementine. He hefted the plank from the doorknob and peeked his head in.

"You can come out now, if you promise to-" He hushed himself suddenly. Clementine was face down on the bed, an open bottle of alcohol making a pool next to her hand. He dropped the plank, unafraid of the sound it would make. He strut over to her and rolled her on her side. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open, drawing in deep slumbering breaths. That was it. She'd be out until that evening. He bitterly grabbed the bottle from her grasp and carried it out with him. He knew there were dozens of others hidden in the room, but this would do for now.

The dwarf had come back, offering his services. "That'd be just fine, brother. Much appreciated." Gear was a bit hesitant to take up his offer, remembering his bout earlier. The last thing he needed was another drunk to take care of. He gave the dwarf a gentle smile.

His thoughts again turned to the patrons upstairs. He didn't want to interupt anything private, but the nature to which the general had been called away made him think otherwise. He stood back against the wall trying to see up towards the room. The door was open.

Gear hoofed up the stairs and made note to make sufficient noise as he walked down the hall so as not to startle them. He stood aside the door, respectful enough to not disrupt their privacy. Also a little wary, himself. He didn't much like spellcasters.

"Anything I can get you, friends?" his hands idly straightening his apron about his waist.

Taizen turned out into the alley, a grim look on his face and an angry stomp in his stride. He just needed some fresh air, some time to clear his mind, and figure out what to do next. As he left the alley, just behind Gipnig, he fell in with the hustle and bustle of Booty Bay. The swath of people directed him this way and that as he made his way over to the docks.

For a few moments he considered getting on a boat and sailing away, just forgetting the past and getting lost in this world. Maybe he could go to Outland, was that portal still open? He heard there were a few Troll colonies there, he could try starting over. Just as the thought had come to him, he pushed it aside. There was no way he'd last out there, not with the stories he had heard.

Taizen sat down on the side of the emptiest dock he could find, letting his feet dangle off the side. He looked down into the crystal clear waters of Booty Bay lost in thought.

Zenosi frowned, the results were negative. From what he could tell there was nothing wrong with her, no diseases or abnormalities in her body. There were very few things that affected the undead, most of them were of magical means, but there was nothing in or on her that was wrong. He set the flaks down with a sigh, clearly unhappy with the results.

"It be soundin' like dey be done now.", he muttered after the shouts stopped.

Zenosi turned to look at the Tauren when he entered, and reminded himself where he was. Despite all that happened he was still being hospitable, he would have to send a donation their way after all this mess.

"Dank ya bruddah for deh concern, but unless yah got some clue if dere be magics goin on somewhere aroun' here den dere be nottin' you can do."

He was hoping that maybe the Tauren had some insight, despite his ability with Alchemy it only went so far when it came to actual magic. Alchemy was deeply seeded in science, magic was just something you used as a catalyst.

Elsie wiped at her face, regaining her breath. People kept moving around her, but she just didn't seem to notice. Suddenly the main room seemed very big, and she very small. She looked back up to the balcony, the tauren visible near their parents room. Her feet moved under her, she was heading up the stairs. At one point she nearly tripped on the long hem of the robe, she grabbed a bunch of the fabric and scaled the last few steps.

Her face still red and her eyes still stinging, she silently pushed past the Tauren. She sniffled a little and plopped herself down on the floor next to her father, hugging her legs. She rested her chin on her knees and raised a hand to pet her mother's hair. A shaky sigh escaped her. She only really had cause to worry for two reasons. Firstly, he had his things out. Secondly, he was asking for help from a stranger.

"What happened, Daddy?" Elsie bit her lower lip, once again feeling quite helpless.

Gear poked his head in the room when the general spoke.

"Sorry brother. I don't know much about magic and it workings. I--" He was cut short by the Elsie pushing past him and joining the heavily armored troll. She called him daddy. This WAS a family. His nostrils flared at the thought. How did THAT happen?

"UHh..." He cleared his throat. "If you're reffering to the bar itself, we've had many Unfortunate Ones pass through without effect. I have no reason to think the place has been affected. As for outside sources... I've heard of gnomish glasses that can show you a magic source... Called True Seeing. I think some, uh, spellcasters may know it as a spell, as well."
((D&D reference FTW))

Gear wrung the apron in his hands. Talking about spell casting made him nervous and uneasy. To him, it all seemed unnatural. Even the druids to some extent. He liked things he could hold, feel. None of that pulling from the earth or nether or whatever.

Juniper frowned again. The distractions had been nice, but the headache was back again... or still there. She wasn't sure what had happened. Another stabbing pain racked through her insides. She grit her teeth and curled a moment before laying flat again.

When the large tauren suggested the spell she shook her head. "I don't know it. Sounds like..." Her voice choked off in a cough "..Arcana" She seemed to fade off at the end, her eyes looking distant. Her body started to shiver, but she made no move to remedy it.

Juniper made no moves at all.

Tokad listened to the Tauren grumble back a response. He could tell from the body language that he wasn’t thrilled to be accepting the offer. He didn’t want to bring it up; he had about all the drama he could handle for a lifetime.

“Very well then” He said stretching his back. “ I think I may have a door you can yuse, I have eh c’upple lying around my ship. It would be meh ple’sha to donate it to yur lovely establishment.” He walked and shuffled pieces of wood splinters with his foot as he talked." Aye, I built that ship with me own hands, very sturdy she be." He rubbed his hook where his hand used to be. “The door ain’t much to look at now, but nuttin a chisel cant remedy!” he said with a rare twinkle in his eye.

The Beardbellows where quite well known in Ironforge for their wood working skills. Tokad was destined to take over the family shop, clearly that didn’t happen.

A piece of wood with some markings on it caught Tokad’s eye. He picked it up and inspected it. It had “Vegard” and a date. He assumed it was carved by Clementines father at some point, He saw some papers behind the with that as her last name when he was behind the bar earlier. He turned to ask Gear why he left the bar behind.

He opened his mouth but he had a flash back. A bottle of booze in slow motion twirling through the air, loud gun shot. He didn’t want to evoke any of that again. His gaped mouth turned into a smile and he nodded at gear.

“I Uh… will be fetching that door, only a moment.” He turned sliding the wood fragment into his pocket “ Stay here little captain” He was talking to the bird and the parrot landed right on the tap and looked around surveying the Tavern.

Zenosi stood up, assessing the situation quickly, Juniper looked like she wasn't getting any better and something was definitely amiss. He needed Taizen here, he knew more about arcana than anyone else he knew at the moment. He left his things on the floor and turned to Elsie, a very serious look about him. He noticed her puffy eyes and red cheeks, but there was no time to figure out what was going on.

"Stay heah an do any'tin dat yah moddah tells yah okeh? Wheah did ya bruddah go?"

He paused, thinking about what could possibly aid them in the situation. His ears perked up, the goblin, goblins had a nack for keeping all sorts of wierd trinkets, maybe he had something as well.

"Ahn deh goblin still beh downstairs?"

"Why? He can't do ANYTHING..." Elsie didn't want to see her brother right now, but noting the seriousness on her father's face she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, he ran out. I don't know where he went. Gobbles, too. Probably trying to find someone new to yell at." Elsie pouted and rubbed at her nose with her free hand. She looked back towards her mother. This wasn't any everyday cold. She watched her mother's body shake and tremble. She grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and pulled it over her.

"Momma...?" It dawned on her that she had never really seen her mother sick before. It had always been the other way around with her mother sitting beside her or her brothers. She picked up Juniper's hand and held it to her cheek. Elsie watched her mother's face for any signs of consciousness.

Gear once again straightened out his apron and cleared his throat.
"Well, I'll just be downstairs..." he motioned to outside before heading out and down the steps. He really hoped whatever ailed the woman wasn't contageous. Earlier she had looked pretty mean. He wondered if she had angered some mage or shaman on the way there. Whatever it was, he'd be happy when it was over and or gone.

He walked slowly and deliberately down the stairs and over behind the bar. He'd have to wait for Clementine to wake before he could really get back to fixing the door. The Dwarf, now gone, was unlikely to come back. As for the warrior? Well who knew. The place was going to shit. The front was falling apart, patrons in and out. Who knew who was going to pay for what. The Troll girl had been nearly naked for a while and he was sure he missed out on something there. Clem was drunk and probably in a coma. Some hulking military troll marched in like he owned the place. Bears... parrots... Goblins. Hell, someone was dying upstairs.

Gear pulled out a stool from the bar and sat himself down, propping his large hooves on a low shelf. He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head. He nearly smiled.
Yep. Just another day in the Bay.

Gipnig glared suspiciously down his long (and somewhat swollen) nose at Pouchpin Loaddecker. The other goblin had set up shop on the same street corner he always did, as if there was an invisible sign hanging over it that said “Pouchpin's Place, pitch a tent here and die”. Gipnig suspected the old coot paid a bribe to the local bruisers to keep potential squatters away. Still it was nice to have such a predictable source of revenue available, and when the little tightwad loosened his purse strings he always made it worth Gipnig's while. He had an amazing array of mechanical and arcane trinkets available (for a modest price). Currently, however, he was trying to foist off some impure copper plates on him and Gipnig was having none of it.

Berny sat behind Gipnig with his large rump taking up half the alley while the goblins argued.

“Look at it,” Gipnig sniffed, pointing at a splotch on the plate “Ah can see an impurity right there! gimme some acid and a touch of power and Ah'll prove you're trying to sell meh ah cheap Zinc substitute!” Gipnig practically yelled. It was good to take out some of the frustration that had built up over the past day on someone else. Pouchpin conceded with a withering look, knowing he couldn't afford the demonstration because of course the copper was impure, and also giving Gipnig anything with electric of magical power behind it was just asking for an explosion to happen.

the two goblins snarled, and used each other as verbal punching bags until all transactions had been completed. Gipnig now had enough supplies to make some truly impressive grenades and amazingly Pouchpin had agreed to come back to the Barnacle and look into the door repairs.

Gipnig was in much better spirits when he began leading them back through the maze of streets. Dealing with money always had that effect on him. Although Berny was still moping.

Zenosi stalked out into the streets and alleys of Booty Bay. He hated to leave her back there like that, but he believed it was better in judgment to have Elsie stay with her. Crowds parted as he moved his metal bulk along the narrow walkways taking up a good bit of space, as annoyed commoners would attest to. He walked out into one of the main boardwalks and looked over the scattered crowed of people moving along in their daily routines.

Off in the distance he spotted a large lumbering bear with a dejected look about it. Zenosi's ears perked up and he moved straight toward it, with purpose in his step. Through the throng of people he pushed his way to Gipnig, who seemed to be heading in the opposite direction, was he heading back?

"Ey dere! You mindin if ah be talkin' to yah ah sec?"

He didn't know his name, so he tried to catch his attention by waving.

"You! Deh one wit deh beah!"

A slow scratching and thumping sound could be heard. It kind of came in waves, as if it was from the sound of a small man dragging a full sized wooden door.
Tokad grabbed the door frame of the barnacle and leaned in.

“Aye, any one in here” he was out of breath and his face was more red that usual “I’d hate f’er anyone t’a ge’yt up but im about t’a pass out” he made his voice as high as he could and waved his hooked hand in the air “’ohh no le’yt the wee dwarf get th’a door, he only has one goo’t leg und arm, Im to busy pracin’ ar’und! Ohh wee Im a fancy man in my fancy pa’ynts!’” He let the huge wooden door down with a thunk rattling the bar’s bottles. He sat down on the foot thick piece of door and laid back on it and sprawled out defeated.

He adjusted his belt as one of his flintlocks was sticking in his side, as he did so he glanced around the dark bar.

“Ye’h, course no one’s down here.” He sat up with questioning eyes, why was no one down here?

He stood and made his way up the stairs and knocked on the door where he saw the glorious purple sight earlier.

“Ello? Is’t Bellows. (tap tap) La’ydeees?”

Gipnig had been arguing the merits of goblin sapper charges, versus a mortars with Pouchpin when he heard the shout about the bear. He stopped mid-sentence and looked about him wildly. He couldn't see through the crowds, so he crouched down to look between their their knees and was alarmed to see everybody's legs scrambling to get out of the street. The way cleared for the General quickly, and Gipnig groaned. What did he want? Gipnig had already told him everything, surely he couldn't be mad about something else, and how did he find him anyways. Then Gipnig looked up at Berny. Oh yes, of course, that was quite noticeable wasn't it. Not everyday you saw a bear in the street. It had been very useful in attracting customers before but now Gipnig found it inconvenient. He'd rather hide and run away than face an irate General. Gipnig was starting to wonder if someone had hexed him to haunt this family, or the other way around.

Pouchpin sneered when they reached the General (this was his default expression, unfortunately), and adjusted his flamboyantly feathered cap. Pouchpin's idea of announcing wealth was to buy the most horrible and gaudy fashions imaginable. Currently he was adorned in bright yellow and blue velvets with purple stockings. None of which set of his green skin particularly nicely.

Berny growled menacingly at the General, and then let out a surprised yip when Gipnig slapped him in the leg.

“None of the out. Ah've had just about enough of you,” Gipnig reprimanded. the bear towering over him wilted considerably at the glare, but a few unconscious growls still escape his lips when Gipnig stepped up to the General's knees, and asked wearily

“What can Ah do fer you General sir?”

Zenosi squatted down to the Goblin's level, resting his hands on his knees. Trolls seemed to have extremely strong leg muscles as they never seemed to sit all the way down, they'd rather squat. He payed little mind to the gaudy looking Goblin, not interested in anything he was peddling. Zenosi knew the race well, and while not one to judge a race by the stereotypes they had, he always was cautious around them. They were a great benefit to have around, and a worse enemy to make, he liked them for that.

"Ah be t'inkin' yah could help meh with somet'in ya? You be knowin anyt'in about magics? Deh Arcane?"

Glanced at the bear, furrowing his brow a moment.

"Mehbeh somet'in oh true seein? Yah see mah wife beh sick, ahn I be findin' hard to find the source. Ah be thinkin' its magical. Ahn if ya help meh figure it out, it'll be worth yah while, yah?"

The knock on the door startled her, but her mother didn't seem to hear it. She wrinkled her face. Oh no, not the dwarf. She frowned and stood, laying her mother's hand back down. She walked to the door, all the while pulling at the top of the robe, trying to get it to cover as much as possible. She opened the door a little and looked down.
She saw an angle she could work, and set to it. She stepped out into the hall, making sure to hardly open the door and closing it quietly behind her.

Elsie put on her best innocent face, biting her lower lip. Brave dwarf. Everyone knew the track record between trolls and dwarves. The chiding sing-song joke tossed around the horde was surely passed onto the other side. Brave... or incredibly stupid dwarf.

"Hi..." She said in a hushed tone. "Look... my mom's really sick. Do you know anything about magic?"

Gipnig and Pouchpin's ears both perked up when they heard 'worth your while'. It was a phrase practically guaranteed to get goblin help because it was just vague enough to have no set price, and for goblin's like Pouchpin who dealt as much in favors as wears, it was a golden phrase. Pouchpin always liked having someone owe him a favor. He even traded in favors. Gipnig had tried once or twice but he didn't have the talent for it outside his own race. Goblins considered debts and favors to be a matter of financial honor. Other races he had found were less likely to honor them.

Gipnig scratched his head lightly, and thought about the problem the General presented. He knew a little of the arcane, but only very minor stuff; prestidigitations, a knowledge of potions and arcane gadgets. High spell work was never his forte. Gipnig had never studied true spell work with any diligence, he was more of a dabbler (which often lead to disastrous circumstances by itself). Something for true seeing...?

Gipnig shrugged rather helplessly.

“Ah don't know if Ah have anything yeh could use, sir. It's a bit outside mah expertise,” but he started searching through the bags on Berny's back just in case. Meanwhile Pouchpin, ever the oily salesman, inserted himself into the conversation.

“I have a great deal of magical wares at mah shop. True seeing yah say, a tricky business that, very tricky, but I have some lenses that might do ya, if Gipnig here has nothin' of course. I could even set up an extended payment plan,” the goblin smirked.

Gipnig rolled his eyes while he dug around in the bags. He knew it was here somewhere... where did he last put it?

The door cracked open and he saw her face. He blushed on the inside. Tokad did feel guilt for being attracted to a troll, but he was used to the drooling kind with tortured skulls dangling around their necks and long crooked spires of tusks caked in dry blood. He hadn’t seen such a fair troll in all his travels.

He was always raised with traditional values:
be kind to your fellow dwarf, don’t smelt past 10 pm and always spit on a dead troll’s corpse.

Tokad wasn’t a fan of the Dwarves who went out of their way to push racism. There was a time and place for everything and arguing about superiority didn’t hold a spot in Tokad’s usual schedule. Though, the goblin hatred usually boiled up into a primetime slot, filthy little buggers.

“Ma’ygic aye? Ohh I usually steer clear away fr’em that s’urt of stuff. Once th’a stuff infects your mind,” he pointed at the side of his head “it kind of sticks in your brain. Drives men mad, I had’t to throw men overboard who’d got CURSES placed upon them by sea folk” He folded his arms and tried to stand as tall as he could.

He talked as if he had been in this situation before “So’yull most definitely be neetin one of em healer sorts. Y’e know the kind? Usually all glow’y and tha like.” Tokad let out a slight chuckle amusing himself with the word “glow’y”. He looked up at her as if he solved it “Yah know, sailor be talkin that music is good f’ir the soul” He pulled a flute from somewhere “I happen to be pretty swell at this here instram’unt. I could play one of em relaxin songs, fir you and the...” He paused, his father always called undead “meat bags” but he figured she cared about this one ”Your friend?” He said with one brow raised.

Zenosi didn't like people who but into conversations that were not directed at them. However, he held his tongue for the sake of his wife, and nodded at Pinchpins offer.

"Yah, we'll see about dat aftah mah frien' heah is done."

His tone was very matter of fact. Zenosi chastised himself silently, often he was a much better person in social situations but it seems the stress was even getting to him. He would trade any of this for a battlefield off in Northrend. At the least in the frozen wastes he didn't have to worry about his family being killed or anything of that sort.

So he silently waited for Gipnig to search his pack, hoping that he found something, anything that was of use. He didn't like the look of Pinchpin, he'd see the gleam he had in his eye before in a goblin. It usually meant that they'd do anything to walk away with a fair share of your money.

After much rummaging Gipnig finally found something at the bottom of his pack, under a hex bag and between a pair of old socks. It was a rather special little gadget, and he was quite fond of it. He'd gotten it dirt cheap off a traveling gypsy who read his fortune (according to which he should have died two years ago from a vicious mushroom attack). It was a tiny monocle with a silver frame and a rose tinted lens. Gipnig always loved the irony of that. He had found soon after ... acquiring it, that if he looked through it he could see aura's, mostly magical, and occasionally mundane. The problem of course was interpreting what you saw. Gipnig had mostly used it for spying on customers or shady deals... or battles. It worked wonderfully for finding invisible wizards. It wasn't really an object of true seeing, but it had always served Gipnig's needs.

He gripped the monocle tightly, his hand still in the pack. This was one of his more treasured possessions. He wasn't sure he wanted to let anyone borrow it, even a respectable General. Gipnig didn't have a lot in the world he was attached to, just himself and Berny and a few odds and ends, like the monocle.

When he heard Pouchpin started wheedling for a deal though, he made his decision. It was partly goblin pride (which dictated you never let someone else make a profit on your deal) and partly that misplaced loyalty which had gotten him into this mess in the first place. He blamed Berny entirely for the latter.

So Gipnig took a deep breath and pulled out the little lens. Rather more reverently then he intended, he held it out to the General and explained what it was and how he'd used it in the past. He supposed it was rather pathetic to be so attached to a piece of magical rubbish, but well, he'd always been a hoarder.

Elsie's posture changed when she realized the dwarf wouldn't have much to offer. She nodded her head quickly as the dwarf went on. She glanced back to Juniper, who lay shivering. Biting her lip she looked down at the dwarf. "N-well..." She shifted her weight to one leg in the doorway, relaxing a little. A long sigh escaped her. "That's my mother. She's real sick. I should be with her. I don't think music's going to help much.."

Elsie didn't know how to get rid of him. She might need him later, she couldn't just slam the door in his face. Though, the idea was appealing at the moment. It was then that her mother stirred, and without a second thought Elsie was back in the room, kneeling next to her. She hadn't thought to close the door. Surely the dwarf would respect their privacy. That or maybe her father would be back soon.