Mairèad is absently picking pills off of her sling and throwing them on the ground. She really needs to get slings made of higher quality material.
Chadley sits down next to Mairead, looking... sour. His arm is in a sling as well.
Chadley says: ... Hi.
Mairèad looks over at Chadley and then looks up at Stehl. She sighs. "If yer gunna figh', le' me know s'I kin leave ye t'be boys'r sumfin'."
Stehl says: Huh?
Stehl says: Oh, he's in no position to fight.
Stehl says: I'm guard-watching.
Chadley just stares dourly at Stehl, and doesn't say anything.
Mairèad says: ...wha' happen't t'yer arm?
Chadley says: Busted it.
Mairèad gives Chadley a weak smile. "Bu' no' on a bomber'nashun, 'm gissin'?"
Chadley says: ... Stehl is kind of like one.
Mairèad says: I giss Mr. Stehl kinna is like a bomber'nashun, sometimes, 'cept he dun' have a gian' hook.
Chadley says: Well. He's about twice my size, and about as dumb as one.
Mairèad gives a strangled laugh, but nods her agreement. "Fair 'nuff. I...I do wish ye hadn' picked a figh' wiff him, though. Bu' I fink I unnerstand why y'did."
Chadley says: ... I was done. He struck first.
Stehl boggles at the situation.
Chadley stares Stehl down.
Mairèad sighs and shakes her head, quietly observing the floating Mr. Stehl...who is now glowing like Winter Veil.
Chadley says: ... I think it might be best to just drop the issue and move on.Chadley looks like he obviously thinks the opposite, but he's trying.
Mairèad says: ...only fin' tha'll rilly change th' way he treatcha is stuff tha' kin't rilly come from bein' beat up 'r anyfin' bu' learnin' yerself. So...yahar, prolly bes' t'drop i' an' avoid him if ye kin.
[Guild] Stehl: Want to see if we can make Chadley scream like a little girl?
[Guild] Lius: Aye
Mairèad says: Bu'...ye kin prolly jest do whatcha wanna do, one way 'r t'other.
[Guild] Stehl: Give me the works.
[Guild] Lius: Incomin'.
Stehl roars with bestial vigor. So fierce!
You stare Stehl down.
Chadley says: What the fuck?!
Mairèad says: ...rilly?
Stehl says: ... Close.
Chadley falls between the bench and the fountain.
Lius roars with bestial vigor. So fierce!
Mairèad looks down at Chadley and then over at Stehl. She gives an irritated sigh, reaching with her uninjured hand to help Chadley back to his feet. "C'mon, we should go fer a walk."
Stehl says: AUGH.
Chadley takes her hand with his own uninjured hand, and stands.
Mairèad says: Le's go.
Mairèad says: ...'m rill sorry 'bout all this.
Chadley says: I...
Chadley grumbles.
Mairèad says: Hmm?
Chadley sits.
Mairèad dangles her feet at the water. Not in the water. At it.
Chadley stares into the water, either entertained or mesmerized by the light on it. "Just... fuck." He looks at her. "I... I'm sorry."
Mairèad chews on her bottom lip as he says this and nods, after a moment's consideration. "I's a'righ'. I know i's been hard fer ye, an' I don' fink I been makin' i' s'much easier's I wanna."
Chadley leans over and... kisses her on the cheek. Major awkward. He winces as he does this, because his dislocated shoulder shifts in a direction it really shouldn't. "It's been easier with you than without."
Mairèad's smile widens when he kisses her on the cheek and she reaches her uninjured hand over to take his. "Has i' rilly? I haven' been puttin' t'much pressure on ye?"
Chadley says: Well. You have. But I'm a pretty miserable asshole, so I think I need it.
Mairèad sighs and bites her lower lip, nodding slowly. " 'm mos'ly jest tryin' ter letcha figger fin's ou' fer yerself an' feel whatcha wanna feel. I don' wanna tell you t'feel sumfin' if ye don' feel i', y'know? Bu'...i' does mean a -lo'- t'me thatcha try."
Chadley says: I'll try harder. I can't make any guarantees. I--
Chadley stares Venuzuela down.
You stare Venuzuela down.
Chadley says: I think she's mad.
Mairèad says: Prolly. Mos' people in this city're mad.
Mairèad says: Tha's wha' me an' Caer talked 'bout th' firs' time we me'.
Chadley says: ... About what? People being mad?
Mairèad says: Mmhm. 'Specially in this city. I fink i's th' bad fin's wha' happens t'people here...they kin only take s'much 'afore they snap.
Chadley says: Are you sure I didn't fall from my mount on purpose?
Mairèad laughs genuinely for the first time that day, shaking her head. "Nah. You were rill d'termined t'tell th' people a' Winnergarde Keep 'bout th' Scarlitts. I fink ye jest weren' payin' attenshun."
Chadley says: ... Probably.
Mairèad says: ...so...didja git any good hits in?
Chadley chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment. "I uh, heh. I got his visor up and punched him in the face."
Mairèad laughs and claps her uninjured hand on her thigh for applause. "I never managed tha'! I only hi' him a few times, uzhully 'cause he lets me so I kin learn sumfin'. Good job!"
Chadley says: I kneed 'im the the balls, too.
Chadley says: I'm a little less proud of that.
Mairèad still laughs. "Tha's still purty impressive."
Chadley says: I guess.
Chadley says: I think he has it out for me, though.
Mairèad sighs and nods. "Part 'a i's 'cause he wan's ya t'be as grown up as ye go' righ' 'afore yer acciden', bu' beatin' people up isn' th' way t'make fin's like tha' happen."
Mairèad says: ...plus he's friends wiff yer dad.
Chadley says: ... This really, really makes me want to meet my dad. He has such fantastic fucking friends.
Mairèad says: Mebbe I could work sumfin' ou'...though y'gotta promise no' ter try an' cleanse him. 'Cause...yahar, tha'd make a lotta people rill mad.
Mairèad makes a :( face.
Chadley says: ... I reckon so.
Mairèad says: So if ye wan'...mebbe I could wri'e ter him 'r you could.
Chadley says: Maybe I should still meet more of your deader friends that I don't have any prior grudges against other than "you're dead and I hate you".
Mairèad says: ...I don' have many more 'asides yer dad an' Mr. Grrrrrhelm an' Mr. Fadric.
Chadley says: Maybe I can... talk to one more. I don't know.Chadley looks increasingly frustrated.
Mairèad says: 'Cause yer righ' 'bout mos' deaders...they go down in th' cryp's an' are rill mean t'people, like this one one time called me a hoor pumpkin an' a cheap'un 'cause I gave a dorf me whole dinner allowance.
Chadley says: They don't do themselves many favors in my eyes.Chadley says: Or the eyes of others.
Mairèad says: ...they rilly don'. I' upse's me t'see, 'cause people a'ready don' like them, an' then they jest make i' worse.
Chadley says: They're like, "raaaaugh, respect me!" but then they raise the dead and desecrate holy ground and I'm like, "why the fuck should I?"
Mairèad nods sadly, picking a pill off of her sling and dropping it into the water, sighing. "I' makes i' worse fer deaders like Mr. Fadric an' Mr. Grrrrrhelm an' yer dad, 'cause they gotta work tha' much harder."
Mairèad says: People jest don' unnerstand tha' respec's gotta be earned.
Chadley says: I still think the problem could just be solved by having them not be there at all.
Chadley looks at her, quickly adding, "But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt?"
Mairèad melts a little bit and squeezes Chadley's uninjured hand with her uninjured hand. "Ye don' hafta if i's no' whatcha feel, Chad. You bein' happy makes me happier'n unhappy."
Chadley says: I'm gonna be unhappy either way. I might as well grow some tolerance.
Mairèad says: ...rilly?
Chadley says: Yeah.
Mairèad leans over, very careful not to jostle either of their arms, and kisses Chadley firmly.
Chadley smiles. "I really meant it. How sorry I am for being a jerk about everything."
Mairèad smiles, too, looking a little amazed. "I know ye did. Tha's one fin' 'boutcha tha' hasn' changed a bi'. An' yer a good person, Chad. Don' evarrr le' people tell ye ovverwise."
Chadley says: I'm not going to get into the habit of believing anything Stehl says.
Chadley says: So.
Mairèad says: So.
Mairèad says: I'd say we should try anuvver advenchur agin, bu' we're kinna pathetic righ' na'.
Mairèad gestures to their matching slings with a wry smile.
Chadley says: We could maybe at least take a walk. Don't need our arms for that.
Mairèad says: A'righ'. Whar y'wanna walk? Any place ye wanna see?
Chadley says: Well, we could just take a stroll outside the city.
Mairèad says: Sure! We could even ride Yvvie if ye fink y'kin drive her wiff yer arm...er, tha' is, if ye wanna.
Chadley says: ... I'd rather not crash her. We may just want to ride our chargers.
Mairèad says: Fair 'nuff.
Mairèad gingerly holds out both hands, summoning her charger, because that's how she...gallops?
Chadley just stands, and it appears by his side in a really boring manner.
Mairèad says: Le's go!
[They travel through Elwynn]
Mairèad says: I nevarrr rilly been this way 'afore.
Chadley says: I've liked exploring this way on dull days.
Mairèad says: Ha' far ye been?
Chadley says: On long days, I've found myself all the way by the Redridge border.
Mairèad nods at the road ahead of them. "I been t'Redridge 'afore t'take care 'a Nicene, bu' I flew, I didn' ride."
Chadley says: Did you watch the ground as you flew?
Mairèad shakes her head, laughing. "Uzhully when I fly, I look up. I like seein' th' sky above me...only way i' could be clearer is ou' a' sea."
Chadley says: I never pay attention to the sea, myself.
Chadley says: It all looks the same, out there on the water.
Mairèad says: Yahar, i's true. Th' only way t'sail is t'sail by th' stars.
Chadley says: The ocean at night terrifies me.
Mairèad says: Rilly? Ha' come?
Chadley says: It's just endless black.
Chadley says: It sounds juvenile, but the unknown terrifies me.
Mairèad shakes her head. "Mos' people're afeared 'a th' unknown. I fink I'd be more afeared if i' weren' fer me faith."
Chadley laughs. "Well, I don't fear the end. It's the pain that comes with getting there."
Mairèad grins, swinging her legs back and forth slightly. "Well, s'long's we're a team, we won' hafta worry 'bout tha' fer a while, righ'?"
Chadley grins as well. "Damned straight."
Chadley says: Look! We're near Redridge.
Mairèad says: We are! I wish I'd go' more 'a chance t'explore here when Nicene was here, bu' she needed constan' care.
Chadley says: What had happened?
Mairèad sighs. "R'member th' picnic I toldja 'bout? Th' one whar Patrick attacked Mr. Fadric?"
Chadley says: ... Right.
Mairèad says: Nicene was rilly badly distraugh' 'bout i', 'cause she didn' wanna see th' bad in Patrick an' 'cause Niami cursed her a li'l bi' an knocked her on th' head.
Chadley says: A curse? Is Niami a warlock?
Mairèad says: ...evenshully, she ran 'way an' wen' up t'Lordaeron an' locked herself in a cage wiff Patrick. An' no, she ent. Jest mean sometimes.
Chadley says: Can I ask you a really weird question?
Mairèad says: Sure.
Chadley says: Would you lock yourself in a cage with me?
Mairèad pauses, actually having to consider this for a moment. She finally says, very slowly, "If i' was 'cause 'a sumfin' like wha' Patrick did an' we were like Patrick an' Nicene? No. If tha' was th' case, I'd only be makin' you worse."
Chadley says: Oh, good.
Mairèad says: Rilly?
Chadley says: I was just making sure you weren't as stupid as your friend.
You laugh.
Mairèad says: She's...kinna gaga over Patrick. I' makes her no' fink sometimes.
Chadley says: I'll tell you what, any man that can make a girl that gaga could only be gay.
Mairèad says: Rilly? Y'mean like elfies?
Chadley says: Yes. Like elves.
Mairèad says: S'ye fink Patrick likes -buggery-?
Chadley lifts his hands defensively. "Whoah, hey. I said nothing but a simple observation based on experience."
Mairèad says: ...wai', wha' sorta experience?
Mairèad raises an eyebrow at Chadley, curious and a little concerned.
Chadley says: ...
Chadley says: I'm not gay.
Mairèad gets a tiny, teasing smile on her face. "Well, I dunno, yer rilly a lo' nicer'n mos' boys are t'me..."
Mairèad says: An' tha' kinna makes me gaga sometimes.
Chadley says: Well. They're shitty boys, then.
[They find a waterfall]
Mairèad says: Look!
Chadley says: ... Would you look at that.Chadley looks at Murloc Tidecaller.
Mairèad dismounts and takes a seat on the bank of the pond, smiling up at the waterfall. "Didja know this was here?"
Chadley says: Not a clue.
You grin wickedly at Chadley.
Chadley stares Murloc Tidecaller down.
Chadley says: They seem... nice enough?
Mairèad says: Mebbe if we leave them alone, they'll leave us alone.
Mairèad says: Anyway, I don' rilly fink yer gay. I was jest teasin'.
Chadley says: Well. If I -were- gay, I think you'd have some explaining to do.
Chadley eyes you up and down.
Mairèad says: Ha' d'ye mean?
Chadley looks at her scrutinizingly. "I'm just saying that I don't remember how we met or anything, and I'm trusting you on everything."
Chadley smirks slyly at you.
Mairèad grins mischievously, looking back out over the pond and patting Chadley's knee with her uninjured hand. "Well, I don' have much t'gain from lyin' t'ye, rilly. 'sides, 'm a palerdin. We ent 'asposed ter lie."
Chadley says: That's true.
Chadley says: Hey.
Chadley says: I have an idea. Stay here!
[Chadley climbs to the top of the waterfall]
Mairèad yells: What're ye doin' up thar?!
Chadley yells: You can see me, then?
Chadley is waving his uninjured hand wildly.
Mairèad yells: Yahar!
Chadley yells: Think I can jump?
Mairèad yells: ...jest be careful 'a yer arm!
Chadley yells: I think a belly-flop would be fatal!
Mairèad yells: I fink yer righ'! Try fer a cannonball instead!
Chadley yells: I'm in full plate! I'd sink!
Mairèad yells: Mebbe ye should take o--
Mairèad says: ...
Mairèad yells: Nevarmind!
Chadley yells: What was that? I didn't catch it! Lot 'a wind up here!
Chadley yells: Did you tell me to take off my pants?
Mairèad yells: ...mebbe!
Chadley yells: That's honestly a good idea. I'd sink like a rock otherwise.
Mairèad yells: Yahar, tha's why I though' 'a i'! An' mebbe yer chestpiece, too!
Chadley yells: You should watch what you yell. Someone might overhear and take it the wrong way.
Mairèad yells: Oops! Sorry, other people!
Chadley yells: I'm jumping now!
Mairèad yells: I'll meetcha thar!
[Chadley jumps. They meet in the middle of the pond.]
Mairèad is wearing nothing but her tabard and underclothes, and her sling tied very tightly to keep her arm immobilized. She's still a surprisingly good swimmer, despite all of this. "Was i' fun?"
Chadley surfaces, his hair in his face. He cheers as he comes up, laughing loudly. "Shit, you gotta do that! You gotta do that!"
Mairèad giggles, shaking the hair out of her own face and sending water droplets flying everywhere. "Ye bubbled on th' way down," she observes, swimming closer, very close to his face.
Chadley says: It was... so I could keep my eyes open when I sank. To see all the fish.
Mairèad simply smiles at Chadley, a bit breathless from treading water with only one hand. "Didja see a lotta fishies?"
Chadley says: Fuck yeah! Big blue ones with yellow dots!
Mairèad says: I wunner whut they taste like?
Chadley says: I can shock one out!
Mairèad says: Careful ye don' shock us while yer addit!
Chadley dives under again. His good arm seems to be doing an amazing job of keeping him alive.
Chadley looks around. He spots one of the blue fish! He sinks a bit as he shoots his hand out and sends a holy pew pew pally lazer beam at the fish. It goes belly-up. He swims after it, grabs it, and swims back to the surface.
Mairèad has watched the entire display from the surface, still treading water and laughing. She once again swims much closer to Chadley. "Ye go' one!"
Chadley suddenly moves the fish to his mouth, holding it in his teeth by the tail. His good hand that was holding the fish shoots back to his injured shoulder. He frowns, and propells himself eel-like toward the shore. "Less'go."
Chadley is now holding the fish in his hand again.
Mairèad smirks at the fish. "Wanna cook i'? Betcha we could make i' th' holiest cooked fish evarrr, though I don' go' no chips fer i'."
Chadley says: I don't think holy flame cooks very well.
Mairèad says: Ha're we gunna cook th' fish, then?
Chadley says: ... Can you make fires?
Mairèad says: ...sorta.
Mairèad says: Lemme see th' fishie.
Chadley says: ... Maybe if we offer to share with the murloc leader they'll lend us fire.
Chadley narrows his eyes at the murlocs.
Mairèad says: I fink they'll jest hit us wiff their fins.
Chadley says: Probably.
Chadley says: Well, here. Have a fish.
Chadley plops it in her lap.
Mairèad picks the fish up in her uninjured hand. She casts what should be a simple healing spell on the fish, but since she went to the Stehl school of healing, the result is a slightly overcooked fish feast.
Mairèad says: ...thar. Fish.
Chadley prods at a blackened chunk of fish. "It looks... great!"
Mairèad is trying very hard not to laugh at her abysmal attempt at cooking the fish. The result is that her voice comes out squeakily when she agrees, "Yahar...great!"
Chadley rips off a piece. He tilts it to her with a grin, like a cheers. He pops it in his mouth and it crunches loudly. He chews it very slowly. "'S good."
Mairèad also breaks off a piece. It pretty much crumbles to ash in her fingers, but she pokes the ash in her mouth anyway. "...delish-- bahahahaha!"
Mairèad says: This is terr'bull!
Chadley says: Yeah.
Chadley says: It is.
Chadley smiles sadly.
Mairèad is still giggling, shaking her head at the fish. She tries to lift it and put it on the ground, but half of it breaks off and rolls into the pond. "...Light, y'need rill fires t'cook fish. hee. hehehe..."
Chadley says: I told you.
Mairèad manages to stop giggling after a time, though she's still smiling. "...'re ye rill hungry still? I have some snowplums in me pouch thar..." She points to her knapsack, left over with the rest of her armor on Chadley's far side.
Chadley says: You know, I think that'd be great.
Mairèad pushes herself up and walks over to her knapsack, where she pulls out two ripe snowplums. She sits back down and hands one to Chadley before taking a bite of the other. "Didja used ter ea' fish lots when y'lived up North?"
Chadley says: ... You mean in Lordaeron?
Mairèad seems unfazed as it begins to rain on them. "Yahar, when ye were a kid. 'r when ye lived in Southshore, too."
Chadley says: Well. Dad and I would go fishing on Lake Mereldar... but usually we'd just get small stuff and let it go.
Mairèad nods her understanding. "I never caugh' much meself...mos'ly jest took stuff offa th' catches 'a th' day when they came in." She finishes the last of her plum and chucks the pit in the pond.
Chadley hasn't even eaten his plum yet. "Yeah. There just wasn't too much in that lake. We had stuff brought to us, though. I was always fond of breaded rainbow trout."
Mairèad says: We used t'make tha' wiff chips a' th' Bird-in-Hand! I' goes grea' wiff a nice Kul Tirasian ale.
Chadley says: I'll have to have them together sometime.
Chadley smiles.
Mairèad shifts closer and carefully rests her head on Chadley's uninjured shoulder. "Sometimes, I kinna miss i' back thar, back when fin's was simple."
Chadley says: I'll tell you what, I do too. I guess no sense pissin' and moanin' about it, but... As much as I complained about havin' to go to church every day because I was a paladin's boy...
Chadley says: I'd much rather it was all still there.
Mairèad snuggles closer, attempting to be comforting, though still a bit cautious in her movements because bad arms are bad. She also veeeeeery tentatively kisses Chadley on the neck. "I kin't even imagine...i' mus' be horr-bull."
Chadley says: I never saw any of my friends again.
Mairèad doesn't say anything to this, because what can you say, really? She does wrap her arm around his waist, however.
Chadley says: Light, I whine a lot.
Mairèad says: ...sometimes, yahar.
Chadley finally bites into the plum.
Chadley says with his mouth full, "Work on that too."
Chadley says: Me, I mean.
Mairèad grins, though he likely doesn't see it because she's still all latched onto him. "One fin' atta time. Ha's th' plum?"
Chadley looks down at her. The plum dribbles on her cheek. Gross. "'S gud."
Mairèad moves her uninjured hand from around his waist to wipe off the plum and then clutches her tabard to clean off her hand. She then makes a Move by reaching up to kiss him WITH TONGUE for a moment before pulling back and saying, "Yer righ', i's very good."
Chadley seems to be in a state of shock after this kiss. He gives a feeble attempt at reciprocating, but he finds himself stunned. "Hu- wuh. Okay. Um. Wow, you could have asked for a bite, okay."
Mairèad pulls back even further, looking embarrassed. " 'm sorry. I wan'ed t'kiss ye more'n I wan'ed a plum."
Chadley looks embarrassed. "You could have asked and spared yourself the romance novel approach to it."
Mairèad says: ...oh.
Mairèad mumbles something in a low voice that may sound like "kin I kiss ye agin" but then again it might not. She's gone all red to the tips of her ears.
Chadley looks properly steeled for such an action this time around, and turns her head to face his again, and he kisses her. Also with tongue, whoah.
Mairèad looks surprised for half a second, though she eventually closes her eyes and leans against Chadley, careful not to touch his injured arm.
Chadley spares himself the inevitable grief and sort of falls onto his back. As for the kiss... it's not that he's a bad kisser, it's just that he's... new.
Mairèad falls on top of Chadley without really meaning to, but she doesn't seem to mind, only cringing a little as her injured arm is jostled. She pulls herself up against him to make sure she can still reach his face, though it's awkward with just one arm.
Chadley seems to be half enjoying this, but also half terrified. He's mostly not questioning it because hey, they're together, this can't be new.
Mairèad doesn't bother to correct him on that assumption, largely because she doesn't realize that he holds it. She seems half terrified, too, and her hand is shaking as she reaches down to hold him around the waist and pull herself closer.
Chadley looks down at their bodies scrunched close. He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Heh."
Mairèad also exhales, shakily. "H-hi," she whispers with a sheepish smile. She doesn't move from on top of him, biting her lower lip.
Chadley kind of squeaks out, "What now."
Mairèad continues to chew on her lower lip, meeting his eyes but almost looking afraid to be doing so. "...we kin do more, if y'wanna," she all-but-whispers, less seductively and more nervously.
Chadley says: I, uh. I think I'd need to read about that, yeah? I mean like, so it goes well and nothing... Uh. And we don't have protection.
Mairèad still doesn't get off of him, still biting her lower lip. "...I did find some books in D-dalaran. An'...we kin, um. Git some pertekshun thar, too. I mean. If ye...if ye do wanna do this." She adds in a much lower voice, barely audible, "...'cause I do."
Chadley takes a fair amount of time finding his words. "I, uh. Sure. I-- If you wanna," he stammers. His awkward boner kind of explains the rest.
Mairèad continues to chew on her lower lip for another long minute before reaching up and giving him a long, slow kiss. The kissing thing, they've totally got it down. It's just the rest they have to figure out. "...t'nigh'? 'r didja wanna...um....wai'?"
Chadley 's current physical state again contradicts him as he manages, "We - we can wait if you want."
Mairèad takes another moment to find the words and shakes her head, still largely breathless. "I...I don' w-wanna wai'...i-if yer okie wiff tha'..."
Chadley says: But I don't wanna if you don't wanna!
Mairèad says: ...I wanna, though. I...I was jest...I wan'ed t'wai', 'til y'loved me, an' I know y'do. An'...an' I l-love you, so...
Mairèad is still rambling and shaky, but underneath that shaky rambling, she sounds very sure of herself.
Chadley shifts his hips a bit, trying to ease his obvious discomfort in the groinal area. "We, can uh. We can just maybe... here? No, bad idea, Dalaran's so far away..."
Mairèad makes a quiet noise at the shifting of his hips because, hey, new sensations in a new place. "We kin...thar's th' inn back in th' town...b-but...I don' mind here neither. Jest s'l-long's i's you."
Chadley very awkwardly rests a hand on her rear. He flatly says, "Either works." He also may be pushing her down lightly. Maybe. Hard to tell.
Mairèad makes another small sound and nods again, swallowing hard. "...may's well stay here," she finally manages, shifting again, her legs falling on either side of him. She might be pressing back against him. A little.
[and then naughty things happened]
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