Fandom WoW: A tale of two isolationists

[Steel Accord]

Before he ate, thanking his host. He took a very brief moment to silently pray in thanks for his host and this food. He whipped out a pair of chopsticks seemingly from nowhere and was about to dig in when she asked him a question.

“Oh that’s Si Jie Lanfan’s expertise. You’d have to ask her. She’s a master when it comes to brewing tea. If I had to hazard a guess though from smell and taste,” he took a moment to cast his taste buds back to earlier that day, “Probably Pei-Wu bamboo shavings. They make excellent flavor accents for tea.” Wei Yu then dropped the chopsticks and started to eat with his meaty paws. Stuffing entire meals into his mouth. He didn’t just scarf them down though, he would carefully chew every bit out of his enourmous helpings. Savoring each grind of his teeth.

“Mmmmm!” He smiled and nodded.

 

[Bunsandpups]

She looked puzzled at what the chopsticks were for, before deciding they must have been meant for eating with. She questioned this assumption, however, when he started to dig into the food with his paws. She couldn't resist a quiet chuckle; it didn't seem like it should have been a delicate action, but it was in a way. That only added to the oddity of it for her, and it took her a moment to help herself to dinner and begin taking bites.

"I don't know that anyone's ever eaten my cooking so enthusiastically," she said after a moment. "And certainly not a non-Gilnean." The last time she'd seen someone eat with such gusto was just after the famine had ended and the harvest witches had managed to get their fields producing ample amounts once more.

 

[Steel Accord]

After a quick drink to wash it down, Wei Yu answered.
“Your cooking is excellent. The best food warms you from the inside and this does that very well.” He gave a thumbs up in his approval.

 

[Bunsandpups]

"Our food is best described as comfort food," she said in acknowledgement. "Gilneas is often dreary and rainy. If we didn't make food to keep ourselves warm, we'd constantly catch colds." She waited until the both of them were mostly finished with dinner to broach the subject of demons once more. "You seem to have recovered well from the shock I gave you earlier?" She wasn't sure if she meant it as a statement or a question, but decided to make it seem like she was asking to check in on him.

 

[Steel Accord]

“Your cooking eased my stomach a little indeed.” He said as he was finishing up his food. “After some consideration, I think I would be willing to allow you to accompany me. With the understanding that sometimes I would need to speak privately to my peers.”

 

[Bunsandpups]

"Of course. You're assured privacy through your language," she said, hoping to put him at ease. "Though I can also be persuaded to suddenly be very interested in market stalls, if need be." She stood and took their plates to her sink, getting ready to wash them.

"I must say I'm a little surprised you'd have me travel with you, given how white you went when you saw my imp. Consorting with demons is no small part of what I do. Will you be comfortable with that?"

 

[Steel Accord]

“Oh here. Let me help.” He offered, bringing some plates over to the sink. “I’ve thought it through. Such is the way of the Tushui. You clearly have whatever such spirits are in thrall. You mean me no harm. So I’m in no risk having you join me.”

 

[Bunsandpups]

"Thank you," she said as she gathered the plates for him. She left some of them to soak as she washed the others, setting them on a mat to dry once they'd been rinsed. "You are correct that the demons are bound to me, and I to them. However, I would advise you to consider something. Warlocks are not exactly well-loved, and there could be some risk to you if people found out you were travelling with one. I make it a point to stay as silent as possible about my practices, but that doesn't mean that someone can't or won't see or hear what they're not meant to. I don't say this to scare you; I simply want you to consider all angles of the situation before making a decision." She wasn't sure how people outside Gilneas would react to Warlocks, honestly, but the Night Elves had given her reason enough to believe they were less than thrilled at the idea of someone who contacted demons regularly.

"I would request, if I could, that you teach me some of what you know. If you can." Her tone was curious and light; she didn't disbelieve that he could teach her, but rather that perhaps there would be a conflict of interest in the way they conducted themselves. She doubted her suspicion of others would lead to the same sense of harmony he seemed to have with everything. If it was a fundamental difference in world approach that could make or break a Monk student... well, she doubted she would get very far at all in learning any ways of the Monks.

 

[Steel Accord]

“I’ve made my decision. I appreciate you cautiouning me and giving me all of the factors, but I’ve already weighed all at paw in my head and reached a decision. You may travel with me for however long it takes to satisfy your search for knowledge.” He scrubbed off his plate.

“You want to learn something right now? You’re already doing it.” He pointed to her cleaning the dishes. He grabbed a rag and put it to the plate. He wiped it in a circular fashion. “Remember to rotate your wrist while cleaning, like this.”

 

[Bunsandpups]

"Oh I wouldn't offer to let me stay as long as I like. I might never leave you then," she said with a laugh. Her mentor had chided her on more than one occasion for asking questions with the frequency and impatience of a small child.

She watched the precise movements he made, and copied them. "I suppose this is a silly question, given that you've said you focus on all aspects of life... but how in the world does this make you better at what you practice? And what is it, exactly, that the Tushui practice or are?"

 

[Steel Accord]

“You said that,” he corrected. “What I said was a monk hones the body and mind. Why don’t you continue to do that and make the necessary arrangements while I book us a ship?” Wei Yu made his way for the exit. “Why don’t you meet me at Rut’theran village?” He made his way out the door and headed down to the port at the base of the colossal tree to make arrangements to embark two to Azuremyst Isle.

 

[Bunsandpups]

She meant to mention that he could spend the night, if he'd liked, but he was already gone to make the arrangements by the time she managed to pull herself away from the dishes to say something. There had been something a bit relaxing about focusing on each one, she had to admit. At least now she had a few moments to reflect on what to pack for such a long journey. She hadn't considered moving around the world once more after settling near Darnassus; what did she think of as truly important to bring?

 

[Steel Accord]

Wei Yu traveled to Rut’theran. He made the necessary arrangements with the ship master there and made himself comfortable on a rock. Sitting down to meditate until Elene arrived.

 

[Bunsandpups]

She found him there an hour later, surprised by his ability to seemingly sit and do nothing. How was he able to keep himself so still? There was a whole world of knowledge out there that he hadn't embarked upon yet, but he was content to go at a leisurely pace. "My apologies, I was a bit waylaid on the way here."

She'd left her mount behind, and told it where to go to receive care, but had to wait for it to come home first. That had been the most time-consuming part of packing, if she was honest. It was simple to narrow down what she would need on the road versus what she would want, but it was still difficult leaving behind what she felt was an essential part of her survival for so long. Still, how many would seek out a travelling Warlock for covenants anyway?

 

[Steel Accord]

“No problem.” Wei Yu said, not turning his head. He had heard her coming. As if on cue, a ship pulled into the harbor. It’s sleek contours and dark coloration telling that it was Kal’dorei in origin, carved from the wood of Teldrassil, maybe even wholly grown to its shape by Druidic magic. Wei Yu picked up his pack. “Shall we?”

The two of them boarded and half a day’s trip later, they landed just outside the Exodar on Azuremyst Isle.

 

[Bunsandpups]

She marveled at the ship not only while boarding, but while on it as well. It was a wholly different experience to fleeing to Darnassus; here she was comfortable and relaxed enough to actually enjoy watching the waves crash against the edge of the ship.

She gave a slight gasp of awe when looking over the side of the ship before boarding. The place was beautiful, and clearly teeming with some kind of power. She itched to push her way off of it, but waited patiently with her companion to depart. "I've never seen anything like this. Have you?"

 

[Steel Accord]

Wei Yu shook his head.
“Granted I hadn’t seen a horse before I left Shen-Zin Su so maybe I’m not the best to ask.” He cracked a joke. He looked over the deep colors of the forest and the mist that seemed to shimmer through and over the trees. “Although this does somewhat remind me of what I saw of the Wood of Staves. Then again I only ever saw it at a distance since it was forbidden for me to go there.”

The deep chime rung, the equivalent of a human ship’s bell. Signaling that they were pulling up to the dock at Odesyus' Landing. It wasn’t much of a port. Just a few amenity vendors with a retaining wall of tree trunks. It did have a tower with the Golden Lion of the Alliance though, proudly announcing its affiliation.

Wei Yu and his new friend stepped across the dock and walked into the port.