Merry Winter Veil, Jakko Boomsprocket
“We’re baaaaack!” Spritzie announced as she entered the ‘apartment’ in which she, Jakko and most recently Soozee have been living in. It was, in truth, the cellar of one of Pandaria’s many, many taverns, this one built inside one of the Jade Forest’s iconic serpent bridges. The Boomsprockets paid rent to the owner in exchange for permanent lodgings.
“Well, THAT was a gigantic waste of time.” Soozee grumbled as she and Spritzie each tried to pull their massive bags through the doorway. “Marlie’s fireworks detonated off cue, Sallee and Frakko couldn’t stop arguing, and Dad did NOT like Fizzo’s new girlfriend.”
The two goblins screeched as the bags suddenly came free and landed on top of them. They each quickly dragged themselves out from underneath the bags and dusted themselves off. “I still can’t believe Fizzo actually landed himself a draenei. Rikko woulda been proud.” Spritzie said.
“Yeah, but once she started talking about the ‘Harmony of the Elements,’ that’s when Dad started getting annoyed.” Soozee pointed out.
“Yeah, I know right?” Spritzie replied. “Dad was all like ‘Fizzo, she didn’t fill yer head with none of that new age nature-lovin’ mumbo jumbo, did she?’”
“Ugh, I know. Dad’s gotten so closed-minded in his old age.” Soozee replied.
Spritzie paused and looked around. “Hey, where’s Jakko? Think he’s at the Delver Base?”
“….I think that’s him face down on the couch, surrounded by empty beer bottles.” Soozee said as she pointed to the unconscious troll in question.
“….Ho boy. I was afraid of something like this.” Spritzie said. “Soozee, this is more my thing. You go ahead and get yourself unpacked.”
“Thanks. I need to feed those ancient blood samples.” Soozee replied as she dragged her bag into her room / lab.
“…How do you feed blood?” Spritzie asked.
“Do you really wanna know?” Soozee asked before entering the lab. Spritzie shuddered and decided that no, no she didn’t want to know. She approached Jakko and poked him awake. “Hey buuuuuddy.” she said. “Wakey-wakey.”
“Ugh……” he groaned.
“Don’t tell me you went on a bender all Winter Veil long.” Spritzie asked.
“Not all Winter Veil long.” Jakko answered. “Just over New Year’s.”
“How bad?” Spritzie asked.
“I almost strangled a demon hunter to death over a sweater.” Jakko replied.
“Oof.” Spritzie replied with a wince. “It was the Winter Veil sweater, I take it? The one Nana knitted before she died?”
“Eeeyup.” Jakko said. “Guy said he ate it, I lost it, his friend threw me off, and I later discover he was actually kidding.”
Spritzie sighed. “You know you just can’t fly off the handle like that.”
“I know, but you know me.” Jakko replied. Spritzie nodded. She did. Jakko’s had a short temper all his life. It reminded her of the old legends of berserkers - troll warriors capable of channeling their rage into unbridled strength and ferocity. Not for the first time, she wondered if Jakko was one. She’d have to ask Kal’rokh about it sometime - he’s a berserker, so he would know.
“….Is Winter Veil over?” he asked. Spritzie nodded. “Good. Time off’s over, I can get back to work.” Jakko said as he got up. He hissed as he gripped his head. “Shit. Hangover.”
“Do you have to go back to the Dreamgrove so soon?” Spritzie asked. “I mean, is it just me, or have you been working A LOT, lately?”
“Well, the Circle is playing a key role in the war against the Legion on the Broken Isles.” Jakko pointed out. “So yes - I’ve been working A LOT lately, and seeing as it’s for Azeroth’s very survival, I fail to see the problem with it.”
“Where they gonna send you this time?” Spritzie asked.
“Aszuna, I think.” Jakko said as his headache began to fade. “We’re running low on resources, so I gotta do some work for the Court of Farondis. Gonna be a lot of demon hunters up there, so yeah, NOT lookin’ forward to that.”
“What is it with you and demon hunters, anyway?” Spritzie asked as she put her hands on her hips.
“I dunno.” Jakko replied. “I guess they just remind me too much of death knights and, well, you know how I feel about them.” The troll absently scratched at an old, ugly scar on the side of his abdomen.
“You know, Roscoe’s undead, and you seem to be friends with him.” Spritzie pointed out.
“He’s different. He’s just a regular undead. Death knights are on a whole other level.” Jakko argued.
“…..Not all of them are like Colfax, Jakko.” Spritzie replied. She shrugged. “I’m just sayin’.”
Jakko shuddered. Colfax. Didn’t need to be reminded of that psycho.
“So, benders aside, did anything good happen over this Winter Veil?” Spritzie asked.
“Um……There was a party with the other Delvers.” Jakko said as he scratched the back of his head. “I bought everyone Sulfuron Slammers.”
“Well, there ya go!” Spritzie said. “See? It wasn’t all bad.”
“Yeah…..” Jakko said, not so sure of that. Spritzie frowned.
It had been a few years since the patriarch of the Boomsprocket family disowned his adopted son, Jakko. He didn’t take kindly to his choice of vocation - a druid. Druids had been responsible for the foiling of many Bilgewater operations in Azshara, so he saw Jakko’s joining them as an act of betrayal. Jakko hadn’t spent a single Winter Veil with the Boomsprocket family since.
It’s why he always got particularly miserable at around this time of year. It was a reminder of a family that no longer wanted anything to do with him. He never stopped Rikko or Spritzie from going to spend Winter Veil with family, but he never went with them, knowing he wasn’t welcome there anymore.
“…..Soozee and I brought you something.” Spritzie said.
“Yeah?” Jakko asked.
“Yeah.” Spritzie said as she hauled her bag over. “They’re presents for you.”
Jakko rolled his eyes. “Spritz, you and Sooz didn’t need to-“
“They’re not from me or Soozee.” Spritzie pointed out. “They’re from everyone else.”
Jakko said nothing, unsure of what Spritzie meant. Spritzie opened the bag and dumped several armfuls of gift-wrapped boxes onto Jakko’s lap. Jakko went through them all, reading all the name tags.
Marlie. Fizzo. Frakko. Sallee. Razz. Bailee. His brothers and sisters. He opened them all. Fizzo got him a murloc joke shirt. Marlie got him a deluxe firecracker set. Bailee got him a new Winter Veil sweater, just like the ones Nan would knit back when he was a kid. Razzie’s gift, a pair of diamond-studded sunglasses, came with a note.
Jakko,
We’re so sorry that you couldn’t join us again this year. Spritzie and I tried to talk Daddy into sending you an invite, but he wouldn’t hear it. He can be so stubborn sometimes.
Spritzie has told us about how hard you took Rikko’s death, and that this would be your first Winter Veil without him. We just want you to know that, no matter what Dad says, we’ll always think of you as our brother.
Merry Winter Veil, Razzie and the Rest
Jakko’s eyes began to water. They cared. They all still cared. He looked to Spritzie and the two looked at each other for a while. Jakko wrapped his arms around his baby sister and hugged her. Spritzie hugged back. He sobbed a bit into her shoulder as she rubbed his back. They were still for a moment.
“….Thank you.” Jakko was able to choke out.
“Don’t mention it. That’s what family’s for.” Spritzie replied.
Jakko sobbed for another minute before finally gathering enough composure to let go. His eyes brightened. “Wait here.” he said before getting up off the couch and over to one of the shelves where he kept his assorted junk. He found what he was looking for and brought it back to Spritzie.
“Arth gave me this at the Winter Veil party.” Jakko said. “I think it was meant for you though.”
It was an egg. But not just any sort of egg. It was a bright orange egg, almost like gold, and glowed faintly in the dark cellar. Spritzie’s mouth hung open in awe as she took the egg and got a closer look at it. “Woah…..is this what I think it is?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Jakko replied. “You seem to know this stuff better than I do.”
“You’re a druid!” Spritzie replied. “How do you not know animal stuff?!”
“I know tiger stuff.” Jakko argued. “And some bat stuff. A little bear stuff. And that’s about it.”
“This is a phoenix egg, dummy!” Spritzie shouted.
“Phoenix, huh?” Jakko replied as he stroked his chin. “That would explain the glowing. The glowing bit tells me that there’s SOMETHING magical in there.”
“What’s this about phoenixes now?” Soozee asked as she entered the room.
“Arthaenus got me a phoenix egg for Winter Veil!” Spritzie excitedly said as she jumped up and down.
“Lemme see that.” Soozee said as she took the egg from Spritzie.
“Hey!” Spritzie whined as she tried to give the egg back, but Soozee kept her at bay with one arm.
“Holy crap, this IS a phoenix egg.” Soozee observed. She handed it back to Spritzie, who took it with classic goblin greed. “Those are INSANELY rare! Where did Arth even get it?!”
“Beats me.” Jakko replied. “Probably worth a fortune at the Auction House.”
“Forget selling it! Phoenixes are elemental creatures born through a mix of elemental, arcane, and light energy. Think of what we could learn if we research it.” Soozee argued.
“No!” Spritzie replied. “We’re not selling the egg, and we are DEFINITELY not turning it into a guinea pig for Soozee’s mad science!”
“Hey! My science isn’t mad!” Soozee replied.
“Grrrrrrggglll…….” gurgled a low voice from Soozee’s room.
“Shut up! I just fed you!” Soozee shouted at the room.
“I’m going to hatch it, and raise it as my new baby.” Spritzie vowed. She rubbed the egg lovingly. “I’m going to carry it around with me everywhere I go, just like with my cloud serpent. Now, where’s my old egg harness……..”
Spritzie walked into her room with her egg while Soozee went into hers to deal with……whatever it was in her room that was gurgling. Jakko sat there a while, surrounded by gifts from a far away family. It made him smile.
There were still challenges ahead in his life. But it was comforting to know that he wasn’t as alone as he thought he was.