(Written with @selisegraves and @silentasagrave continued from here)
"It's been awhile. I trust all is well?"
Her gaze shifted to Selise’s hand as it pulled the notebook close and the doctor began writing. An eyebrow raised as she lifted her eyes to Selise’s face, “All is well with Dra and I, and perhaps even better for you and Nick?” a smile playing at her lips as she spoke.
Chery glanced between the two of them not sure what was transpiring between the two her expression full of confusion at the change in Risri’s tone.
Her gaze rose slightly before she looked down at her book again, but the smile was evident in her tone. “That is, um...accurate. It just happened a few days ago.” Selise looked up fully and shook her head at Cherysa’s statement. Was that a bit of color in her face?
Risri’s smile broke through and she sat back looking over Selise, “Have you set a date? You will let me know if I can help with anything? Pictures or even just being there.” Her gaze shifted to Chery and noting the confusion she pointed to the ring on Selise’s hand.
The red-head followed Risri’s point to Selise’s hand and the ring that she’d not noticed before. Her mouth fell agape and she looked up at Selise’s face then back to the ring then to Risri before back to Selise. “You...you got engaged?” She stammered then rose practically shouting, “You GOT ENGAGED!!” her enthusiasm back she moved around to give Selise a hug from behind, “Oh my goodness, Doc! I’m so happy for you. Is he that man that comes to see you when I’m leaving? I thought he watched you too closely but now it all makes sense!” her words were rushed and excited as she bounced back to her chair, “OH! Can I make your dress? Please!”
Selise blinked before making a face as she was squished into Cherysa’s embrace. “Whoa, whoa, okay. I-I haven’t-” She sighed and pressed her eyes closed in an attempt to collect her thoughts, but only succeeded in making the color on her face more pronounced. Selise gave up and looked back to the two of them, a small smile on her face as she spoke. “Yes, you’ve seen him Chery, but you tend to cut out of here when he’s around...not that I’m complaining...We haven’t picked a date and I haven’t even thought of a dress. We were talking about something more low key…” she glanced off to the side.
Risri watched Chery with amusement evident in her gaze, when the spectacle was finished her eyes lit on Selise and she felt a hint of sympathy for the obvious discomfort. She leaned forward and touched Selise’s hand with the ring gently, “Something simple yet dignified for the Doctor and her beau.” Risri sat back again, “Well, I am happy for you both and however you wish to seal your union is the right way. And you do not have to do it alone. I will help, you have only to ask.”
Chery looked a little set down at Selise’s words but she nodded, “I ...I still would make you a dress. Every bride should have a special dress.” She sounded meek but sincere as she gave puppy dog eyes to Selise.
"Thank you, but…" Selise rose a brow at Risri. "'Beau', really? I think you've been hanging around humans too long." She smirked, but the sarcasm was short lived as she noticed Cherysa's expression. For a moment, she stared blankly at the display, then smiled. "Okay, Chery, but nothing crazy…" she was quick to add.
Chery clapped her hands and smiled, “I have the perfect look. Trust me.” Her eyes alight with excitement.
Risri chuckled softly at Selise’s comment, “Perhaps I have. But you are all so wonderful I can not stay away.” Her smile sincere as she looked between the two humans. “I wonder… do you wish to tell him yourself or should I break the news to Dra?”
A quiet scoff escaped his mouth. Dragaur already knew. He found it laughable that either of them thought they could keep anything from him. He was in the back hallway as being outside made listening in on them difficult. He saw the ring days ago. It disturbed him then it disturbed him just as much now to hear the other two women talk about it. He was completely sure why. Could be because he thought Nick was a prick. Worse then that a know it all prick that thought he was better than Dragaur. Truth be told he never got a chance to get to know him but it didn’t take Dragaur long to get the measure of him.
He took care of Tess supposedly, someone else he used to watch out for now and then who didn’t appreciate it. No one ever really does, he knew why but it was for their own good. He never sussed that relationship out. Brother and sister. Didn’t look alike, sound alike, or act alike. Then again Selise and he had their differences. Not as different as them though.
Dragaur had stayed quiet long enough. He stepped out and leaned against the entryway to where they were sitting. He was wearing what he usually wore when he was stalking about. It was partly habit by this point. Dark armour and hood. Metal skull mask. The mask was more than habit. It was who he was. No one understood that. Not really, not even Risri. Sure he wasn’t a murderer anymore, usually. He could be one again very easily though hadn’t been that long since he’d killed. His thoughts were dark but that was normal. He took a breath before speaking in case they hadn’t noticed him. “We aren’t that wonderful Risri...anyway not much slips by me. Especially not stupid descions.”
A low-pitched hum sounded behind the rogue as soon as he appeared. Cornelius’ size expanded slightly and the blue glow increased in intensity around the arcane familiar as it stared Dragaur down.
“Cor.” The statement from Selise seemed to make the creature back down, but her tone matched its annoyed display. Cor stared at the rogue for a moment longer before bobbing around him and settling in behind Sel’s chair. “Hello to you too...Dragaur. I’ve heard the stupid decision lecture before, thanks.”
Risri blinked slightly as Dragaur made his appearance. Her silver eyes looking him over not so much in surprise but more to make sure he was all in one piece. “Perhaps not all are wonderful but those I spend most of my time with surely are.”
Cherysa gave a startled gasp as the rogue appeared before eyeing Cor a moment.
He paid no attention to the arcane construct. It was no threat to him as far as he was concerned. It was probably made by some two bit garbage hedge mage. He rolled his eyes behind his mask. “Please when was the last time I gave you a lecture...I can’t think of one time to be honest. I mean I guess if you wanna go back to when you first moved here and I felt sorry for you because you were sleeping in a sewer pipe. I believe it went something like. That’s a bad decision because you will likely get murdered by a hobo for your shoes or your cloak. I mean compared to this current poor decision I suppose that one was worse.”
He paused and looked at Risri and then Cherysa. For most people this particular group of people might make them feel awkward. Dragaur, not so much. He turned back to Selise and the glow behind his mask flickered slightly. “You can do whatever you want with your life little sister. I just wish you would marry someone nice. Ya know someone I might not kill in the future if they ever give me a good enough reason to do so.”
Selise’s gaze narrowed on her brother. “You’ve spoken to him for what, five minutes? He is nice. And it was a park bench.” She crossed her arms tightly and spun her chair to face him directly. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, now having forgotten the two other women seated around her. “People tend to say the same thing about you that you spout about everyone I know. The fact that I’m happy should be good enough reason for you to leave it all well alone.”
Risri sighed softly at the back and forth. “Can you not be happy for Selise? She is. I would think if he has thought enough of her to want to spend his life with her, and she has agreed, that should prove his worth. Can you not try to get along with him? Perhaps if you tried, you might find you like him as a person.” An eyebrow raised, “Or is that it? If you liked him, you might have to be nice to someone besides me?”
“I specifically remember the culvert off the canals.” He smirked behind the mask. He was annoyed that she would get married to someone who was clearly a jerk. At least as much of a jerk as him, but he found the back and forth at least slightly funny. She probably won’t. “I can guarantee I won’t like him. He’s an ungrateful mouthy asshole at best. Besides I don’t HAVE to be nice to anyone including you.”
He looked at Risri realizing he was going to have to fight her too if he was going to argue about this. “Anyway get married if you want. It worked out so well for our parents. Ask dear old father about it some time I think he would agree their marriage was a mistake. Maybe not being together but definitely the marriage. Afterall that’s when her shitty family got involved and helped make things difficult.”
Selise was silent for a few moments, but there was clearly anger building in her gaze. “Are you my shitty family that’s going to get involved and make things difficult? We’re not our parents.” She cast a sidelong glance to Risri and Chery before looking back to Drag. “Get out.”
Chery sat with eyes wide, her fingertips pressed to her lips as the “grown ups” argued back and forth. The red-head was no stranger to sibling fights but she hoped there would be no hair pulling involved. She gasped at Selise’s order.
Risri shook her head and crossed the room, a hand on Dragaur’s arm she looked into the mask with a bit of a “please” look on her face, “What is done, is done. Will you try at least to be civil to the man your sister loves?” At Selise’s ordered statement, she glanced back before frowning up at him, “Have you two ever ended a conversation on good terms? I will see you at home, I hope.”
Dragaur stared at Selise for as long as he had before Risri walked over. He pulled his arm away from her and stepped back. “I don’t get involved in things unless I’m asked...or if I think you might get yourself hurt. I think he’s trash. Worse Trash then me and that’s sayin’ somethin’. He thinks he’s better than me. You and me aren’t so different though so I wonder what he thinks about you. He asks for my help with Tess and because I figure part of you cares about her maybe differently then she cares but still... I do it, And then gives me shit when it goes sideways. You marry him fine but you let him know he makes a wrong move toward you I’ll kill him slow.” Dragaur spun away and stomped toward the front. He yelled as he walked away. “What did he do to Tess anyway I haven’t seen her since.”
“Better than you? Is that what this is about, your stupid pride?” She glared at his back while he headed for the door. “I asked for your help, not him. Clearly one of my stupid decisions that you’re so fond of pointing out. Don’t worry, I won’t do it again.”
Risri looked hurt when he pulled away and she pursed her lips together at his angry words to Selise. A sigh of regret escaped when he walked away, the elf shaking her head at the turn of events. Risri eyes followed him even as the elf leaned against the wall where he’d been a moment before. There was no fixing whatever underlying issue was between the two siblings. The yell had her looking to Selise, “He does care you know.” Her words were soft though she figured Dragaur would hear them even across the room. She shook her head, Selise was likely to turn that anger on her now but she pressed on. “If he did not, he would not have said anything at all. You both are so stubborn.” The last was half said under her breath.
“If I had any pride I never would have come here!” He shouted before pushing the door open. “Maybe I’m wrong and he's a great guy, but then that just means he's a pussy who can’t get his hands dirty! And he runs to a woman to fix his problems!” He turned again at the open door and saw a hand full of people looking his way. “Mind your fucking business you slack jawed morons!” His voice loud and deep and it soon scattered said slack jawed morons.
Selise’s gaze snapped to Risri, a dark look in her eyes likely brought on by her brother’s yelling which continued out into the street. “Risri…” she paused, her gaze narrowing before she shook her head. “You might be okay with expressing you care through death threats, but I’m not. You know him well enough to know he isn’t playing the ‘typical big brother joking around’. You...don’t understand and I wouldn’t expect you to, but I’m sorry you were in the middle of it.” She ran a hand through her hair and caught sight of Chery.
Chery frowned, she could sympathize with not liking your brother-in-law. She thought hers was an idiot. And she would never understand how someone like Jazi could even like let alone love Dunn but she agreed with Selise, death threats were not the way to keep family harmony. Her head was nodding at Selise’s words to Risri, however.
The elf sighed and gave Selise a contrite look. “He takes things to extremes. And...he is overprotective of those he sees under his care. Perhaps his wording was harsh, but can you not see that he wants you safe? Even if it was a bit over the top. But you did not see your parents together the way he did. It scarred him and his view of all things.” She put up her hand, “I will not make more excuses for him. I hope that you will find it in your heart to understand where he is coming from. And I will do my best to talk to him. Not just for your sake.” She pushed off the wall, “I am happy for you Selise. For both you and Nick. And if you love him, then I want only your happiness.” She moved to follow Dragaur, “I hope this will not change our plans, I shall see you tomorrow if it does not.”
Selise simply stared at Risri, a bit of an edge returning as she held up her hand. Still, she said nothing and waited until she too had left. “Let me know when the next patient shows up,” she mumbled toward Chery before retreating to her lab in the back.
Risri sat at her desk, blood on her face, clothes, and hands. At Sky's words she looked up, "The guard are on their way." her tone even and calm. “Don't let anyone but Captain Benyon inside. He's coming personally." She looked back at her hands and noticed the blood on her boots. "She was stabbed and it looks like her head might have been bashed against the desk." Her head did not lift, "We killed them." She looked up at Jackson then to confirm, "They are dead?"
A grunt from Jackson and Sky spoke as she glanced about the room at the blood and bodies. “Looks like it.” She stepped closer trying to wrap her cloak around Risri.
Risri nodded at Sky then shook her head, "Do not" as she tried to squirm from the cloak, "You will get blood on it. I have a change of clothes here somewhere." She started to move when the tap at the door drew attention.
"Risri?" A tall man in the uniform of a Stormwind Guard stood at the door, his gaze taking in the scene. Stepping inside he motioned behind him and drew his sword, but did not brandish it. "Who needs medical attention?" His first question as he took in the blood, the worgen, elf, and human individually. "And who can explain what happened here?" looking at each of them in turn.
Skys gaze swiveled over to the man at the door, "Officer, glad you came so fast"
"Captain Benyon, thank you. Jackson was stabbed. Sky here just arrived. I am unhurt." She indicated each person and then realized she did not know if she was hurt and looked down at herself as if to make sure. She indicated the Gnome, "Suzi was killed by the other two. Jackson and I ..." She paused a moment then spoke once more, "killed them."
The Captain looked over the scene as Risri spoke, re-sheathing his sword at her words and noting the mauling of the one man and the other at Jackson's feet. "I will need an officer to get each of your statements." His head looked back at the worgen, "I have a medic trained officer outside if you want to step out there. She can take your statement as well." His words crisp but direct. He stepped inside and moved to the Gnome, not touching anything yet.
Sky nods "Risri, you want me to stay with you? Or..." she wasn't sure what to do. She tips back her hat so that the officer would be able to see her eyes, her hand also going to a pocket.
Jackson resisted rolling his eyes as he walked outside the building muttering about giving a statement. He looked down at the dagger, it wasn't all that deep but had bled a fair amount. Moron didn't know how to stab someone apparently. He wiped more blood off the fur of his face since the shirt was already quite ruined then proceeded to take it off.
He looked at the guard. "Hey there doc hear you're handy with a needle and thread and you'll listen to me tell you how I killed a guy trying to kill me and the elf. " He launched into explaining himself he kept it brief until he got to the actual attack. "The elf being impulsive, of course, charges in...she attacks the one guy I tried to subdue the other until he tried to filet me...so I ripped his throat out. Horrible way to go bleeding out and not even being able to comfort himself with a scream for his mother."
He smiled a fang filled grin at the woman who was not particularly impressed but also slightly unnerved by the blood covered worgen. She worked on his wound which was fortunately not so bad like he thought. "Not my first time being stabbed...I'll show ya the whole collection sometime I'm sure a medic would find it interesting. Hard to see em with all this fur." He smirked again and perked an ear up to listen inside.
Risri nodded at Sky, "Please" she said softly. She watched Jackson head outside and then looked back at her hands, she started slowly talking about taking some days off and returning to find the alarm going off. How they came to the office and saw Suzi. She recounted shifting and being attacked by the man with a pen in his thigh before killing him. Her voice gaining some anger as she spoke more and more.
The Captain turned the body that had been at the worgen's feet and made a "Hmm" sound pulling his notebook finally and writing down something. He looked over at Sky at Risri's words and nodded his agreement. Touching one of the broken crystal's as he listened to Risri explain what she had seen and done. He moved over to the other body noting the pen in the man's thigh and the bear claw marks looking back at Risri with a raised eyebrow before examining the man's missing jaw.
Risri looked back at Suzi, "Her eye, Captain...she has a camera in it. Maybe..." trailing off at the end.
Benyon moved over to Risri "Oh, I will let the examiner know. Did you recognize them?" She shook her head negatively. "What about you miss?" he asked looking at Sky.
Sky looked up from Risri. "I work here have for a long while. Sky Stoneseat. I want to disclose I have an imp in my bag and the paper work to allow her on the site. I got a call to check in, I did. When Risri here didn’t say anything about what was up I came in. Was at a late night coffee house until about fifteen minutes ago. I don't know them, the men. But I don’t know what story Suzi was working on. Some of the reports we do can piss off some of the underbelly."
Benyon eyed Sky a moment at the confession then nodded, "Alright."
Risri nodded at Sky's words before looking at the captain, "Can I change? I didn't know what you would need from me."
He nodded, "I would ask that you go over to the Stockade's office so we can get your statement on record. You can change there before you give it. Then just don't leave Stormwind. You or your friend out there. If the Gnome did have a recorder it hopefully will verify what you said.” Her rubbed at his head, “The only good thing is your friend being injured and the Gnome dead in your office gives you a bit of leeway on attacking these two. And that one, I recognize. If it is who I believe it is, Miss Suzi got on the bad side of the wrong group of criminals."
He pointed at the mauled one, "And that one, I can't be sure but I believe he's been wanted for awhile. I need you both to leave and not touch anything. I'll have my people secure the office, give me the rest of the day to get the bodies and the evidence gathered. Don't leave Stormwind, okay?" He said again touching Risri's shoulder to get her attention.
The elf looked up and nodded. She looked at Sky, "Would you grab the change of clothes in my bottom drawer here and come with me over there? I would change."
Sky nods and making sure she is in full view of the officer goes and gets the clothing. She nods at the elf waiting for her lead. Coffee Imp lets out a chit Sky looks in and gives her a pat.
Risri stands and without looking around the office walks outside. Her gaze crosses to Jackson and the medic working on him. She steps closer eyeing the handwork, "He wants me to go over and give my official statement. You are alright?"
He looked at Risri and shrugged. "Yeah go ahead I'll either meet you over there or see you at home.”
Captain Benyon comes to the door issuing orders and those outside scramble to see to them, one heading out to get more to aid with removing the bodies and another heading inside to record the scene, a final guard steps to the side ready to escort Risri over to the office.
Jackson looked over the guard judging the man a moment before nodding at him . "Things'll be fine and OW..." He growled and looked at the woman sewing him up. "A little warning eh?"
With one last look at the worgen, Risri turns nodding to Sky and the Captain before crossing the courtyard to the Stockades.
