The familiar scent of hay and horse manure filled Nendara’s nose, causing them to relax just a tad. The Stables was the most familiar place they could easily find on the Omphalos, following the scent trail from the entrance portal until a horse’s velvety nose was being petted by their hand. Anyone and everyone had probably seen Nendara dashing across courtyards and lawns, a bundle of cloaked fabrics over a somewhat short frame and wild hair waving in the breeze. They may also have been emitting anxious bird chirps the whole way there. Everything was just so overwhelming; they’d needed somewhere to ground themselves. This magnificent equine was helping them to do that.
Today was the day Nendara had finally gotten the nerve to see what was beyond one of the portals in Sanctuary. To say they’d been apprehensive was… a bit of an understatement. The last time they’d passed through a portal had not gone as they’d hoped. Not by a long shot.
Moving from a dying forest in summer to one set deep in winter had been a complete surprise, given Nendara had expected to end up within the walls of the nearest city - or at the very least, among friends. This place seemed harsh and forbidding, and the quickly changing weather overhead hadn’t seemed particularly welcoming either. They’d tried to turn back through the portal, but it had already disappeared. A mistake. They’d made a mistake. And now they were alone.
Well, luckily, not entirely alone. A passing herd of ginormous, long-nosed creatures she believed were called wooly mammoths had helped Nendara find a cave to wait out the weirdest, most magically electrifying storm they’d ever experienced. Some psychically inclined wolves helped point them towards the town of Sanctuary, and the people of Sanctuary had been very kind in general and made sure Nendara had warm clothes, some glow stones? and a few other useful tools. Nendara had been surprised and, frankly, touched by the reception given how jarring the arrival had been to begin with.
But after waiting in line just to get through the portal, and their insistence on taking Nendara’s dagger, bow, and arrows, the overall experience had just been rather stressful. Then there was the realization that they’d stepped out onto an island in the sky… amazing, magical, and terrifying. Despite the solid ground beneath their feet, there was a slight sense of vertigo. The verdant forest in sight had been their original target for calming down until the Stables came into sight. Or, smell.
“They say this is the place where people know the most about what’s going on,” they quietly asked the horse they’d been petting. “Don’t suppose you’ve got any of those answers for me? Do they tell you important things?”
Nendara reached into a pouch at her hip and pulled out an apple seed, concentrating on it before a delicious, red apple sat in the palm of their hand. “Can I bribe you with an apple? Tell me your secrets, new friend!”
Today was the day Nendara had finally gotten the nerve to see what was beyond one of the portals in Sanctuary. To say they’d been apprehensive was… a bit of an understatement. The last time they’d passed through a portal had not gone as they’d hoped. Not by a long shot.
Moving from a dying forest in summer to one set deep in winter had been a complete surprise, given Nendara had expected to end up within the walls of the nearest city - or at the very least, among friends. This place seemed harsh and forbidding, and the quickly changing weather overhead hadn’t seemed particularly welcoming either. They’d tried to turn back through the portal, but it had already disappeared. A mistake. They’d made a mistake. And now they were alone.
Well, luckily, not entirely alone. A passing herd of ginormous, long-nosed creatures she believed were called wooly mammoths had helped Nendara find a cave to wait out the weirdest, most magically electrifying storm they’d ever experienced. Some psychically inclined wolves helped point them towards the town of Sanctuary, and the people of Sanctuary had been very kind in general and made sure Nendara had warm clothes, some glow stones? and a few other useful tools. Nendara had been surprised and, frankly, touched by the reception given how jarring the arrival had been to begin with.
But after waiting in line just to get through the portal, and their insistence on taking Nendara’s dagger, bow, and arrows, the overall experience had just been rather stressful. Then there was the realization that they’d stepped out onto an island in the sky… amazing, magical, and terrifying. Despite the solid ground beneath their feet, there was a slight sense of vertigo. The verdant forest in sight had been their original target for calming down until the Stables came into sight. Or, smell.
“They say this is the place where people know the most about what’s going on,” they quietly asked the horse they’d been petting. “Don’t suppose you’ve got any of those answers for me? Do they tell you important things?”
Nendara reached into a pouch at her hip and pulled out an apple seed, concentrating on it before a delicious, red apple sat in the palm of their hand. “Can I bribe you with an apple? Tell me your secrets, new friend!”
Fiyero was in a sour mood, a rare occurrence for the normally carefree, perpetually cheerful scarecrow. He found himself at the stables, a place he would normally relish and feel right at home, but in this moment, he was feeling anything but. Because he was here on business, and some rather embarrassing business at that.
He grumbled indignantly under his breath as he searched around. He knew Elphaba wouldn't exactly approve of the toddler-like tantrum he was (very quietly, very discreetly) throwing, but it was just . . . it was just demeaning! He needed to get his straw stuffing replaced, as it was starting to get old. It was necessary, routine maintenance to keep his current form in proper working order, and the best place to procure this straw was . . . in the stables. Surrounded by all sorts of animals that liked to eat straw.
It made perfect sense. He had been around his fair share of stables and all the critters that made their homes here, and he even liked them. It's just the whole ritual of keeping his body maintained . . . it was such a headache. And a hassle. And embarrassing.
But necessity forced him past his discomfort and he entered the building, carefully walking past the different animal mounts and offering them a pat on the head if they were within reach. A few even tried to take a nip out of him. Not that Fiyero could blame them, he was sure he looked rather tasty.
But he realized he wasn't alone. There was another person here, with their long red-brown hair tied back loosely and wearing worn traveler's clothes. They were currently offering an apple to a horse, treating the animal with friendly affection, which immediately put the stranger in Fiyero's good standing.
"Oh, that one's a tough nut to crack," Fiyero joked as he approached, flashing the stranger a kind smile. "A-many a sugar cube I have gifted and he hasn't so much as breathed a word. I'm afraid he's a lost cause."
He laughed at his own joke. "I'm Fiyero, by the way." His painted eyes quickly glanced up and down Nendara's form, taking them in quickly and without any sort of reaction. "Do you work in the stables?"
He grumbled indignantly under his breath as he searched around. He knew Elphaba wouldn't exactly approve of the toddler-like tantrum he was (very quietly, very discreetly) throwing, but it was just . . . it was just demeaning! He needed to get his straw stuffing replaced, as it was starting to get old. It was necessary, routine maintenance to keep his current form in proper working order, and the best place to procure this straw was . . . in the stables. Surrounded by all sorts of animals that liked to eat straw.
It made perfect sense. He had been around his fair share of stables and all the critters that made their homes here, and he even liked them. It's just the whole ritual of keeping his body maintained . . . it was such a headache. And a hassle. And embarrassing.
But necessity forced him past his discomfort and he entered the building, carefully walking past the different animal mounts and offering them a pat on the head if they were within reach. A few even tried to take a nip out of him. Not that Fiyero could blame them, he was sure he looked rather tasty.
But he realized he wasn't alone. There was another person here, with their long red-brown hair tied back loosely and wearing worn traveler's clothes. They were currently offering an apple to a horse, treating the animal with friendly affection, which immediately put the stranger in Fiyero's good standing.
"Oh, that one's a tough nut to crack," Fiyero joked as he approached, flashing the stranger a kind smile. "A-many a sugar cube I have gifted and he hasn't so much as breathed a word. I'm afraid he's a lost cause."
He laughed at his own joke. "I'm Fiyero, by the way." His painted eyes quickly glanced up and down Nendara's form, taking them in quickly and without any sort of reaction. "Do you work in the stables?"
Nendara froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. It sounded like it only had two feet, though somewhat lightfooted... grumbling a little? Why would someone else be out here?! Searching for somewhere to hide, several thoughts ran through Nendara's mind almost simultaneously: I need to hide. Do I really need to hide? What if I'm not supposed to be here? But nobody stopped me from getting here. Maybe it's fine? Maybe it's a public space. Maybe someone's just coming to see their horse. It's fine, be cool. Be cool.
By the time they took a deep breath, the stranger had entered the stables and made a seemingly good-natured remark about Nendara's new horse friend never divulging his secrets. The stranger even introduced themselves: Fiyero. That sounded like a reasonable name. A solid name. Nendara finally turned to see who they were talking to. They were still getting used to the variety of folks who apparently made their home here and in sanctuary; a living scarecrow was new, but it was rude to stare so Nendara turned back to look at the horse, who nudged their arm for the apple.
At the question on if Nendara worked in the stables, they froze again for a moment. Were workers the only ones allowed? No... again, nobody had stopped them from coming here. Fiyero didn't seem mad. Just curious? The silence went on for just a few moments too long, punctuated by a few curious sniffs in Fiyero's direction before Nendara finally answered, "No, no, I'm just... I'm just visiting." Not sure what else they expected: he smelled like straw, or he must smell like it because he was nearly invisible to her sniffer in the space of the barn.
There was another slightly awkward pause as Nendara finally fed the apple to the horse. "I'm Nendara," they said, introducing themself to both the horse and Fiyero. "I was just looking for somewhere calming. Everything here is so big and shiny and a little overwhelming. Here, the stables, feel safe." They scrunched their nose in brief irritation. "I do like new adventures, but there's just so much to take in here."
Curiosity getting the better of them, Nendara turned to look at Fiyero again, brushing their mismatched bangs out of their face. "Do you work in the stables? Is it okay to be here? Do you live here? Have you always lived here? What's it like? It's at least warmer than Sanctuary. Have you ever been in the forest here? Do they have elks? Have you ever ridden one? Would you want to?" Hazel eyes alight, they added, "Do you know magic?" Surely a living scarecrow must know something about magic!
By the time they took a deep breath, the stranger had entered the stables and made a seemingly good-natured remark about Nendara's new horse friend never divulging his secrets. The stranger even introduced themselves: Fiyero. That sounded like a reasonable name. A solid name. Nendara finally turned to see who they were talking to. They were still getting used to the variety of folks who apparently made their home here and in sanctuary; a living scarecrow was new, but it was rude to stare so Nendara turned back to look at the horse, who nudged their arm for the apple.
At the question on if Nendara worked in the stables, they froze again for a moment. Were workers the only ones allowed? No... again, nobody had stopped them from coming here. Fiyero didn't seem mad. Just curious? The silence went on for just a few moments too long, punctuated by a few curious sniffs in Fiyero's direction before Nendara finally answered, "No, no, I'm just... I'm just visiting." Not sure what else they expected: he smelled like straw, or he must smell like it because he was nearly invisible to her sniffer in the space of the barn.
There was another slightly awkward pause as Nendara finally fed the apple to the horse. "I'm Nendara," they said, introducing themself to both the horse and Fiyero. "I was just looking for somewhere calming. Everything here is so big and shiny and a little overwhelming. Here, the stables, feel safe." They scrunched their nose in brief irritation. "I do like new adventures, but there's just so much to take in here."
Curiosity getting the better of them, Nendara turned to look at Fiyero again, brushing their mismatched bangs out of their face. "Do you work in the stables? Is it okay to be here? Do you live here? Have you always lived here? What's it like? It's at least warmer than Sanctuary. Have you ever been in the forest here? Do they have elks? Have you ever ridden one? Would you want to?" Hazel eyes alight, they added, "Do you know magic?" Surely a living scarecrow must know something about magic!
Fiyero noticed Nendara desperately trying not to stare at him, which he appreciated. Even with the ecclectic mix of residents the Agency had, he was still quite odd, and he could appreciate it when someone was trying not to be rude. But more than that, he noted how skittish and nervous this person was being, how they seemed to carefully think over everything they said before they said it. Newbie, Fiyero thought with a note of sympathy. They had to be, with how unsure they were acting. But they introduced themselves, and Fiyero dipped his head in turn.
"Nendara, nice to meet you," he said. "And hey, I'm right there with you. I got up to some wild and crazy shit in my hay-day (heh) but there's a limit before it becomes overwhelming, yeah? But don't worry, you've found yourself in a good place. I'm partial to the stables, too. I had a friend who was a Horse. Nice guy, but man, that guy had one heck of a sarcastic streak. Also a bit of a snob, but don't tell anyone!" He raised his finger to his lip, giving Nendara a conspiratorial wink.
And then, as if finding a spark of confidence, Nendara began to rattle off a whole laundry list of questions rapid-fire. Fiyero smiled politely, but that smile started to fade as they went on and on and on--
"Whoa! Okay there, slow down!" Fiyero said with a laugh. "Take a breath! Goodness, I thought you'd pass out there for a second! First of all, no I don't work here, I was just . . . looking for something. But I do live in the Omphalos. I'm an Agent, see?" He said, gesturing to a gauntlet on his wrist, a gauntlet that looked to be a thick armored leather glove with metal plates over the back of the hand and up the forearm. "And I haven't been here terribly long, but the area's . . . nice enough, I suppose. Forest is pretty nice to walk through if you wanna clear your head. Dunno if they have any elk, but I'm sure there's all sorts of weird things out there. Just watch for Lions and Tigers and Bears." He gave another wink.
"As for magic, I'm afraid I'm about as useless with magic as they come!" he said. "Oh, sure, you'd think being a magic talking scarecrow would give me some insight, but nah, it's all nonsense to me. No clue about any of that stuff. But my wife? Oh, she's an extraordinarily talented Witch. I'm sure if you meet her, she'll happily talk your ear off about magic."
He tilted his head, looking more inquisitively at them as he leaned against the stable walls, one arm leaning over a stall door. "You're new, right? You gotta be, your whole aura just reeks 'newbie.' But hey! I was one too not all that long ago! No judgment here! You'll find your footing, but until you do, I'm happy to help you out."
"Nendara, nice to meet you," he said. "And hey, I'm right there with you. I got up to some wild and crazy shit in my hay-day (heh) but there's a limit before it becomes overwhelming, yeah? But don't worry, you've found yourself in a good place. I'm partial to the stables, too. I had a friend who was a Horse. Nice guy, but man, that guy had one heck of a sarcastic streak. Also a bit of a snob, but don't tell anyone!" He raised his finger to his lip, giving Nendara a conspiratorial wink.
And then, as if finding a spark of confidence, Nendara began to rattle off a whole laundry list of questions rapid-fire. Fiyero smiled politely, but that smile started to fade as they went on and on and on--
"Whoa! Okay there, slow down!" Fiyero said with a laugh. "Take a breath! Goodness, I thought you'd pass out there for a second! First of all, no I don't work here, I was just . . . looking for something. But I do live in the Omphalos. I'm an Agent, see?" He said, gesturing to a gauntlet on his wrist, a gauntlet that looked to be a thick armored leather glove with metal plates over the back of the hand and up the forearm. "And I haven't been here terribly long, but the area's . . . nice enough, I suppose. Forest is pretty nice to walk through if you wanna clear your head. Dunno if they have any elk, but I'm sure there's all sorts of weird things out there. Just watch for Lions and Tigers and Bears." He gave another wink.
"As for magic, I'm afraid I'm about as useless with magic as they come!" he said. "Oh, sure, you'd think being a magic talking scarecrow would give me some insight, but nah, it's all nonsense to me. No clue about any of that stuff. But my wife? Oh, she's an extraordinarily talented Witch. I'm sure if you meet her, she'll happily talk your ear off about magic."
He tilted his head, looking more inquisitively at them as he leaned against the stable walls, one arm leaning over a stall door. "You're new, right? You gotta be, your whole aura just reeks 'newbie.' But hey! I was one too not all that long ago! No judgment here! You'll find your footing, but until you do, I'm happy to help you out."
Nendara couldn't help a small snort of laughter at the "hay-day" pun, but it seemed like that had been Fiyero's intention: to lighten the mood and make them feel more at ease. It was working. Knowing that they weren't about to be scolded for being in the stables, Nendara was able to relax further. It didn't hurt that Fiyero had a nice voice.
"You can talk to horses too? This one calls you a hay-thief. I don't know why, as there's plenty of hay here to go around." The horse nickered and lipped at Nendara's cloak, and they playfully pushed the horse's face away.
Ahhhh, Fiyero was an Agent. Nendara had been hearing quite a bit about those. It also might explain why he was being so patient with them. They realized too late that they'd just spouted off a litany of questions while scarce drawing breath. Some people found that really annoying. Fiyero was answering everything. In order, even! Nendara leaned in real quick for a sniff of the gauntlet when Fiyero pointed it out before giving him space again: definitely magical though, with just a hint of ozone. Like the portals. Interesting. Maybe that was the key to finding a way back home?
"Lions, tigers, and bears. Gotcha." Nendara nodded solemnly at his warning, even if it did come with a wink for some reason.
"I honestly don't know a lot about magic either," Nendara confessed carefully. "Where I come from, a lot of beings have access to it. It's often tied to certain peoples. But I don't know how it works in general. I just know... what I know." Looking around to see if anyone else was watching (just the horses, they hoped), Nendara pulled out another apple seed and proceeded to grow a golden delicious this time, offering it to Fiyero once it was nice and ripe. "Does your wife know about plant magic? Or fae?"
At the newbie question, Nendara just sighed with a rueful smile. "I suppose I made it pretty obvious, huh? I haven't been here, er, well, in Sanctuary for too long. Just long enough to be treated very warmly despite the cold weather. Long enough to learn that there is a lot to learn about all of this. How did you end up finding your footing here? Was it very different from your original home?" Nendara did their best not to bury Fiyero under another mountain of questions. They grabbed a brush off a shelf and started brushing the nearest horse to give their hands something to do.
"You can talk to horses too? This one calls you a hay-thief. I don't know why, as there's plenty of hay here to go around." The horse nickered and lipped at Nendara's cloak, and they playfully pushed the horse's face away.
Ahhhh, Fiyero was an Agent. Nendara had been hearing quite a bit about those. It also might explain why he was being so patient with them. They realized too late that they'd just spouted off a litany of questions while scarce drawing breath. Some people found that really annoying. Fiyero was answering everything. In order, even! Nendara leaned in real quick for a sniff of the gauntlet when Fiyero pointed it out before giving him space again: definitely magical though, with just a hint of ozone. Like the portals. Interesting. Maybe that was the key to finding a way back home?
"Lions, tigers, and bears. Gotcha." Nendara nodded solemnly at his warning, even if it did come with a wink for some reason.
"I honestly don't know a lot about magic either," Nendara confessed carefully. "Where I come from, a lot of beings have access to it. It's often tied to certain peoples. But I don't know how it works in general. I just know... what I know." Looking around to see if anyone else was watching (just the horses, they hoped), Nendara pulled out another apple seed and proceeded to grow a golden delicious this time, offering it to Fiyero once it was nice and ripe. "Does your wife know about plant magic? Or fae?"
At the newbie question, Nendara just sighed with a rueful smile. "I suppose I made it pretty obvious, huh? I haven't been here, er, well, in Sanctuary for too long. Just long enough to be treated very warmly despite the cold weather. Long enough to learn that there is a lot to learn about all of this. How did you end up finding your footing here? Was it very different from your original home?" Nendara did their best not to bury Fiyero under another mountain of questions. They grabbed a brush off a shelf and started brushing the nearest horse to give their hands something to do.
Fiyero instantly perked up. "Wait, did the horses actually talk to you?! I didn't think they could do that here!" His head whipped towards the animal. "Have you been able to talk this whole time and you've been holding out on me?!"
His eyes brimmed with slight indignation, yet eager hope. If the animals could talk--!
But he knew the difference between an Animal and an animal. And this horse lacked that telltale glint of intelligence in his eyes. And with a sinking heart, Fiyero realized his mistake.
"Oh . . . you mean you can talk to them . . . as in you can understand them. I see."
He looked . . . so bitterly disappointed. But he straightened, and in a blink, it was gone, and back on his face was a wide, cheerful smile.
"And for your information, Sir Horse, I did not steal anything," he said with a mockingly-offended huff. "I got that straw fair and square. I need it, too." He hesitated, and offered Nendara a very sheepish shrug. "That's why I'm here, after all. To get new straw. Because, uh . . . kinda need to change mine. You know. Scarecrow maintenance . . . stuff. Fun."
But he happily turned to much more agreeable conversation topics once Nendara presented him an apple they grew right in their own palm. Fiyero grinned and took the apple, hefting it in his hand.
"Very impressive! I'm sure my wife Fae knows a little about everything when it comes to magic, she's just brilliant like that, though her specialty is more levitation magic. And fire magic. But she doesn't practice that so much when I'm around," he said with another laugh and a wink.
"But I know plenty about faeries! At least, the fae that were native to my own home. Devious, tricky little things. You had to be really careful whenever you dealt with them, but giving them proper respect and being generous with gifts and offerings had them eating out of your hand. Oh, the mischief I'd get up to with them when I was a kid! Ah, good times."
"And don't let the shallow, self-absorbed facade fool you, I'm still fairly new myself. And I'm easy like that, yeah? I just go wherever the wind takes me and don't let it bother me too much. I'm flexible like that. I had to do my own fair share of running around and putting down roots before I got ripped away to somewhere else and had to find my footing there before I'm inevitably tossed again. Guess you can say I'm used to it."
He gave a shrug, but there was something a bit sadder and more melancholic in his eyes. "But now I guess I'm going to be here for a very long time since . . . well, since my own world got overrun. So now I'm here." He flashed another smile, and the melancholy was gone in a flash yet again. "I have to say, very different from my home. It had its quirks, but this place . . . Oz above, I can't even wrap my head around half of what I'm looking at! But I don't let that bother me! I'll get the hang of it eventually. And you will, too. It's all about not sweating the small stuff, so just take a deep breath and reassure yourself things are gonna work out."
His eyes brimmed with slight indignation, yet eager hope. If the animals could talk--!
But he knew the difference between an Animal and an animal. And this horse lacked that telltale glint of intelligence in his eyes. And with a sinking heart, Fiyero realized his mistake.
"Oh . . . you mean you can talk to them . . . as in you can understand them. I see."
He looked . . . so bitterly disappointed. But he straightened, and in a blink, it was gone, and back on his face was a wide, cheerful smile.
"And for your information, Sir Horse, I did not steal anything," he said with a mockingly-offended huff. "I got that straw fair and square. I need it, too." He hesitated, and offered Nendara a very sheepish shrug. "That's why I'm here, after all. To get new straw. Because, uh . . . kinda need to change mine. You know. Scarecrow maintenance . . . stuff. Fun."
But he happily turned to much more agreeable conversation topics once Nendara presented him an apple they grew right in their own palm. Fiyero grinned and took the apple, hefting it in his hand.
"Very impressive! I'm sure my wife Fae knows a little about everything when it comes to magic, she's just brilliant like that, though her specialty is more levitation magic. And fire magic. But she doesn't practice that so much when I'm around," he said with another laugh and a wink.
"But I know plenty about faeries! At least, the fae that were native to my own home. Devious, tricky little things. You had to be really careful whenever you dealt with them, but giving them proper respect and being generous with gifts and offerings had them eating out of your hand. Oh, the mischief I'd get up to with them when I was a kid! Ah, good times."
"And don't let the shallow, self-absorbed facade fool you, I'm still fairly new myself. And I'm easy like that, yeah? I just go wherever the wind takes me and don't let it bother me too much. I'm flexible like that. I had to do my own fair share of running around and putting down roots before I got ripped away to somewhere else and had to find my footing there before I'm inevitably tossed again. Guess you can say I'm used to it."
He gave a shrug, but there was something a bit sadder and more melancholic in his eyes. "But now I guess I'm going to be here for a very long time since . . . well, since my own world got overrun. So now I'm here." He flashed another smile, and the melancholy was gone in a flash yet again. "I have to say, very different from my home. It had its quirks, but this place . . . Oz above, I can't even wrap my head around half of what I'm looking at! But I don't let that bother me! I'll get the hang of it eventually. And you will, too. It's all about not sweating the small stuff, so just take a deep breath and reassure yourself things are gonna work out."
"Yes, I... I'm sorry, I can understand animals as well."
It was becoming quite clear to Nendara that Fiyero was an emotionally complex person. One moment, jovial, and the next, deeply sad. They felt bad thinking it, but it did make Nendara feel a little better knowing that they weren't the only one still processing everything. They hadn't spent enough time in Sanctuary to really get a feel for how people there felt about the portals. Surely some of them had also been displaced, but so many had seemed so settled in their life that Nendara hadn't dared ask.
Nendara reached out and gently placed a hand on Fiyero's arm. "I'm sorry about your world. My world was dying when I left. I thought the portal was a last ditch effort of a friend, but I ended up here instead. I'm not... I'm not sure there'd be anything to go back to, even if I knew how." That hurt to admit, but it was something that had been nagging at the back of their mind, even if the Agents did have a way to travel between worlds. Adventures before had been fun in part because they always knew they could go home at the end of it, but this time was different.
But Fiyero was right. Seeds got blown around the wind all the time and had to make the best of where they landed. Birds got blown off course in storms all the time and still found a way to survive. If Fiyero could put on a brave face despite the struggles he was obviously facing, then so could Nendara. They'd find a way not just to survive, but to thrive.
"Things are gonna work out," they repeated, removing their hand from Fiyero's arm. "Also, you don't seem that shallow to me." Nendara shrugged.
"Oh, um, do you need help? With maintenance? Sorry, that's probably pretty personal. UM. I could maybe... Do you need more hay? I can help you get more hay. Or is it that.. is it like... all crushed up inside you and you just need fresh hay? Cuz I could probably.. fix that.." It was surprisingly difficult to explain what they were trying to say without making it sound highly inappropriate. "HMM, you know, I'll just let you do what you're gonna do and give you some privacy, I guess??"
Turning back to her handsome horse friend, Nendara began brushing with enthusiasm, the tips of their ears going a little red at how awkward they'd probably made things. Hyssop the horse made a grumbling noise and Nendara gave him a small shove back. "Shut up! You're gonna make me look bad!"
After a bit, when it felt like the right time to ask, Nendara queried, "Is it worth it? Becoming an Agent? At least from what you've experienced so far?"
It was becoming quite clear to Nendara that Fiyero was an emotionally complex person. One moment, jovial, and the next, deeply sad. They felt bad thinking it, but it did make Nendara feel a little better knowing that they weren't the only one still processing everything. They hadn't spent enough time in Sanctuary to really get a feel for how people there felt about the portals. Surely some of them had also been displaced, but so many had seemed so settled in their life that Nendara hadn't dared ask.
Nendara reached out and gently placed a hand on Fiyero's arm. "I'm sorry about your world. My world was dying when I left. I thought the portal was a last ditch effort of a friend, but I ended up here instead. I'm not... I'm not sure there'd be anything to go back to, even if I knew how." That hurt to admit, but it was something that had been nagging at the back of their mind, even if the Agents did have a way to travel between worlds. Adventures before had been fun in part because they always knew they could go home at the end of it, but this time was different.
But Fiyero was right. Seeds got blown around the wind all the time and had to make the best of where they landed. Birds got blown off course in storms all the time and still found a way to survive. If Fiyero could put on a brave face despite the struggles he was obviously facing, then so could Nendara. They'd find a way not just to survive, but to thrive.
"Things are gonna work out," they repeated, removing their hand from Fiyero's arm. "Also, you don't seem that shallow to me." Nendara shrugged.
"Oh, um, do you need help? With maintenance? Sorry, that's probably pretty personal. UM. I could maybe... Do you need more hay? I can help you get more hay. Or is it that.. is it like... all crushed up inside you and you just need fresh hay? Cuz I could probably.. fix that.." It was surprisingly difficult to explain what they were trying to say without making it sound highly inappropriate. "HMM, you know, I'll just let you do what you're gonna do and give you some privacy, I guess??"
Turning back to her handsome horse friend, Nendara began brushing with enthusiasm, the tips of their ears going a little red at how awkward they'd probably made things. Hyssop the horse made a grumbling noise and Nendara gave him a small shove back. "Shut up! You're gonna make me look bad!"
After a bit, when it felt like the right time to ask, Nendara queried, "Is it worth it? Becoming an Agent? At least from what you've experienced so far?"
Nendara put a hand on his arm, and Fiyero looked at them, surprised. He could feel himself recoil ever so slightly--he wasn't used to other people touching him, practically no one other than Elphaba did that. Nothing more than cordial handshakes, and even then he could feel people cringing or wincing at his touch. So this was . . . surprising. Pleasantly so, but still.
"I . . . thank you," he finally said. "I'm really sorry about your own world, too. If it's any consolation, you're hardly the only one here with a similar sad story. Like me, actually. You know, I had plenty of problems with my own world. It was kind of rotten, and I thought I was content to leave it behind and never return. I didn't think I'd ever miss the place that gave me and my wife such grief. And then when the Corruption hit . . ." He let out a quiet sigh, which sounded like wind whistling through the grass. "And then everything was gone, and I realized just how much I missed it. Because despite everything . . . it's still home."
"Is it worth it? Becoming an Agent?"
Fiyero thought about that long and hard, his eyes going somewhere far into the distance. He picked up another brush, stepping on the other side of the horse, and began to gently and methodically brush it, taking long slow strokes across its back. He had to be mindful not to get too close to the horse's head in case it decided it wanted his hair for a snack, but Fiyero didn't mind. Doing something familiar helped get his mind in order.
"It's not easy, I can promise you that," he finally said. "It's hard, hard work. And when you start off, you're gonna get shoved on a lot of grunt work and if you got a big fat head like I do, that'll get fixed real quick and the reality of what we're fighting will knock you on your ass faster than any horse ever could. You lose more than you win. Often there's not a damn thing you can do as you watch the Corruption eat entire cities whole except grab whatever poor saps manage to survive and drag them, kicking and screaming away from the shades of their friends and loved ones. It's honestly pretty shit sometimes."
He looked up and met Nendara's eyes.
"But I realized I had a choice. I could sit and wallow in despair about what happened to my world, or I could do something about it. I could help. And, honestly, there's not a whole lot a scarecrow can help with, so I do whatever I can, and I content myself with that. Some people have the skills to fight. Some people have the skills to care for other survivors, or upkeep the Omphalos, or take care of these fuzzy little guys here." He gave an affectionate scratch to the horse's ear. "Point is, the world can always use more helpers. It's up to you to decide what sort of help you can offer."
"And speaking of help--" he said, pointing his brush at Nendara. "Don't worry about me, I got the whole scarecrow maintenance thing handled. I got my wife to help me out. Kinda need another person for . . . all that. I just came here looking for the quartermaster to ask him if he had a spare bale of hay lying around and when no one was here, I'd . . . do my thing."
He shuddered.
"It never gets any more pleasant. It doesn't hurt, but, well . . . you try having your insides all emptied out until you're nothing more than a floppy tube sock only to be stuffed back together and sewn up! It's so weird!"
"I . . . thank you," he finally said. "I'm really sorry about your own world, too. If it's any consolation, you're hardly the only one here with a similar sad story. Like me, actually. You know, I had plenty of problems with my own world. It was kind of rotten, and I thought I was content to leave it behind and never return. I didn't think I'd ever miss the place that gave me and my wife such grief. And then when the Corruption hit . . ." He let out a quiet sigh, which sounded like wind whistling through the grass. "And then everything was gone, and I realized just how much I missed it. Because despite everything . . . it's still home."
"Is it worth it? Becoming an Agent?"
Fiyero thought about that long and hard, his eyes going somewhere far into the distance. He picked up another brush, stepping on the other side of the horse, and began to gently and methodically brush it, taking long slow strokes across its back. He had to be mindful not to get too close to the horse's head in case it decided it wanted his hair for a snack, but Fiyero didn't mind. Doing something familiar helped get his mind in order.
"It's not easy, I can promise you that," he finally said. "It's hard, hard work. And when you start off, you're gonna get shoved on a lot of grunt work and if you got a big fat head like I do, that'll get fixed real quick and the reality of what we're fighting will knock you on your ass faster than any horse ever could. You lose more than you win. Often there's not a damn thing you can do as you watch the Corruption eat entire cities whole except grab whatever poor saps manage to survive and drag them, kicking and screaming away from the shades of their friends and loved ones. It's honestly pretty shit sometimes."
He looked up and met Nendara's eyes.
"But I realized I had a choice. I could sit and wallow in despair about what happened to my world, or I could do something about it. I could help. And, honestly, there's not a whole lot a scarecrow can help with, so I do whatever I can, and I content myself with that. Some people have the skills to fight. Some people have the skills to care for other survivors, or upkeep the Omphalos, or take care of these fuzzy little guys here." He gave an affectionate scratch to the horse's ear. "Point is, the world can always use more helpers. It's up to you to decide what sort of help you can offer."
"And speaking of help--" he said, pointing his brush at Nendara. "Don't worry about me, I got the whole scarecrow maintenance thing handled. I got my wife to help me out. Kinda need another person for . . . all that. I just came here looking for the quartermaster to ask him if he had a spare bale of hay lying around and when no one was here, I'd . . . do my thing."
He shuddered.
"It never gets any more pleasant. It doesn't hurt, but, well . . . you try having your insides all emptied out until you're nothing more than a floppy tube sock only to be stuffed back together and sewn up! It's so weird!"
Nendara's hands stilled in their work as Fiyero answered their question. The gravity of his words were not lost on Nendara. This was literally life or death for many people. Nendara was still learning about the Corruption, but they had learned enough to know that it was generally all-consuming and there wasn't yet a way to reverse its effects once it took hold of people. They'd even begun to wonder if that's what was causing the death of her world. If an aspect of the Corruption had found a major magical leyline and started feeding off the corrupted magic that they and their friends had been actively trying to combat...
Nendara and their friends had not been able to stop the corruption of magic. They had all just assumed it was this corrupted magic that was slowly weakening the magic at the heart of their world. But now... it felt like there was a clearer answer here. Nendara may not have been able to do anything to save their home. But maybe they could help save someone else's.
How could they? How should they? Tending to the Heart Tree had kept them busy enough, but at the end, they'd jumped at the idea of being back with friends. With people. Even when they were younger, they'd strayed from their duties to help lost travelers and eventually left the forest altogether to see the world. Nendara could certainly help tend gardens here or work in the stables, but would that really be enough to keep them happy? To keep them challenged? This is not a game, they reminded themself. This can't just be about the challenge. This is about lives.
Knowing this moment was going to define possibly the rest of their life, Nendara chewed it over carefully before reestablishing eye contact with Fiyero on the other side of Hyssop the horse. "I want to help. I want to do it. Become an Agent. If I can help prevent other people from suffering the same fate as my world, then I have to try. I have to fight."
With that decided, Nendara gave Hyssop a final brush and a loving pat before putting their brush back on the shelf and sliding out of the stall. Nendara turned back to face Fiyero with a look of determination. "Who must I speak with to become an Agent? I sorta ran straight here without stopping to see anything else on the way, so... I missed if there were any signs." Their expression turned a bit sheepish, but the determined glint in their hazel eyes remained.
They quickly tried to fix their wild hair, undoing the ponytail and brushing out a few leaves with their fingers. Had to try to make at least a decent first impression! ... even if they were wearing mismatched boots! Holding the hair tie in their mouth, they added through clenched teeth," If you need to stay here to do your maintenance, that's fine. Just point me in the right direction, if you please."
Nendara and their friends had not been able to stop the corruption of magic. They had all just assumed it was this corrupted magic that was slowly weakening the magic at the heart of their world. But now... it felt like there was a clearer answer here. Nendara may not have been able to do anything to save their home. But maybe they could help save someone else's.
How could they? How should they? Tending to the Heart Tree had kept them busy enough, but at the end, they'd jumped at the idea of being back with friends. With people. Even when they were younger, they'd strayed from their duties to help lost travelers and eventually left the forest altogether to see the world. Nendara could certainly help tend gardens here or work in the stables, but would that really be enough to keep them happy? To keep them challenged? This is not a game, they reminded themself. This can't just be about the challenge. This is about lives.
Knowing this moment was going to define possibly the rest of their life, Nendara chewed it over carefully before reestablishing eye contact with Fiyero on the other side of Hyssop the horse. "I want to help. I want to do it. Become an Agent. If I can help prevent other people from suffering the same fate as my world, then I have to try. I have to fight."
With that decided, Nendara gave Hyssop a final brush and a loving pat before putting their brush back on the shelf and sliding out of the stall. Nendara turned back to face Fiyero with a look of determination. "Who must I speak with to become an Agent? I sorta ran straight here without stopping to see anything else on the way, so... I missed if there were any signs." Their expression turned a bit sheepish, but the determined glint in their hazel eyes remained.
They quickly tried to fix their wild hair, undoing the ponytail and brushing out a few leaves with their fingers. Had to try to make at least a decent first impression! ... even if they were wearing mismatched boots! Holding the hair tie in their mouth, they added through clenched teeth," If you need to stay here to do your maintenance, that's fine. Just point me in the right direction, if you please."
Fiyero smiled in approval, and perhaps even pride as Nendara decided. That was, without a joke, almost word for word what he said when he made his choice to join the Agency.
"Then we'll be very happy to have you join our ranks, Nendara," he said. He slipped out of the stall with them and offered his hand for a shake. "Welcome aboard--erm, maybe it's a bit premature of me to say that. I don't have the authority to make anything official, but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other out there on the battlefield before long. Come on, let me show you around and get you sorted."
"Here, let's get back to the Omphalos and I can show you who to talk to. I don't know if Krepta is around--she's kind of the head honcho. I think. Well, if not, we'll find someone else. And don't worry about the straw! That can wait! This is much more important," he reassured her. "It's not like I'll spontaneously combust or anything."
No, he was not stalling. This was clearly a higher priority, and someone new to the Omphalos was likely to get lost! He was just doing the gentlemanly thing and showing them around. He'd do his re-stuffing later, thank you very much.
He led the two of them back to the massive building that was the Omphalos, past many others mingling to and fro. It was a considerable trek, as the stables were on the other side of the island from the main building, but Fiyero didn't mind, and Nendara looked perfectly comfortable to bit of walking. They passed plenty of other residents, some meandering outside doing various tasks, some moving with purpose, and like a beehive there was a constant stream of activity. Fiyero smoothly navigated through the crowds, passing people by with a friendly smile and a wave before they entered the main building and entered the ground floor of the Omphalos.
"Fair warning, if you want to be an Agent, they're going to do an interview. A very thorough interview. There can't be any secrets," Fiyero said, sounding somewhat apologetic. "They need to make sure you mean it when you say you want to help, they can't exactly trust people just on their word. So if there's any pertinent earth-shattering secrets, just . . . be ready to be honest. Don't try lying to them. Just don't."
"Then we'll be very happy to have you join our ranks, Nendara," he said. He slipped out of the stall with them and offered his hand for a shake. "Welcome aboard--erm, maybe it's a bit premature of me to say that. I don't have the authority to make anything official, but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other out there on the battlefield before long. Come on, let me show you around and get you sorted."
"Here, let's get back to the Omphalos and I can show you who to talk to. I don't know if Krepta is around--she's kind of the head honcho. I think. Well, if not, we'll find someone else. And don't worry about the straw! That can wait! This is much more important," he reassured her. "It's not like I'll spontaneously combust or anything."
No, he was not stalling. This was clearly a higher priority, and someone new to the Omphalos was likely to get lost! He was just doing the gentlemanly thing and showing them around. He'd do his re-stuffing later, thank you very much.
He led the two of them back to the massive building that was the Omphalos, past many others mingling to and fro. It was a considerable trek, as the stables were on the other side of the island from the main building, but Fiyero didn't mind, and Nendara looked perfectly comfortable to bit of walking. They passed plenty of other residents, some meandering outside doing various tasks, some moving with purpose, and like a beehive there was a constant stream of activity. Fiyero smoothly navigated through the crowds, passing people by with a friendly smile and a wave before they entered the main building and entered the ground floor of the Omphalos.
"Fair warning, if you want to be an Agent, they're going to do an interview. A very thorough interview. There can't be any secrets," Fiyero said, sounding somewhat apologetic. "They need to make sure you mean it when you say you want to help, they can't exactly trust people just on their word. So if there's any pertinent earth-shattering secrets, just . . . be ready to be honest. Don't try lying to them. Just don't."
Nendara retied their hair back and firmly shook the offered hand. "I'll follow your lead." With Fiyero's assurance that the straw could wait, he lead the way out of the stables, and after quickly grabbing their staff that they'd set against a wall when they first entered the stables, Nendara followed close behind.
It was a bit of a trek, but Nendara didn't mind. This was an opportunity to get a better look around at the landscape and the layout of the buildings after their previously hurried beeline for the stables. It was also a chance to take in the appearance of the various residents going about their tasks. There were quite a lot of people here. It would be easy to get distracted the sounds and smells, but Nendara was determined to get this right. Nendara kept to Fiyero's wake as they navigated through the crowds, doing their best to stay in his shadow and to not jostle anyone in passing.
Once they entered what had to be the main building, things started to feel more real. Fiyero's warning about being honest was a little worrying; not that Nendara planned to lie, but it did give cause them to ponder what means the higher ups would use to ensure truthfulness. Fiyero seemed quite apologetic upon revealing this, so it probably wasn't a very nice method. Belatedly, Nendara wondered if she should've found out more about who they'd be working, but they'd already made the decision to do this. The cause itself was important. They'd just learn more as they went, they supposed.
"Honesty. Best policy, so I hear," Nendara responded so that Fiyero knew they'd been listening. They stood up a little straighter as they walked, hoping to convey a similarly upright attitude.
They wondered what this "Krepta" would be like, if it was Krepta they even ended up meeting. Would they be strict from the get-go? Kinda felt like that might be true.
"Anything else I should know before this interview? If not this Krepta you mentioned, who's in charge?"
It was a bit of a trek, but Nendara didn't mind. This was an opportunity to get a better look around at the landscape and the layout of the buildings after their previously hurried beeline for the stables. It was also a chance to take in the appearance of the various residents going about their tasks. There were quite a lot of people here. It would be easy to get distracted the sounds and smells, but Nendara was determined to get this right. Nendara kept to Fiyero's wake as they navigated through the crowds, doing their best to stay in his shadow and to not jostle anyone in passing.
Once they entered what had to be the main building, things started to feel more real. Fiyero's warning about being honest was a little worrying; not that Nendara planned to lie, but it did give cause them to ponder what means the higher ups would use to ensure truthfulness. Fiyero seemed quite apologetic upon revealing this, so it probably wasn't a very nice method. Belatedly, Nendara wondered if she should've found out more about who they'd be working, but they'd already made the decision to do this. The cause itself was important. They'd just learn more as they went, they supposed.
"Honesty. Best policy, so I hear," Nendara responded so that Fiyero knew they'd been listening. They stood up a little straighter as they walked, hoping to convey a similarly upright attitude.
They wondered what this "Krepta" would be like, if it was Krepta they even ended up meeting. Would they be strict from the get-go? Kinda felt like that might be true.
"Anything else I should know before this interview? If not this Krepta you mentioned, who's in charge?"
"Well, I don't know how much I'm allowed to say in terms of the whole interview process, but yeah, honesty is the best policy, and if you got any magic powers, just be upfront about them. If they have reason to suspect you're not being 100% upfront and honest with them, they have ways of finding out. And some of those ways can be very. Very. Invasive."
Fiyero's eyes dulled to a distant traumatic thousand-yard stare as he gave an involuntary shudder, his whole body rustling like dried grass.
"I'm not trying to scare you, just warning you. I thought I could . . . uh, stretch the truth about myself. Nothing bad, don't get the wrong idea, but there's a few things I like to keep to myself and things I'd rather people not know about me. So, advice? Don't do that. But! Let me assure you, all those dirty little secrets? Kept extremely confidential so only the highest members know, and they'll only know that stuff if they have really good reason to do so."
"There's a few other people in charge along with Krepta, though I haven't met many of them myself. There's this one guy called the Bat-man. Dressed in black, wears a cape and a mask. Really scary-looking guy, total hard-ass, but it's not personal, that's just how he is. And there's Hellboy. Looks like a literal demon out of hell, but he's a nice enough guy. Can drink you under the table if you're not careful. And there's Steven. Total marshmallow, good kid. Haven't really known him too well but he seems nice. Maybe too nice, or maybe they need someone that nice to compensate all the grump."
As they talked, Fiyero led them to a desk where another Agent, a more bureaucratic-type was plugging away at their tablet. They were a large bulky guy, looked to be a rock-golem or some sort of earth-elemental type monster, and they barely tore their black obsidian-like eyes away from their tablet at Fiyero's approach.
"Hey, there!" Fiyero greeted the golem. "I'm looking for a recruitment officer. I've got a young promising individual looking to become an Agent--"
Without a word, the golem tossed Fiyero a clipboard, which Fiyero tried to catch--only to have it fumble out of his hands and clatter to the floor. Fiyero dipped over to scoop it up, and it was then that his legs decided they didn't want to work right because he could not get his knees to bend in the right way so had to resort to awkwardly dragging himself back upright by clinging to the desk. Grace, his middle name was not.
"Fill that out," the golem said gruffly. "When you're done, an agent will be with you when next available."
Fiyero frowned as he passed the clipboard to Nendara. "And when will that be?"
The golem glared at him. "When they're available."
"Okay! Okay! Sweet Oz, I get it!" Fiyero grumbled, throwing his hands up and leading Nendara over to some nearby tables where they could fill out the forms in peace. "Who shat in his coffee this morning, anyway?"
Fiyero's eyes dulled to a distant traumatic thousand-yard stare as he gave an involuntary shudder, his whole body rustling like dried grass.
"I'm not trying to scare you, just warning you. I thought I could . . . uh, stretch the truth about myself. Nothing bad, don't get the wrong idea, but there's a few things I like to keep to myself and things I'd rather people not know about me. So, advice? Don't do that. But! Let me assure you, all those dirty little secrets? Kept extremely confidential so only the highest members know, and they'll only know that stuff if they have really good reason to do so."
"There's a few other people in charge along with Krepta, though I haven't met many of them myself. There's this one guy called the Bat-man. Dressed in black, wears a cape and a mask. Really scary-looking guy, total hard-ass, but it's not personal, that's just how he is. And there's Hellboy. Looks like a literal demon out of hell, but he's a nice enough guy. Can drink you under the table if you're not careful. And there's Steven. Total marshmallow, good kid. Haven't really known him too well but he seems nice. Maybe too nice, or maybe they need someone that nice to compensate all the grump."
As they talked, Fiyero led them to a desk where another Agent, a more bureaucratic-type was plugging away at their tablet. They were a large bulky guy, looked to be a rock-golem or some sort of earth-elemental type monster, and they barely tore their black obsidian-like eyes away from their tablet at Fiyero's approach.
"Hey, there!" Fiyero greeted the golem. "I'm looking for a recruitment officer. I've got a young promising individual looking to become an Agent--"
Without a word, the golem tossed Fiyero a clipboard, which Fiyero tried to catch--only to have it fumble out of his hands and clatter to the floor. Fiyero dipped over to scoop it up, and it was then that his legs decided they didn't want to work right because he could not get his knees to bend in the right way so had to resort to awkwardly dragging himself back upright by clinging to the desk. Grace, his middle name was not.
"Fill that out," the golem said gruffly. "When you're done, an agent will be with you when next available."
Fiyero frowned as he passed the clipboard to Nendara. "And when will that be?"
The golem glared at him. "When they're available."
"Okay! Okay! Sweet Oz, I get it!" Fiyero grumbled, throwing his hands up and leading Nendara over to some nearby tables where they could fill out the forms in peace. "Who shat in his coffee this morning, anyway?"
With Nendara's hunch about unpleasant truth-determining methods confirmed by Fiyero's thousand-yard stare, they just nodded and continued to listen to what he had to say. Poor Fiyero... Everyone was entitled to keep pieces of themselves to themselves. Nendara supposed that the higher ups here had a good reason for needing to know everything, but still.
Upon hearing the name "Bat-man," Nendara was first excited then disappointed to hear that he was not, in fact, an anthropomorphic bat fellow. Hellboy sounded interesting. Steven sounded the nicest, even if that assumption probably confirmed what Fiyero said about him possibly being too nice.
Now, the Agent at the counter did not appear to be so nice. Nendara waited patiently behind Fiyero as the scarecrow attempted to be friendly with the golem-like individual only to have a writing board tossed at him, followed by only the most basic instructions and a non-helpful wait time. (They would pretend that his noodly retrieval of the writing board did not happen.) Nendara was soooo glad that they hadn't had to deal with such people in their old world. Bureaucracy didn't seem very fun, but they had had friends who were at least more familiar with it and better at navigating it then Nendara themself.
"Paperwork does not seem to attract the most hospitable of folks. Either that or the whole system just eats your soul."
This paperwork was probably going to eat a little of Nendara's soul as well. Having to slow down to do this when they'd just been determinedly marching forward felt like suddenly slogging through mud. At least they'd been lucky enough to discover that the Common Tongue from their home was similar to the common language here. Their handwriting just wasn't going to be the prettiest. And there were, um, some dirt smudges on the paper. Gods, why did filling out forms have to take so long?
So long as there weren't any surprises on the forms, Nendara would fill them out diligently and then go with Fiyero to bring back the writing board and the forms. And then, they assumed, they'd wait.
Upon hearing the name "Bat-man," Nendara was first excited then disappointed to hear that he was not, in fact, an anthropomorphic bat fellow. Hellboy sounded interesting. Steven sounded the nicest, even if that assumption probably confirmed what Fiyero said about him possibly being too nice.
Now, the Agent at the counter did not appear to be so nice. Nendara waited patiently behind Fiyero as the scarecrow attempted to be friendly with the golem-like individual only to have a writing board tossed at him, followed by only the most basic instructions and a non-helpful wait time. (They would pretend that his noodly retrieval of the writing board did not happen.) Nendara was soooo glad that they hadn't had to deal with such people in their old world. Bureaucracy didn't seem very fun, but they had had friends who were at least more familiar with it and better at navigating it then Nendara themself.
"Paperwork does not seem to attract the most hospitable of folks. Either that or the whole system just eats your soul."
This paperwork was probably going to eat a little of Nendara's soul as well. Having to slow down to do this when they'd just been determinedly marching forward felt like suddenly slogging through mud. At least they'd been lucky enough to discover that the Common Tongue from their home was similar to the common language here. Their handwriting just wasn't going to be the prettiest. And there were, um, some dirt smudges on the paper. Gods, why did filling out forms have to take so long?
So long as there weren't any surprises on the forms, Nendara would fill them out diligently and then go with Fiyero to bring back the writing board and the forms. And then, they assumed, they'd wait.
Fiyero helped out where he could, but at this point, there wasn't much he could do besides answer some very basic questions for Nendara. But after an agonizingly long time (why did they have to do paperwork? It was borderline torture) they had finished and turned in the clipboard to the golem, who barely looked up at them.
So they went back to the sofas. And they waited.
It was a bit awkward. Fiyero tried to keep the mood light and cheerful by talking about nothing at all, but the wait ended up being shorter than he anticipated. Soon, another Agent approached them, this one a bird-person, sort of reminiscent of a harpy but their wings were bat-like instead of feathered. She looked at Nendara.
"Are you our newest recruit?" she asked. "Come with me."
Fiyero gave them an encouraging thumbs up. "You've got this! Go get 'em!"
And the harpy led Nendara behind a pair of doors, and they disappeared from view.
And all Fiyero could do was wait.
But Fiyero was not a patient person. He hated waiting.
---
Fiyero should have been back by now. The fact he wasn't, well, it wasn't concerning per se, but it did provoke an investigation.
Elphaba pulled herself from her book, setting it neatly down on the table and striding out of her room. She made her way down to the ground level of the Omphalos, ready to scour the whole building and grounds for him--and found him lounging in a sofa right besides the main terminal for the Agents.
She walked over to him, hands on her hips. "Fiyero." He jumped to his feet, his left leg wobbling underneath him, but he smiled right at her. "Was there something you were supposed to do today?"
His smile faltered. "I didn't forget!" he protested. "I went right to the stables, like you told me to--but there was a person there, and they needed help--"
Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I know this whole process is uncomfortable, but you can't keep putting it off. You . . ." She looked around carefully before she ducked her head low, dropping her voice as she leaned in. "You're starting to have a bit of a musk."
Fiyero scoffed in outrage. "I do not!"
"How would you know? You can't smell."
"I--! That's besides the point! I met another person, and they were lost and trying to find their footing, so I led them here, and after a bit of talking, they decided they wanted to be an Agent, so I helped them out! They're right through those doors, doing their interview right now as we speak!"
"Are they? Well." Elphaba neatly sat herself down on the sofa, crossing her ankles over each other as her hands rested in her lap. "I guess I'll see for myself when they stride right out those doors."
"I'm not lying, Fae."
"Oh, I don't doubt you are. I'm just curious to meet the person you've wooed with your good charm."
So they went back to the sofas. And they waited.
It was a bit awkward. Fiyero tried to keep the mood light and cheerful by talking about nothing at all, but the wait ended up being shorter than he anticipated. Soon, another Agent approached them, this one a bird-person, sort of reminiscent of a harpy but their wings were bat-like instead of feathered. She looked at Nendara.
"Are you our newest recruit?" she asked. "Come with me."
Fiyero gave them an encouraging thumbs up. "You've got this! Go get 'em!"
And the harpy led Nendara behind a pair of doors, and they disappeared from view.
And all Fiyero could do was wait.
But Fiyero was not a patient person. He hated waiting.
---
Fiyero should have been back by now. The fact he wasn't, well, it wasn't concerning per se, but it did provoke an investigation.
Elphaba pulled herself from her book, setting it neatly down on the table and striding out of her room. She made her way down to the ground level of the Omphalos, ready to scour the whole building and grounds for him--and found him lounging in a sofa right besides the main terminal for the Agents.
She walked over to him, hands on her hips. "Fiyero." He jumped to his feet, his left leg wobbling underneath him, but he smiled right at her. "Was there something you were supposed to do today?"
His smile faltered. "I didn't forget!" he protested. "I went right to the stables, like you told me to--but there was a person there, and they needed help--"
Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I know this whole process is uncomfortable, but you can't keep putting it off. You . . ." She looked around carefully before she ducked her head low, dropping her voice as she leaned in. "You're starting to have a bit of a musk."
Fiyero scoffed in outrage. "I do not!"
"How would you know? You can't smell."
"I--! That's besides the point! I met another person, and they were lost and trying to find their footing, so I led them here, and after a bit of talking, they decided they wanted to be an Agent, so I helped them out! They're right through those doors, doing their interview right now as we speak!"
"Are they? Well." Elphaba neatly sat herself down on the sofa, crossing her ankles over each other as her hands rested in her lap. "I guess I'll see for myself when they stride right out those doors."
"I'm not lying, Fae."
"Oh, I don't doubt you are. I'm just curious to meet the person you've wooed with your good charm."
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