World Tree MUSH

     For Diantha it's been a full day of exploring new worlds and seeing where all these vines go. It's been interesting seeing new places and meeting different sorts of people, some unlike any from her world. However, since she can't yet return to that world, the other pressing reason to be exploring is that she feels she needs to find a place to use as her temporary home. She may still wander quite a bit, but it'll be nice to have a space she can come back to where she feels comfortable. Today she perhaps has found such a place as she finds herself in a nice peaceful forest. She goes about her stroll, trusty staff in hand, collecting berries and fruits and placing them in a cloth pouch hanging around her waist to save for her dinner later. She so far has not seen a single person, which further makes her think that no one will likely mind if she sticks around for a while.

    Rou-ri himself had decided to stop in the local forest and hunt for something to eat. Normally he'd be content with fish, but he didn't immediately see a source of water, so instead he decided for hunting. His normal sources of food had ran out this morning and he hadn't realize it until he got hungry, or he'd have stocked up in the previous town. Floating around quietly through the trees, above the ground, on his flying disc, the Pandaren warrior had a large bow of blood-elven make and an arrow resting over his lap. Sure, this might in some areas be considered poaching, but as far as Rou-ri was concerned? There was no reason to stalk his prey on the ground when he could just look around for it in a much more quiet fashion.

    It was about then he saw something that looked vaguely like a deers flank and the Pandaren notched the arrow, not drawing it yet so much as leaning to the side a bit to steer the flying cloud disc to the side to try and circle around behind them.

     That flying disk is indeed quiet and Diantha is no better able to hear it with her elvish ears than an actual deer might. She continues moving along, coming to an apple tree, she sees some ripe apples that are just out of reach. So she rears up a little on her hind legs, clearly struggling a bit to keep her balance but it's worth it as she whacks the branch with her staff and the apples fall. 

     She then goes about picking them up off the ground and putting them into her pack. "There, that should do for now." She says softly to herself, and after spotting one last apple she missed, she picks it up and begins eating it right now.

    He continued to slip around from behind until he could clearly see the deers front half only to pause and lower his bow, a bit of a frown on his expression. A dryad? Slipping the arrow into his satchel and leaving the bow out, Rou-ri jumped off the cloud and let it descend on its' own, landing with a rather heavy thud on the ground about fifty feet from Diantha. He was wearing most of his armor at the moment, the pink goggles down over his eyes as he'd both been flying recently, and was using them while hunting to keep track of movements of things. "You should be more careful, Dryad... consider putting some paint or decorations on your flank, else those of us hunting like myself will mistake you for a deer."

    Depending on how familiar Diantha was with Pandarens, or even knowledgable about various warriors from the various factions, something about Rou-ri might seem familiar. A not-fat Pandaren, with a peculiar pair of goggles, a customized-looking armor set and a tool belt? He did strike a bit of a... unique appearance among various adventurers, especially as he'd spent enough years helping various groups around Azeroth that some might recognize him. Though he helped out around Hyjal and the Molten Front, it wasn't until after the war at Pandaria that he'd become more widely known for his Pandaren self, instead of his previous disguise. Thus if a Dryad even knew him was hit or miss depending on if they kept up with his peacekeeping efforts from the Hordes side after that.

    "Are these woods under your protection? I'd rather not upset anyone by hunting if possible."

     Diantha is chewing a bite of her apple when she hears that unmistakable thud of something falling to the ground. She suddenly stops, still as a statue apart from a twitch of her tail as she listens and watches for movement. Soon she spots the slender Pandaren moving toward her and she relaxes a little. 

     Seeing the bow in his hands as he mentions that he almost mistook her for a deer, her eyes widen. "I guess today I am fortunate you looked closer before shooting. I appreciate the suggestion for avoiding getting shot in the future also. I'm Diantha, and though I don't think we've met before, I believe I've heard of you, as I doubt there are many Pandaren of your... figure." She says before pausing a bit, seeming to collect her thoughts, perhaps remember some of the things she's heard about this skinny Pandaren. 

     "I must say I'm not terribly pleased with the Horde in general these days after the burning of Teldrassil, but from the stories I was told, you seem to be a warrior of peace, and we're both far from home so I won't hold that against you. Anyway, to answer your question, no, I just got here, so as long as you don't go killing indiscriminately, which I suppose if you were I might not be talking to you right now, hunt away."

    "...I abandoned the Horde after what Sylvanas did. Though I am just as responsible for not going for her life in the past when I had a chance. In the end, I hold myself responsible, even if I gave her the chance thinking that Vol'jin must have known something I did not." Rou-ri sighed as he said that, clearly not enjoying the topic. "In fact I tried to threaten the Bronze Dragonflight into letting me venture back in time to stop it before it happened, even tried to ignore them and break into the timeways myself, not that it did any good it seems... if I am here talking to you, then it seems I wasn't able to travel back at all."

    A pity in his eyes. He totally burned all good will he had built up with the dragonflight in one go and it was all for nothing it seemed.

    "But yes, I... have worked for quite a while to see peace brokered on all sides. Even in the Horde, they were willing to humor my efforts to broker peace and alliances. Am I that recognizable?" A leather gauntleted hand comes up and raises his goggles, looking the dryad over directly. "Diantha. Very well, I am happy to have met you." about this point his flying disc floated down and came to rest above the ground, upon which he laid his bow. "As you seem to have guessed, I am Rou-ri Arrowpaw. Though no longer of the Horde. Just... an exile from the Horde, and likely not to be accepted back in the Alliance either even if I defected. So if there is anything you need help with, do let me know." And for a moment, his dinner was forgotten in favor of talking with the Dryad.

     Diantha's true feelings for the Horde at the moment were stronger than she let on, but she was being polite since this was her first time seeing anyone else that seemed to be from her world since she got lost among the World Tree's blossoms, and she didn't want to make that person an enemy. To hear Rou-ri tell her that he defected from the Horde over the event she spoke of, gets a disappointed sigh, as she knew there were good people among the faction, it's just the violent minority that gives them a bad name. 

     "The Horde really does have a knack for ending up with 'great' leaders as of late, Vol'jin notwithstanding. But I'm sure this is not a subject that either of us wants to talk about, so let's not. I am glad to have met you in person Rou-ri, both for the person you are, and for the fact that it's simply nice to see something familiar after the wandering I've done since I was somehow ejected from Azeroth and into this strange network of different worlds, but I'm sure you understand that feeling." She says with a smile, then looks around a bit. 

     "Hmm, I feel like I'm breaking some sort of druid code to even say this, but since I wasn't the deer you thought I was, in thanks for not shooting me, perhaps I can help you find something to shoot at that isn't a dryad?" She offers with a small laugh.

    "So... this isn't Azeroth after all, then?" A small noise left Rou-ri's nose as he seemed a bit exasperated by that. The idea of somehow being thrown into a different world entirely was... strange. Even if he'd been to Argus, and Draenor, it was different somehow. "I was just about to ask you that too. But yes, it is nice to see someone else from our land. And no, there is no need for such. While I am hungry, I am not about to impose on a Dryad for such. I would be just as content with fish, given the chance. Are you able to figure out in which direction a water source is? I imagine there is at least one or two, but in the forest like it is, I have a hard time seeing from above."

    His satchel was flipped open and Rou-ri put his bow away, pulling out some kind of mechanical device that looked roughly like a pole. Probably Dwarven or Gnomish of make.

     "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but no. It is but one of many worlds all interconnected. From what others have told me, our world is out there somewhere, we just have to find the path to it, and hope it isn't closed off." Diantha explains, then smiles as Rou-ri says he'd rather fish. "As it happens, there is a small river nearby with a waterfall that empties into a small pond. I showered there this morning, and I believe there were some fish in that pond. Follow me." She offers with a smile and would begin walking to the east through the forest and munching on her apple once more.

    Ah, so she knew somewhere. Perfect. "Right, thank you. I might wind up using it for the same given the chance. And given it isn't Azeroth, hopefully there will be no concern for such as Crocolisks." The Pandaren laughed softly, but clearly he knew the waters of Azeroth well. There was /always/ a risk for such, be it Elwynn, or the Wilderness. Thoes six-legged scaley bastards were everywhere and he never met a good one. Grabbing the disk and folding it into a wedge, the cloud dissipated and he stored it in a holder on the back of his tool belt, walking along with Diantha and glancing her over idly as he went, as if considering something.

    "I am curious... how do your kind deal with avoiding being the target of attacks by predators, or hunters? I don't think I have ever asked such a simple thing, even when I spent time around the Dryads of Hyjal after the Cataclysm."

     Diantha shudders at the mention of Crocolisks, bringing up some bad memories of a forsaken hunter who had one as their pet. "I can confirm there is nothing living in the pond that will pose a threat to either of us." She offers with a grin, shaking off the unpleasant memories. After a few more bites of her apple, she looks back at Rou-ri as he asks a very good question. 

     "Well, to be honest, your point earlier is a good one. I'm sure dryads have been killed by mistake by hunters, and perhaps not by mistake by some that couldn't care less... As for wild predators, well, we are not defenseless. Most dryads carry spears and are capable of some degree of nature magic. Often we can also calm an animal and prevent them from attacking if we see them coming. Myself, as I said before, I'm a druid. I learned from Remulos, my father, and Sylendra Gladesong." She explains as she looks up ahead again. Rou-ri might be able to hear the waterfall from here, and after a bit more walking, it would come into view along with the pond it is falling into.

    "Remulos? That is a name I have not heard from a bit. Last I heard he was about Val'sharah. Though I did not interact with him directly, I heard someone helped rescue him from captivity by some kind of nightmare-twisted Moonkin." Though it was largely second hand information on his part. "Hopefully he is doing better now. I know there was a lot of pain caused from the infestation of the Emerald Nightmare and the events at Val'sharah, though my own efforts during the invasion was more of a strike force manner, going from point to point taking care of key legion figures rather than fighting on the ground." After having looked over Diantha's flank for a bit, albeit with no untoward thoughts as he tried to process the Dryads self defense mechanisms, the sound of the water once they got within viewing range of it pulled him out of his thoughts.

    "Ah... in that case, would you like any, or are you content with the fruit you have now? As he walked over to the rivers edge, Rou-ri looked it over only to set down the rod and begin to take his armor off. Loosening the straps on his gauntlets, chest piece and boots, he seemingly was getting prepared to go in after the fish directly? Or getting comfortable. Hard to say which, though Diantha did say there was no threats in the area so he was safe either way right?

     "I believe he is fine these days, though it has been a bit since I've seen him in person as well. I was traveling from Feralas to Darkshore when I ended up tossed into another blossom of this world tree." She admits as she moves to the edge of the pond and carefully lowers herself down to lay on her belly by the pond and rest for a while while she continued to eat the fruits of her expedition through the forest. "As for if I want any? I assume you mean the fish, but no, I'm a vegetarian." With that said she finishes off her apple and begins munching on some berries. 

     "So, have you been out here long, wandering the worlds?"

    The Pandaren stripped his armor off, as well as the mail and leather he had on him, leaving himself in just a set of padded underclothes. A simple pair of trousers and a tunic. "Vegetarian. Makes sense, I suppose." Walking over to pick up the rod he had, he flicked it to the side and it extended, the tip buzzing with electricity. At which point he walked to the rivers edge and spent a few moments staring into the crystal clear water before jabbing the rod towards it, causing a small explosion of water as the electricity hits it. At which point a particularly fat fish floats to the surface, looking stunned. Rou-ri drops the rod and proceeds to hop into the river, swimming over to grab the disoriented fish and toss it back onto the bank before coming back.

    "Mind if I make a fire to cook it? And... do you care what I do with the remains? I tend to toss them into the woods so the wildlife can enjoy some too, but opinions differ. I have met some hunters in the past who tend to offer some in worship to various spirits."

     "Yes, I imagine it would be a bit harder to keep nature in perfect balance when your own kind must kill to eat. Thanks for the offer anyway." Diantha offers as an extension to what she said previously about not eating meat, she didn't want to come across as ungrateful. 

     "As for making a fire and disposing of the fishy remains, I don't mind. It sounds like you have the health of the wilds in mind in your actions, and how you choose to practice any religious beliefs or lack thereof, is your own business I say. But anyway, how long has it been since you left Azeroth for this place?" She asks with a tone of curiosity.

    "We can subsist without meats, though Pandaren are very sturdy by nature and even myself, as... not fat as I am, going on such a diet tends to leave me rather lethargic. I tried years ago, in my youth, to eat a very fattening diet of pasta's, alcohol, sweets and the likes. And after I ate myself sick with no gain, I tried just eating light, pleasant foods like salads and fruits and vegetables. Eventually I realized I was just hurting myself and meat was helpful to stay healthy." Peeling off the shirt and shaking slightly, his fluffy coat a bit soaked thanks to the water, Rou-ri goes about pulling out a large axe from his satchel - one which was way bigger than the satchel itself - and made his way to the nearby forest to grab and cut some fallen wood for his meal. By this point the fish was starting to flop about on the ground, clearly realizing it's out of the river now that the shock has passed and was trying to get back in.

    "I have been here about five months now that I think about it, maybe six." he called out after a bit of time to mull the answer over. "Though until today I thought perhaps I might have managed to go back to the past somehow. Or that I might still be able to. To do something to stop Sylvanas... Garrosh. Hell, even the Lich King if I went back far enough. Though that is the danger of trying to undo things in the timeline. If you go for one thing... why stop there? Who am I to decide how far back I should go if I even can? Regardless, I am getting off topic." There was a loud thump as the axe cleaved through a half-grown, dead tree that fell, picking it up and dragging it back towards the area where he'd planned to set a fire up.

     Diantha nods as she hears Rou-ri speak of the things he wanted to undo. "Very noble aspirations, but while I know little about time travel, I imagine it is difficult sometimes to change a single event without causing potentially worse things to happen as a result of what you prevented. Sometimes, I guess you also run the risk of ending up somewhere you never expected." She says while gazing off into the distance. 

     After a moment of silence, she looks back toward the pond and pulls a canteen from her cloth pack, taking a drink from it. "I'm not even sure how I ended up here. One moment I was in a familiar forest, the next it was somehow different. Hopefully, someday we can both find our way back."

    Rou-ri paused as he got back and shook his head. "I cannot abide by that. If fear of making things worse stops you from ever trying to fix or correct the problems already made, nothing will ever get accomplished. By that logic... just accept everything that happens and do nothing, because you could make it worse. I, at least, cannot take such a method. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Though I am curious, why would you even want to go back to Azeroth? There is so much war and bloodshed, now that you are away from it... excluding a duty such as my own, if you really feel that way could you not make a bigger difference outside of it?"

    The tree was whacked up with the giant axe as if it didn't weigh much at all to him, tossed into a pile. Walking back to his satchels, he dug around in one and pulled out a big wad of moss and a small metal box. The moss was tucked into the dead wood and he sat the box nearby, poking it and causing it to pop open and briefly start burning with a rather acrid smell. Definitely Gnomish in origin. Though the fire started quickly enough and he tugged it back out, setting it aside. Finally he picked up his axe, walked back over to the fish and proceeded to smack its' head off with a rather lazy, clean strike. Picking it up with the tip of two fingers around the lips, he chucked it into the woods a bit away and walked over with the rest of the fish towards his satchel so he could go about preparing it.

     Diantha shakes her head. "I'm not saying just stand back and let the bad stuff happen. I may detest violence, but that doesn't mean I won't fight in times when choosing not to fight means allowing horrible things to happen. I'm just saying I doubt things are so simple and rushing in to meddle with the past without knowing what will happen can cause more harm than good. The Bronze Dragonflight doesn't work so hard to keep the timeline from being altered for no reason." She attempts to further explain her point of view while she watches the Pandaren prepare the firewood. 

     The end of his statement about why she would want to go back does make her think for a few moments though. Eventually, she speaks again. "You make a good point though. I guess the main reason I wanted to go back is because it's home, and there are others still there that I care about. But it really is a planet of seemingly endless war. I have lived for over eight hundred years, and I feel like when I was younger it wasn't so frequent, but it seems the level of aggression has risen greatly in the last thirty years or so. Maybe you're right, and we should just find a nice world out here, not unlike this one, where we can settle down and be at peace."

    "Perhaps." Rou-ri mumbles while taking out a long knife from his packs after washing his axe briefly in the river and setting it aside, beginning to prepare his fish. "But I largely consider the Bronze dragonflight to largely be hypocrites. From what I understand, they were granted their charge at the start, and then everyone else went hands off. A perfect order is all nice and peachy but it never lasts. The scaley yellow lizards sat and watched as tragedy after tragedy happened, talking about guarding the timeways. And in the end... turns out Nozdormu was the one behind a group known as the Infinite Dragonflight. A group of twisted dragons who were trying to change time. Except he was going by the name Murozond at the time. So in the end, their efforts don't mean a damn thing, it's just sitting on a high perch and preaching about the sanctity of it. At least as far as I'm concerned."

    Seems the Pandaren doesn't hold a good view of the Bronze dragons. Then again he doesn't have much of an opinion of any of them outside of Alexstrasza really, not that he says such. Once he gutted the fish, Rou-ri took it over to the river to wash it out and came back to stick it on the end of a long metal spike he had in his satchel to stab it in the ground over the fire and take a seat next to it. "You're right, it might be... pleasant to simply stop. But as I said, I cannot just stop in good conscience. It's one of my faults. I'm stubborn. And don't really like letting things play out when I can try and be direct. But maybe taking a break and trying to sort myself out wouldn't be a bad thing. Want to join me by the fire, Diantha?"

     "Hmm, that is a good point. I guess no one is infallible." Diantha offers as she watches Rou-ri start the fire while he talks about being stubborn and not wanting to leave things on Azeroth as they are. At the question of if she wants to join him, she smiles and nods. 

     "I was wondering if you would ask." She says as she stands and moves to lay back down off to his left by the fire. "Either way, if you do find a way back, let me know. Maybe between the two of us helping each other, we can accomplish actual change all the more quickly."

    "...why would I need to ask you? I'd think it was implied? Why wouldn't I want an attractive Dryad to come sit next to me? I mean, even if you're half fawn, you're still fully beautiful." The Pandaren seemed quite surprised by the notion that she was waiting to be asked, looking Diantha over briefly, considering her suggestion of working with her to get back. "And sure... though I don't have a good way to contact you. I still just kind of wander, I don't know how to really go between vines to get where I want yet, if I even can." As he sat by the fire, the waterlogged trousers he had on made him wish he'd just gone naked into the river. They'd dry out eventually, he was next to the fire, but still.

     Diantha blushes slightly as he compliments her on her beauty. She tries to laugh it off and grins a bit as she replies. "No good reason I guess, maybe I'm just playing hard to get without really meaning to, or maybe I was just respecting your personal space, but I'm flattered you think I'm so beautiful despite the rather stark differences between our species. As for the contact thing, that is a tricky thing. I believe there is a way to actually go where you want, but I haven't figured it out either. I was told by someone recently that there are messengers you can hire which will deliver a note from one person to another across worlds, maybe look for one of those." She suggests as she scoots a little closer to the fire, enjoying the warmth flowing over her.

    That got a laugh out of him, the remark about the differences. "I first left Pandaria many, many years ago. Close to 30 or more, I have lost track. But up until the end of the war in Pandaria, I went around Azeroth disguised as a human. I had this enchanted necklace I purchased from a sorceror that I got upgraded over time to maintain the illusion. Perhaps you've heard the name Hryst? It was the name I used at the time." Now Hryst... was a name the Dryads who were from Hyjal would be familiar with, as she was one of the champions who had spent quite a bit of time there trying to help out after the Cataclysm. "I suppose my point is... I spent long enough wandering, and alone, that I realized I had no room to be picky. Pleasant company is addicting, truth told, so yes - I consider you quite pleasant if you don't believe my tastes."

    Though judging by his own admitting of his 'tastes', pretty much anything was his taste. "And I had never heard of the messenger thing, but it's a curious business. I'll look into it, certainly."

     Diantha can't help but laugh right back as Rou'ri explains that he's been traveling around on Azeroth since long before Pandaria or the Wandering Isle was discovered and was disguised as a female human the whole time. 

     "Oh my, that was you? That must have been some extremely talented enchanter you found. I'm pretty sure I likely crossed paths with you back then at some point, but though I've heard the name mentioned, I don't think we were formally introduced. Anyway, while we're on the subject, I like your look as well. Never seen a slender Pandaren before, but you look lean, strong, and quite handsome. I'm sure the other Pandaren give you a hard time, but I can tell you're not malnourished because your fur looks great."

    The Pandaren looks like he wanted to say something, but was a bit caught off guard. "Do you want a marriage proposal? Because that's how you get one of those. I... appreciate the kind words, though I would be lying if I claimed my coat is the way it is from simply being healthy. I primp and preen more than a songbird to distract from my weight. At least if I'm fluffy I look a bit thicker than I normally am. Wet, though, I look a bit silly. It was just how I was born, though. Most Pandaren start out fairly thin and gain weight quickly upon coming of age, but I just never could keep weight on." The topic of his past look was put aside briefly as he failed to maintain eye contact. Usually Rou-ri was fairly straight forward in his flirting and not at all shy, but she'd specifically said something that seems to have left him uncertain about how to respond. "And it was possible we did. At the time my armor looked a bit different, but... I had a dark purple cloak at the time made of dragon scales, elementium scale armor, as well as a mix of other gear. Not to mention I have Thunderfury, so I am hard to miss when I am truly pushing all out." Even if Thunderfury had since been remade into a pair of blades from the one, that was an aside.

     When Rou-ri jokes about the marriage proposal, Diantha blushes even more than before, her face clearly turning a bit deeper pink, particularly around her cheeks. She laughs to tries to act like it didn't happen, but she knows that comment got to her. "Well, if there is one thing I've learned in my eight hundred plus years, it's that there are exceptions to nearly every rule, both the pre-conceived ideas about the world and in nature itself. Sometimes the differences that defy the rule though aren't quite as pronounced though, I'll admit. Anyway now I'm sure I've seen you before. Thunderfury is hard to forget. I spent most of my time in those days around the Grove of Aessina and the Sanctuary of Malorne."

    "Perhaps we should both stop making nice remarks about each other lest my dinner gets burnt and you have to dry off again." the Pandaren teased, looking towards his satchel that had the Thunderfuries in it. "Huh... I admit I have a bad memory of specific people unless I interacted with them outright. Typically those I go on a task with I tend to remember more than those I meet in passing, because I tend to go from place to place so often there are a lot of faces that come and go." he paused and thought about it before standing up and walking over to said satchels, picking them up and bringing them back over before reaching down to the attached belt and pulling a can of oil up. "By the by, if you like my coat so much... you're welcome to give this a try. It's the oil I use for my coat, it's a custom blend I buy in bulk from an alchemist in Kalimdor. ...though given we aren't in Azeroth anymore, it might be hard to buy from them. I will have to find a new maker and give them the recipe for it." As he opened the container, it was a strong smell of ground coffee and cherries. Which, to be fair, he smelled like as well. It was just much stronger directly from the oil.

     "Alright, no more compliments for now." Diantha agrees with a grin. At the admission of having a bad memory of people, she nods in understanding. "Well, I can't say I blame you. I only remember you because you had a very unique weapon and a somewhat unusual name for a human in my opinion. How am I to expect you to remember a random dryad when we probably only spoke for a moment if that. I don't even remember exactly how old I am anymore. Kinda lost track while I was in the Emerald Dream." She admits with a bit of a giggle. 

     When he shows her the oil he uses to make his coat look extra nice, she smiles. "Ah, so that's what I've been smelling off you, it does smell nice I must say. Though don't waste it on me if you're not sure if or when you'll be able to get more."

    Ruri laughed at the idea of having a strange name. "Yes, yes... at the time I didn't really understand human naming conventions. I combined sounds that sounded right to me and went with it." He rubbed at the back of his head as he admitted that. "And it's hardly a waste, I offered it. If you don't want to use any that's fine, but no need to be concerned. I'm sure I can find another supplier somewhere if I look for it. The process isn't too hard, it's just a matter of getting them to put in the time to experiment with things." It was about at this point that the fish was starting to smell rather nice to him, though he had no idea how it would smell to a Dryad.
    But if she wasn't complaining, no reason to make a fuss about things.
    "Would you like to travel with me a while? I don't have anywhere specific to be, so I wouldn't mind the company."

     Diantha laughs right back at the description of how Rou-ri created his human name. "Well, if that's how you came up with your name, I can't help but wonder what other obstacles you ran into while trying to pretend to be human." She says with a grin, then nods taking the offered oil. 

     "If you insist, I will happily use some, thank you very much. As for traveling with you, I'd like that. Been a little lonely traveling on my own, even if I have met a lot of different people on different worlds, it'll be nice to be traveling with a friend." 

     After giving that confirmation, she looks back at the bottle of oil he gave her and looks back at Rou-ri with a hopeful expression. "Um, do you think you could help me with this? It's hard for me to reach certain spots, and I might end up wasting some."

    "Well, I was a solder in the Stormwind Army for a lot of those years. Once I decided to settle down, after seeing the warring going on I volunteered to help. Though there was more than enough occasions where I had to knock out drunk or overly grabby soldiers who thought they could grope me or the likes. Illusions aside, they'd realize quickly I wasn't the tall human woman I was pretending to be. I'm sure my record has more... confrontations than most others as a result. But seeing a 'woman' punch a grown man right in the face and knock them out often got them laughed at more than myself disciplined. Plus there was the problem of getting clothes that fit. It was designed to make the clothes I was wearing match the disguise, but that meant I needed to get custom made clothing in my natural size first. ...also meant I had to be /very/ careful around mages and magical checkpoints. Though I wasn't the only one who went about keeping up a disguise. Not sure if you are aware, but for a while the dragon Onyxia was residing in Stormwind as a human close to the royalty until exposed. It was a bit awkward after that, I came out and exposed myself to the royal family then, was given leeway since I had helped out the kingdom enough. And they realized why I kept my disguise up. Having a Pandaren roaming around would just confuse people, and stand out."

    Though the request to help out had him nod. "Sure, do you have a brush of your own that you use on your coat, or should I use one of mine? I have a wide-tooth brush and a bristle done, as well as a comb. ...do you have ways to deal with ticks and such? I know deer get them often, but you might have some kind of tick-be-gone magic. Dryad things." he gave a little wave of his hands as if that would help explain away the notion.

     Diantha listens as Rou-ri explains the difficulties he went through while posing as a human. She was amused by the thought of some burly guy getting a little too forward with him and suddenly he's laid out by the sort of powerful punch that few other than Pandaren can throw. But then he's asking her about brushes and ticks, and that required some answers. "If you don't mind using one of your brushes, that would be great. In my haste, I didn't have one with me when I was dumped out of Azeroth, and I haven't managed to buy any new brushes yet. As for the ticks, I'm not sure if our blood just doesn't taste as good, or we smell different, but they don't seem quite as attracted, and those that do latch on, a light touch of extremely focused solar wrath does the trick." She says with a chuckle.