#it made me feel better. i'm not super religious but it still felt nice cause ik it came from her heart

[bitchdafuqyousay]

a really weird whistle

The college I went to had two campuses; main campus and west campus. West campus was mostly student accommodations. Dorms and whatnot as well as the gym, soccer field, lacrosse field, and the nursing building. That's where I lived, in one the dorm buildings on west campus. It wasn't too far of a walk between them- maybe fifteen to twenty minutes. Depending on how fast you walked. Which means it usually took me about ten minutes to walk between the two. God forbid I don't absolutely pace it when I'm walking. There were two back to back streets; one's full of old people and young families and the other was largely the same except it also has my sister's sorority house on it. That one was called Dupant Street. It's the one I usually walked through cause one of the old ladies had a really pretty garden that I liked walking past cause it always smelled real nice.

The building I spent most of my time in was the art building (obviously, that's what I was getting my degree for). It's called Wolf Hall. And when you walked that straight shot from west to main it was the first on one of two buildings you saw. The back of 'em anyways. At the end of the neighborhood street was this little crosswalk. You cross it then go up some stairs and congrats, you've made it to main campus. You rocked up the side entrance to Wolf after going through the sculpture garden. I always thought it was a nice walk, still do to an extent. I sorta miss taking it. I usually walked to main for classes everyday; sometimes regardless of weather. Cold, sweltering, windy. Didn't matter much to me. Unless it was raining. I hate being outside in the rain. When it was raining I'd catch the campus shuttle. Anyways.

That particular day I'd walked to Wolf in the afternoon to work on a project for my illustration class. I ended up being there till roughly two in the morning, give or take a bit. I didn't mind though, I loved that class a lot and the project I was working on was really fun. So it was fine. Besides, wasn't the first and definitely not the last time I'd spend most of my day and night in Wolf. I was decently used to it. Once I was done, all packed up and ready to go I decided to walk back to West instead of taking the shuttle. It was nice out, warm with a nice breeze, and I wanted to listen to the crickets, the frogs, night birds, and the cicadas as I walked back. See a few fireflies too. It was a really nice night. I wanted to walk. I was looking forward to it, really. Despite how late it was- I wasn't worried, I'd done that walk more times than I can count at all times of day and night, there were barely any streetlights but I never felt uneasy or like I was in danger; it was decently far from the city and pretty safe. So I got to steppin'.

Like I mentioned, it was nice. There was a real nice breeze and all kinds of little critters singing. So I prance down the steps from Wolf to that lil crosswalk. Everything was still fine, still real nice. Until I crossed the street at least.

Soon as my foot stepped onto the neighborhood's curb everything stopped. The breeze stopped, air going totally still. Felt heavy all of a sudden. And when the breeze stopped, so did all the singing. Every bug frog and nightbird went completely silent. Not a thing made a sound anymore. My breath suddenly seemed real loud. Now, I could've turned around, run for the shuttle stop. But there was the feeling of a wall behind me and I had this nasty feeling crawling up my spine that told me turning around would be a big mistake. Like somethin' real, real bad would happen to me if I did. So I started pacing it. So I'm walking, keeping my eyes straight ahead to where I could see the lights of West, the ones belonging to the soccer field. All bright like a beacon.

Something whistled at me from the other side of the street. The darker side, where nobody save a few had their porch light on, whereas the side I was on had a bit more. Not by much, but enough that I knew whatever was across me could see me pretty clear.

I didn't look over to the opposite side. Cause I'm not a fuckin' idiot.

It whistled again. It was wrong. Just... off. It was a whistle sure, but it wasn't done right. That's the best way I can describe it- it was like an imitation of a whistle. Like something had heard a whistle before and was trying to mimic it but didn't have the right parts to do it. There was something off to the pitch, lilting weirdly like it was trying really hard to get the sorta whistle you use to call a dog right but didn't know how. Didn't have a concept of tune or how notes line up. Just really odd. Like a parrot maybe. But parrots can sing, parrots have a sense of rhythm. They can accurately imitate pitch and tune. This thing couldn't, but seemed to be trying really hard to.

I didn't look over, not even out of the corner of my eyes. But I could feel and hear it keeping pace with me; the faster I walked, the faster it did. I could hear its feet, sorta like the sound dogs' feet make on pavement, but it didn't sound like four feet. just two. Walking alongside me on the opposite sidewalk. Whistling weirdly at me. Trying to get my attention. I pretended I didn't notice a thing, like nothing was off. Like all my hair wasn't standing on end, like I wasn't sweating.

It changed a bit each time it made that sound, still off. Still clearly wrong. But the tune got a bit more coherent- practice makes perfect I guess. I ain't even glance. Pulled out my phone and texted my best friend what was up to the best of my ability since I honestly had no fuckin' clue what was up. He responded fast (always does, love you baby) and was understandably as worried as I was. We're both decently superstitious, especially me. So I had a lot of nasty ideas about what was still whistling at me, getting louder and more insistent. I kept texting him as I walked- having somebody else know what was going on made me feel better. Truth be told I really wanted to call him, but I didn't want my unwanted walking buddy to know that I did in fact notice it, I didn't want it to feel invited to do... I dunno. Whatever. I didn't want it.

The walk felt like it was taking forever. The time between each whistle getting shorter and shorter until it was a continuous thing, not a break for a breath in between. I figured the walk felt like forever the same way going through a haunted house attraction takes forever. Fear makes time drag. It didn't seem like I was getting any closer to West. After what felt like hours, I reached the end of the street. Stopping at the crosswalk that'd get me from the neighborhood to West. I could see the nursing building. It was right across from me. I had to wait for two cars to go by before I could cross, the insistent whistling ringing in my ears as I stood there. Doing my best to keep acting like I didn't notice at all. An Oscar worthy performance, that walk.

I could cross. Finally. Thank fuck. And the second my feet left the curb. It stopped. The thing went silent, it felt like there were eyes burning the back of my neck, but it stopped calling at me. The breeze, night birds, cicadas, crickets, and frogs all came back. I hopped up onto the path going from the nursing building towards the dorms.

It was a nice night, but for the first time I could remember since being in college there was no inkling of disappointment that my walk had ended. I checked my phone as I unlocked my dorm room.

I left Wolf around two in the morning. The walk from Main to West is roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. I didn't get back to my dorm until three-thirty in the morning.

I didn't walk Dupant at night for the rest of that year.

[deathbydarkelves]

I decided to make playlists for Cathala and Tarinne plus explanations for why I chose each song because I entered one of those ADHD fugue states and if I didn't finish this task I would die

Anyway here are the two links (they're youtube playlists because I don't have spotify. I would obviously recommend using an adblocker if you're just gonna watch on youtube) and the explanations for each song are below the cut :) Each playlist is about an hour long.

For Tarinne’s:

1. Foggy Nights: I consider this her theme so putting it first as a sort of intro only makes sense.

2. Here’s a Health to the Company: I think this works as an example of her general disposition. She’s a people person, and always a fan of singing these sorts of songs in taverns, on ships, or what have you. It also kind of feels like a sendoff to soldiers, which I imagine symbolizes her joining the Sentinel Army and quickly thereafter fighting in the Third War.

3. Wartime Prayers: Somewhat self-explanatory, this is symbolizing her seeing war for the first time, but I also included it because the last line transitions SO WELL into the next song.

4. The Hollow: This song is an intro to an album I've never heard so I don't know the context, but I really love it because it sounds like someone praying to their deity and like I mean c'mon. Elune. Tarinne's praying to Elune to guide her through the war. Do I need to elabo-

5. Wave Walker: KILL DEATH MAIM AHAHAHAHA

6. Isil Elun’falo: Just a super rad fan-made night elf song that's basically "wow we sure do love Elune" said in twenty different ways for four and a half minutes. But it ROCKS and I LOVE it.

7. Chewing Cotton Wool: This song is about losing a loved one (I did have to check but yeah that's what it is) and I use it to symbolize Tarinne losing her mom during the war. The last line, which includes the song's title, I especially like. It's referring to how morticians (apparently) put cotton gauze in a corpse's throat and mouth to keep body fluids in and make the face look more natural. So there's a fun fact for you.

8. See U Soon (Song for Dad): Just a short lofi piece to rest a bit, and it was also chosen because the title's in reference to Tarinne growing closer to her dad after losing her mom. She still visits him at his leathers and furs shop in Stormwind fairly often, especially after dangerous adventures. She just wants to make sure he knows she's alright ;-;

9. No Lullaby: Right back into it with a song that I use to represent Tarinne's general feeling of not being able to go home because it's not there anymore. She's felt like this since the end of the Third War, but it's especially strong since the whole Teldrassil thing. But I like the ending, "who said you're on your own," because it contrasts the repeating of "alone" in the rest of the song. And it's kinda like "hey, listen, you're not the only one who feels like she can't go home." I mean that's probably how basically every single night elf feels right now skxnks

10. The Moss: This song juxtaposes classic fairy tales with scientific facts about the world and I love it to BITS. I'm using it here to represent both Tarinne's love for storytelling but also her sort of... part-time historian/archaeologist/conservator career.

11. Rasputin: I just associate this song with her for some reason and this was the best place to put it.

12. Electric Feel: Moving on to focus more on Tarinne's relationship with Cathala now. This is an extremely great and somewhat 😏 song that I also included because the electricity theme is appropriate because Cathala has lightning powers and y'know it's from Tarinne's perspective or whatever.

13. Bedroom Hymns: You know why this is here.

14. Movement: I can't talk about love songs without talking about Hozier, okay. This is just a nice, slower song to relax a bit with.

15. Never Let Me Go: I have an entire goddamn music video in my head with Cathala and Tarinne for this song and it’s very dramatic and emotional and I had to include this song or I’d die. Basically just listen to near the end of this song when she's repeating the title over and over, and imagine the two of them seeing each other at opposite ends of a battlefield after the dust settles and they rush towards each other and fall to their knees holding on as tightly as they can because they got separated early on and each thought the other was dead. Then you'll know how I feel when I listen to this song.

16. Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control: First of all I love the title, and second of all there's a big section in the middle (1:49 to 2:47) that I like to interpret as the two of them grappling with the fact that they're not really quite sure who or what they're fighting for anymore. Their people, yeah, but there's so many alliances and semi-permanent enemies and only-on-every-other-thursday-enemies all intertwined and the world is just so very confusing and they're trying to make the best of it. Elf school didn’t include international, interracial politics in its curriculum. It did however include how to properly plant trees, and AP calculus (this is a joke).

17. In Dreams: I like to imagine this song is something the two of them would say to each other, as a way of saying “even when everything we know is gone, even when the world ends, I will still be by your side. And if I’m not, don’t fear, for I will find you.” It makes a nice note to end on :)

For Cathala’s:

1. muse: Just a nice lofi intro to get us into things :) I don't see this song as her theme, like I do with Tarinne and the first song in her playlist, but I like it quite a bit. I don't actually really have a theme for Cathala yet, I'm currently going with a version of Way of the Monk from WoW's OST but I'm still looking for something better.

2. Frogs Singing: I included this because it's about just appreciating nature, which works because night elf and also mindfulness and meditation is a whole thing.

3. Tongues: This is a song about feeling distant from your peers which is like Cathala's whole existence! She's this weird mix of two cultures and ultimately she feels out of place regardless of where she is or who she's with. Also the theme with not understanding what people are saying works because the poor woman had to learn Pandaren from scratch and that shit ain't easy. I think blizz said somewhere probably that Common is just a language that EVERYONE knows inherently because Video Game but that's bullshit in my opinion. I'll allow spells that let you understand foreign languages to an extent (Comprehend Languages from D&D lets you understand the LITERAL meaning only, which I like), but every culture and species in the universe knowing Common is silly if you think about it for more than two seconds.

4. Kung Fu Fighting: I'm legally required to include this song. Also I prefer the Kung Fu Panda version, I'm sorry.

5. Harder Better Faster Stronger: I vicariously experience having a great work ethic through Cathala and that's why this song is here because she has 999 Determination and does Too Many push-ups every day or something idk. I was gonna say "every morning" but I have a headcanon that elves only need to sleep every couple of days (sort of a nod to "elves don't need to sleep at all" from D&D, and to explain why NIGHT elves are active at all hours of the day) so that doesn't work.

6. What's Up Danger: This song is Cathala's whole Vibe. Almost zero threat assessment skills in this woman's brain. If it can be punched, she will punch it.

7. Eye for an Eye: Fairly self-explanatory, it's a song about wanting revenge so... yeah. Checked that box. It was this or The Vengeful One by Disturbed but ultimately The Vengeful One's religious symbolism probably makes it fit better as a Tyrande theme lol ("I'm the hand of god, I'm the dark messiah." Did you mean: the Night Warrior)

8. Survivor: Cathala's survived a lot of shit and this could kinda be her making fun of herself for it because "Gods, man! Don't I deserve a break!"

9. Ashes: Really the reason I include this song is the last chunk (2:42 to the end) because holy shit. Listen, if I was gonna include a song with fire motifs, it was gonna be a somber one like this.

10. Into the West: This can kinda represent Cathala just trying to fucking breathe and recover from Teldrassil. Also works because I dunno it has stuff to do with the elves in LotR, I haven't seen those movies in a while. It sounds nice and is melancholy so I included it.

11. Like Real People Do: Cathala loves Tarinne a lot you guys have I ever menti-

12. Into the Wild: Tarinne changed Cathala's world for the better and she's super fucking grateful she has her by her side. Kinda goes without saying but you know.

13. Chasing the Moon: I have a vague music video in my head for this of them falling in love and it's very cute so there's that. Also it's in this specific spot because hey she may be deeply traumatized but she's still got a fair number of things/people in her life that make her happy so :)

14. Follow My Girl: I've got a theme going in my head that while Tarinne is fairly certain of her place in the world, Cathala is still trying to find hers. She outlived all her connections on Pandaria because Elf Lifespans(tm) and the only members of her family still alive are distant relatives she never knew very well.

15. Wish That You Were Here: This works both to represent Cathala on Pandaria feeling super homesick, and for more recently after Teldrassil. Either way, it's a message to her parents and sister.

16. Mr. Fear: She does her damnedest to hide it but she's absolutely terrified something like Teldrassil's gonna happen again! That fear drives her to do everything in her power to protect who and what she can. As long as they're not Forsaken, cause she's still got her biases, that compassion even extends across faction lines. She never really got the whole Alliance/Horde thing anyway. Innocent people shouldn't have to die, regardless of who or what they are.

17. Ordinary Day: Not to get super out there but I think this song works as symbolizing Cathala really trying to hold on to her faith in Elune, but ultimately feeling pretty abandoned. I mean she can clearly see Elune's influence everywhere. But Elune sure ain't doing Cathala any favors as far as she can tell! It also ends the whole playlist on maybe a bit of an uncertain/open-ended note, because this "losing faith" aspect is a new thing with her and will definitely be something she continues to struggle with for a while. On a related note, I should say Tarinne is still very much devout but she gets what Cathala's feeling and doesn't force anything on her, and vice versa. And Cathala wouldn't become atheist, the night elves aren't monotheistic and she still worships all the other deities, it's just specifically Elune she's a little :/ on.