for-saving

[amons-hat-enthusiast]

Roevember 2024: Day 1 - Name

The evening was quiet in the North Shroud. Not an Ixal in sight, much to relief for a small band of sellswords stationed in Treespeak. Having finished their patrol, the group made camp and gathered around the campfire in no time. Valliant Jackal and Ardent Doe, a Roegadyn couple, each with a flask of ale in their hands, were retelling a funny story of their first time in the Shroud. Across them sat Nhagi'a and Nalili, a Miqo'te and a Lalafell, who were tending to Nhagi'a's arrows while giggling to the couple's story of their misfortune.

A young Hellsguard Roegadyn was sitting in silence, slightly further away from their peers. Their hands were sweaty, breath shaky, thoughts running wild on whether or not they'll regret what they're about to do. But to hells with it, they're going to do it anyway, as they can't take this feeling of wrongness anymore. Swallowing hard, they stood up and with small steps approached the group, anxious feeling in the gut getting worse with each step.

Nhagi'a was the first one to see that his approaching friend didn't have their usual grin on their face and immediately noticed that something was off. "Hey kid, something wrong?", he said with a hint of concern in his voice. All the conversations that were had fell silent in an instant, all eyes going to the crew's youngest member. "No!...Uuugghh...I mean, um....yeah....", words were barely leaving their mouth, but they took a deep breath and continued, "I...I-I have something important to tell you all." Ardent Doe and Nalili exchanged worried looks and then looked back at their friend. "For the last few years, you've known me as a girl, as Geimwyda. But that's not who I am, not anymore. And, if I'm being honest, I don't think I ever was.", they said with a shaky voice, gaze glued downwards on their fidgeting hands. "I've always had this strange feeling, this wrongness, about who I am. And that feeling never went away, no matter what other people said to me about it. It only kept getting stronger the longer I ignored it. And now, I think I've finally reached a breaking point, as I just can't take it anymore." Their eyes were slowly getting filled with tears. "So please, call me anything, anything, but a girl. And never use the name Geimwyda for me again....I despise it. I chose a new one instead - Matheli. Matheli Taral."

Matheli braced for it - the negative reactions, the resentment, the ridicule - all of what they've faced before. But it never came. When they finally gathered the courage to look up, what they saw through their eyes filled with tears was enough to get those tears to spill. Instead of mean looks they expected to see, the faces of their companions were painted with bright smiles and wide grins. Ardent Doe stood up and approached her shaken friend, placed her hand on their cheek and enveloped them in a tight hug. "It's good to meet you, Matheli Taral."

These people love and care about you and accept you for who you are, Matheli. There's no need to fear otherwise, not anymore.