#velerodra-valesinger

[bad-rper]

Vel + Cichol, Vel + Thanfred

Velfred - 8/10 initially, -100000/10 by the end; good/10 friends

After being defended literally one time, he would probably lay his life on the line for Vel.

Okay maybe a little exaggeration but close enough.

Initially, Thanfred would be super pumped and enthusiastic. He's just a little despie for any sort of affection that if someone showed romantic interest, he'd go all in. Not so much that he needs romance but he wouldn't want to ruin a good thing by denying it. Also, Vel is attractive to him, quirky in a cool way, probably would be understanding of his predicament, and he'd just like spending time with her. Even if most of what she says just confuses him.

Not sure if Thanfred has anything to provide for her, but watching him squirm can be a little entertaining. I don't think he's the right level of eccentric for the excitement she looks for on the regular. However, the things that happen to him might suffice.

But, provided I don't have the wrong idea about Vel, there would just be one day he'd wake up and say.

"Oh.

Now I realize why we get along."

And immediately leave and never talk about it again. But still remain close friends.

Also, if the bedroom stuff that E brought up in her ask is anything to go by... Thanfred too nice for that. :(

Velhol - 8/10 if you ignore some key factors

Cichol doesn't exactly know what to think of Vel at this moment. Even after getting to know her, he may never. But that enigmatic draw would likely reign him in more. Just as his husband's did.

And, on the flip side, Cichol can certainly provide an entertaining time. The more he has someone to egg him along, the more likely he'd be to act a fool and make even more excitement. There would also be some point where they might be able to vibe with each other on a deeper level, and I think both have the patience to find it.

Where things would fall apart is all that comprises Vel. The fel. The death. The void. The nobility. The being-under-6-feet. The Other Thing. Things that on a fundamental level don't mesh with him.

But on that final note where Thanfred failed, at least he'd succeed. If for entirely motivations.

[gatheringthered]

the parting glass

Down a side street at the Darkmoon Faire, patrons could easily happen upon a stall covered in lepidoptera in all shapes and colors. The scent of drying herbs was potent in the air, or perhaps the scent radiated out of small mortar and pestle which always seemed to have something burning inside of it. 

The roof off the pop-up stall was bright red, sun catchers made of glass and mirror pieces hung around to catch what little light the dark skies above the faire offered. 

For those who came to the House of the Red Moth, they rarely left empty-handed. The madame of the stall of small notoriety for giving strange gifts or bits of advice to all who visited her. At a distance, her stark white hair made her look far older than she was. She was a Kul Tiran small in stature, unimposing-- and though she was no longer a young woman, her face still held the amount of youth one might expect from a woman in their early forties. The most unsettling thing about her was the milky-white eyes which always stared vacantly ahead.

Another fixture of the Darkmoon Faire had become Lymantria’s “sister”, Corva. One glance at the Kaldorei was enough to reveal they weren’t related remotely. Her hair was the color of wheat ready for harvest, decorated with baubles and black crow feather. Her eyes bright and golden and a smile almost never left her lips. Her lips which never imparted words.  They  had been with the faire for long enough that it felt as though she were a fixture there-- and perhaps that was why it was time for something new.

‘What will we do there,’ Corva knit her brows and signed at her blind companion. 

“What we have been doing these last years. Ensure they are prepared. Ensure we are prepared,” Lymantria responded packing in the stall. “And yes, we can still come to the faire. I know you enjoy it here.”  Corva scrunched up her face and gave an awful huff at her sister’s predictions. ‘What about R-A-Z?’ Corva spelled out the letters of their final sister’s name.  “She will come with us when the time is right, hurry now. The cart needs loaded  if we’re to make the ship in time.”

The sleeping down of Duskwatch was the only place that truly made sense for the first ever, stationary location for House of the Red Moth. Its strange and sleepy nature was attractive to anyone that claimed to be a mystic or a purveyor of odd objects. Energy was so thick in the air that Lymantria could taste it. 

In the month prior, she’d arranged for a storefront at the edge of a main street. Not that there were many streets to choose from in Duskwatch. Velerodra had selected the place based on Lymantria’s requests. A large window in the front, a place to hang a sign, and a humble apartment up above the shop itself. 

Though she could not see it, not really-- Lymantria found the place to her liking. She stood there, seeming to stare up at the sign which bore the shop’s namesake in raised calligraphy. Something was cold about the air there, it sent a shiver down her spine. “Hello,” she greeted someone unseen. “I do hope that we can get along,” she said, before she heard the wheels of the cart Corva drove come to a stop behind her. The chill left the air and Lymantria merely smiled before going to begin the arduous task of unpacking all of her things into their new home.  @velerodra-valesinger​ @deadsunharbor​​

[vahana-mistwing]

The Temple Run

“-get Mist up. Aydri!-” Shaedoril’s voice was a haze. Vahana’s vision was a blur as she tried to figure out where she was. Was she still in the temple? She was unceremoniously slapped by a shade built up of Aydri, Shae, and her Feathermane form. Where was it now? Vahana felt herself get lifted up by a small form, her feathered tail dragging against the stone below. Her head hurt, but felt lopsided and lighter, like something was missing. A fresh trail of blood coursing over her right eye signified an antler was missing. She wondered what that was going to look like when she finally shifted back to an elf. “Good kitty... You want down?” Vel’s voice was near her ear, soft and amused. Vahana grumbled as she was set down, hearing Aydri scream to someone to not touch her. There was no strength left in Vahana’s feline legs, and she collapsed to the floor not a moment after Vel put her down. Vahana felt she were lifted again, her ichor coated feathers peeling off the stone below. This was a bigger form carrying her, one that smelled vaguely of fel and... Something else. Vahana couldn’t quite place the scent before she felt her body undergo searing pain, like she were reliving every wound she had gotten that night in one instance. The pain was what rendered her unconscious once more.

The smell of lavender mint tea awoke Vahana finally. The evening sun was setting through Vahana’s window in her room, the shutter open to let in the breeze. Her body was stiff with various wounds and bandages littering her form. Taking a moment to collect herself, she realized nearly every appendage was wrapped in bandages, including her hands and abdomen. Her head felt tight, and she felt bandages wrapped around her ears to secure them to her head. Something different, however, she felt at her side. She craned her sore neck down to see sleeping Aetea’s vibrant pink hair loose around her. She was sitting on a stool, her arms folded in front of her on Vahana’s bed and resting upon it. Aetea’s left arm was barely touching Vahana’s leg through the sheets as she snored. Vahana shed a single tear at the sight. Kedel walked into the room and gasped, nearly dropping the cup of tea he was holding. “Shit! You’re awake!” Vahana gently shushed Kedel and looked down to Aetea pointedly. Kedel waved Vahana off and brought a stool from the hall to bring into his aunt’s room. “She’ll only wake up if I kick her out from under her chair.” The male twin sat his stool beside Vahana’s torso. “When did I get here?” Vahana’s voice rasped. Kedel took a sip of his tea. “Last night. Everyone made it back, thank Elune. Lyseara brought you in from the infirmary after you were stable.” He gulped, looking off from his aunt. “She said it was touch and go for a bit... All of your wounds opened up again when you shifted back.” So she had been sleeping all day, with the position of the sun as the indicator. Although it was painful, Vahana reached out her hand to grasp Kedel’s which he gratefully took. “I am sorry I worried you...” “I knew you would come back. It was A you were worrying. She didn’t stop doing pushups until her arms gave out. Then she did squats.” Vahana instantly regretting trying to laugh, her ribs were tightly bound to keep something together, but the all over pain was hard to figure out where the injuries were. “Regardless, we’re happy you’re okay... Mostly.” Kedel laughed weakly and rubbed his thumb over Vahana’s. Sweet children... Another tear fell, one which Kedel wiped away. “Hey, does something hurt? Clinicians came by and dropped off some pain killers.” Kedel set down his tea on Vahana’s mostly barren nightstand and got up to retrieve the aforementioned medicine, but Vahana’s grip on his hand tightened, bringing him back down to the stool. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, sweety... I’m just happy. And thankful I have you two to come back to after something like this. I had no one for so long...” “You’ve got everyone, aunty. Even Cichol, even if he doesn’t come around here. Shame.. I’d like to get to know him better.” Kedel lamented. Cichol... She had to tell him. Vahana craned her neck over to the nightstand, which had Kedel’s cup of steaming tea, as well as half a dozen braided leather hair ties and an embossed leather barrette. She had made them the other night, thinking she was going to jump up behind Cichol some day soon and gift these to him. In her current condition, she didn’t know when that would be an option. It made her heart ache. “Kedel?” Vahana questioned, an idea popping into her mind. “Mh?” “Do you think you can wake up your sister? I need you two’s help on sending Cichol a message... It’s not just any message, though. It’s an old Wintermoon tradition. Would you two like to learn it?” Kedel’s look of surprise grew into one of glee. “Did you even have to question that?” The twin kicked out his sibling’s stool, the girl screeching bloody murder.

( @revthepunchbear​ @velerodra-valesinger​ @aydriis​ @storefront-gargoyle​ @lysearawra​ for mentions)

[elsylynneverbright]

Mirror Season Part 4: The Eternal Self

The writing prompts for this series of posts are by @velerodra-valesinger and can be found here! 

When Elsie emerged from the portal once again, she found herself greeted by yet another unfamiliar environment. She looked around herself, realizing she was behind some sort of stable. As the realization set in that she still wasn't back in Duskwatch, she immediately slammed her fists against the wall. She started to let out a frustrated scream, but she instantly paused as she heard familiar voices.

Elsie slowly crept around the stable until she got to a location where she could hear things a bit better and peak around the corner. She had little intention of interacting with her alternate self this time. She refused to play this game anymore.

She was greeted with the sight of both Kanalesha and herself, dressed and scarred in the exact same way.. Kana looked like she was on the verge of tears while this alternate self seemed to be filled with both anger and remorse.

"I told you, Kanalesha. Get the fuck away from me!" The clearly unstable version of herself yelled at Kana.

"But I thought-" Kana started to respond but was immediately cut off by the wreck.

"I don't care what you thought!" The wreck seemed like she was on the verge of tears as well at this point. She shook her head and lowered it, not meeting Kana's gaze in an attempt to hide this fact. "I'm done. We're-... I can't Kana. You deserve so much more than me."

Kana shook her head and wiped away her tears, replacing them with a determined look. "We can get through this, Else. Together."

"No, we fucking can't!" The wreck raised her voice once again. "You can't save me Kana, so leave me the fuck alone!"

Kana started to respond, but before she could, the wreck quickly pushed her backwards. "Just fucking go! Fucking go," she repeated slightly softer as she pushed her again. 

Kana remained silent for a moment, staring at the wreck with a look of both surprise and sadness. Elsie couldn't tell if she felt more anger or pity at this point. It didn't matter though. Kana finally turned around and walked off, leaving the wreck to herself.

Elsie shifted back behind the stable and covered her mouth with her hand as she slowly slid down the wall. She began to break down in tears, having to hold her mouth tight to keep herself from screaming. Just as she couldn't take it anymore, a portal manifested itself behind her, once again sucking her through.

Elsie fell back into reality, not bothering to try and catch herself this time. She landed on a hardwood floor and merely laid there for a moment crying. Eventually, she looked around and was greeted by surprisingly familiar surroundings. She was in her own home again. She took a moment to sniffle and wipe her eyes before standing up.

“Kana?” Elsie called as she began to walk around the room. All she wanted now was to just melt in her lover’s arms and know that she was still there. “Kana? Kanalesha?” Elsie continued to call out but received no answer. “Vadel? Vadel? Kana?” Elsie kept calling names as she began searching about the house more frantically. “Kana?!?” She began to yell this time. 

“They aren’t here.” Elsie whipped her head around to see herself once again. Oddly enough, this person had not been there a moment before as she was searching around frantically. She looked exactly as Elsie did now with the same clothes and scars, yet somehow she looked different. It was as if some sort of aura was surrounding her, but Elsie couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Nevertheless, Elsie clenched her fists and walked forward. She let out a scream of frustration as she picked up a nearby vase and threw it against the wall. “Just let me fucking go home!” 

“I’m sorry. I’m not quite done with you yet.” The eternal sat down on a chair in front of Elsie before motioning to the nearby couch. “I promise I’ll send you home soon.”

“No! This is fucking bullshit! I’m done with this shit! I just want to go home!” Elsie placed her hands on her temples as she began hyperventilating. “I can’t take this shit anymore! Who the fuck are you? What different version of me is it this time?”

“I’m not a different version of you; I am you. I am every you. I am what ties every single version of you together.” The eternal responded as she crossed her legs. 

“So it's your fault that I’ve been stuck here! Why I can’t go home! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Elsie stepped toward the eternal aggressively.

“Because, I needed you to see.” The eternal responded plainly before motioning toward the couch. “Take a deep breath. You’re almost done.”

Elsie fumed at the eternal. The two stared each other down for what felt like ages before Elsie finally just crossed her arms and walked over to the couch. She sat down silently and continued to stare at the eternal, still filled with anger but at least giving her the chance to speak.

“I apologize for the scenery as well. I didn’t mean to deceive you, I just felt you might be slightly more comfortable in your own home rather than some endless void.” The eternal chuckled as she sat back, letting out a calm breath.

“Tell me why I’m here,” Elsie demanded.”Why are you torturing me like this? Making me see all this shit?”

“Because, like I said, I need you to see. To learn. Every single alternate reality you have visited has been important for your own personal development.” The eternal held up a finger the second Elsie started to speak. “And, before you ask, I know it is important because, to reiterate, I am you. This mirror season… it is an astonishing phenomenon that I saw as an opportunity. So tell me, Elsylynn. Tell me of your interdimensional travels. Tell me everything that you were able to deduce yourself.”

“Fine.” Elsie huffed angrily. She paused for a moment to think on the subject before shrugging. “The first one was me if I never went to war forty years ago. Instead of going to war, she chased her dreams. And she achieved them. She is everything I could have been. Or even could be, I guess.”

“And was her life better? Were you envious of her,” the eternal asked curiously.

“Honestly? Yeah, at first.” Elsie took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting all the rage she had built up dissipate at least somewhat. “But then I found out she never met Kana. Vadel was never born. She never met any of my friends at Dead Sun. She achieved everything that she… I... ever wanted. But she was alone.”

The eternal merely smiled at Elsie and nodded. “And the second?”

“That was me in some completely alternate universe. I didn’t recognize jack shit there. She was young but still similar to me. Everything in her life had happened pretty much the same but in a different context if that makes sense. Well, she was more like me than the one before her. I definitely envied her more but then… I am her. I don’t know. I have to admit, it was nice seeing the things that transcended universes.”

“And the third one?” 

“I don’t fucking know what the deal with that one is. You tell me? She was nothing like me. She was a selfish, sadistic bitch. I’m nothing like her. I don’t even understand how she could be me.” Elsie’s anger was beginning to flare up once again as she remembered the assassin.

“Are you sure about that,” the eternal asked Elsie plainly. She stared at Elsie unflinchingly, awaiting her answer.

“Well, yeah I am! I mean, she’s evil. And I’m not!” Elsie paused for a moment as she looked down. She looked back up into the eyes of the eternal which were continuing to stare into her. “Right? I’m not evil, right?”

“There is no such thing as good or evil people.” The eternal shook her head as she leaned back. “Every single person is equal parts good and evil. The difference between them are the decisions people make. Which side they decide to give the light of day.”

“So… that bitch… is actually inside me then? She is me?” Elsie slowly looked down at her hands, remembering the feeling of the blade in them as she held it to the assassin’s throat.

“While I can’t really answer the philosophical aspect of that question, I can say in whole honesty that every you that you have encountered is equally you. The only differences are, as you said, context.” The eternal smiled as she twisted Elsie’s own words around. But then, Elsie supposed those were her words too.

“Ok, whatever.” Elsie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again. “And what about the fourth one? Hm? The fuck was the point of that one? Me except I’m stupid enough to break up with the love of my life? To push her away?” That was the first time Elsie had referred to Kana as the love of her life, and she could feel the weight of the words hanging in the air as the eternal stared at her.

The eternal shook her head slowly. “That wasn’t an alternate reality. That was your future.”

Elsie stood up suddenly, immediately filling with anger once again. “What the fuck are you talking about? My fucking future? I would never do that! That's bullshit! That can’t be true!”

“It doesn’t have to be.” The eternal responded calmly. “Elsylynn, something is coming. Someone is coming. If you are going to stand any chance, you have to learn.”

“Fucking learn what? Tell me what the fuck I have to learn! Tell me how to stop this!” 

“It doesn’t work like that.” The eternal’s response was a bit less calm than it had been. “And even if it did, it wouldn’t matter. The things you need to learn aren’t things that can just be taught to you. They’re things that you have to figure out for yourself.”     “What kind of cryptic fucking bullshit? That’s fucking stupid and you know it! If you can’t help me, why bring me here?” Elsie was very clearly yelling at this point. 

“The mirror season phenomenon was an opportunity for me to give you the opportunity to learn.” The eternal, while not yelling, was starting to reach the level of frustration that Elsie was at. She clearly at least shared Elsie’s stubbornness.

“That’s so fucking stupid. And who the fuck is coming that’s so light-damned important?” Elsie scoffed at the eternal and turned on her heel, directing her attention to anything other than the eternal’s face. It was rare Elsie got so mad at someone she had to turn away, and of course the fact that it was her own face made it far worse and far easier to vent her frustrations.

The eternal stood up and spoke plainly once again. “You already know.”

For a moment, it was as if time froze for Elsie. The realization of who the eternal was speaking of slapped her like a ton of bricks. She slowly turned back around to the eternal before speaking, no longer yelling but still just as frantic. “So, what? What do you want me to do? How am I supposed to stop her?”

“I can’t answer that question, Elsylynn.” The eternal merely shook her head.

Elsie shrugged and began shaking her head as well. Now her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. She struggled to choke back a sob as she began to speak to her again. “I don’t get it. I don’t know what you want from me.” She motioned around her in exasperation as she looked at the eternal pleadingly. “This? This has been torture. All I’ve seen is versions of myself that are what I could be, but I’m not. I’m not good enough to chase my dreams, I’m not good enough to just be happy. Light, I had to fight the personification of everything I hate about myself! And then you’re telling me that the one that was worse than all of the others… the one that finally broke me… that one isn’t even a different universe? That’s my fucking fate? Can you not just see for one light-damned second how much this is torturing me.” Elsie finally relented, allowing her sob to come forth. She put her head in her hands for a moment, letting herself cry. She then suddenly kicked the nearest chair as hard as she could, turning back to the eternal and yelling through her tears. “Just let me go home! I don’t fucking care anymore! I didn’t learn shit! You failed!”

The eternal merely stared at Elsie in silence. She wore a face of pity, but Elsie could not tell who for. Finally, one last portal manifested behind Elsie. “No, Elsylynn. If you haven’t learned anything, then we’ve both failed.”

[revthepunchbear]

Ascension

Ascension: Slip into a reality in which you meet a version of yourself who traded away those they loved in favor of empowering themselves, what are they like, do they regret their choices? Do you understand why they did what they did? Do they understand why you haven’t? Confront this version of yourself in order to slip back to own your reality.

--------------------

It was rare that Reveria went to Duskwatch herself. Not for lack of desire, simply a lack of time. With a newborn, the young twins, her duties in Sundown, and those duties as First Warden of the harbor saw her with little time to spare. However, today she had made time because she had come to learn that Velerodra was locking herself away inside somewhere and she knew that it was likely taking a toll. Not only on the monkette but also on the druid’s very own sister. Dianesh, of course, would never admit such a thing, concerned with remaining strong and centered for everyone around. She was nearly to the pair’s home when the storm came. ‘Mirror Season’ wasn’t anything the druid had heard of, let alone was prepared for. A mirror appeared before her and her first instinct was to look away, all her years of magical practice telling her nothing good could come from this. Alas, it was far too late, the strange tugging sensation of being pulled to some place unknown setting in before she was simply… Gone. 

When her inky hues fluttered open once more, she was in a place all too familiar. Yet not. The tall graceful trees of Darkshore towered above and around her, yet something seemed wrong. At first, she couldn’t quite place her finger on it, not until she heard something like the twisted heartbeat of the forest. The rhythm was all wrong, speeding up and slowing down at random times. It was then that she saw the faint, sickly, crimson glow pouring out from cracks in the bark. Like a weight being dropped on her, it all fell in place. The trees were snarled and covered in odd growths of vines and thorns, the foliage bore venomous and deadly buds, some that looked vicious and made to consume creatures, even the path she stood upon was broken and torn asunder by corruption. The Nightmare. 

A few panicked beats of her heart thundered in her chest at the realization, eyes following the path to see a place that was altogether more familiar. The family home. Not the quaint and sweet place she recalled but instead a home twisted and corrupted by the vile Nightmare. Then came the slowly bubbling fear, of all that she could lose if she didn’t make it from this place. Just as she was about to turn around and look for a way back, hot breath rolled across the back of her neck. Those hairs stood on end and the druid seemed frozen in place. 

“I remember you…”

A voice like a hundred bears growling and snarling drifted against her, quiet despite the tone. 

“Have you come to give in…? Here… You cannot take it away…” 

Pulling herself together enough that she could whirl around, Reveria turned to face the voice, only to be confronted by something that was more unsettling than anything she’d seen in a long time. Crimson eyes stared back at her from behind twisted and mussed locks of midnight blue, foul streaks of that same crimson corruption running through them. A smile far too wide, filled with vicious fangs curled all the wider in that moment. “Yes… Now you are starting to understand…” Horrified eyes drifted further along the figure, taking in malformed limbs that ended in hands with brutal twisted claws, bone spikes jutting from the flesh of arms and back, the entire figure hunched just to keep level eye contact. A tattered dress that barely covered looked to have in part grown into the very flesh before her, leaving the corrupted being all but on full display. “We… Are meant for so much more…” It all fell into place and the final spark of recognition came when the moon of Elune flickered upon the other’s forehead, no longer glowing with soft moonlight but bleeding with vile and hateful magics. Herself. She recoiled then, stumbling back a few paces, the horror never leaving her face. “What… No… How… Why?! We... I… didn’t choose this path.”

A low and light chuckle that sounded more like a horde of insects buzzing came rumbling through the place, a figure rising up behind her corrupted self to stand even taller. “No…” Even as bad as she wanted it to not be, it was true. The figure resolved into the spitting image of the corrupted Reveria, taller and far more corrupted. Her hands came to rest on the corrupted druid, deadly vile claws rapping lightly. “Little bear… How I have longed for you to join me… And you finally have… In Eternity.” That was perhaps more horrifying than herself before her. The visage of her mother, the one she could still remember breathing it’s last with her knife buried in the woman’s chest. A determination settled in upon Reveria as she took a long deep breath, calming and steeling herself. “Why? Why would you choose this path?” Her voice was strong as her resolve, questioning herself for a choice she could have made years ago. “If only you had listened. There is so much to be had. Min’da is with us… An’da too. Power… So much power… To ensure nothing is ever taken from us again. To protect everything we love. This… Isn’t damnation. It’s salvation.” She had to admit as her mirrored self spoke, that there was a tugging at the back of her mind, an itch that those words rang true. Thoughts of ensuring her children and her family’s safety flooded her mind and for a moment… She considered. It was the sound of the twins laughing, their beautiful faces staring up at her as they lay in bed together, that precious sound of their quiet breathing as they slept against her, Fevalia’s precious smile as right before she slept… That drew her back from the veil. “No.” 

The corrupted mother and daughter seemed surprised, stepping closer as one. “You would refuse the power to protect?” If there was one thing Reveria was good at, it was being stubborn. Standing tall and proud, she looked upon the pair with something like pity. “I don’t need this to protect my family. You two, this…” She gestured around the forest and home. “... Is not my family anymore. Dead and gone. So I say again… No. I can protect my beautiful children on my own. I don’t need this corruption to save them. I do-...” Even as the words were leaving her mouth, the druid felt herself tumbling through time and space once more. She let out an ‘oof’ as she crumpled into a pile on the ground, eyes looking around warily, only to see she’d landed back in Duskwatch. A nearby vendor ran to her side, the young woman kneeling down to offer a hand. “Sunspeaker, are you okay? You just fell out of thin air!” Offering a smile while taking the hand, Reveria lifted to her feet. “I’m alright, strange things in this place, huh?” Bidding the vendor goodbye, she made for the home of Dianesh and Velerodra and when the door finally opened, all she could think to do was wrap her sister in a hug for many long moments. 

A prompt from the list found HERE. 

@velerodra-valesinger​

[longveil]

Threads

[ Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash ]

(references @kat-hawke​’s  Near & Far )

The grim revelry of Stormwind had become something else, exchanged for a sense of somber inevitability.

“It’d be safer in Ironforge, Seraa.” “Seraa, let me know if you’re okay.”

The exquisite distraction had faded, drifting like the mists that were that one’s unalterable nature. Even the Huntress was lost to her, following the Hall to which that one was bound. But the distant wound plied at the edge of Seraanna’s seeing, a shattered Truth that set so many others to trembling. It could no longer be ignored, no more than Seraa could dismiss what thronged upon Stormwind’s streets.

And so she made ready.

Quill in hand, she adorned strips of fine parchment with the precious black ink made of Vorain’s gift, describing words still recalled from when she bore His gaze. Affixed to doors and windows, augmenting the wards which already guarded her apartments, the building itself would be cinders before any mortal could force their entry.

Any but herself. A key, silver and still-new, bound to all things. The opener to more than the ornate lock resting beneath the Kraken at her door, itself the talisman to which she bound some small portion of her Shadow.

That she might return.

Done.

There was only to tear the rift, to pull apart the threads of reality and step through the Void. Far beyond Stormwind’s reach, to seek the fragments of shattered Truth which called to her.

Yet as she reached for those strands, one thread called back. Resounded as it sought the ren’dorei’s attentions. Thrumming with a chord that differed yet remained... familiar.

Seraanna grasped at the strand instinctively. Twined it in Shadow without thinking as she drew at its length, Sight following the reverberations to their birth.

C̴u̷r̷i̴o̵s̴i̶t̴y̵.̴ ̵G̷u̴a̴r̴d̶e̵d̶ ̴q̵u̸e̸s̵t̷i̷o̶n̴.̸ Why do you seek me now?

(Mentions/References: @kat-hawke , @mozelledeliond, @easternkingdomer, @velerodra-valesinger, @foxglovethings )

[shaeshine]

when you get your soft, italicized, "Oh."

Prompt here

the late-night talk

Oh. you figure it out when you realize just how vulnerable they are willing to be with you. it isn't everybody who could or would stay up talking into the night with you, not with such affection or easy familiarity. it isn't everybody who is so understanding of you. it isn't everybody who could bare their soul to you in return. that kind of intimacy... it means deep foundations. it means comfort. it means trust. maybe it's a secret, maybe it's a story, maybe it's something you just never thought of before -- but they say something, late at night, and you realize all at once how remarkable they are, and how special it is to exist in the same time and space as them. "oh" indeed.

Tagged by: @eilitheandiel

Tagging: @aydriis, @velerodra-valesinger, @theshalthera

[mysticelf]

Azu things

Name: Azura Ravenoak (Duskwalker)

Alias/Nicknames: Azu, Starlight, Saber

Gender: Female

Age: 4,000~

Zodiac: Cancer

Abilities/Talents

Mom Friend ™️

Tea, Tea, Tea (Drinkable and Dishing)

Gregarious Gardner

Will cut a bitch with a soft smile

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil

Religion: Elune is close to her heart alongside the many Wild Gods that help nature flourish and cultivate life. Her dedication is to most living creatures and ensuring that the Cycle is upheld no matter what.

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: Darnassian, Common, Shalassian, Thalassian, Orcish, Sign

Family:

Nyllaen Ravenoak (Husband)

Cela’nea Duskwalker (Daughter/Niece)

Eralia Duskwalker (Sister- Deceased)

Rae’thalos Duskwalker (Brother)

Ellevaria Mistgrove (Mother)

Orenlian Duskwalker (Father - Deceased)

@revthepunchbear​ Reveria Duskbringer (Sister)

@eilitheandiel​ Eilithe An’diel (Sister)

Friends:

@zephiandco​ (Zephidra, Varmira), @velerodra-valesinger (Velerodra), Dianesh, Kurel, Mavas, and many others!

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship Status: single / partnered / engaged / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy / other

Hair: white / blonde / brown / red / black / other 

Eyes: brown / blue  / gray / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / dark / other (Pale/Purple)

Height: 6′4′’

Scars:

- Stab wound on lower left abdomen

- Many small scars across her body

dogs or cats || birds or bugs || snakes or spiders || coffee or tea || ice cream or cake || fruits or vegetables || sandwich or soup || magic or melee || sword or bow || summer or winter || spring or autumn || past or future (In the moment!) 

Songs that remind you of them:

1. Lovely - Billie Eilish, Khalid

2. Crystals - Of Monsters and Men

3. So Heavy I Fell Through The Earth - Grimes

Tagged by: @aydriis

Tagging: Whoever!

[aydriis]

Aydri Things

Name: Aydri’lyssa Seawalker (Aydri)

Alias/Nicknames: Trouble, Zeppy, Bingo, Kah

Gender: Female

Age: 6,102

Zodiac: Scorpio

Abilities/Talents

No Bullshit ™️

Stealth Supreme

Agility (Flexible, slippery like a snake)

Alignment:  lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil 

Religion: She acknowledges Elune and her presence, but is not devout. A few personal practices seem to mimic those much like Loa worship...but she doesn’t have a specific god that she reveres. There’s a point made not to.

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath 

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience 

Languages: Darnassian, Common, Zandali, Orcish, Some Sign, Thieve’s Cant

Family: 

@shaeshine​ (Husband)

Viz’Alia Seawalker (Daughter In-Law)

Selaciea Shadespear (Mother - Deceased(?))

Mylanea Shadespear (Sister)

Friends: 

@mysticelf (Azura), @revthepunchbear (Reveria), @eilitheandiel (Eilithe), @zephiandco (Varmira), @bad-rper (Cichol, Glade), @horrible-mailman (Saeteth), @velerodra-valesinger (Velerodra), and many others to get into shit with!

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship Status: single / partnered / engaged / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy / other

Hair: white / blonde / brown / red / black / other (Teal)

Eyes: brown / blue  / gray / green / black / other (Silver/Pale Blue)

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / dark / other

Height: 6′7′’

Scars: 

- Across bridge of nose

- Left temple

- Many, many, small and different ones all over

- Long and jagged scar on outer right thigh

dogs or cats || birds or bugs || snakes or spiders || coffee or tea || ice cream or cake || fruits or vegetables || sandwich or soup || magic or melee || sword or bow || summer or winter || spring or autumn || past or future (PRESENT OR NOTHING)

Songs that remind you of them: 

1. The In-Between - In This Moment

2. Mount Everest - Labrinth

3. Pyre- Son Lux

Tagged by: @eilitheandiel<3

Tagging: Whoever!

[bellwetherspromise]

Inspiral

 [ Pas de Deux- Michael Abels ]

“Do you know what happens to a binary blackhole, Mirinia?” He voice was rare with its gentle tone. “At first they begin by shrinking in orbit-- the process is incredibly long.”

“Just at first?” Mirin asked her father. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mirin knew why Zelphryin had attempted to open the way to the Infinite on his own. Her closeness and usefulness was wholly dependent on if she were expendable or not. If the moment came where he did not need her-- even she had not prepared for this.

For now, his gratification came solely through her control of the Infinite. For now, he needed her for a simple task. Six months before Kurel An’Diel had discovered, Severin, Zelphryin’s servant and Kurel’s mother’s murderer, had been living in secret within the walls of Zelphryin’s apartment. And six months ago, Severin had gone missing. 

Without his whisper, Zelphryin found himself convinced he could not continue his work in Dead Sun. And so, it became necessary to push the limits of the Infinite. In a place of many doors and many outcomes, Severin yet drew breath behind at least a handful of them.  Find the door. Find the boy.

It began first on the night Severin had gone missing. Zelphryin invoked the door: "A port's Commander arrives followed by a woman's charge and a man's brother. In a pretense of rage and suspicion. An order is given to arrest their savior... but.. What happened to the boy after his detainment?"

They arrived back in time and space, outside of An’Diel manor to spy on a conversation from the tree line. "I didn' tell you everythin'" Kurel said, his head in his hands as he sat on the porch. Eilithe seemed to soothe him-- encourage him to share. Kurel had not told Eilithe what he’d done. How he had condemned Severin’s brother to death and in retaliation Severin had defected-- before carrying out the execution of Mags, the woman Kurel had loved as a mother. 

Eilithe was quiet for a long time before she spoke aloud, "I understand." Which Mirin understood to mean that Eilithe would have Severin killed. In fact, through another door Mirin and Zelphryin would come to find that were it not for Eilonwy An’Diel-- Severin would have joined his brother in death. 

He had escaped and so that meant they had to find the door that told them where Severin had hidden himself. Where does a loyal servant go but back home. Back to the Black Mirage. 

When they had finished their journey, day had already broken and her mind was heavy with treasonous information. The pair of them decided the day was better spend in bed. While Zelphryin still slept, Mirin had left on her own to begin her work.

Each time they passed together into the Infinite, she felt their minds and memories drawing closer. It was an effect that her father had called ‘bleeding’, wherein things from the Infinite leaked out into the reality its wielder understood as their own-- where moments would begin crashing into other moments. While she, and every Shol’Shar that wielded the Infinite before her had experienced these bleeds in varied degrees, she and Zelphryin were in unprecedented moments.  Sharing the immensity of the Infinite and in turn, sharing minds.

Back in her apartment, Mirin made her way to the upstairs of her study where a small vault hidden in the wall kept all her secrets. On a pedestal at the center a swirling black force hovered. Around it, pieces of a puzzle orbited in slow motion. 

“The Inspiral is almost complete, isn’t it? Come now,” she said, opening her hand. The shadows twisted into ribbons and began to swirl toward the darkness. Together, her shadow and the dark twisted. Energy compounded upon itself and dragged in the orbiting puzzle pieces. Pitch black consumed the room and everything in it and for several hours not a peep came from the vault.

Three more days passed with the coalesced puzzle box in her possession. Three more days of bleeding moments crashing into other moments. With the object in her hand, she fidgeted behind her back whenever she felt a bleed coming on. 

On the stoop of the Golden Chariot teahouse, Mirin twisted the puzzle box urgently behind her back. Down the dank street, she watched as a sixteen year-old version of herself leap into the air, legs into a perfect slip, arms thrown into the air. 

Velerodra was talking, she could hear the sound of her friend’s voice but not discern the words. Her younger self landed and moved into an uncomfortable twist. Mirin locked eyes with herself before her girl self twist in pirouettes down the road toward the alley.

Without a word, Mirin took off to follow the echo. 

Urgently, she rounded the corner to find her teenage self in a partial back bend. Black bars bobbed in the blue pools of her younger’s eyes and upside down. “Do you remember the next stage?” The younger Mirin asked. She stared at Mirin for ages before her back snapped unnaturally and she staggered forward to disappear into the alley. 

“Mirin..” was all she heard from Vel’s lips. She’d already thought of an excuse. “Did you hear that, Velerodra? Something from down this alley,” Mirin proposed, knowing full well that it was nothing Vel would have heard. 

Her father’s words were as crystal now as the day he’d said them to her:

“Certainly. The first stage we call the Inspiral. Slowly, the binary black hole begins to spin faster together as it prepares for the next stage.”

@kurel-andiel​ @velerodra-valesinger​

[bad-rper]

Oh, It’s This Guy

Name: Thanfred Veilborne

Alias/Nicknames: Doorfred, Thanfuck, Doorfuck, Some combination of Than-, Door-, or -fuck.

Abilities/Talents

Absolutely nothing

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil

Religion: Not really.

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath / suck

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: Thalassian, Common*, Demonic*, Shath’Yar*. (*’Gifted’ with bracers)

Family: Mother, father, and younger brother. All estranged. Stimmy

Friends: Uh. Azi-thak? Definitely not Stimmy Castfuse. Nuh uh. (Also actually @terranlloyd (Terran Lloyd) and as of two days ago @velerodra-valesinger (Velerodra Valesinger))

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship Status: single / partnered / engaged / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent / incel

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy / other

Hair: white / blonde / brown / red / black / other (void-colored. purplish navy?)

Eyes: brown / blue  / gray / green / black / other (icy blue)

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / dark / other (lavender-ish)

Height: 6′

Scars: Only emotional.

dogs or cats || birds or bugs || snakes or spiders || coffee or tea || ice cream or cake || fruits or vegetables || sandwich or soup || magic or melee || sword or bow || summer or winter || spring or autumn || past or future

Songs that remind you of them:

1. Yu Yu Hakusho - Day Dream Generation

2. FF7: Crisis Core - Encounter

3. Green Day - Basket Case

4. Yakuza 7 - Machine Gun Kiss [Police Spec] (he’d sing this at a karaoke bar)

Tagged by: Still Eilithe​

Tagging:

[pettyelves]

E things

Name: Ei’lithene An’diel (Duskbringer) Alias/Nicknames: Eilithe, E, Lithy, Kaz’aka Gender: Woman Age: 6,500~ Zodiac: Taurus Abilities/Talents

Good mother

Master of bladed weapons

Getting Shit Done™️

Reads most people like books

Friends on The Other Side ™️ (not literally the dungeon)

Alignment:  lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil Religion: She’s in a complicated relationship with Elune and committed to one loa, tolerating another lesser loa. She likes gods that are active, that will speak to you, not through your high priestess. Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience Languages: Darnassian, Common, Thalassian, Some Orcish, Zandali, Sign Family:  @kurel-andiel (Husband) @xavier-sunshadow, Threshad, Karkah, Eilonwy, Malik (Children, in order of age) An’Set and Saeron Duskbringer (Elder Brothers) Endessa and Meridianna Duskbringer (Grandmother and Mother) @shaeshine (cousin) 

Friends: It is worth noting that all these people she’d consider family: @revthepunchbear (sister-in-law) @aydriis (cousin-in-law) @velerodra-valesinger @mysticelf @shaded-hawke (brother-in-law) Then you got her pals: @zephiandco (Varmira) @horrible-mailman @storefront-gargoyle and pretty much all of Dead Sun.

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship Status: single / partnered / engaged / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy / other 

Hair: white / blonde / brown / red / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue  / gray / green / black / other (Silver/Dark grey)

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / dark / other

Height: 6′

Scars: Too damn many.

dogs or cats || birds or bugs || snakes or spiders || coffee or tea || ice cream or cake || fruits or vegetables || sandwich or soup || magic or melee || sword or bow || summer or winter || spring or autumn || past or future Right Fuggin’ Now

Songs that remind you of them: (Varies WILDLY by E’s mood)

1. False King - Two Steps from Hell

2. Die by the Drop  - The Dead Weather (pretty much anything by them honestly)

3. The Ballad of Love and Hate- The Avett Brothers

Tagged by: @brandstonethings <3

Tagging: @shaeshine @aydriis @velerodra-valesinger @bad-rper (pick one) @zephiandco​

[shaded-hawke]

Prompt: Another Life

Divergent Paths:   Slip into a reality where a crucial decision you’ve made was made differently.   Meet a version of yourself that made a choice at a pivotal point in your life that differs from the choice you made.  What is their life like?   Do they regret it?   Do you wish you’d made the choice they did?  Confront what might have been to slip back to reality.  -- prompt created by @velerodra-valesinger  The mirror had appeared despite his best intentions to avoid every place he had heard the Countess and others mention they would appear, it had been easy enough to avoid the lines of magical power he felt with every pulse of his heartbeat, but unfortunately for Mavas the magic that controlled the strange area of Duskwatch seemed keen to have him be entertaining, and he had little time to stop himself as the cool portal had appeared and he had slid through it.  The first thing he felt was the carefully curated hum of arcane magic laced with light that always let him know he was home. Most Sin’dorei considered Silvermoon their home, and while he had wandered far and wide on Azeroth for work and his own personal journeys, there was something about returning to the hum of the magic that had birthed him that set him normally at ease.  This time, though, as he studied the crumbling structures of the ruined parts of the city, the paths that flitted with moving shadows he knew no doubt by name, fel eyes narrowed as he studied the road towards the Conclave. This was a homecoming...but what home would he be coming to? Reports from the others flitted in his mind, stories of facing choices, of seeing alternative paths and even whole new worlds came and went as he cycled through his options mentally. They all said the same though, they had faced whatever oddity that was this other world, and had returned. His face set with determination, Mavas began to walk. One foot in front of the other, barely disturbing the dust beneath, he stood to his full height and strode straight to the heavy wooden doors that lead into the Conclave, pushing them open and letting them close behind him with a heavy thunk before he could question his sanity too closely on returning to such a place, even in an alternative world.  It was different. The darker hallways and shadows had been illuminated by wall sconces, glowing an eerie green fire that made the rooms look ghostly in their light. There were members sitting in chairs or couches, all staring at him silently as he moved through, following the deep red carpet beneath his feet, the only carpet in a sea of black marble flooring. Mav got the unsettling feeling he had interrupted something, but that strangely enough he was expected which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, fingers twitching faintly but managing to stay away from the hidden dagger hilts at his hips. His silent steps lead him through the room into a hall, two more rooms much the same as the first if only a change in furniture position, and then finally the black ornate doors that lead to where his ex-leader would hold his so called 'court'. Mavas had always hated the heavy dark wooden feel of the room, the raised throne and the shadowy pillars on the sides that he knew contained a dozen ways to kill him when he passed each one, the oppressive knowledge that he breathed because he was permitted had made him despise being called to this room especially, the reminder of his invisible chains had always grated to his very core. As the doors open and he stepped in, fel green eyes widened. He hated it even more. He hadn't thought it was possible. Where there had been darkness, there was now near blinding light. The floor was no longer black but a checkerboard pattern of black and white stone spreading the illusion that the room was much larger than it was. The walls were draped in deep crimson fabric, and from each low dip hung a black chain and cauldron, the same eerie green fire burning, though it was mostly for show as the room seemed to be illuminated from bright glowing orbs in the ceiling, chasing away shadow and leaving Mavas feeling painfully exposed.  In the center of the room was a round set of three tiered steps, a massive gleaming throne upon it, either painted or pure silver with black and red velvet along the back and seat in diagonal stripes. And sitting upon it was himself. Well, perhaps seated was a misnomer, Mavas would only be able to give the position as draped, his other self had his legs up on one arm, leaning back into the side of the chair, arms crossed over his chest, burning green eyes staring at him curiously. As the doors closed quietly behind him,  Mavas stepped three more measured paces in, and then stood there, meeting his own gaze steadily, letting the silence stretch until it nearly filled the entire room. “You. Are not what I expected." His doppelganger (or was he the doppelganger? Mavas did not think too carefully on that) At any rate he remained silent, not moving forward or really at all, waiting. The Mavas on the throne sighed, long legs covered in tight leather and familiar worn boots sliding from the armrest they had been on as he moved to stand, his movements fluid and near seductive. It put him on edge, but years of being in this room with another who moved much the same way had him holding still as the other approached him. As this Mavas got closer, he could see along the edges of his temples small cracks in his flesh, glowing green striping along his cheeks and his neck. Even this one's eyes were much more contaminated than his own...how much had this one fallen to his Fel madness? Mavas stood still as the other him stopped in front of him, forcing himself not to lean back as the other leaned in to study him curiously. Finally the silence was broken once more as his other self spoke once more.  "Where did you come from?" He asked casually.   "A weakening between our two worlds. I imagine I will return swiftly now that we have met." Mavas replied, voice more clipped and sharp. His other smiled, and Mav tensed. Smiles were not pleasant to him, not on people like him. Every friend or loved one he had let into his life in the past years seemed to get joy when Mavas smiled or even laughed, and Mavas could never explain why it was such a rare commodity, but staring at himself smiling at him, he suddenly realized what it was. To him, a smile was dangerous, it was teeth bared and an animalistic warning that he had never been quite able to see as anything but a harbinger of pain and harm.  "I think you'll return once I let you return. Tell me, what name do you go by?" His other asked, head tilting curiously.  "Mavas." He replied, there was no reason to lie, the question could only come from himself. Only he would understand what it truly meant. "Mm...I wonder then, when you remained Mavas and I returned to Shade. Tell me, Sparrow, who is your important person?" Shade asked, and Mavas tensed...he hated that this creature knew what to ask him. It was himself, he was being interrogated, and he knew if he did not answer there would be repercussions. "What is yours?" He replied by way of another question, knowing it would throw him off if someone questioned him, and he was glad to see it still worked in this world as his other self frowned suddenly, as if not expecting something like that. And really, who had ever questioned Mavas when he had started his gentle interrogations? To others he was merely curious, gentle pluckings of information were easily done and the target rarely realized what was happening. "That...is certainly a question. Would you believe if I said I did not have one?" Shade replied, amusement in his tone. The emotion in his voice made Mavas twitch internally, he could not follow where this warm tone came from, it sounded too much like his ex-leader, like his so-called Mother, like the people he had spent years getting as far away from as he could without causing outright war. He took a quick breath to calm himself, raising his chin faintly. "I would not, Gabri-"  "I slit his throat." Shade replied easily. "Name them...go forward. Thoen? Dead. The others? Dead. Not one left living in my path to dominance...Mother, Father...well they had always wanted me to return to power. After the pirate's death what was there to stop me from returning? Though I suppose they did not imagine me returning with my own army...and the power of my Behemoth at my back."  Mav was tense, stunned into silence as he found himself trying to catch up. He pushed aside the aching pain as those who had once held his heart were named dead so easily, trying to focus logically. Death..pirate's death. "Kurel." he said suddenly. "Kurel is dead?" Shade blinked, having expected there to be more of a shock at his confession of his rampage but he suddenly smiled again. "That's what it is?" he laughed suddenly. "You brought him back!" Mavas grimaced at the sound of the laughter, it was sharp and loud, it held an edge of insanity that made his skin crawl, that his body and himself could produce such a maddening sound. "It was never in question." he growled, anger burning in his chest. Shade leaned back, shaking his head. "It was...after he gored me and nearly killed me, I stared at that body so full of potential, and then at the Soulstone that had his being trapped where we had sent it. What was our single question to him, do you remember? Do you want the power or not...he responded he wanted it. Unmitigated strength fueled by me and you know what I saw when I went to his soulstone...do you know what I found? Peace." His face turned to a sneer. "Weakness, once again I had been abandoned to weakness. He would disappoint me again if I brought him back, I knew that now...with that woman, with the next woman, with a thousand betrayals he would perform over the years." he smiled then, almost in mocking as if he knew he should feel sad when he continued, "When I crushed the stone and dispersed his soul to the Maw...I felt disappointment. But then I remembered...I had my greatest creation...and now I could do whatever I wanted with it." Mav felt his blood freeze as he listened, the words laced in malice and disgust making him feel nauseous as they flowed from his counterpart. The world from that one point slid in his mind, all of the people, the things that had been created and destroyed, had been forged and made better because of his one choice...he didn't notice he'd stepped back until the other him made a soft cooing sound, as if trying to calm his raging mind. "Oh...I should introduce you to him." Shade said, reaching up and snapping his fingers. From the far end of the room the sound of chains being removed and falling to the stone floor was heard, and loud steps slowly crept from the shadows as the Behemoth monster that lived beneath Kurel's skin, the beast Mav felt his connection to and helped lend his power to tamp down...he could feel it now, the same marks that glowed fel green across the creature, and he had lashed in his flesh when he had first done his binding spell burned as the power from the beastly demonic construct stopped almost docile beside the other him. Shade reached up, gently patting the beast's arm. "This is what you could have had. This creature, power beyond imagining...the ones that started this body's transformation had little knowledge of what they were truly creating...the power latent within the pirate's form mixed with mine? He's unstoppable." Shade grinned madly. "And isn't that what you've always wanted? Power...that's what we've always wanted, truly deep down." Mavas stared at the monster in front of him, he could feel it’s power as if it were his own, the control his Other had a thousand times stronger but he could wrest it...he could... “No.” Shade raised a brow, eyes gleaming as he had expected some kind of struggle. “No?” he questioned.  Mavas raised his head, tearing his eyes from the hulking monster that had been the flesh of his brother, settling his gaze upon his Other as he spoke. “I would not trade the thousand small betrayals, the loss, the destruction, and the utter frustration that is Kurel An’Diel for anything. Not for power, not for glory. His life is far more precious, and far more valuable to me, and my life, and my path, than any who have or will come. You have your creation, but you have lost more than you will even be able to fathom.”  Shade sneered, eyes flaring as he moved swiftly into Mav’s face, glaring at him nose to nose. “And what do you think you could ever have that would be worth more than my kingdom I have created?”  Mav paused, head tilting to the side, a movement mimicked by his Other. He finally smiled, a soft smile that did not show teeth, that crinkled the corners of his eyes and it pleased him at how utterly baffled and even afraid his Other looked to see such a peaceful expression on his own visage.  “I have myself, and those I would die for. I have love, which is something you will never have.” Mavas replied simply, and stepped backwards. His back  did not collide with the door, but instead into open air as the familiar scent of Duskwatch assaulted his nose. His gaze did not falter from the outraged scandalized gaze of his Other, until with a pop the mirror portal vanished into the air. He stared into nothing, before some part of him realized how ridiculous he looked out in the middle of the street, and he managed to get himself moving to his lab. Once behind safe walls Mavas could fall into his seat and process what had just happened...he just had to get there.  ( @kurel-andiel for many mentions)

[velerodra-valesinger]

A Demon for Duskwatch

It was in some far flung corridor of the structure that she found the creature she’d been seeking. A corridor most notable for its darkness which stood out in place that was so filled with lights. From crystals, arcane and Light runes, somehow, despite few sources of exterior light, the Exodar was fairly well lit.

A single thread ceased in its search and the others all simultaneously altered their course to merge once more.

She remained a fragment of herself at first, eyeing the creature. Strand by strand of, threads of mist wove together and her form began to manifest in the flesh.

The form of the creature was akin to what she’d expected, she recognized his form, his shape, and the wrinkles of his face. Yet his flesh was no longer the deep red she had seen when they’d first met. In the dark corridor his flesh was so light it cast its own glow. A glow that made her uneasy despite the impossibility of its origin. The illusion was convincing enough to make her skin crawl slightly.

Mismatched green eyes made her easy to spot, and hiding wasn’t really her style. Yet the apparent Draenei just went about his business, seemingly ignorant of her sudden manifestation. And his business seemed a dull one. Lifting crates and moving them out of the dark corridor and carrying them somewhere else. It was the kind of dull, physically laborious task that Vel never was fond of. She would have thought her rather sudden appearance would have been enough to seize the creature's attention - and yet he acted as if she weren’t there at all. Making trip after trip down that long hallway, moving crate after crate.

Vel wasn’t sure if he was ignoring her actively or merely very focused on the task he seemed to have decided to commit his time to. It was with a faint tap of her fingertip to one of the bells in her hair, that caused the creature’s golden eyes to turn towards her.

Only for him to reach down and collect yet another crate, turn, and begin to clomp back down the hallway. This blatant gesture of ignoring her presence earned a distinct eye roll and a sigh from the monkette, who had opted for her blond haired look on this particular trip.

The creature stopped briefly as he walked and spoke without so much as turning his gaze towards the blond elf. “What do you want?” He spoke with a thick Draenic accent, and his voice was low and this tone sharp.

“Why do you assume I want something? Perhaps I just wished to see how you were adjusting to your …. freedom.”

“How did you find me?”

“You are predictable.”

“I am adjusting to my freedom well.” He grunted, setting the crate down and turning to face the short monkette. Rather than loom over her he opted to sit down upon the crate. “You went with a rather ironic look, given what you are…”. Vel muttered softly, “...and it seems, you have found a way to keep yourself busy, moving boxes around.”

“I keep to myself and am among things that I have not been near in many years. While I cannot claim it to be home, it reminds me of home. Which as much as I can hope to find.”

“Among.” Vel paused “Yet not quite a part of. Your illusion is convincing enough for you to do more than deliver crates in dark corridors. You could reach out to others, and attempt to do more than be among things that remind you of home, you could be part of them.” Vel said in a sort of soft and whimsical tone. “Or can’t you? Do you really hate yourself so much, that you prefer to spend your days in the dark - free to live your life, while there are many undead creatures that are more vibrant and lively than you seem to be… Had I known you’d have been like this, I might not have agreed to free you.”

Izluun’s gaze rested harshly on Vel, “You would have. When you altered the terms of my confinement, you were quite fixated on accomplishing something. Something for which you could have not accomplished without me.”

“I am a Countess now…”. Vel said, switching topics abruptly.

This seemed to get Izluun’s attention, his expression didn’t conceal much. It was clear he disliked the sound of that. His level of trust towards the elf was low on a good day.

“I see. How is that suiting you?”

“Well. Velerodra Valesinger, Countless of Duskwatch, it has a ring to it, does it not?” Vel tapped at her bells to ring them.

Izluun looked downward “What do you intend to do as Countess of Duskwatch?”

Vel smiled and spoke with enthusiasm, “I am just there to make sure the mines move smoothly… and to tend to the various issues that pop up. Duskwatch is a curious place. There is an unusual magic in the air. I am in the market for some sort of arcane specialist.” Her gaze landed on the demon, who continued to look away.

“There it is.”

“There what is?”

“What you wanted.”

“I didn’t say -you-, I was just mentioning it. I would not want to pull you away from all this.” Vel gestured to the corridor and the many crates.

“I will think about the matter.”

Vel tilted her head and smiled, “I ran into my mother recently… I had begun to think our paths might never cross, yet, it appears our paths are destined to cross from time to time. But, I am rambling. Really I just wanted to make sure you were adjusting to freedom, like I said before…. And while I don’t see the appeal to this…. you seem adjusted.” Vel nodded and offered Izluun a lazy wave. At the mention of Vel’s mother his gaze had sharpened. Though Vel had not given him much time to respond, she was already halfway down the corridor.

The expression left on the old Man’ari’s face was once of annoyance and concern. He’d arrive in Duskwatch by the end of the week. And Vel would have her arcane specialist for the sleepy mining town.

It had been a productive trip.

[elsylynneverbright]

Mirror Season Part 2: Destinies Entwined

The writing prompts for this series of posts are by @velerodra-valesinger and can be found here! 

    Elsie found herself stumbling back into reality once again. She took a moment to steady herself and try to keep herself from vomiting again before looking around. She expected to see the clearing she had been standing in prior to the mirror’s appearance and perhaps her sister waiting for her. Instead, she found herself in the most foreign room she had seen in her entire life.

    Next to her was a small bed that clearly hadn’t been made in sometime and a small desk that was similarly untidy. That was where the things she recognized in the room ended. There was some sort of black viewing screen in the window sill next to the desk as well as another smaller viewing screen attached to a collection of what seemed to be buttons with lettering on them. There were paper bags filled with trash strewn around the room, all with odd symbols that Elsie did not recognize. Elsie’s ears twitched as her focus shifted from the foreign nature of the room to some sort of music that seemed to be permeating the room. She began to look around in search of whoever could be playing such a song, but there was not a soul in sight. 

    As she began to explore the room in search of wherever this gnome playing a lute must be hiding, one of the two doors suddenly burst open and Elsie was greeted with exactly the face she was afraid she would see, her own.

    This new version of herself walked into the room, dancing around with her eyes closed, seeming enjoying the elusive gnomish musician. She had a toothbrush resting in her mouth that she occasionally brushed a bit with, but was mostly engrossed in the music. She had on a crop top pink sweater and a pair of black sweatpants. The oddest thing about her though was that, unlike Elsie, she did not seem to have any sort of pointed ears. She looked like an average human, yet she still very clearly shared Elsie’s face, other than the scars yet again.

    Elsie just watched the girl dance for a while until she finally opened her eyes and the two met each other's gaze fully. In an instant, the girl removed her toothbrush and pointed it at Elsie as if it were a weapon. “Who the fuck are you, and why the fuck are you in my dorm room,” she asked Elsie, gargling toothpaste as she spoke.

    Elsie simply rolled her eyes as she walked over to the bed and sat down on it. “You from a different universe, blah blah blah, it's complicated.”

    The student stared at Elsie for a moment, remaining motionless. She then slowly began to inch her way to the bathroom, never taking her eyes off of Elsie. As she disappeared into the bathroom once again, Elsie could hear the sound of the student spitting out the toothpaste in her mouth and turning the faucet on. Elsie could hear a few splashes and assumed it was the sound of the student splashing a bit of water on her face.

    The student re-entered the room a few moments later and looked over to Elsie before rolling her eyes. “Shit, you’re still here.”

    “Yeah, I am. Did you think I was just going to vanish?” Elsie gave the student a puzzled look.

    “I mean, you aren’t real, so I hoped so. Just another hallucination. Which means, I’m probably not getting enough sleep again. I mean finals are coming up and all but I should probably take a bit more care of myself-”

    Elsie cut the student off as she began speaking once more. “I am real. Like I said, it’s complicated.” Elsie glanced around the room again at all the foreign objects before returning her gaze to this seemingly human version of herself. “Where the fuck even am I by the way? And where the fuck is that fucking music coming from?” Elsie stood up suddenly and resumed her search for the elusive singing gnome, making an even bigger mess in the room than there was before.

    The student looked at her oddly for a moment before quickly rushing forward and trying to stop her from destroying her room in her search. “What do you mean? It's coming from my laptop!” 

    The student grabbed Elsie's hand, tearing her attention away from her search, and the two stared at each other for a moment. They focused on each feature of their faces that was completely different. The hair, the glowy eyes, and even the scars. After a while, the student finally lets go of Elsie's hand and the two speak in unison. "What the fuck are you?"

    Eventually, the two finally took their eyes off each other and separated. Elsie walked over to the bed and sat down on top of it, looking around the room at all the foreign objects once more before letting out a sigh and laying back on the bed. “And what the fuck is a ‘lap-top’ by the way?”

    The student just pointed at the screen with the buttons on her desk before walking up to the seat next to it. She picked up the pile of clothes that was resting on it and tossed them into the middle of the room before taking their place on the seat. “So, if you are supposedly ‘real,’ what the fuck are you doing here? And can you preferably leave soon? I really need to get some sleep. If I sleep through my eight AMs again, Kana will probably kill me.”

    Elsie started to answer the students' question until she heard the familiar name. She opened her eyes wide and sat up a bit as she turned to the student.”Kana? So you know Kana in this universe?”

    “Well, no shit. She is my girlfriend.” The student gave Elsie an odd look as she leaned back in her chair. “How did you not know that if you’re me?”

    “I- well, I do know that. She is my girlfriend in my universe too. It's just… I just talked to a different version of myself where she hadn’t met Kana so I wasn’t sure if that was like a… constant.” Elsie scratched the back of her head as she leaned back on the bed again. “Also, we aren’t technically the same person. I mean we are, but different universes and shit.”

    “That makes no fucking sense.” The student just laughed and shook her head.

    “How do the ears not give that shit away? Or the fact that I am standing here instead of being inside of you?” Elsie shook her head in the same way the student had before letting out a sigh. “Whatever. How did you meet Kana?” Elsie turned slightly to look at the student. She noticed the odd look on the student’s face and let out another sigh. “Different universes! It's not the same for me, so no, I don’t already know the answer to that question.”

    “It sounds like you’re making this up as you go along.” The student rolled her eyes. “We had English 101 together my freshman year. She needed help with a paper, so I helped her out. We hung out some while working on it and she was pretty cool. After she turned in the paper and passed though I figured she’d probably not talk to me all that much, but then she invited me to some party.”

    “You party?” Elsie looked at the student weirdly. She was doing her best to try and find the differences between the two.

    “Oh fuck no.” The student laughed and shook her head. “I went to one party in high school. It was the birthday party of one of the choir members, and I showed up early because I didn’t realize that seven really meant nine. I went to the one Kana invited me to anyway though because.... I dunno, I wanted to hang out with Kana. She seemed like she could be a cool friend in this city where I don’t have any. She was so sweet at the party too. She made sure I was comfortable. I wasn’t enjoying being inside around all those dancing drunk theatre students, so we went outside and sat on the porch and just talked.”

    “That… sounds like her.” Elsie smiled at the student. “And like me, come to think of it. So was that it? You two started dating after that?”

    “Well, we kissed, but we didn’t start dating for months, because I panicked and didn’t understand my sexuality and all sorts of bullshit. We eventually agreed on just doing what felt right regardless of title.” The student smiled warmly as she thought back on it. “After that, it wasn’t long before we were a couple.”

    “We did the same thing in my universe. The no titles thing. We were both a bit nervous about it.” Elsie turned her head so that she could look up at the ceiling while she talked.

    “So, it happened the same for you?” The student tilted her head slightly at Elsie.

    “Similar. We met differently. I was practicing lute when we met. Then she told me she wanted me to hold her the way I held the lute and she ran off.” Elsie giggled as she remembered their first encounter. “The nervousness and slowness initially, that is pretty much the same.”

    The student looked Elsie over for a moment, tapping her chin for a moment. She finally spoke up after a bit of deliberation within herself. “Do your parents know?”

    Elsie nodded. “They did. Fel, apparently my mom knew long before I did. Do yours not?”

    The student shrugged lightly as she turned her gaze away from Elsie. “No… I’m scared of how they’ll react. They aren’t the most understanding when it comes to most things. How did they react for you?”

    Elsie nodded in agreement. Her mother was not known for her understanding nature. “It didn’t bother them. I mean, they were mostly just happy to see me again. Long story, before you ask.”

    The student shrugged as she slumped a bit in her chair. “That makes sense. Though maybe views on that kind of thing are different in your universe or something.” She let out a small sigh. “The only person in my family who knows right now is Vadel.”

    “Vadel?” Elsie raised her eyebrows at the student. “So, you two are close then?”

    “Oh yeah. I’m closer to her than I was my mom. I mean, it wasn’t always that way. We used to fight so much as kids, mom and Quentin would have to separate us. Now we’re best friends though.” The student smiled.

    “That's good. In my timeline we are still at the childish fighting phase, but thats probably because we didn’t grow up together.” Elsie noticed the student’s look of confusion and she just shook her head. “It's a long story.”

    Elsie then pushed herself up off the bed and walked over to the student, looking her over closely before smiling warmly at her. “You know, I guess we aren’t all that different. I mean, I was looking for what was different between us, but it's mostly just the… background surrounding us I guess.” Elsie gestured to the room around them.

    “Yeah, maybe all that shit kind of transcends universes or something.” The student grinned at Elsie as she hopped up from her desk.

    “Yeah, sometimes.” Elsie smiled as she patted the student on the shoulder. Much to Elsie’s surprise, a portal once again opened to suck her back through the multiverse. Before it could suck her through, she looked at the student and nodded. “You should tell them. What's the worst that could happen?” 

    Before the student could respond, Elsie was gone. She stood motionless for a moment, looking at the place where Elsie had once stood. She then shrugged softly as she walked over to her bed. “Maybe I will.”

[revthepunchbear]

Behind the Characters

Answer, and tag people you want to know about!

Last Song: Eminem - Godzilla ft. Juice WRLD

Currently Reading: Currently reading some RP in game between a few people. Otherwise, some boring stuff like SD-WAN certification books. 

Currently Watching: Not much, working from home has seen to it that I’ve watched just about everything as it’s come out. Though, I’ve had @eilitheandiel and @moonbaki guiding me through a first viewing of JoJo. 

Currently Craving: Freedom from creative block. 

Tagged by: @eilitheandiel

Tagging: @velerodra-valesinger @kurel-andiel @aydriis