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kaiekasunwhisper · 3 years

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Hello On the Other Side

(( Co-written with @grakkar-gorefang / @thefugitivemango / @argonas . @avehi-the-adamant , @brent-sunborn and @sinafay-the-defiant for character mention.))

~*~*~

The fighting was done. Grakkar slowly felt the fatigue set in as his adrenaline began to die off. It had been a long day; at least, in his perspective. Time seemed to work differently here in the Shadowlands, with people who had been dead for only a few years saying they’d been here much, much longer. It made him wonder how much time had actually passed on Azeroth… if it were shorter than it felt, hopefully it meant his beloved mate and daughter wouldn’t miss him as much as he missed them. Which, by now, was a tremendous amount.

He shook his head, securing his axe down in the desiccated dust that comprised most of Maldraxxus’ ground. Blood and bile that caked it had turned a sickening shade of greyish blue. Something he’d have to wash off once he got back to Bastion. That couldn’t come soon enough. He’d grown tired of this place.

His Soulbind, Argonas, had joined Avehi and the rest of the Necrolord leaders inside the Seat of the Primus, a large statue of what many Maldraxxi revered as the greatest military mind the Shadowlands had ever known. Argonas was eager to meet and speak with Avehi the Adamant, a mutual friend and recent ally of the Necrolords. They had much to discuss following the fall of the House of Constructs. But Grakkar wasn’t much of a talker, and opted to wait outside. He sat down on a bench-- or large femur?-- and sighed. Lips curling to a small smile in the aftermath of a good and glorious battle!

Kai’eka watched him from her position not too far away, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. After all the trouble Grakkar had gone through to be with his stupid mate, what was he doing in the Shadowlands? Had they split up again? She felt a familiar stir of emotions as the possibility of him being single again was entertained. Not for long, however. She shook her head, remembering how disgustingly vulnerable he’d made her last time. She wasn’t interested in that sort of pointless, fleeting thing…

She picked up a small rock and tossed it at the Orc’s head, minding her undead strength.

“Hey, Dumbass! What’s got you hanging out with dead people?”

"--Hrm?"

The Orc turned as the rock whizzed past his head; a near miss, thanks to his post-battle jittery reflexes. Seeing Kai'eka became even less reason to try and relax in this battle-scarred place. He stood, offering the Death Knight a forced smile and casual wave. Avehi wasn't lying-- there she was, eyes aglow with that telltale lichfire. It was still so vexing to think she had been a Twilight Cultist all along… it really made the Orc carry on with more caution around people. He couldn't take anyone for face value anymore. Still, Avehi had said Kai'eka was reformed in her undeath. Now an Ebon Knight, like she was. He afforded Kai'eka a cursory trust on Avehi's word alone. The Draenei was honest, to a brutal degree. And had earned his respect and favor in caring for his beloved.

Still, an uneasy feeling welled up within him as he looked upon Kai'eka. One he just… couldn't shake.

"They know how to do an exciting battle, I heard. Had to see for myself." Grakkar replied, smirking. "You're looking good, for being dead now."

The Death Knight shrugged, pushing herself off the rock wall and walked over to sit by the Orc… at least, as close as he’d allow. She rested her large sword up next to his axe against the femur. It actually felt nice being next to him without that drive kicking in. It made it all the more easy to keep her mind clear.

“Best I’ve ever been,” she answered. An exaggeration given her recently broken rune weapon. In truth, she felt exhausted and stretched thin. Nothing he needed to know. “Should have taken this route a long time ago.”

She glanced to him, her expression ever neutral.

“Thought you were done fighting. Settling down with your wife or whatever…”

A grunt came, as the Orc's response. Familiar enough to Kai'eka to be one of affirmation. Orcs had a grunt for every occasion.

"We have a farmstead, in Arathi." He nodded, proudly. "My daughter, Neelah, grows stronger every day. A warrior to be, no doubt."

He shifted, turning to better face his old friend. He wasn't shy in looking her over; though he hardly looked at her the way he once did. Platonic, now. For more reasons than one. Her armor was familiar enough; he had seen enough Ebon Knights with plate of similar craft. Just one sword, though? That was new. Her eyes, however, drew the bulk of his attention. He wasn't used to seeing the azure flames of undeath flickering from them. Unsettling, yet entrancing.

"The Ancestors, however, had something else in mind for me. Close brushes with death sometimes strengthen our connections in that way." He shrugged. "They called me here, to help save them from the Maw."

She raised an eyebrow at that. Grakkar had always seemed rather removed from the spiritual way of things. She didn’t think he was lying, but how odd that they wouldn’t call upon a shaman instead. Of course, it wasn’t as though they had ever talked about such things before… and she wasn’t exactly open to such talks now, either way.

“Well, don’t be getting yourself killed in the process,” she smirked, “Not sure how things work if you die on this side of the veil. Plus, I wouldn’t mind visiting your farm for the occasional spar once this is over.”

She brought an arm up to punch him in the shoulder, before changing the subject.

“How’s my stupid lizard?”

“Dumb as ever. The sounds he and Kronk make keep wolves off the farmstead, at least.” Grakkar chuckled, recoiling slightly from the punch. “He’s being well taken care of. I promise.”

He looked at Kai’eka again, appraisingly. He wanted to ask what she was doing here. But then again, he figured she was doing the same thing Avehi was-- trying to fix whatever broke on this side of death. He looked away, glancing down at the bone dust beneath his boots. It made for a period of somewhat-awkward silence between them… a silence that in meetings long before this one would’ve been otherwise filled.

The thought now made him shudder.

“--You, er… you’re missing a sword, looks like.” he commented; anything to break the silence.

Her ears twitched at the statement. The memory alone of losing her blade tore her up. The physical pain had been intense, but the emotional toll it took on her was indescribable. It was like losing part of herself. More than the bond between an Ebon Knight and their rune weapon, she’d earned her swords early on in her cultist life. She’d gathered the pieces of the shattered weapon. Perhaps, one day, she’d find a blacksmith that she trusted enough to reforge it.

Outwardly, she shrugged as though they were talking about the weather.

“Avehi decided to get pissy over a misunderstanding. Broke the blade fighting her.”

She didn’t mention she’d lost the fight, of course.

“Apparently, I have poor judgment in picking sides,” she rolled her eyes, “Moody bitch.”

“Heh, she seems like. I only met her once, but she gave me a death stare. Like… a literal death stare, like she was trying to kill me in her head.” Grakkar added, shaking his head. “Then later, after our farm was attacked, she stood vigil so Sinafay, Neelah and I could sleep peacefully.”

He shrugged, chuckling a bit at the absurdity of the two drastically different encounters he’d had with their mutual friend. He seemed to speak about her with a sense of reverence… and fear. One more than the other, it seemed.

“We owe her a lot. She’s been a dear friend to Sina.”

He looked Kai’eka over, lips pursing a bit around his tusks. Another shrug.

“... She was the one who told me you died. And… that you were a Twilight Cultist.” he admitted. “While we, erm… between our visits, you weren’t really on Alliance business, huh?”

Kai’eka’s expression remained neutral, though her ears flickered slightly, surprised that Avehi had disclosed that information. It wasn’t something she wanted spread around, and she’d hoped the Death Knight would respect that. Her facade gave way to a frown. Who else knew?

A question for another time. For now, she debated how to answer Grakkar’s question. She could lie, but he’d been as honest as he could be with her in all their time together. She sighed, casting her gaze to the side.

“I joined the Twilights in my early adulthood. Devoted my life to it. When I got stranded with you, I wasn’t collecting Azerite for the Alliance. It was for the Twilights. When we bumped into each other in Naz’jatar, my partner and I were working with the naga, killing and sacrificing Alliance and Horde soldiers indiscriminately, for the Masters,” she shrugged, “I never had any doubts about the cause I was fighting for. I died for it, more than once, without regret. Even when it all went to shit. Once I died for good, though… saw the Maw,” she shook her head, “All one big motherfucking lie.”

Her gaze returned to his, gauging his reaction. It felt strange, opening up to him again. It was like that first night they’d talked by the fire. This time, without the sexual tension. It was odd. She’d only ever spoken like this with Brent.

“Thankfully, for you, you’ve got a great cock. So, no. You were never in any danger.”

Grakkar’s expression was… neutral. Neutral for him. Brow furrowed, bottom lip pushed a bit forward. He was fighting a frown, it was plain to see. Slowly, he shook his head before looking at Kai’eka again.

“... I had no idea. To choose so poorly… to align yourself with a destructive power like that…”

He narrowed his eyes at Kai’eka for a tense moment. Judgingly-- no, not judging? Looking straight at him, his expression was no frown of anger, but one of sorrow. He reached his hand out, and planted it on Kai’eka’s shoulder. He sighed.

“I know what that’s like.” he admitted, nodding sympathetically. “I was blindly following my Warchief back on Draenor. When he told us that the Iron Horde would conquer worlds, I believed him. I fought for him, killing countless innocent people. Not just Draenei, but fellow Orcs too.”

Another heavy sigh, as his arm fell from Kai’eka’s shoulder, back down beside him.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the wrong cause, sometimes. Neelah, my first mate, showed me how wrong I was in those days. Saved me from making any more terrible mistakes.” he went on. “We need people like that. Outside perspectives from those who care for us. If I had known back then, I--”

He tensed, eyes widening at the slip. Quickly he cleared his throat.

“--That is… maybe I could have helped you see a better path. Without you having to die to see it, anyway.” he shrugged. “Though… you said it’s been working out well for you, too. So maybe not.”

He looked away, back out at the scenery-- if you could call it that-- of Maldraxxus.

Kai’eka wasn’t entirely certain how to respond. She expected anger and criticism, and would have almost preferred it. That, at least, was familiar. She glanced to his hand as it rested on her shoulder, fighting the instinct to smack it away. Memories of how wonderful those hands had made her feel in the past… Strangely, they comforted her in a different way now.

Her features softened as he spoke of the Iron Horde. While he hadn’t spent six hundred years following the wrong cause, he at least understood the situation she’d gotten herself into. She was thankful he had someone able to pull him out before it was too late.

“It’s best you didn’t know,” she sighed, shaking her head, “I was part of a close knit group… we watched each other’s backs, and dealt with anyone who posed a threat to the cause, quickly and efficiently. One or both of us would have ended up dead. With no one to revive us for the better.”

Another shrug of the shoulders, “I know, because I did that for others. My brother… I killed his lover when I noticed the relationship started pulling him away from the Twilights. And then, eventually, I killed -him- too. Probably about a week before you broke things off with me. So… I think things worked out for the best.” She nodded, “You got the family you were fighting for, and I got a second chance to fight for a better cause. Hopefully, I’m killing for the right people this time.”

“--Wait, you killed him yourself?” Grakkar half-gasped, surprised. “I… Ancestors, I can’t begin to imagine what that must’ve been like.”

He commented… but opted not to dwell on that detail too long. He imagined it was a sensitive issue, especially considering that she died, as well. Was he around here somewhere, he wondered…?

“--Either way, you’re right. I think we both found better paths for ourselves. Somehow.” he chuckled lightly, to attempt to lighten the mood. “And I know it didn’t amount to anything, but… I enjoyed our, uh… associating, back then.”

Ugh. That felt like something Argonas would say. So tactful and proper, rather than just saying it straight up. This soulbinding had its drawbacks…

“You’re a good fuck. And an even better fighter.” he added bluntly, as he preferred. “I’m glad we met. And glad you’re still around.”

Despite her best efforts, a contented smile formed on her usually hard features. It felt good to finally open up to him. Other than Brent, she’d never felt this close to anyone before. It was both comforting and frightening at once. And she had to fight a knee jerk reaction to push him away.

“Mutual,” she replied, “I uh… I’m pretty shit at making friends, for obvious reasons. So… it’s nice, you know… when people stick around. Even when I do my best to push them away.”

She half expected Brent to step out of the shadows and poke fun at her after this, but somehow knew he wouldn’t. Something had certainly changed since she’d died. He never bothered to check up on her anymore. She tried not to dwell on it much, but it upset her much more than she wanted to admit.

She reached out to take his large hand, slipping a pointed rune etched object into it.

“That being said. If ever you’re looking for a good spar, or just someone to join you in battle, don’t hesitate to contact me. You can use this to reach out,” she nodded to the object she’d placed in his hand, a pit lord fang, “Just concentrate on the rune, speak into it, and I’ll get the message. Not entirely sure how it works. Magic’s not my specialty. Never was. Still new to the whole Ebon Blade shit. Also, you might want to warn your wife that I’ll be showing up at the farm from time to time to check up on Doofus.”

“Hah, alright. We’re used to Death Knight friends popping in from time to time, so I don’t think she’ll mind.” He nodded, pocketing the runed fang. “We’ll definitely have to spar sometime. I haven’t had a good one-on-one fight in a while, so that’ll be fun to have a friendly match. See how much stronger you are, now that you’re undead.”

With that, Grakkar’s attention was drawn upward-- the squadron of Kyrian took flight from the Seat Overlook. Which meant Argonas wouldn’t be far along behind them. It seemed their mission was finally over, here-- and not a moment too soon!

“Well, that’s my cue. My Soulbind will be along in a bit, and then we’re headed back.” he explained, as he stood up and picked up his axe. “But it was really good to see you again, Kai.”

“--Kai? Kai’eka?”

A less-familiar voice rang out from the stairs above them. The clopping and clanking of plated hooves echoed through the air as Argonas descended, eyeing the Death Knight.

“Well met! Quite a coincidence, finding you here.” he nodded, drawing close.

“--Ah, er, um… you know each other?” Grakkar asked, brow askew.

“We sparred once, I believe. In Stormwind. But do not worry, Grakkar-- not the kind of sparring you do with her, yes?”

The Orc snarled at Argonas, shoving his shoulder to turn him away-- another unfortunate side effect of the Soulbinding. He pushed and followed after Argonas quickly, waving quickly back at Kai’eka.

“--We, uh… we gotta go!” he said, hastily. “Good catching up! See you around, yeah?”

“Yes, always a pleasure, Warchief!” Argonas added, smirking.

Kai’eka’s expression went from content, to puzzled, to angry, all in the short span of Argonas showing up. She snarled at the pet name and stood up, gripping her sword. She had half a mind to throw it at the retreating pair, but thought better of it. Losing one rune blade had been enough for today.

“Motherfucker...” she grumbled to herself, before heading up the stairs to meet Avehi.

One thing was for certain, Grakkar would have questions to answer when next they met!

~*~*~

#Character Story #grakkar gorefang #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #argonas the ironclad #Avehi the Adamant #sinafay the defiant #brent sunborn

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20poundsoftrouble · 3 years

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Nightmares

“I signed the papers,” Hyacinthe sighed, looking over to the masked elf that stood aside the table. “The estate will be ours. It’s a good idea, you know? The money will really help out, and I can use the family name to bolster our reputation in selling things.”

The elf was not happy. Behind the mask, Hyacinthe could feel the frown. They’d become accustomed to reading Brent’s emotions just by his body language, by the way his brow furrowed. Just seeing the way his posture changed and his eyebrows knit together made the bard’s heart sink into their stomach. It must have been the wrong move.

Hyacinthe could feel their skin flush as their heart beat faster, but this wasn’t excitement. This was dread. This was the realization that they had made a huge mistake. A cold sweat broke out on their freckled skin, their usually steady hands started to shake.

“It will be yours, you mean,” Brent said, his voice devoid of emotion.

“No, ours. Because I want you to be the-” the bard’s voice quaked.

“I didn’t ask for this! I don’t want -that- you, I want -this- you. Why didn’t you just listen to me?”

Tears welled up in Hyacinthe’s eyes before they could stop them, and they bit their lip so hard the sharpened canines cut right into the soft flesh. They were choking back sobs now, trying to find the words to explain why. Nothing would come. Hyacinthe was left wordless as Brent went to pick up their guitar, and the small bag they’d brought during the attacks. Both were shoved at the bard without ceremony. “Get out.” “Brent, please just-” “Get. Out.”

*****************************

Blue eyes shot open in the darkness of the small room, the bard’s breath catching as they struggled to make sense of what had happened. The first thing Hyacinthe noticed as their senses came back to them was the warm body pressed against their back in the single bedroll, and the sound of a man grumbling behind them.

Their heart was racing so fast that they couldn’t catch their breath. Tears started to flow as they swallowed against the lump in their throat, trying to twist to see him. Hyacinthe felt a bit of relief after spotting the mess of dark hair, lightly glowing tentacles in the darkness. After a few moments, the arms that had been around them while they slept tightened. Brent reached one hand up to pat the bard’s head, barely rousing from sleep and mumbling into their mess of magenta hair.

(( Tagging @brent-sunborn for mention))

#writing #plot development #Brent Sunborn #Hyacinthe #getting closer

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darkestfable · 4 years

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Slowly working on this chibi for @thefugitivemango of his character Brent Sunborn. A labor of love, really... I adore this character.

#my art #chibi #brent #brent sunborn #commission

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cebinaruavin · 4 years

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Survivors

((Co-written with @thefugitivemango / @brent-sunborn . @pariker / @nepenthea and @kaiekasunwhisper for character mention.))

~*~*~

Shortly after the events of Ny’alotha...

Crash!

The shadows sloppily deposited Brent into his tent in what remained of the Coterie’s camp. The lack of grace wasn’t from wounds or exhaustion… his power was waning. He’d felt it immediately as N’Zoth was destroyed. Ripples had surged through the shadows, wracking everyone linked in any way to the Old God at the moment of his demise; and they hadn’t been the same ever since. Like a wheel spinning off its axis, Ren’dorei could feel the shadows losing stability, falling out of the balanced alignment they once boasted. He brought himself to his feet, and set back the items knocked over by his rough landing; a jeweled vase and golden scarab statuette, both of which he’d uncovered with Nepen’thea in their archaeological days. This tent had been one they shared… and he couldn’t bring himself to change anything about it.

His ear flickered, eyes narrowing as he glanced to the tent’s entrance. He wasn’t alone, it seemed. He drew a dagger - the metal feeling heavier in his hand somehow - as he silently stepped towards the tent flaps. He couldn’t feel anything as clearly through the shadows anymore, unable to tell if it was a friend or enemy he heard in one of the adjacent tents.

He knew it wasn’t Kai’eka, at the very least. For one, it was much too quiet a noise to be her. For another… he’d watched her die in Ny’alotha. Even without the runes connecting them, the pain he’d felt shoot through his body was paralytic. Intense. Sorrowful. Thinking of it now caused his heart to well up in his throat. He swallowed it down, refocusing on the imminent danger. Was someone ransacking the Coterie camp? Or…

“... Ceb?” he called out in a whisper, hoping it was her.

“Glad to see you haven’t lost your sharp senses, Sweetie,” the familiar melodious voice spoke up.

The shape of Cebina’s silhouette formed among the swirling shadows of the rift, before stepping out to meet Brent. She looked healthy and well. Clearly, she hadn’t been anywhere near the fighting in Ny’alotha… or perhaps she had and was just that good. It was hard to say which. It was rare to find the priestess on the front lines of any battle. Like Brent, she preferred to operate through deceit and choosing the perfect moment to strike.

She could feel Brent drained through the shadow link they shared. They felt significantly weaker since she’d last seen him. It was understandable, given the events that had just transpired. Her own powers had weakened from N’Zoth’s destruction, but only slightly. The Priestess knew better than to draw all of her powers from a single source, and she’d been prepared for the eventual fall of the Old Gods.

“You look terrible,” she said, walking past him and into the tent.

She sat on the bed, her robes opening up at her thighs as she crossed her legs. Her hand patted the spot next to her.

“Just the two of us left, then?” She asked, head tilting, “Haven’t been able to sense much of anything without the runes.”

The Ghostblade slipped his dagger away, as he exhaled a sigh of relief into his mask. He’d had enough fighting… and enough losing friends… for one day. He tugged his mask down, as he took Cebina’s invitation to sit down beside her on the bed.

“Kai’s dead.” he said, bluntly - though his tone conveyed well his sorrow at that fact.

He looked around the room, shoulders slumped and ears drooping. He’d known this was a possibility - a part of him had even hoped for it. But that didn’t take the sting out of this defeat. He’d failed Nepen’thea. And now, he’d failed Kai’eka. The loss took its toll on Brent, whether he cared for it or not.

“What’ll you do now?” he asked Cebina, eyes finally flickering over to her. “There’s nothing left worth rebuilding. The Twilights are done. You have a plan from here on out?”

Cebina remained quiet and attentive until that moment, keeping her hands respectively to herself. She’d noted that Brent hadn’t sought her out since Nepen’thia’s demise, so she left any physical initiative completely up to him. As expected, the ex-Blackened Blade didn’t take loss very well.

She leaned back a bit, as he asked the question, eyes staring at some unknown point as she thought it over.

“Well, I still have my little business in Stormwind. That’s going well, so I’ll keep working at that for now. Might make the occasional visit to Silvermoon to play around with an old friend. Nothing much to do now except wait for the next opportunity, hmm?”

She wasn’t speaking of the cult, of course. The Old Gods had been a transitory thing for her. N’Zoth’s army had been good while it lasted, but their fall was inevitable. Even without them, there was still power and knowledge to be found.

“What about you?” she asked, turning her attention back to Brent.

“I…”

He trailed off, going silent. He stared for a moment at nothing, before looking back to Cebina. His gaze was telling; lost, uncertain… scared.

“... I don’t know.”

His ear flickered. He’d expected it to feel all the worse to say aloud, but somehow he felt… liberated? A weight lifted from him. He didn’t know what to do now, for the first time in years. It was something he’d dreaded for a while, but now it felt… freeing. He didn’t know what to do because nothing was required of him, now. No one had any demands of him. No cosmic force held him in any expectations.

He laughed. Suddenly, surprising even to him.

“I don’t know!” he repeated, smiling.

He shrugged, continuing to chuckle lightly as he looked at Cebina. Ears perked, shoulders back… completely different than just moments before. The possibilities were endless for him! By the nature of how he worked, he wasn’t tied at all to the Twilight Cult. No implications that would cause him any trouble with the law. None he was aware about, anyway. He’d be honestly surprised if anyone could tie him to the Old Gods. Especially now.

“I can do… whatever I want, yeah?”

“Mhmm,” Cebina chimed in happily.

She shot him a smile as he finally understood. Brent had been a cultist for years, she’d seen it in his mind when he’d shared how important Nepen’thea had been to him. He’d loved her dearly… to the point where he’d put himself in a prison; two prisons. He was a slave to the cult all the while imprisoned by his love for Thea. Cebina hadn’t bothered to bring it up, knowing he would have never seen it her way; rose tinted glasses.

“Freedom,” she continued, “It’s a powerful feeling, isn’t it? Not having anyone to answer to. No one to hold you back from discovering who you were meant to be.”

“Yeah. It’s… it’s daunting, but…” he nodded. “I’m… excited about it. Is that weird?”

He chuckled again, as he thought more about it. What did he want to do? What should he choose as the next chapter of his life? He had some ideas… but none stood out among the others too strongly. But he liked it! It was a new sensation, such an uncertainty! It fed into his newly-discovered agency to decide for himself! For once, there was no wrong answer!

“I… I want to get back into archaeology.” he declared - of that, he was certain. “But first, I think I want to… interact with people. Somehow.”

He nodded again, firmly. This work had isolated him from all but a few people. And now, with the majority of those people gone from his life, he felt he’d need more. It’d been so long since he made a new connection. That Kal’dorei Death Knight was… possibly one. Before, Cebina was the only other. His eyes flickered to her, as he reached out his hand to take hold of hers.

“I… want to interact with you more, too,” he told her, firmly, “This shouldn’t be the end of our friendship… right?”

Cebina giggled, laying back on the bed as she looked up at Brent.

“Of course not, silly! There’s no reason for the two of us to stop hanging out because of the cult’s fall. Our friendship goes beyond the will of some Old God, hm?”

Her shadows brushed gently against his, not in an attempt to entice him, but more for him to feel she was telling the truth. There was nothing to hide on the subject. Unless Brent specifically put himself in her way or attempted to hinder her work, there was no reason to terminate the relationship they’d cultivated up until now.

“You won’t be dragging me to any of those digs, though. The desert is TERRIBLE on my hair,” she smirked, “I’m much more comfortable in the city, getting spoiled while I gather up dirt and blackmail on all of these foolish nobles.”

Brent smiled at that, and nodded. He felt Cebina’s sincerity, even without the shadowy affirmation. It was nice to be around her again; the latter parts of the Old One’s plans had kept him busy. Too busy to visit her casually. He’d see her in passing and give her a nod on occasion, but otherwise... At least, that’s what he told himself. The real reason was much more complicated. Nepen’thea’s death took more than just his professional drive. And while his libido had briefly sparked back with Kai’eka… her demise snuffed it back out. For… the most part.

But Cebina had an unmistakable allure. He felt it even now, just sitting beside her. In part, that’s why he kept himself too busy to seek her out, knowing she’d happily indulge him in a little release. Of course, he knew she got more than just sexual satisfaction out of their encounters, too. The allure, he suspected, was an accessory to her abilities. The bright lantern to draw in her prey… She was good at what she did, of that there was no doubt.

“The city suits you well.” he nodded. “I… won’t stray far at first. So if you need anything I can help you with, you need only ask.”

He brushed her back with his shadows-- or what remained of them, at least. While his sincerity was conveyed just as hers was, he couldn’t hide how broken, weak, and unfocused his shadows had become. He’d invested far too much in N’Zoth… and now he was paying the price.

Cebina took note of his weakened shadows. She would never show it, but she was glad for it. While their shadow connection had its uses, the priestess hated the idea that anyone was able to track her or read her. She kept her mind especially guarded, and having to tiptoe around the rogue as to not give away some of her true feelings and intentions was especially annoying. It had been one of the main reasons she’d kept her distance after Nepen’thea’s death. Had his shadows sought hers at all, any slight slip up would bring her whole ruse coming down. The idea of being able the sever that link once and for all was enticing; having her mind completely back to herself, free of visitors. Brent wouldn’t suspect a thing, assuming the link was lost due to N’Zoth’s fall.

“Well,” she said, sitting up to scoot over a bit closer to him, “You know I’m never opposed to pretty jewelry and trinkets.”

She brought a hand to rest on his lap. Giving him a playful smile.

“You have good taste. If you find anything you’d think I’d like, I’d be more than happy to take it off your hands.”

“Of course, happy to.” Brent nodded, placing his hand over top of Cebina’s. “And I hope you don’t mind if I drop in on occasion to visit. For healing, perhaps? And… maybe other reasons?”

This bout of familiarity was something the rogue needed, now. With so much up in the air, finding things he knew well helped keep him grounded. Feelings. People. Cebina. His hand clenched gently about hers in a light squeeze, as he leaned into the Priestess. She wouldn’t need to read any shadows to guess what he was thinking and feeling, now.

Cebina smiled, ears perking up at Brent’s suggestion. She leaned in with him, bringing her hand over to cup his cheek as their lips met. She pressed in, tongue dancing with his as her shadows swirled in delight.

“Mmm… it’s been too long, Sweetie. I hope you’re ready for the ride,” she moaned against his lips.

#Character Story #Cebina Ruavin #Brent Sunborn #End of the Coterie #Kai’eka Sunwhisper #Nepen'thea Dusksinger #Fall of N'Zoth

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raetos · 3 years

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Homecoming

(( Co-written with Vandrir’s player <3 Tagging @darkestfable and @brent-sunborn / @thefugitivemango for character mention.))

~*~*~

Raetos stretched out once he set hoof down on the stone platform. The gryphon ride from Darkshire to Stormwind had gone smoothly and uneventfully, but these weeks of work had left him tired and sore; nothing a good bath and some time spent with his mate wouldn’t fix. That, and some much needed sleep as well. He hadn’t told Fable about the early leave he’d gotten. Things in Duskwood had settled down in the past week, enough so that he was able to take a bit of time off. Of course, the Lightforged had decided that the best way to announce the good news to his lover was by surprising him!

He wondered how Fable would react to the surprise. The Blood Hunter was probably hard at work, updating some old map at this time of the day. Surely, he wouldn’t mind being led away for an evening. Raetos tail swayed happily behind him as he made his way down the stone streets and into the forest, his heart pounding as he went up the trail and their nice little cabin came into view. Everything appeared how he’d left it, at least from the outside. It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like much much longer. Light, it felt so good to be home!

As he approached the door, he’d already started unstrapping his armor. It wouldn’t be staying on much longer, that much was for certain!

“Babe, I’m home!” he called as he walked in.

Vandrir’s ear perked up at the sudden voice, then eyes darting back down as the green feathered fluff darted out of his arms toward the sound of hooves. He pushed his hair back behind one relatively short ear as he got to his feet with a slight frown.

“I will venture a guess that you are Raetos then…” His voice was calm but not unfriendly. He stood in the doorway glancing down at the excited ground parrot as the little creature told his other daddy aaaalll about it while making circles around the Draenei.

“--Uhhh…. Yeah?”

Raetos’ head tilted to the side in confusion as a complete stranger greeted him… but not as enthusiastically as Obligation. The flightless bird looked well and happy, not at all frazzled by this new person, which brought the Draenei to conclude that this must be a friend of his partner’s.

He shook off the confusion and knelt down, allowing his small pal to climb up his arm and onto his shoulder as he looked around for any sign of his lover. Finding none, he eyed the other man. Reatos was terrible at telling the different elves apart, but he was guessing this one was a Night Elf from the size of him..

“Sorry uh… we haven’t met yet, right? Who are you?”

“Ah, no, we have not. I am Vandrir, and your um... companion asked me to look after the two little ones while he was away.” Concern flashed briefly across his face before he resumed his calm facade.

Reaching a hand down to touch the sleepy head of the tiny doe who had joined them at the sound of voices he continued, “He said that there was a small job, a dig, in Feralas and that he would be gone only a few days...three weeks ago.”

The Draenei visibly relaxed as the stranger finally identified himself. He didn’t want to assume, but finding another man in his house had been… more than a little alarming.

--but not as alarming as the news that came next.

“Wait what…? Three weeks?!”

It wasn’t unusual for Fable to go off on a dig, or to lose track of time. Raetos was actually happy that he’d found something to occupy his time with… but to be away for that long without a word to anyone. Raetos tried not to worry, but three weeks to complete a dig that should only take a few days was… rather extensive.

“Bah… I’m sure he’s fine,” he said, though it was hard to tell who he was trying to convince, Vendrir or himself. Worry was evident in his tone, “I mean… he’s always getting distracted by his work, so like… Maybe he found something else at the dig site that led him elsewhere?

He didn’t really wait for an answer, already making his way over to the Blood Hunter’s work area and looking over maps and journals he’d been studying before leaving.

“Still uh… probably best I go check up on him. Feralas, you said?”

Vandrir gave an unseen nod as he drifted after the other, the sound of tiny doe hooves and birdy feet the only steps that made a walking sound.

“Yes, Feralas. He did not mention exactly where or what sort of items he was searching for.” The night elf gave a heavy sigh, “I suppose you would like me to continue to watch the two little ones then?”

He gave the doe a little push to send her off to play as he hurried on, “Not that I mind of course. It is just that I hadn’t expected to be in someone’s home for this long. Maybe your boyfriend just got lost or something?”

“Fable doesn’t get lost,” Raetos mumbled as he continued to scan through the notes, his finger traced the area mentioned in the notes. Tearing a blank page out, he began to scribble down coordinates and markers to look out for.

He glanced up at the Kal’dorei, however, an apologetic look on his features.

“--Ah… yeah. I need someone to watch these two while I go find him. You have a place of your own you wanna take them, where you’d be more comfortable? Maybe your place? You have a place, right? I mean, you can stay here, it doesn’t bother me. Whatever’s easier for you, I mean…--Oh shit! What happened to you? Did Obligation set something on fire?!”

That last part was added as he finally took notice of the terrible burn scars on Vandrir. In his panic over Fable, he hadn’t noticed the wounds that took up at least half of the Night Elf’s face… and probably more.

Vandrir took several seconds to just blink slowly at Raetos as the draenei seemed to be getting his ramble into full gear. A frown twisted as the verbal brakes were slammed and he reached up to push his hair back again, the eye on the side with the burns clearly dimmer than the other. His voice was almost harsh as he blurted out his reply, the words somewhat clipped, “No, he...he’s been a pretty good bird, a little unhappy that I won’t let him jump off the roof. I’ll just stay here if you don’t mind, Responsibility and Obligation will do better in a familiar setting I think, not to mention I can keep an eye out for the two foxes.”

The frown didn’t leave his face but his tone did soften, although it was clearly with effort, “This happened when the tree burned. Some things just don’t heal well I suppose.”

“Oh shit, you’re -that- kind of elf!” Raetos winced as he realized his verbal misstep, “Man, I can never remember which elves live where. Sorry about your tree. It looked really nice… from far away, anyway. I never really got to visit and see it for myself before… you know… Whoosh!”

He used his hands to motion the ignition of a fire, as though the visual was needed. There was a rather awkward silence for a moment, before he cleared his throat.

“Yes...I’m that kind of elf. Uh glad you liked how it looked from afar?” He gave one sharp shake of his head, like an animal tossing off a fly buzzing near their face, even letting out a soft huff at the same time.

“Yeah… uh. You can totally stay here. Our home is your home… until we come back. But hey, if there’s anything you need after all this, you let us know, okay? We owe you for taking care of the animals.”

As he said that, Obligation attempted to fly off the desk, promptly falling to the ground.

“Especially him.” “Do what you need to do. I only met Fable once briefly, but he...made an impression, a good one. I look forward to your return. We’ll laugh about how he got stuck in a cave or something.” He gave a ghost of a smile, “Don’t worry about paying me back or anything, I’m happy to help out people that I would like to think could be friends.”

“Dude, trust me, you’re already a good friend doing this for us,” the Draenei went about packing up a larger backpack. He hoped to be able to fly in close to the dig site with a gryphon, but he didn’t know for certain. He’d only been there once before, and Fable had been the one leading. Raetos had mostly just been admiring the scenery and taking in all the tidbits of information he was being fed. He made certain to bring enough for a good hike, if required. And of course, he couldn’t forget the first aid supplies, just in case.

“We’ll all have a good drink and laugh together soon enough. You’re right though… getting caught in a cave makes sense… I’m sure he’s fine… Yeah… he’s fine.”

Again, it was hard to tell who he was trying to convince. Worry was clear on his features as he kneeled down to welcome the feathery ball of energy into his arms, giving Obligation a final cuddle before handing him back to Vandrir.

“Thanks again. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Vandrir got a gentle but firm grip on the feathery terror, knowing the parrot was likely going to try something any moment, “You are welcome. I’ll take care of things here, just stay safe yourself.”

His voice was calm again, confident and somehow soothing. The kind of tone that said everything would be fine. “I’ll keep the kids out of too much trouble.”

Raetos would have naturally gone in for a hug. Light knew he needed one… but his interactions with Brent had left him weary about embracing strangers. And while he trusted Vandrir, he didn’t know the man’s boundaries yet. He swallowed hard, and with a final nod, turned and left, closing the door behind him.

There, he paused, his tail flickering behind him, the backpack feeling horribly heavy. He wanted to get to Feralas fast, but at the same time, he was afraid. It had been a long time since Raetos had felt like this, and there was a sense of dread that he couldn’t quite shake off. He had no idea what he would find at that digsite. And while he hoped for the best, something told him to prepare for the worse…

With a heavy sigh, he set the first hoof forward on his venture towards finding his mate.

~*~*~

#Character Story #Raetos #Vandrir #Fable Darvale

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tafadhali · 4 years

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Yuletide 2019 recs!

Some Yuletide favorites, before reveals tomorrow.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot

The Mice Will Play (Hercule Poirot & Felicity Lemon, 1k) “When Poirot returns unexpectedly from a case, he finds out something new about Miss Lemon.”

American Vandal

★ Til Tomorrow’s Show (Sam Ecklund/Peter Maldonado, 3k) “It's senior year, Vandal's been canceled, and Sam and Peter are going ghost-hunting.”

The Breakfast Club

Favors (John Bender & Dick Vernon, 3k) Bender and Vernon have an unexpected moment of bonding post-movie. I’m not sure I totally buy Vernon as a human being, but this is convincing.

DC Comics

On the Job (Barbara Gordon & Alfred Pennyworth, 3k) “With the entire DC Superhero community on a handful of major missions, Gotham remains in the capable hands of an undercover Oracle, with only Alfred Pennyworth as backup. Will they be enough to deal with Gotham crime tonight?”

Derry Girls

A Bold Move (Sister Michael & Orla McCool, 2k) “Orla and Sister Michael crash through a societal norm that doesn't need to exist.”

fish out of water (James Maguire, 4k) “When he thinks of home, he thinks of England. He thinks of his mother and his mates and the life he’d left behind. Or rather: he does. And then he doesn’t. It’s not hard to pinpoint why.”

Die Hard

Your Answers, Please (Matt Farrell/John McClane, 13k) “Come on, kid,” McClane said gruffly. “This place is fucking depressing. You’re coming to stay with me.” // A classic premise, of which I will never tire.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

★ i am invincible / as long as i’m alive (Sloane Peterson & Cameron Frye, Ferris/Sloane/Cameron, 3k) “It’s their ten year high school reunion, and Ferris isn’t there.”

nobody else (is as easy to find) (Sloane Peterson & Cameron Frye, 2k) “Sloan runs into Cameron on a shared flight back to Chicago. It's still the easiest thing ever.”

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

★ A Further Addendum to the Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Claudia Kincaid & Jamie Kincaid, 11k) “On the Monday before the Thanksgiving school break, Jamie Kincaid received a package in the mail.” // Jamie and Claudia get to have another adventure together! I love their sibling relationship here; you cannot run away to the Met Museum together without bonding.

The Good Place

★ Hitting the Sweet Spot: A Scarlett Pakistani Adventure (Simone Garnett/Tahani Al-Jamil, 2k) "Tahani, cancel your plans. We're gonna split a bottle of wine and read Brent's terrible novel out loud."

Precedent (Chidi Anagonye/Eleanor Shellstrop, 2k) “What do you do when God kisses you?”

A Warm, Sexy Trumpet Mute (Jason Mendoza/Janet, 1k) “After rescuing Janet from the Bad Place, Jason wants to do something nice for his not-a-girlfriend.”

we’re all in this escape room together (Chidi Anagonye/Eleanor Shellstrop, 2k) “This isn’t a thought experiment.” The Judge looks at Eleanor. “If we do this — if we reform the afterlife like you want, and keep all the humans — ” (She makes a face at that.) “If we do this, you four have skin in the game. You’re going to live under this system just like everybody else.”

Home Alone

Attention Seeker (Kate McAllister & Kevin McAllister, 5k) “It's Christmas 2002 and Kate has to deal with her bickering adult children, her jerk of a brother in law and finding enough room for everyone to sleep. Also, can everyone please stop telling the story about when Kevin was left home alone? It's not funny.”

In Other Lands

Be Bold, But Not Too Bold (Luke Sunborn/Elliot Schafer, 8k) “A dragon appears in the Borderlands, and Elliot Schafer makes it his first order of business to get kidnapped by it.”

Jeeves & Wooster

All the Spinach You Can Eat (Reginald Jeeves/Bertie Wooster, 6k) “A man finds himself at the mercy of a valet who destroys his engagements, his wardrobe, and then his self esteem. Bertie thinks it's jolly good pornography but wonders what it's got to do with him.”

Lord Peter Wimsey

Author Portraits (Mervyn Bunter & Harriet Vane, 2k) “Harriet Vane encounters an unexpected acquaintance and suffers from an attack of 'satiable curiosity.” // A neat little casefic that nicely captures Bunter and Harriet’s dynamic.

Macdonald Hall

★ Antidisestablishmentarianism (Bruno Walton/Boots O’Neal, 13k) "Antidisestablishmentarianism." "Sorry, what?" "You're proposing the disestablishment of our relationship and I'm, like … anti that. I'm opposed to that. Very opposed. Emphatically opposed."

Dawning Political Careers (And Other Public Disasters) (Bruno Walton/Boots O’Neal, 11k) Bruno runs for school council on a very progressive platform. What a good ally.

The Mummy

as wine pervades water (Evy Carnahan/Rick O’Connell, 2k) “The last thing Rick expects to hear, when Evie opens the door at last, is a grim: ‘Darling, we’ve got to get married.’”

★ A Favor for a Friend (Jonathan Carnahan/Ardeth Bay, 4k) “Roped into doing a favour for a friend, Jonathan finds himself in charge of an antiques shop in Cairo. This is honestly the very last favour he's going to do for anyone. Ever.”

My So-Called Life

they say you were something in those formative years (Angela Chase, 2k) “Angela Chase, the last week of high school; the nature of sentimentality; old friends; a party.”

Pride

★ Like the Music That Extinguishes the Far-Off Night (ensemble gen, 11k) “Christmas 1985--a quieter party than some of Jonathan's and Gethin's, but one to remember nonetheless.”

Ready or Not

★ Try, Die Again (Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas, 17k) “After the dust settles, Grace awakens to find herself exactly where she started, with a card in her hand, ready to play again. But this time will be different; for both their sakes, it will have to be. Time Loop AU.”

Set It Up

Says Something Like (Charlie/Harper, 1k) “Marriage is just for grown ups, right? Right. Or maybe not.”

Take Me Out with the Crowd (Charlie/Harper, 1k) “Charlie still wears suits to baseball games, and yet, Harper likes him anyway.” // These character root for the Yankees but I like them anway.

Slings & Arrows

★ And pay the debt I never promised (Geoffrey Tennant/various, 9k) “Geoffrey, legacy, and the Henriad.” // This is really wonderful, and so true to the show.

Geoffrey Tennant and the Cursed Play (Geoffrey Tennant/Darren Nichols, 1k) “Geoffrey has to direct a production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.He is, you can imagine, thrilled.” // Featuring David Tennant as Geoffrey’s cousin and Darren directing an all-cats version of Cats in Germany.

Some Like It Hot

cacio e pepe (Joe/Jerry/Osgood/Sugar, 5k) “It turns out that having the right name and piles of cold hard cash means you can buy almost anything. Happiness, however, isn’t for sale, but Daphne is lucky enough to know the recipe.”

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

talk of the town (Jefferson Davis & Miles Morales, 1k) "Dad, I swear, I didn't mean to cut Art Club every day this week, it's just—” "That you're the new Spiderman?" Jefferson says, and oh, damn, that was not the way he wanted to lead into this.

Sports Night

Call Me Naive, But (Dan Rydell/Casey McCall, 1k) “‘Call me naive, but I think I’d make a halfway decent governor of the fine state of New York,’ Dan said.” // This is so Dan.

A Little Respect (Dan Rydell/Casey McCall, 4k) “As far as slow burns went, this one was like an Olympic Torch that never went out.”

Temeraire

the becoming garb of a gentleman (Temeraire & William Laurence, 2k) “Temeraire commissions a set of clothing for Laurence. Post-canon.”

★ Ship’s Gossip (Tenzing Tharkay/William Laurence, 6k) “Laurence is beginning to enjoy life as a privateer - though he cannot figure out why Tharkay should still be sailing out with them - when Temeraire decides to ask him about sodomy.”

Thoroughbreds

★ Inside the Noise (Lily/Amanda, 7k) Lily and Amanda exchange letters post-movie.

Winnie-the-Pooh

In Which Pooh Hunts for the Meaning of Christmas (ensemble gen, 1k) “Pooh finds a mysterious envelope pinned to the door of his house.”

#yuletide #yuletide recs #fic recs #rec list

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