And then this happened

(Last night's RP.)
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Tarquin is nursing his cigarette, leaning back relaxedly.

Tarquin: Master Jameston. How're yeh?

Rheugan: Well enough

Tarquin: Pitch suggested yeh maun want an' talk ta me.

Rheugan: I had expected as much

Tarquin: Aye.

Tarquin: So what d'yeh want ta talk about?

Rheugan: Bricu suggested there might be a spot for me in the Riders. I just asked him, and he said it was still open

Tarquin: Right yeh are, lad.

Rheugan eyes Tarquin, a bit hesitantly.

Tarquin scratches at his chin.

Tarquin: Yet, I canna help but notice, wey yeh say that - it's still oan account some punter else suggested it.

Tarquin: The wey Pitch asked me.

Tarquin: The wey...well, look, mate.

Tarquin plucks the cigarette from his mouth and rests his fingers on the tabletop, letting it smolder.

Tarquin: This outfit, we started it up oan account we wanted ta make our ain wey.

Tarquin: Yeh heard how we say it. Nae crowns, nae flags, nae causes an' all that.

Tarquin: Things come an' go, but what remains is, wir doin' this ta...what's the phrase?

Tarquin leans back, closing his eyes briefly.

Tarquin: Wir seizin' what the world withholds.

Tarquin: An' Master Jameston, welll...ambition's no' a requirement fir the gig.

Rheugan drops his eyes to the tabletop and nods.

Tarquin: But it ha' got a certain relation.

Tarquin: So what I am wond'rin' is, why d'yeh want ta wear the colors?

Tarquin: Besides jus' other folks sayin' yeh ought ta?

Rheugan looks back at Tarq.

Rheugan: Because, honestly, I have no other options

Tarquin tilts his head.

Tarquin: How's that, mate?

Tarquin picks his cigarette back up and trims a little ash off the side with his thumbnail.

Tarquin: Thinkin' about it, mate?

Rheugan frowns at the tabletop and nods.

Tarquin: Well. Put it this wey, then.

Tarquin: First - what wid yeh be doin' if yeh'd never come up the Pig, or met the Black an' Red?

Rheugan glances at Tarq, then looks away again.

Rheugan: I would... probably be dead

Tarquin lifts both his eyebrows.

Tarquin: Really now.

Tarquin: Fra' what?

 Rheugan: I-.. well, the cat- attacked a frostsaber in Darnassas, shortly after we'd left Gilneas after the fighting. When a Sentinel tried to intervene, he turned on her as well

Rheugan: The saber was killed, the Sentinel was wounded badly. They shut me away while they tried to.. decide what to do with me

Tarquin takes a slow, silent drag on his cigarette, his eyes glinting slightly.

Rheugan glances briefly at Tarquin.

Rheugan: That was how Pitch became my mentor. If he hadn't... they likely would have killed me

Tarquin: The Kaldorei dinna care much fir liabilities, 'tis true.

Tarquin: So Pitch's been sortin' yeh out wi' that, an' that is a fine thing.

Tarquin: But Rheugan, me lad - yeh seen what we do.

Tarquin: Up close, even.

Tarquin: Oan the balance, we are closer ta the cat than the Sentinel.

Rheugan: Do you think I haven't realized that?

Rheugan quirks an eyebrow.

Tarquin grins faintly at that.

Tarquin: I think yeh expressed a certain, uh, discomfort.

Tarquin: An' the wey we do things has no' much changed.

Rheugan: No, but I have, whether I wanted to or not

Tarquin nods thoughtfully.

Tarquin: Meanin' yeh can work.

Rheugan nods.

Tarquin: Awright.

Tarquin leans back.

Tarquin: Awright. An' is there anythin' mair yeh want outay it, Jameston?

Tarquin: Asides a chance ta stick by yir mentor?

Tarquin: An' fill yir hours?

Rheugan gives Tarquin a rather sardonic look.

Rheugan: You think that's why I wanted a job?

Tarquin: I dinna ken at all why yeh wanted a job, mate.

Tarquin: All I heard is other people askin' oan yir behalf. An' I am glad yeh come ta me yirself.

Rheugan: I want it because... it's either this, or I keep drifting like I have been

Rheugan: And I'm tired of it

Tarquin pulls the cigarette out of his mouth again and leans forward.

Tarquin: Yeh want purpose.

Rheugan nods.

Tarquin: Well, mate.

Tarquin: All we got is watchin' each other's backs while we grab the world by the bollocks an' squeeze.

Tarquin: If that's eno' purpose fir yeh, that's guid eno' for me.

Rheugan nods again.

Tarquin: Well, then.

Tarquin: Moan oan downstairs, me lad.

Tarquin claps Rheugan on the shoulder.

Tarquin: Yeh drink mead?

Rheugan: Ah, yes

Tarquin: Barry.

Threnn eyes Tarquin up and down.

Tarquin says: Oi! Black an' red.

Tarquin says: Come 'round.

Bricu says: Oi.

Illithias says: Hnhhh.

Lorelli says: Hrm?

Tarquin stretches over the bar and retrieves a dusty bottle.

Pitchblàck raises his eyebrow inquisitively at Rheugan.

Elohn weaves his way over.

Lorelli says: Ah, lovely.

Tarquin says: Bric, make yirself some tea or something'.

Bricu says: Aye.

Elohn blinks at Rheugan.

Tarquin says: Had a wee chat wi' Jameston here.

Elohn says: ...I'd always assumed he was an elf.

Rheugan leans back on the bar, half-trying to blend in.

Illithias snorts.

Tarquin says: Aye, turns out, there's a lot ta the lad we dinna ken.

Tarquin says: But we shall learn it.

Pitchblàck snerks.

Tarquin says: As he, in turn, shall learn how we do things.

Bricu says: Seltzer, with lemon.

Lorelli looks at Tarquin a bit wary.

Tarquin looks around, fingers curled around his own glass.

Tarquin says: A bit sideweys.

Tarquin says: A bit underhanded.

Tarquin says: An' together, as brothers an' sisters ought ta do.

Tarquin says: Us, yeh bastards.

Tarquin lifts his glass.

Elohn lifts his own.

Bricu lifts his glass.

Tarquin says: Wir one larger.

Illithias raises her mug.

Threnn raises her glass.

Tarquin says: Welcome ta the black an' red, yeh puir sap.

Tarquin raises a drink to Rheugan. Cheers!

Elohn salutes you with respect.

Rheugan grins ruefully, then downs his mead.

Bricu nods at Rheugan.

Tarquin claps Rheugan on the shoulder.

Pitchblàck raises a drink to Rheugan. Cheers!

Rheugan:... and Found

SO VERY DELAYED.

I don't even have a good excuse. Can I blame pet battles? And writer's block, though most of my distractions were simply doing other things rather than writing. I will try not to do this again... but no promises.  >_>

ANYWAYS, this pretty much catches up to where Rheu is at in-game. Things are starting to look up now, at least. Enjoy!

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Pitch wouldn’t admit it, but he was far more worried than he’d let on. He was certain Rheugan wasn’t in the Vale, but Kun-Lai was so Elune-blasted big, and he’d stupidly let enough time go by that he didn’t have a trail to follow. He kept searching anyway, unwilling to give up on the druid that had become almost like another brother.

By the third day, Pitch was feeling certain Rheu wasn’t in the Summit. He’d checked the Valley of Four Winds off and on too, but there was no trace of him there, either. He finally turned his wings east, hoping while he flew that his hunch was right.

The Tian Monastery hadn’t changed a bit in the weeks since he’d last been there - not surprising, since even the Sha attack on Serpent’s Heart hadn't ruffled the monks there. He found a groundskeeper in short order and gave him the name he’d gotten from Rheu, and within five minutes he was following the ‘keeper through the grounds.

Pitch had never met Laoden, but the pandaren that the groundskeeper led him too looked pretty much the same as any of his race. It didn’t take an especially sharp eye to tell that most of his heft was muscle rather than fat, but otherwise he could have passed for any Shado-pan fighter or Halfhill farmer. He turned to regard Pitch with friendly yet wary interest as introductions were exchanged, favoring the druid with a brief bow, then he dismissed the groundskeeper. His expression sharpened as he turned back to Pitch. “You’ve certainly taken long enough to get here.” Pitch’s ears went straight up in surprise. “Yes, I had guessed you would be coming,” Laoden said. “We’ve both been expecting you. Now come.”

*   *   *   *   *

The cat was sitting down beneath the orange tree, not moving except to test the breeze when it blew past. Pitch supposed Rheugan was down there too, but he had no way of knowing if he and the cat were “sharing,” or if he’d gone wherever it was he went when he wanted to think or hide. He - they? - looked at peace, at least, so that was something.

“He is fighting it.” Pitch glanced at the pandaren seated beside him, but Laoden was still watching the cat, with the same inscrutably calm expression he’d worn all day. “He is not tainted, not yet, but the temptation is there.”

Pitch turned back toward Rheugan, suppressing another pang of worry. “Is he a danger?” he asked, after a minute or two of silence. Laoden frowned slightly, considering. “At the moment, no,” he replied. “I wouldn’t presume to know the future, however. If he continues as he is, he could become one.” Now he looked at Pitch, offering the druid a faint smile. “He hides much. Maybe too much.”

Pitch flattened his ears briefly. “He’s had reason to,” he said. “He.. hasn’t been treated well in the past.” Laoden looked at him curiously, then shrugged when the druid said nothing more. “He is welcome to spend a few days here, to rest,” he said as he climbed to his feet. “After that...” The pandaren shrugged again.

Pitch blinked at him in surprise, which quickly turned to anger. “What, you’ll kick him out again? Isn’t that more or less how he wound up like this?” Laoden favored him with a reproachful look. “We did not ‘kick him out’ the first time, and we will not this time, either,” he replied. “You are assuming he will want to stay. He is looking for something here, druid, and he has not found it yet.”

Pitch felt himself flushing under his fur. “I’m sorry,” he started, but the pandaren was already gone. Pitch looked back down at Rheugan with a sigh. He wished Alanon was there. This was his job, not Pitch’s. But his brother was still back in Stormwind, so he would have to do what he could.

The cat glanced over briefly as Pitch padded over to sit next to him, just long enough for the elven druid to see the flash of guilt in his eyes. So, Rheu was in there. Pitch considered his options, then unshifted and made himself comfortable on the grass before finally breaking the silence.

“Do not,” he began, as forcefully as he dared, “think that this was all your fault. I’m to blame at least as much as you, I should have noticed something was going on and said something.” Rheugan shrank down as he spoke; Pitch tried gentling his tone a bit. “Rheugan, those things are like... like old gods. They’re strong, they’re evil, and if they want you, they’re darned well going to try and get to you. Cenarius’ horns, Rheu, even I had some trouble with them when I first got here.”

That got his attention. Rheugan sat up and blinked at him, the last traces of the cat’s presence fading. “I... but...” Some of the shame returned, and he ducked his head again. “I.. I am sorrry,” he rumbled. “I didn’t want you to worrry.” Pitch just made a noncommittal sound as he eyed the younger druid carefully. “Do you need to go home, Rheu?” he finally asked bluntly. “Mean, this kind of thing might happen again, and if it’s too much for you...”

Rheugan shook his head firmly, then unshifted to settle on the grass, in an unconscious mimicry of Pitch’s pose. “I.. I have to be here,” he said, a bit uncertainly. “I don’t know if I can put it the right way, but...

“Shaurria said once that I was out of balance. I... I’m starting to get it back, but it’s all in.. in pieces. Northrend was a part of it, and so was Gilneas. But I’m not finished yet, Pitch. There’s something here that I have to find; I just don’t know what it is yet.” He looked up again, and a trace of what might have been a smile crossed his face at Pitch’s expression. “What do you think I do when I’m out ‘thinking,’ Pitch? I’m not debating the color of the sky, I assure you.”

Pitch coughed. “Yea, I suppose not,” he said with a bit of chagrin. Then he focused back on the younger druid. “Are you really, really sure, Rheu?” Rheugan nodded again wordlessly. Pitch sighed and looked up at the tree branches overhead, as if searching for inspiration.

“Well, we both need rest,” he said finally. “Why don’t we stay here a couple days, then maybe take a trip back to Stormwind? Just a short visit.” Rheugan nodded, his eyes fixed off in the distance again. Pitch reached over to gently touch his arm. “We’ll figure something out, Rheu,” he said softly. “I promise.”
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Small disclaimer- I am not trying to meta-game here. Pitch doesn't know that the Sha really are part of the Old Gods, but he needed a comparison and, since a good deal of the last 2 expansions involved the Old Gods and their effects, that was simply the first thing that came to mind. So, carry on. XD

Rheugan: Lost

Pitch was worried, he could tell. Rheugan might have been worried too, if he could just spare the energy to care. Everything he had, however, was currently going towards fending off the attacks from the Thing, which he now knew was a Sha.

Every time he set foot in Kun-Lai - hells, every time he went near the gates - he could feel it waiting for him. And each time it prodded at him, filling his mind with suggestions and urges that he had to fight back, before he lost control of himself. It was exhausting him.

He was able to avoid it by either staying in the Vale or taking a kite back to Halfhill, but Pitch seemed oblivious to his problem and often suggested they go hunting, usually in Kun-Lai. Not wanting his friend and mentor to worry, Rheugan invariably agreed.

Their hunting trips had become an ordeal, one that could only be eased by tracking down and eliminating every Sha-spawn he could find, with a single-mindedness that bordered on obsession. He kept hoping if he killed enough of them, the Sha would weaken or tire, and he would be left in peace. That plan hadn’t worked yet.

Rheugan found himself withdrawing, much like he had when he’d been brought back from the wild in Gilneas. His sleep was full of nightmares, and he began losing weight - not that he had much to spare to begin with. Pitch fussed over him, but Rheugan managed to put him off with half-hearted assurances that even he didn’t believe. It was enough to get Pitch to leave him alone, at least.

The cat was on edge. It wanted to help him, but this was beyond its experience, and all it could do was fret along with him.

It all finally got to be too much for him. He was only dimly aware of leaving the Summit behind, crossing back into blissfully familiar rain forest. When he came back to himself, he was standing before the Tian Monastery’s gates.

He had to ask one of the students for help, though fortunately the young pandaren was happy to comply. Laoden was overseeing a training session, but he left it immediately when he saw Rheugan. He came over and studied the druid, then reached toward him. Rheugan tried not to flinch as Laoden put a finger under his chin and tilted his face up. The pandaren stared into his eyes for a long moment, then released him with a sigh. Without a word, he turned and started off, gesturing for the Gilnean to follow.

Rheugan was only too happy to see his old quarters near the library. He fell onto the bed without bothering to undress. His sleep was still restless, but if he had any dreams they were forgotten by the time he awoke.

Rheugan: Road to the Vale

Halfhill was bustling long before the sun came up. Rheugan sat and watched the Pandaren move about, preparing to open shops or head out to their own farms.

Pitch had said he would be there to escort Rheugan to the Vale, but he hadn’t specified a time. Rheugan had thought he would simply wait for the druid to show up, but as the approaching dawn began to pink the sky, he and the cat both began feeling a bit of wanderlust. The first farmer he approached was able to give him directions, and soon Rheugan was loping up the incline toward the path cut into the mountainside.

He ignored the small voice that told him he’d be better off waiting for Pitch. He’d been wandering alone out here for days and nothing bad had happened. What could go wrong?

* * * * *

The tunnels gave him pause, but not for long. The saurok were everywhere, yes, but there were plenty of shadows along the cavern walls, and with the cat’s guidance Rheugan had no trouble slipping by unseen. The lizardmen never even knew he was there.

* * * * *

Kun-Lai was impressive - Rheugan thought it would have been even without the giant mountain peaks in the distance. It was quiet, as well, but Rheugan wasn’t fooled; here and there he could see smoke rising from what he assumed were the yaungol’s war camps. He skirted the mountains separating the plains from the Vale, giving any possible combat zones a wide berth. He judged he was nearly halfway to the gates when he felt the disturbance.

The corruption was still fairly new; to his druidic senses it felt like a hole in the earth. Despite his own misgivings and the cat’s reluctance, he found himself changing his route to pass near enough for a look.

He’d never seen anything like this. Rheugan had been careful to avoid Serpent’s Heart, but this looked the same as Pitch’s descriptions. Blackness boiled up out of the ground, while strange creatures idled about inside. It repulsed him, even as it resonated with something inside him that he’d thought long-buried. He stood frozen, suddenly unable to decide what to do next, until one of the creatures noticed him and headed toward him with a snarl.

Rheugan felt a flash of alarm from the cat, quickly followed by revulsion, and he found himself lunging to meet it with an answering snarl. The cat danced around the Sha-spawn, unwilling to get close enough to use its fangs. Claws worked well enough, however, and before too long the creature collapsed in on itself, becoming a shapeless blob on the grass. The cat watched it long enough to ensure it was dead, then lifted its head to stare out over the plain.

The other creatures were still oblivious to his presence, squabbling amongst themselves. Farther off, too distant to pinpoint a location, Something seemed to awaken, as though just becoming aware of him. It... called to him; Rheugan could feel it stirring up the anger he’d buried within, before he stamped it back down firmly. The cat suddenly shuddered, then abruptly it released control, and Rheugan found himself back in charge of his own body.

The distant thing called to him again. Rheugan turned and fled.

The gates were a more than welcome sight. Rheugan paused to study them for a moment, then passed through at a trot.

* * * * *

The Vale was singing. That was his first thought. His second was that the “singing” wasn’t something he heard, but sensed. Rheugan fell in with a grummle caravan, pacing alongside a wagon while he tried to make sense of it.

It felt... familiar somehow, although he couldn’t place where he’d felt it before. He found it hard to care at the moment - it was doing a wonderful job of soothing the jagged nerves left from his encounter with the Thing in Kun-Lai. A shadow passed over him suddenly, and he looked up to see an immense dragon- wait, no, they call them cloud serpents -flying past overhead.

He paused to look around one more time. Even here he could see the signs of battle, but they were distant enough that he felt safe. Here, maybe, he could find some peace. He padded on, heading further into the Vale and toward the Shrine of Seven Stars.

Rheugan: Road to the Vale- In Pictures

I am in the process of writing this, but between the head cold I caught a couple weeks ago, the holiday stress, and now a case of writer's block, it's taking longer then I thought. A LOT longer. So, here's something to keep everyone occupied while I keep poking at my brain. Enjoy!
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The saurok caves

Sha-spawn

Attracting attention...

The Vale at last

Rheugan: Decision

Yay more writings!

I've been having a bit of trouble with Rheugan lately, trying to keep him from stalling out like he has before. Now that Pitch isn't demanding so much of my in-game time, I'm going to be working more seriously on leveling Rheu (and Lark >.>), so this is his reason for being out in the world again.

Also, have an introduction to my Pandaren shammy, Laoden. Enjoy!
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Rheugan lay still as Laoden snipped the last stitch free. “There,” said the pandaren. “Good as new. And be thankful that the hozen’s aim wasn’t too far off, or you would have had to say goodbye to any chance of future children.” He laughed as he sat back and began gathering up his tools, placing them neatly in his healer’s kit.

Rheugan just rumbled as he gingerly stretched his hind leg. The newly-healed muscles where the crossbow bolt had hit him still pulled a bit, but he knew that would improve with exercise. Laoden sobered a bit as he watched the druid. “How’s the shoulder?” he asked after a moment. Rheugan gave an experimental shrug. “Healed,” he rumbled. “It feels fine, no pain.” The healer nodded. “Well then,” he announced. “This seems as good a time as any to decide what you are doing here.”

Rheugan gave him a guarded look as he sat up, which the pandaren answered with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we are not throwing you out. But you have been here for.. how long now? There must be something you should be doing besides studying our archives.” He paused, giving the druid a piercing look. “So I must ask you, Rheugan - why are you here?”

Rheugan remained silent a minute before answering. “I need to learrn about the Sha, and yourrs is one of the biggerr monasterries herre. Yourr librarry has most of the inforrmation I needed.” Laoden nodded. “But you have gone through everything we have about the Sha, and still you look for more. Tell me, why is this so important to you?” Rheugan gave him a look, and the pandaren raised one paw-like hand, palm up. “Yes, I believe I know your reason,” he told Rheugan gently. “But I would like to hear it from you.”

Rheugan looked away, shifting in place restlessly. Finally, “Because the best way to prrotect yourrself frrom something is to know it.” Laoden nodded again. “I think I can see why you wish protection from the Sha, but hiding here is accomplishing nothing. And you are hiding, my boy.”

Rheugan had no reply to that. He stared at his front paws as the pandaren studied him curiously. But to Rheugan’s surprise, it was he who finally broke the silence.

“I-... I am afrraid.” He glanced at Laoden briefly, resisting the urge to flinch away from those piercing eyes. “What if I can’t contrrol myself out therre?” The pandaren blinked at him, head tilting slightly to the side. “This, coming from the one who challenged our weaponmaster to try and make him angry?” He chuckled as Rheugan’s ear flattened at the memory. Laoden quickly sobered again, though the gaze he now turned to the worgen held a touch of fondness. “I do not think you have as much to worry about as you think you do. But consider... how will you know if you never try?” He reached over to pat Rheugan’s shoulder, then hefted himself to his feet. He paused to look at the druid one more time.

“Go. Find whatever it is that brought you here. We will not force you out; it must be your decision to leave. But you will not find whatever it is you are seeking within these walls, Rheugan.” With that, he picked up his kit and left.

Rheugan turned to climb onto his bed and lay down. After a moment he turned human, then pulled the covers up over himself. He lay alone in the dark for a long time, thinking.
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P.S. Gotten a lot of stuff done in-game, too. I will try and have a catching-up post within the next day or 2, I promise.

First, Finest and Last: Rillian

Oh hey, remember these? I must have been channeling Rill at work today, and I finally finished his version. So here it is, enjoy!

P.S. Rill isn't a very nice person. :P

P.P.S. In case anyone wants to go back and reread them, here are the ones for Pitch, Rheugan and Alanon.

I still haven't finished Lark's. :P Don't know why it's being so difficult to write, but I will keep picking at it. Also, my enormous epic writer's block seems to be gone! Wheee! \o/

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His first had cost him five coppers, enough to feed himself for almost a week back then. But compared to his friends’ constant ribbing, he’d considered it worth the price. She’d laughed at him when he asked for her name, and when they were finished she’d called him a man. The only thing he could think of at the time was to wonder why he didn’t feel any different.

He’d bought the knife cheap, though he hadn’t thought he’d need to use it so soon. But Belgren was twice his size and three times his age, and Rill’s life was hard enough without adding a bully to the mix. He’d followed his target for a full day before picking his ambush spot. The knife had slipped as it went in, though, and it had taken nearly an hour for Belgren to die of the messy gut wound. It had taken two more for Rill’s shaking to stop, and then he’d booked it out of his home village for good, before anyone found the body. He’d been all of forty years old.

His first had been the dirt paths of the small transient village where he’d been born, there in the ruins of Morlos’Aran. His mother certainly hadn’t raised him –not that he blamed her, she could barely take care of herself. No, his teachers had been the streets and the surrounding wilds, where a mistake had rarely given a second chance. Rill had learned early on that not making mistakes was the best way to go.




His finest had been Lark, even as brief as it was. She’d lit a fire in him that no one else had before or since. He still didn’t understand why she’d called it off, saying they were both better off as just friends; maybe that was why he kept finding himself following her around like a lost puppy. He told himself frequently that he needed to get over her and move on… but Rill had never been good at listening to reason.

He didn’t consider any of them his finest. He just didn’t think of them that way; killing was just something he did to put money in his pocket and food in his mouth, or to simply survive another day. It wasn’t the kind of thing he bragged about, not if he wanted to keep breathing. And Rill was awfully fond of breathing.

His finest had been the elf that plucked him from the streets of a Hyjal village. Erelas had been looking for an apprentice, and Rill had been looking for anything that would get him out of the hellhole his life had become. Erelas and his hippogryphs had given him that way out, and he’d jumped at the chance without looking back.




His last had cost him considerably more than five coppers, but he hadn’t had to worry about money for a long time. He’d stopped trying to pretend they were Lark years ago – now it was simply a release. This one had been happy enough to take his money, and if he’d left her with a few bonus bruises, well, she hadn’t complained to him.

His last had been a while ago… he supposed it had been that gnome selling flowers. She’d been nothing to him, just another mark taken care of, a job like all the others. He’d lost count of the bodies he’d left over the centuries; all that mattered to him was that they were dead and he still lived. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

He was his last, and he was determined to keep it that way. Sure, he would take orders from whichever slouch currently paid him, but that was strictly business. Outside of work, well, he’d be damned if he’d let anyone else tell him what to do again.

Family Additions

Just because I love the civets in the Vale. I even managed to snag a rare-quality of each, adult and kitten, and they're both leveled to 25 already. Enjoy the cute.
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"We should sit outside, you said. It's a nice day, you said." Pitch eyed Lark suspiciously. "If I didn't think I knew better, I'd say you planned this."

Lark said nothing, though she didn't bother hiding her grin. Her eyes stayed on her son, however, as she supported Loren in a sitting position in front of her. Loren's attention in turn was focused on the small golden animal that was creeping up to sniff at his toes.

The civet- not a weasel, as Pitch had thought until Lark corrected him- had shown up a day ago, although Pitch hadn't paid it much attention then. Pandarian animals seemed to be extremely friendly and trusting, if the number of critters that had taken to following him around were any indication. The little civet was just one more of those, and he'd figured it would lose interest like all the rest, and he'd never see it again.

But this one had not only been waiting for them this afternoon, it had apparently brought its parents along too. Going by scent, it was the mother civet that kept dancing around them just within view, while the father was much bolder. He'd already tried to climb up Pitch's side to get a better sniff at his face, an attempt that Pitch had ended by shaking him off and switching to his elven shape. The male civet had left him alone after that and was now curled into a ball to one side, watching his offspring interact with the baby.

Loren chortled as the baby civet's whiskers tickled his toes, followed by a  quick tongue-swipe. The little critter sneezed, then turned and capered off a little ways to roll around in the grass. Loren watched it in fascination as Lark finally turned to her mate.

"I doubt they're going to go anywhere, babe, not if they've been hanging around this long," she told him. "You might want to accept the fact that you've been adopted."

Pitch mmphed. "They might have asked first," he grumbled, drawing another broad grin from Lark. "Well, now you know how I feel sometimes," she said, nodding toward Quiloe and Komah, who were lounging in the shade nearby. Komah's eyes opened briefly as he rumbled a reply, which made her chuckle. Pitch raised an eyebrow at her. "Do I want to know what he said?"

She grinned wickedly at him. "He suggested you think up names for them." Pitch just sighed.

The male chose that moment to come up to Lark, approaching her from the side and out of Loren's reach- he'd already had his tail pulled a couple times. She reached over to pet him and he chirred, arching his back up catlike to meet her fingers. She glanced back at Pitch, growing a bit more serious.

"Look at it this way, babe. Are they bothering you in any way? Do you need to feed them or clean after them?" Pitch shook his head no. "You know the answer to that. All they do is show up and follow me around, then go off by themselves when I get back here." He waved a hand at the Shrine of Seven Stars behind them.

"Well then," she replied, "why not let them stay around? They are cute, and they might wind up being useful."

Pitch remained silent for a minute, watching the two civets with a thoughtful frown. Finally he shrugged. "I'll have to try and teach Ishnu to leave them alone. And if they do decide to move indoors, I hope you remember it was your idea." Lark just snickered.

The young one wandered over to Pitch and nuzzled under his knee, making a cozy little nest for itself. Pitch started gently scratching its back, and it wriggled around to lick at his fingers before curling up to sleep.

Rheugan: Into the Fray

I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for when Rheugan ICly heads to Pandaria, but I hadn't been able to make myself sit down and write it out... until now. Writing stuff makes me happy. Also, that character development that I mentioned a few posts back but hadn't expanded on yet? Here's some of it right here. Enjoy!

____________________________

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“Yes, Alanon, I do.”

“Leave him alone, brother. I’ll watch out for him, don’t worry.”


The leather was getting worn in places, but the stitching was still sound. Rheugan set aside the piece of armor he’d been checking, then reached for the next. Shaurria’s ear twitched at the movement, though otherwise the young druid appeared asleep, curled into a grey furry ball at his side. She didn’t want him to go, he knew that. She worried about him - they all worried. Pitch and Alanon’s near-argument over whether he should be “allowed” to go was still a very vivid memory.

Lark hadn’t argued, though he’d understood the look she’d given him easily enough. Make sure he comes back home. He wasn’t sure why she trusted him when he still didn't care much whether he himself lived or died, but he would do his best, for her and Pitch both.

He didn’t know what he expected to find out there. Pitch had told him of the Sha, of how they preyed on those whose doubt, fear, or anger overcame them. And yet he had no qualms about heading into their territory - he, who had spent the past two-and-a-half years and more fighting with his own rage and fear. But he had to do it. He knew that, even if he couldn’t say how he knew it. It was instinctual, the same way he knew that he loved Kyraine, or knew that he could trust the cat. Try as he might, he couldn’t explain it.

He had another reason he could explain, but he doubted the others would understand him. Theramore had only confirmed what the failed summit had already shown him - there was no peace. If he hoped at all to survive, he would have to learn to fight, whether he liked it or not. And if he was going to learn to fight, he had to put himself in the thick of things.

No more hiding where he was "safe," and no matter the cost.

He’d just finished checking over the last bit of his armor when Shaur’s head suddenly came up, and she stared into the growing dusk with ears pricked. Rheugan followed her gaze to see Pitch approaching, on two legs this time, his expression expectant. “Leaving tomorrow, Rheu. Are you all set?” Rheugan nodded as he began gathering up his armor. Pitch took most of it from him, the weight bothering the big druid not a bit, and he set out toward the Dwarven District and Arvoss’ home.

Rheugan hesitated before following, looking back at Shaur one last time. She’d unshifted, sitting in the grass and watching him with a small, sad smile. Wordlessly she held out her arms, and Rheugan turned back to give her a tight hug. “I’ll be back to visit before too long,” he murmured in her ear. Her smile grew slightly as she released him. “Know,” she said simply, then changed back to a cat and followed him as they headed toward home.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Rheugan opened his eyes as the vertigo from the mage portal faded, blinking repeatedly as he looked around. The buildings around him were strange, but he paid them little mind as the cat surged up to the front of his mind. His gaze quickly riveted to the jungle visible outside the gates, and he felt the cat’s impatience as they both waited for Pitch to come through and join them. Keyed up as he was, the familiar touch on his arm made him jump when it finally came.

Big and small, the two black cats slipped like shadows out through the village gate and disappeared into the mists.

Catching Up: Feeling Blue...

... which is just a cheesy way of saying that Booggah can finally leave Uldum.

Squeeeeeeee!!!

This is probably a really bad time to realize I don't really like the scorpid combat noises, but for him I don't care. And he seems so "right" running around next to Booggah, it gives me warm fuzzies every time. And now I am done pet-camping. Done, DONE I SAY. At least until Lark can start tracking down Savage....

Boo's also gotten up to Timeroic ilevel, and on his first run there he picked up another new friend. Sigh...

I like this guy a lot, actually. And Boo has a couple more pets I could release if I had to, so maybe he'll get to keep him.

Zuuluu the troll is up to level 20, though I've been taking a break with him since. Possibly just waiting until I can move Kaledain and Khaotic over, so he'll have shoulder heirlooms to go with his helm and cloak, I don't know. Those 2 are the last ones I'll be moving, so I'm going to try and get it done soon and get it over with.


*   *   *   *   *   *

And now, my take on the scenario.....

Firstly, I did manage to read Tides of War all the way through before the scenario went live. It was... well, rather wrenching, to be honest. A story like that, combined with the general moodiness I've been going through lately... well, it didn't quite make me cry? But it came pretty darn close.

And then the in-game scenario dropped, and Booggah was the first one to run it. It went pretty well (despite the ret pally in the group trying to pull the whole courtyard and nearly wiping us- Booggah managed to Feign Death in time), up until we got to the blood elf we were supposed to rescue. I don't really remember what he said- I've only run Horde-side that one time- but it was kinda like "Wait, what?"

And then Boo got his letter...

That just seemed a bit like a slap in the face, especially the "poor humor" bit. I'm probably reading way too much into it, but seriously, if this is the way the Horde is going to go now? I'm... just not sure I want to keep playing Horde-side.

Although it is creating all kinds of delicious RP.

The Alliance-side version is a bit better, although I had a moment the first time I ran up to Jaina standing at the bomb. I've run through on all my eligible characters now, though Pitch was the only one to get in the Riders' IC run Tuesday night. That... was amazing.

Mists is getting me really excited about the potential RP happening. I'm fairly sure my "mains" in Mists are going to be Pitch and Rheugan, just because they are getting so much character development out of it so far. Rheugan is still figuring out where he fits in the world now, and I think that maybe having to get back into war again will really get things moving as far as that is concerned. Especially if he does get into the Riders.

.... Or maybe it will just break him completely. Who knows? XD

Pitch's development was not so much of a surprise for me, but it will be for anyone that doesn't know him. He's always seemed to be such a generally care-free, happy-go-lucky fellow that you may not realize he does have buttons to be pushed. And trying to tear down his homeland (Ashenvale), threatening war at what was supposed to be a Peace Summit, and then actually starting that war, by using a weapon of such destruction that it wipes out an entire city?

Yea, that definitely pushed some buttons.

Which gives me a perfect excuse to start actually writing things again, doesn't it? I better get busy!

Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Collaborative Fic: Forgebreaking

How do you reintroduce a character after taking a break for nearly a year? If you're a member of the Wildfire Riders, apparently you get a massive story written about you! Beltar's story "begins" here, on his player's blog (I'd advise reading it first so you know what's going on).

Done? Okay then, read on!

Over the past weekend, a bunch of us have put a huge amount of effort into one big fic, where the Riders go to find our buddy and bring him home. Led by Tarquin, it has parts written by every single character involved in the story-- including yours truly! (I didn't really do much, but I helped edit at least!) It ended up being about 27k words, and every bit of it is amazing. And you can read it on a public Google doc here!


And now I'm totally going to steal Anna's idea and post the foreword here. Enjoy!

*   *   *   *   *   *   *


They came at sundown, fifteen armed and armored, when the color was leeching from the dun hillsides and the few hardy pines that straggled up the crags. There were wings to be had, of gryphon and dragon and things yet stranger, but the Horde contested the skies here, so they marched on foot like soldiers of a past age. Twice they had to duck into the scrub as wyverns flew overhead, flattening themselves like rabbits under a hawk. They shook the dust from their boots and marched on, with good-humored complaints.

    At the top of Windshear Crag, in the high hills, they met their spy, the fox-faced little sprite of a woman their chief had sent ahead. The work went on in the mines; the garrison slouched about the fortress, enjoying their leisure but eager for a fight. They made their camp, sixteen now, and waited for the last of the light to fade. Mage-bread and dried meat, served cold. None of them, even the lean young woman at her first real battle, thought to ask for a fire. They knew the answer.

    When their creased and smiling tracker judged the sky dark enough, it was back on their feet. Packs were slung, laces were tightened, blades were checked and checked again. Their chief made his last instructions, salting the air with lilting curses and burring imprecations, and they all clasped hands, traded jokes, and said a few hundred words with only one meaning. Don’t get killed.

    Then they split. Six to the mine, the vulpine scout guiding them; seven to the base of the crag, bristling with weaponry; three to the high road between mine and fortress, swallowed by the night. They spread through Windshear Crag like splinters of bone from a bad wound, drifting through blood to find the heart. Sixteen scum of the earth, come to strike a blow in the war that a week ago they’d been working to stop.

    Come to bring their brother home.

Blahs again..

This is me trying to make a blog post when I'm tired and cranky....

I've been trying to consolidate (I think that's the right word?) all my alts onto 1 or 2 servers besides Feathermoon, because it's hard as heck having them all scattered around everywhere. I'm almost done with that now, finally. Andrano and Carrienne (yes, I had to change her name's spelling /sulk) are now on Wyrmrest Accord, and just a few days ago Disappear finally joined them.

I had to level her up to 31 so I wouldn't have to dump most of her gold, and in the process she finished one of the goals I wanted for her.

I hate the mechstriders, so there was no way I'd be buying one for her to ride. She had a Tyrael's charger that worked for awhile, but I wanted something less flashy for her, and since she was already in dwarf lands a ram seemed the most obvious. His name is Smoky. XD

I kept seeing Magria running around the Regrowth whenever I'd take Rheugan or Pitch to do Molten Front dailies, and it finally got to be too much. So Lark's spirit cat Kao had a color-change.

I felt kinda bad releasing Gondria, but since I don't think Booggah's Spectre is going anywhere, and I can also tame him/her on Arnen or Kaled when they level high enough, it wasn't too bad.

I have been a leveling fiend with Roebar lately. He's 68 now, and by the time I'm done he and Rheugan will have their Outland dungeonmaster achievements, since that's how I've been leveling him. Kinda tempted to go finish off their classic dungeons, but I think that'll wait til I'm really bored.

RP is still moving along. I hate to admit it, but I've been in such a slump for the past... I don't even remember how long, that I've been mostly letting other people come up with ideas, and then rolling with them. So far it's been working, and I'm interested in where the Gilnean plot is going to wind up.

Roebar is fun to RP, and I'm enjoying him a lot, but most of my focus has been going into Rheugan. Which has been difficult, as he just doesn't want to "talk" to me much lately. Poor dude has a lot of stuff going on, and most of it is stuff he just doesn't want to be known, so... I just kinda have to go with it.

I do wish he would cheer up though. I can't really remember the last time he was really happy, and it's starting to affect me a bit too.  >.>

It's not all Rheu's fault, either. There's stuff at work that has been wearing at me since I got back from Feathermeet, and I'm just bad at handling this kind of stuff. I will say this, though- If you shop regularly at a certain grocery store, and that store just happens to go through a full store-wide reset, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FIND EVERYTHING. Seriously people, we have lots of employees- just ask where to find things instead of complaining where everyone can hear you. Listening to someone bad-mouth my store is not going to encourage me to help you out....

And I will leave my rant at that. Now I'm going to go try and cheer myself up in-game. Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Rheugan: Four Little Words

Starting my attempt to sort out what's been going through Rheugan's head lately. This is from a good while ago, though I don't really remember exactly when (it was that long ago XD). Basically, it was after the first "warehouse job", shortly after Rheu'd come back from Northrend. On one of our Tuesday nights, Bricu had hinted heavily that Rheu would be welcomed into the Black and Red, although Rheu was so dumbfounded by the offer that it was decided he'd "think on it." This is the result of his thinking. I'd actually started this a while ago, about when this first happened, but I kinda lost my groove and couldn't finish it until now.

More current stuff will soon follow, unless Rheugan decides to shut me out again. >.<

_________________________

What do you want?

It was a simple question really, just four little words. It was also one that he still couldn't answer, although he thought he might be getting closer to it. Alanon insisted that once he could answer it, he would be all but healed. He just had to find that one missing piece of the puzzle.

Shaurria hadn't said anything when he told her he was going to Hyjal, just given him a knowing look. He felt a bit guilty, but he simply couldn't talk to anyone about some things. He had to find the answers himself.

Everything near the flamegate to the Molten Front had cleared out over the last few months. Ragnaros was defeated, his minions now under control, so most "adventurers" had found better things to do. No one was around to notice the gray stormcrow as it flew through the gate. Once on the other side feathers quickly changed to fur, and the shaggy black cat loped past the never-ending conflict at the gate, heading toward the Forlorn Spire.

At the top of the ramp he stopped and looked around. The Cinderweb spiders' numbers had apparently grown, as now they were all over the place. Perfect. Rheugan trotted to the Shadow Wardens' camp just long enough to check in, then he started his hunt.

The spiders were lazy and confident in their power. That just made them easier targets; the first one didn't even bother attacking him until he had made the first move. His claws scraped over its carapace before finding a hold, then his back legs dug in and ripped, and the thing's guts came apart along with some of its shell as it collapsed underneath him. Without another look at it he went after the next. After a few kills, it was easy to just let the cat take over, freeing his mind to start sorting out his current problems.

The most important thing, it seemed, was that he still didn't know where he belonged. Arvoss had given him a place to sleep at night, yes, but that didn't necessarily make it his home. And he felt no more comfortable with the Night elves, with the exception of Shaurria. But where could he go?

A part of him still insisted that he belonged in Gilneas. That part, however, was thankfully growing dimmer.

But did he want to join the Riders? He just didn't know. Tarquin had said that there would be things for him to do that wouldn't involve killing, but was that the answer? He really knew so few of them, and if he joined they would become his family. He was less than comfortable with the thought.

The one thing he kept coming back to was that it would be easier to stay close to Kyraine, but that was a thought he tried not to dwell on. He was fairly certain she didn't have a clue how he felt, but if she ever found out...

The burning of spider poison was a welcome distraction from that thought, and he quickly shifted out to heal himself, then gave himself up again to the cat. He noticed dimly that they had wandered far afield, and he debated heading back in, but the cat immediately let him know its disapproval. He'd been neglecting it, and it was enjoying itself well enough. He let it be without an argument.

The trouble was, he decided, that there were too many options at the moment, and he couldn't figure out which one might be best. Alanon might be able to help him, but the druid had been pressuring him to find the answers himself, so he left that as a last resort. He knew.... well, what? That at least the Riders would pay him? That would be a relief, and perhaps a way to recover some of his pride, but would it be enough? And what if they did ask him to do something he couldn't? He definitely did not want a repeat of the "dwarf incident."

Perhaps... perhaps it would be better to leave things as they were for a little longer. Alanon did say that sometimes things became clearer with time; perhaps it would work on this.

He'd been concentrating so hard that he was surprised when the cat gave him a "nudge." Rheugan stopped and looked around. There were no more spiders in his vicinity, and he abruptly realized how hard he was panting from the exertion. The cat made no protest this time as he headed back to the flamegate.

Back in Hyjal, the sun still shone down brightly, and there was still no one else in view. Rheugan went from cat to human, then sat on the edge of the bluff and stared out over his surroundings. Thinking.

Catching up again... with more pictures!

Figured I ought to make one last post for the month. :P

I am getting more into WoW again, Rp is helping a LOT. Roebar and Kyraine (who is awesome), with some help from Rheugan, are still heading some Gilneas RP that is spreading like crazy and making me happy. Also, leveling happened. Roebar is flying, for one thing.

He's currently almost 65, I'm thinking of seeing if there's any Nagrand quests he can do to get him the last few bubs he needs for the Ring of Blood. I will admit that so far most of his leveling has been through dungeons, courtesy of Rheugan. Rheu's been busy, as he's also been running Alanon-mage through them too- mage is currently 63.

And transmogging stuff.

Friend of mine wanted to do some old-school raids on a raid night we actually had off (raid leaders were out of town), so I talked him into doing the raids where druid tier5 tokens dropped. That is the luckiest drop rate Rheu has ever had- evidenced by the fact that he's run LFR Dragon Soul a couple times now, and I can count the number of druid tokens that dropped there on one hand. Not that he won any of them anyway...

But hey, he's looking spiffy now. Only thing he's missing is his chestpiece, because Kael'thas decided to majorly bug out on us and we couldn't kill him. Blah.

Still tinkering on my other-server alts. I should probably mention this guy. See, I've been wanting to try out Wyrmrest Accord Alliance-side, but I didn't want to have to think up another new character. Answer to that particular problem: roll a character that I've already created but haven't messed with yet, obviously. So, meet Lathenil's in-game incarnation. XD

He's only 16 so far, but I do intend to level him seriously. Whenever I have the time... >.>

I have a couple Horde toons over there already, Gwynifar and Khlar. And since Horde-side RP on Feathermoon is kinda meh at the moment, I'm thinking of moving a few others there too. Booggah and Taurros will likely be staying, but Kaledain and Khaotic are on the list to be moved. The first one will likely be Rajast, though.

I've already gathered and sent him a few heirlooms, so my Wyrmrest guys will be glad to see him. XD

I've been debating on hunter stables off and on, too. Lark has a few she hasn't really connected with that I could let go, which will free space for her dragon-turtle and porcupine. Booggah's stable is harder, though. He's had some sort of connection with every pet he's got, and deciding who to let go is going to be hard..

I've been tinkering with odd stuff too. For example, did you know there's a "trick" to get both the tabards from this quest? It works, too- Pitch and Lark both have their tabards, and a few others at least will probably get them too.

Sidenote: Illidan apparently doesn't like hunter pets...

I mentioned RP, right? Tuesday nights are still going fairly strong, and there's been a few "off" nights where stuff has happened as well. Mostly, if it's near "peak" time and I don't feel like doing anything, I can park in the Pig and chances are good that someone will wind up joining me. The fun thing is, these can sometimes lead into... interesting conversations. XD

I will need to do another post of some kind for Rheugan, though. Roebar has been featuring more in the Gilneas stuff, but Rheu has been in my head so much lately that's it's almost not funny. Poor guy.

And now, obligatory Tera stuff!! I've gotten all my characters off the starting island some time ago, and now it seems I've been working on getting them up to, and mostly past, the first dungeon now. Rysten started it. :P

Azirah has proved to me that slayers are still one of the most fun classes ever. Seriously, Dharius has some good survivability, but Azirah just kills stuff so fast they don't have time to damage her, not to mention some of her skills just knocking them end-over-end most of the time. She's up to 22 or 23 now, and I hope I can make myself get back to her soon for more bashing.

Also, her sword designs are pretty.

Tourawu is up to 25 now!! Mystics are still fun, although he's finally getting up to the point where the monsters hurt. He's still chugging along pluckily, though- in fact he's soloed a few BAMs already! Mystics solo things really well, actually, it just takes time to get their health down. XD

And Dharius is still up there leading the way. He's nearly 36 now, though the places he's leveling in now are a bit difficult, to be honest, so I've taken him back to some lower-level zones to mop up some neglected quests there. Once he dings he'll be back to... wherever he's supposed to go.

I've also started writing bits and pieces for my Tera guys, which I'll be probably be posting on my other blog once I'm happy with them.

That's about all I can think of for now. Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Loren

Oh my golly, it's an actual story post! /gasp

Yea, my writer's block? The one that's persisted over the last several months? It hasn't been fun. But at least now I know that if it happens again, all I need to do to fix it is have my characters have a baby... >.>

Also? This was fun, and now I want to do Loren arts. :D
_______________________

Shad had left almost as soon as they determined that mother and baby were both healthy. Pitch couldn't blame him; it was probably closer to morning rather than night by now. He walked Alanon and a yawning Shaurria to the door, then went back upstairs to the bedroom. Lark was still in bed, of course, with Loren cradled carefully in her lap. She stared at the baby in fascination, gently running one finger over his tiny fist as he lay sleeping.

She looked up when Pitch sat down beside her, giving him a smile that almost hid how tired she was. "He looks like you," she said softly. Pitch leaned over to peer at his son. "Yea, I guess he does," he agreed. "He's got more of your coloring, though."

They both lay there together watching the sleeping baby, Lark shifting over to lean on his shoulder. He sensed when she started to doze off and nudged her gently, asking her, "Do you want me to take him so you can sleep?"

Lark stirred herself awake at his words. "No, I'm fine," she answered, though she still sounded tired. "He'll need to eat soon, won't he? I need to be awake for that." Pitch chuckled quietly, and she frowned. Before she could say anything, he bent to kiss her forehead, then gathered Loren up. "Sleep," he said softly. "I'll wake you, don't worry." She just sighed, then settled back against the pillows. Within moments she was fast asleep.

*   *   *   *   *

A whimper pulled Pitch from sleep. It was still dark, but the faint touch of grey outside the window hinted at dawn's approach. He slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Lark; she stirred in her sleep but didn't wake. Silently he padded over to the cradle.

Loren lay quietly, whether awake or still asleep, it was hard to say. Pitch gingerly lifted him up and carried him over to the nearby chair, then settled his son on his lap. For a moment he just watched him, then with a deep breath, he summoned the cat.

It responded immediately, as he knew it would. Snarling, it threw itself against the barriers he had put up in his mind, fighting furiously for a few minutes before it grudgingly subsided. Stand still, he said to it. Look at him. I want you to know him.

The cat wanted to ignore him. What did it care for such a small scrap of elf meat? It wanted out. Snarling again, it continued testing the bars' strength, searching for a weakness that was, to its eternal frustration, no longer there. Pitch sighed, very quietly, then gave it the mental equivalent of seizing its scruff and shaking it. No, he told it firmly. This is your cub, your heir, as much as it is mine. You will not touch a hair of his head, or so help me I will destroy you.

The cat snorted, disbelieving. If he destroyed the cat, he would destroy himself, and the cat refused to believe he would ever do that. Try me, Pitch told it flatly. If it will keep him safe, I will do anything it takes- including sacrificing myself. You had best learn that, if you want to survive.

The cat was less certain now. He felt it reading his thoughts, considering, before at last it submitted to him. He allowed it to peer through his eyes at the newborn in his lap. His own nostrils flared as the cat took in the baby's scent, then it left him, sinking back into its cage within Pitch's mind.

Pitch slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. The worst battle was over; Loren was as safe as Pitch could make him. He got up, a little stiffly, and settled the infant back in his cradle, then climbed back into his own bed, next to Lark. She snuggled up to him automatically, and he let himself drift back to sleep.

In which I get off my lazy tail and do an update...

Umm, yea. In my defense, I have been majorly tired most of the time, so sometimes actually thinking up a blog post requires more brain-power than I have available. I will try harder, though.

Updates! I am still playing Tera, mostly on the days that I don't have anything going on in WoW (such as RP nights, raids nights, etc.). I've made my usual bunch of alts, and am now playing each one through the starting zone and getting them out into the world.

Dharius is still my "main" so far, though I don't want to say that won't change, as I'm falling in love with a couple other classes too. He's up to level 22 and finally ready quest-wise to go into the game's first dungeon. That will be my next goal for him.

My second off the "newbie island" is my slayer, Azirah the high elf. She was actually one of the last alts I made, but she got her playtime first cause I did really like the class from what I played in open beta (Dharius was a slayer before I rerolled him as a warrior.). She's tons of fun - I actually got her through the zone in one session, though sadly I haven't gotten back to her since.

Next was my Castanic priest Cerelius. I think this picture sums up his personality pretty well...

A lot of the chat I've seen regarding priests seems to be about how painful they can be to level, but he seems to be doing almost as much damage as my sorcerer, the only other caster class I've tried. Playing him is fun and easy, I can't remember how many times he's fought a "boss" or a large group and come out with nearly full health and mana. I think he'll likely be my second "main"(or main alt? whatever).

I've gotten Tamsin the Popori berserker and Nimli the Elin archer through the starter zone as well, but don't have any screenies of them yet. Too busy playing to take pictures maybe? >.>
The only toon I have left is my Aman sorcerer, who should be joining the others shortly.

I rolled all these guys on the (only)RP server, and I've been keeping my eye out for any RP. I've found quite a bit, but there are a few problems - such as the lack of an emote system and the fact that /say chat is almost zone-wide - that make it difficult to follow what's going on. That, and the fact that I've mostly just hung back and lurked. >.>

So! Besides Tera I've still been busy in my other games. Lord of the Rings Online has been holding their anniversary celebration, during which I found that you can find a couple mounts in one of their quests! The quest is to simply pick up envelopes scattered throughout Bree and open them for the invitations inside. But, you can find other things inside as well, such as an emote, tokens for the holiday vendors, and 2 mounts - one of which I want desperately for Ilfariel. She's had no luck so far, despite doing the quest(it's a daily) almost every day, but one of my other characters got lucky...

Sad part is that I hardly ever play this character - in fact, he's the only one I have on the server. /sigh... But, I'm enjoying the mount anyway, and this might be the encouragement I need to actually play and level him.

With everything else going on, Roebar's leveling has naturally slowed down, though he did reach 56 yesterday. I still want to get him to at least 60 asap, so he can fly, and eventually to 85. Hopefully I'll get him there before Mists comes out...

He has gotten in a bucketload of RP, and I'm really happy with how well he's fitting in so far. Having a Gilnean druid(complete with accent!) that isn't as full of issues as Rheugan is/was is a lot of fun, and he's actually helping spearhead the Riders next "big" story arc. Wheee!

There has also been MoP beta stuff, which I will save for another post. Honestly, now that most of the beasts are now tameable that's all I've really been doing, but I've taken screenshots of all the new buddies I've found, so I'll tackle a post for that soon. Til then, Happy Hunting!

On Cats and Things...

Omygolly an actual RP post? *Gasp*

Kidding aside, I've been meaning to try and get this done for... well, weeks now, and never seemed to find a good time for it. Tonight, opportunity struck!

Rheugan's been having some thoughts on his cat, but wasn't sure whether they were good ones or not. Pitch's cat is way different than Rheu's, so he couldn't be much help. But he did think that maybe Shad could help, since Shad also has a cat that's rather... independent-minded. XD

And honestly, Rheu's been under so much stress lately (not really bad stress, but still stress) that it was a relief to get this off his chest.

And last thing? Shad is one of the awesomest people I know. :D

So! Conversation between Rheugan and Shad. Enjoy!

_______________

Rheugan says: Pitch tried to explain Era to me, and we thought maybe you'd have the best opinion.

Shad tilts his head.

Shad says: On Era, or...?

Rheugan says: Is it possible for the cat to... control parts of yourself?

Shad says: Absolutely, yes.

Rheugan looks thoughtful.

Shad says: Have you been having trouble with that?

Rheugan says: No, actually

Rheugan says: I.. I hadn't felt anything from the wolf since I came back from Northrend. Before then, even

Rheugan says: I was wondering if the cat had anything to do with that, but when I asked he wouldn't answer

Shad says: ...-Interesting-.

Rheugan cocks his head.

Shad says: And you still have had no answer?

Rheugan says: He seems to like being mysterious.

Shad grins. "He is a cat."

Rheugan nods with an answering grin.

Shad says: I would not be at all surprised to learn that it was him doing this.

Rheugan says: It would be.. something of a relief if it was. I trust him more than I do the wolf.

Shad says: Was the wolf a struggle for you?

Rheugan says: At first. After Tal'doren it got better... but when I was taught the shape-shifting it came back

Rheugan says: It was like... they were fighting over me, or something

Shad says: Fighting like cats and dogs?

Rheugan gives a -very- dry grin.

Rheugan says: Something like that

Shad says: Sorry.

Shad is not really terribly sorry.

Rheugan says: When Pitch started teaching me it got better again, mostly.

Rheugan says: Most of what he taught me involved control, so

Rheugan shrugs.

Shad says: And if I recall, you were able to control the wolf, but not the cat quite as much?

Rheugan nods.

Rheugan says: Even now, I wouldn't say I control him. It's more like a.. a partnership, I suppose

Shad says: To be honest, I find that to be the ideal condition. I think you have done it right.

Rheugan blinks, then looks immensely relieved. "You think so?"

Shad nods.

Shad says: I may be biased, but...well, are we supposed to command nature, or be part of it?

Shad says: It is a very practical philosophical question.

Rheugan nods.

Rheugan says: Pitch seemed happy with it, but he tends to be.. more than a little biased

Rheugan gives a crooked grin.

Shad chuckles.

Shad says: I happen to agree with him, my own biases aside.

Rheugan nods again. "That is a relief."

Shad says: If he is doing you the service of controlling the wolf, then...I would say let him, and relax.

Rheugan nods.

Shad smiles.

Shad says: Is that your only concern?

Rheugan says: It was, yes

Shad nods. "Then, if you do not mind, I think I will head back inside."

Rheugan nods as he gets up.

Shad says: I am glad you are doing well with it all now.

Shad smiles.

Planning at the Pig

This is a bit old, but figured I'd do something about the recent RP.

Lorelli surprised us all with invites to a "party" from one of her old... "acquaintances," and thought of trying to fit as many Riders and allies as possible into the place, to try and stir things up, or at least get some info on other relevant stuff. There was a good deal of discussion, then the possibility of a fight came up. Considering that Lark is about 6 months pregnant by now, I think you can guess what she and Pitch thought about that. Once the main details had been hammered out, they went outside the Pig to talk things over.

________

Pitchblàck eyes Wildlark up and down.

Wildlark eyes him back.

Pitchblàck flattens his ears slightly.

Lorelli eyes Annalea thoughtfully.

Annalea says: Hmm?

Wildlark gives a quiet sigh.

Lorelli says: Just trying to figure out where you'll do the most good.

Wildlark says: Excuse us a minute

Jahira watches Pitch and Lark curiously.

Wildlark says: All right, out with it

Pitchblàck looks guilty.

Pitchblàck says: If there's going to be fighting, I don't think you should go

Pitchblàck says: I know you want to, but...

Wildlark sighs again. "And you're probably right."

Wildlark grins crookedly. "Could have picked better timing, hm?"

Pitchblàck says: We didn't know all this was going to happen

Pitchblàck says: Few more months, right? Then we can let his aunts and uncle worry about him

Wildlark says: I know

Pitchblàck takes her hand and rubs it gently.

Pitchblàck says: So....?

Wildlark says: .... all right

Wildlark leans.

Wildlark says: .... just come back to me in one piece

Pitchblàck says: Always

Pitchblàck hugs.

Wildlark says: Let me go find Rheugan, so he can hear the details

Pitchblàck says: Mkay. Heading home after?

Wildlark nods into his chest.

Pitchblàck squeezes, then lets go.

___________________

Poor Lark. The Riders are being awesome and trying to help come up with things she can do, but we are mostly coming up dry right now. Hopefully she'll find something she can do soon, before she goes crazy with boredom.

On a side note, this is one reason why they are working so well as a couple, and why I love them so much. They talk, about nearly everything, even if their conversations are just inside my head (while I'm at work, dinking on alts, playing other games, etc.).