#ashryne

The sky above the Vale rumbled; the clouds thick enough to bloat out almost all light. The landscape beyond the relative safety of Mogu’shan Palace was bathed in a violet hue, the normally peaceful air of the valley replaced by a deathly chill. The very atmosphere felt choking, the tension almost palpable. Everyone within the Palace was on edge; ready for the fight they knew was coming.

The Black Empire was here, again. It seemed to be focusing on the Vale and on Uldum, switching back and forth to keep anyone from really getting their footing against it. For the Flamestriders’, the two who were still battle-ready, a tentative routine was forming. The goal remained the same; stay where the fighting is thickest. Follow the madness and cut it down.

So here they were, in a back room of the Palace’s sprawling halls, donning their armor and checking supplies. The assaults had taken their toll on each of them, visibly so. Ash’s armor had taken a beating- she had repaired what she could, but several pieces were either ramshackled together or missing entirely. She had also found it very difficult to shake her more vampiric side; her eyes glowed too red, her nails too long and sharp, her skin nearly grey, and her fangs considerably too long.

Shani had nearly the opposite problem; not trusting herself to keep the demon within at bay with her sanity under constant siege, she had refused to transform in combat. Because of this, her injuries weren’t allowed to recover. A long gash across her forehead stemmed from a missing horn on her left side. The right one was mostly intact, with a long crack going down the middle that was barely held together with bandaging. Her armor had been replaced as a whole; her sister, Adora, had insisted she wear something with more…*coverage*, which was agreeable only because she had no need to transform. She pulled at the cuirass of her Sentinel’s armor in discomfort, looking down at it in clear distaste.

“You look good in uniform,” Ash said with a small smile, her greatsword rested over her shoulder. She crossed the room to where Shani was sitting on a few supply crates.

“I look good in anything,” Shani countered, releasing the garment to rest her hands on Ash’s hips instead, pulling her closer. 

“A fact I am eternally grateful for,” she chuckled, putting her sword down by her side so she could tilt Shani’s head up by the chin. She was wearing one of her less-flashy glasses and no blindfold; her green eyes gleaming behind them and meeting her own. She was beautiful- she always would be to Ash, but she looked like hell. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes and countless cuts and bruises covered her skin.

“Are we getting too old for this?” Shani asked with a quiet laugh, clearly having observed the same exhaustion in Ash. 

“Neither of us can get any older, darling,” she answered, carefully pressing her forehead against Shani’s. 

“I suppose not,” she hummed softly in agreement, closing her eyes to the touch. Ash’s hand moved from her chin to caress her cheek instead, tracing her thumb along the tattoo there.

“Are you ready?” Ashryne murmured. “We can wait a few moments more.”

Shani shook her head, leaning into the hand but opening her eyes again. “I’m ready now.” 

“Once more into the fray, then?”

February 14th, 200 years ago

Lively music sounded from a band on the small stage at the far end of the crowded ballroom, a joyful tune that kept the dancers steps light and excited. Everyone was dressed in their best, the room filled with a sea of mostly humans in colorful dresses and suits. The pillars on the edges of the dance floor were wrapped in garlands of red and pink, and the air was pleasantly scented by the hundreds of thousands of flower arrangements the Proudmoores had clearly spared no expense on. 

Boralus was one of their favorite cities, and Ash and Shani would be remiss to miss out on a party such as this. The pair practically stumbled off the the dance floor as the night grew older and their stamina began to wane. Both of their faces were flushed from the activity, but they bore wide grins as they settled together against the wall to catch their breath.

They were both quite the sight. Besides being among the only elves in the room, they drew more than a few glances their way for their attire alone. Ashryne wore her hair down over her shoulders, the long blonde locks flowing down over a silver dress. Her lips were painted a deep wine-red and winged black eyeliner outlining bright blue eyes. Shani was just as elegant in her sleeveless violet dress, necklaces and bracelets fit with shining gemstones adorning her body. Her red hair was no less wild than usual, the sparkling headband she wore doing very little to control it. Ash could hardly take her eyes off of her- so she simply stopped trying.

It was a night of extravagance. Neither of them would have been able to afford this attire or attendance to the party on their own. It was a combination of favors on both their parts. Ash’s from Vela, a wealthy friend who gladly pulled a few favors. Shani’s had been from her…’sailor’ friends who frequented the city. It was best not to ask how Shani got anything done, honestly. 

“Is there something on my face, darling?” Shani asked with a grin, breaking Ash from her thoughts. Confused, she shook her head. The taller woman leaned in closer, her lavender-white eyes glowing brightly. “Then why are you staring at me?”

“Oh,” Ash’s face flushed further as she turned away. “Sorry I...was just thinking. Do you want to get some fresh air?”

Rather than respond, Shani simply reached for her partner’s hand and led them out to the nearby balcony. Ash tried not to hold on too tightly, her nerves alight as she checked to make sure the small box was still in her dress pocket- an action she had done at least a dozen times already that evening.

The view from the balcony was beautiful, the lamp posts attached to the stone railing bathing them in a soft yellow glow. The moon was nearly full, it’s light glittering across the waves stretching out beyond the Keep, along with the thousands of stars that hung above them. It was perfect.

The two of them settled against the railing, looking out over the sound. A few other couples were out there too- but they paid them no mind. The balcony was large, and this was a moment just for them. They stood in silence for a few moments as Ashryne gathered her nerves.

“Shani-”

“Ash-”

They laughed as they spoke at the same time, Shani waving a hand as she said gently, “You first.”

“Okay,” she nodded, smile fading as she took a deep breath. “Shani, these past sixteen years have been the best I’ve ever had. Because of you. You mean everything to me, and I wanted to know if...if we could make it official. For ourselves, if no one else.”

Slightly shakily she got down on one knee, the stone floor freezing beneath her. Pulling the box out of her pocket, she opened it to reveal a ring. “Shani, will you marry me?”

“Oh, no,” Shani blurted out, a hand flying to her mouth. At that moment, Ash’s whole world shattered. Had she misspoken? Misunderstood? They’d discussed this extensively- what sign did she miss-

“No no, I mean yes!” Shani quickly knelt down in front of her, cupping Ash’s face in her hands for a moment. “Fuck, yes, of course I’ll marry you. It’s just- hold on.”

Ash watched in confusion as Shani pulled back to reach into her own pocket, producing...another small box. Sheepishly, she opened it to show it contained another ring.

“I was...going to ask you the same thing tonight,” she said, her cheeks flushed. Shaking her head, she put the ring aside to bring her hand back up to Ash’s face, wiping away an overjoyed tear from her cheek.

name ➔ “Ashryne Flamestrider at your service!” she says with a wink.

are you single ➔ “No, I am quite happily married.”

are you happy ➔  “I am!” Her bright smile does little to conceal her fangs. “I really am.”

are you angry ➔ “Not usually, no,” she shrugs at this, “There is plenty going on to be angry about, but there’s only so much I can do about them. I keep my temper in check.”

are your parents still married ➔  “I don’t know if they ever were, truthfully.” There’s no remorse in her words. “I was orphaned very young, you see. I don’t know a thing about them.”

NINE FACTS

birthplace ➔ “Again, I do not know. Best guess is somewhere in Silvermoon City, in the slums. Before it was destroyed, of course.”

hair color ➔ "It’s white now,” she glances at it with little interest. “Death does that to some, it seems. Used to be blonde.”

eye color ➔ “Red.” She winces. “That does put a lot of people off.”

birthday ➔ “Sometime in June. I’ve never really celebrated it.”

mood ➔  “Content.

gender ➔ “Woman.”

summer or winter ➔ “Summer, by far. I prefer the heat.”

morning or afternoon ➔ “Afternoon; I’m really not a morning person.” She winks, “I much prefer the dark.”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔  “Oh, I definitely am.”

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ She chuckles, “Something like that, yeah.”

who ended your last relationship ➔ “Death tried. Didn’t take.”

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ She frowns and answers quietly, “Yes, I know I did.”

are you afraid of commitments ➔ She shakes her head, “No. Never.”

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ "Oh, several people, yes.”

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔  “From time to time, yes. Both before and after my death, believe it or not.”

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔  “Yes,” she laughs at herself a little. “I was such a fool in my youth.”

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ “Love, without question.”

lemonade or iced tea ➔ “Iced tea.”

cats or dogs ➔ “Cats, but that’s a close choice.”

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ “A few best friends; I enjoy many close relationships.”

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “A romantic night in, but that’s another close choice. Anywhere with her is perfect.”

day or night ➔ “Night. Call it a symptom of undeath if you’d like, I just prefer the dark.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ “Oh, many times. Stealth has rarely been a strong suit of mine.”

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ “Stairs are for squares,” she says with a laugh. “But yeah. I’m an elf, not a god. Does anyone say no to this?”

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ “Yes. That feeling is very familiar to me.” 

wanted to disappear ➔ “Yes, I used to.”

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ “I love a good smile.” She flashes another fanged grin.

shorter or taller ➔ She thinks about this one for a moment. “It...depends on the context. Shorter, I suppose; I like being taller than other people. It’s either easier to protect or intimidate them that way.”

intelligence or attraction ➔ “Intelligence, I’m not a purely carnal being.” She winks again, “Not purely.”

hook-up or relationship ➔  “Relationship.”

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ “Yes, absolutely. I’ll be the first to admit my family is a little...unconventional. Smaller than most. But we love each other very much.”

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔  “Oh, I don’t think so,” she chuckles, “It’s hard to have a normal one these days, but it’s not “messed up”. Dying tends to complicate things, but everything’s in a good place now.”

have you ever ran away from home ➔ “In a manner of speaking, perhaps. But nothing very dramatic, unfortunately.”

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔  “Ah, yes,” she winces. “The reasons have changed over the years, but I’m no stranger to being unwanted for what I am.”

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ “No, I have no time for such dishonesty.”

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ “Absolutely. They are all very dear to me.”

who is your best friend ➔ “My wife.”