#henii

(( DWC February 2024 Day 1, Casualty/Flirt, CW: None, thanks to @heniimagic for the OC loan, @daily-writing-challenge ))

Lorellai's smile fell as the Human turned away from her, her shoulder slumping as she wandered back to the table she was sharing with Henii. "Och, that's three times now I've been turned down. What kind of festival dedicated to love is this that I cannae even get someone to share a drink with me? What should I say, how should I act, what should I do?"

"I think the problem might be in your approach dear… oh, perhaps I can show you. Ghorren!" Henii called out, getting the attention of the big Zandalari at the bar. "Could you come join us, I need your help."

Ghorren shrugged and walked over, taking a seat. "Sounds simple enough. What do you need?"

"Lorellai needs an example of how to flirt," Henii said, adjusting herself in her chair and then looking at Lorellai. "Now, the first words out of your mouth are the most important. You may want to start with something like this." Turning to Ghorren, she leaned in slightly. "You are the most handsome Troll I've ever laid eyes on."

Ghorren glanced at Lorellai out of the side of his eye, then back to Henii, saying nothing.

Henii chuckled. "But that might not work."

Ghorren leaned in. "Oh, yes it would, in fact."

Henii turned her focus back to him. "You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you that."

"But you were afraid," he replied.

"Yes."

"Of me?"

"Of us. Of what we might become. Or that you might think it was just a line."

"Maybe I do think that."

"So you think I'm insincere."

"I didn't say that. There's nothing wrong with a line. It's like a knock at the door."

"Then are you inviting me in?"

"I'm not sending you away."

"That's more than I expected."

"Is it as much as you hoped?"

Henii leaned in closer. "To hope is to recognize the possibility. I had only dreams."

"Dreams can be dangerous," he cautioned, his face cradled in his hands as he held his gaze locked with hers.

"Not these dreams. I dream of a night sky where your eyes are the stars, and all the peoples of Azeroth worship the night."

Ghorren closed the gap between them even more, a laugh in his voice. "Careful, putting me on a pedestal so high, you might not be able to reach me."

"Then I'll learn to fly. You are the heart of my day, and the soul of my night."

Lorellai cleared her throat. "Um, I'm not sure this is really meh style…"

Ghorren broke his gaze with Henii quickly to glare at the girl, snapping at her to "Hush kid," before turning his attentions back to the Draenei across from him. "Tell me more about my eyes."

Lorellai rolled her eyes and walked away from the table, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks and leaving them to whatever that was.

“People’re... people’re prolly ‘spectin’ me t’ just... make a crack about yer tits, ‘re summat. Which, I mean, I could, they are spec-goddamn-tacular tit-tat-ti-ties, but ...I mean, ev’rybody knows tha’. Sure ‘s shit you know tha’, an’ if y’ don’t yer ... I think y’gotta ‘usband? Anna wife? Iunno, yer spouses ‘re NOT doin’ their damn jobs if y’don’t know ‘ow damn fine those tits are.

(( DWC November 2023, Day 6, Expectation/Selfish, CW: none; @daily-writing-challenge ))

The dust of battle had cleared, and for the moment, the forces of Azeroth had taken the field, but the enemy was yet unbeaten. Fyrakk had broken his way into the temple with his own powers, and he and his followers had retreated within.

Lorellai could hear the aspects making plans to pursue, talking about taking a team of their most able champions to aid the pursuit, while the rest remained without to handle any further attempts by the remaining flame druids, primalists, or djaradin to interfere. She saw her parents, as well as her many aunts and uncles, Henii, Dolraan, and Hlin among them, engaging in the conversation as well. That made sense. She and the rest of the team had handled the primalists in the vault, and down in Aberrus, but those had been fairly localized trouble, and happened fast enough to preclude calling for backup. But now Fyrakk and the Firelands were threatening the world tree and the emerald dream, and that surely meant bringing in the big guns, and well, what bigger guns were there than the heroes who'd saved the world time and time again?

( Daily Writing Challenge August 2023, Day 1, Beginnings/Endings, CW: none, @daily-writing-challenge )

"Oh aye Henii, just set her in here, I'm sure they'll get along fine while we finish making lunch."

Lorellai looked up from the colorful stuffed bear she'd been squeezing and chewing on, and locked eyes with the new girl that had been sat in her playpen. She was blue, her eyes were glowy, and her feet were different, but she was a fellow toddler, and she also had a colorful stuffed bear. Well, not a bear, something else. "Gah!" she exclaimed, welcoming her new friend, but already her friend was looking around.

Grabbing the side of the pen and pulling herself up, Shansii rocked back and forth, getting the enclosure's measure. Stubby blue fingers wrapped around the wooden poles, and she rocked with all her tiny might, causing the pen to shift. It moved, ever so little, but she'd need more. She looked over to the pink skinned girl who'd been stuck in here already, and waved. "Gah buh!" she declared, calling on the girl to help her seek freedom!

Lorellai wasn't sure what was going on, but her new friend looked like she had a new game! She crawled over, and climbed up next to her, mimicking her grip on the poles. "Bah!"

Shansii nodded. Soon they would be free, and with her new partner, she would be unstoppable. She started to rock, and Lorellai rocked with her, in as close to a rhythym as a pair of toddlers could get, but it was enough to shift the old playpen. Soon enough, it had toppled over, spilling out the little ones and their stuffed animals! Shansii shrieked with joy! Now only the door stood between them and freedom! She stood up on shaky legs, motioning for her new partner to join her! Together they giggled and stumbled towards the door, and it flew open, to disaster!

"Well well, already colluding are we, hm?" Henii said, smiling down at her daughter and Lorellai, who looked up at her in tiny shock. Kneeling down, she scooped up both the girls, kissing them on the head. "There will be plenty of time for mischief later, but right now it's lunch. And then we will see about play, hm?"

Shansii groaned, bonking her head on her mom's chest. Defeated again. But then her eyes met Lorellai's, glistening with joy. She had a partner now. Together, they would be free, and explore all the world had to offer.

((Daily writing challenge august 2023 day 2, enchanted/horror, @daily-writing-challenge CW: none))

(Age: 7 years)

"Shansii! Lookit what I got!"

Lorellai ran into her room and closed the door, clutching a prize to her chest. Shansii looked up at her from the pile of paper she'd been drawing on, and adjusted her glasses. "What is it?"

"It's one of my mom's enchanted wands!" Lorellai declared, holding out the long, pink colored cylinder. Gently glowing runes encircled the base, and it was nearly as long as Lorellai's forearm. "Think we can use it to do magic?"

Shansii shuffled over, knocking crayons aside to get a better look. "Ooooh, this looks like one of the wands my mom has in her room in the top drawer under her big shirts! Hers are longer though…"

"That makes sense, she's got longer fingers. How do we make it do magic?" Lorellai asked impatiently, poking at the wand, surprised at how soft the outer shell of it seemed to be.

"Well, the runes are on the bottom, so you probably touch them?" Shansii ventured, poking at them, until suddenly they glowed brighter, and the wand began to buzz. "Aha! Found something!"

"I don't get it, it's just buzzing and shaking? What kind of magic is this?"

"I dunno, maybe it's for-" Shansii wasn't able to finish her thought, as the door opened revealing a very red-in-the-face Darlain.

"Och! That's not for you lass! I'll be taking that back thank you and you are grounded starting tomorrow young miss!"

"But mom! I just wanted to do magic!"

"Not this kind of magic you won't, and you're going to learn a lesson about stayin' out of mummy's drawers. Now both of you down to the kitchen where I can keep an eye on you, march!"

The girls groaned and shuffled towards the kitchen, leaving Darlain holding her "wand". Sighing, she stuffed it in a pocket, then pulled out her communicator. "Henii, lass, I think we're going to need to sit down with the girls tonight and talk about the difference between a magic wand and their mum's vibrators."

A delighted laugh came over the speaker. "Oh I don't know, when the mood strikes they can both be truly magical."

"I'm being serious, I caught them playing with mine after stealin' it from my drawers."

"Oh my darling, just having a little fun. They're still young, but they're smart, and this will be a fun story for when they're grown. See you after dinner!"