#raerys

It was supposed to be a good week.

She had returned from wandering and camping in the Eversong woods, having only taken her ram and her sunfur panda for company. She’d danced between trees, walked barefoot down deer runs, fished for her supper, woven flower crowns from weeds, and laughed with a crab on the beach. She’d only left a note for the clinic and tacked up a notice at her booth. She had needed it. Needed the time wandering, as only a Traveler could.

It had all been so freeing. It was supposed to help. A reset. Surely she’d feel herself after that.

She’d come back renewed and happy, dimples fairly permanent with her smile and remembering the Tournament of Ages just in time to make it to the Wonderlight Ball. So she  dressed up and set off for the portals with a light heart intending to dance and play under colder skies.

Things had not gone the way she’d thought.

The moment she’d arrived the crowds, the noise, the presence of the whole ball overwhelmed her. And the shroud she’d thought she’d shaken off wrapped itself around her. Her smile didn’t falter, but her feet felt heavier as she made her way onto the dance floor. Dancing helped, but like she had so many times in the last six months, she danced by herself.

Someone else seemed to feel it, too: a little out of sorts, uncomfortable with the spectacle of the ball, a bit ‘outside’. Someone on the side. Valarin would likely never know how much his easy company had meant to her as Tarts laughed and played around them. She had enjoyed his enthusiasm and appreciated his simple camaraderie. There was no demand on her--she didn’t have to flirt, she didn’t have to worry that he only wanted to bed her at the end of the night. They just got along and it was light.

She had felt truly seen again for the first time in weeks. Months? She tried to make sure he felt seen, too.

Khaeris hadn’t ended the evening in his company. After the photo with the big group, his laugh and smile had wandered away, now inebriated and pleasantly relaxed with better living through chemistry. He had been drawn to other friends and shower them in affection, too. She wasn’t lonely when he’d left though; she felt more herself than she had since returning to people. She chatted with some Tarts, laughed and danced some more.

She should have known it would all turn when she confidently quipped, “I can be responsible!” Ah. The mistakes of hubris. 

It happened when Raerys had stepped away from the group, looking melancholy and a little anxious as she sat and smoked. And Khaeris had spoken too loudly. “I feel like I should talk to her. But … Awkward. And I’m not sober. And if I go over there, I’ll blurt out that her boyfriend is an asshole.” Opinions on lovers could be taken so personally!

It wasn’t Khaeris’s fault Raerys had her heart set on an asshole.

It was Khaeris’s fault that Raerys heard her talking to Dice about Ouro and the ‘complicated’ nature of some relationships. Thinking back on it, Khaeris mused that she was lucky she hadn’t spontaneously burst into flames that night.

It hadn’t ended there, though. She’d made Dice a little melancholy and starting down his own rabbit hole of ‘what ifs’. The ‘what ifs’ would eat them all alive, if they weren’t careful. Khaeris. Raerys. Ouro. Even Dicenne, it seemed. Everyone had things about their lives they wondered about.

Khaeris was pretty sure she knew why Ouro had taken her comm from her. And it was nothing she was pleased about. The temptation and longing on Dicenne’s face had been enough to convince her. The object had come from her original timeline. It had a connection to an ‘other’. Other place. Other time. Other chances.

That audacity and insult of having her property stolen rankled her deeply. It made her frown again, just thinking about it. People had always thought they could walk all over her. That what little her family had possessed could just be taken and they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. That she was powerless simply by the station of her birth. It made bile and rage bubble up in her. Khaeris was sure it  was an insult no Traveler could ignore.

She could forgive being held at gunpoint. She could not abide having her belongings taken against her will.

Ouro was NOT going to be allowed to dive into his rabbit hole. Not if she could prevent it somehow.

Dark and empty.  Such were Tris’ thoughts and her flat when she came home.  It was still bittersweet. Coming home to an empty flat.  That time had been odd for her, for both of them she surmised.

It was odd. While he was there during the dark of night, outside of that? They both seemed to find things to keep them busy and away from each other.  It wasn’t as if things had been bad when they were together. If anything, it had been easy.

She had sensed how it would go; how it always went, once Duir was back. So arrangements were made, fires kindled.  She had been right, but outside of that, she was quite pleased in how things had gone in the weeks since Duir had returned. When she had first met Raerys, she wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for nor what she would get. In the time since forging that relationship, she found she craved others. They made her vulnerable, but she couldn’t seem to keep from trying even if she didn’t fully understand the complexities that made a relationship. She didn’t care, she needed them.

Tris stopped outside her guest room, the one most thought was her room. It was clean, sheets fresh. She nodded and continued through the door to her room.  Another great idea, she thought to herself.

This applied to her cousin as well. She felt she had a handle on everything except her. Just like so many others, as soon as she and Leah were getting to know each other, Leah was gone. She appreciated that at least Leah had let her know, had written her a note cutting her off. But she was no less empty because of it.

This was where it began to fall apart. The note still laid on her desk. It would gather dust if not for Nardrah meticulously dusting. She picked it up, eyes scanning the words she nearly had memorized by now.

“Tris,

    I have to go away for a while. I’m not happy about this, we were finally starting to get along like proper cousins. Thank you for showing me that not all of our family are as overbearing and cruel as I once believed. In the meantime, I hope your business continues to flourish and feel free to use the cupcake recipe I sent with the last letter.

Maybe we can meet up again after all of this passes.

Truely,

L.K.”

Tris sighed and grabbed a bag and started haphazardly tossing clothing inside. No matter what plans she made, arrangements she made, there was always that emptiness. It was easier now to know when it was coming, the looming figure that only gnawed at her when she was alone. It was easier now to have someone there to distract her. Still, that wasn’t always enough.

She found her comm and sent off a quick message to Raerys.

“Hey, I’m going out of town. I won’t be available for a few days. See you soon. XOXO.”

She’d wait until morning to return to Silithus. She did have morning plans after all.

As deliveries caught up with the season the following packages would find their owners. Each one accompanied by a brief hand written note: “Happy Winterveil, may the season be kind and the New Year bring joy and bounty to you and yours. Raerys Songbrook”

@andijelly - Andi’s box contained a brand spanking new set of Pandaran Calligraphy and Water Color brushes. @belillinafireseeker - Bella’s Box was filled with rare damasks in several colors.

@gabbrialla - Inside Gabby’s gift was an antique silver bracelet with symbols for theater, music and poetry. @duskisdarkest - Inside Thaen’s box were a set of enchanted poi, that glowed in various hues. @fuzzymigglet - Miggy’s gift were blank rounds of rosewood, perfect for creating a set of “Love  Runes.” @stormofmercy - In Lys’s box was a multi-stranded necklace of hand polished rosewood beads that when warn until warm against the skin would produce a lovely rose scent. @selysona - Within Sely’s box were containers of various pigments all approved for cosmetic use and in the most rare and amazing shades. @valzilla-the-keen - Raerys had come across some “Cups” as she cleaned out the infirmary at Belore Loda. She knew immediately who they should go to, the only woman she knew who had a collection of weird medical equipment. So, in the box they went with a smile. @ladyashpaw - Yuni’s box was fragrant, even before it was opened. Inside were a variety of rare scented herbs, resins and barks. In a small gold tin in the center was ambergris - very rare and costly indeed.

@riverblade - Cal’s box was heavy. Inside were a set of Ankhet Steel Knives, shaped and meant to look like feathers when closed. @dicenne - Like Thaen, Dice had received a box of enchanted poi. The colors bright and cheerful @renthios-duskblade - Inside Ren’s box were a small packet of seeds and a single rose. The rose was colored like a rainbow, heavily scented and hardy. Raerys had added a small note to his package: “Ren, I came across these seeds on my travels earlier this year and thought immediately of you. I hope you can put them to good use.” @duskdrawdragoon - Rahl received a set of empty leather journals. Their covers each embossed with the Bloodblossom Sigil. @glass-phoenix - Zayneth’s box was heavier than Cal’s. It was filled with several tins of colored sand. Not dyed or otherwise altered, but truly colored sand - perfect for making glass. @desolatedangel - Along with Aelberyn’s cups came a long box addressed to Iloam. Within was a guitar, hand painted and exquisitely crafted. Saeros received a box of un-cut rubies, each one promising at least a full carat when cut. Aerlith was gifted with a pair of Raerys’ father’s cuff-links, which seemed appropriate considering his years of service to the family. Ambrose - The Traveler was mighty surprised to find a box awaiting him on his next stop, which held a new set of carving tools and enough gold to buy a decent horse.

@abraaxas Abra’s trunk was delivered to Thaen’s apartment, with the assumption the Fire Dancer would know how to get it to him. Inside were a few articles of brand new clothing, and a brief note.  “Abra, these were all in my father’s closet, with the tags still on them. You are about the same size as he, so I am hopeful that they will fit you well and that you enjoy them. I hope they’re not to old fashioned or stodgy for you.”

@trisandrah - Tris’s box was quite small, but the treasure it held was considerable. With the ring of rubies with yellow and white diamond was a note. “This belonged to my Grandmother and was left to me long ago. But I never felt comfortable wearing it as I did not become the adept at magic she was. You, however have earned it, for your time on the front and elsewhere.  I love you, and I just know it will look amazing on your finger.”

“So many things. And they were all to Raerys. Mostly. I’ve called her names, told her she was horrible, domineering, and oh fiddle, lots of terrible things.”

Thanks! @gam3rj3nn

Follows the events of these stories ---> Here And this one ---> Here

So much had happened since that fateful, stormy day at Raerys’s house; it was hard to believe it had happened less than a year ago, it felt like so much longer. The inflicted wounds had since healed, leaving behind a round scar from a bullet on his shoulder and a jagged scar from a dagger on his abdomen; a growing collection at this point. The need for vengeance had really pushed his body to the limits and then some these past years.

The Shadowlands had opened up almost immediately following those events, and that had become the biggest blessing in disguise. Attention had been drawn to the bigger threat, and Ouro was able to find some sort of peaceful existence on Azeroth. At least for a little while. The demand for weaponry of all varieties arose, and as always Ouro was more than happy to provide to both military and mercenary alike - for the right price. The draw of the unknown eventually brought him into the Shadowlands for some time, but the novelty wore off soon enough and he found himself back at his usual routines.

 These days, he spent most of his nights at the townhouse in Silvermoon City. The townhouse he has bought from Raerys previously, and now the one that they, sort of, shared. He essentially had his own apartment within the home, where no one would bother him and he could come and go as he pleased without notice. He was the one that requested Rae and her daughter, their daughter, to stay. After the incident with the assassin at her Eversong Woods cottage, this was the safest place for all of them.

Things between the two of them had improved, somewhat. There would always be that stubborn, cold, and unstable part of him, but he had become better at recognizing it and leaving the room if need be. There were even times when he held Olivia and felt almost normal again. It reminded him of those quiet moments way back when with his late son; him sitting on the couch and reading while the boy dozed against his chest. They were good memories, ones he appeared to be recreating now with his daughter. All of this clearly delighted Raerys to no end, and she was always more than willing to express her gratitude in whatever manner he requested of her.

Today was one of the quieter days, and Ouro found himself at his apartment’s kitchen table flipping through a newspaper with Olivia napping nearby in a crib. Eyes scanned through the obituaries, as was customary, pausing on a familiar name as a little smirk spread over his lips. A name he had learned and had become very familiar with over the past couple of years for various reasons. He had been waiting for this moment, knowing eventually it would happen. If not by someone else, then certainly by his own hand. There wasn’t much information on the ‘how’, which often meant that the death was due to something other than natural causes.

Aerden Lo’sharri Senior was dead. Another name he could check off of his list. The Lawyer

Part 1 Kiss the Rain Part 2 The Assassin Part 3 Shelter From the Storm Part 4 Seconds… Part 5 Lo, They Do Call Me Part 6 A Brother’s Bond

“An’dar!”

The booming voice jolted Ouro awake, causing him to instinctively raise his pistol; although when he saw the familiar face he dropped his hand and weapon back onto his lap.  “Hey.”  It was the most he could muster at the moment, he must have fallen asleep, or passed again out more like it, waiting on his ‘cleaner’ while slumped uncomfortably against the frame of the open front door to Raerys’ cottage.  Not his best idea, but his body didn’t exactly give him a choice. The pills he had downed a while ago gave him enough energy to collect what he needed from the woods and from the house itself before the pain caught up to him and he needed to rest once more.

Only a short time ago he had awoken on the couch, surrounded by Raerys, her daughter Olivia, Trisandrah, and Lynesse.  That was four too many living people he wanted to wake up to, yet there they were.  The moment he (somewhat) had his wits about him, the first order of business was to get them all the hell off that property.  They wouldn’t be safe there right now, plus there were two extra bodies in the woods none of them knew about and Ouro wanted to keep it that way.  

Tris and Lyn were a little too adamant on wanting to dispose of the body on the front porch themselves, but eventually they were convinced to go along with his plan.  Despite the state he was in, he needed to do this himself.  It wasn’t their problem, and they didn’t need to have any part in any more of this. He was thankful for them not allowing him to die, but he was the one that had brought all of this to Raerys, and he had to be the one to take care of it. It needed a professional’s touch.

“You look like absolute shit, how are you still alive?”

It was a good question, one that Ouro wasn’t going to answer. Instead he popped a couple more of his pick-me-up pills before giving instruction: “There’s the one here and two at those coordinates I sent.”  He braced a hand against the floor, attempting to roll himself to his knees to no avail.  He would have to sit a few more minutes until the pills kicked in.  “No remains, I need it spotless, will triple your fee - it needs to be perfect.”

The ‘cleaner’ glanced around, scrutinizing the mess, “Can do.  Give me 36 hours until anyone returns.”  Without permission, he reached down and grabbed Ouro’s arm to pull him to his feet, maintaining that grip until he was sure the wounded man wasn’t going to topple over.

Ouro grunted in annoyance, but it really was the quickest way to stand up at this point. He clapped a hand to the cleaner’s shoulder before wobbling his way over to his belongings.  With a cloak wrapped around himself, hood pulled up, and the duffle bag and rifle draped over his good shoulder, he left the man to his work.  It took him a good ten minutes to get outside of her property so he could teleport himself back to the Silvermoon townhouse, the wind and rain doing a good number on his already unsteady gait along the way.  He managed with a few stumbles and the moment the warmth of the townhouse hit his face he dropped his gear and grasped at the newly stitched wound on his abdomen with a wince.  Thankfully he didn’t tear anything, Lyn would definitely have some choice words with him if he did.

The pills had helped just enough to allow him to do what he needed to do, and now that he was somewhere safe he could actually rest.  Thankfully the rain had washed away most of the leftover blood on his own person, but he could worry about scrubbing himself and his own belongings down at a later time when he felt up to the task.  Right now he needed to get to a couch or bed before he passed out again.

A hand pressed to the wall and any nearby furniture to steady himself as he limped his way to the bedroom, knocking over a lamp, a chair, and a few books in the process. It would all have to remain there on the floor for now.  It took a bit of effort, but eventually all of his wet clothes were shed to the ground before he crawled into bed.  Muscles ached, fresh wounds burned, and the exhaustion was quickly catching up and threatening his consciousness.  He was going to sleep for days.

He did manage to keep his comm with him, shooting off a message containing instruction not to return to the cottage for 36 hours and a series of numbers to Raerys before it was dropped on the bed next to him.  The code to get into the townhouse, hopefully she would understand.  His security system would also scan her prior to allowing entry, but he had luckily set it to recognize her and allow access if needed.

His final thought before allowing the sleep to overwhelm him was of Olivia.  Rae’s daughter.  His daughter.  It was still a foreign thought to him, and it was best to keep it that way.  She kept referring to the child as his daughter, and to him as Olivia’s daddy, and that would have to stop. He couldn’t allow himself to get attached, it would surely be a death sentence.  Eventually the encompassing exhaustion overwhelmed the pain and he drifted off into a hard, nightmare-riddled sleep.

No!