#roxciel

Roxlyn has some problems with admitting when things are burdening her. She did not talk to many people about her experience as a captive when she was kidnapped. When she overworks herself, she is good at keeping the impending burnout to herself. 

Roxlyn and Renciel are still together! The girlfriends still live together, tending to a garden and co-managing Bewitched Beloingings.

After their first breakup, they committed to communicating more effectively, opening up with their feelings and concerns. This leaves them in a more comfortable place where they feel confident with the place they hold in each others’ lives.

❤️ She does not. She's only truly fell in love twice, and both took time.

📺 She isn't shy. When she was keeping her love life casual, she didn't get into too many details, but she also didn't pretend it wasn't happening. She is fairly open with non-sensitive details about her relationship now.

“An island? So she just claimed a whole island?”

Roxlyn sat on Renciel’s plush couch, absentmindedly petting Felicity and Apple, the two fel kittens basking in her attention on her lap. She visited Mount Hyjal to catch Renciel up on the recent events in her life, including the Ashen Hunt’s new home.

“Leora didn’t ‘claim’ the island. She liberated it,” Roxlyn clarified. “When you take an island from cultists experimenting on slaves, it’s called liberation.”

Renciel finished pouring freshly-made tea, grinning as she returned to the couch. “Of all your conquests, Leora sounds the most ambitious,” she teased.

Roxlyn rolled her eyes, her cheeks dusted violet at the comment. “Not my conquest. My friend.” It was not always common for those two things to overlap, but Leora was definitely a friend first and a former sexual partner second. “But yes, she has ambition and the desire to bring something good into the world. She turned an island of freed slaves into a neutral territory.”

Sitting beside Roxlyn, Renciel sipped her tea. “It sounds lovely, honestly. Idealistic, but that’s not a bad thing.”

“It could be naïve,” Roxlyn admitted, “but the Alliance and the Horde don’t need to have the whole world. There have to be little idyllic corners for the rest of us.”

It was a nice idea. Mount Hyjal was left mostly untouched by the current conflict, as druids focused on more important matters like healing the planet. The druids were united by a common goal; could an island of ex-slaves do the same? “So are you leaving Boralus, then?”

Roxlyn smiled softly. “Yes. I’ll keep the shop there; it makes business sense. I can manage it while starting a new shop on Leora’s island. I’m going to build a home there.” She hesitated. “Renciel… I wanted to ask you something.”

Renciel rested a reassuring hand on Roxlyn’s knee, seeing uncharacteristic nervousness. “Ask away.”

“Come to the island?”

“To visit you?”

“To live with me.” It slipped past Roxlyn’s lips quickly, before she could overthink it.

There were a lot of emotions to process. Present emotions; the excitement of sharing a new place with Roxlyn, who she had enjoyed reconnecting with in the past months. Past emotions; the memories of fighting as they grew more divided toward the end of their last relationship, ending in Renciel leaving in the night. And so many potential future emotions. “My animals. I would not want to leave them.” It was the first thought she had that was not attached to baggage. She had so many animals she tended to, most living with her permanently.

“That would be fine,” Roxlyn assured her, doing what she could not to sound insistent. “The spot I picked is at the edge of town, near the woods. With space for a garden.”

Renciel turned to meet Roxlyn’s eyes, reading her like only she could. “Did you pick that spot out knowing you would ask me to move in with you?”

Roxlyn blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “The thought may have crossed my mind.”

That earned a smile, but Renciel was still cautious. She rested her head on Roxlyn’s shoulder. “That’s a big step, isn’t it? After what happened last time?”

“It is,” Roxlyn admitted. “But this isn’t Eversong. I’m older. And we won’t have an archaic governing body deciding that one of us can’t be where the other is.” Roxlyn deserved a lot of blame for how things went sour, but she still harbored resentment toward the Magisters.

Renciel looked at the scarred, burnt flesh of her hand. “But what if I do… something? Lose control and get exiled and we’re back to square one?” Being with the druids had helped ease Renciel’s destructive tendencies, but she worried leaving the Mountain would lead to their inevitable return.

“There are still druids on the island. But more importantly,” Roxlyn held Renciel’s scarred hand, squeezing it, “I will be there for you. I want your struggles to be my struggles again. I can do it right this time.”

The warm feeling in Renciel’s chest grew more comforting. “So… if I move with you… are we really trying this again?” They had been reconnecting, but both women had danced around what that might mean or what they were working to with all their flirting and talking and affection.

Roxlyn smiled and took Renciel’s chin with her hand, tilting her toward a tender kiss. “Renciel, be mine, and let me be yours. Please?”

The nerves were still there, but it was harder to care as excitement and maybe even the rekindling of old love filled her. “Well, when you say it like that.” She grinned, kissing Roxlyn again. “Yes. I’ll need to plan the details, but I will move to this idyllic island of yours. And yes… I am yours and you are mine. I love you, Roxie.”

It was familiar, both for Renciel to say and for Roxlyn to hear, but it had been so long, both their hearts skipped when it was said. Smiling, Roxlyn nuzzled up close to her girlfriend, past, present, and hopefully future. “I love you, too, Ren.” They would plan for the house and the garden later, since Roxlyn knew Ren would have plenty of ideas for both, but for now, they would just enjoy the feeling of finally mending something important.

With the new and improved Bewitched Belongings finally up and running in Boralus, Roxlyn had a rare opportunity to take some time for herself. The Booty Bay flat was still rented under her name (with her family's funds,) and some Stranglethorn sun would do her good after the lovely but chilly Boralus weather.

Fresh from a therapeutic session of sunbathing, reading, and doing absolutely nothing else, Roxlyn returned to the flat, tossing her towel at a chair and finding a light tunic to pull over her head. After everything that happened to her, a trip away might just be the right thing to clear her head and get her back on balance.

A knock came at the door, perplexing Roxlyn. Maybe Leora or Cherry decided to visit? She opened the door.

Immediately, all Roxlyn's balance was lost.

In the doorway stood a tall female blood elf. Her red hair was kept shorter than Roxlyn remembered, but the sight of Renciel was one she could not forget.

Roxlyn was speechless, so Renciel offered an uncertain smile and broke the silence. "Hey, Roxie."

"Hey," Roxlyn managed.

The two women stood, caught in the moment, meeting each other's eyes without knowing what came next. Roxlyn had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact, as Renciel had always towered a head over her. Renciel eventually broke the moment, looking over Roxlyn's shoulders. "Um. Can I...?"

"Huh? Oh." Awareness of her surroundings returned and Roxlyn gestured into the small one-room space. Renciel strode to the chair and Roxlyn took a seat at the edge of her bed. A second chair suddenly seemed like a logical priority.

“So… purple.”

Roxlyn felt the pit in her stomach and the whispers in her head grew louder in retaliation against the implications of the comment. “Yeah. It wasn’t planned. I was doing research and things sorta… got out of hand.”

The smirk Renciel managed still gave Roxlyn butterflies. “You? Letting dangerous taboo magic get out of hand? I would never have guessed.”

They both laughed, and that was nice. There was a lot to deal with, but Roxlyn missed laughing with Renciel.

“So I guess that means that Silvermoon is…” Renciel did not want to say it aloud, but they both knew the consequences of playing with void magic since the rise of ren’dorei.

Roxlyn nodded. “You’re not the only exile anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Roxie. Why didn’t you come find me?”

At first, she just shrugged. Eventually, she found words to go along with the gesture. “After what happened, I didn’t want to just run to you with my problems. That isn’t what we do anymore.”

Renciel’s brow furrowed. “Roxie, I thought we talked about this. What happened between us is in the past. We’re older, we’re more mature, and I’m still your friend.”

“In theory, at least. We haven’t exactly kept correspondence.”

“You’re being petty.”

“I am.” It was snapped, but Roxlyn softened when she caught herself. “Sorry. You’re right. I guess I’m still working on handling that maturely. After everything, I guess I’m still wary about your place in my life.”

“Like you’re the only one.” Renciel’s eyes fell to her boots. “The way you let your family talk about me after I was exiled. All the flirting you flaunted with other noble girls while I was locked out of part of your life.”

It stung for Renciel to recall, and it stung Roxlyn to listen to it. “I…” She was at a loss.”

Mercifully, Renciel’s golden eyes met her own. “We were young and stupid and neither of us were innocent, Roxie. Maybe it’s time we just accept that. Maybe bury the awful it drags along.” There was a weak smile, but a hopeful one nonetheless. “There was a time, even before we were together, when we were still inseparable. Don’t you miss it?”

Years of building walls and defenses proved useless as Renciel, the woman she put up the walls for in the first place, slipped by them and tugged at Roxlyn’s heartstrings. “I really do. I’ll… try. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it.” The lazy smile lingered, easing the tension of the room.

“How did you find me? And why?” It had been months since Roxlyn fell into the void, after all.

Renciel rolled her eyes. “Vynette. Your stuck-up little sister. So thanks for that.”

“Yikes. Sorry.” Roxlyn was surprised to know Vyn knew of the Booty Bay flat. If she was aware, it was a mystery why she would not tattle to their parents and cut Roxie off. “And why now?”

Renciel’s expression darkened. “Well… I heard rumors.”

“About the void?”

“About kidnapping, Rox.”

Roxlyn winced. “Oh. That.”

The articles Renciel got her hands on mentioned Roxlyn, but she was hoping it was a coincidence, a misunderstanding, or Alliance propaganda. Her heart sank with the confirmation. “So, it’s true. Roxie, are you okay? From what I read, it sounded terrible.”

Instinctively, Roxlyn froze over in the face of the memories. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m sorry if I worried you about it.” It was the one thing she had avoided since her return: revisiting or dealing with her imprisonment.

Thankfully, Renciel frowned, determined not to accept what she saw as deflection. The taller woman leaned forward, reaching out and taking Roxlyn’s round cheek in her left hand. The grooves of the scarred, burnt flesh still felt hot to the touch, evoking the many times Renciel touched her this way. It was a vulnerable act; Renciel was reserved with sharing that hand with others. Without a word, it still reminded Roxlyn that they were once willing to share anything, good or bad, with one another. “Roxie…”

“It was awful,” Roxlyn admitted, feeling the words slip past her lips. Before she could stop itself, words were tumbling out. “It was the worst point in my life. Trapped, helpless, waiting for some maniac mad scientist to cut me open, drain me of magic, and leave my husk for scrap.”

There were people Roxlyn could lie to and keep things from. She could keep her guard up and hold her problems tightly. She did not want to burden or spill this to Leora, Cherry, or Alexa. But… this was Renciel. This was decades of importance and connection and vulnerability. Even after years of distance and resentment, she did not have it in her to lie to Renciel.

Arms wrapped Roxlyn into a hug and she realized, somewhere in her retelling of the horrors, she started crying. Without seeing Renciel’s face, she realized Ren was crying, too. “I’m glad you’re safe. At first, I couldn’t even find word that you were found.”

“They did. And the elf that did it to me is in the ground now.”

Renciel released her from the tight embrace, wiping a tear with her thumb. “Good for him. If I got my hands on him, there would be nothing left to bury.” Roxlyn knew it was the truth; she could see the fire of rage hidden in the gold glow of Renciel’s eyes. She would have burned the Eastern Kingdoms seeking retribution if Roxlyn had not lived.

With some of the darker topics behind them, Roxlyn and Renciel relaxed, letting them catch up with each other’s lives. Roxlyn shared her stories of The Adventurer’s Society, of Grizzly Hills, and Uldum. Renciel had found her new home at Mount Hyjal, surrounding herself with the druids that made homes there, including the Night Elves, much to Roxlyn’s surprise. Less surprising was Renciel’s role making potions and tinctures for those who sought her out, and nursing wounded animals back to health whenever they crossed her path. Some things never changed.

Renciel leaned back in her chair, resting an arm on a nearby table, when she noticed a familiar object. Amidst discarded clothing, Renciel spotted a flame-etched locket, grabbing it by its chain. “You kept it.”

Roxlyn’s cheeks went a deep purple when she realized what Renciel was holding. “I mean, it was a gift. And I thought we already accepted I haven’t quite worked past everything.”

“You kept it,” Renciel repeated, touched.

“Of course.” They both shared a smile, memories hanging in the air of a beautiful night in Eversong.

Roxlyn smirked and teased, “I mean, it is a really nice locket.”

Renciel laughed, her whole face lighting up. “You silly sap.”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up.” Through the window, Roxlyn could see the sun setting on the water. “So how long do you have before you’re needed in Kalimdor?”

Renciel’s eyes followed Roxlyn’s gaze, taking in the beauty of the reds and purples in the sky. “I have time.”

“Grab dinner with me? For old times’ sake?”

When Ren was helping Roxie explore Pandaria, Roxie was combing through dig sites looking for a relic of tribute to the cloud dragons, and Renciel accidentally stumbled upon it when looking in a nearby cave.