Linda Friesen Couture

End Sequence III - Apotheosis

100 years to the day after the Burning of Darnassus - Lor’danel, Darkshore

A congregation of kaldorei stand in silent memorial. Before them rests a brilliant stained glass lantern depicting a homeland lost to time. A procession of priestesses in training carry with them an ornate torch, approaching the lantern. In a flash, the forest is illuminated in a collage of green hues as light streams through the glass. The wisps of the forest form a ring around the congregation, settling in the air as a Priestess of Elune approaches the forefront of the crowd. Her purple hair pools almost to her ankles, flowing in tandem her white moonsilk robe. Her eyes beam with pride as she looks over those in attendance before clearing her throat. As she speaks, magical amplifiers filter her voice through the air so that all in attendance can hear.

Priestess: Ishnu-alah, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and those who lie betwixt. I am honored to speak before you on this most important hallowed of vigils. The Goddess honors me with this opportunity…

Priestess: Today we join with our families across Azeroth to commemorate a tragedy. One that has left a lasting scar on our people and the face of our world itself. On this day we remember those that we lost in the Burning, as well as those who died fighting to restore peace in the conflict that followed.

The procession emerges once more, carrying with them a round bowl of shimmering glass. The bowl is brought between each member of the congregation who each deposit their own offerings. Coins, flowers, toys, trinkets; even something so simple as an offering of a kind word to ease the pain of loss. As the bowl reaches the front, the Priestess collects the container before bringing it to the moonwell. Setting it against the water, those in attendance watch as moonlight reflects against the water as the offerings begin to glow. In a pulse of light, they disappear into a pillar of luminous energy. In the distance, other pillars are seen as smaller congregations across the countryside release their own offerings.

Priestess: With this, we offer our condolences and compassion to those who still suffer from the pain of loss. We stand together as children of Elune to comfort our kin and our allies…

Her voice trails off for a moment, eyes drifting towards the night sky. Some follow her gaze curiously, looking to find the cause of her pause only to come up empty handed. After a few seconds, she speaks again.

Priestess: It is our blessing and our curse to outlive many of the conflicts that have permanently changed the face of Azeroth. There are few among our allies in the Eastern Kingdoms who still remember the conflict we faced with the Horde a century ago. There are children born two generations out from an event that still burns so brightly in the memories of our people.

Priestess: And yet, is this not a good thing? To live in a time of prolonged peace? We may have faced the hardships of war, but should we not fight tooth and nail to make sure the next generation does not have to? We remain vigilant for the next threat that comes, yet pray it never comes.

A kind smile reaches across her face as the priestesses collect the glass bowl from moonwell. Retrieving an ornate leather satchel, the speaker opens the silver latch to reveal a ceremonial tattoo kit. Turning towards one of the priestesses in training, the Priestess watches as a line of five young kaldorei form before her. Each wears a ceremonial robe denoting their chosen path.

Priestess: Even on a day carrying so much weight, we must not forget our duties. There are those among our community who have earned their place among us and they must be recognized. Each bring with them their own strengths, may they be in knowledge, compassion, devotion, or something uniquely there’s.

Descending into the waist-deep water of the moonwell, the Priestess beckons the young kaldorei to follow her in one at a time.

Priestess: Elune-adore, my child. For your work in healing and caring for the sick and needy, it is my honor to bestow upon you the Mark of the Leaf. May your boundless compassion bring peace to those in need within and beyond our community

Druid of Balance: Thank you, Sister.

Priestess: Elune-adore, my child. For your tireless dedication to protecting our community as a member of the city watch and for aiding our neighbors in their time of need, it is my honor to bestow upon you the Mark of the Bear. May you always find strength when you need it and insight to wield it.

Guardsman: Thank you, Sister.

Priestess: Elune-adore, my child. With the completion of your training within the ranks of the Sentinels, it is my honor to bestow upon you the Mark of Claws. May you always know comradery in your countryman and trust in your allies.

Sentinel: Thank you, Sister.

Priestess: Elune-adore, my child. For your duty as a trainee and service as a Warden, it is my honor to bestow upon you the Mark of Shadows. May the shadows keep you and the moon illuminate your foes.

Warden: Thank you, Sister.

Priestess: Elune-adore, my child. For your service and sacrifice during the Legion’s Third Invasion of Azeroth, it is my honor to bestow upon you the Mark of the Owl. May you always know the love and gratitude of your people for acting above and beyond the call of duty.

Illidari: Thank you, Sister.

After each kaldorei ascendant emerges from the pool freshly marked, the Priestess herself raises her hands in prayer. The congregation follows suit as the landscape is overtaken in the brilliant light of the full moon.  For a whole minute there is naught but silent prayer as the wisps ascend into the treeline and out of sight. When the moment passes, the speaker emerges from the moonwell to address the audience one final time.

Priestess: I thank you for joining me tonight as we pay our respects and bear witness to the rise of five outstanding individuals in our community. May good fortune find its way into each of your lives as we look to the coming days.

Priestess: Goddess watch over you

Congregation: And you as well

This is not the end

End Sequence I - Confessions

Present Day - Cathedral of the Light, Stormwind City

A pair of figures sit within a confessional booth. One wears the purple leather armor of a Sentinel trainee; the other a floor length white gown adorned with golden accents. As the traveler sits down, she removes her cowl to reveal the faded black lines of tattoos brushing against her face. Long tendrils that claw possessively against her neck and cheeks. Clearing her throat, she begins to speak.

Traveler: Bless me, confessor, for I have sinned. It has been nine months since my last confession.

Confessor: What are your sins, daughter of the night?

Traveler: I have held contempt in my heart.

Confessor: Who have you held contempt for?

Traveler: Many, in truth. I have held contempt for family, both by blood and by bond. I have held contempt for gods and goddesses. Most of all, I have held contempt for myself.

Confessor: Holding such poisonous emotions taints the heart, my child. You cannot hope to find peace of happiness while you hold all of this inside you.

Traveler: And lo, I am here. I’d meant to come sooner but something always seemed to get in the way.

Confessor: It is rare to see children of Elune in our halls, yet this is not your first confession.

Traveler: No, no it is not. My sister- adoptive sister, she introduced me to the practice. She was a confessor herself. She would sit outside my bedroom door and listen to my confessions… I’d talk for hours if I could get away with it. She would always listen attentively, no matter how long the session went, and I would always feel better when it was over.

Confessor: Confession is good for the soul. By the tone of your voice, however, I’d guess these sessions did not last?

Traveler: She lost the faith. She lost a lot of things, and it changed her. It became harder and harder to recognize the sister I made those months ago. She grew cold and aloof. I miss the way things were. I miss when we felt like a family.

Confessor: Change can be difficult. Your paths may just be diverging. You cannot blame her if life has taken you in different directions.

Traveler: It’s not that simple.

Confessor: It never is, yet here we stand. Whatever pain you feel in your heart, it isn’t worth poisoning the good memories you shared. She will be her own person, and you have no control over that. You can either make peace with who she is now and be a part of her life, or you can make that peace and move on.

Traveler: Mmm…

Confessor: What is stopping you from trying to reconnect?

Traveler: I don’t want to risk getting hurt again.

Confessor: I see. Has she hurt you in the past?

Traveler: Yes. Some of my greatest pain came from my time with her.

Confessor: Have you ever hurt her?

Traveler: Yes, I have.

Confessor: Have you ever heard of the porcupine’s dilemma, my child?

Traveler: I can’t say I have.

Confessor: In the winter, porcupines find trouble huddling together for warmth because their quills poke and prod at their partners. They must bring themselves into contact for survival, yet they hesitate at the fear of hurting others or hurting themselves. We are like that, in our own ways. To crave closeness is natural, yet we always fear that opening ourselves up to others will leave us vulnerable to pain.

Traveler: Right.

Confessor: It is clear that whatever happened has caused you pain. Maybe it was unintended, maybe it was deliberate. We cannot know what goes on in the minds of others. She may be carrying her own baggage that you do not see. Every life is complex, and we can never hope to fully comprehend all of it.

Traveler: Maybe so… I just wish I had the chance to say goodbye.

Confessor: That is life, my child. Not all exits are made equal. Some are satisfying, beautiful even. Others are abrupt and unfair. We must learn to move on from them. Closure isn’t always something you find; sometimes it is something you make yourself.

Traveler: I suppose you are right, though it is much easier to say than to believe.

Confessor: It always is. Tell me, what of this contempt for yourself?

Traveler: I… I was a cultist. I swore oaths to dark powers and forsook my people and their customs. I did… terrible things in the will of the Old Gods.

Confessor: What led you down such a dark path, my child?

Traveler: Their promises were… attractive. I was lonely, sad, and lost. They promised me a home in the darkness where I wouldn’t be judged. My veil and cloak would hide my scars… all it would cost was lending an ear and keeping an open mind.

Confessor: Such powers prey on the vulnerable, my child. They target our insecurities and use them to control us. They present us with easy solutions to difficult problems; and there is no problem more difficult than the self.

Traveler: It was the only home I knew…

Confessor: Or the only home you were told. You were manipulated, as many were.

Traveler: Am I not accountable for the actions I took? Shouldn’t I have been stronger?

Confessor: Do you regret the actions you took?

Traveler: Yes, of course.

Confessor: Do you consider yourself a different person now than you were back then?

Traveler. Yes.

Confessor: Then you have changed and grown stronger. You cannot color your whole life on your actions in the darkest moments of it. That is the first step towards reconciliation.

Traveler: What is the second step?

Confessor: Putting in the work to undo the pain you have caused others. To not just say that you are a changed person but to prove it through works and deeds. It may take years to find peace, but only through action will your heart truly mend.

Traveler: What if I never find peace?

Confessor: Then you will die knowing that you left behind a legacy of good deeds to weigh against your misgivings.

Traveler: That… I can abide by.

Confessor: Then go forth, my child. Find where you can do good and make it your home.

Traveler: I shall.

Confessor: Light bless you

Traveler: And keep you…

The traveler would go on to become a medic in the Sentinel Army. Even in the most dire of situations or under the heaviest of fire, she worked without hesitation to save as many lives as possible. When the fighting was over, she retired to live a pious life among the Sisterhood of Elune. She learned to show her scars with pride instead of hiding them from the world, for those scars were an indicator not of who she was but how much she had grown.

This is not the end

End Sequence II - Generations

Ten years after End Sequence I - Interior Parlor, Voidsong Manor

A priestess of Elune relaxes against a chaise lounge, white silk gown fanned around her. Dark purple hair pools around the middle of her back as the red markings etched against her face reflect the dim candlelight. The silence is broken by the patter of feet and the emergence of a young Void Elf girl. She is merely a child, not even a decade old. In her hands rest a pair of dulled rapiers.

Fledgling: Min’da?

Phoenix: Yes, little one?

Fledgling: Will you teach me how to fight?

Phoenix: How to fight? Has your brother been bullying you?

Fledgling: No ma’am. You and papa were both fighters, and I want to be like you two too!

Phoenix: Your mama would tan both of our hides if she caught us practicing with swords in the house… so let’s head onto the back porch.

Fledgling: Yay!

Phoenix: Good, now then… wielding a sword and fighting with one can be two very different things. One is technique, the other is purpose. We will begin with your technique.

Fledgling: Okay!

Phoenix: Do you know how our home was built, little one?

Fledgling: Our home? Umm… by builders

Phoenix: Haha, true. Still, I mean the steps. When building a house, do you know what the first step is?

Fledgling: Putting up walls?

Phoenix: Not quite. We start with the foundation. If you build your home on the dirt, it will sink over time. One must lay foundation before building.

Fledgling: What does this have to do with fighting?

Phoenix: Patience, darling. A proper stance is much like building a house. You must start with your foundation: your legs. Don’t stand with your feet side by side like that. Put one foot in front of the other… lead with your right foot. There we are. You’ll have much more freedom of movement this way, and you’ll be much harder to push over. Now, after your foundation is laid, what comes next?

Fledgling: The floor?

Phoenix: That’s right. Your floor is your hips. You want to keep yourself level, with your legs supporting yourself for quick movement on your feet.

Fledgling: Like this?

Phoenix: A little less bouncy, but yes, like that. Next are your walls; in this case, your arms and chest. Lead with your sword, keeping your hands low. Bend your left arm, resting your hand against your hip. This will support your weight when you lunge or stab.

Fledgling: Okay! So then there’s the roof?

Phoenix: And that’s your head. You want to always keep your head on a swivel. You must be aware of your opponent’s movements. Read their eyes to see where they plan to strike. Watch the tension in their muscles before a swing. You can learn a lot by watching your opponent.

Fledgling: Uh huh!

Phoenix: Good. Now that your stance is set, you can begin work on your strokes and lunges. Take a few practice strikes against the air here… Good, good. I see promise. A little less raw power, and a little more finesse. You are wielding a precision tool, not a blunt object. Guide your motions with your wrist, and don’t be afraid to move your body.

Fledgling: Like this?

Phoenix: Yes, much better! Oh, you are doing quite well.

Fledgling: Thank you, min’da. One day I’ll be as strong as you and papa!

Phoenix: My dear, you will be stronger than both of us. All of this technique, however, is the easy part. The hard part isn’t how you fight, but why.

Fledgling: Why I fight? What do you mean?

Phoenix: Well, why did you want to learn how to fight?

Fledgling: So I can be big and strong like you and papa were

Phoenix: There is more to strength than knowing how to wield a sword, my child. There is strength of spirit, strength of heart, strength of mind… why do you want to be strong with a sword?

Fledgling: I guess… I wanted to be like you and papa were in the stories you told me when you were little. About when you would go on adventures and stuff.

Phoenix: We wouldn’t have been half as strong if it wasn’t for your mother being there to help us know where to go. Your mama is the smartest person I know, and I think that makes her strong.

Fledgling: I… I guess so.

Phoenix: You don’t need a sword to be strong, little one. Listen to your heart. Find where your passions are and be true to them. That is where your strength will come from.

Fledgling: Oh… min’da?

Phoenix: Yes, little one?

Fledgling: What makes you strong?

Phoenix: Well… I guess I am strong of heart to keep pushing forward after difficulties. Sometimes being able to persevere in the face of adversity is its own strength,

Fledgling: Were you always that kind of strong?

Phoenix: No, not always. I only learned how to be like that as I got older. When I was younger, I used to fight constantly. I thought that was the only kind of strong that I was worthy of.

Fledgling: Why did you fight so much?

Phoenix: Well, I fought for different reasons at different times. Sometimes I fought for Kalimdor and her people. Sometimes I fought to show everyone how strong I was. Sometimes… sometimes I had to fight to survive.

Fledgling: What about now?

Phoenix: Well, I don’t fight now. I’m a priestess, sweetheart. Min’da helps the sick and the hungry and leaves the fighting to the soldiers and guards. But… if I were to have to fight again, it would be to protect you and your brother and your mama and papa.

Fledgling: For us?

Phoenix: Uh huh.

Fledgling: Why?

Phoenix: Because I love you, silly. I love all of you and I’d do anything to keep you safe.

With a playful laugh, the priestess embraced the child before helping her back to their first positions. The two practiced until dinner time before joining the girl’s mother, father, and brother at the dinner table. While the girl would one day grow to become a fencer of great renown in her own right, she was known just as well for her kind demeanor and tempered attitude.

This is not the end

GET TO KNOW THE BLOGGER!

Can be used for RP and non-RP blogs to get to know a bit about the person behind the screen!

Or some of these could be fun IC! Specify which.

ULTIMATE SHIP MEME - Send my character a ❤ and I'll fill in the form of what my character would do with yours.

BOLD YOUR CHOICES

Affectionate;  Holding hands | Cheek kisses | Hugs from behind | Cuddling | Hand kiss | PDA | Spooning | Shared baths | Whispers | Affectionate texts | Caressing | Stroke hair | No displays of affection

Sex;  Shower sex | Wall sex | Neck bites | Oral | Morning sex | Drunk sex | Public sex | Backseat of car | BDSM | No sex

Dates; Picnic | Cinema | Restaurant | Sports game | Hike | Coffee | Museum | Club | Bar | Beach | No dates 

Would my character…

Marry them? Yes | No  Have sex on the first date? Yes | No Confess their attraction first? Yes | No  Have children/adopt? Yes | No  Die for your character? Yes | No  Cheat on your character? Yes | No  Lie to them? Yes | No  Cuddle after sex? Yes | No 

(I’m so ready to do these again. Bring it on.)

Holiday Commission #3: Aurelia and Joskinar

Want one too? You can find my holiday order form on my official webpage. All I ask is to read my terms and conditions on that page so you know how it works. It definitely works a little differently than my general commissions. ♥

http://musingzero.weebly.com/holiday-commissions.html

To My Beloveds...

Joskinar and Aurelia,

I apologize first for how long it has taken me to write. I wasn’t sure how I would get this letter to you until someone mentioned Dalaran. I pray that their neutrality holds out in these dark hours if for no other reason than that this letter arrives at your feet.

I am not sure what the future holds for either myself or for the family. Obviously I denounce the closing of the Academy, but there is little I can do to stop the way things are turning. Something is happening, something dark. It is familiar, yet I cannot place my finger upon it. Maybe staying away would be best.

I have made myself busy in Feathermoon. I have taken up tutelage under a Sentinel captain and have reenlisted through the fighting in Kalimdor. It has been a wondrous experience to stand shoulder to shoulder with the kaldorei once more. To feel like they accept me. I hope that when I return to you both, I will be able to stand tall with my markings.

Above all else, I wish you two safe passage. Whatever happens next, we will face it together. Stay strong, keep your heads up, and make sure Joskinar behaves himself.

With love,

Riize

[mentions: @joskinar @smoke-and-stilettos]