#i think perry would grow up to be taller than raine though

[dazeddoodles]

Height chart for the original Hexsquad (and Odalia I guess) based on my personal headcanon. Eda and Alador are the same height.

[szopenhauer]

Have you ever seen a black rose? online only

Is your coffee machine plugged in right now? we don’t own one as we don’t drink coffee Do you write words on your knuckles? I tried few times for fun XD Have you ever been a SCUBA diver for Halloween? wtf Have you ever taken a picture of a sandwich? sure Have you ever seen elephant droppings? I haven’t  Would you like to visit Play Dough Land? :o What’s your opinion on Katy Perry? copycat Who was your favorite character from the cartoon Recess? Spinelli, then Gretchen

Have you ever lost your parents in the grocery store? yeah, I still do and I hate that  Have you drawn a star today? not today but when I was in hospital this week Are you older or younger than fifteen? much older If you can remember, what was the last thing that made you feel nostalgic? Recess being mentioned Are you the type of person who prefers to stay in or go out? stay in Do you plan on sleeping in tomorrow? yep Are you starting to realize anything? sigh... Would you live with someone without marrying them? why not Who was the last person you talked to in person? *mom enters my room*

Who were the last 3 males you talked to? dad and two doctors

If you have a pet, when did you last pet him/her? omg I realized I was so tired that I didn’t even say hello to my dog wtf... What genre is the song that you’re currently listening to? indiepop/electropop Does the person you love/like have a car? What colour is it? nope Have you ever received a compliment on anything you’re wearing? plenty of times Which word(s) do you generally use to describe someone attractive? (e.g. “fit”, “sexy” etc.) wow beautiful, pretty, attractive, cute, adorable, piękna, that she looks amazing/awesome/great, śliczna, urocza, słodka, cudowna...

*it reminds me of one very embarassing high school story: były wigilie klasowe i wyszliśmy rozbawieni z sali, a na korytarzu stała śliczna dziewczyna i na cały głos powiedziałam “ale laska” potem zorientowałam się co właśnie zrobiłam i robiąc facepalma wymaszerowałam ze szkoły, a za mną śmiejące się przyjaciółki, nie dały mi potem o tym długo zapomnieć, a E.W. nawet obczaiła kto to i próbowała się dowiedzieć, czy jest ona lesbą, ale okazało się, ��e ma chłopaka i demonstracyjnie całowała się z nim na moich oczach parę dni później Have you had any caffeinated beverages today? just water Have you eaten any chocolate today? What kind? I haven’t Name something you like, that starts with the letter ‘L’. lamps I’m not a moth tho :P When was the last time someone wanted you to do something, and you refused? not sure when was the last time and/or what it was about How many people have you hugged today? 2 Do you have a favourite hair colour or eye colour on your preferred sex? been really into very dark brown eyes and arm lenght or a bit shorter brown hair mostly like Rosa Salazar (latino and asian women) that’s why Sarah been so my type

but my biggest tumblr crush was Raquey Strange

and my youtube one - Rachel Maksy

*vintage ladies <3 The last song you listened to – does it remind you of anyone? it doesn’t remind me of anyone, it’s from K-12 album

What was the last compliment you received? mom complimented my hair today

Are you more prone to being the social butterfly, or the wallflower? wallflower

Would you rather go to a Katy Perry or Taylor Swift concert? none but Swift if I had to choose

What pattern do the sheets on your bed have? no pattern this time

What languages can you count to ten or higher in? englihs, polish, russian Where did you get the underwear you’re wearing? Auchan

Are you good in painting yopur nails with your left hand? not even with my right one lol Do you feel uncomfortable sharing drinks with other people? very Do you call any of your friends by their last name? that would be weird How long does it take you to get out of bed in the morning? long? Have either of your grandparents ever told you a sexual joke? I don’t recall Would you rather give up the computer or the TV? gave up TV Which room in your house tends to be the coldest in the winter time? bathroom Are you trying to grow out your hair? need to cut my hair but not bangs

How many times does the letter ’t’ occur in your full name? once

What brand is the shirt you’re wearing? I cut the tag but I believe I bought it in Sinsay First person you spoke to today? my mother Name of first boyfriend/girlfriend? dunno who to count First place you lived? same as currently Who was your 1st teacher? not counting pre school and Mrs. Alinka - my aunt  Last person to call you? labor office Last song you heard? Melanie Martinez - Bombs on Monday Morning Last thing you bought? silver glittery ugg slippers :3 Where was your facebook display photo taken? hospital How many people have you kissed in the last 2 weeks? nobody What were you doing at 10 this morning? waking up Have you ever dated an Emily? umm... How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 0 What is the weather like right now? perfect - hot, zephyr, clouds :D why am I not outside?... Where was the last place you went that was more than 30 minutes away? mall Something you wear all the time that you’d feel naked without? panties, unless I’m sleeping

Do you live within an hour of the ocean? not even sea Do you ever do things even though you know you’ll regret it later? sometimes I might :( What are you currently sitting/laying on? my desk chair Have you ever dated a friend of one of your siblings? no but I had a crush on one of them for a moment What do you plan to be doing 2 hours from now? eating? Have you ever been a clown for Halloween? not Halloween What time did you go to bed last night? early and immediately fallen asleep which never happens to me but I was so exhausted that I was falling on my face while I was blow drying my hair When was the last time it rained? yesterday or day before Have you ever made yourself throw up?  no way in hell When was the last time you went camping? middle school? Are you currently wearing anything orange? am not Do you know anyone who is a nurse? neighbor Would you prefer to own a lapdog or a bigger dog? lapdog Are you currently wearing any jewelry? nope Was any of it given to you? - What was the worst thing to happen to you today? health issues, annoying people, nothing new? Do you know anyone who plays guitar? I tried myself Did anyone tell you that you looked nice today? mentioned that in this survey so look above How many missed calls have you had today? two Did you graduate high school within the last 3 years? it’s been over 5 years  If not, will you graduate within the next 3 years? not applicable as you can see Which is coming next: Christmas or your birthday? Christmas Do you have any money on yourself at the moment? mhm Do you sleep in the nude? nope Do you ever walk around the house naked if no one is home? neither What is your favorite way to spend a cool autumn night? sleeping duh! Where was the last place you slept other than your house? hospital Do you have any big plans for the weekend? work in progress, we’ll see, deciding  How many relationships have you been in so far this year? like 1 Have you ever dated someone who had a child? pfft, I dislike kids so... Are you taller than 5'6"? I’m smol 

When was the last time you saw someone you went to high school with?: this year

How long have your parents been together (or how long were they together, if they no longer are): 30+ years

How long would it take you to walk to the nearest store?: ~10 minutes

How old were you when you got your first smartphone?: 25 or something

Have you ever had a parrot sit on your shoulder?: monkey for a second

Has anyone in your life ever treated you abusively?: majority of society

Do you like The Rolling Stones?: prefer Depeche Mode

What’s something you’ve been struggling with lately?: life

How old were you in 1996? 4

How old will you be in 2026? won’t live that long but 34 What song is playing? Mosimann & MARUV - Mon Amour

Are you better at math or art? art Science or History? science, I’m bad at remembering dates and names

Where did you go to pre-school, if you went at all? my town

Have you ever dated someone & then dated their sibling? I wouldn’t be able to do such a thing What do you think of the 1980’s? cool :) Is their anything living (plant, animal, etc) in your room right now? me and plants How old is the cellphone you have right now? couple years old What are your initials, using the last letter of each of your names? AA as I’m a woman - dodaj jedno A i będziemy anonimowymi alkoholikami

Are both your parents still living? they are  Can you do a handstand? used to Is it after 11am? it’s almost 5 pm What’s the longest time you’ve ever spent on the phone? talking or doing other stuff? How many pairs of brown shoes do you own? do I even own any?... Are you on any prescribed medications? plan to be sadly Would you ever or do you have a nose piercing? doubt it, thought about septum as a teenager but no longer want it

How many days until Christmas? months Is your mom over 50? she is  How old were you 7 years ago? 21 Do you know what ‘C'est la vie’ means? even tho I don’t know this language  Are you wearing anything red? leggings Do you live in an apartment? house Do you wish on dandelions? I blow them but don’t wish on them Are you drinking anything right now? I’m going to  About how tall is your father? taller than me Do you know anyone who has lived to be 100+? not personally Have you had your birthday yet this year? in February Do you read your horoscope on a regular basis? nah Do you like the color yellow? it’s one of my fav colors Are you an aunt or uncle? yes What is your hair like at the moment? fine What would you name be if your last name was the color of your shirt? Black If you could find out how you would die, would you want to know? yasss but what about date? Has anyone ever told you you should be a model? with my height? r u serious? Who is the artist/band you’re listening to at the moment? Boy Epic Is there a calendar in the room you’re in? pocket and poster type If you’re single, do you wish you were in a relationship? am in a relationship Were you born in the 1980’s? 90s What was your first favorite movie? animated Robin Hood with a fox and Jumanji also Goonies What was your first trip to the emergency room for? not counting being born too early - I was choking due to the fact I got wrong meds for my lungs, later I ended up in ER as an adult for stomachache (took me in an ambulance) Where was the first place you went today? store What was the first thing you thought about when you woke up? dream that I had Do you remember the first time you spent the night away from home? grandma’s apartment but not exact night as I was just a child What was the last movie you rented? I srsly can not remember Why did you last get angry? neighbor is mowing grass... every single day for whole day long How long ago was your last birthday? half year ago Do you enjoy helping people move or do you not like it? I’ve never helped anyone move 

Have you been taking more or less surveys as of recently? less as I was absent

[huffle-puppy]

@drew-winchester​ So I made another thing... And you may be wondering what this link above is, but please read this all first to the end! It’s apples and oranges which of the two I’ve written hits harder, but it’s in very different ways so it’s hard to tell, I guess. Ajelee and Chún are my own (won’t get to see them in my fic for a few years yet sadly) and I had to take a little bit of liberty imagining for future, older Khadgrin... Hopefully everyone is still in character! Enjoy! Sorry if it’s hard to get through (and please excuse my voice in song; I’m not a beautiful Night Elf lass--just a lad getting over a cold trying to sing into a Voice Memos app ^w^;)

The Silent Rainfall:

She noticed it far too late. It wasn’t a big thing; it wasn’t the end of the world, but it was, and she realized that when it was long, long past.

    Khadgar decided to stay in bed.

    It was perfectly fine; their picnic date had been interrupted by the sudden onslaught of a mass of grey above. The clouds were soft and dark, rippling over Karazhan’s towers, quiet and purposeful. The downpour slicked the stones and thrust against the mortar, but the structure was solid, and the magic within it was too powerful to die with the oversight of faulty walls.

    It was true--their home did not usually get sunshine. They took their picnics out in Elwynn forest, and while she laughed and flew off as she always had, a large druidic bird of pink feathers, a small voice in her mind murmured that Khadgar hadn’t used Atiesh’s flying form in a few months. Perhaps it had been years, now? He smiled and chased after her, but it was on the back of one of their gryphons, sent off to graze and chase doe as they ate.

    Gryphons, he’d often griped, gave him saddle-sores, which she had always laughed at and remarked something about kissing wounds that still managed to cast a blush over his features, despite their increasing lines.

    “Mm--!” She stretched up from their bed, the covers falling down to her legs. The shirt beneath was soft and loose, and she yawned as the bliss of sleep faded back. Her white hair fell in a mess, and she hummed an old tune as she collected herself and braided it into a thick tail to lay over her shoulder and down her chest. The hum paused abruptly when she realized that she couldn’t remember the name of the song, or anyone else who might’ve heard it, so she looked out the paned window to the rain instead and listened to its soft tapping.

    Her gaze drifted down lovingly to her husband, bundled up nice and neat so that only his white hair and the start of his face could be seen. Against his eyes there were crow’s feet now, and his cheeks had drawn in some, despite her best attempts to feed him well. He was far from gaunt--ooh, how he still could make her weak in the knees, casting a dashing gaze her way--but it was a noticeable difference in their portraits.

    He shifted about and settled again, taking a long breath. “Morning.”

    She leaned down, kissing his cheek. The light from outside cast shadows through the rain along his face, looking like the ghosts of tears. “Morning.”

    She shifted about again, turning and lighting the candle at the bedside table, letting it shine through their apartment. Despite his stature, his achievements, and his complete ownership of Karazhan, he had chosen one of the smaller bedrooms for theirs, those many decades ago. Painted views adorned the walls of things long lost; Teldrassil’s beauty, Turalyon and Alleria, the childhood faces of Arator, Avalon, and Anaël.

    “It’s raining?” he mumbled, voice still amassed in sleep.

    “Mhm!” She nestled back down against his back, kissing his ear. “Clouds above as far as the eye can see--maybe even going into Elwynn.”

    “Ah, they probably are--” with a grunt and a strong push, he finally made it over onto his back, looking up at her with a worn smile. Those blue eyes had never lost their tender sparkle.

    “Hi.”

    She giggled, putting a hand over his cheek to cover the rainfall. “Hi.”

    He pulled her down into a kiss, and nothing in the world was wrong.

    The hours passed by uneventfully, in bliss and warmth and comfort, without responsibility or anyone else at all. They stayed huddled in the rain, close, pleasing themselves with their company. Lunchtime came and went, and finally when the grey clouds started to get darker as the sun fell behind them, there was a timid knock on the door from one of the stewards they’d kept in their employment to tend to the vast reaches of their home.

    Perry called back that everything was fine, and the steward replied that dinner was set for them downstairs. She thanked him, and they heard him wander away through the halls.

    “Dinner time,” she said, kissing him once more before sitting up again and stretching. “C’mon~!”

    She started out of bed and was to the doorway before she realized he hadn’t followed. She glanced back along the dark room to him, his face lit against the dark blue blankets by candlelight.

    “C’mon, Bubbly~ We need to eat.”

    “Hm.”

    She blinked, blinked again, and her smile slowly faded against her cheeks.

    “Are you all right, love?”

    “M’fine; I’m fine,” he said, voice softer than she remembered it being in recent years. “Just-- don’t-- I don’t much feel like getting up, is all.”

    Perry giggled, sauntering back over to the bedside. “I see, so you want dinner in bed and to be pampered, dearest?”

    A bemused, wistful smile played along his mouth in the candlelight. She giggled again and leaned down, teasing, stopping inches from him.

    “Dinner in bed, then, and I’ll see what I can manage about pampering.”

    He laughed and stuck out his tongue. She stuck her own out back at him, licking the end of his, then darted back with a squeak and a peal of laughter, overdramatically pawing at her mouth. “Ewwww!”

    Khadgar heaved out a sigh and rolled his eyes, grinning.

    Perry grinned back, moving out the door, thinking nothing of her husband staying in bed until the next day came and went without any change in his position. He was still cordial, but he was low-energy; the days of youth spent asking adventurers for exactly 2,500 Nethershards--IT HAD TO BE EXACTLY 2,500! were gone. He was mature.

    He was slowing down.

    The rain beat softly against the window, and she tried in vain to lift him from the bed. She laughed, making it a game, trying to hide the pit of dread growing in her stomach. She stepped out of his reach, sultry and teasing, biting her lip and waiting for him to follow--but all he could do was watch after her with a dramatic pout that faded slowly into a wistful gaze, and something caught in the edge of his eyes she couldn’t identify. She didn’t want to identify.

    Fear.

    Acceptance.

    She threw the thoughts aside, clambering back into the bed with him and submitting that he wouldn’t chase after her anymore, making them both forget with momentary kisses and conversations of other things. Old reminisces were brought back; long-lost adventures, musings about where acquaintances had gone off to, what their foolish children had gotten themselves up to and how many grandchildren would come to visit next Winter’s Veil.

    And all the while, the sick, cold pit lodged in her chest sat and festered, coming back to twist her nerves when he said again he’d prefer dinner in bed. She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek, getting it, unable to shake off the feeling that she shouldn’t tarry along the way.

    The third day came and went.

    The fourth.

    The fifth.

    Khadgar had grown quieter. The rain had stayed all throughout, and Perry wished it would go away and cast the brilliant sunlight back into their home; that the stars would light up the night sky again and they could rush outside and onto a hill, lying down side by side with nothing but the wide vaults of the heavens above. She brought up memory after memory, and he listened and smiled and added on sometimes, but the days were overwhelmingly full of her voice and his love of it.

    On the sixth day, she instructed the stewards to bring two old friends, the best healers she knew in Azeroth, and her children as soon as was possible, then hurried back to her husband’s side, afraid to miss a moment with him.

    Word was brought back that both of her children and their families were in the midst of important work for the factions, and that they would come as soon as possible. A few hours later, Ajelee and Chún Moonleaf came, quickly joining her in the grand, empty ballroom downstairs. She had known Lee far longer; he was an Archdruid, as she was, a druid of balance as well as restoration. He was imposing and quite a bit taller than her, but he had always done his best to treat her and Khadgar with respect. She hadn’t seen much of him, though; he worked as an ambassador most times, and the factions took up much of his time.

    Chún on the other hand, remained a lovely mystery. A pandaren priestess, she had studied extensively at Darnassus’s temple and was blessed by Elune. Perry didn’t put much faith into that--or that she had white dove’s wings, as many priests mumbled in awe--but she knew that she was widely regarded as one of the most powerful holy priestesses in the Alliance.

    They greeted her with smiles, but the happiness was forced, and their eyes shed worry that made Perry’s heart thud heavily against her ribs. She had detailed Khadgar’s condition in her brief letter to them. They wasted no time asking to go up and see him.

    Khadgar was looking out the window as they all came in. The greetings were cordial, and pleasant chatter filled the room while they found an easy way to break the ice on the subject. Perry clambered into bed next to him, sitting and smiling, hand finding his and squeezing a little too tight. The conversation lulled.

    He knew, just as well as his healers.

    “Do either of you want anything?” Perry said, voice bright and loud, filling the gap in their silence. “You both must have come a long way.”

    Lee shook his head politely in silence. Chún just watched her patient, soft hands folded over her robe.

    “Bubbly?” She turned to him. “Do you?”

    Khadgar was looking out the window again. Her smile twitched and faltered, and her throat felt tighter. He took a breath, turning his head to see her with those wondrous blue eyes, getting wearier and wearier by the hour, and smiled. It was light, and did not stay long before his muscles relaxed again on his face.

    “Perry,” he murmured. His voice filled the room, and she let out a shuddering breath, face drawn taut. The word was feeble and weak. Old. Unable to cast more than a few wishes.

    His fingers moved gently against hers, interlacing, caressing. He’d held in his hands the power of gods. The skin was wrinkled and pockmarked. His fingers were thin and tired.

    His thumb moved over hers, squeezing. It was light, but she realized with a tremble that it was all he could manage.

    “Khadgar,” she murmured back, brow starting to tremble and press together, heat burning under her eyes as tears threatened to take away her gaze over him.

    “How long left, do you feel?” Lee asked. The words barely registered in Perry’s ears, but they were crisp and clear.

    Khadgar stroked his wife’s hand, glancing out the window again.

    “Until the rain stops. One last storm to weather through.”

    He turned back to Perry with a calming smile. It stayed as her lip trembled; it stayed when her sorrow fell against his face like the rain. He winced, pulling an arm out, trying in vain to reach up and brush her cheek--but his arm trembled, and his teeth pressed firm together to keep it up. She laid down next to him, curling up, and his hand moved easier, finding the tears along her face and brushing them away.

    “We’ll bring your children as fast as possible,” Lee said, bowing. As he left, Chún tucked Perry in, and under the warm covers the elf curled up against her human husband.

    “Perry,” Khadgar murmured gently, and the heat came to her eyes again. She blinked them away furiously, taking a shuddering breath. She wouldn’t let him leave her sight.

    The pandaren moved back gracefully, tending to the food trays in the room. Perry glanced at her, lips trembling then pressed together firmly.

    “You’re the best there is, Chún. Is there--” She gulped, catching her breath. “Is there something?”

    Chún paused, turning back to them. “Milady Peregrïn, I can treat any wound. Any ailment. Even-- Even raise the dead, when the body can still support life. But neither I nor-- nor Lee, can prevent, alter, or stop the effects of aging. He’s lived-- He’s lived long past any normal point of life for a human. Age is inevitable. I’m sorry.”

    Chún turned away again, and before Perry could reply, Khadgar gently tugged her back down against him. She looked to him, fierce and determined and scared beyond anything else, but she was met with the same quiet smile he’d had when he’d first saw her. That old absent-minded stare. The quiet look of tenderness. His eyes were a home for her heart.

    And where would it be without them?

    She curled in tight against him, praying to Elune the rain never ended. She held him tight throughout the night, barely sleeping, listening to the soft downpour, slender fingers covering his heart to feel its beat.

    Avalon and Anaël and their families came sometime towards dawn. She had fallen asleep finally, and woke when they came in. Lee escorted them, silent, and they stayed back, unsure, looking on. Perry blinked at them, then at the window.

    The rain was lighter. The first rays of sun broke through the grey cover.

    She looked to Khadgar, wide-eyed.

    His eyes opened slow and heavy, as if the weight of the world was trying to press them back. Everything he had to give was to catch a glimpse of her, and against the pressure and heaviness of each muscle, he still managed that tender smile her visage brought.

    “The kids are here,” she murmured, a crystal tear shining in the daylight and dropping against his chin.

    “Please say hello to them.” The words were little more than a ragged whisper. His face was pale. Mortal. Ancient.

    “He says hi,” she said, casting a glance and a pained smile quickly at them then turning back, afraid of looking away. They murmured their love, moving around to be next to their father. She felt them, but couldn’t turn away. She wouldn’t miss this. If she could hold him there, in her eyes, he’d never go.

    Khadgar took a breath. She heard the air drawn in, wheezing like it was moving through a dusty flute, then press out again and rest. He blinked, and didn’t open his eyes nearly as far.

    “Khadgar?” Her voice was quiet, shivering. A second stream glistened down her face.

    “Perry.” There was all the love in the world in that word. All the tenderness of centuries. All the joy and hope and brilliance of the sunrise. It lit up his blue eyes one last time.

    “I love you,” she said, blinking hard to try and keep him in her gaze as it filled up opaque.

    He smiled wider, blissful, blinking again slowly. He breathed out with a murmur. “Love y…”

    The word trailed off. The breath was gone to the air, unable to pull back. The room was silent as the rain ceased, and the sun crept forth from the grey above. His blue eyes were shut. His heart was still.

    The world was still.

    She broke. Tears tumbled wildly, breath jagged in her chest, and her head fell against his. Their white hair wove together, and time unwound. Sometimes there was an empty sun in the sky; sometimes cold stars and the bitter face of Elune. Her family gathered around her, and weakly she noticed that there were many more now; kings and rulers he’d helped standing in the ballroom whose names she couldn’t recall--that they were at the crypt now, his coffin being carried down coarse stone into the depths of the earth--that they were gone again, until her children around her bid her goodnight and Chún gently tucked her in an empty bed.

The cliffside was beautiful.

    “But it’s not as beautiful as you,” he said.

    Perry laughed, the long braid along her chest bouncing along gaily. “Khadgar, has line that ever worked on anyone living?”

    Khadgar grinned, pearly white teeth shining in the sunlight under a well-kept brown beard. His white and brown mane was tied back neatly--she’d prided herself on it looking incredible--and a single bang of white hair crept down over his forehead. His robes billowed out in the wind, and his strong hand took hers.

    “Well, you stayed with me, and I have lines far worse than that, I assure you, darling…”

    She giggled, rolling her eyes and squeezing his hand tight. His grin faded into a loving smile. She looked out at the ocean ahead, then at him, then at him, smile fading slightly. She blinked, brows furrowing slowly.

    “Khadgar?”

    “Perry.”

    She gulped. Logic and reason came flooding in, and the winds blew cold against her legs. She managed a shy smile.

    “Since when did you start dying your hair brown? Since when did you get a beard?” She smirked. “It looks… scratchy.”

    He scoffed. “I think it looks nice!”

    She grinned. “Oh, I never said it didn’t look very, very nice, dear; just might be scratchy against my skin.”

    He made a show of huffing. “Well then I shall keep it extremely nicely kept so it doesn’t scratch your tender skin!”

    She giggled, and he laughed along. It faded a little too fast. She squeezed his hand tighter.

    “Perry,” he said again, voice tender and strong.

    “Tell me I’m awake,” she murmured. “Please, Khadgar, tell me I’m awake and that everything else was a dream.”

    He smiled, eyes tinged in sorrow. “I can’t. One of my wedding vows, which I’ve been very dutiful to keep, my love, was that I would never lie to you.”

    A tremor ran through her, and he tightened his grip on her hand, steadying her.

    “I don’t want to wake up, then,” she said.

    “You have to,” he said simply.

    “No.” She shook her head, frowning slowly. “The world without you--I can’t describe it, Khadgar. The colors are raw, and hard. The birdsong is nothing but lamentation. The food is ash; the wine is tasteless. I can’t see where I’m going, anymore; I just look around and realize where I’ve drifted.”

    Khadgar brushed her cheek, and she realized a tear had lingered there.

    “I will wait for you. And some nights, you may dream of me; every day, I will watch over you with every being of Light there is by my side to keep you safe.”

    She held his hand tighter. “I may live for centuries more, alone. Every day would be an aching wish that the night might bring you back to me.”

    “You’re never going to be alone, Perry,” he said, palm resting along her cheek. “Centuries or not, there is nothing that will keep me from being at your side. Even if you can’t see me; can’t hear me; can’t feel me holding you, nothing will change in all those small affections I’d give you.”

    Another tear fell against his thumb, and he brushed it away with a reassuring smile.

    “I’m going to try and not be an annoying haunt; I promise.”

    She laughed, moving in and resting her head to his shoulder. The laughter turned to shivers, and he soothed them away.

    “Don’t you worry about how long I might wait. Time is of such little concern: all that matters to me is being with you, and seeing you happy. And if-- if that means you find someone else, then don’t worry about that--”

    She wrapped her arms around him tight, fierce. “No one else. No one else would ever replace you.”

    He paused, then hugged her tight, petting along her back.

    “I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want you to leave again.” She trembled against him, and he nuzzled against her.

    “You have to, my love,” he murmured. “Because this world would be a much colder place without the warmth of your smile.”

Chún prepared breakfast with the stewards. Lee helped, seating Perry’s children and making sure they were being well cared-for. The distress of their mother being distant so soon after Khadgar’s passing--

    A light footfall came to their ears, and everyone paused.

    Down the curve of one of the many staircases, Peregrïn stepped gracefully, a soft smile along her features, white hair long and braided, pink slender form tucked away in a blue robe that sparkled like her husband’s eyes. She set her feet down along the rug at the base of the steps, glancing up pleasantly at them all.

    “Mom?” Avalon murmured, getting up slowly. Her brother followed suit, worried, hopeful.

    Perry cleared her throat.

    “I’m sorry--” she paused and cleared her throat again, starting louder. “I’m sorry if I gave anyone trouble. I feel much better now--I’m sure, of course, Lee, you’ll want to verify that.”

    Ajelee blinked then nodded slowly.

    Perry chuckled. “Well. Either way, I say we all have a wonderful breakfast and a good day from then on.”

    She walked gracefully to the table. As she approached, the group noted a paper, rolled up in her hand. Anaël asked gently what it was.

    Perry laughed and sat down. “Oh, Elune--it’s something I’m realizing I’m actually rather timid to confess.”

    Avalon frowned quickly. “Mom--”

    Perry held up a hand, for once perfectly calm. Avalon relaxed slightly, perplexed. Perry set the paper down, opening it and folding her hands.

    “It’s the first song I’ve written in a good fifty years, or so. I used to write them all the time, thinking I could sing them to Khadgar, or as lullabies--and every time, I squirreled them away instead.” She grinned, an impish lustre in her eyes. “But I suppose I should try and actually present this one?”

    The party clamored that yes, yes, please, she should.

    Perry smiled, looking down to the paper:

Softly along the winds above/ A darling bird descends / And on its wings there is a prayer / Of which I’ll comprehend

On a tree outside my window / This raven stops and sings / The gentle tune I start up now / With joy I’ll try and bring

“Come” says he, this Raven fair / “Come listen for awhile / To tales long gone within my song / And cast to me your smile.”

Says I, “My dear pretty bird, / I’ll thank you for such gifts” / And on he sang of brilliant things / And darkness ‘round me lifts

So on he sang, this Raven fair / And I his captive one / And through the dawn his feathers bloomed / Until his song was done

Says I, “My dear pretty bird, / I’m blessed that this you shared, / But why, pray tell, did you choose me / To give such tender care?”

The Raven laughed upon its perch / And stared me in the eye / And without word he flew away / Towards the autumn sky

But as he flew a feather fell / And landed in the earth / Upon the tomb of one I loved / Who bid me live with mirth

So on along my days I’ll tread / And dance whene’er I can / And drink and love and merrily / ‘Til I see him once again.

    Perry ended her verses and looked up sweetly to them all. They were silent, and along their faces she could see awe. She glanced over to Khadgar’s seat, where he normally dined. The blue velvet across from her was faded and empty--and yet, she could almost see the outline of his shoulders, facing her.

    She could almost feel his smile. So she put on hers, and faced the day anew with all she could give.