#mayday22024

[fio-renze]

May 20 - Day 2 Agony / Embrace

The very first thing Pyraelia did when they met in the Sunmote Tower attic was to wrap her in a nearly too snug hug. It had been a while since she’d been touched at all and the sudden contact alone made Fiorenze go a little rigid. 

Her too tall little sister, to her credit, noticed immediately and casually put some distance back between them, “Sorry. I missed you and I still feel bad about snapping at you and getting involved with the Xylaes and Garren thing.” 

She didn’t really want to hear about that right now, other things had come up in that sphere that had hurt her further, and there was ample merit in shoving it all under the proverbial emotional rug, “It’s okay.” 

Pyraelia gave her a disbelieving look that made her wonder how world weary she’d sounded when she lied. It had been a long day that had been part of a long week, housed within a long month, with an address in an even longer year. Fiorenze waved a hand, “We’re here to talk about Drenden. There’s no way it’s him, right? Nobody else on the Council seems suspicious?” 

“I think they’re just happy he’s back, but I’m sure some of them are. If you get that job with Director Mirth—” 

She cut her sister off and shook her head, “She’s working for the Magistry and tried to kill me, I think that’s off the table,” 

Pyraelia stared at her like she’d grown a second head, “What?” 

“It’s fine, don’t tell anyone, I’m still figuring out how I want to handle that and I need her to believe that I have absolutely no idea that I clocked it,” at some point she would seek vengeance for the sloppy attempt, but for now it had to be what it had to be. 

It rapidly became clear that her sister had no idea how to even respond to that, so Fiorenze adjusted the subject, “I think we need to get out of Dalaran. Full uproot. You and Keranna should be able to go back to Silvermoon alright, I don’t know about me but I can figure it out.” 

Pyraelia’s lavender tinted brow furrowed, “That’s… extreme. Over one mysterious Archmage?” 

Fiorenze rolled her lower lip between her teeth, “No, not just Drenden. Not because of Mirthstar, either. I don’t know if it’s divination magic or … some new nature thing, but I keep having this dream that I can’t quite hold onto. All I remember is feeling at home, and that when I wake up, where I’m waking up is wrong. That plus Drenden is making me anxious.”

“You’re hearing the Song,” Pyraelia sounded astonished as she summoned her notebook and quill out of the arcane wristpocket spell she kept it in, immediately flipping to a dog-eared page to begin jotting down notes, “When did it start? What times is it happening? Do you remember anything else about it?” 

It was Fiorenze’s turn to be taken aback, “The— it’s not a song, it’s— what are you talking about?” 

Her sister stared at her over the rim of her reading glasses, “The Radiant Song. It’s been affecting people all over, I’m on the working committee for the Violet Citadel to try and gather up any research we have in the city archives that might give us an idea or direction. Reports we have so far say that it’s usually accompanied by a calling, a feeling of peace and warmth, exquisite agony, the image of a burning half-sun…” 

Fiorenze immediately reached up and rubbed her face with both of her hands while taking the longest, most calming attempt at a deep breath she’d ever taken in her life. Why her? Why now? “Okay. Great. It’s got a name. I will make copies of my journal entries and have them brought to you tomorrow. Regardless, there is something about all of this that is making the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I feel like ignoring that is a terrible idea.” 

“I’ll talk to Keranna tomorrow and figure out what we want to do. Maybe it’s time to sell this place, I thought renovations would make it different but… I dunno, it still all feels like way too much for just me, you know?” Her sister smiled at her in the most honest and reassuring way. 

She didn’t know how to take it, really, “You believe me?” She wasn’t sure she would’ve believed it if Pyraelia had dropped that all in her lap without preamble. 

“Of course I do, you’re the most talented divination caster that I know. If, between all of this and everything else going on, something is telling you we need to leave? I believe you. I’m going to still work here, but that’s a teleportation spell away and not a trouble to do at all,” she waved her prosthetic hand at the tower attic’s steepled roof, “This is just a place. We can find a new one, especially if it makes you feel more comfortable.” 

Oh. 

Huh. 

It was her turn to hug her sister.

[safrona-shadowsun]

Daily Writing Challenge, May 2024

Day 2: Agony, Embrace

Where it came to closing a rift in partnership or negotiating good graces, Safrona often found that gold warmed icy rifts well enough, especially in the form of gifts.  Exclusive invitations to a gallery exhibit were secured after a lofty donation from Empyrean Import’s banks, bringing her sister out of a taciturn manner that had stretched on for months. 

“Who did you have to sell to get those?” Wenne replied with a tone of laughable disbelief, plucking the invitation from the offered hand too carefully.

“I’m magic, don’t you know Miss Wenne?” Safrona quipped with playful retort. She watched with some several seconds of silence as the arcanist studied the mysterious art featured on the flier. “In Dalaran, no less.” It was spoken with a softer, impassive dignity, but Wennefer’s eyes fastened to her quickly.

“The exhibition’s in Dalaran? You…don’t go there. I mean. I don’t even now. Much.”

A lifetime of memories passed between the sisters as their eyes met in that moment. Memories that played differently in each engulfed iris, blinded only to their own visions, translating feebly. Yet there was an invitation to understanding.

“A little agony in each corner of that little city,” Safrona breathed out insightfully. “But we don’t survive this long without learning to embrace a little pain, no?”

“You are going to come with me, right?” Wennefer now replied intently.

“Absolutely. Might bring Miss Rose with too, art lover as she is. Besides, I don’t want to miss your face with the announcement of the After Party.”

Wennefer was only half listening now, fallen back into the study of the art design featured on the invitation. “Hmm…what do you think?”

Safrona gave an extended glance at the design: “Two hands, mimicking each other. Pretending. Maybe a gesture of invocation. It is the city of Dalaran, after all.” 

“So basic,” Wennefer rolled her eyes. “Even Miss Rose knows art’s not just lines and design and color. It’s supposed to make us feel something, Saf.”

The older Shadowsun scoffed, half-amused. “Right then. What do you feel it all means when you look at the very expensive invitation, Wenne?”

The arcanist tilted the design in hand one way, then the other, and settled with certainty on her answer. “Unity. For good or ill.”

@daily-writing-challenge @vixannya

[siennablaze219]

@Daily-Writing-Challenge - May 2024 - Day 2 - Embrace (oh look I posted two days in a row, go me)

(Fair warning, really long)

(Written as an ongoing growth arc with my warlock, Deiala Vyneaniux. Some might not make sense completely not knowing her background, but overall enough to understand)

Dei stopped in at her book shop to get books she thought would be good for reading to Eli, certainly something more interesting than the Elven ship craft of pre-war Feralas. The book was what Dei had in her bag when she got the news about her friend being injured and what she had been reading to her since. It likely was part of the reason Eli was sleeping so much.

Picking a couple titles off the shelves, she turned when the bell on the door chimed. An Illidari ducked under the doorframe and turned immediately to face Dei with a smile. He was a large man, easily over eight and a half feet with shoulders wider than her door frame and was the reason Dhes and Ewan’s size did not phase her much, the man was also drop dead gorgeous.

The shop owner did not *entirely* lose her composure but she cleared the distance to him in a few strides, he bent to hug her and lifted her off the ground to the surprise of Dei’s slack jawed assistant. “You *look* good,” he said with a shit eating grin on his face

“You always say that,” she replied tartly, “and we both know it is not true.”

“Au contraire, pretty lady, I mean it every time I say it, and I do not need standard sight to see the truth of you. If I were ten thousand years younger, and didn’t have a demon living in my body I would sweep you away. Wait…. How do you feel about older men?” The Illidari still had her held off the ground, “I guess the second point still stands hmmm?”

Dei remained with her arms around his neck, no reason to let go, not like he was going to just drop her because she was too heavy, “What are you doing in town? I thought you were off hunting down some random group of fel beasties in the middle of nowhere.”

He snarled and it would have been frightening for most, but Dei just laughed, “Treat my job like a joke will you? I should put you over my knee…” He smirked, “Or take you and dump you in the pond behind your house.”

“When did I disparage your job Kyeanadril? You did very important work rounding up those five little imps last time.” Dei said with mock seriousness.

“That’s it woman,” he tossed Dei over his shoulder. “You there,” he pointed at Dei’s assistant, “watch the store while Vyeaniux goes swimming.”

“Don’t you dare! I will tell your demon the secrets I know!” It was a true mock threat, the demon knew everything he did anyway. “Kyean! Kyean!” She said his name with no little horror in her tone, before he ducked through the door and leapt up into the air.

He did not angle them towards her house though, he took her up past the waterfall on the north side of the city before he landed and set her on her feet.”Sorry about that, we need to talk. You do look good though, your energies seem very mixed but it feels as though you have more life to you.”

Dei walked over to a rock and sat on it, this had been ‘their’ place to talk after Brendan’s death. Whenever the Kaldorei was in town he came by and they would talk demons for hours. There was nothing inappropriate and he didn’t even come by enough for her to consider him a good friend, often they just exchanged information and he would head out. “It has been an interesting eight months or so… what was so important we couldn’t talk at the store?”

“You know we can’t talk about *things* there, this is no different. I have been in the city for a few days but you were out of the store when I walked by, where have you been?” He asked her bluntly.

“A friend got hurt, I have been sitting with her at the clinic for that group I told you I joined?” There was a hint of a whirlwind of her emotions that spun there, fear, anger, frustration, pain, worry, caring and sadness, “Her boyfriend and I have been taking visits in shifts, though he is there a lot more than I am, as is proper.”

A rumbled ‘hmmm’ came from deep in his chest. “You need to take care.”

With a tip of her head she reached out to him with a little magic, kind of a ‘does your demon have control’ check that he always allowed her, her lack of trust in demons was clear to any that spoke to her about them. She saw nothing to worry about in him though so she went ahead and asked, “Take care? Why?”

“Since I have been in the city and passing by your shop, I have sensed demonic energy along the street there, more than there should be,” the Illidari said.

“They let Man’ari into the city, there is more demon dust everywhere, I almost can’t walk outside without sneezing like a bad allergy.” Dei excused his overreaction.

He frowned at her, “Do not make me truly put you over my knee.”

Her time with Rurik, and the opening of her memories with Kharon, had her offering up a sexy answer before she could rein it back in, “What if I like it?” She had no clue if she truly did or not, but Kharon’s image of her in her mind certainly did.

Bright green flared from behind his glasses, so did his nostrils, “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” her voice was not nearly as self-assured when she said that. Dei had never seen this intensity from him.

“Do not tell a man that unless you really want to find out, Deiala. What kind of business is this anyway that teaches you such things? You said they were a shipping and acquisitions company, which I took to mean piracy and theft.”

The bookstore owner looked at him quizzically, “Find out.. but you…” she didn’t push her luck. “That is what they are, just sometimes they play these games, and there was this man I liked.” Kyean did not know about Kharon’s invasion of her dreams when she was seventeen, if anyone knew how to go through a demonic gateway and find someone it would be him and she wasn’t sure she wanted that kind of resolution for the man Dei had defended herself from.

“Ah, finally a boyfriend, but you said was, and there was a sad tone plus your energy drained from you completely.”

She couldn’t lie to him when he asked her something directly and never did. He was too good at what he just did, “Was, he possibly was a spy, not sure the more time passes that I believe that, but the company does and I think that had I pushed against them too hard they would have stopped trusting me.” Another thing to gloss over, along with her nightmares and the dragon issues.

The huge man looked at her, really *looked* with his spectral sight, “Anyone that doesn’t trust you is a fool. You are so smart and you hold to your oaths like a rock face holds an ore deposit. How is Saxori?”

He was the only one that knew about the Man’ari her mentor had locked in a way long ago, and that was because Brendan had trusted him, not Dei, Dei trusted no one with that secret. Kyean had been a frequent visitor in her youth and many conversations were had between him and the demon. In fact, Kyean helped build the cage she lived in, “She is good, still a little too familiar, but she has been teaching me to dance.”

“Why do you need to le… never mind, we are off track, you always do that, I start with something uncomfortable and you let it chase its own tail until I have lost track of what I was asking. No warren tunnels for you little bunny.” He took her chin in his hand, “Do you really like spankings?” His tone was deep, sonorous and dropped into a growl at the end.

“I don’t know…” she frowned at him for talking about her sex life, “now who is changing the subject? What about this demonic presence?”

He leaned in and sniffed her, “Ah but the idea intrigues.” A surprised look crossed his face then he cleared his throat from the dry tone it had taken. “I have felt it since I came to the city but more near your shop. Have you been letting demons in?”

Dei snapped her answer harshly, “No!”

“Alright… alright… I didn’t think you changed that much but had to check. Yes, there are demons everywhere now, not just in the Lamb and the district around it, but near your street it is heavier, and it lingers. Any demons about recently, maybe some that tested your wards?” The question was reasonable so she could not get grumpy at his big brother protectiveness.

Thinking about his question for more than a moment, “Nothing I can think of.” Yet as she said it she realized it wasn’t entirely true.

He continued to stare at her, usually it was a friendly look but there was new, tighter, focus on her and she wasn’t sure what it was, must be the worry about the demonic traces. “There is a woman in the company, she has a ‘friend’ who is a Man’ari and has been doing deals with people I work with.”

“Do they not know how dangerous that is?l”

“They know, I told them so… in short words even the dumbest of them could understand.” Dei offered, “But maybe that is who you are sensing.”

Kyean shook his head, “Fel girl… you sure you want to stay there? That is a whole lotta trouble you don’t need, considering.”

He really had no idea as she wasn’t talking about dragons or time travel, just people who *might* deal with demons was enough of a threat to what she did, “I have made friends, at least a couple.”

“Did these friends have something to do with the boyfriend situation? Because I can’t imagine you backing down if someone told you what to do in that circumstance unless you really valued their opinion.” He watched her energy drop again so he pushed, “Have you been sleeping?”

What one thing had to do with the other in his mind she would never know, what it did in hers made her sad all over again. “They had something to do with it, yes.” Dei left it at that, “Not really, though I have some new medication one of our healers makes. Hoping it will help.”

He looked almost through her “But you haven’t taken it becuase you have been staying at this clinic.” He didn’t need her agreement as he knew the answer. “You are not going to the clinic tonight. I am taking you for food, then we go back to your place and talk. Whatever demons that are around won’t dare to act while I am,” he said and offered her his hand.

Dei took it and didn’t grump at him, she was tired and having him there would surely help her sleep, it was only when her house was empty that the nightmares came. “Fine, I will send a message to the clinic and I can cook.”

The Illidari looked at Dei, her outline had this stubborn tilt to her chin. When had she grown from that mouse child who gave in to anything Brendan told her, to this? Her spirit was glowing and it was strong, and he liked it. It would help her survive in this world. Demons would challenge her throughout her life, she held too many secrets that many would do anything to possess. Somehow Brendan raised a good Keeper of knowledge, one that may surpass her old mentor.

The demon in Kyean was thrashing at his bindings to wrest control, but the Illidari’s iron will kept a handle on the situation. What was it that made it test its bonds now? It hadn’t done that in years. He had spent much time with the woman even back when she was a child, but now there was an intense fascination from within him that was making him uneasy.

[luminashdawnwing]

May 2024 Day 2 Agony / Embrace

Home. Even in ruins, it was home. The feeling of time's fabric here, too, was a comfort. It was correct, it felt right, to be back here, despite the pain of loss and ultimately the sting of failure - not of personal failure, but of realizing too late how far gone he had become.

Luminash knelt before the memorial for Theras. He had placed the stone deep in the Ghostlands, in the crumbling ruins of the old Dawnwing estate. It was only fitting, he felt, that the boy be laid to rest in his ancestral home, even if he was too young to have experienced it. It was this home, after all, that he had perished fighting for.

In many ways, though, returning here after all he had seen – all he had done – only prolonged the agony rather than putting it to rest. The abyss in his heart would never fill, nor would the scars marking him as taken by the shadowflame, an eternal reminder both of his loss and his folly.

The elf stood, pushing himself up from the blighted ground with some difficulty – though time had been turned back and he had healed from his battle with Caeridormi, his body would never fully forget. No magic could fully erase an event. No time could ever heal all wounds.

He placed a hand on the cold stone, its surface already beginning to weather from the latent rot of the Scourge, a final embrace for his lost son, until they should meet again. When the time came, he knew they would, even if he had to spend all of time scouring the Maw for his last remnants.

With that, he turned away from this past and strode into an uncertain future.

(belated @daily-writing-challenge)

[legofanguy]

Swtor agony of the Nightsister

This Star Wars The Old Republic fanfiction is a entry for @daily-writing-challenge week 2 day 2 agony and the backstory of my Sith Warrior Toriaka.

Toriaka feel herself in agony as her Clan Mother cast the spell onto her red skin body during the ritual overwatched by fellow Nightsisters and her Clan Mother said to the Zabrak woman, "Give in to the dark side, daughter of the Nightsisters. It will give you power. It will make you a weapon for your fellow sisters. It will make you unstopable." Toriaka cry out in pain, "I.... I accept, Mother!" and dark tattoo appear on Toriaka's body, marking the end of the ritual. The Clan Mother said upon seeing the end of the ritual, "It's done, Nightsisters. Sister Toriaka has accept to be our secret agent within the Sith Empire. If the Sith Empreror would betray us, Toriaka will kill him."

[wowtalesofadventurers]

Forsaken priest of light

This World of Warcraft fanfiction is a entry for @daily-writing-challenge day 2 agony. Content warning: Language.

Luise Rose, a female Forsaken priest, and her party are raiding the Scarlet Monastery to take down the Scarlet Crusade. Gramakk, her party tank, got slash in the chest by a big Scarlet Crusade knight and Luise use the Light to heal him, which made Luise feel agony in her body due to the Light holy powers. As Gramakk got up, Luise cry out in pain as small fire start appearing in her body, "You are welcome, you ass!" and the party shaman summon a small rain cloud to put down the small fires much to Luise's annoyed.

[wowtalesofadventurers]

WoW Blood Elves embrace

This World of Warcraft story is a entry for @daily-writing-challenge day 2 embrace and featuring both Melina and Be'thema. My gnome mage Bilkrin and human mage Simonette made a cameo.

At Dalaran, the magic city which is serving as a base for the Alliance and Horde in their war against the Burning Legion invasion, Melina Morningsorrow, a Blood Elf paladin and a famous adventurer, wait for news on where their forces would strike when she saw a familiar figure among four demon hunters walking by and run up to them. The four demon hunter, half of them blood elves and the other half are night elves, stop when Melina got in front of them and she said, "Sorry, but I just saw, among you..." and a male blood elf demon hunter step forever and said to Melina, "You were looking for me, Melina." She gasp once she got a good look at his face and said as she start to cry, "Be'thema... It's you.... Be'thema..." and she hug her missing childhood friend, whose is a bit embrarrassed about this, just as a gnome mage and his human friend walk by and the gnome said, "Aw, so cute." Melina realized she was acting immature and stop hugging Be'thema, with both friends are bit shy about this.