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[tralaia]

Pride

Aside from the cold, Northrend hadn’t been so bad. Sure, fighting undead was messy and immensely frustrating when they seemed relentless, but eventually even the Scourge had to regroup from time to time.

Traveling as a part of her human friend Osip’s command, Tralaia reveled in scouting these new (to her) lands. Grizzly Hills especially reminded her of her home in Ashenvale, an endless forest of enormous, proud trees and the life that flourished there.

Then, one day while they were determining assignments, Osip asked for volunteers to deliver a missive to Dalaran, the Kirin Tor’s city which had incredibly moved to Northrend from Kalimdor. Tralaia spoke up quickly, especially since the missive was to Osip’s other daughter, and Tralaia’s best friend Lithvia’s aunt, Natasha Darklight. Osip reluctantly agreed, and soon Tralaia was bounding across the Howling Fjord on Shyna’s back, grinning fiercely as her long purple hair whipped behind her.

---

Cresting the hill from Dragonblight, Tralaia’s silvery glowing eyes widened when she first set her sights on the Crystalsong Forest. This… this was a Magical Forest. If she had been asked before that moment the most magical forest she had ever seen, she would probably describe the enormous mushrooms in Zangarmarsh on Outland, but this? The trees floating above the ground (reminding her of the islands in Nagrand) and clearly made of crystal instead of wood and bark? Yes, she had a new standard to compare to.

Shyna padded forward, the large nightsaber having enjoyed the journey just as much as her mistress. They didn’t get to just run very often anymore, and Tralaia smiled, reaching forward to scratch the big cat behind her ears affectionately.

“I know,” she murmured in Darnassian, “We’ll have a nice run back too.” If the continent were ever safe enough for flight masters, the opportunities to just run would shrink even further, but until then, Tralaia intended to take every single chance she could get.

As they made their way deeper into Crystalsong, Tralaia’s breath caught when at a distance, she spotted Dalaran. The enormous floating island, spires of a magical city extending to the clouds. She had vague instructions on how to reach it, and those instructions started with getting directly underneath the city, but Tralaia wasn’t prepared for a floating city that rivaled anything Nagrand could offer.

---

Tralaia slowly walked down the street of Dalaran, rather obvious as she took everything in. She was not the only obvious first time, well armed visitor, and the enormous muscled cat walking alongside her kept anyone wanting to exploit that fact looking the other way.

After asking a guard for directions, Tralaia made her way through the Magic Commerce Exchange towards the residential spires beyond. However, an incredibly bright flash of color caught her eye, and Tralaia stopped in her tracks, staring at the store front. It appeared to be a flag store, and her heart swelled when she saw the kaldorei crest displayed alongside the other members of the Alliance in one window. That smile faded a little when the other window displayed the Horde and their various member nations, but she had to remind herself this was a neutral city.

Intending to ask about purchasing a kaldorei banner, she headed inside, Shyna left outside and sniffing at a garden box filled with glowing roses.

Tralaia ducked slightly as she entered, the building of course designed more for humans than night elves. She spotted a dwarf woman helping a human woman in Kirin Tor purple robes, and started to circulate through the store, looking over the varied, colorful designs.

There was an especially colorful set of flags that caught Tralaia’s attention, not noticing when the dark-haired mage thanked the dwarven shopkeep, tucking a rolled up orange-tinged flag of some kind under her arm, and departed.

“Hallo miss, what can I do for ya,” the shopkeep, similarly dark-haired to her customer, smiled up at the tall elf. “Ishnu’alah, good afternoon,” Tralaia greeted the dwarf in Darnassian then Common. “I was looking for a banner of my people, but I noticed these.” The shopkeep nodded as Tralaia gestured at the wall covered in bright colors. “Ah, aye, quite eye-catching, ain’t they? That’s our pride collection.” “Oh? Pride in what?” The dwarf smiles and comes out from behind her counter, walking to Tralaia’s side and reaches up, half holding up a flag of the rainbow. “Aye, like for instance, this is a pride flag for everyone, men who love men, women who love women, those who love everyone, those who don’t roll in the hay as it were,” but Tralaia had stopped listening, staring down at the shopkeep.

“Ah.. I’m sorry, you mentioned women who love women?”

“Aye, aye lass! Here,” she released her hold on the rainbow flag and reached for another, just as colorful but filled with warm colors, oranges, pinks, reds and a white stripe in the center. “This one here is a lesbian flag, for women who love other women.”

Tralaia blinked slowly, reaching for the flag as if it might burn her. “That’s… not a Common word I’m familiar with,” she said, slightly in a daze as she examined the flag closely. “Ah? No fancy elvish word for that,” the shopkeep teased with a friendly grin. Tralaia returned it weakly. “The only word I know is,” and Tralaia said a word in Darnassian, the one etched into her glaive when she was barely more than a girl and a fledgling member of the kaldorei military, trying to find her way on her own and out from under her mother’s shadow.

The dwarven woman startled at the sharp, angry word spoken. “Oh… lass, I’m sure you must know that is quite the slur against such.” “Yes,” Tralaia says, voice softer as she is becoming choked up. “I’m aware… may I?” The shopkeep nods quickly, and Tralaia pulls the lesbian flag closer, examining the stitching and its warmth as glowing tears start rapidly filling her eyes. “Well, now you know a better word, lass,” the shopkeep says kindly. Tralaia nods slowly, sniffling as she hugs the flag to her chest, tears falling as she bows her head and closes her eyes, briefly lost in memory.

---

“Absolutely not. You will not see her again.” Mother. Stopping a young Tralaia from continuing to pursue a girl her own age. Again.

---

“Hey, easy now, you’ll grow into that body one day for sure.” The confident smile, the sweat on her brow highlighting her mandalas, her strong body flexing and rippling as she unloaded crates from Suramar to Zoram, and humoring the love sick young Tralaia desperate to get her attention, to understand the burning warmth in her chest she hadn’t ever felt before.

---

Tralaia in her bunk, staring at the harsh word her sisters-in-arms had etched into her glaive and wondering why she was the one being punished when several other pairs among them openly flirted or would vanish for hours into the forest when not on duty.

---

Tralaia opened her eyes, returning to the present, either not noticing or caring about the dwarven shopkeep looking sympathetically up at her. The kaldorei woman straightened, and took hold of the flag she was hugging, then wrapped it around her shoulders as if it were a cape.

The shopkeep smiles kindly. “You look lovely, miss.”

Tralaia returns the smile, finally after ten thousand years of living on Azeroth and Outland, knowing the word, the right word for what she was, how she felt.

“Thank you. I feel… I feel… … proud.”

[tralaia]

A Dark and Stormy Night

((Writing prompt from a dear friend:

you find yourself at your house, it is a dark and stormy night, the ghost of Le Shen is angry and causing thunder to boom across the sky. You hear a pounding on your door, and outside stands a figure, hooded and cloaked. A figure from your past/ present or future (or all three) has come to visit you. Do you let them in?)) Tralaia sips from her mug as she sits comfortably in her little Halfhill home, rain pelting the roof. She has the lanterns turned down low, looking out the window at the rolling storm clouds and lightning strikes. A beautiful storm, the sort she and Shyna would go riding through in Ashenvale when she felt her sister was safe.

Movement catches her eye and Tralaia sits up with a curious tilt of her head, looking around the front of her house instead of the sky. Thousands of years of her Long Vigil has trained her to watch her surroundings and always be suspicious, so she looks towards her front door just a moment before there is an echoing knock on it.

Tralaia unfolds from her seat, setting her mug on her table and moving towards the door. Between the rolling thunder and rain, even her sensitive ears would struggle to ask who was knocking, so she pulls the door open, peeking curiously outside.

Kaldorei, female, cloaked. That doesn’t really narrow it down. “Yes,” Tralaia asks.

“Hello again, Tralaia,” and Tralaia finds herself surprised when the figure rushes forward, crashing them both into her table, knocking her mug to the floor and spilling its contents and pushing a blade against the purple-haired elf’s throat. “You will listen,” a voice Tralaia hasn’t heard in some time (heh) warns her.

“You have my attention, sister,” Tralaia responds, strain obvious in her voice. The figure keeps the blade still and releases Tralaia’s shoulder to pull back her damp hood. Black skin, light blue runescars. Infinite runes.

Tempora. Alive once more, somehow, and inches away from spilling Tralaia’s blood.

It had been such a lovely storm, too.

[tralaia]

The Heartreaver Windhowl Wedding

((A writing prompt from a dear friend:

You get married to Alle. How great is that? (I am kidding.  maybe.) ))

Tralaia adjusts her bowtie, smiling lightly as she stands at the front of the Temple of Elune, looking out among all her gathered Silver Circle sisters and brothers, friends and allies. It was true that the concept of a marriage was relatively new to the kaldorei, as typically lifemates weren’t quite so ceremonial, but there had been more and more of them, and Tralaia found this gathering both amusing and comforting.

Her own companions were sitting obediently in a line. Luna, Sol, Magma, Crimson. At the very end, a Northrend campaign medal stood in for her dear Shyna. Of anyone she had wished could be present, Tralaia wanted a reminder of her own lifelong feline friend.

Tralaia’s gaze slid back up to the ground, and there in the front, her family. Aillwind, a druid like Tralaia’s wife-to-be, beaming with pride. Lyzolda, her youngest sister, deliberately looking bored even though she was just as proud of her oldest sister.

Saralaana. Tralaia’s mother, now a nightborne, looked as stern as always. Tralaia hadn’t expected her to show after how their last conversation had ended, but here she was, looking unsure of what she was supposed to do. Tralaia tried to gently remind her to be nice, and that yes, there would be other Horde races present just based on whom the Silver Circle considered allies.

She smiled in Za’tiya’s direction, and Loviattar and Lyastei, even though the blind kaldorei couldn’t see it, she knew Lovi would let her know.

So many familiar faces and good friends, and so many good, and sometimes hard, memories. She was grateful to Elune they were all here, safe, alive.

Then, the music began and Tralaia stood up straighter, looking down the center aisle.

Allethea.

The druidess was dressed in fine leathers and practically surrounded by flowers, from her head down to her bare toes. She had asked if Tralaia wanted her to be in a more traditional dress, since Tralaia would wear an outfit more suited to male humans, but the huntmaster insisted her bride wear what she was most comfortable in. Which was, frankly, little, but that had been one of the many things that had drawn Tralaia to her in the first place.

When she is within reach, Tralaia steps forward with a toothy grin, reaching out a hand to help the blushing Allethea up to the altar. They then crossed arms and stood side by side before their friend and leader, Feyawen Nightfury.

“My friends, Elune welcomes you into her embrace. We are here to celebrate the joining of two lives…”

The sermon is lovely, in Tralaia’s opinion. About how Elune graces all on Azeroth with Her light, and it is the kaldorei who respond first. How in these peaceful times, the kaldorei are ever watchful, so that others may know peace.

When it is time, Allethea and Tralaia turn to face each other and clasp hands, golden eyes looking into silver ones. “Allethea Windhowl, my sister. Do you take Tralaia Heartreaver as your own, to love and cherish, to protect and to correct, until the day Elune embraces you once more?”

Allethea opens her mouth to answer and nothing comes out. This is it. This moment she had never ever expected, yet there she was, Tralaia smiling fondly at her. “I-I do,” she says quietly, the best she can do. Tralaia squeezes her hands, smile again turning toothy.“

Tralaia Heartreaver, my sister. Do you take Allethea Windhowl as your own, to love and cherish, to protect and to correct, until the day Elune embraces you once more?”

“I do,” Tralaia says quietly, to Allethea alone.

“Then it is my great honor to join you within our Goddess’s bosom, and present you to our gathered friends as lifemates. You may kiss--” Tralaia swept Allethea off her feet and dipped her, grinning mischievously before kissing her deeply in front of everyone.

The crowd begins laughing, hooting and hollering when Allethea reaches up, tangling her fingers in Tralaia’s purple hair and Feyawen shakes her head with an exasperated smile.

After they come up for air, Feyawen holds up a hand to encourage quiet so she may finish. “I now present to you the lifemated pair, Allethea and Tralaia!”

The cheer is deafening and no one admits to it, but fireworks are promptly set off, bouncing off the Temple’s stone ceiling and filling the space with light and sound.

Tralaia takes Allethea’s hand with her wide smile. “Let’s go,” she calls, then jumps on Allethea’s back as the druid shifts into her preferred orange tigress form, charging back down the aisle and shouting out a rallying cry, the crowd quickly following the Huntmaster out of the Temple and towards the site where the real party begins.

The reception.

[tralaia]

😴 😨 (I fully anticipate Darkheart or Felheart to be the nightmare but feel free to surprise me)

Good Dream…

He was floating, at least, that’s what it felt like. He felt as light as a feather, so light that it almost seemed like the breeze passed right through him. The land was familiar although everything was drained of color. From the lush green leaves of towering trees to the rich brown earth. Even the sky was surreal, swirling with streaks of piercing white light across an endless field of grey with blotches of black here and there. It was neither day or night.

Joe wandered for a while on a road he knew well. He recognized this place as Elwynn, despite it being sucked of all its vibrancy. He continued to walk for miles, taking him to places less known in hopes of finding something more real, though he was disappointed to find the same no matter where he looked.

Then finally, he stopped before a lone wisp in the middle of the road. He approached and soon recognized the voice belonging to Tralaia Darkheart, a dear friend who had perished far too soon. They talked and talked, breaking the eerie silence of the world around them, laughing over fond memories and shedding some tears of nostalgia. The time they spent talking seemed all too short when Joe had finally woke to the sight of the boring old ceiling above him. It was good while it lasted but left him feeling sad nonetheless.

Bad Dream…

Chaos! Get me out of this room, was all Joe thought. Pots, pans, urns, and whatever else was lying around the small, perfectly square room with no door or window, was thrown. Flying projectiles smashed and shattered on all four walls of the hellish box as the screeching and screaming wanted to make Joe rip his ears off.

It was a free for all between the three Kal’dorei women, Tralaia Heartreaver and the two very nearly identical to the first, Tralaia Darkheart and Tralaia Felheart. They clawed and spat and yelled insults at each other rapid fire! All the while, shooting questions at Joe, who tried to escape to one corner of the room. The questions all consisted of the same… Who he thought was right and doesn’t he agree with this or that. Who’s side did he take? Didn’t he think that what she or she said was stupid? Joe couldn’t even answer one in time before it was shot down by the next one.

On and on and on it went…

Until at last he finally woke to the sight of that beautiful old ceiling above him.

@tralaia

[tralaia]

((Happy Pride Month, everyone

Artwork by @maenchan))

[tralaia]

“Maybe... you know, they allow men to be Sentinels these days. How do you feel about loincloths?” She kept the stoic expression as long as she could before breaking out in a toothy grin and clapping Joe on the shoulder.

“Give me that right now. You don’t know how to use it.“

Joe picked up the strange three bladed weapon, scrunching his brow while turning it curiously. He had just found the moonglaive sitting about where some sentinel must have left it. The Westfall man had never seen one of these weapons so close before, much less hold one in his giant hand!

Round and round he spun it in his hand, just like the old windmills back home. He turned to look over his shoulder towards his companion, “Hey Tralaia, look what I found!” He tossed the thing up into the air with a spin. It whirled and whirled with sunlight catching each blade with every rotation.

When Joe tried to catch it again, he failed. Such a weapon demanded skill to use, which he did not have. It landed and bounced off of the man’s gauntlet before falling unimpressively to the ground. “Ow!” he said, rubbing his wrist.

“Give me that right now. You don’t know how to use it,” said Tralaia, marching over to him.

He bent down to pick it up before holding it out to the huntress. “S-Sorry! I jus’ found it lyin’ around,” said Joe, scratching his whiskers. He pouted like a child being scolded for touching something he wasn’t supposed to. But she was right, of course. He didn’t know how to use it at all. “Could ya teach me how to use it?”

@tralaia

[tralaia]

((Made by @priestess-nightfury the lovely guild leader of <Silver Circle> on Wyrmrest Accord))

[tralaia]

Flying supplies back and forth between Kul Tiras and Astranaar, or the refugee camp in Stormwind, was tiring work. However, with Kul Tiras on its way to rejoining the Alliance, she didn’t know of a better way to help out, since a dear friend had introduced her to her new wolfhawk companion.

She heard the loud footsteps but paid no mind, used to the sound of plate wearing guards patrolling the city, but then startled when she found herself hugged. She glanced over her shoulder, then laughed weakly. “Hello to you too, Joe.”

(( @brandstonethings ))

the hug that comes after a rough day

Joe spied Tralaia just a few paces away, looking quite stressed out and tired. He started plodding over there with big, loud footsteps. The first thing he did was give her a nice, tender hug, just out of the blue.

@tralaia

[tralaia]

The Silver Circle calls upon the sons and daughters of Mother Moon, to strengthen the unity of our people and follow the manifest destiny of the kaldorei. Prepare to embrace your path, for in the darkness that shrouds our future, new legends await…

The Silver Circle is accepting new members! We are a heavy RP guild focused on kaldorei themes and adventures located on US Wyrmrest Accord. We operate as both a religious order of the Elunarian faith and an adventuring guild in-character.

This guild comes with great history, stretching back to early 2005 during the first months of World of Warcraft, and even further in-character, to a time long before the War of the Ancients. Battle for Azeroth has brought great change for the kaldorei people once again, and the guild leadership is already hard at work preparing storylines for the months ahead which will foster the development of the guild, as well as the stories of its members.

We offer a friendly and intimate atmosphere, where our members and allies are engaged and work together to help add to the guild story and overall feeling of immersion in the role-play community. We strive for an open, pleasant, and fun environment, and welcome members who will add to this, and embrace the tone we already have.

Please visit the about tab on our website to learn more about the guild, our rules, and recruitment restrictions. You can also read our guild recruitment thread on the official WrA forum which contains useful in-character rumors and hooks for those interested in joining our cause.

Type of Guild: Religious/Adventuring Order # of Events: Up to 5 events per week Roster: Cap of 50 members (excluding alts) Application Process: Required RP Base: Lightsong, Val’sharah 

Join shivtr.com and apply today!

[tralaia]

((Night Warrior Tralaia would be... terrifying.))

[tralaia]

Tralaia blinked once, twice, then threw her head back, a loud musical laugh bursting from the huntress.

Before Joe could deflate too far, Tralaia reached out to grasp his shoulder and regain her composure, saying between giggles, “Not weird, not weird Joe... heh heh... actually, I know exactly what you mean.”

(secret) - for your muse to reveal a secret to mine (specify the secret! -- the big man's submissive??)

“Ooh… We’re playin’ this game? Okay. Um… a secret… a secret…” Joe scratched his whiskers nervously as he spoke to Tralaia in a near whisper. “Well… I- I don’t think I ever told a good many people this ‘bout me but… w-well, I like it when a gal’s… um… how should I put this… When a gal’s… in charge… o-of me. I-I know ya must think it’s weird f-fer me… Me bein’… big?”

@tralaia​

[tralaia]

Tralaia stares at the crawg, then at Tanefrun, then back to the crawg.

After a long pause, Tralaia remarks, “I have to admit, little sister.. I’m impressed.”

i can and will have the crawg mount drop for me one day and i can and will make up a shitty excuse for tanefrun to have it ICLY

such as disobeying advice to stay safe and going into a bloody swamp to find a Friend. absolute unit.

say hi to Mr. Wiggles <(￣︶￣)>

[tralaia]

💭 for Tralaia Heartreaver

Send “💭” for my characters thoughts on yours.

Tanefrun smiled as Tralaia was brought up. “She’s very sweet! I could probably say this for… most of the Circle as is, but Tralaia feels like another parent to me. I also admire her skill with the bow!” The young ranger nodded. “Tralaia and I don’t talk much, but whenever we do, it’s always a fun time. I especially like to remember the time back when we camped in Stonetalon. I really want to get to know her more.”

Thank you for the ask!! :D/ @serayashadowharper

[tralaia]

💭 for Tralaia Heartreaver

“Sister Heartreaver is a warrior. But generous. Kind. Shehas many companions, after all. She is more liberal than most, but keeps closeto the faith. Her strong bond with creatures of the wild is admirable. I can almostimagine what she might have been like as a child, ready to rescue any creatureremotely removed from the balance, where others would sooner see them putdown. Her kindness is rewarded by the deep, unquestioning devotion only afaithful creature companion can give.”

(prompt) Thank you for the ask @serayashadowharper!

[tralaia]

💭 :3c

“Elune protect this child, grown up too quickly, seen too much too soon… she is already a fine huntress, and I am so glad to have her friendship.”

[tralaia]

💭

“Master Shadowfern honored me by being one of my sponsors when I joined the Silver Circle. I truly appreciate the faith he showed in me in those early days, and I regret I have yet to repay him. I will find a way, I am sure.”

[tralaia]

💭

“I’m real lucky to have a friend like her. She’s always been lookin’ out fer me.”

@tralaia