"Close"- Pitch and Lark

Posting this thing here because my brain keeps telling me it's too "adult" for my WoW blog. So, yea... adult content warning. :P

I recently finished a picture of my 2 main characters, and today I came up with a brief fic to go with it.
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Lark couldn't remember most of the men she had been with over the years. There had been too many- their faces and names blurred together, along with half-remembered snippets of conversations, and made a royal muddle in her mind. A bare handful stood out clearly, that was all.

Pitch was one of those, by virtue of being her current partner. Lark couldn't complain; he didn't have Brenn's gentle shyness or Jacob's mad passion, Lath's experience or Rillian's attention to detail, but that actually made things easier. She was free to love him for himself, without any unnecessary (and unfair) comparisons. He was simply Pitch.

Not that he was a bad lover by any means. And not that she had any room in her mind for such thoughts when they lay together in a sweaty tangle like this, all her attention focusing on him and on what he was doing to her, as she raked her fingers down his back and he was growling low in her ear, in that way that meant that he was so close. And she's urging him on, and then he finds that one thing that sends her over the edge right before he follows, and they collapse together, he wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her back close against him as they catch their breath.

And then thought returns, and she feels like she ought to apologize to him. I'm sorry, she wants to say. Sorry that I can't give you everything you deserve, that I have all these ghosts in my mind and my past that I can't let go, and they're holding me back from being the mate you should have. And before she can speak, he finds the energy to open his eyes and turn to look into her face, and then he says, "I love you."

And somehow, it's always enough.

Ilfariel & Elgo

Still been thinking about Lord of the Rings even when my internet is screwing up and I can't play. *ahem* So, I thought I'd figure out the story behind two of my characters.

I realized a long time ago that I'm a romantic. I like having my characters paired up with someone, because hey, no one really wants to be alone, right? So back when Ilfariel started getting into my head, one of the first things I thought of was "Is she in any kind of relationship?" It took a while, but I finally figured out that yes, she's with Elgo, my champ. They're very happy together, and planning on getting married as soon as the war is over. This is some of Fari's backstory, along with how she met Elgo and what proceeded from there. And yea, they're a pretty mushy couple, but it's cute.

The one thing I kind of regret is having only one account, which means I can't play them both together. So all their RP together happens in my head. But it works for now.

(Mild PG warning >.>)
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Ilfariel grew up in Gondor, the middle of five offspring. where she helped run her mother's shop while her father oversaw their "main" business. They dealt mostly with cloth and leather goods, importing and exporting both raw material and finished products, with success enough to make them fairly wealthy. The inevitable odds and ends from each shipment, and any new products that they wanted to test the market for, wound up in her mother's shop in Minas Tirith, which was also where the family home was.

Ilfariel's brothers were more than capable of helping their parents, and stood to inherit it all anyway, so by the time she was twenty she had decided to "find her fortune" however she may, and left with her family's blessings. There had been rumors and more concerning the war even then, and Ilfariel decided to head to Bree the moment she heard of them. Her weapon skills were sufficient that she thought she could help the guard there against goblins and brigands.

She was accepted, the moment she got there and spoke to the captain in charge in fact, and once signed in she was assigned a guide until she knew her way around well enough. The guide was a young man, about her age, named Elgo, a native of Bree. They got along famously right from the start, and after just a few months they seemed inseparable. The guard captain noticed this, of course, and began worrying about when he would have to split them up. No one patrolled with another- they just didn't have the bodies to spare, and the threat wasn't great enough- yet- to warrant more than single patrols. Still, he found himself putting off the moment that he would have to separate the two young guards.

After Ilfariel had been there four months, however, there was no more reason to delay it, and he finally pulled Elgo back to his former duties patrolling the southern Bree-fields. Fari he set to patrolling up around Archet, where she would have little chance of running into her friend. The separation was unexpectedly hard on her, and she found herself missing Elgo fiercely. Still, it took her a few weeks to figure out that she had been falling in love with the young guard.

She had no sooner realized that when something happened that was both good and bad. Good, because it distracted her from her thoughts- bad, because the thing turned out to be bandits and brigands near Archet. When she and her fellow guards had fought enough skirmishes to know this was not just a minor threat, Ilfariel was sent back to give the captain a report.

The captain was understandably grim when he heard her report, but then he surprised her. "I'll need to think on this before I send you back with new orders," he told her. "Also, I need to speak with the town's leaders. Why don't you take tonight and tomorrow off? I'll send someone for you when we've decided what to do."

Ilfariel was only too happy to follow his command. As she reached the Prancing Pony and was about to head inside, she was suddenly stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned and came face-to-face with Elgo. Without thinking, she gave a happy cry and flung both arms around him in a hug. Immediately she knew that that was not the proper thing to do, but by then Elgo had his arms around her too, and was chuckling in her ear. "I take it you missed me, too?" he asked as he, mercifully, let her go. Fari tried to hide her growing blush by straightening her jacket, which really didn't need straightened. "Well, I umm..." she began, then his words registered and she stopped, looking at him in surprise. "Too?" she asked, then blushed again. Elgo chuckled again as he took her arm. "Come on, love," he said gently. "Let's find a place less crowded for supper, eh?" Fari could only let him lead her on.

They found a quiet inn and had supper there, then spent the rest of the evening walking about town, filling each other in on their adventures, or lack thereof. Elgo mentioned that he'd had a few scuffles with bandits, but mostly the Fields had been quiet. He seemed as disturbed as the captain when he heard her tale, but they both agreed there was nothing to be done about it for now.

It was getting quite late by the time they reached the rented room Ilfariel kept in the city. Elgo paused at her door, suddenly looking very self-conscious but obviously reluctant to leave. Fari could guess what he wanted to say to her, however, and beat him to it when she asked him, very softly, "Stay with me tonight?" He looked at her, startled, then nodded and followed her in.

* * * * * *

Morning dawned with clear skies. Ilfariel woke shortly after dawn, taking a moment to simply enjoy Elgo's warm, strong arms around her before quietly slipping out from under the covers. She found her pants and a clean shirt and dressed quickly, then went to the window and stood looking out, thinking.

She heard a soft yawn behind her and turned to see her lover stretching and blinking awake. He spotted her and smiled. "Come here, love." Fari smiled back and crossed over to the bed, sitting on the edge near him. He brought one hand up to rub her back, looking at her face searchingly. "Any regrets, Fari?" he asked her softly, using her nickname for the first time. She shook her head firmly. "No, love. None from me." She quirked an eyebrow at him, and he smiled again. "No, love. And I love you. In case I didn't say it often enough before." They both chuckled, then he nudged at her. "How about letting me up, love?" he asked her, half-joking, and she grinned back at him as she stood.



They had all that day together, which they spent in the city and nearby countryside again, and it took little convincing for Ilfariel to get him to stay that night as well. In the morning, however, they left her room to find a runner waiting for her. The boy was clearly startled when they came out together, but was tactful enough to say nothing and merely handed her a note from the captain before trotting off. Ilfariel read it quickly, then looked at Elgo with some regret. He simply nodded. "Duty calls, m'love. Nothing to be done about that," he said, then gave her a quick hug and a kiss before letting her go on her way.

Ilfariel took her orders from the captain- they weren't much changed from their previous ones, just stating for them all to stay alert- and headed back to Archet. This time, however, she had memories of Elgo to warm her when she grew too lonely, and she knew he would be waiting for her whenever they could manage the time.

* * * * * *

They'd been together for almost eight months now. Ilfariel had sent a letter to her parents as soon as she could, and knew that Elgo had done the same, and now he was courting her truly, with her parents' blessing. Despite all the trouble from the war that everyone felt was coming, Fari couldn't be happier.

Why I Like Google

Out of boredom I was poking around on Google image search a few days ago, and I found some stuff I wanted to share. Meet a few of Lark's pets. >.>

Firstly, the first ever Tuah. Just add the scars on her ear and cheek.

I wondered what Quiloe looked like exactly. Then I found this. I'm undecided about the white spot on her chest- Quiloe might have one, but it's likely smaller than this.

Meet another of Lark's older pets. Rage was probably the biggest panther you'll ever see, with an attitude to match. (Yes, he's got his own story, which I'll probably finish someday. >.>)

And finally, here is... not a pet- this is what Pitch's catform looks like. Although you'd have to imagine it being jet-black instead of spotty-looking. :P

Still writing bits and pieces, and job has been killing me this week with a wacky schedule. I just finished working 6 days in a row with no days off, but I'm off tomorrow. Then I go back again for another 3 days straight. That's 9 out of 10 days at work, for those that don't want to do the math. Yeesh, no wonder I'm tired. -.-



/passout

Ilfariel: A Horse of Her Own

In honor of Lord of the Rings Online going free-to-play, I thought I'd post the one completed story I've written about my warden, Ilfariel. She adores horses, and she was a little excited *cough* when she finally got one of her own. (>.>) Enjoy!
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Ilfariel blinked at her captain. "The Lone-lands? Are you sure, sir?"

He nodded. "We're getting more recruits that we can handle at the moment," he told her. "We have enough men-at-arms here to keep the city safe, and they need someone with experience out there. I'd like for you to leave within the week, if you can."

She nodded. "I can, sir. It's just... unexpected."

He chuckled. "But not unearned. You've proved your worth many times over, Ilfariel, and now you can show it to others. Now, dismissed. You should start packing soon." She nodded and saluted crisply, then turned to the door. The captain stopped her, however, before she could turn the knob.

"Oh, there's one more thing," he said casually. "I'd like you to head north first, to the horse-farms. You'll be doing a lot more traveling at your new post, and I think it's about time you had a mount of your own." Fari whirled and stared at him wide-eyed, then broke into a wide, dazzling grin when she saw he was serious. Forgetting decorum, she swept out the door and was gone.

* * * * * *

Ilfariel stroked the bay gelding's neck soothingly as he tossed his head. The stableboy hovered near, watching. "He's well-broke, spirited but gentle, and real sure-footed. The boss wants a fair price for him, but the Guard's supposed to be handling that, so you shouldn't need to worry."

She scratched around the horse's ears as he nudged his nose into her chest. "I'll take him," she said softly. "What's his name?"

The boy shuffled his bare feet in the dust. "He doesn't really have a name, miss. None of our horses to be sold do. You can name him what you'd like."

Ilfariel studied the warm brown eyes that looked into her own, then offered an apple slice on her palm. The horse happily lipped it up and munched it. "I'll call him Villox," she said at last, and the gelding snorted his approval.


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(You know the best thing about F2P is? I get to play the game with my sister again, woot!)

Understanding A Character: Lark

First things first, have a Lark song. Hopefully this post will explain a bit how it fits her.

I mentioned before that I had a few things occur to me regarding Lark. I'm attempting to remember what they were, and also try to make them make sense. Bear with me here.

Lark is a complicated character (I know, I know, who isn't?). Trying to figure out how she'd behave in a scenario, and figuring out why she acts that way, is part of what makes her interesting.

First and foremost is her... gimmick, I guess I'll call it. That one thing that starts shaping who she is. Every character has one (or if they don't they're a fairly boring character imo), and Lark's is based on when she was growing up. Her storyline is that her older brother was a hero, the kind you read about in books and comics- he somehow always managed to not only be in the right place at the right time, but always came out on top, to boot. Then came the War of the Shifting Sands, where his luck ran out and he was killed. The details on that haven't been worked out and aren't really important, because he isn't the focus of the story, just a part of it.

Lark, the real focus of this story, was born twenty years later, so she never knew him. She literally grew up hearing stories of her brother, the hero, and as she got older and passed her coming-of-age, her parents began telling them a bit differently- instead of "this is your brother, see how great he was?" it became more like "this is your brother, don't you want to be like him and make your family famous like he did?" Yes, that's a bit harsh, but Lark's family wasn't really the loving, caring, be-who-you-are type. Needless to say, Lark decided that no, she didn't want to be a hero, because heroes usually wound up dead (oh, hey, like her brother did, huh?). After a little over 4 centuries of this, she decided to leave home and strike out on her own.

Enter Lathenil. He is possibly the most important figure in her history, because he did a lot to shape her into who she is now. Lark had no money when she left home, just her nightsaber and her bow. After a couple years of roughing it, often camping out rather than renting a room in a house or inn because her finances were so tight, she meets a random druid who takes a shine to her. Lath helps her find work, opens his home to her, and then gets her into his company of caravan guards. That began the best period of her life.

Lath was more than just a friend that helped her out. Up to this point, Lark had heard nothing but how great her brother was, didn't she want to be like him, you don't want to let us down now, do you? When she left her home, she accepted in her mind that she was a failure for not living up to her family's expectations. Lath never treated her as such. From the moment they first met, he treated her as herself, as someone that was worth something without being a "hero". This was a totally new experience for Lark. He was her lover, partner, confidante, and in some ways, her mentor. In the one story I wrote about the two of them, he proposed to her and she accepted. That might not seem like a big deal, until you think that at that point, Night Elves were immortal. She would have spent the rest of eternity with him. That's not something she would have taken lightly.

In that same story Lath is killed, so their future never happens. At the time of his death, Lark has the more pressing issue of simple survival to worry about, but you can believe that she grieved for him once she was safely back in civilization. Lath's death was the beginning of a trend that has affected Lark deeply. She lost her first pet only a couple years later, to a centaur attack similar to the one she lost Lath to. Her next pet, and her next lover, had similar fates. Over the centuries this has repeated, until now Lark believes that whoever she gets close to will die, sooner or later (more likely sooner). This haunts her more than she'll ever let on.

Lark's in-game introduction began when she met Pitch at a random nameless tavern. Since then, she and Pitch have become closer than she really wanted to be. He is her friend, and she's gotten dependent on him enough that she doesn't want to lose that friendship, but she's in constant fear that his association with her will cost him his life at some point. So for anyone that knows them in-game and might be wondering, that is why they are not "dating". It isn't really Pitch's doing that they aren't- it's Lark's.

She had a similar dilemma when she found her spirit beast, Komah. Her moonstalker Tuah had been with her for 4 years; she knew he would die sometime, and by then had accepted it as she accepted everything else her life threw at her. But Komah is different. Being sentient, she can speak with him same as with any person (sort of), and so he's more of a friend and partner than a pet. When she met him, she knew that if she accepted him as a pet he would likely die because of it, and to have the life of such a wonderful animal, and demi-god to boot, cut short because of her was nearly more than she could stand. She did take his offer, obviously, and she lives with the pain it causes her without complaint, but it's still there.

So. Getting back to Pitch again, I wondered a time or two why she was so attracted to him. The answer finally came to me- Pitch reminds her of Lath, whom she still loves and misses. Oh, she knows that Pitch isn't her long-dead lover and never will be, but the similarity is enough that she finds a great deal of comfort from him. He cares for her, gives her the space and privacy that she needs, and yet is always there when she needs him. In turn, she helps steady Pitch, whose spontaneity would get him into a lot more trouble otherwise. They balance each other nicely.

That being said, I don't see them ever becoming an official "couple". Lark's fears are too great, and she cares for him too much. To put it bluntly, she could live happily just being friends with him, even if it was strictly casual (aka no more bedding him), if it meant that he was alive. Letting him get too close would only be a death sentence, she believes, so she keeps that little bit of distance between them. Pitch accepts this without question; he figures that if he needed to know her reasons, she'd tell him.

Now this may make Lark seem to be a gloomy sort of person, but that isn't usually the case. Her life, instead of making her bitter and withdrawn (well, maybe a tad, but still), has instead taught her to take the good moments as they come, and enjoy them while they last. She tends to live in the moment a lot, and not worry about things until she has to. All of this together makes her an absorbing character to play, and is probably why she's become my RP main ever since I first created her.

And all this is because of a druid that never actually existed. Funny how that works, isn't it?

(P.S. I may do a story about when Lark first meets Lath. I've had bits and pieces of it running through my head, and will probably sit down and write it all out sometime. Muahaha)

*Knock, Knock* Anyone Home?

Ugh, what a week so far. I think I'm compiling a list of the things that drive me crazy at work, and most of them have happened this week already. Still adjusting to the schedule shift too, so yay, tired! >.>

I'm still playing Lord of the Rings Online mostly, but I usually get on WoW for a bit before bed. My poor shammy Rajast is still sitting around in Hellfire Peninsula; after getting him to Outland and level 60, the incentive to continue playing him has mostly gone away. He'll get there though, don't worry.

I am still loving my warden Ilfariel in LOTRO. I think it kinda resembles playing a pally, with her shield and damage-reduction skills, self-healing, and..... kinda low dps. But still, she's fun. And she has ranged attacks! Much better than your average low-level pally.


She's level 23 and has her mount now, too. Did I mention that she has a thing for horses? Well, she does.



See this? This is one reason I love this game- the graphics. The lake looks like you could dive right in.


In other news, Lark got back to her caravan-guarding roots. This was a fun bit of RP, I wish I could do this with her more often. Pitch didn't go along, mostly because I figured it'd be too hectic trying to control 2 toons at once.

I'm feeling an itch to level my priest and warrior on Gilneas now. With Shaur nearly 76, and all my other toons except Davoss already at 80, they'll be my next closest to cap anyways, so might as well, right?

Lark has been poking my brain lately. I've been tinkering with a story post for her, but it's coming slowly (writer's block ftl). I also need to finish the backstory bit I had going with Pitch, because I'm working on the next stage now.

I've made some realizations about Lark over the last couple weeks, and I may have to expound on those soon. That will probably comprise a blog post all its own, though, so for now I will leave it at that.

I've been doing some writing about Ilfariel too, but nothing major. Usually it's been a few sentences here and there about whatever point in her questing has been affecting her the most. I may post a couple up here anyway. Her character and personality is interesting so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing how she develops.

Oh, and our GM on Gilneas is back! We are slowly returning to the killing of internet dragons- slowly because after he's been gone for a couple months, some of our regular attendees have gone kinda MIA, so we have to round them up again (that is a rather interesting visual right there >.>).


So! Hopefully things will be a bit closer to normal soon, and I can quit being a zombie most of the day. Time will tell.