#raelyne

[thoughtsbeforedawn]

Raelyne Malle Fletcher Bogsneak P: PC: S: SC: T: TC: E:

[thoughtsbeforedawn]

[raelynedawnbreeze]

Leaving after dropping Melora off at her father’s was always so hard. Sure, he was going to be staying there too for the majority of the next week, but it was just heartbreaking to end their goodbye hug and turn away.

So, understandably, when Varsyth saw a pretty little elf enjoying herself- carrying a basket of sweets and humming a little tune, cheeks all rosy like some kind of character in a children’s book, no less- he briefly contemplated killing her for daring to be happier than he was in that moment.

He was even considering how to do it when he realized she was walking in his direction. Was she going to talk to him? Had she managed to figure out what was going on in his head, and she was going to kill him first? No- she was going to walk past him, continuing up the road, towards the house he’d just left.

A spark of jealousy ignited somewhere in Varsyth’s core as he came up with a variety of reasons this girl could be going to Shinorian’s house with pastries and an expression like she’s just fallen in love for the first time. Maybe she was going to see Elenus- no, that couldn’t be it. He has the social skills of a clam, how could he charm a pretty, sweet-looking girl? But what about his mother? Looks could be deceiving, this tiny thing might be much older than she seems. It could be that she was visiting for Mrs. Dawnblade herself. But she was out this evening, taking care of her eldest son’s children while said son was out on a date with his wife. If this girl was her lover, she would know that, as it’s a regular occurrence.

Had she hired Shinorian? No, of course not. He didn’t take clients in Quel’thalas unless they were incredibly wealthy, and he especially wouldn’t do it in his mother’s house.

So, maybe she wasn’t going for anything sexual or romantic. The fact remained, however, that she was happy, and might get to see his daughter, if she went to the Dawnblades’. He couldn’t have that. He could, however, kill her, take her basket, and use it as an excuse to go back to Melora. Say he meant to bring it to her, but had forgotten it in his enchanted bottomless pocket.

“Oh, excuse me, miss? You, with the basket?” Varsyth lifted one hand in a wave, pretending to be nervous as he smiled shyly and hid one hand behind his back as he conjured up a dagger of ice behind his back. “Were you going to that house up there? The family that lives there is away today. Did you have business with them?”

The girl jumps and clutches the basket to her chest before turning to face Varsyth, cheeks gone bright pink. Because of course she was skittish. He began to wonder if she was putting on some kind of act, no one was that cute.

“N-no, I- I mean… I was gonna go there, but… if there’s nobody there… I was only going to drop off some brownies, anyway, since I’d made too many- I, um, I just live down the road, and, um…” She mumbles something else, but it’s absolutely inaudible. Varsyth’s stomach does a sharp little twist, and that spark inside him moved higher and burned hotter. He could see why she put on this adorable little façade, it was very effective. His grip on the conjured weapon he was hiding loosened.

“Oh, of course. But there’s no one there to take them- I’ll have them instead, though, if you’re only trying to get rid of the extras.” He felt something like relief- was he glad that he might be able to achieve his goals without murder? It must be because he’s avoiding the extra effort of getting rid of a body. That’s it. It’s not because there was anything attractive about people who blush so easily, or because he had any sort of physical reaction to the way this girl nervously looked at him through her lashes.

The little woman came towards him, and he realized he’d need his hands to take what she was offering. He dropped his frozen dagger before reaching out to take the basket, and it dissipated before hitting the ground. Their hands met as it was passed along, and both of them hesitated, not moving. She’d gotten awfully close just to hand off some treats. Was he overthinking this? Yes, he’s just imagining-

“Um, like I said, I- I only live right down there… my guest bedroom’s empty tonight, too… if, um…” She glances away, then back up at him, one of her pinkies moving over top of his thumb.

Oh.

He shouldn’t. She didn’t know he’d just been planning to kill her just for being happy. But she was pretty and willing, and the one good thing about having to part with Melora was that he was free to do whatever- or whoever- he wants.

So he leaned in, raising his eyebrows, trying not to think about the fact that if she was inviting him to her guest bedroom she likely had someone in her own bed, and grinned.

“A shame to leave a perfectly good bed empty, hm?”

--

Early the next morning, Varsyth slipped out of the girl’s arms- Raelyne, she’d told him was her name- and got dressed, taking the brownie basket as he quietly left the house, heading to Shinorian’s. He knocked on the door, left them with Mrs. Dawnblade after telling her who they’re from, and walked out the door again, in a much better mood than the last time.

[raelynedawnbreeze]

<Rae’s handwriting is almost perfect, written in her best Darnassian, though the paper is a little torn at the top.>

Dear Lori,

You were really sweet and nice to me a little while after I got to meet you, and I was wondering if maybe you’d let me make you food, and maybe we could eat it together? It’s sort of silly, and you don’t have to. You wouldn’t have to kiss me, or anything else like that. If you wanted to, though, we could, and it’d be really lovely. I’m sorry if you don’t want to do any of those things!

Love,

              Raelyne

[raelynedawnbreeze]

Dear Vrea,

I’m actually writing from your Rel’s house. My husband’s hiding in a barn kind of nearby, but that’s fine, and I’m really sorry that this letter’s already gotten messy, I’m just really flustered, I think, because I realized I came all the way here and my clothes were on backwards.

Sorry, but would you two mind coming to see me? I miss you both and your baby, and also I really kind of want to kiss you, but it’s okay if you don’t want to do that, I still love you!

Love,

              Raelyne

<The paper’s torn, and at the very bottom edge, the top of the word ‘dear’ is written in much better handwriting than the letter Vrea received.>

[raelynedawnbreeze]

Journal Entry - Raelyne

I think I might be really stupid. And I know how that sounds, like I’m going back to hating me. I’m not, though, honest! I’m just noticing now, that I probably am really stupid. Or, I don’t know, maybe I always knew that. But, that’s how it is! I’m just not very smart and I do very not smart things.

But… what makes something smart? It should be what’s right, right? So, what feels right in my heart should be smart. But I did that, or I tried to. Something did happen that did feel very right, and I was so happy, but then it stopped happening so I don’t know. And then everyone else made it way harder than it really needed to be, and I feel silly and stupid.

Even if I was really happy, it was stupid, and not good, and I ought to go visit someone who understands. I think maybe that girl I met while I was fixing Rel up! She’s done things like this, and she sort of looks like Leeta but smaller… so it’d be nice like that, because I want to look at Leeta, but she left really fast and I just got a floating box of chocolate that I mostly ate while I was crying. Would’ve fallen right asleep, but I was holding Endala and at a fountain and I couldn’t really do that. I should’ve taken her home instead of crying, but she fell asleep anyway, and I felt too bad for walking!

Maybe if I weren’t stupid and awful I could’ve done the good-mom thing. That definitely sounds like I’ve started hating me again, but I really haven’t and I’m not going to do that, since I’m tougher than that now. But it’s alright, I think. Other people are going to be doing that for me, right?

That’s not fair. I mean, it would be fair of them. I’m not being fair to me right now. I’m a person, right? Sometimes things are… not quite right, and they get complicated and not the way they would be in the best possible world.

It’d be sort of nice, though, if other people didn’t try making it harder. I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to take a trip after I get one more talk with Leeta. That other mom had some really good ideas! So, I’ll do that, and maybe not be sad or be less mixed up inside, and I can be better.

I just wish that I knew what being better was.

[raelynedawnbreeze]

Letters - Raelyne

Dear Vrea,

I'm not supposed to be telling you things or seeing you but I love you and I miss you a whole lot and I'm worried and no one's been around here lately, so I guess I'll just have to say sorry later! Does that make sense? Probably not, I'm sorry.

I'm around, though! Like, down where you live? I'm not allowed to tell you why, I'm sorry. I'd really like to! I just can't, you know?

Anyway, what I meant to ask is if I could maybe see you. Maybe at that tree! The one we were all at that one time? I don't know, I guess we don't have to visit, I just think it'd be really nice and wonderful to see you again.

Love,

     Rae

[raelynedawnbreeze]

Letters - Raelyne

Dear Vrea,

It makes me really happy that you got back to me so quick, sorry that I took a long ime again. Hearing from you is always so wonderful a thing to have happen. My husband said he was a little jealous I was getting cute letters, though, isn't that sweet? He's very cute.

What sort of things would most owls talk about with each other, do you think? Would Varr and Vir be talking about that stuff? I figure you know lots about owls and their favorite things, so you probably know better than I do. Do owls like moons, maybe?

Oh, and I'm glad you've got such an amazing mother. Please thank her for me, when she tells you stuff! My mother was really great, too. Do you think our moms would've been good friends, too? I hope so, I think they both really deserve to have such fantastic friends. Or maybe that's silly to say. Oh, well.

Your mother sounds beautiful, too! I'm sorry that you miss her and your friend so much, because it's not very fun to have to miss people, but I bet you'll have lots of fun on your trip to visit! Is that going to be soon, by the way? I mean, I know you said it'd be soon, but is it going to be before my trip?

And, and her name is beautiful! Were you planning on having a daughter, do you think? To name after your mother? Not that that should be the only reason, of course, but still?

Everyone's doing fantastic, too, yes! Especially the kids. They sleep really well, even with my husband's boss and another boss and Vee visiting in the middle of the night and yelling a lot like what happened the other day.

I met my husband's boss, by the way. He was kind of strange, but said he liked what I was wearing so he wouldn't make my poor Jim run fifty laps. That was sweet of him, don't you think?

And I'd love to tell you all about my friends. There's so many, I love them all so much. I don't even know where to start. Maybe I'll just write separate letters entirely about them, so that this one doesn't get too long I know it already is, though. Sorry about that.

Is he really from Nagrand? And he makes clothes? Do you think he has any books in his language about making clothes like they wear in Nagrand? That'd be fun, I think, since I love Nagrand and making clothes. And I'd have to learn a few more words to read them, so it'd be really good motivation.

I'm sure I'd love whatever books you have, too. I'll take anything I can get, you know?

How well are things with you t two, then? Did you still need to talk about proposing? I bet you'll do great. Unless you already did. If that's the case, I bed you already did great!

No need to worry about my husband, though! He's super tough. Also, he hasn't been on fire that much at all lately. I can barely even remember when the last time it happened was, in fact. I've been happy for that.

I wonder if any of my friends or my family would hear me, if I tried to talk to them. I don't know if it'd make me feel better or not, if they could. It'd be nice to just know they're all okay. As okay as they can be, anyway. But I guess that's probably not likely.

Anyway, we can definitely talk about the sleeping thing when I visit. We can even talk about it in that tree! I'll be able to do it really soon- my husband's going in an important wizard trip, so I won't have to worry about leaving him behind.

Although, maybe I should wait until he gets back and bring him with me? He said he was worried about me going to see you all by myself.

     Love, Rae