22. What does your character like in other people?
“The ability to laugh at yourself! I laugh at me all the time! Uh, sense of humor. Some compassion, yeah? Understanding if not everyone thinks the same way. I like happy people! If someone’s sad I want to try and make ‘em better but if they’re sad all the time I get worried. Though grumpy people are fun too, s'long as they’re not gonna kill me for poking them. Oooh, someone to spar with! That’s always great. Someone that enjoys my cooking gets points.”
32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.
"Oh. Anything that’s huge second hand embarrassment or - or… y'want a full description. Uh. Someone getting their heart broken in public, like massive crowd watching? I don’t think I could stick around for that. ’S awful. Like imagine middle of Silvermoon, full day of people and there’s yelling and sobbing and like, people love to watch it right? All dramatic like. Not for me. I can laugh at the small stuff but I… I dunno. It’s just not nice to do that to someone.”
42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?
Rain laughed, looking delighted. “All of them! Matron Berryfuse and Dawnshadow were basically my Moms, but not officially? Like technically I was adoptable but they wouldn’t let anyone adopt me. They raised me. And Joffrey, he was officially the stablehand buuuuut really he was part of the family. Definitely uncle figure if not father. None of the adults in my life were my parents. I’m okay with that. Matron Berryfuse gave me a love of all things machine and Matron Dawnshadow taught me how much a good meal could make a difference. There ain’t two better mothers in the world.”
While traveling on land while the ship was fixed up wasn't making anyone real happy, Rain was more than all right with a few nights spent in Val'Sharah. Because Val'Sharah had druids. And while he was just buckling down in really learning how to heal as a monk, druids came close enough that their perspective on it could actually help him. He couldn't exactly compare notes with a Priest. All he heard was: Blah Blah Light, blah blah goodness.
He loved priests, but he didn't understand a thing of their healing worked. At least paladins hit things. He understood hitting things.
Of course druids turned into trees, and he couldn't exactly copy that aspect. Not without a lot of training and anyway, who wanted to be a tree?
(He did. Being a tree sounded awesome.)
There was a bit of a language gaps but he found one pair holding lessons in Common for the Worgen in the group and he plopped himself in the middle of their group with a screwdriver, a wrench, and a tiny pile of metal that might be a robot. They stared. He cheerfully started poking at his little machine and ignored them.
(He had problems sitting still without fidgeting. It's not like he was going to blow them up, that had only happened once.)
He was perfectly happy to just listen while he tinkered, trying to actually absorb knowledge - he really was more of a hands on person but he had quickly learned he really really wanted to get the theory and background down on all of his spells before trying them. He hadn't messed up on anyone important (see: Drakonbane crew) so he was doing all right.
He looked up in interest as they talked about removing Poisons, straightening up with quivering ears. He had been learning to do that but it wasn't until now a different use occurred to him. He raised his hand.
"Oh, uh, yes young blood elf?" The druid spoke extra slow in Common and he resisted rolling his eyes.
"Don't worry I speak Common well enough," he said cheerfully which made one of the Worgen's ears go flat. He grinned, maybe baring his teeth a little. Yeah he had perfectly understood those little comments about insolent sin'dorei. "Jus' wondering something - you know that classic way of poisoning someone's drink - which is a waste of alcohol, kinda rude… But, um, anyway - lots of stories have people see through that and switch them around, y'know how it goes."
Most of the druids just looked a little confused. One of the teachers however, had an expression of dread that said she knew where this was going. There was a just two listening to the lecture grinning though and he noted them down to chat with later. One of them was pretty hot.
"So I was just thinking - if you just poison both cups - or the whole bottle I mean might as well… You could just unpoison yourself right? I mean that's really - you would think there would be a lot more healer assassins out there. Actually, come to think of it the priests with their little shields would be great at setting explosions - "
The grins turned into outright laughter and one of the teachers quickly and firmly said, "That would be counter to the entire purpose of why we learn to heal."
Her voice said that should be the end of it. It was sobering to the two laughing as they not only piped down but drew in on themselves sheepishly. Rain on the other hand tilted his head, eyes widening inquisitively. "I dunno. I'm learning to help protect people important to me from things I can't just punch away. Seems to me there's some people you can't punch either, but poison would work there."
Long purple eyebrows twitched and the other druid cleared his throat. "Interesting as this is, I believe we're getting a bit off topic. As we were saying, the spell we call Nature's Cure is a quick way…"
He shrugged, settling back into tinkering with the tiny robot with one ear on the lecture. Healers could be stuffy about the strangest things.
He had thought perhaps his end had come early, or it was another part of the dream when the pain came and then went. Maybe it had been a dream. He had fallen into his first true sleep in what felt like weeks shortly after.
A couple of days later he was cautiously hopeful. He had managed to eat. His fever had broken. He was completely exhausted in a way sleep could not entirely help but overall he felt… better. Not completely well. Not yet. But better - he had even scrubbed himself clean and that had felt amazing. He could think again, and focus and the simple task of just living no longer took up all of his energy.
In fact Rain was well enough that his lack of physical energy was to the point of frustration. He had things he wanted to do! His mental focus was back and running at nearly full capacity but for once in his life his body was the one lagging behind. He left his room for the first time since falling asleep in the kitchen (he actually didn't remember how he got back to his room and suspected sleep walking - at least he hadn't fallen off the ship) and breathed in.
He could smell things again! He had definitely taken his nose for granted. There was a curious chirp and he blinked to find the dragonhawk hatchling still waiting around for that letter. Ooooh, the Matrons were going to be so worried. Guiltily, he slunk toward the kitchen while the cat sized critter glared after him. "I'll get to it! Promise!"
The doubtful look he got in return was totally unnecessary. He ignored the hatchling in return as it followed him, considering what the ship had. He could eat, but his stomach wasn't quite up to snuff and he had no idea about the others. So. Something simple, something his stomach could handle.
Stew it was. Minimal spices, just in case. Vegetables only - any meat they might have around that hadn't gone bad was definitely too heavy for him right now, and anyone else that was sick. Even fish. With some consideration he added extra - there might be other people in port that needed a meal and weren't up to it yet. And if not… it was stew. They could eat more of it later.
By the time he had finished gathering ingredient, chopping and preparing and actually getting the water to start heating his eyes were drooping. It was terrible! Sure, days ago even stumbling into the kitchen had made him want to puke but patience with his own body wasn't Rain's strong suit. He wanted to be better!
But well… the stew could be left alone now that it had begun. He just needed to stir it once in awhile. He would just… sit for awhile.
The dragonhawk made a disgusted sound. "Imma get to it," he protested, eyes falling shut. "Just… need a minute. Need to send another letter too…"
He slid down the wall opposite where the pot simmered over the fire. Another letter… to much farther. To Pandaria. He had never paid as much attention to the healing skills as he should have. But he had gotten enough compliments on his manipulation of chi that he knew he could.
And this… what had happened at Sunspire he had felt so useless. He hated feeling useless.
A loud muscle aching sneeze echoed through the small cabin on the Drakonbane and Rain sniffled, taking as deep of a breath as he could. There was a small round table bolted to the floor by the wall but instead of leaning over it he had leaned back as he sneezed. He didn't want to sneeze on the paper - that could very defeat the whole purpose of keeping to his room and writing the note in the first place.
When they had been given the task to round people up to the infirmary, there had been a brief thought - not even a worry - that this could happen. Even now when his symptoms were mirroring exactly what he had heard some of those currently sick - sicker than he was anyway - had come down with in the beginning a part of him was in denial. He almost never got sick. He could count on one hand the number of times it had happened.
But when he did… of course it was going to be bad. He sighed to himself, quill scratching the last few words onto the note. Frowning, he underlined the top words and then scuttled off, paper in hand. In short order it was tacked to the Captain's door and he ducked back over to his room and shut the door. He settled himself into a corner with some spare parts to tinker with.
The note read as follows:
DO NOT TOUCH THIS
Captain,
Sorry about yelling, er, sort of. Y'know what I mean. I've come down with a cold or maybe, that other thing. Hard to tell. Won't be touching the kitchen or making food until I'm sure it's gone. Don't know how it's spreading but not gonna risk it. Gonna stay in my cabin when not working.
((Note: This is a repost from Rain’s old journal when it was a separate account and not a sideblog. Too hard to manage that. So this is backdated by over a year. I was fleshing out Rain’s family member’s backgrounds a bit and recalled I should probably get this over here to have it in one place.))
Post Pandaria, One Year + Before Current Plots
The road to the inn wasn’t, really. It was more of a path. Well worn, wide enough for wagons but nothing close to a path. It was a bit far from the main road between what was now Eastern Plaguelands and Ghostlands. Rain, young as he was, still remembered what both lands were like before - Well. Before. He missed that. But here, them, his - his Matrons, his pseudo family was far from the center of any of that. Near the ocean, but still tucked close against the mountains and maybe the mix of them was where his wanderlust came in. They got folks of all types - honest(as honest as any of them are) merchants, smugglers, thieves, bandits, even the odd pirates who decided the cove down the way is a good place to anchor until certain authorities have passed them by.
Then they get the travelers, and the mercenaries, and - It’s really obvious, going over the list of patrons they got, why he might have developed a taste for the world. Or maybe he was born with it - hadn’t they found him wandering anyway? Maybe even then, he had wanted to wander. He liked thinking he had gotten lost better than all the alternatives.
Either they didn’t have many people staying at the inn now, or they had all walked. The only horse was Jothrey’s, the Forsaken who worked around the place. It wasn’t precisely a horseanymore either, but it still thought it was and who was he to say it couldn’t be a horse just because all its skin and muscle had rotted off?
The horse lifted its head in a silent nicker and he clucked his tongue at it, trotting over to show he had no sugar cubes to feed it (not that it needed them anymore but he didn’t argue with those large soulful eye sockets). The skeletal head dropped in disappointment and he heard a rusty chuckle sound behind him. He grinned, recognizing the cadence. “Hullo Jothrey. How are the Matrons?”
“Miss Berryfuse I’m afraid blew out part of the kitchen tryin’ to fix somethin’.” The Forsaken grinned, leaning against the wall of the stall. “Miss Dawnshadow was havin’ some trouble keeping up. We could use some help with the cooking before the next batch comes rompin’ up the road.”
“Huh,” Rain said, not bothering to hide his wide grin. “Well I reckon’ I could help with that.”
“I figured you could boy. Your Mamas will be glad to see you.” The undead man held up a hand, showing just a hint of discolored skin. “I know, I know - not your Mamas.”
Rain repeated the last part with him, shaking his head. “Matrons. Joth, Matrons. I wasn’t the only orphan they picked up. Just the only one that couldn’t get adopted.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find that was never entirely true. Just none good enough to give you up to. Go on now, I want to see the homecoming. Miss Dawnshadow hasn’t shown a bit of a smile for weeks, she could use some cheering up.” The Forsaken gave him a light shove. Rain was no slouch in the muscles department, but he still stumbled a bit from that shove.
Despite his puzzled look, Jothrey shook his head, dark stringy hair falling into his face. “You’ll understand boy. Just enjoy your homecoming before thinking about it too much.”
Rain frowned lightly - but the attraction of seeing his home again was too much. He ascended the steps, and pushed open the door to the familiar sights and sounds, his shoulders easing with a weight he hadn’t known he was carrying at the exclamations of surprise and delight from the gnome and blood elf woman alike.
For now, he would take a break from traveling and stay home.
It probably should have been quiet in the little room Rain had found himself in while the Drakonbane had been repaired. But Rain couldn’t be quiet at the worst of times and there was a low humming coming out of the redhead’s lips. The tune sometimes switched halfway through notes but had anyone been around to hear it they would have recognized all of them as the more upbeat songs sung by a Pandered at the Succulent Tart show the night before.
Under the table he tapped his foot to the beat in his head but it was impossible he was going to notice any of this - because he was writing a letter. He was attempting to be better about the whole writing “home” thing since he had spent a couple of years in Pandora and had written maybe twice.
Neither of the Matrons had exactly said anything - but Jothrey had and the undead man would know. So here he was. Letting them know about his new adventures and Rain at the best of times babbled... this was no different in writing.
They got to here all about the beautiful storm that had the unfortunate side effect of ripping the Drakonbane apart. Just a bit. Of Sunspire port and deals struck.
And he didn’t hesitate to tell them of the show last night, paying special attention to his descriptions of the Pandered singer - a much different and welcome note in the midst of the darker performers, a good foil to keep the audience’s mood up - and the two men with their snakes.
‘And I mean actual snakes Matrons, not the ones attached to them, don’t gimme give me that look.’ He wrote, just to imagine Matron Dawnshadow rolling her eyes and Berryfuse giggling into her hand.’Not that they were hiding much of either kind. Though I know you would have enjoyed this one woman’s performance, she used fire magic and a violin...’
There were a few notes about the two not-a-ladies of the Vengeance he was sure Berryfuse would get a kick out of, and more than a few words about his cremates, especially Xikaer who easily stuck out by being so very grumpy. Rain briefly wondered if he was in a contest with himself - did he get points for grumpiness? Was he trying to beat a record?
Frowning down at the page he was aware he had rambled - and he was so going to have to pay more to send the extra pages but - that was fine. He carefully folded them up to be sent off before getting to packing what little he had unpacked. Better to get back on the ship soon.
He hoped they set sail soon. before Mister Blaque actually looked at the list of what his Captain had been drinking. He enjoyed a drink as much as the next fellow but he suspected Arkhos had been trying to make another sea for the Drakonbane to float in by how much he had put away.
Two days. Two days and he would be away from Quel'thalas. The tension that had been building since he returned from Pandaria was almost gone - had been reduced since the conversation with Matron Berryfuse and all but the last bit vanished when he shook hands with his new Captain. And he had his first task at hand.
The Captain of the Drakonbane had told him to get them Pandaren spices. It was more than a relief to be given a relatively simple task. He used the spices often enough he knew where to get the best quality - with one small snag. The little shop wasn't open for the day yet. So he had sent of a quick letter, hung around, gotten a reply and still he was left pouting at the little wooden closed sign and the faint shimmer of alarm wards that would deter anyone from sampling the wares.
When the owner of said shop failed to appear from him pouting even harder at it, he let out sigh and turned his reply letter over in his hand. He might as well get back to them while he was waiting.
The letter was awfully long considering his own had been nothing more than 'Joined the crew of the Drakonbane, will be leaving in two days. Love, Rain.'
He scanned the letter swiftly, expression swiftly forming into a grin. The letter started off scolding, and clearly written by Matron Dawnshadow but partway down -
Do take a moment to think about it. I'm not sure at all you should just jump on the first ship that has an opening without proper research. There are important things to consider -
Like is the Captain pretty?
No! Like reputation and dependability. Goodness knows we've never cared much one way or another for national loyalty but I do hope you've considered at least the crucial part of what makes up a good ship. I don't mean to lecture you, Rain. I know if you take a moment to think you'll know what you should be letting us know.
He couldn't help it. Writing his reply on a piece of paper he started off with,
Well, to start with what's most important - yes Miss Berryfuse the Captain is handsome.
He enjoyed a moment of imagining Matron Dawnshadow's expression and Berryfuse's howls of laughter. Grinning brightly at the paper he continued,
A little scary too but that's alright. He made damned sure to let me know his crew was supposed to be loyal to each other. Seemed like he was telling the truth so don't worry about me too much. That's a sight better than when I went off to Pandaria on a zeppelin. He kinda hinted it would be a trial run to see if I fit so it's not like I'm stuck forever. And I did listen around first, promise! I don't just run off at the first idea in my head.
I can see your eyebrow from here Matron! Alright, I don't always just run off.
If it'll set your mind at ease my first job is to grab enough Pandaren spices for a couple of weeks. I could do that in my sleep!
I'll be fine. I was in Pandaria for over a couple of years - if anything I'll visit more often now!
Give each other a kiss for me.
Love,
Rain
He folded up the letter but before he could think about going to have it sent off there was the click of a lock and he jerked his head up. Looking faintly amused and resigned, the elven woman in charge of the shop shook her head at him. "Well come on in, boy, and tell me what you need now."
Leaping to his feet he tucked the letter into his pocket and flashed her a bright smile. She would be in for a bit of a surprise when he told her the order he had for her.
Metal shifted under his hands and Rain huffed, frowning at the damaged vehicle. Restoring it had been a long slow project between him and Matron Berryfuse and there was a fight inside him to finish it swiftly - so he could go - or not to at all. It was an excuse to stay, something he could use on himself when the itch to go, go, get away became too much. But the lure of the mechanical parts was too much on the best day and it was almost finished.
If only this last damn part would slide into place. It was supposed to snick right in, easy as baking a pie.
It was not. It was driving him around the bend and he almost regretted that moment when he had bought the mess of scrap and engine from its previous owner. Almost - he had most certainly gotten it at a steal and there was no doubt in his mind that the orc he had bought it from had no idea how to take care of the poor thing properly.
The inn didn't have much of a garage, and the stables were no place to repair a motorbike. Not that Jothrey's horse would have minded - it couldn't smell a thing these days, what with being undead and all. So he had made do with using a couple of stumps to keep it lifted off the ground and a tarp for when it rained. The process of gathering parts had been painfully slow but between him and the Matrons they connections had been there.
And this - this was the last small part they needed. He had measured, he had double triple checked and there was no way he had gotten it wrong.
But it didn't fit.
"Ech, little raincloud 's not like you to look so stormy!" a familiar beloved voice called out merrily. An old gnome woman whose hair had long faded from pink to gray-blue clambered over to peer at the bike with an excited gleam in her eye and a soft smile on her face. "You been out here too long, I bet. Take a breath - she'll thank you for it."
He rolled his shoulders and followed the suggestion as an answering grin wormed its way onto his face. "Thought I could surprise you if I got it done while you were still working inside."
"Looks like you've finished most of it." She squinted at the piece in his hand, her smile growing. "You're looking at it the wrong way around sonny."
He blinked at the part in his hand, then tilted his head over toward her. "What? Matron - "
"'S backwards little raincloud," she said with a low laugh and he stared in bafflement. It couldn't be that simple. With a calmer eye he lifted it up to stare at it and yes - there at the end were notches that would let it slide right into place… if he turned it the other way around.
"Fucking shit," he swore, starting to laugh as he turned it around. "Thas really all it was?"
"Been out here too long," she said knowingly, giving him a pat on the shoulder where he knelt. It fit exactly as it should and he sighed in relief, taking up his tools to make sure it stayed.
He wasn't sure how long it was when he looked up again as a mug full of fresh cool water was thrust into his face. "Done then?"
"Think so. Still some clean up to do. Hers inside look fine but after a test drive…" He ran a hand over the dented metal that made up parts of the frame.
"Oh, that'll be taken care of," Matron Berryfuse informed him with good cheer. "Have to give you a good send off."
His breath caught and his eyes went wide. he had never exactly said - he chewed on his lip, looking up at her.
"Don't you give me sad eyes boy. We both know you want to and you should." The little gnome straightened her shoulders and only the fact he was kneeling on the ground let her look down at him so imperiously… but she did it well. "We love having you home. But yer not happy here. I won't have you staying here for my benefit - oh no. No protests. Do you think subtlety makes up any part of you?"
He - well. he pouted. He knew he was and she giggled at him. "'xactly what I mean. Heart on your sleeve, as the saying goes. Look - I know Evie's all worried about me and even Jothrey. You long lived types get all panicky when your short loves get older but making yourself unhappy by staying when you want to go is only going to make me unhappy."
She grinned at him, a flash of mischief in her eyes. "You want me happy in my sunset years, dontcha?"
"That's not fair!" he protested and she laughed.
He crossed his arms, sulking. "Well it's not."
"Lots of things aren't fair. You staying here when yer meant to roam is top of my list. But - maybe not so alone this time. Find some travelers. Make yourself useful on a caravan - no?" She giggled at his grimace. "How about a ship?"
He tried that on in his mind, rolling the idea over. Flicking a dark red strand of hair out of his face he looked up at her. "I guess it could be all right. 'S a good idea."
"All of mine are," she said, laughing. "And yer a strong swimmer!"
"Good for when I annoy them too much?" he teased, picking up a rag to clean his hands off.
"Took the words out of my mouth!" Her eyes twinkled at him and he stood, grinning down at her. The tension in his shoulders was gone, the cloud of anxiety vanished as if it had never been.
If all she wanted to be happy was for him to be happy - well it didn't seem at all right to deny her.
