#the jade forest

[azeroth-aesthetic]

[azerothqueen]

🐼🌸

[deepeningshadows]

[azerothian-details]

Pandaria || Owen’s Wishing Well, The Jade Forest

[azeroth365days]

Veridian Carp - The Jade Forest

Part of the adventures of Jingga-Da-Troll Hunter on a safari through Azeroth.

Fanart made just for fun.

TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

[glimmergold]

Jan 2nd - The Jade Forest

She is always so warm when he slips back into bed, so soft, unguarded. He knows she keeps a knife under the pillow, knows she can wake in an instant, but she doesn't. Not with him, not any more. He settles on his side, watching her, and reaches up to trace the bow of her upper lip. She barely stirs, even as he moves on to a feathered brow, a cheekbone.

It was not always so.

The Jade Forest was pure defiance, for both of them. In Talfven’s case he had stolen Veramis from the Guardians, from Malfven, with magic and temptation. To give in, to defy his resolution not to get near them… it was heady and thrilling, and yet he still wanted her for her own sake. It was how she looked at him, a treat she wasn’t supposed to want and was going to devour anyway.

So in the spirit of mutual defiance they shared beds and baths. Meals. Veramis knew enough about herbs to know about poisons. Talfven ate the first bite of every meal with a challenging smirk, not once looking away from her. Look how I trust you, you won’t kill me, you still want to but you won’t. He was fascinated by the way she picked through a bowl of rice and her pale fingers on the chopsticks.

Her skin tasted like salt, reminded him of the sea, and the forests. Deep green darkness, the things that prowl in the shadows. They stalked one another through the bamboo, and through the nets in their room at the inn, both wary, biting animals. By day they feigned sleep, afterwards, and he watched the sweat bead on her skin, pointedly not watching as her hand traced the dagger under the silken pillows.

There was one soft evening, blurred silver by rainfall, the kind almost light enough to be mist and yet soaks everything. The inn had become too loud and they fled into the bamboo, craving the jade tones of the forest. Beneath the robe she had stolen from him, Veramis’ feet were bare, wet from the grass. A veil of bamboo had come between them and as they lost sight of one another she vanished.

His hair full of sparkling raindrops, he searched in vain, knowing he wouldn’t see her unless she wanted him to. His pulse fluttered in his throat because she was watching him, he could feel it. She was hunting him and was it a game or was it serious this time? A chill trickle of water slipped under his collar and down his spine. A low laugh drifted out from nowhere in particular to make his ears twitch and strain.

It had gone on longer than a game should have done. Toward the end he started to think that was it, she was gone, leaving him to the gentle patter of the rain and endless forest. He turned and found her standing just behind him, staring up at his face with a strange expression. The distance between their lives had suddenly felt so very great and, being unable to stand it, Talfven had reached out to trace the bow of her upper lip, her brow, her cheekbone, until they came together again right there on the sodden grass.

[open-world-azeroth]

LOCATION: “The Secret Aerie”

ZONE: The Jade Forest / Veiled Stair

NPCS: Many friendly, some hostiles on path

SETTING SIZE: Large

ACCESSIBILITY: MoP content, 85+

CAVEATS: None

NOTES: Also by very popular request. I think everybody who played back in MoP remembers their first time finding this place and the weird little speculation surrounding it. So what’s the deal with this reclusive little group of Pandaren falconers...?

We just don’t know! Whatever it is, they seem friendly enough, and have not only a little building available for you to stay but also a serene lake down the deceptively treacherous path below their village.

Maybe if you’re nice they’ll sell you a bird.

[wwo0w]