In Over my Head.. Again
*The entire page is speckled with tiny little droplets of ink, as though someone had been tapping the pen between sentences, oblivious to the mess it was making.*
I am an idiot. Truly and beyond question the biggest fool walking the face of Azeroth. It was settled. It was simple. It was right. And then I had to go and *the next few words are illegible or possibly were never even written. There is just a large ink stain. The kind that would be created by a person simply holding the pen very firmly against the page for an extended period of time.*
Talked to Torian today, finally. No point in delaying that any longer now that things are settled and done and
Well, didn't talk to him face to face. Face to conjured image is more accurate. The mage in the room channeling the spell made an already uncomfortable conversation just so much worse. Because he WILL insist on treating me like a child. As though my entire life since leaving home were just some adolescent phase that I should really grow out of now. And then he orders me home for the Lunar Festivities and looks at the dress Pyrce bought me, the only dress I even own, and requests that I wear something more. 'appropriate' for the visit.
If he hadn't been an illusory phantom image I'd have stabbed him in the throat. And I am going to continue to completely blame all the stupidity of the rest of the evening on my brother because it pleases me to do so. Even if I know it's not true.
I started my blind walk through the streets, in the wrong direction. I didn't want to go back to the ship yet. Think I was headed for the woods, pretty dress be damned, when who should I see by the front gates of the city but Toumar bloody Kaldrenon, sitting there on his riding wolf and looking like a hundred year old bottle of wine, a pile of mana crystals and a long blind fall toward a pool you're not even sure is there.. all wrapped up in very very tight pants. I should have just turned and walked off the other way.
He called me 'kiddo.' I almost hit him. Overreaction. But it was just about the worst thing to say after a chat with my fel-cursed older brother. Then he offered me a bit of fun to wind me back down. Offered to put his plans on hold for me. His plans to scout out a spot for his wedding ceremony. His wedding. His marriage. To Eve.
So I, like an idiot, offer to bring a woman's eye to the hunt. And off we go. The pair of us. Barely able to control our desire to just do very very bad good inappropriate things to one another in the middle of the city streets. Off to take a little tour of all the most beautiful and picturesque and remote spots Azeroth has to offer. Because that's a good idea. Clearly.
Somewhere along the way we decided to head to Feralas. It wasn't on the predetermined list of desirable locations he had discussed with his bride-to-be. But it is high on my list of the most beautiful places on Azeroth and Toumar, it would seem, shares my passion for greenery and waterfalls and so fell in love with the place the moment the wyvern landed at Camp Mojache and he turned around. We went to my little hiding place at the top of the falls where I keep a semi-permanent camp. Someday I plan to build a house there. If I ever get the chance to settle down.
Well the falls were right there. And the river. And we both love the water. So swimming was a natural choice, and a continuation of the game we began the last time we went out to play together. Stalking each other through the water, testing our reflexes and our cunning and our self control. He teased me with the promise of higher stakes this round but wouldn't say what he meant. Not till we were at the water's edge and he stripped down completely and dove in nude.
And so I did the same. Obviously. Because that was an intelligent decision. Clearly.
Nobody won. We both nearly drowned. Which will happen when you're trying to wrestle someone into submission while being in over your head. In every sense of the word. So we crawled onto the bank and lay gasping like beached fish for a while and declared it a draw. And then we got our breath back. And there we were. The pair of us. Naked. And all alone.
We very nearly did something monumentally stupid. I wish
But I.. like the idiot I am, had to open my mouth and once again say exactly the wrong thing at just the right moment. And we had to finally admit that we had taken the game too far. And I had to dive off the top of the falls. No choice in that really. Just had to be done. He wasn't there when I got back. Probably for the best. The water wasn't nearly cold enough.