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31_days2012-02-02 11:50 pm
the--ivorytower.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2012-02-02 11:50 pm
[Feb 02] [Warcraft] Fire and Ice 2/29
Title: Fire and Ice 2/29
Day/Theme: February 2: My love a beacon in the night
Series: Warcraft
Character/Pairing: Kael'thas Sunstrider, Jaina Proudmoore (primarily); Others mentioned; Implied pairings: Daelin/Adriana, Daelin/Kelnar, various others.
Rating: G
Previously: 1
Author's Note: These fics will be primarily unbetaed, and then reposted on my personal journal at the end of the month.
~ * ~
By the Sunwell, this is dull, Kael thought, flipping the page of the textbook he was reading. Do humans learn magic this way? It's like I'm reading something written for children.
The truth of the matter was that the humans here were young. Most of them were between fifteen and eighteen years of age, all solemn-eyed and serious. They took notes very diligently, and were still a little over-awed by their teachers, as well as some of the senior students. Like me. It's like I never left Silvermoon. I'd hoped…
Kael rubbed at his temple. He'd hoped Dalaran would be more relaxed. He'd heard that the elven students here were more relaxed, and felt less pressure on them from their families, and admittedly, there was some kind of vindictive satisfaction on making his father actually do a fraction of the paperwork that he was entitled to. Shelemvor probably does most of it, but… maybe this will help him. He shoved away the memory of his last meeting with his father, and several previous ones. I need a distraction. I need--
"--low-brow, undisciplined, scruffy looking--"
"--stuck up, scum-sucking, bottom feeding--"
--people fighting in the library, Kael said. He closed the textbook and shoved it away before getting up. He put on his best scowl and stomped towards the two people fighting and stopped cold. Before him were… children. Human children, but children nonetheless.
One of the children was a boy, no older than fifteen or sixteen. He appeared to be a student, dressed in apprentice robes. His hair was short, red and spiked, giving the air of someone who was constantly surprised, or at least had been in close proximity to an explosion. The other was a girl, and much younger by his estimation. She was blonde, and instead of apprentice robes, she wore a navy-blue jacket draped around her shoulders, navy slacks and a white blouse. There was something about it that seemed familiar.
"What's going on here?" Kael asked, his voice stern and authoritative. "Why are you fighting in the library?"
Both youths turned to look at him, and the difference between them was immediately obvious. The boy's jaw hung open, staring in silent wonder. The girl, by contrast, looked annoyed. "He was complaining about my accent and my clothes. He said I didn't belong here."
Kael turned to the boy. "Well, did you?"
The boy's reply was inarticulate. The girl rolled her eyes. "You'd think you'd never seen royalty before."
Kael paused. Admittedly, he didn't think he was that recognizable. He didn't wear the traditional royal garb in Dalaran, that would be inappropriate since he wasn't here as a member of the Sunstrider house, he was here as a student. So all he wore was the mark of House Sunstrider on his robes, and-- Damn.
Something occurred to him. The boy was having a hard time dealing with it, but the girl wasn't. This bears investigation. "You've seen royalty before?"
"Well, of course, Da took Tandred, Mother and I to see his friends in Lordaeron. Calia was nice and played music for us, Arthas was silly and just talked about horses all the time, and their mother doesn't live in Lordaeron because she doesn't like it there." She shrugged.
Realization hit Kael with an audible snap. "You're a Proudmoore. You're... Jaina?"
The girl -- Jaina -- nodded. "That's me."
"What brings you to Dalaran?"
"I'm studying," Jaina said, and ducked her head a little. "I was trying to, anyway. It's hard to read here."
"I didn't think there were mages in the Proudmoore family," Kael said. "I thought you all went in for sailing and such."
Jaina looked down. "Usually, yes."
Kael reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, just lightly. "I'm afraid I don't know much about sailing. Perhaps we could find a quieter place to talk about it? Just let me get my books."
A smile flickered on Jaina's face. "I'd like that."
Kael nodded and smiled back, retrieving his book quickly before heading out of the library and into Dalaran's busy, bustling streets. He glanced down at his new companion and then around. What he knew about Tirans was relatively limited beyond what everyone knew about them: they liked the sea, they liked to fight, and they loved fish. The first was out of reach -- one didn't go taking children out of Dalaran, Kael was almost certain the tagged them so they could track them in the wild -- and the second was not an acceptable option. The third, on the other hand... "This way."
Jaina followed him as Kael ducked past some people. Glancing at her, Kael could see that Jaina was still new enough to be surprised by some of what she saw, but refused to be awed by it. Perhaps not refused, but... It's as if she's bound and determined not to give an inch, as if she's afraid she'll be giving something up, but what?
When they got within olfactory range of the shop, Jaina's eyes widened and her expression brightened. Kael permitted himself a smile. "Have you missed fish?"
"Have I ever, it's been three months. Kelnar's nice, but she's used to living differently."
Kael stepped up to the counter and ordered two fried fish. Even as the woman at the counter stammered that she couldn't accept his money, Kael left it on the counter, retrieving their fish once it was finished frying. He handed Jaina one of them and began to walk. There might not have been much of a dock, but there was a bridge, so he decided to take Jaina there. There were benches, but Jaina elected to sit on the edge of the bridge, munching happily.
"Who's Kelnar?"
"She's Finn's mother."
Kael smiled. "Who's Finn?"
"My sister."
Kael blinked. "Wouldn't that make..?"
Jaina shook her head, swinging her legs. "Finn's mother is an elf, like you. Da and Kelnar were lovers before he met Mother, and she had Finn after my parents got married. So she's my sister."
Kael looked down at his fish, wondering if it had gone bad. If he was assimilating all of this correctly, Daelin Proudmoore had an illegitimate half-elven child with one of the teachers in Dalaran and Jaina... didn't seem to care. No, he correct himself, watching Jaina eat. She seems to care, just in a different manner than I anticipated. I don't think there's a single noble in Quel'thalas that would-- Even as he thought it, he realized it was wrong. There had been a scandal around the end of the war, involving one of the ranger elite, Alleria, and her human lover, General Turalyon of Lordaeron. They had had a child, and he had been left with Alleria's family when she and Turalyon had gone through the Dark Portal. And never came back.
Kael frowned. The Windrunners closed ranks around the boy, and even more so when Vereesa chose to marry a human, and there are rumours about Sylvanas... so that's one family, but it's not as if it's a trend-- A memory floated up, a half-remembered story about his grandmother. I think Shelemvor mentioned something about the succession. How did it go? Her twin brother was the king, but he abdicated in her favour, so my father became the next king after her, but why is it relevant? Kael's forehead wrinkled.
"You're thinking too hard," Jaina said. "It's just fish. It's good though. Not as good as home, but it reminds me of Lordaeron."
Lordaeron, Kael thought as it hit him. My great-uncle was involved with the king of Lordaeron at the time. Generations ago, by Lordaeron's account, but still. Kael covered his face with his palm, wincing at the grease. So I'm completely wrong. There are a number of instances in which humans and elves cause scandals together. Wonderful.
Jaina poked him twice before he looked up. "You're still thinking too hard."
"I'm sorry," Kael replied. "I'm simply... thinking about what you've said. It seems as though humans and elves cause a lot of trouble together."
"That's silly," Jaina said. "How can love be trouble? If you love someone, you love them. That's all there is to it. It doesn't matter how they look or who they are. It doesn't matter if they're a girl or a boy, or an elf, or anyone else. It just matters that you love them."
How adorably naive, Kael thought, but smiled. "Who told you that, your parents?"
Jaina shook her head. "Tandred did. He said that you should let your love for someone be your lighthouse, your beacon in the night. He wrote a whole song about it."
"Do you know it?"
Jaina nodded. She began to sing. Tunelessly. Kael smiled. Jaina was a child. Human. Imperfect. He had sat in the audience of the grand operas of Silvermoon's Crescent Theatre, listening to the greatest performers Quel'thalas had to offer. This was as far from that as Quel'thalas was from Kul Tiras, and yet... Jaina sang with all her heart, and Kael couldn't help but admire that.
It's wonderful. "Let thy love illuminate the night."
[Feb 3rd]
Day/Theme: February 2: My love a beacon in the night
Series: Warcraft
Character/Pairing: Kael'thas Sunstrider, Jaina Proudmoore (primarily); Others mentioned; Implied pairings: Daelin/Adriana, Daelin/Kelnar, various others.
Rating: G
Previously: 1
Author's Note: These fics will be primarily unbetaed, and then reposted on my personal journal at the end of the month.
~ * ~
By the Sunwell, this is dull, Kael thought, flipping the page of the textbook he was reading. Do humans learn magic this way? It's like I'm reading something written for children.
The truth of the matter was that the humans here were young. Most of them were between fifteen and eighteen years of age, all solemn-eyed and serious. They took notes very diligently, and were still a little over-awed by their teachers, as well as some of the senior students. Like me. It's like I never left Silvermoon. I'd hoped…
Kael rubbed at his temple. He'd hoped Dalaran would be more relaxed. He'd heard that the elven students here were more relaxed, and felt less pressure on them from their families, and admittedly, there was some kind of vindictive satisfaction on making his father actually do a fraction of the paperwork that he was entitled to. Shelemvor probably does most of it, but… maybe this will help him. He shoved away the memory of his last meeting with his father, and several previous ones. I need a distraction. I need--
"--low-brow, undisciplined, scruffy looking--"
"--stuck up, scum-sucking, bottom feeding--"
--people fighting in the library, Kael said. He closed the textbook and shoved it away before getting up. He put on his best scowl and stomped towards the two people fighting and stopped cold. Before him were… children. Human children, but children nonetheless.
One of the children was a boy, no older than fifteen or sixteen. He appeared to be a student, dressed in apprentice robes. His hair was short, red and spiked, giving the air of someone who was constantly surprised, or at least had been in close proximity to an explosion. The other was a girl, and much younger by his estimation. She was blonde, and instead of apprentice robes, she wore a navy-blue jacket draped around her shoulders, navy slacks and a white blouse. There was something about it that seemed familiar.
"What's going on here?" Kael asked, his voice stern and authoritative. "Why are you fighting in the library?"
Both youths turned to look at him, and the difference between them was immediately obvious. The boy's jaw hung open, staring in silent wonder. The girl, by contrast, looked annoyed. "He was complaining about my accent and my clothes. He said I didn't belong here."
Kael turned to the boy. "Well, did you?"
The boy's reply was inarticulate. The girl rolled her eyes. "You'd think you'd never seen royalty before."
Kael paused. Admittedly, he didn't think he was that recognizable. He didn't wear the traditional royal garb in Dalaran, that would be inappropriate since he wasn't here as a member of the Sunstrider house, he was here as a student. So all he wore was the mark of House Sunstrider on his robes, and-- Damn.
Something occurred to him. The boy was having a hard time dealing with it, but the girl wasn't. This bears investigation. "You've seen royalty before?"
"Well, of course, Da took Tandred, Mother and I to see his friends in Lordaeron. Calia was nice and played music for us, Arthas was silly and just talked about horses all the time, and their mother doesn't live in Lordaeron because she doesn't like it there." She shrugged.
Realization hit Kael with an audible snap. "You're a Proudmoore. You're... Jaina?"
The girl -- Jaina -- nodded. "That's me."
"What brings you to Dalaran?"
"I'm studying," Jaina said, and ducked her head a little. "I was trying to, anyway. It's hard to read here."
"I didn't think there were mages in the Proudmoore family," Kael said. "I thought you all went in for sailing and such."
Jaina looked down. "Usually, yes."
Kael reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, just lightly. "I'm afraid I don't know much about sailing. Perhaps we could find a quieter place to talk about it? Just let me get my books."
A smile flickered on Jaina's face. "I'd like that."
Kael nodded and smiled back, retrieving his book quickly before heading out of the library and into Dalaran's busy, bustling streets. He glanced down at his new companion and then around. What he knew about Tirans was relatively limited beyond what everyone knew about them: they liked the sea, they liked to fight, and they loved fish. The first was out of reach -- one didn't go taking children out of Dalaran, Kael was almost certain the tagged them so they could track them in the wild -- and the second was not an acceptable option. The third, on the other hand... "This way."
Jaina followed him as Kael ducked past some people. Glancing at her, Kael could see that Jaina was still new enough to be surprised by some of what she saw, but refused to be awed by it. Perhaps not refused, but... It's as if she's bound and determined not to give an inch, as if she's afraid she'll be giving something up, but what?
When they got within olfactory range of the shop, Jaina's eyes widened and her expression brightened. Kael permitted himself a smile. "Have you missed fish?"
"Have I ever, it's been three months. Kelnar's nice, but she's used to living differently."
Kael stepped up to the counter and ordered two fried fish. Even as the woman at the counter stammered that she couldn't accept his money, Kael left it on the counter, retrieving their fish once it was finished frying. He handed Jaina one of them and began to walk. There might not have been much of a dock, but there was a bridge, so he decided to take Jaina there. There were benches, but Jaina elected to sit on the edge of the bridge, munching happily.
"Who's Kelnar?"
"She's Finn's mother."
Kael smiled. "Who's Finn?"
"My sister."
Kael blinked. "Wouldn't that make..?"
Jaina shook her head, swinging her legs. "Finn's mother is an elf, like you. Da and Kelnar were lovers before he met Mother, and she had Finn after my parents got married. So she's my sister."
Kael looked down at his fish, wondering if it had gone bad. If he was assimilating all of this correctly, Daelin Proudmoore had an illegitimate half-elven child with one of the teachers in Dalaran and Jaina... didn't seem to care. No, he correct himself, watching Jaina eat. She seems to care, just in a different manner than I anticipated. I don't think there's a single noble in Quel'thalas that would-- Even as he thought it, he realized it was wrong. There had been a scandal around the end of the war, involving one of the ranger elite, Alleria, and her human lover, General Turalyon of Lordaeron. They had had a child, and he had been left with Alleria's family when she and Turalyon had gone through the Dark Portal. And never came back.
Kael frowned. The Windrunners closed ranks around the boy, and even more so when Vereesa chose to marry a human, and there are rumours about Sylvanas... so that's one family, but it's not as if it's a trend-- A memory floated up, a half-remembered story about his grandmother. I think Shelemvor mentioned something about the succession. How did it go? Her twin brother was the king, but he abdicated in her favour, so my father became the next king after her, but why is it relevant? Kael's forehead wrinkled.
"You're thinking too hard," Jaina said. "It's just fish. It's good though. Not as good as home, but it reminds me of Lordaeron."
Lordaeron, Kael thought as it hit him. My great-uncle was involved with the king of Lordaeron at the time. Generations ago, by Lordaeron's account, but still. Kael covered his face with his palm, wincing at the grease. So I'm completely wrong. There are a number of instances in which humans and elves cause scandals together. Wonderful.
Jaina poked him twice before he looked up. "You're still thinking too hard."
"I'm sorry," Kael replied. "I'm simply... thinking about what you've said. It seems as though humans and elves cause a lot of trouble together."
"That's silly," Jaina said. "How can love be trouble? If you love someone, you love them. That's all there is to it. It doesn't matter how they look or who they are. It doesn't matter if they're a girl or a boy, or an elf, or anyone else. It just matters that you love them."
How adorably naive, Kael thought, but smiled. "Who told you that, your parents?"
Jaina shook her head. "Tandred did. He said that you should let your love for someone be your lighthouse, your beacon in the night. He wrote a whole song about it."
"Do you know it?"
Jaina nodded. She began to sing. Tunelessly. Kael smiled. Jaina was a child. Human. Imperfect. He had sat in the audience of the grand operas of Silvermoon's Crescent Theatre, listening to the greatest performers Quel'thalas had to offer. This was as far from that as Quel'thalas was from Kul Tiras, and yet... Jaina sang with all her heart, and Kael couldn't help but admire that.
It's wonderful. "Let thy love illuminate the night."
[Feb 3rd]