Opus Dei (World of Warcraft, Salandria)

Title: Opus Dei
Fandom: World of Warcraft, Burning Crusade
Character: Salandria (of Children's Week fame)
Rating: G
Note: Title means "work of God." No relation to the Catholic Church.

Opus Dei
by Renata Lord (snowlight)

*

The Lower City orphans usually travelled in packs. Despite Matron Mercy's best efforts, children from different races never quite mingled completely. The little trolls and orclets had their own natural alliance, while the dwarves and gnomes—shorties, as they were known to the older horde children—looked to loud human kids for a core structure. Draenei and blood elf children mostly kept to themselves, fundamentally foreign to either side.

Salandria was an exception to this rule of thumb. Dressed in a dark red skirt that always seemed to twirl, she moved easily between the different little groups like a crimson butterfly. Even the orc girls, fiercely suspicious of anyone wrapped in girly frill, grudgingly admitted that they did like her hair. She had a translucent charm that was uncommon even amongst the blood elves, and for that those around her forgave her caprice and occasional outbursts of drama.

It was hard not to forgive her. Everything about the child was preternaturally cheerful if not entirely innocent to a more seasoned eye. The grown-ups of Lower City were hardened and reticent, but the orphanage children were undeniably fond of little Salandria. When she said she would marry a prince when she grows up, they did not laugh at her. When she looked up to Shattrath's crowded sky and said she would ride on "pretty" dragons one day, they didn't really doubt her either.

Even her fellow blood elves, however, voiced wide-eyed skepticism when she announced that she was going to become a blood knight. Her shoulders were thin and narrow, her limbs as soft as a newly sprung willow branch. How could a girl like that ever become a knight, clad in shining armor and breaking the hollow bones of enemies on fields of battle? It was worse than pretending to be a lost princess waiting to be miraculously found— half of the girls in the orphanage had tried that one at some point, at least.

Salandria responded in the same way she always did when she didn't like what she heard—she wrinkled her nose and lifted her jaw, giving off a playful but stubborn grin. It was a look that said: you are wrong; but that's all right, you will see in time, I know.

*

Finis

Postscript: I have wanted to write about Salandria and Dornaa ever since I first completed the Children's Week BC quests, almost a year ago. The willful Salandria was much easier to write than the nice hoof girl Dornaa, however—she seemed to have her own voice. I would be thrilled to see them in future development in the lore.

Opus Dei (World of Warcraft, Salandria)

Title: Opus Dei
Fandom: World of Warcraft, Burning Crusade
Character: Salandria (of Children's Week fame)
Rating: G
Note: Title means "work of God." No relation to the Catholic Church.

Opus Dei
by Renata Lord (snowlight)

*

The Lower City orphans usually travelled in packs. Despite Matron Mercy's best efforts, children from different races never quite mingled completely. The little trolls and orclets had their own natural alliance, while the dwarves and gnomes—shorties, as they were known to the older horde children—looked to loud human kids for a core structure. Draenei and blood elf children mostly kept to themselves, fundamentally foreign to either side.

Salandria was an exception to this rule of thumb. Dressed in a dark red skirt that always seemed to twirl, she moved easily between the different little groups like a crimson butterfly. Even the orc girls, fiercely suspicious of anyone wrapped in girly frill, grudgingly admitted that they did like her hair. She had a translucent charm that was uncommon even amongst the blood elves, and for that those around her forgave her caprice and occasional outbursts of drama.

It was hard not to forgive her. Everything about the child was preternaturally cheerful if not entirely innocent to a more seasoned eye. The grown-ups of Lower City were hardened and reticent, but the orphanage children were undeniably fond of little Salandria. When she said she would marry a prince when she grows up, they did not laugh at her. When she looked up to Shattrath's crowded sky and said she would ride on "pretty" dragons one day, they didn't really doubt her either.

Even her fellow blood elves, however, voiced wide-eyed skepticism when she announced that she was going to become a blood knight. Her shoulders were thin and narrow, her limbs as soft as a newly sprung willow branch. How could a girl like that ever become a knight, clad in shining armor and breaking the hollow bones of enemies on fields of battle? It was worse than pretending to be a lost princess waiting to be miraculously found— half of the girls in the orphanage had tried that one at some point, at least.

Salandria responded in the same way she always did when she didn't like what she heard—she wrinkled her nose and lifted her jaw, giving off a playful but stubborn grin. It was a look that said: you are wrong; but that's all right, you will see in time, I know.

*

Finis

Postscript: I have wanted to write about Salandria and Dornaa ever since I first completed the Children's Week BC quests, almost a year ago. The willful Salandria was much easier to write than the nice hoof girl Dornaa, however—she seemed to have her own voice. I would be thrilled to see them in future development in the lore.

Raining on Ashes (Sasuke, Sakura, Letter #3)

A project based on 10_letters.

*

On the morning of his forty-second birthday, Uchiha Sasuke, Lord of the Akatsuki, went out for a walk in the Hisui Mountain and never returned. Some noted that he had already begun to show signs of mental instability prior to his disappearance, but to this day wild theories abound as to what exactly happened to the last Uchiha in the famed mists of Hisui.

The following letters were discovered in his study during the course of a long and fruitless investigation. None of the writing was dated. It is highly doubtful that any of them were ever sent.

*

Title: Raining on Ashes
Characters: Sasuke, Sakura
Prompt: #3 (elements)

To Sakura-san,

I regret to inform you that there had been a fire in my quarters last weekend, and a number of my personal effects were destroyed. Among them was the tea ceremony set you had sent me for my twenty-first birthday.

I should take this occasion to apologize for not writing you a thank you letter for receiving that gracious gift in the first place. You must had taken considerable pain to have it delivered to me through convoluted channels. Though thoughtless as I was, I could not deny the generosity in the gesture. Unfortunately, at that time I did not know what would have been an appropriate response. After all, we were at war.

The note that accompanied the gift said "one day I would very much like to sit with you again, drinking tea while listening to the rain." It rains constantly here during the summer and winter seasons, yet during these years I have rarely had the luxury of sitting down for a proper tea ceremony with the right guest. Nevertheless, the very sight of those elegant creations often filled me with a serene sense of resolution.

For that, I am profoundly grateful.

Uchiha Sasuke

Raining on Ashes (Sasuke, Sakura, Letter #3)

A project based on 10_letters. All 10 prompts here.

*

On the morning of his forty-second birthday, Uchiha Sasuke, Lord of the Akatsuki, went out for a walk in the Hisui Mountain and never returned. Some noted that he had already begun to show signs of mental instability prior to his disappearance, but to this day wild theories abound as to what exactly happened to the last Uchiha in the famed mists of Hisui.

The following letters were discovered in his study during the course of a long and fruitless investigation. None of the writing was dated. It is highly doubtful that any of them were ever sent.

*

Title: Raining on Ashes
Characters: Sasuke, Sakura
Prompt: #3 (elements)

To Sakura-san,

I regret to inform you that there had been a fire in my quarters last weekend, and a number of my personal effects were destroyed. Among them was the tea ceremony set you had sent me for my twenty-first birthday.

I should take this occasion to apologize for not writing you a thank you letter for receiving that gracious gift in the first place. You must had taken considerable pain to have it delivered to me through convoluted channels. Though thoughtless as I was, I could not deny the generosity in the gesture. Unfortunately, at that time I did not know what would have been an appropriate response. After all, we were at war.

The note that accompanied the gift said "one day I would very much like to sit with you again, drinking tea while listening to the rain." It rains constantly here during the summer and winter seasons, yet during these years I have rarely had the luxury of sitting down for a proper tea ceremony with the right guest. Nevertheless, the very sight of those elegant creations often filled me with a serene sense of resolution.

For that, I am profoundly grateful.

Uchiha Sasuke