They build wooden houses on frozen ponds

[chosenbylight]

WHO: Anduin & Others
WHEN: Travel arc!
WHERE: Mistress Isakanami's inn
WHAT: Starters for Anduin during the event! Plot with me here and I'll put together a starter for you too, and/or feel free to hit up Anduin's IC inbox!
WARNINGS: None from the start


It has been a long few months, in Serthica.

If Anduin is being honest with himself, the exhaustion had probably started to set in even before they had set foot in that city. On the boat on the journey over perhaps? When he had fired one too many arrows into the sky and knocked himself out for a solid three days. Or had that been the final straw? Was it before then, in Ke-Waihu? As he had fought to save the village from destruction. Children from sacrifice. Or was it in Ellethia before? Saving that ship from the rocks, and Zenobius from the collapse of the tower's magic. Even in Taravast, he had fought to save Donna Rigarda. For better or worse.

Again, and again, and again. Fighting for others. Sometimes winning the battle, sometimes not. Fighting for his own life. Risking it for others. Anduin isn't certain he knows how to turn it off, but he's... Tired.

They have succeeded in this last attempt and saved the city, but there had been a high chance they might not, and -- it was that thought that had spurred him on. Beyond his exhaustion, beyond his limits. Wrathion had reminded him of how Arthas Menethil culled the plague in Stratholme, and he would not, could not allow such loss to happen on his watch. Not when there had been something he could do about it. But now.

Here they are, in this quiet place of relaxation. And he is trying, he really is trying to take it easy. But he can't help but wonder...

What next?

Comments

[noonlight]

"Hullo, dear." Illumination had kept herself quite busy after arriving on this plane. Was it an ideal solution? No, but keeping occupied allowed her to focus on something other than her concerns (not fears) about the strangeness of the situation. Still, worries and hard work aside, there was always time to find a hot spring and soak.

"I ought to warn you, this is one of the hotter pools, but I don't think it is too dangerous." A pause and then she tilts her head. "Which is to say, if you want, you're welcome to join me."

[chosenbylight]

Anduin doubts that the inn would have any spring open to the public so hot that it would be dangerous to enter, so he waves off her concerns with a gentle nod of appreciation. Worst that will happen is he will overheat, and given the dropping air temperature surrounding them, he doubts he'll have much of an issue cooling off if that should happen.

"Thank you," he says, setting his towel aside with a soft smile. "Some of the other pools -- there is a ghost I have run into there several times, and. Well. He is harmless, really, but a companion of mine finds it troubling that anyone might be haunting the hot springs in the first."

For all his talk, Anduin has yet to make any move to remove his robe. Do... They recognize him? Perhaps not. It is not every day you fall through dimensions, to wind up at an inn with the High King of the Alliance, after all.

[noonlight]

"I don't know. I suppose there are worse places to be left to haunt, but that probably wasn't the issue." Illumination shrugs and settles back so that she's as much under water as possible.

"Are you alright?" She could ask if he's uncomfortable or offer to avert her eyes while he climbs in, but that's not really her style. If he wants to get in the water, then he needs to do it himself. "Or do we need to shake hands and exchange business cards?"

[chosenbylight]

"Ah," Anduin says, politely. Is he alright? He supposes that if she is suggesting that they might exchange business cards, then it is at least a safe bet that she doesn't recognize who he is. Which -- earns a sigh of relief, really. There is only one person in this land currently who understands his position, even if he has broken the news to several others. It really would complicate matters.

"No," he concludes. "That's -- fine. I'm fine." He flashes a self-conscious smile. "It has been quite a while since I have been afforded the opportunity to relax like this. I suppose you might say that I am out of practice."

[noonlight]

"Darling, you'll never truly be proficient if you don't practice." Lu leans back a little, gets comfortable in the hottest part of the water, and gestures towards herself. "You see? I have put a considerable amount of time and effort into learning how to be as delightfully louche as I am."

"What do you think of the result?"

[chosenbylight]

Louche. Anduin can't help the quirk of his lips at that choice of words. Well, she certainly does seem... Relaxed.

"I think you're doing a marvelous job of it," he replies. "Perhaps you might be able to teach me how it works."

He forces himself to shrug off his robe, ignoring that little voice in his head protesting the way his body looks (it's fine, he's fine, he's honestly quite fit and attractive, it's really just the scars that make him self-conscious) and stepping forward to quickly slide into the water.

"Or," he continues, "is this one of those lessons that must come only with practice?"