Maureen's Life (Letters & RP Writing)

[Maureen’s Absence]

Dean Crowelley,

You may or may not be aware of my living situation as it currently stands. I was recently forced out of the inn I was staying at, and due to the reasoning behind it, I strongly suspect the same would occur at any other inn within Stormwind proper. Thus, I’ve moved myself to the staff residency hall as a temporary solution.

Since this happened, I have been rapidly making headway on finding a place of my own. Being that this is the first house I’ll have ever known, I wish to take the time to make sure everything is perfect. Having a job with Stormwind University has afforded me the funds and pleasure of picking out whatever location I’d like. It may even be a familiar location to some staff members. I’m inclined not to list it exactly here, but it’s everything I wanted.

Of course, these processes take time. Because I’m focusing on this so heavily, it’s unlikely that I will be able to attend upcoming events with SU. My appearances in Stormwind will likely be very infrequent until everything is squared away. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Tentatively, I should be returning to my duties as a professor on Thursday, June 6th, just in time for the Neutral Literary Conclave in Hyjal. I should also have a story prepared to share that week.

Please feel free to share any of this with my fellow professors, as they may worry about my absence otherwise. If you would like to write me back, the address for this letter is the best way to reach me currently. Thank you for your time and understanding.

Maureen Goodwin
Professor of Choral Arts

As I hobble to the mailbox, I think to myself: is this good enough? I've never excelled with formal letters. I've never excelled at anything formal, come to think of it. Will Dean Crowelley understand? Of course, that's a silly question. She'll understand the problem at hand. The Dean can feel... intimidating. That's the word. But really, I don't think she'd ever be angry about something like this. On the other hand... with all the other things going on... I wince. Light, my leg still hurts so much. I don't know how much more walking I can manage right now without some sort of pain relief. Luckily, the mailbox is in sight. I quicken my pace, trying to ignore the stabbing pain. Caniell would make me go home right away if she saw me like this. She'd also demand to know why I was hurt, so I suppose I'm luckier that she isn't around. Even if she could fix me up a bit better.

I reach the mailbox and slip the letter inside. There. It's done. No more thinking about it. Nearby, I can see a bench, and I happily move to it to rest. The last month has been eventful, at least there's that. Getting hired on at SU, meeting everyone, meeting Nat... A soft smile appears on my lips at the thought. Ah, yes. No amount of constant moving could've prepared me for keeping up with him, I think. I do my best. That's all any of us can really ask for, isn't it? Between him and the university, my schedule has been so full recently.

Submit. Obey.

Oh yeah. And those fuckers. The crypt incident really messed up my energies. At first- nothing. When we left, I was so tapped that I couldn't bring out the even the thinnest tendril of energy. The next morning, it was like a purple river, flowing on endlessly. I couldn't slow it down. That seemed to be the end of it, too, until a bit more recently. I began to have occasional whispers. Usually soft, and incomprehensible, but the keywords I picked up on didn't spell good things. I haven't been able to really tell Alice yet. Nat was so adamant about holding my right hand earlier. He got a bit of a sneak peak into what I'm dealing with. He's not happy about it, either. He's worried. I probably should be, too. But I'll manage. I've got quite the support system now. Alice, Dean Crowelley, Wennie...

Wennie. Something about that didn't sit right with me. What happened to her after we left? Is she okay? I went to the Twilight Grove a few times on my own, against better judgement, and I didn't sense anything. But maybe she's just hiding again. Powerful people tend to be good at that. They've said she's probably fine, but... I don't know. I'm worried. I remember, in the crypt, when she was calming me down and siphoning my energy... When I managed to connect with her, send her that message... "I'm stable. Please, help them. They're the only family I've got." Well, she helped alright. I just it didn't cost her. 

My hand tingles. Huh. Thinking about the whole ordeal got me so worked up, I'm actually shaking. That's rare. Only other thing that does that... My left hand flies to my locket. I came dangerously close to losing more family that night. I can't let my guard slip again. No matter how badly the whispers get, or how deeply I get dragged in. I've got to keep them safe. 

Heh, me keep them safe? I could only stand by and cry like a baby while they were all getting attacked by that damn demon. I was probably the weakest person there, too. What am I going to do? 

I sigh, standing. Enough of that. I'm hungry.

______________

Well! That was fun to work on. I hope I did alright with writing up there. I'm a bit rusty, especially with the first person present tense combo. As you may have gathered, I'm going to be away for a while! I may still be on here and there, but my focus is heavily moving to my RL move, and Maureen's happened to coincide. So, yeah, I'll be a bit gone for a while. Not too long, though! The date listed is when I'm hoping to be back for regularly scheduled events- June 6th, our Neutral Conclave. 

If Amaranthea decides to share this information with everyone as I've said they can, people are more than welcome to write response letters and drop them below. Obviously, you could send IG ones, but the odds of me seeing them are a bit lower. Of course, I'm not expecting or requiring anything, either. I just wanted to leave the option open. 

Anyway, I'll still be around IG, just very sporadically, and my activity on the discord should remain mostly the same. I hope you guys enjoyed the window into Maureen's mind, and I'll see you all around!

- Maureen Goodwin's Player :P

Thumbs up on your writing skill. TBH I only read about to the "Submit. Obey." Not enough time to thoroughly absorb the story & think about how Zhang reacts, but grasped enough in case it comes up in discussion at TT tonight. Then I skipped down to the OOC section.

None the less, I read enough to know that if this is "rusty" I look forward to "ready for prime time".

Sending good energy your way for the rl move - after a year I'm still not unpacked all the way, so I can relate to the upheaval.

[Maureen’s Bad Dream: 1]

A dark world. My breath, ragged and heavy, echoes out into a pitch black abyss, barely penetrable by the naked eye. My body feels weighted, as if anvils had been tied to my ankles and wrists. As my eyes scan the darkness, I can feel it.

Something else is here.

My mind tells me to turn, and my body lurches sluggishly to obey. My green eyes are met with the palest of white, enveloped in violet smog and a scent that can only be described as dubious. My skull pounds with agony at it’s presence. 

“Ah, the weakling. Welcome.” Its words invade my thoughts, seeping deep into my conscious mind. “We’re going to have a lot of fun, I think.” 

I stammer, glaring defiantly at the apparition. “Who the hell are you to call me-“ As I shout, it’s eyes begin to glow. A tendril of energy snakes itself around my throat. I hear a simple command. 

Silence.

And so I am.

It floats about, seemingly looking me up in down as the shadows begin to shift into shape. “Perhaps my familiarity shocks you, Maureen Goodwin. Who am I? I am dormant within many.” The form shifts. Father Fortea. Somberwing. Jecht. Caniell. Mama. Papa. Natrey. All with those soulless white eyes. 

The trickling of tears down my face does not stop the growl forming in my throat. The apparition remains on Natrey’s form for a moment, regarding me coolly. “Right now, though...” It morphs again, this time into an all too familiar form, with long, wavy, burgundy hair, a fit body, and a guitar in her hands. She steps in, her pale death meeting my vibrant jungle with a venomous smile. “Why, I’m you.” 

“Explains the theatrics.” I bark back , spitting at her face as if it was the perfect punctuation for my thoughts. The saliva, to my abject displeasure, passes through her form seamlessly. She laughs in a sing-song voice, tinged with tones of void corruption. 

“You are weak. Helpless. Hopeless.” She growls, circling me once again. “That night at the crypts- your friends were fighting for their lives while you stood by, bawling and shaking like the coward you are!”

I hold my head in my hands, gasping for air as if I have never tasted it. I still can’t. Through gritted teeth, I hiss my reply. “I got under control. I helped them fight.” A hard pressure on my back forces me to my knees. 

“Pathetic. You could barely muster that tiny little dagger of yours.” She grabs my hair and yanks, forcing me to look her in the eyes once again. “Has it not been for Yswilden you would all most certainly be dead. And it’s your fault.”

“My fault?!” I gasp, indignant and shocked. “It’s not my fault, we couldn’t have known there was a Mo’arg coming!” 

Thwap.

My cheek is on fire. She glares down at me. “You were hysterical. You took up Yswilden’s concentration while she tried to suppress your energies, and she couldn’t help them. Jecht almost died because you were RECKLESS!” 

I gawk up, horrified. My mouth is agape as I try to say something-anything- to prove her wrong. Nothing comes. Her lips are twinged with a smirk. “And now poor, dear Wennie is gone. Maybe even dead. No one has heard from her since that night. How does that feel?” She leans in, continuing to allow our irises to clash. Her smirk turns to a sneer. 

“Worthless.”

The fingers entwined in my hair jerk harshly down, sending me hurtling at the ground. I close my eyes bracing for impact, but it never comes. When I open them, I’m standing again, back where I was to start. I breathed in, relief clouding my better judgement. But only for a moment, as when I breathed, I felt her arms reach around me. Pulling me in. Telling me to submit. 

Obey. Obey. OB-

I bolt upright in my bed, heaving for air. My hand immediately reached for the dagger at my table, looking from side to side for any sign of the void woman.

Nothing. 

It was all just a bad dream. 

I don’t feel so well.

Author's note: This post is very hyper-fixated on Maureen and her relationship with Sevastien, because I felt the need to work through her current feelings in writing? So, there's that. Also, I'm sorry it's taken so long to put an update of any sort on here! I'll try to post more frequently, I promise. ^^; Anyway, enjoy, let me know what you think!

[Maureen's Life]

I yawn softly as I begin to wake. My eyes flutter open, and... I'm greeted immediately by Morji, attacking me with wake-up kisses and filling the air with small yaps. I giggle and urge her back from my face, petting her gently. "Alright, girl... shh, shh, we don't want to wake Sev, alright?" The pup cocks her head at me as I speak, then looks to my side. My gaze follows, landing on Sevastien's sleeping figure. My free hand finds it's way to his skin, tracing the runic markings on his arms as lightly as I can. He's so warm, the temptation to remain here under the covers, and slip back into sleep... But, Morji nudges me impatiently, and I sigh. The little lady likes her routine. So, it's time to get up. I pat her side, and she hops off the bed without any further assistance. Funny... not that long ago, she was too small to handle the bed on her own. She's getting quite big these days... I'm going to need a bigger bed. 

I give Sev a gentle hug and a soft kiss, and then I slip from the covers. The floor is cool beneath my feet, but I don't mind it. Morji is already dragging the basket over, like she does every morning. Rubbing my eyes, I think. I never did bring my clothes in, last night, so they're still out on the line... I slip on some comfy pants and whatever shirt is closest- Sevastien's, apparently- and pick the basket up. Morji follows at my heels as I move for the door, and out into the morning air. The sun is peaking its head over the horizon, but it's not all the way out yet. Ugh. Why does the pup have to be such an early riser? I move over towards the clothesline, and Morji bounds off to enjoy her morning. I start to remove the clothing, folding each piece carefully and placing it in the basket. 

You know, I didn't used to have such an extensive wardrobe to choose from. I prefer to pack as light as I can, when travelling. I just... haven't needed to, recently. I've got a home now. I could probably keep more clothes than I'd ever want to wear... plus, with how frequently I have to mend Elanor's, it might be good to have my own spares ready. I just don't have the time to fix up anything else! Poor girl... it's not always her fault, I know, but it's so fun to tease. I just can't help myself. Still, Emmy really does need to help her out, because if I have to escort her across campus naked AGAIN... students are going to start talking. 

I pause, perplexed. Blinking down at the garment in my hand... light, this is one of Sev's shirts, isn't it? I don't remember washing it, how did it get in with everything...? I sigh and shrug it off, thinking that I might come back to this one last. That way, it's on top of everything, and he can just take it with him. Yeah! Perfect plan. So, I replace it on the line, and move on... only to find more of Sev's clothes. Actually, there's quite a bit in this load that belongs to him, it seems... shit. It would feel silly to skip them all now, I suppose. I resign myself to folding each item and adding it to the basket as normal, and I think. Surely these couldn't have piled up without me noticing. There's just no way! Right? But... well, I do tend to steal his shirts, anyway... and he is over a lot. It's almost like we-

...like we live together.

My attempts to shake that thought off don't quite work. We aren't living together, he's just over frequently. Yeah. And he watches Morji, when I'm gone... he does do a lot of work around the property... As I continue down this rabbit hole, I fold the shirt in hand and set it in the basket. I've started cooking for two, even when I don't know he'll be over. I'm cleaning his clothes... how often have I done that, now, and maybe not even realized? It clearly slipped my observation when I washed and hung this load to dry. How many other times? Almost absent mindedly, I snap my fingers, and Morji slinks away from the basket, which she was about to jump into. That little lady is a rascal, sometimes... she's taken quite a shine to him, too. Morji will often hear him coming before I do, and run to the door to meet him. Once, I even came home a bit later than usual, and the two of them were curled up on the bed together. It was cute. 

It doesn't take too long to finish with the clothing. When I'm done, I pick up the basket and whistle for Morji. The pup comes running, soon following at my side dutifully as we head back to the house. She hops up and bats at the handle with her paw a few times. The first few attempts don't work, but then... the door swings open. I mutter softly, "Good girl, we'll work on that later." And then, in we go. She immediately jumps into the bed and curls up beside him to fall back asleep. Me, too, little pup. Me, too. Unfortunately, I have a different issue to attend to- putting the clothes away. 

But, what am I supposed to do with his? I could just leave them in the basket. Then, they'll be easy for him to grab when he goes... what if he forgets, though? Then I'll be back in the same place, and I don't have a place to keep them... unless... My gaze falls on the wardrobe, and I take a large gulp of air. That feels like such a big step... giving him that permanency, that little plot in what we've grown to call my kingdom. Am I really considering that? I can't ask him to move in. It's far too soon, it would be overkill. It could ruin everything. But a drawer? I glance to the bed. The two most precious things in the world, laying before me. Peacefully, even.

Once I set my mind to it, it doesn't take too long to reorganize the wardrobe. In a few moments, it's there- an empty drawer, ready to be utilized. My hands shake slightly, and my heart beats a bit faster. I begin to place his things within, but my mind races as I do. It's happening. I'm starting to feel stable, or maybe even comfortable. I'm happy with how this has all been going, and I think he might be, too. This is working. Looking into the space, no longer empty, but filled with his things, his presence, I somehow feel better. 

He has a drawer.

I swipe my journal from the bedside and slip outside once more. This time, I make my way out to the edge of the property, sitting with my back against the tree. This has become my morning ritual, actually, though perhaps not out of intention as much as happenstance. Between Sev, and the pup, and all the friends and family I have now... I take my alone time where I can get it. Just a little time for reflection- I certainly need it. 

Family... it's such a strange thing, when I think about it. I've been at SU for around four months now, and I've gotten so attached to everyone there- even Vela, though I'll not admit that to her. On top of that, I've met quite a few people in Sev's family... some, actually, have already teased me about joining it. It seems so soon, so sudden, to consider anything like that. We've dating for less than three months! Yet... I flip back a ways in my journal, looking for a specific entry... yes, there. June twenty-eighth. When Sevastien agreed to be official, to be my boyfriend. I can see the hearts I doodled in the margins with giddy glee. On the back of the page, I had even written out "Maureen Clara Steele" a handful of times in what has to be the most flowery handwriting I've ever used. Like a school girl. I scoff at it, but a smile is plastered across my face.

It's... odd. I had felt so euphoric then, when Wennie drained all that void energy away. I've been trying to convince myself that I wasn't thinking very clearly, or that I was too affected to really be thinking it in the first place. As I run a finger over the writing, though, it slams into me hard. Even if the euphoria was amplifying that sort of thought, it was still my own. It had to come from somewhere. My heart thumps dangerously. What am I thinking? Sure, Mama and Papa got married early, but that isn't normal. This is juvenile and reckless, letting myself jump into love so blindly. Not even an hour ago, I could barely handle the slightest idea of him moving in. So, why? All this daydreaming, all this silliness... it has to stop. I need to reel myself in before I destroy everything Sevastien and I have.

I pluck a small flower from the ground beside me and mark that page, that dearest June twenty-eighth, and flip to the most recent pages. I scribble some of these thoughts down, but soon I set it to the side, open, and lean back against the trunk. I watch the clouds rolls by, and search them desperately for a distraction. I find shapes in their fluffy masses. A heart, then a horse, a dragon... I continue finding these, as long as I can. My eyelids feel heavy. Perhaps... perhaps I'll rest just a while longer. When I wake up, I won't have to think about it. A bear, then a cat, then a tree... Just a few minutes, then I'll be up again. That's all...a few minutes... 

My eyes flutter back open, and I feel a presence which was not there before. How long was I out? Sev sits beside me. I scoot over and lean into him. This is what matters, right now. He's still here. We sit for a while, simply coexisting. It feels good. I'm not as scared of silence, these days, when it comes to the two of us. It's the comfortable kind, that's so hard to come by, and I'm okay with that. Even still... I accidentally begin to play music in his mind. It's become habit, in a way. I always hear it, when he's near, and it only feels right to share. Today, it's a violin, playing softly and sweetly- and, yet, it drowns out the whispers. It always does. Resting against him like this... I never want the music to go away.