Why the hell was I there? Gida stared up at the dark canopy of trees above, not really seeing them as she slouched against one and slid down to sitting. What was the point?
She already knew Illumyn belonged to Carvain. She gave her up over a year ago, stayed away to separate them from her troubles; give them a better chance at happiness. Third wheel and all that. She winced, remembering the warm smile Illumyn gave Carvain as he slid his arm around her waist. Gida closed her eyes and sighed, hissing as pain screamed from the acid burns on her arm and torso. Her cloak was in hole-riddled tatters, but she’d do it again to save Illumyn from that blow.
Is that why? The connection between them, though dull and faded this last year, sung, intense and urgent tonight. She followed instinct to Un’goro and found Illumyn treasure hunting, of all things. Her nerves twitched as Illumyn looked for her in the crowd, sensing now too. She threw her arms wide, a happy smile for her alone. Like no time passed at all.
A drop pattered on her cradled wrist, the salt of it stinging. What did you think was going to happen? She demanded from the little drop. She married him, why invite you along their romantic cruise to uncharted lands? Would you even want to go? She found it difficult enough to watch them together tonight. Still, left to pile into a portal to heal with people she knew little of, not even a look over the shoulder.
You’re being stupid. Gida gritted her teeth and forced herself up, trudging through the low jungle brush of Un’goro Crater. She felt like an idiot for not taking the portal with the others, for walking off to sulk behind the nearest boulder. Worse, she felt a keen, iron grip on her heart, squeezing with certain knowledge. Somehow, she simply knew this was the last time she’d see the moon.
——————
Notes: This is the personal aftermath of an RP event in the game, world of warcraft, in which the players playing Illumyn and Carvain said their goodbyes as they left the game permanently, sailing away to uncharted lands and grand adventure.
I wanted to participate in the farewell RP celebration with Gida, since Illumyn is so important to her. We figured the easiest way to explain her sudden appearance after avoiding Illumyn’s new happier life, without side-tracking the group RP, was to agree that Gida felt an intense need to travel to Un’goro, called by the old, never permanently severed connection between the two. Oh, and in Illumyn’s defense, she was having severe connection issues during the entire RP, who knows how this might have ended otherwise.
Want more Gida and Paper Sun?
Count me Out (Gida on Valentine’s Day)
Had Enough (Another character song entry)
Stand in the Rain (Another character song entry)
Broken Pieces of Me (Sorta)
Muse Sings 
It’s sad to see players leave a game or forum for good. Sometimes we’ve just got to move on and let others take our seat.
It’s neat that you managed to take the time to RP the going away. I personally don’t mind a hard turn in storylines if everyone’s in agreement to it (after all, Blizz has changed it’s own stories a few times!) though it’s fun to see an old story finally get its ends tied up and retired.
And I can totally relate with connection issues during a ‘critical’ RP point. I’ve seen groups wait upwards of an hour for someone to come back from LD, and sometimes using a fill-in toon or having a group talking with an empty spot. That’s a real test of RP skills, me thinks! XD
I also like the various emotional turns RP can take when everyone agrees to it! Even when Blizzard (or other worlds) forces change, it can be fun to see where that takes the character. I confess, if it’s an outright change in the background, I toss it if it doesn’t work and doesn’t throw off RP with others I’m RPing with. The change they’ve forced Lesara into with cataclysm and the horde invasions of Ashenvale should prove fun to explore (if I ever get around to RPing her enough to explore it).
I agree with your whole comment, I’ve had some fun closing RP too. In fact, I actually considered retiring this version of Gida when I found out the RP event was leading to Loomy and Carvain sailing to uncharted lands. I figured Gida might go with, but it’s fun for me to just see where the RP actually leads.
I had a fun RP session with another friend playing a healer, after this, but to include that would’ve made this segment so lengthy.
And yeah, I’ve done the “make do” sorta thing before too, particularly when someone’s having connection issues, or gets a phone call, etc. Friends and I have also been known to RP with empty air because we all agree an alt would definitely be present, or we have a role to fill in the story that’s of “NPC” status.
We couldn’t wait for Illumyn that night though too often because she and Carvain were expecting company later that night (which arrived early) so they were trying to also wrap things up. It’s a little sad that our final RP with them was rushed, but it was fun to get a final RP in all the same 😀
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