Day 65+
I became that loner. I felt that shock from Bron as I made him Guild master. His "No don't..." made me shudder, but I was not like them. I had given them direction, and it was up to them to decide what to do. I needed this I convinced myself. I needed to focus. To find out why I was really here. At first I went to low level areas, areas that I hadn't done any quests and did them constantly checking the who list to make sure I would run into no other player. Level after level I progressed higher much slower then I had before but faster then I expected. I was sure I was the lowest player and after a who search it was always confirmed. Funny that I could search all of Azeroth. I wondered if they had figured out the same thing, but I didn't think they would search for me. The others had duties and responsibilities. Sometimes I would see that Bron was in the next area over and I wondered was he searching? Darkshore, Loch Modan, Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale, Duskwood, Hillsbrad Foothills, and Wetlands took little over two months to complete. Thousand Needles,
Alterac Mountains, Arathi Highlands, and Desolace each took a week to complete. I would see a party of players here and there but strangely none from my guild. When I thought about I would just grunt or giggle, then I would sigh. They probably disbanded.
Stranglethorn Vale was easy to start with. I had done every level lower and I didn't miss a single quest available. I only dropped the dungeon quests. I would go back and pick them up when I finished STV. Then I was going to lock them one by one. Even after three months I felt the same they needed to be closed. The first few quests in STV were gray and it wasn't until Tiger Mastery that I started getting more than minimum experience. The final Tiger mastery got me level forty. So I headed to Booty Bay to train and set my hearth, sell a few things and see what the auction house had to offer.
Day 160 Booty Bay
"Hey isn't that the gnome everyone is looking for?" the one whispered to the other.
"I am inspecting her now." the second one replied. "Not by the armor nothing special there, and similar gear to any other solo. Wait look at her trinkets never saw that one before and she has two."
"Arena Grand Master? Wow wonder how you get that?" he wondered.
"If she went into the arena I say she is bold enough to be her." the other said. "Come on before she notices." I never did notice them as I had my eyes set on another group of players that were dancing around with their fishing hats and related gear. One was a gnome and until I saw his face I was held in distraction. When I saw it wasn't Jake I shook my head and continued on. I couldn't understand what my hang up was? I knew him less then a month and after three months I still froze every time I saw a gnome male. I was divorced I had multiple relationships, but I never had this infatuation syndrome like a teenager. My feelings should have faded as soon as I knew what it was as soon as he left. Maybe I should have found some other gnome to mess around with, but the few times I tried I just couldn't get passed the idea of... shudder... I chuckled a bit even thinking about it made me shudder.
"Have I a deal for you." the auctioneer stated. I held in my amusement as I searched the items available. The ally auction house and the goblin house was linked as far as I could tell as there was thousands of items. Mostly over priced gear from the latest dungeon run, but sometimes you could find a good deal. I checked the high level items and was surprised to find out someone had entered Black Rock Depths by the type of gear that was offered. It was also no surprise that one was Bron and the other Ginny. It did make me wonder why they didn't pass the items down to other guild members.
"Well look what the cat dragged in or was it a Raptor?" a player stated. I jerked around and nearly got stepped on as two humans suddenly hugged. I stomped on one of their toes before moving away.
"Hey! Oh sorry I didn't see you." the other apologized.
"Oh sure joke about my height. You looked right at me as you clicked on the auctioneer." I scolded. I stormed off fading into stealth as I went.
"What is up with all these gnomes? It is like we threw her at a target or something." he complained.
"Not sure, but they all are getting Napoleon complexes." the other replied. "But I got a look at her gear. Mostly greens quest rewards except those trinkets, boots, gloves, bracers, and belt. They were bis for level thirty nine."
"Quest gear but those items good? Enchanted?" he asked.
"Ya the boots had surefooted, gloves agility, and I think 24 AP on wrists." the other replied.
"That was her!" he stated.
"Who?" the other asked.
"Kit Jenkins, you don't know her. People are looking all over for her and even the kings have been asking for her." he explained. "Plus there is a bounty of five hundred gold just for information."
"No way that was her she has that Shadowcraft gear." the other countered. "She could have been any gnome rogue."
"Please she wasn't wearing a single dungeon gear item. You saw it." he stated.
"So what I have seen plenty of players in quest gear not all are farming the dungeons." the other scoffed and walked off. I did hear what they talked about as I entered the inn and set my hearth.
"So your hearth is set do you require a room?" the innkeeper asked. "I have a few still available."
"One with a private bath?" I asked. He nodded and I got my key. A bath in clear water so needed. The jungle is warm and so is the water but any cleaning is soon made sweaty in minutes. I envisioned myself striped down and washed before I got in the tub just like you would in Japan. I wanted to enjoy the water as long as possible. I heard a whisper that had my name in it. I looked at the player and she smiled weakly before turning away. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. I sighed and headed to my room.
"Wow she was creepy." the girl stated.
"That was Kit I know I was in her guild for awhile." her friend whispered.
"Why are you not in her guild anymore?" the girl asked.
"After she left Bron and the other officers just dropped what they were doing to search for her. They just ignored their guild members and only wanted to listen if they saw her. They were a bit obsessed. People started leaving, but if Kit comes back I bet most of them, me included, would come back." she explained. "She has something that we don't have and her ideas on running a guild were good."
"Still I heard she had a problem with her lover and that is why she left." the girl stated. "Wench more ale!" The other girl giggled but she knew her friend wanted to drink more then talk.
It felt nearly a sin to get out of the bath and get dressed. Another to even go out and possibly get drunk, but I was tired of hiding not that I really was as I just constantly quested.
"Okay Kit quit lying to yourself." I said out loud. What to wear was another problem all together. If I wore my proper gear I would be quickly recognized as Kit and I really wished I could change my name, but how do you do that in game, and without buying it. I had a few dresses or outfits, and a few things like orb of sin'dorei but nothing that would last. I put on a simple dress and headed out to the bank. No one pays much attention to a gnome in a dress even if I was a player, but they completely ignore you if you are flagged for pvp which other then the color change to green shouldn't have done anything, but it gave the impression of a NPC. I found a wand of ninja and cast it on myself. What I noticed right away was instead of a ten minute timer it was at ten hours. I smiled all the way to the tavern.
"Barkeep Rumsey Rum and keep them coming." I ordered. He filled a shot glass and slid it down to me and the bottle. The place was busy.
"Clark Gable once said in a movie, Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Bron stated as he sat down next to me. "Not that you are drinking gin."
"And who are you that such a line might work on me?" I replied. "You could be just dating yourself with old world lore." I looked at him and slid him the bottle. "At this time, I think you should purchase me an alcoholic beverage and engage in diminutive conversation with me in hopes of establishing a rapport. Though I already paid for the bottle."
"I don't think I have heard that flirt in years, but enough of the chit-chat. Let's get to it then." Bron replied. "Though I don't think you could handle it."
"Well that is not what I heard." I stated. "You just fall asleep and dream about it and wake up damp."
"Kit why did you leave the guild?" Bron asked.
"Sorry I'm a ninja not a Kit." I replied, but he wasn't buying it, though he did have difficulty holding back a smile.
"You're the only one in this tavern who is not showing their name. Plus you are not acting like a NPC even as you are flagged and yes I know we can do that. Been a wee bit too close to a horde base before and flagged myself." Bron explained. "Care to answer?"
"My party left because I locked Wailing Caverns. I left because my heart was crushed." I replied and he jerked with my truthful answer. He grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink.
"Not one to bury your pain with work I see." Bron stated. "But from someone who is older then most I didn't think a romance would bother you for long. There has to be something else."
"Nothing really happened and we never got to the romance part, but the feelings I got were ten times worse then infatuation." I explained a bit further. "I didn't want to be around anyone in case I had to apologize profusely for any inconvenience my murderous rampage may have caused. Bron it is better this way."
"Is it? I quested for years alone just me and Bob no one else. Then one day I found myself whittling wood in front of a cabin and I couldn't remember when I stopped leveling. You might make it to sixty, but how can you close the rest of the dungeons at that level." Bron asked. "All the higher dungeons will remain open. Then you have the raids that require forty players. I don't say this to get you in the guild again or to continue what you started, but because I have seen the effect you have caused with just the little bit you have done and are doing. Every zone under forty has very few mob respawns. Just enough to do a quest you are being very selective in what you close. Why?"
"I am the wrench in the system, but many more may come if the dark portal opens. Dranei and Blood Elves. This could cause another thousand players to come to Azeroth. I did the research I was the one thousandth gnome." I explained. "One thousand per race split fifty fifty male female regardless of your true sex. I know not many females play MMO's but WoW has a lot of them and I am sure nearly none at the beginning, so we have four thousand males at most half turned into female and only one that I know of that claims to once be male. Best guess is that most of true females won't dare say the truth. But a new wave of players will bring a mix of about 40% female, but no less then 25%. These true females will see a Girl for what she is. There also is the possibility that players may become horde. This could add five thousand players to the mix. An enemy army. Should I really do what I am doing?"
"I do believe it should be done, but what does that have to do with male female balance?" Bron asked. I giggled.
"Why not?" I asked. "But that has to deal with me. I also think the reason I was so attracted to a relationship was because I am being pushed into one. That has happened to everyone here. The teens and preteens grew up believing this worlds history. I met one gnome who I argued with for hours and she didn't believe the Earth even existed."
"Yes I have felt the pull to date and I have a few lasses that keep me warm at night." Bron replied. "But what you speak of is different. You talk of being controlled."
"Yes I do." I stated. "That is why I am not sure if I should close the dungeons that are no longer needed."
"We still feel you should." Bron replied. "Not as many of us now that you left."
"I see my guild is gone." I stated seeing his guild name. "The Closers, interesting name."
"Yes it is, and I chose it after you left. It is an option when the creator of a guild leaves. End Game Raiders had a goal but we didn't raid anything. We did close a few instances. Come back and we will continue what you started at least the dungeons under level forty need to be closed. Then we can see what happens." Bron urged. "If not at least stop being solo."
"What of Elisa, Harold, Jake and Petrel? Are they in a guild or are they solo?" I asked.
"They are in a guild called Followers. Not sure what it stands for but half of our old members are in the guild." Bron replied. "I think they may surprise you and comeback."
"Depends on who they want to follow." I stated. "Still I am unsure if I want to come back." I downed my drink and then another before sliding the bottle to Bron. I placed my hand on his shoulder before walking past him and up to my room. Not sure if he put the bottle away or he emptied it. It didn't really matter I guessed.
"Well if it isn't Kit the most wanted." A male stated.
"Kit? Isn't she a gnome?" I asked as I pushed on by. "A deadly one by all reports. Heard she killed a few players. I would stay away from her."
"Lies no one has died yet. Player count is still at 4k so we know it is a rumor." the second male who was hiding stated. "Get her!" I jumped back and switched gear. My health wouldn't be very high, but all my other stats would be high. I really thought they could harm me, but nothing happened on either side. I started laughing as I realized this before continuing to my room.
"Gentlemen it has been fun, but you can't hurt your allies." I stated. "Go away." The amount of frustration was easy to read. They stared at me for some time and then left. Once my door was closed I just started laughing I was so ready for a fight, but after that first attack not connecting I was doing all I could to hold back my laughter, hysterical laughter. Just like the real world, in Azeroth we could touch each other and we needed space to fight. You couldn't walk through another person. What I just witnessed was not possible in my mind or theirs. This did get me to wonder about a certain number of fights. Our special abilities that harmed mobs didn't touch us, and despite all the scolding for near misses I never did get hit by a team mate. Could this be another part of it all? I fell asleep wondering still what would have happened if I fought.
