#how did grom survive this long
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Thunder Wolf
Maria Hill x wolfshifter!reader.
Summary: reader is a kid raised between Hydra and Red Room lines. She saw at least two generations of Widows graduate from the program. Madame Hydra's favorite pet.
Would reader be able to build a normal life?
⚠️ Trigger warning: mentions of wounds, torture. Standard warnings.
Enjoy! Feedback is very welcomed.
🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺
Some would say that life can be an adventure, full of adrenaline, tragedy. But yours? You've covered all possible bases with an tad add of madness.
You don't have memories of a family, as you grew older some kids you lived with told you you arraived to small to the school. Barely a two year old, but there was something special about you. Training and lessons, many years of blood and tears smeared on the floor. The school you were in was a ballet one but, for some reason you weren't taught dancing. You were taught to fight and survival. At some point the other kids joined you on this lessons, but while they were instructed to dancing you were taken to a laboratory.
That's when you met a woman that became a somewhat mother to you. Melina, she was a scientist. She did a bunch of tests specially when you were on your animal shape. A wolf, well you were a pup so your size was a medium dog. They wanted to duplicate that ability of yours.
The worse was when Melina wasn't around, the other scientists were cruel.
You truly have no idea how many years you were on the Red Room. You saw at least two generations of Black Widows rise. You weren't one of them you were their dear Grom Volk, Thunder Wolf.
It's been at least two decades since the last time you spent time with Melina or went on a mission with her. The last time you somewhat knew of her was a little over a decade ago.
For some reason Madame Hydra left you on this facility since half a year ago, which is odd you used to be her main bodyguard. Your shifting ability allows you to pass as her exotic pet. Every few months a chopper comes and throws some food an essentials for you and the rest of the guards but, usually you go to hunt.
Tonight you are lazyly lying on the rooftop of the facility. The full moon shining brightly, you are enthralled by it. Full moon leaves you restless, small cracks of lighting scape your claws when you tap them against the concrete.
Taking your eyes off the bright satellite, your eyes scan the wooden perimeter, at first everything seems normal. Until you catch some odd movement. You quickly shift back to your human form and call for a status report of the agents, seemingly nothing out of normal. But, something is wrong... You tell them to keep alert and choose to investigate yourself. Jumping out of the building you shifted back into wolf form and barely made any sound. Now on the ground you quickly catched three unknown scents. And you growled in annoyance, bunch of incompetent guards you will bite their asses before requesting an exchange.
It didn't took long to locate the three women, one tall, two average. One of them smelled different, powerful. The other smelled... that smell, you got that smell somewhere else, it might be a traitor. You tuned your ears to pick up their exchange through comms.
"Hill, we got the intel. Maximoff found something else there's an enhanced, we need to get away fast".
If Madame Hydra finds about your failure she will skin you alive. You gather energy and grow up your form to double size, you weren't small to begin with being a northwestern wolf. And now you are the size of a nightmare.
Picking up speed you go around the taller one and block her path.
*Guys, if by enhanced you mean a massive wolf with sparkling white eyes. Is standing right in front of me* Maria can't help but admire the fur on the giant wolf grey and black like a raging storm.
("I suggest you three surrender, and handover the Intel you stole") she hides her surprise at the voice in her head, she is kind of used to by now thanks to Wanda.
*We are going for you* Romanoff says on her earpiece.
What you didn't know was that one of them went for the quinjet, while the other came running to the rescue. You heard the person coming, so you went to attack the one in front of you.
For your surprise she was agile and a good shooter, but your quick healing made it useless. The bleeding stopped immediately and years of training meant you didn't even felt the wounds, she would need better placement of her shots.
*Maximoff any time now, would be helpful* she shouted while she dodged your claw that end up stuck on the bark of a tree. The woman sprinted away and you yanked your claws back to pounce at the agent to end her when a force pushed you off against a tree. Rolling a couple of times you stand up and snarl at the other woman. She has some red smoke surrounding her hands.
"Come with us, we can help you".
("I don't need your help, I have my orders")
You go again against them.
"Hill! Go, I will stop them" Wanda orders and leaps to meet you half way.
----
You gotta admit, that brunette with red powers is one of the most powerful beings you have fought against. And for your shame she is managing to run away. While you fought she caught your knee with a boulder and you can barely make it move. Even when you called your agents she decimated them like flies.
*Wanda! Protect yourself I'm firing from the back gate*
You see their airplane hovering above, there's no way she can jump that high.
The shooting begins, and your get a little slower dodging in zig zag the shots. But that woman is a good shooter, she caught you a couple of times. Enraged you set off an electrical shockwave that burns her incoming rain of bullets, and you see the brunette raising up using her powers.
On a last ditch effort you use all your strength to jump up your sharp teeth latch on the end on the metal gate rattling the entire aircraft. You quickly scramble to latch with your claws and begin to hike up. When the brunette enhanced makes the mistake of stepping on the metal gate you electrocute her unconscious, Madame Hydra would enjoy having her on her ranks.
The woman on the cock pit begins to do some evasive manoeuvres but you latch to the metal panels like your life depended on it *Hill! Shoot them down!"
You try to pounce on the one they call Hill, but when the pilot turns around your brain freezes... Natalia? Is that- red energy blasts you against the aircraft side panel. Your body doesn't even touch the floor when is flung away like garbage out of the jet. The last image you have is Natalia's panicked green eyes.
"Bad dog!" Wanda sneers as she allows herself to collapse on the floor.
---
"Wake her up" a voice orders. The agents throw iced cold water on the wolf chained to the floor. The wolf's white bright eyes open with confusion.
Your master heeled boots is the first thing you see before she crouches. Letting you see her face "oh my dear Volk Grom. So many years of service. Remind me, why you got this scar?" She says caressing your muzzle her thumb running over the jagged scar that runs from the top of the bridge on your nose across your lips.
"I allowed Romanova scape" the woman hums "and guess what you just did again? This time she stole highly sensitive intelligence".
("Ma'am I didn't know it was her. I tried to stop them, they brought the enhanced, Maximoff-").
"Did you?!" She asks cutting you off at your confused expression she elaborates "did you stopped them?".
"No ma'am".
"I am a woman of word, unlike you. I warned you" her pristine nails dig deep on the skin of your muzzle, she stands up and walks to the exit door "Do not worry, I will make a good coat out of your fur. I might even give it to Vostokoff as a present".
---
Maria curses all the wrong intel collected by Tony that led her to this disastrous mission. She has no back up near. She is in the middle of Canada during winter, fucking cold. She has been running away from several Hydra squads for a week. No signal, the winter storms blocking off any chance of communication.
The temperature is getting lower, she opts to try to find a small cave where she can shelter from the cold winds.
Huge is her surprise, when she enters a small cave and blood smell assault her nose. At first she wants to backtrack and run the heck away, she can't afford to waste bullets. The only thing she can see is a huge lump laying on the stone, labored breath. Slowly she beings to shuffle back.
---
You are lying on the cold stone floor on a cave, Madame Hydra goons are stupid they were supposed to kill you and they only left you halfway to death. But they literally skinned you while you were outcold. You spent an agonizing month regrowing your skin on the abandoned facility, by now you have most of your fur. Took the chance and scaped the facility. Your wounds were infected your body put everything into regrowing the skin.
A faint sound of shuffling puts you on high alert. Then the smell, gunpowder. With a lot of effort you barely open your left eye and you see a human silhouette, by the sound a gun is trained on you.
("Riddle the skull with bullets") your voice is strained and groggy.
"What?" The woman looks around trying to find someone else inside the cave.
"Is anyone here?" She asks lowly eyes darting around.
("Me, the wolf dying on the floor") you answer again.
"Thunder Wolf?" She asks with disbelief, you hear her walking up to you with more confidence. The Intel they recovered also had some about you. Natasha was feeling bad, you were like a sister to her and she left you again.
("Now, I feel bad. You know my name. I don't yours") you grunt trying to raise you head, but fail you just lay back down with a whimper. ("Will you tell me, before you kill me?") You ask your voice getting weaker you ran a lot to make it up to this place.
"I'm not here to kill you. I am actually running away from two Hydra squads".
("Shame, I could use a couple of bullets in the head").
Maria kneels down close to your head, you feel her covering your eye as she shines her tactical lamp on the low setting, her breath hitches a little at the sight of fresh and dried blood soaking your fur.
"What happened?".
("No longer useful to my former master. But their goons couldn't kill me").
"Maria Hill"
("Y/N Volkov")
---
After some assessment from Maria, not that she could do much. She end up curling on your stomach to keep warm by your insistence. It hurted like a bitch at first when she put her weight on your body, but you said nothing wrapping your tail around her trying to give her more warmth.
Two days later, now you know that because Maria has some gadgets. You hear movement on the woods.
("Hill. I hear people") as soon as Maria raises up you do too ("they are far enough. But we need to go, now"). The two of you silently walk to the entrance. But Maria's boots make some sound, no doubt the scrunch of boots through the snow and the prints will sell out both of you.
("Hill. Get on my back. I know somewhere where we can lay low. They have signal").
"Are you crazy?!" She hisses lowly close to your face.
("Shut up and do as I say") you glare at her you bright white wolf eyes running through her soul.
----
In the end Maria did as you said. It hurted like crazy when her weight settled on your back and held onto your fur making your still sensitive skin burn. But you barely grunted ("lay across my back, or you will end up with frost bite").
With a quick walk you put a half mile distance before you begun picking up speed. Some of your wounds begun opening up, the cold luckily made the blood cloat quickly before it fell to the pristine white snow. Still you ran through the snow.
By night time you made it to the farm. A cattle farm "Are you sure is safe for you?" Hill asks the cattle doesn't seem faced by your wolf form and their guard dogs look actually excited to see you.
("Owner good man. He fed me after I saved his dogs from a wolf pack. He wanted to take me to a vet. I ran away").
You limp heavily and your body wobbles. Maria end up somewhat supporting your weight on your right side. Until you made it to the barn and collapsed by the hen stack.
The guard dogs came running first licking your face and muzzle like over excited pups. You barely grunted in annouyance some of them end up jumping and booping you with their snout making your body ache.
Maria was about to walk to the house when a man walked in, the dogs immediately moved back. He saw the gun on Maria's hand and the blood on your fur "did you shot it?!" He shouted aiming his riffle at the unknown person.
"No, no. I-she guided me here. I was lost in the woods" she easily lies, *she was already hurt when she found me" she says holstering back her gun raising her hands to show she means no harm.
"Her? My god, I thought it was a male. She is huge. I'm Adam by the way" he extends his right hand with a warm smile "sorry for aiming my gun on you".
She shakes his hand "Nice to meet you Adam, I'm Maria. I understand. Would you mind if I call some friends to pick us up? I can get her the best medical care possible".
"No problem, let me get you some blankets for her. You can spend the night inside the house".
"Thank you, but if you don't mind I can stay with her here. My friends should be here in the morning".
----
*Maria are you sure? My mother was sent a coat made of Y/N's fur a week ago. She is dead* Natasha says with her voice almost cracking.
*Nat, I'm no joking I'm with her. She is awfully wounded, needs medical asap*.
*See you in a few hours*.
Truth to her words Natasha, Wanda, Clint and medical team were at the farm right when the sun was raising. They came with new blankets for the man that helped you two.
The redhead walked to were you lay and kneeled in front of your face "Hey sis, I'm sorry. This time I will help you" Natasha says to you softly in Russian, leaning down she lays her forehead on yours, by now you are so exhausted that you barely open your eyes to see her blurry face. But that green gaze, no doubt is Nat. If the people you hear around are with her, then you can trust. While medical team made initial assessment. Natasha took the chance to hack into the surveillance system and erased the previous hours leaving a loop.
---
Now at the compound, a couple of days later the one and only Melina Vostokoff arraived with Yelena.
The Russian matriarch and Yelena simply walked in like they owned the place, they gave no warning to Natasha of their arraival. Agents surrounded them with guns drown as they made their way to the medical wing unfaced by the operative going on around them.
"Y/N Volkov, where is she?" Melina asked in the front desk.
"I can't tell you. Is classified" the nurse said.
"Yelena call your sister" Melina instructed as she jumped over the desk and put a gun on the nurse "I suggest you tell me" the Russian said as she hacked into the system.
"What the hell is going on here?" Maria stormed in right in time to hear the blonde on the phone telling Natasha to bring her ass to the medical wing of the compound.
"Who are you?" Maria asked.
"Yelena, Y/N's sister. She is our mom Melina" Yelena asked with a bored expression "Can you tell your agents to lower their guns, their are shaking. They will shot someone".
"Agents stand down. You two come with me" Maria instructed. Melina smirked at her, she holstered her gun giving the nurse a "sorry, it was not personal" she said walking off with the other two.
The deputy director took them to the private room you are staying in. You are still on your wolf form. Now clean and some wounds bandaged. Some missing patches of fur and spots with still raw skin, others also bandaged had raw muscle, those were still fighting infection.
"My beautiful volk. Who did this to you?" Melina gets closer to gently run her hand over the soft fur.
Yelena gets closer too and puts her forehead on yours "You are safe now" she says softly in Russian.
The door opens to a very angry Natasha "Mother, Yelena. What's the meaning of this?" She hisses low to not startle you.
"I needed to see my daughter Natasha and make sure she is properly tended".
---
Yeah, mama Vostokoff took over, she gladly paired up with Helen to use her tech to heal the patches of still raw muscle.
Your waking up comes a couple of days later, the soft flip over of pages begins to pull you into conciousness. There's another sound, polishing... Someone is polishing a gun... The smells are familiar.
"She is waking up" the accent, you get spooked by that voice and the freight is reflected on the heartbeat monitor.
You open your eyes, the right one is still blurry the other is clear. Yeah, is the woman you fought against, your mind quickly catches the fact of her lack of battle suit.
Yelena takes advantage of your hesitation and puts herself between you and Wanda. Your sight focuses on the blonde only, could it be? With a lot of effort you raise up and get off the bed grunting in pain, your limbs trembling with effort, the blonde extends her right hand with a soft smile that image is such a mirror to the Red Room, Yelena was a pipsqueak still but fearless, in your wolf form she extended her tiny hand to boop your nose. ("sestrichka?") You ask, that smile and the bright amber eyes.
"Da, is me Yelena" you were about lean in her touch when the sudden opening of the door makes you react and put yourself between them and the intruders, your eyes light up like a thunder, and sparks run through your fur.
"Idiots! You spooked my daughter" a raven haired woman exclaims pushing through the group of people.
When you see her step in front of you, you try to back off, managing some steps but your back hinds end up against the bed ("am I dead?").
"No my daughter. You are alive" no doubt, Melina has aged since the last time you saw her, but it's been decades maybe. And she barely seems older. She still has that power and commanding aura.
Hesitantly you limp forward again, the electricity and static disappearing from your fur, to rest your wolf forehead on Melina's front, Yelena takes the chance to hug you by the neck. You cherish this little moment, taking in their warmth and smell.
The next day Melina makes you shift back to human form, which you immediately regret screaming in pain while you change, even the experienced Widow cringes at your agony screams, the wolf injuries translate to your human body but is like getting hurt all over again. The Russian is the first one by your side when the shift is over. Your human skin show every single scar. As soon as you feel Melina nearby you pass out again.
When you wake up two days later Natalia is by your side, looking at something on a tablet.
"You should paint it back to blue. It was badass" you say with a smirk. The redhead immediately raises up to hug you and rest her forehead against yours "I missed you sestra".
"I missed you too my solnishko".
Natalia, Natasha she now goes by that name, she lets you know what they are up to. Melina is pretty much commanding the medical wing and nerding hard with Helen and Banner.
Yelena dislocated Wanda's shoulder in your honor. Pietro, Wanda's twin wanted to kill her for it. But Wanda interfered and accepted the eye for an eye.
Now more alert, director Nick Fury and deputy director Maria Hill visit you at the hospital room.Wanting to know what happened.
"I used to serve Madame Hydra. I failed her when Maria, Natasha and Wanda stole the intel. It was my last strike, but her stupid goons couldn't kill me for good".
"What did you do for her?" Nick asks with a stern expression.
"Anything she commanded me too. I was her main bodyguard, fighter, killer, spy. You name it, I did it. I even got into dog fighting pits just for the sake of her entertainment".
After the conversation Maria stayed with you on personal note. She thanked you for helping and saving her. You shook your head and apologized for trying to maul her while in the battle field you stood as enemies.
From there slowly you met the rest of the Avengers team, your favorites to hang out with where the twins. Which after two months of living at the compound were like your little siblings. Which made Yelena a little jealous, but with a tight hug and a kiss on her forehead you assured her that no one could take her place. To make it up to her your time was split between Avenger duty, agent for S.H.I.E.L.D and helping Yelena finding Black Widows to free.
In one of those retrieval missions you end up going back to Melina's farm, since the Widow you rescued was hidden in Mongolia it was quicker and faster to go to the farm.
Melina welcomed you with a hug, it still amazes you how open she has become to showing affection. But is very welcomed.
It didn't took long to meet face to face with Antonia, and you immediately felt her amniosity, and the anger behind her blank expression. It was even more obvious when she hugged Yelena and glared at you. You chose to just silently take her treatment, you can't blame her.
Fury allowed you to stay two weeks on the farm, Melina needed some help building more space for the new ex-Widows. And her farm was expanding. Her beloved pigs were still there, but now she had some cattle, sheeps and chickens that needed better spaces. And Alexei the human, was Alexei... A lot muscle not many braincells.
They were careful to never leave you alone with Antonia and Lerato but, mistakes are bound to happen when Alexei is involved.
This morning Melina and Yelena went to the nearest town for food and basics. While Alexei and you stayed to go on with the new building, you need to hurry ending the rooftop before the snow begins to fall which is tomorrow.
"Y/N! We are out of planks!" Alexei shouts from somewhere down.
You sigh in frustration after securing the last screw on the row to keep this plank in place, you asked him yesterday to buy more but nope. He didn't, he got distracted playing and loosing in chest against his namesake pig.
"Better hurry your ass to get more!" You shout back "I can start the isolation on the part that is ready".
"Got it!" He shouts.
You jump down to go to the other barn for the outdoor isolation sheets. You hoist up the materials and begin working putting all your attention on the task, everything is going as planned until someone tackles you off the roof. When your back meets the hard ground, you realize you are fucked.
When your eyes open you see Antonia getting off you "Get up!" She hisses.
You cough a little bit trying to get air back in your lungs and raise up "Tonia, please. You don't need to do this" her boot greets your face and you groan, you simply roll over with the punch to stand up. Antonia and Lerato that joins her pound on you. You don't want to hurt them, so you do your best at dodging, ducking and moving away from their attacks. But is actually hard to achieve Antonia was the feared Task Master for a reason.
The other Widows try to interfere but you stop them, this very not their problem. After getting way too much damage from the two of them you manage to render Lerato out of the fight hitting central nerve central spots that render her left leg and left arm useless.
And that only makes Antonia angrier. The punch exchange becomes brutal and still you do your best to not hurt her badly. Landing punches your hard enough to slow her down.
Melina with Yelena driving the truck begin to come close to the hardware store "is that papa's truck?" Yelena asks a little unsure, Alexei red truck is not unique but that looks suspiciously like his. And the bed is already loaded with wood planks and other items.
When they stop close they see Alexei walking off the store with more stuff. The three of them lock gazes, the first one to say something is Alexei with a loud and clear "BLYAD!".
From there is a race back to the farm.
When the two vehicles skid to a halt close to the barn they see the escene of Antonia choking you on the floor her hands wrapped around your neck tightly.
Antonia's knee is painfully set on your sternum pressing with a crushing force and the placement is just perfect. Making you proud.
"Tonia-"
"Don't you dare to call me that!" She screams "you were supposed to protect ME! Look how I ended, a toy under my father's command!".
Your eyes get watery you never wanted that for her "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Tonia".
"How did I survived? I no longer believe Dreykov's tale" her constrictor hold loosens and you gasp for air.
"When the explosion hit... I tried to shield you with my body. But I was on dog size, I could not shift fast enough to shield you completely from the impact...but I got on my biggest wolf size fast enough to shield you from the heaviest debris.
I stood over your unconscious body shielding you for about a week, until you father's agents found us. You were immediately taken to the underground facility with the best care".
"Why weren't you with me?! You left me!" Her voice sounds small and broken. You were her shadow for three years, you kept her safe from harm until that faithful day.
"I didn't left. Dreykov was angry beyond words for my failure. But, he couldn't kill me. After weeks of physical punishment he sold me to Madame Hydra. She brainwashed me for half a decade, when I was normal again Dreykov and the Red Room were out radar. I scaped two years. I did my best to find you, but it wasn't enough".
"Do you regret it? Saving me" she asks.
"No, I don't-"
Your speech is cut off by the onslaught of punches you do your best to cover, many land. Seems like it wasn't the expected answer.
When she grabs you again by the neck, you know you are out of luck. With a lot of effort you rasp what is seems to be your last words "I regret, not being able to save you from him. I'm sorry mor zvezda" her hold falters.
"Do you remember?...The nights I begged you to take me to the roof to see the stars and the full moon? You used to make your claws sparkle.
"The tiny lightings that hit empty cans. You loved that" you smile at the memory, those years guarding Antonia were some of the best. Sure they treat you like a dog, but well she used to hug you a lot. What she didn't know was that all those nights had a price for you but you gladly paid to see her smile freely.
Her hold on your neck tightens again, man you are done for.
A pair of boots halt behind Antonia "What a shit deck we were handed, huh?" Yelena says stopping close to the ex-Task Master "Antonia could you please not kill my sister. I just got her back and she still needs to finish the building" Yelena says with a bored expression "mother won't appreciate you killing her eldest daughter" Yelena's simple request have a warning intention.
Antonia relents and lets you breath again, you cough several times at first with a little blood. She is strong as heck.
"I can't say I'm sorry" the woman says still straddling your chest.
Yours eyes don't leave her "I know. I can't blame you" Antonia got off you and went to pick up Lerato to get back in the house.
Heavier boots halt by your left "Up! Up! That roof won't build itself" Alexei said with a chuckle extending his hand to lift you up "she got you good little pup" he pats your back harshly and laughed as he walked to unload the materials.
After that episode you got back to work, Alexei and you worked on the roof and isolation until 4am, the temperature begun lowering making your bruised bones ache, nothing a couple of vodka bottles couldn't fix.
---
After two weeks in Russia with your family, you came back to U.S where Tony being the billionaire that he is surprised you with an Harley Davidson 2021 iron 883 in deadwood green.
"What do you think sparky claws?" He asks standing behind you.
"Is this for me?" You ask confused, you told them about you escaping some decades ago, you managed to stay away for two years, joined a biker gang for sometime. But your former master found you killed them all and brainwashed you for a while. You still carried the guilt of their deaths, you were even dating a woman at the time she was killed too cruelly in front of you. That's why you never attempted to scape again.
"Why not? Don't you like it?" Tony ask a little worried, maybe he should have bought a crusier one?.
You walk to the machine admiring it, is beautiful, he even bought you a helmet and a badass leather jacket "what can I do to repay you? Is beautiful" you say as your hand delicately glides over the machine.
"You don't have to repay me anything Y/N, you are part of this disfuncional family now" you smile at the man, a little egocentric but, overall he is a good man.
---
You are aware of the gossiping going around the compound "Sexy Romanoff's older sister is fancing the deputy director" which is not that far from the truth.
Maria is a beautiful woman, yes undeniable. But she is also strong, loyal, quick-thinker. She manages to keep this oiled machine going with such a grace. She is a great leader, she wields your sister respect just like Fury, and that is not an easy feat. If your sister is willing to be on their ranks you will too.
--- (F/B)---
You are ending a training session of sparring with Bucky when you see Maria briskly passing outside the glass wall enclosing the gym. She seems stressed.
Bucky chuckles behind you "Go Romeo, Maria has been drowning on paperwork lately. I didn't saw her having breakfast".
You glare at Bucky but nod at his words, you move fast to get a quick shower and get to the common kitchen to cook some breakfast.
After half an hour you have to healthy stacks of home made oat flour hotcakes some with blue berries and others with chocolate chips. Super crispy bacon, chopped fruit and two mugs of salt caramel cappuccino on a insulated lunch box. You are still amazed of all the gadgets and stuff available on the kitchen. You had to ask Pietro if he knew what the hell was that, he had no idea. In the end Friday was the one to enlighten you both.
Reaching the administration wing you tell her secretary you are bringing Maria breakfast, the woman looks surprised but nods and let's you in with a relieved smile. At least Maria is not scaping the first meal.
You knock her door lightly to not startle her, hearing a come in you walk into her office to see quite the stacks of paperwork on her desk.
"Hello Maria, I brought breakfast" you announce with a small smile. She looks at you surprised and a little hesitant. But you have your little ace on hand "come on Hill, you wouldn't say no to a good home made salty caramel cappuccino, will you?" Gently you set the mug on her desk and she smiles "well, who am I to refuse" she carefully take the lid off to take a sip and a can't help the small moan at the good flavor.
At her acceptance you divide the four compartment box and set half on her desk "I hope you enjoy it" you give her a wide small and try to back off.
"Why don't you stay?" She says way too quickly even catching herself off guard.
"Well I didn't wanted to assume. I was going elsewhere. Group breakfast with the rowdy lot is not really my thing".
Maria gives you a crooked smile, you aren't wrong the whole team together can get quite childish "how about a nice calm breakfast here?" She says motioning at her coffee table by the couch.
You blush a little and accept her offer "I would enjoy that very much".
--- (End F/) ---
The next months Maria and you grow closer, working extra hours and going on small undercover missions to find intel.
Sometimes you two meet at cafes, restaurants. Traveling around. It basically feels like you two were dating. Because you were very physical from leaning against her side to sleeping next to her. When you felt her too stressed out you shifted into your wolf form for her to stroke your fur and relax.
Like right now, you two are on her office at the compound, she is sitting on the rug her laptop on the coffee table, her back against the leather couch.
Your wolf head is resting on her legs, she occasionally rubs your ears, making you purr. The first times she thought she was delirious but after the fourth time she was sure, she rubbed your left ear again and you purred "Are you purring?" She ask with a teasing tone.
You grunt a no, making her laugh.
"Aww! You are so cute. Will you shake your leg if I rub your belly?" She says with a teasing tone, you feel her hand skimming through your fur, and you give her a light zap with your powers "hey!" She protests. When her hand reaches your ribs your muscles tense, which doesn't go unnoticed "Are you hurt?" She asks worriedly.
"No" you grunt.
"Volkov shift back to human" she orders and you know better than fight her, you obey. Tony has made several clothing items that shift with you. And this branded S.H.I.E.L.D sweat pants and hoodie are some of those. Maria wastes no time to lift up your hoodie to see the massive darkening bruise covering your left side.
"Y/N! What the hell? When did this happened? is not from your last mission-" she read the report. That means you got hurt helping Yelena, you said nothing and still went on that mission with Natasha and Clint.
You zone out a little, thinking if you should tell her or not. Well, maybe you should.
"-Stay down" you laugh a little at her stern words she frowns as she stand up to retrieve her first aid kit that has a enhanced grade gel for bruising "Volkov this is not funny".
"It is" you argue with goofy grin laying on the rug "when you order me around like that, I feel like a dog that miss behaved".
Maria comes back to your side and you end up in the same position as before. This time she puts the gel, you simply close your eyes and enjoy her gentle touch.
"Don't fall asleep Y/N/N we need to figure out this data".
From that moment, it became a common ocurrence. You searching for Maria to help you tend your wounds, if they were minor. She new that the more concerning they were the more you tried to hid them. She kept a close eye everytime you went to help Yelena. Sometimes as freelance (not that she knows), sometimes to free a Widow.
----
To be honest with yourself you are falling for Maria, hard. And is not a simple crush as Natasha calls it. You feel it in your soul. Everytime you are with Maria you feel at peace, calm, you feel stronger fighting alongside her even in your human form. Nick requested to keep your ability hidden. Since it seems Madame Hydra is still sure you were killed.
You've been thinking about making an actual move with Maria, sure you two have gone together to eat or a coffee but, it has been as friends or co-workers. You wish to change that, you want to date her and call her yours. You are a daughter of Vostokoff, you don't shy away.
Since today is your free day. You ride your recently bought Shelby Mustang in matte black, having a salary from S.H.I.E.L.D and Avenger has its perks and the extra from free-lance even better. You go to town in search for flowers, Wanda offers to give you a hand, Pietro tags along to tease the shit out of you. Definitely they are the annoying little siblings.
You don't go overboard but with some of Wanda's input in the end you have a medium size arengement of violet and white chrysanthemums, white lilies, hybrid pink and white roses in vase. The arrengement is hidden by a simple pearl like white wrapping paper. Like if she says no, well... It can still make a good decoration... Like, um you hope she says yes.
With a slight knock, she grants you entrance and you smile at the sight of her in her reading glasses "Hi Maria" you greet her, by now you know only you and Nick have seen her using those reading glasses. She takes off her glasses and raises an enquiring eyebrow at what you are holding
"Maria Hill, you know I haven't shied away from showing my interest in you. I enjoy being in your company, I cherish your trust dearly. I love your touch and your presence makes me feel calm and safe. Would you grant me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" You ask gently putting down the arrengement and lowering the wrapping paper showing her the flowers.
Maria's eyes widened as your speech grew, but a beautiful wide smile took over her surprise. She admired the flower arrengement, no doubts you were a sap, a giant soft wolf. Maria extends her right hand inviting you to walk up around her desk to be in front of her. Your heart leaps in anticipation and dread. Like she could throw you off her office window, she is strong as heck too.
She gracefully raises from her desk seat and craddles your face with a gentle touch, her thumbs gently smoothing off the tension. She searchs for deceit in your eyes but she only finds passion and love, anticipation even. She gently pulls in your face towards her and kisses you, shy at first but after a couple of quick pecks she deepens the kiss. Your possesive side doesn't take long to surface and you pull her to you by her hips and yet the kiss is firm and controlled.
Maria is the one backing off to take some air "Is this answer clear enough for you?".
You hum in thought playfully "no, I might need some reaffirmation my lady" Maria jiggles before connecting her lips again with yours.
---
The date was that same night, Natasha helped you booking in a small Italian restaurant, not over fancy. But you gotta admit your sister has a refined taste in food.
Maria was having such fun watching you try the different foods. It has been her small side mission with Nat and Wanda showing you different foods.
"Darling slow down, the waiters are already watching you funny" she takes a sip of her wine glass to hide her smile.
"Have I ate too much?" You ask confused, a ragú lasagna, one pizza, a pasta and salmon carpaccio, two wine bottles... Well now that you recall it might be.
"Yes it is, but fear not. I have a little surprise for you back in my place" she winks playfully and you almost choke on the last piece of pizza earning a good laugh from the blue eyed woman.
"Get you head out of the gutter, Volkov".
Maria ordered several desserts to take back home, to not alarm further the personel of the restaurant.
Now at Maria's place, you ride the elevator hand in hand. You can't help but smile broadly at her "what?" She asks mirroring your smile. Leaning down you kiss her forehead "nothing, just thinking how fucking lucky I am, you said yes".
In her apartment Maria store away the desserts on her fridge. However you couldn't help but walk behind her to wrap your arms over her hips and kiss her exposed neck, that beautiful navy dress made her look like a model, your upper teeth scrapped down her neck "if you aren't ready, tell me to stop darling" Her breath hitches as she turns around to face you but you keep gently assaulting her neck and exposed clavicle with open mouthed kisses "Maria?" You ask after a little while, worried that you crossed a line.
Maria looks at you with a hazzy look "I didn't tell you to stop" she says her fingers grabbing possesively the back of your neck.
"Neither you told me to go on" you say with a teasing smile.
She smiles broadly at you "if I tell you to stop?" She sees the way your pupils impossibly dilated, the eagerness. She just wants to tease you a little.
She sees the surprise in your eyes but you take it calmly "I obey" you lean to kiss her forehead then her cheek. Thinking she is serious.
When you try to step back, Maria pulls you flush to her "you know you are adorable right?"
Now you are confused and your head tilts automatically, Maria laughs again with such a glee, you begin to question all your years of training. Did you read bad the signals? Is your language comprehension bad? The hell is going on?.
"I'm sorry darling, I'm just messing with you".
"You don't want to date me?" You ask even more confused and your body confidence deflates a little.
"No, no, no hey darling not that. I want to be with you. Is just, I was testing how will you respond to me asking you to stop" Maria says in a hurry. Maybe it really wasn't a good idea to tease you like that.
Her worry makes you chuckle "Hill, you are evil. I almost got a heart-attack, thinking I overstepped" your demeanor changes again you push maria against her fridge trapping her with your body "but now? You won't scape" you growl lowly in her ear making her shiver before nibbling her earlobe.
Your hands wander up her back searching for the zipper of her dress, you slowly pull down the zipper, her surprised yelp at the contact of her bare skin with the stainless steel is replaced by a moan when you gently bite on the base of her neck and kiss down the valley between her breasts.
"Take me to bed, now" you didn't have to be told twice.
Now laying on Maria's bed, with her flush to your body is a bliss. Your slightly warmer temperature is enough to keep you both warm. Her face is hidden in your neck, you can feel her soft breaths caressing your skin. Sex with this goddess was an ethereal experience, making you regret calling it sex. You've had sex, empty physical act. This? Was beyond what words can describe, this was so human, so real, electrifying beyond your powers.
Eyeing the clock behind Maria on the beside table 3:34 am, your fingertips gently run along her back mapping the scars on her skin, not as many as you have, but the few you find makes you a little angry, who dares to hurt such an amazing and beautiful woman. You bow to keep her safe as much as you can.
"I can feel you overthinking" she groggily says kissing your neck softly, you hum happily, her lips on your skin is the best thing ever.
"How can I overthink, if the only thing my mind can't even process is how good your body feels against mine" you open palm replaces your fingertips gently running up and down Maria's back.
"Hmm I can agree on that darling, you feel so warm. I like this, being in your arms".
----
After a generous hearty breakfast at Maria's place. Both rode your car to the compound, being the gentle woman you are, after parking you exited the car to open the door for Maria, she smiled at your gesture and you kissed her knuckles. The two of you avoided the PDA but, you walked her to her office half way there Steve intercepted you "Volkov, all-hands-on-deck. Wheels up in ten minutes" he says passing with a light jog.
"Yes, sir" when he is out of earshot you look at Maria, for a fact you know she wishes to keep this private from the rest of the troops
Maria gives you a friendly hug instead "be careful, ok?" You hug her too "always".
Even though the mission required the whole team, it wasn't as hard as everyone was anticipating. You had the chance to fight side by side with Natasha, and you can't help but admire her. You saw her as a little kid, you even trained her. She always had a roaring fire inside her. But now fighting side by side with her, finally fighting for good cause. It makes you happy. For a fact you know that if you were in your wolf form you'll be wagging your tail.
---
The next two years are easily and by far the best of your existence. Maria is such an amazing partner, lover, friend and confident. She even got Melina's and Alexei's approval, she got the shovel talk though. Melina treathened her to turn her in one of test subjects if she breaks your heart and Alexei treathened her to feed her to the cows... That doesn't work at all but is Alexei.
Natasha's shovel talk was standard she trusts Maria to not break your heart.
Yelena, was Yelena to say the least "you break her heart, your short lifespan will be dragged with pain and suffering. You better not find out".
Date nights just lounging on the couch with wine and movies. Check.
Fancy date nights, hell yes. Maria's outfits were worth it. She looked like a goddess walking among peasants, you looked like a idiot drooling by her side.
Missions together? That's a big yes. Badass duo kicking major ass. You two even got into a undercover mission with you posing as her service dog. Which was fun, you had to get your fur tainted in greyish-brown and scars hidden, Helen and Banner had to come up with contact lens to disguise your white eyes to bright yellow. What you didn't enjoyed was using a collar with tag, the service harness was comfortable at least. You even bite one of the guys ankle for giving Maria dirty looks. The good thing of that mission was the public PDA, like ear rubs were heavenly, she used the excuse of service dog to constantly stroke the fur on your back. And it has been the two months were your fur coat has been on its best care.
--- (F/B) ---
You are laying on the rug of the rented apartment where Maria and you are staying, she is helping you brush your fur after a bath. Your back leg shakes when she brushes right over your ribcage making her laugh for your dismay, but you can't help it is reflex.
"Okay, we are done. Ready to look magestic tomorrow" she says patting your belly. You quickly shift back to human but you are bare ass naked.
"We eat now?" You ask, you are fucking starving. Keeping your body on large dog size takes a lot of energy and control.
"Our lovely elderly neighbor bought some nice kibble for you 42% salmon protein" she says with a teasing tone, but unfortunately is true... on wolf form you have no issue eating it. Like back in Hydra they used to give you shitty kibble or cheap almost rotten meat.
"Y/N! Don't even think about it. I made you some nice giant meatloaf".
---- (End F/B) g--
With Nick you have earnt his trust completely, he sees Maria as a daughter. He gave you a warning, borderline shovel talk. That man is terrifying when his eye sets blankly and sternly on you, you gotta admit that. But he is happy to see Maria thriving with you by her side. You even help her with paperwork and bureaucracy stuff to help her have some more free time.
This afternoon Maria and you are enjoying the sunset in Central Park, you calmly smoke a cigar while Maria reads a book. You see a family with kids and a dog, the canine seems to be too curious about you surely he senses the wolf in you, having nothing better to do you choose to mess with him and glare at it. The dog gets nervous before glaring at you and Maria chatises you "Y/N stop reeling up the poor dog".
"I did no such thing" you say in your defense.
"Yes you did" she says leaving down her book to raise a daring eyebrow.
"I-"
"Excuse me?" A little voice says behind you, a kid. You quickly turn around to see a girl that must be five at most.
"Can you help me find my mom? I got distracted and lost her" she says calmly, but you can hear her heartbeat, she is obviously nervous and terrified.
"Hi sweetie, I sure can" you answer looking at Maria that nods, you stand up slowly to not scare her, you are slightly taller than Maria, more built and you have scars in your face. You usually scare kids and dogs alike.
Maria and you split up, the kid stays with you. It takes you a couple of hours find her mom, well... More like the police found you. They tried to take the kid away. You didn't let them, you trust no police.
Another kid tried to interfere to vouch for you. Well not a kid, kid. She might be on her early twenties. The police tried to shut her up , you talked back. You tried to keep civil but unfortunately you have a temper out of nowhere the officers tried to wrestle you down and a fight broke out, this young woman managed to get the kid to be safe by her side. You were wrestled down to the floor by ten officers. And before anything scaleted further. Luckily this new kid mom stepped in, she seems to hold some authority. And half the officers eased back. So while you were still being held on the ground the woman had the little kid by her side and no police officer dared to tell her otherwise.
Maria heard the commotion, and since you weren't answering your phone she ran in with the kid's mom and saved you from being tazered. Turns out the kid was lost for almost half a day on the park, the mom thought the worse, and the police were on edge. The scars on your face and overall demeanor didn't helped your initial innosence plea.
Your girlfriend in her best authority persona played her Avenger Deputy Director credential which granted you an immediate release with an apology included.
"I will suggest you don't dare to tazer my agent" Maria's authoritative voice make you sigh in relief, and she quickly strolled close.
"Hello boss, would you mind? My hands are getting beyond numb" you say with your face being pressed heavily against the floor. Two officers holding down your head.
"Who the hell you think you are?!" One police officers shouted. And a knee was digged deeper between your shoulder blades painfully pressing on your spine, making you groan "duuude you are digging to deep, you fucking asshole!" You tried to wiggle them away but they pressed further.
"Deputy Director of the Avengers organization, commander Maria Hill" the officers looked at each other in panic "I highly suggest you to release my agent immediately".
They quickly eased the pressure and the tazer was tucked away.
"Fucking finally, you bunch of assholes" you greeted your teeth and kneeled ok the concrete moving your neck and shoulders trying to regain the feel on them.
You were very tempted to kick their sorry asses. But a pointed look from Maria made you think it twice.
The little kid mom was utterly embarrassed by what happened, you did your best to ease her mind. Like she wasn't at fault. You hugged the little kid goodbye.
You rub your swrists trying to make blood run back faster. The police and bystanders disperse and you look for the other woman and kid that helped you. Luckily the woman seemed to read your mind and she walked close after ending her chat with a captain of the police.
"Ma'am, thank you for your help" you say offering your hand. If you werent tazered or punched harsher was thanks to her. She shakes your hand warmly "Eleanor Bishop, from Bishop Security. it was the least I could do. You were helping out a little kid".
"Hi! My name is Kate Bishop, I'm pretty surprised you didn't kicked their asses!" The dark haired young woman said way too loud.
"Kate!" Eleanor chatises her daughter and you laugh waving off her mother's concern.
"I'm Y/N Volkov. Well, if I were to do that, it would mean A LOT for paper work for my direct boss" you say smirking at Maria, the woman shakes her head in amusement "Maria Hill".
Your brain catches a little fact "Wait a second, you are the Bishop kid. The one that is called the best Archer in the world, am I right?"
Kate blushes deeply and gets shy which kind of answers your question.
"I- umm- yes I am. I don't think I'm better than Clint Barton though.
"Would you like to put that theory into test? Clint will be down to it" you say it an teasing smirk. Clint will love that. Pietro has been giving him shit about it.
"You know Clint? Are you an Avenger too? Do you have powers? Are you a fighter too?" Kate asks looking at you with a wide hopeful smile.
"I... Yes, not really I fight alongside them, nope, yes. I answered them all, right? How about you go this weekend to the compound and get to meet the team?"
Kate's face light up like a kid on candy land "oh yes!!!" Her enthusiasm is notched down by her mother's stern gaze "I mean, yeah, yeah I would like that very much" she says much calmer but her heartbeat tells you how excited and nervous she is.
After some more chatting, and getting the small little fact Kate doesn't drive yet. You offer up to take her to the compound and back home.
When you and Maria are walking to your car, the blue eyed woman can't help but look at you with heart-eyes "Have you thought about it? Having kids?" She asks softly.
You look at her "well, I don't see myself getting pregnant. Maybe adopt? Would you like having kids?".
"You are good with the kids Y/N. I never thought of myself as mom material, getting pregnant is not on my soon to be list. Earth's safety takes up too much time and you are a handful" she smirks playfully at you.
"Me?" You say with an utterly offended face "Not my fault my face doesn't scream friendly, my scars make me look like a tug I will admit-" Matia cuts your rant with her lips and you smile on her lips "what about no PDA Hill?"
"Shut up".
---
A couple of months later what you truly didn't anticipated was Yelena and Kate getting close, closer than what would you like. But, by the other hand. Kate is a good kid, might be over hyper-verbal, drives Yelena nuts most of the time and the whole Avengers team too. A good kid overall. And she has been training with you all, specially Natasha on her words "if she will date our little sister, she better be capable of defending herself".
Currently the twins are using you as their giant pillow on the common room. They love cuddling with you in your wolf shape.
Your head is resting on Wanda's lap as she absentmindedly strokes your fur, Pietro is using your stomach as pillow, they are watching some t.v shows. You don't really understand them but they love it.
Maria walks in "sorry to interrupt guys, Y/N. Can we have a word?".
You nod your head but Pietro doesn't move, you playfully lick him on his cheek and ear making him laugh "ok, ok, I move".
("Can I dress, meet you in your office?").
("Is actually an off record thing") she says giving a side glance at the twins, it doesn't took Maria long to figure out she could telepathically answer you in your wolf form.
("Let's go to our room then").
Now dressed in your shared room Maria asks you what do you know about Madripoor and Valentina de la Fountain, at the mention of the woman you immediately go to fetch the vodka bottle you have there "that's a thread you don't wish to pull Hill".
Maria crosses her arms and half seats on your desk "She has been recruiting Black Widows. She uses them to manipulate governments and business men at her will. She is dangerous".
"Do you know that, to win a war. You must decimate the enemies army before cutting off the head?".
"What does that saying has to do with this?" You see the clear confusion on her eyes, you can't blame her. You are pretty sure the only one knowing the actual truth is Nick.
"Condessa Valentina de la Fountain is Madame Hydra, the actual Hydra boss, the very top head. Everyone else is just a front. Madripoor is her recluting place. The front face there is Power Broker since a few years ago, maybe half a decade" you take a cigar from your stash and cut it up to light it up, taking a couple of drags. By now Maria knows that you smoke because you are relaxed or if you are worried as heck.
"I'm very worried about your enquirement Hill. Those threads..."
Maria stands up to stand in front of you she threads her fingers through your hair trying to make you relax "flag-smashers" she says handing you the file she had on her hand.
"Sounds like a rap group" you deadpan making maria laugh you begin to scan the data, terrorists: they steal vaccines and medicines to give to refugees... does that make them terrorists? Seriously?... You get to the pictures, well no faces, only masks "I truly don't see this group of kids related to Madame Hydra.
The raven haired woman hums and sets a tablet on your desk. You put play on the standing video, at first you see no odd... Until you see one ripping off the door of the trailer bare-handed and other kicking the shit out of one cop to the other side of the street.
"Supersoldiers?".
"This is still out of radar. James thinks the answer could be in Madripoor. But we need a way in".
"I can do it".
Turns out you had to use Baron Zemo, in exchange for two dacades to lessen his sentence. He tried to tear the Avengers apart before you joined them but, luckily Tony saw through the manipulation and made up victims.
Zemo is your way in and out of Madripoor. James and Sam came too, the latter is quite nervous, which makes you laugh. After what he went through in the army he is nervous about this. You now go by the code name of Mauler.
The bar stunt is a disaster, suspiciously Sharon is there to back you up and save your ass. She acts uninterested about flag-smashers. Seemingly she is here on a undercover mission posing as art dealer... But your years tell you there's more behind or under. No way Carter is here without Madame Hydra knowing.
And you weren't wrong, after Sharon guided you to the scientist and Zemo blew up everything, the guy was killed. It was a disaster but within the hidden lab you found a kid.
You shield her with your body from a explosion. The freight made her shift into a wolf pup... Wolf pup?! She tried to run away but you catched her, she bit your forearm hard but you didn't budge "Hey sweetie is ok, I'm just like you. Ok?" The pup stops biting and tilts her head in curiosity.
"Yes I am" the rush of more bullets force you to shift into your standard size wolf form ("see? I'll keep you safe. I promise").
You shift back to human and the kid/pup relaxes in your arms.
The fight to get out of there is disastrous to say the least. The lack of uniforms tells you is not Madame Hydra, she most likely not here.
Seeing how Sharon comes on and off your suspicious get bigger. Something is off, she insists on you giving her the kid which you refuse.
Half way into scaping more shooters, this time better than the ones at the beginning "Hey sweetie, I need you to go with Sam, ok? I'll be right behind you keeping you safe" the pup nods.
"Sam!" You hand the pup to him.
And shift back into your standard wolf form ("James, she is like me. Say nothing, take her back to the compound. Tell Maria what happened").
("What about you?!") He glares at you.
("I can get out on my own. Go! Don't let Zemo scape").
---
You fought your way out in human shape, you only shifted briefly to give orders to James. Of course Sharon, your main suspect fooled you in and captured you.
In the basement of her mansion she shocked you to the point of making you shift into wolf form.
"Grom Volk" your former master still laments her decision of killing you.
("Madame Hydra you meant").
("What is this bout Sharon? World domination? Just as pathetic as any Hydra head before. Revenge?").
"Being the good guy doesn't leave you with a lot of money. You should know".
You shift back into human "Yeah, no lies about that" Sharon has the decency to hurl a blanket at you.
"So, Flag-Smashers. You personal little army? Seems they got out of leash".
"They know my face. A liability".
You crack your neck and move around your shoulders. It was a good fight. Until Sharon ran you over with her nice car. Groaning you shift to seat cross legged with the blanket covering your low parts.
"The pup? What the hell where you doing with her".
"I call my innocence on that Volkov, I didn't know he had her. I seriously thought it was a dog".
Pinching the bridge of your nose you think your options "tell you what. I keep the pup, she is off all this-"
"No super soldiers, no shifter. So just like that I am left empty handed? I can't let them run around knowing who I am, the Carter name-"
"I help you deal with them. The pup is off limits, I'll be your on call executioner. Just keep who I really am our little dirty secret, just like I'll keep yours Power Broker".
---
One thing is the arrangement you and Sharon reached after a lot of discussion. Other thing is Madame Hydra coming into play unexpectedly and with her own blondie super soldier boy.
And what a good fight he put up. Luckily he and his sidekick are way too hot-headed and cocky. You fooled them easily and stole their jet. Valentina still sent executioners to terminate your stolen jet, and they shoot it down. The last thing the recorded was the exploding aircraft.
---
"Barnes! Wilson! What do you mean you left Volkov in Madripoor!" Maria shouts as she briskily walk up to Sam's truck. The kid, Aileen is her name got scared and shifted back to wolf pup again, which didn't go unnoticed by Maria. At the sight, her anger simmered... Now she gets it... Damned you.
James takes the fraightened pup on his arms and jumps down the vehicle.
"What the heck I'm gonna do with Y/N?" She sighed pinching the bridge of her nose.
The pup wiggled to be let down which Bucky hesitantly did, luckily the pup just went ahead and hesitantly sniffed around the Deputy Director, her tail begun to wag nervously at first then happily.
Maria crunched down and offered her hand, hey sweetie "I'm sorry for scaring you".
("Is ok, are you with big wolf. You have her smell on you") the kid asks making Maria chuckle at her quick thinking.
("Yes, I am her girlfriend. What is your name?") Maria asks mentally "Barnes do you have a blanket?"
Sam gives a soft smile handing over a blanket. They had to keep one close, the poor girl tends to easily be spooked and shifts constantly to wolf pup.
----
A week later Yelena, Alexei and Antonia rescue your sorry ass from Batam. You were washed to the shore, the language impediment was a nightmare. Luckily after two days drying your cellphone on rice, yes that old school trick. The elderly couple that found you gave you a charger compatible and you could call your extraction team.
Yelena laughs her ass off at the sight of you, left shoulder is on a makeshift swing, you have a huge gash on the side of your head, cuts and bruises all over. And overall you look miserable. You are hungry, in pain and pissed as heck.
Of course the elderly couple offered you food, and you are greatful. But is barely enough to keep you awake, your wounds can't heal quickly without proper amount of food and that was way more than what the couple could offer.
Yelena, gave the elderly couple a good amount of money for helping you out. You took the time to help them doing some improvements on their house while they arrived.
Ten fucking long days since the Madripoor fiasco, the aircraft lands on the Avengers tarmac. And you sigh in relief, which is cut short when you see Maria's pissed as fuck face.
"How about we go to mama's farm? you can still call wheels up" you say to your papa who chuckles "Huh, huh, huh woman up. Your wife requested your sister to bring your ass immediately".
Antonia, the little shit opened the door for Alexei to push you off, you simply got along landing and regretting it when your shoulder throbbed in pain.
"Sent her on a ash box Hill, takes less space" Alexei shouts before sliding shut the door as Yelena immediately takes off "traitors" you growl.
When you turn around you are face to face with commander Hill. Before you can utter an apology she slaps you HARD, the agents around and your sister standing a few feet behind hiss in mockery.
Your offended face is priceless "what was that for?!" You shout at your woman.
"For playing idiot. Idiot!" Maria shouts, she suddenly grabs you by the face and harshly pulls you in for a KISS. Your initial surprise vanishes and you grab the back of her neck pulling her impossibly closer, getting possesive.
When the lack of air becomes too much you pry away "that is what I was hoping... Now the whole troop know" you wiggle your eyebrows playfully but the cut on the left side begins to bleed and your stomach growls in hunger.
"Let's get you tended and fed".
---
Aileen the kid was so happy to see you, she jumped in your arms and hid her face on your neck "thank you for saving me". You smiled at her warmly, wrapping your right arm around her, the left was out of commission.
You saw the way Maria looked at your interaction closely with a warm grin. She later told you Aileen has been living under her care. The kid only knows her name, she thinks, knows she is six. Have no idea if she has parents. But after a DNA test, what you suspected came true, she is kind of your minemee, but her wolf form fur is a lighter shade of grey and grey-ish eyes. And your main suspect is Valentina, that woman. One day you will rip her throat off.
Aileen was such a sweet, easy kid. Of course the first month the Intel team tried to locate her parents, suspecting it was a kidnapped kid that got her DNA modified somehow with yours. But none.
A month with the kid was a little challenging, mostly due to the schedules. But the whole Avengers team stepped in even the Bishop kid, that is earning auntie points with the pup for Yelena's dismay.
Maria and you are lazyly enjoying the after sex bliss, Yelena, Kate as Wanda offered to take care of Aileen to give you and Hill alone time. But still in alone time your bedroom has the prints of the kid, her blanket on the lounge chair, her teddy plush bear on the vanity. And the middle of the bed smells like her, she usually asks you two to sleep between you.
"We should adopt her officially" Maria says as her short finger nails graze up and down your abs.
"What?" You groggily ask, her caresses were lulling you back to sleep.
Maria raises leaning on her right forearm "Aileen, she is such a big part of us now. We should adopt her, to be our daughter" you look up at her with a smile "So, Maria Hill are you asking me to start a bigger family with you?" Maria grins before leaning down to kiss you "is that a yes?" She enquires on your lips before tugging your lower lip playfully.
"Stay here, please" you say before quickly jumping off the bed to get into Aileen's room, yes it already was her room, now it will officially be hers.
"Volkov! Is a little late for the walk of shame!" Maria shouts playfully making you laugh, while you search for the item.
When you return Maria is giving appreciating looks, loving how your muscles move "yes off the meat Hill" you say with a teasing tone, left hand is hidden behind your back you extend your right hand helping her seat on the edge of the bed.
"Maria Hill, my love" you get in one knee "I know it might not be the ideal context. But this moment feels so ought to be. You are my greatest love, my port, my shelter, my strength and my inspiration to become the best version of me. You command my heart with such a brave and kind leadership. I don't wish for anyone else but YOU to call me theirs. You took me in and love me for who I am, forgave me for who I was. In you I found a sincere love, I met a gentle loving touch, thanks to you I know how high voltage can love be when your bare skin glades on mine" you kiss her knuckles softly "will you do me the greatest honor to become my wife and be the mommy of our child?".
Maria's tears begun to run freely since the first half of your speech and yet her smile was the most precious thing you've ever witnessed. You enjoy the several beats that she stays silent, no doubt se will says yes, she just needs to process.
"Will you recite such poetry to me?" She says with a smile smile.
"Every day if my queen wishes me to" you say kissing her knuckles again.
"I've had no doubt in my mind that you are the only one for me Y/N Volkov" Maria's hand shake as you put the beautiful diamond ring on her finger, she leans in while you put the ring to kiss your forehead and you swoon in happiness.
From there it was several rounds of electrifying sex, you loved how her ring grazed your skin with her caresses.
---
The next morning you two went to the Avengers compound, her ring was now on a necklace hidden under her clothes. You hoped it stayed like that. But Kate having an actual keen hawk eye didn't took long to see the glint of the ring. And the dopey idiots grin you two had weren't unnoticed by your sisters.
"Sestra what is with that idiot grins on your faces?" Yelena straight forward asked.
"Yelena said a bad word!" Aileen said with glee "pay up! Up!" She extended her tiny hand to the blonde who grumpily gave the kid a dollar bill.
Wanda, the little shit just grinned "Maria is that a new necklace?" Maria glared at the Sokovian mind reader.
Natasha eyes you suspiciously and her eyes rack you up and down searching, you casually showed her your ring less fingers. Well you had a couple, but they were your usual black Damascus thumb rings and the wolf head in your index that Kate gifted you with a "I saw it, thought it was badass and you are kind of a wolf too, so" she whispered the last before giving it to you.
When your redhead sister found nothing on you she looked at Maria at the same time Wanda asked her about the necklace.
"I don't know what you are talking about Maximoff" Maria defended.
"You know I can read minds, right?" The twins shared a complicity look, damned Wanda she told Pietro already.
Pietro flashed you his best mischievous smirk before opening his big mouth "I bet the celebration got wild, right Y/N/N?".
Yelena shared a look with Kate who expressed her thoughts whispering in her ear, her surprised face was comedy worth it "Wait a second. Idiot grins plastered in your faces, you asked us to babysit the kid, take this kid. I'm about to say more" Yelena gave Aileen a 20 bill "You fucking idiots got engaged!".
You groan in annoyance, idiots, you live with worldclass idiots. You can't hide shit like this from spies, assassins, two idiots and a mind reader.
Maria only shakes her head and shows off the ring on her military tags necklace.
"Congrats idiots. Like you could hide that from us" Natasha said with her damned loopsided smirk.
"pay up auntie Nat!".
---
The wedding itself was small and private. Nick, the Avengers team, your Russian family, Antonia with her now officially girlfriend Lerato, Kate and her mom. Of course Aileen was there.
You two were meaning to adopt Aileen right away but, you two decided to give Aileen the chance to choose. All the Avengers loved and cared for the kid. She obviously had an inclination to be with Maria and you. But you don't wished to impose.
However life rolled around, missions came and go. Things with Flag-Smashers scaleted, which you needed and predicted. You couldn't erase them while they were seen as heroes, a martyr is not easy to erase.
But it didn't took more than eight months for their will to falter under the public pressure of being the heroes. Sharon did her part reeling Morguenthau and Valentina did her part with his blonde excuse of super soldier.
You had to be very careful on this volatile chess game. But even with all the work and missions you three, Maria, Aileen and you became closer. A small tight family, you personally trained the kid to control her powers and taught her fighting skills to defend herself.
Maria found adorable seeing you two in wolf shape, sometimes training, sometimes just hanging around specially in full moon, others just cuddling. Of course Hill did her best at being a mom, agent and directive. Aileen had no issue hanging out with her at her office.
As things scalated, your rivalry with Karli got worse.
The international organization begun pressuring the Flag-Smashers pushing Karli to get violent, showing off their power. Her last stunt was way too public and costed a lot of lives.
Nick turn off the t.v of his office "we are close to have them were you suggested".
"I don't like this Nick. But that Blondie soldier fucked up everything".
"Sam and James were so close" Nick half laments.
Your cellphone rings showing the logo of Flag-Smashers you raise your eyebrow and answer *What do you want Morguenthau?* You put the speaker on.
*Grom Volk, you better not get on my way. It would be a shame for your pup to get hurt*
Your jaw tightens in anger *Karli, Karli. You aren't one to threaten me. And I suggest you don't even try to mess with my pack. I know no mercy*.
*Stop getting in the middle of my plans then. Your deal with Power Broker-*
*Still stands, surrender Karli. We can work this out. You are one step from no return. You used to be better than a simple terrorist*.
---
Karli didn't listened, too young and confused. The submit was a disaster. Not only the remaining Flag-Smashers, Valentina's people got on the mix. The whole Avengers team went in even Yelena and Kate that didn't listened to stay off.
You went in to get your part of the deal done, while Aileen stayed safe by Nick's and Maria's side at the compound.
"Morgenthau!" You shout as you run up to her, she already scaped Sam's last try to stop her. By her recent stunt you know she is far too gone.
You get into a fight with her, but the last person you needed comes in, Walker. The asshole teams up with Morgenthau against you.
"I'm SO fucking done with you dude" you throw a punch fully charged making him fly off the building.
Karli got her hand in another handgun, the two of you stand face to face guns drawn on each other.
You let a breathy chuckle, Karli empties her magazine on you and you simply built up high voltage static to reduce the bullets to dust "Poor thing. Never, ever threaten a family of someone than can be merciless kid" you fire several shots, the silencer on your gun barely makes any sound. The young woman falls on the floor and begins to drag herself away from you, Sharon walks from behind you.
"She is Power Broker!" The kid tries her last card.
"Tell me something I didn't know" you say with a shrug.
Sharon looks at you then at the panicked kid "We have a deal Grom Volk" you nod and holster back the untraceable gun to grab your usual one "and a deal we have" you fire a last shot on her chest.
"What about Walker?" Carter asks looking the last breath leave the kid "such a shame".
"We had a deal Volkov".
"Present time Sharon".
"Steve insisted in arresting the others soldiers" she points out grimacing at the pain on the gun shot she got courtesy of Karli.
You nod holstering back your gun "I have that covered. Before you are in your nice penthouse, the job will be done".
"You have open pass to the compound. No one but Nick and I know your alter ego" you point at her gun shot wound.
She nods *Volkov, I heard gun shots. Do you have Karli?*
*She is dead cap. She shot Agent 13*
---
Everything goes hitch less when the police was taking the captured super soldier to custody the next day vehicle exploded, terminated them. It wasn't your doing per se. But you gave Baron Zemo the means.
You were with Sharon on her hospital room at the compound when the news were talking about the assesination.
"Impressive, I take our friend in common had his hand on this?".
You simply nod, Sharon gives you a friendly smile and offers you her hand to shake "word for a word Grom Volk".
----
The next years you were truth to your word. You were an executioner for Power Broker. Luckily Sharon, listened and her path to world domination was casted aside for money and power. Fury was up to date on everything, feeling a little at ease knowing Madripoor was mostly under Carter's control.
Aileen truly thrives with your's and Hill's care, as soon as she had full control on her shifting abilities she started school. And man the kid was brilliant.
The kid became a Volkov-Hill a couple of months after the Flag-Smashers were terminated. Tony and Pepper got everything arrenged and the sign of papers was at the compound.
Lee like you all call her now was super excited, she was shy to call you mama and Maria mom, but now that it was official she couldn't stop calling you both her moms.
Yelena, Natasha and the Maximoffs were already her aunts and uncles. Kate chocked in feels when Lee called her aunt too since she was officially Yelena's girlfriend.
Hate to admit the kid was a prodigy at fighting, keen senses, inhuman reflexes of course. She was absolutely good in everything sports and training related. Just for the sake of her being safe, you and Maria trained her. At ten she knew how to fire weapons and identify danger.
Her wolf form was big, she was almost three quarters your size at ten. Her thunder powers were powerful enough to zap the actual god of thunder at just ten years old.
But even with all the craziness around she was a kid. She was sweet, but hot-headed at times. Stubborn as heck and Kate's and Yelena's influence didn't helped much on that field but, Maria and you wouldn't change that for anything. You love your kid as she is.
What was quite surprising for everyone was first: Natasha and James end up rekindling their relationship, especially after a mission they found a baby that turned out to be born from their genetics. They named him Steve, Stevie as everyone calls him. Aileen was eight when this happened and she loved his cousin dearly.
Turns out that laboratory where Stevie was found had several genetic material from your Widow sisters, which made you angry as heck. They sterilezed them but kept their genetics for their wicked ends. You were about to go all war mode when Maria and Nick calmed you down.
Second was that even when they had quite the rocky relationship, not because lack of love. It was jus that Kate and Yelena had such strong personalities that they tended to clash, hard. But they loved each other dearly. When Aileen was ten, Stevie two. Kate decided to surprise Yelena.
And what a surprise, she begged Helen and Banner for help and she managed to conceive a baby, half Yelena and half her. In Yelena's words it was the best birthday present she ever had.
A very worried Eleanor Bishop called you to meet her at Bishop Security. Kate is already an active Avenger and now she is pregnant and mama Bishop was beyond worried, happy but, worried for her daughter and granddaughter safety.
"Mrs. Bishop, I can assure you. No one will ever hurt your daughter, not easily that is. My little sister loves your daughter to death. And I consider her my family too. I give you my word".
The woman smiles greatfuly at you but her face turns pensive and a little sour as she takes a sip of her own drink. "Do you think I did wrong? Letting her follow her Avenger dream?" The woman wondered outloud "I'm not getting any younger, and this company, it was meant to be Kate's".
You offer her a little time taking a drag of the cigar in your right hand as you swirl the offered vodka with your left.
"Your daughter is one of the best agents I've worked with, as quick thinker as her mouth-" Eleanor guffaws at your comment, she tries to hide her wide grin behind her hand, you only grin and take another drag of the cigar
"In all seriousness, she is really good and keeps improving, compassionate. She now carries the Hawkeye mantle. IT wasn't a mistake, she loves her job... If you are worried for the company future. Fear not, Kate is very aware that someday she will own and direct this. This is her legacy too".
"In the mean time if you ever need help Yelena and I wouldn't mind a couple of extra coins" your crooked grin makes the woman snort again.
"You Russians, all business".
---
How much you wish to sometimes just follow your gut and kill your enemies when you can.
A very worried Kate just called you telling you that Walker is stalking them, she is six months pregnant now and she has Aileen and Stevie with her. You told her to stay calm but keep aware. They were supposed to be having a fun and relaxed day in central park. Earlier, Mrs. Bishop took your word from the conversation a couple of months ago and requested your input for some jobs the company was taking.
Luckily you were already close when Kate's call came through your earbud, you give all the speed to your bike, you just skid to a halt the closest to were Kate and the Rugrats are. You run the rest of the way to intercept the now called US Agent. Maria is already sending backup.
"Walker!" You shout putting yourself between him and Kate.
"Grom Volk the Mauler" he says with a smirk "I come with a message, surrender your pup. And she keeps hers" the blonde quickly draws his gun on Kate and you literally growl at him.
"Oh? Did I made the dog mad?" He tauntingly says. With your experienced years and refined senses you hear the actual amount of agents he has, and knowing De la Fountain... Is gonna be a shit show.
"Is your mouth big only because of your backup? Last time you weren't that cocky".
You take off your cellphone, necklace, bike keys and hand it to your daughter, her hand shakily takes the items. Last but no least you give her your handgun "do not engage, got it?" You dare a glance back and the kid nods as she ties the holster to her hip.
You shift into your standard wolf white eyes sparkling dangerously. You hear Kate's collapsible bow setting in.
("KATE NO").
("KATE YES") she answers in your mind you look at her walking up to be standing beside you with a cheeky smile and arrow ready and pointed at a target behind Walker.
You growl at her in annoyance ("I give you an open, you and the kids run") you see hesitation in her eyes ("do it for your unborn baby and Yelena, please") she nods finally but she is still ready to fight.
("Aileen grab Stevie") luckily your daughter doesn't hesitate to obey, Stevie clings to her like a little monkey, you can smell the fear emanating from him and you feel awful, no kid should go through this.
The fight brakes out, and you manipulate the electricity and static beyond your body to keep them all safe. You know how accurate and good Kate is, so you keep your attention on Walker and the other agents daring to come too close.
Bullets do nothing to you and Walker gets into close combat, you claw at him several times. A couple of agents try to sneak behind John's attacks to grab your daughter. But you ram them away with your body fully charged ("Run! Now").
You keep between the attackers and your family when you are close to Kate's BMW SUV a bullet wheezes past you but you fry it before it hits Kate. Immediately you turn around and protect then with a static bubble, you dart your eyes and ears around to locate the sniper ("eleven o'clock, third floor").
("I can't hit it, is too far") you nod and begin to gather energy.
("I'll fry them up close, and shield you with my biggest form. Run to your vehicle and drive away. I'll be right behind you").
It goes as planned, you shield them with your biggest shape, as they run you but in the frenzy you lost Walker.
By pure reflex you saw the glinting of a knife and the scream from Aileen alerted you of the danger way too close to them.
When walker tried to swing his hunting knife at Kate's front. You jumped in tackling him off. On the rolling away he latched to your fur and blindly stabbed you on the belly. You growled and zapped him away. A vehicle tried to crash against the BMW but you jumped in and crashed your body against it before. Kate took the chance and revived the engine to drive away.
You tried to jump up to the roof of the car but Walker pounced on your back stabbing you on the back in the start of your upper back barely missing your spine by two inches, his falling body end up slashing all the way along your back. This time you growled in agony loosing your grip on the vehicle, as both of you fell off the BMW you let off a massive discharge that even knocked you out briefly on the asphalt. Luckily Kate put themselves first and drove away.
The sound of screeching tires woke you up. You saw Walker on the floor, no heartbeat. Raising up was a challenge, with blurry eyes you saw Kate's retreating vehicle, but two other non shield vans got right behind them. No time to lick your wounds. You tumbled a little but you raised up to get rid of the vehicles.
You had to be careful to not cause civilian fatalities which earnt you several wounds: a vehicle running over you, a bus impacted you and a couple of gunshots. But in the end you scorted Kate's vehicle along other two shield SUVs up to the compound.
Steve, Natasha, Bucky, Sam and Pietro took care of the remaining attackers in central park and along the way. Your sister wired the motorcycle to use it.
As the small convoy reached the compound you begun to shrink back to your usual size. Maria was right by the main lobby waiting for you all with a medical team. Kate called her on the way and told her what she could see.
With wobbly legs you made it to the lobby and collapsed belly down. It has been a long time since you fought in wolf shape and used your powers like that.
Maria had a hard time keeping up her profesional persona. She prioritized your daughter, Kate's and Stevie's wellbeing, making sure they were fine before going to your side.
But Aileen had other plans as soon as Stevie was in Maria's arms and handed her the items you give her, she shifted to hurry to go to your side and nuzzle against you licking your face worriedly. You did your best to rub your muzzle against her to apeace her.
The medical team lowered an stretcher by your left side, with a last ditch of effort you raised barely enough to collapse on the stretcher sighing in relief at the comfyness.
Maria finally came by your side "is ok Y/N. They will take good care of you" you noded and licked her hand before the medical team rolled you away.
---
Four hours later Yelena's aircraft landed on the tarmac, she simply strolled in, in search of her wife. She found her with her mother Eleanor by her side. Kate seeing her panicked state behind the guarded look, she raised up and let Yelena have a good look at her.
"Thank God. You okey?" Yelena says craddling her wife face gently pulling her down to kiss her forehead. On the side Eleanor just smiled at the sight, she might not always see eye to eye with the blonde Widow but, there's no doubt her daughter is loved.
"My sestra, where is she?" Yelena asked looking around in a borderline frantic way.
Maria was walking in when she heard Yelena "She is okay. She is out still, Helen put her down to avoid she moving around much" coming closer she gave Yelena a gentle squeeze on her bicep, trying to ease her down.
"She protected me from getting stabbed" Kate said kissing Yelena's head lacing her hands tightly.
"The Rugrats?"
Eleanor walks close and puts a gentle hand on Yelena's shoulder "Darling why don't you just sit and take a breath? Kate is fine, the little troop is fine, your sister had medical treatment. She is good now.
"I-sure, ok" the Widow relents, Kate directs Yelena to a chair and both sit down leaning on each other. A couple of minutes later Antonia walked in with Yelena's mission bag, she told her to stay. They will take the others back to the farm.
Antonia asked Maria to just let her see you, and she accepted.
Aileen pup form yipped excitedly at the sight of the Widow.
("Tonia!")
"Hey pup! She kneeled down to hug the little shifter "taking care of your mama?”
("Yes! Will she be ok?") She asks the last with a wobbly voice.
"She will, she is one of the strongest women I've ever known and she trained me when I was a kid" she winked playfully. Antonia went ahead and ran a gentle hand through your fur before leaving, not without hugging little puppy Aileen tightly.
It took you a week to recover from the largest wound, well recover to a point where you could move around without feeling like being thorn apart. You had to stay in your wolf form, which was the best thing for the kids, funny as heck for the team and not so fun to Maria, who just wanted to kiss you, she enjoyed the cuddling though and playing with the soft-velvet wolf ears.
Kate, being Kate was so happy of you being in wolf form. She and Yelena weren't stopping anytime soon on thanking you for keeping them safe. Truth to be said you enjoyed cuddling your head against Kate's belly feeling the baby's feet and hand pushing against you and hearing her strong little heartbeat.
Now back in your human self Nick called you to his office.
"Given that the public knows who you are and Valentina knows you are alive. Is up to you if you keep your powers hidden still".
And you didn't, it was a waste of power for missions, you were now known as Thunder Wolf basically and obviously your original code name but now I'm English. You are now an official Avenger. But the greatest thing about this was the pride in Aileen's eyes "my aunts and uncles are Avengers, my mama is one too and my mom is their boss".
---
Things with Maria have it's ups and downs specially when it involves certain off grid jobs for Power Broker... Like is really hard to fool Maria, she is a great spy for a reason, your soul aches and dies a little everytime you have to deceive her to do what it has to be done. But you remember you are doing it for your daughter and for Maria.
Nick trusts you completely to handle this side missions. And usually you are able to pair them or make them simultaneously to helping out Yelena at freeing Widows.
As Aileen has grown older it has been a little easier to have alone time with Maria, alone time as in to have glorious sex marathons. Specially when the kid sleeps at a friend's house or she stays with her cousins. At fifteen she even babysits Wanda's twin sons, who are an adorable mayhem. They are three years old now. Other times she goes to Tony's house to nerd hard with Morgan.
The house is silent safe from the loud and unashamed pleasure screams scaping Maria's mouth. You took her to a fancy dinner, at your return to the house your wife surprised you with a jaw-dropping set of lingerie. Like a predator, after admired her you went to attack, you fucked her senseless is was a little rough you left hyckies all over her skin, her nipples are deliciously sore. And her pussy is already over sensitive and swollen from the endless make out sessions. Hill didn't let you get off easily, at some point she handcuffed you to a chair and gave you the sexiest and dirtiest lapdance ever, your back is deliciously scratched, hickeys? Maria never holds back your neck is a constellation, that she loves to take pictures of, due to you enhanced healing they usually heal way too fast for her liking.
The dark haired woman is stretched over you, her left bare leg over your hips, her breasts on yours. Blissfully naked and a little sticky with sweat, but Maria claimed being to sore to stand a shower, and too comfy to ditch this moment for a bath. And who are you to disobey your queen?
"Darling, Aileen is dangerously setting her mind on becoming an Avenger" she plants several kisses on your sternum before looking at you.
You sigh in defeat you try to reach out for the half smoked cigar but Maria stops your right hand with her left intertwining your fingers with a gentle firm grip.
"Talk to me" Maria rubs her thumb over the back of your hand.
"Is not that I don't want her. She is absolutely powerful and a excellent fighter. I just-" you sigh again in a little frustration "I don't want her life attached to this because she knows nothing better".
"The things we see, the things we do... I'm pretty sure Kate regrets it sometimes. People calls us heroes and yet they have no idea of the villainous, atrocious things we must do when the cameras aren't focused on us to keep them safe".
You feel her nodding her head before she sets her face on your skin "where's the kid that just wanted to be a UFC pro and a rockstar?" Maria says with a fond smile.
---
Even with the ups and downs Aileen was a raising MMA star. The kid was dangerous on the mats and the octagon. Maria and you supported her completely, Tony being the eccentric uncle even equiped the gym were she trained with the best of best. She had to wear a power damper but still she was a prodigy.
You and Maria made sure she had a private coach to work on her skills. Your wife and you couldn't be more proud of the kid, she was an excellent student, a soaring athlete and yes, she still had that rockstar dream floating around, she is an excellent bass player, she has the keen ear obviously and a powerful singer. Like she can pull off a Lzzy Hale or sing clean voice beautifully.
Usually you blast rock and metal on your car which has been quite bonding for the two of you, while Maria pretends she hates it, she loves it. Which makes Aileen laugh, her mom supposedly don't like rock and Metal but is the first at buying tickets for concerts.
When she is set to do gigs you and Maria go, if by any major reason your can't always at least one of the team go. Usually is Nat, Yelena or Wanda, Kate tags along with anyone that goes.
If someone had told you that after all you've been through. Life will give you a beautiful badass wife and an amazing daughter you wouldn't have believe it. But is true.
----
Aileen's manager thought it would be a good idea to engage social media platforms. The young fighter uploads videos of her training sessions, cooking her meals, sometimes even some of the Avengers join her making her comment section light up.
Today is the third time you joined her. The two of you decided to hit the climbing wall on the training facilities of the compound. Both of you with cargo pants and sports bra.
Aileen's friends were the ones recording the shenanigans you both pulled off. First you got along Aileen's standard training with her coaches before finally hitting off the climbing wall.
You both got into several rounds of racing up trying to defeat the other but youth versus experience was proving to be quite the tie.
"Come on Lee! Your mama is kicking your ass" her friends were teasing both of you but specially Lee since she was too self assure she could easily win... Boy she was wrong. Even with power damperer.
You playfully flex your arms "Decades in the making pup" you tease her "Besides this is easy cake comparing it to climbing a treacherous rock side with full battle gear on".
"Let's spice it up" Aileen said with a smirk "we put weighted vests and see who hits the clock faster".
You smile broadly at her, you gotta give it to her she has confidence "if I win, you cook and do laundry for a month".
"Easy, done" she says excitedly.
You wear a 70lb vest and Aileen a 35lb.
The first to go is Aileen who breaks the record by 35 seconds. She lets herself fall celebrating a presumably easy win.
"Come on mama Wolf, show her who is the boss!" Her friends had their money on you, the little shits.
You get yourself ready and as soon as the whistle is blown you move. With strength and agility you climb up faster than Aileen with ten seconds left you playfully hang with your left arm to show off with a playful hang loose sign you smirk at your daughter before pressing the timer botton with two seconds to spare.
"HELL YES!" Some of her friends shout in glee.
Is dinner time, courtesy of Aileen cooking when you see her flexing her face in disgust.
Maria quickly asks her what's wrong and the girl just pouts "nothing is just. I'm pretty used to people commenting on 'how hot' I look" she says with quote marks "but is quite disturbing when they say that about your mother".
You raise a curiously eyebrow and motion her to lend you her phone, she hesitantly does and your begin to scroll down the comments, they are priceless.
'mama wolf rail me'
'you lucky gal, sexiest mom alive you got there'
'is it me or the scars make mama Volkov hotter?'
'i bet her strap game is strong, Mrs. Volkov I respectfully ask you to rail me against the wall'
You completely loose it a that last one you read, you laugh a little more and recite Maria that epic comment.
"What's your connoceur opinion at that last comment Mrs.Hill?" You ask with a smirk.
Maria gives you a mischievous smile "out of ten? I'll give you a twenty darling"
"Oh god no! I don't wanna hear this. I'm out" Aileen gets impossibly red, snatches her phone out of your hand "enough ego stroking"
You only give her a loop sided grin.
"You know what, forget it. I'm sleeping at Aunt Yelena's place".
----
And right know sparring with your daughter feels surreal. Both of you wear power dampers, to relay fully on your skill. She is eighteen barely an inch shorter than Maria, you still have borderline three inches more but the kid has you on your toes.
Kate, Yelena and Natasha are outside the ring coaching both of you. The little ones are on Aileen's side "kick her butt Lee!" Tommy shouts at the top of his lungs making you chuckle. They might be nonblood cousins, but sometimes they act more like siblings.
Oh the beauty of youth. Aileen has fast punches. But the her danger resides on the fact that her style shifts along the fight she can be stoic and brutal, evasive and graceful like her widow aunts.
And the ultimate proof is how she ends you. You see it coming Natasha's Widow iconic move, but she uses it like Yelena. She just hauls you against the wire cage. Before you can react she jumps on your shoulders, grabs you by the neck with her legs and flips you with the momentum. You smack on the floor hard, she doesn't let go of her hold and tightens. You try rolling to stand but she rolls with you, like a crocodile. You could only tap out before you pass out.
"YES!" Morgan, Billy and Tommy shouted at the top of their lungs.
You raspily chuckled sprawled on the mat, your pup indeed kicked your ass.
"Still alive?" Yelena asks hovering with a wide smirk.
Aileen was kneeling by your right looking at you with a nervous and yet proud smile. She tapped your stomach "you ok mama?".
In a sudden move you pull the young woman to you to hug her tightly "Man, I've never been happier at getting my ass hurled to the floor".
"Volkov! Don't smother my daughter before her big fight" Maria shouts strolling in.
The two of you laugh "Nah I just strangled her she can't scape ME anymore" Aileen said with a cheeky grin.
"You little shit" you grumbled as she helped you raising up.
"My dear sestra, you are getting old" Yelena said patting your back forcibly, you glared at her "put on your gloves little shit".
Kate cut in quickly getting between you too "No, no, no, no. Enough you two. I don't want my wife all banged up tomorrow, we must slay that front row".
The rest of the day was all recovery for Aileen, tomorrow night is her first big stellar fight.
Big fight, big crowd. The whole A-team and troop was there at front row. Courtesy of Tony. While the others enjoyed the fights Maria and you were on the prep room with Aileen. The kid was over excited and buzzing with energy, you are pretty sure that if it wasn't for her power damper she would have electricity running over her skin.
She is restless even when the coach tells her to chill out she is ready. Maria goes to her and gently holds her shoulders "Love, you are ready, you are one of the best, just think is your mama there and kick her ass".
"Hey!" Your smile shifts into offended mode making Aileen and the coach crew laugh.
Before Maria and you leave to take your seats you two hug and kiss the kid in the head wishing her the best.
You lean forehead to forehead with her "You got this mor grom shchenok give em hell".
Maria and you exit hand to hand the locker room, you offer her your arm in a chivalrous manner. Like you know she rocks the shit out of her high heels, but you love how she walks flush to you when your arms are interlocked.
The roar of the public when Aileen "Thunder Punch" Volkov-Hill is called to the octagon is deafening. Truly electrifying.
You see her stepping in with so much focus and confidence. Man you couldn't be prouder, and your smile tells it all. Maria interlocks your fingers and you can feel her pride. When you take the chance to look at her you see her looking at the kid with so much pride.
"You got this Lee!" The tiny twins, Stevie, Stella and Morgan shout at the top of their lungs.
"Kick her ass Lee!" Tommy shouts right after making everyone around laugh.
"That's twenty to the swear jar!" Steve says with a wink. Like you all doesn't give much a damn about the kids saying a bad word once in a while, none of you are better.
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Things I thought about after Watching and Dreaming, with no particular order. Much of this is pulled directly from my notes document
Hunters tv tropes page says Caleb is hinted to be albino
Lilith may have let Luz fall in Agony of a Witch if Eda hadn't sent Owlbert to catch her
Hunter relaxes slightly with everyone else at the beginning of For the Future when Luz says she's okay after coming out of the portal. He's relieved she's okay, even wrapped up in his own head as he is
Belos lights up the Titan's opposite eye from the one the Titan has lit. The Titan has a functioning left eye but a dim right one, and Belos lit the right one. King has a crack on the left side of his skull, Eda has a grey left eye, Luz has a scar over her left eyebrow. All of the Flapjack tattoos are on the left side except for Hunter's, which is where his sigil was (or is, if they had just started developing that technology and hadn't removed it yet)
The palistrom shortage was not only from Belos taking palismen, but also using the wood to make grimwalkers
Oh no did he ask Hunter to kill the Selkidomus because he expected this grimwalker to be the last and he wasn't giving himself room for failure. He needed to complete his mission, and failure wasn't an option if he couldn't make more grimwalkers. Because he had to have Caleb in the picture.
The fact that the show itself says point-blank that Belos is genuinely delusional and his goals are self-serving (through the Titan talking with Luz)
King never saw the room full of Titan skulls in Edge of the World, so he's seeing it for the first time in Watching and Dreaming
Luz's scene of standing and watching Belos melt while he tries to talk to her perfectly mirrors the scene of ghost Caleb standing and watching Belos melt while Belos tries to talk to him. They have the same expressions, angles, shots. And it's flipped. The scene is flipped. It's literally mirrored. And she has a similar hair thing going on. A fluffy hair noodle.
The speech Belos gave to Luz probably parallels how he tried to convince his brother
Luz's Titan magic orb is like the light glyph. King also had one when he yelled at Belos. Also Luz was zapping around like Hunter, the sound effect is even reminiscent
The parallels between Belos' skeletal form and the Titan's skeletal form
Waffle/s sitting on Hunter's head at the very end,,, feels familiar. No I'm not crying
Alador doesn't hunch anymore, and his belt has three symbols for each of his 3 kids
King finally got to play catch
Willow is definitely about to kiss Hunter in the Grom photo. Also look at his suit. Atrocious. Absolutely wretched. Perfect.
Green fungus vs red grass. Just. The colors in general there's so so so much going on there I have so many thoughts about it
Polly
The fact that Caleb's kindness and forgiveness did not work on Philip. Caleb hugged his brother even as Philip was corrupted and monstrous and it did not work. And the Collector ran into the same problem. Can you stop haunting the narrative for five minutes
Dana as a Hexside student cameo
The earrings exchange
The basilisks!!! At least two others survived!! And maybe reunited with Vee! This is excellent news
The airship with the abomination styled like the way Luz styled the Blight's household abomination to look like a cat
Dana signing Luz's writing scholarship. Luz getting a writing scholarship. Remember at the end of ASIAS when Lumity had the idea of their book club also being a writing club
Amity recognizing Luz quoting Azura in Covention (which Luz also outright states) but not saying anything. Imagine her inner dialogue, must have been so confusing
The kid who introduced sigil application way back when being the one to introduce the removal process. Good for him
Amity and Lilith have a good relationship. They were sort of like a mirror of Luz and Eda's mentor-mentee relationship such a long time ago, but less healthy. Now they're friends
Hunter gets all the family ties. Clearly a Noceda because of Thanks to Them, clearly a Deamonne from Watching and Dreaming, which also makes him a Blight, and he also gets Eberwolf with Darius because of course. If you include being a clone of Eda & Lilith's great-something grandfather AND being Luz's sister AND the fact that there may be a shared guardianship of Luz between Camila and Eda, which also includes Raine, he gets to be a Clawthorne, which also means he gets to be a Whispers. And let's not forget how he's obviously also a Park. If desired, for good measure, you can cite brotherly relation and tack on Porter as well. And don't forget the actual canon where he is adopted by the entire school as the resident cryptid
Hunter is literally a cryptid and I have been thinking about this for a very long time. I wish they got to talk about that more but they didn't, which means it's free real estate
The sheer amount of love and care baked into the finale. It's splendid. The hugs and kisses and words and actions and feelings
Eda and King both got mega evolutions. Then Luz did too
Making a stand against Belos at the site of the DOU. Paralleling prior shots, like looking over the Isles and talking about destiny, the parallels between Luz's Titan mega evolution vs Hunter's possession (there's quite a lot)
How they avoided the feeling of powercreep by keeping a lot of the actions very readable and down-to-earth. Even when they were fighting kaiju puritan with decay laser, there weren't world-shattering mega-powers. Everything was built on what we already understood. We got glyphs, we got Harpy mode and Beast mode and King's powers were heightened but they were still the same powers, we got Luz with her staff and Belos with his usual strategy, Raine fighting back in ways we already understood but also ways which meant more (like breaking their instrument). The archives collapsing and the Collector holding them up with ribbons while standing on the shooting star, we understand those powers because we saw them earlier, it made sense
While the archives start falling, Hunter zips toward Willow before stopping short when they stop falling. Hmmm now where have we seen something like that before. For reference I am talking about COTH
Amity finally using a glyph
Amity using vines, Willow using fire. That's the reversal of their usual things. Amity used the fire spell in Adventures in the Elements, that was tough for her. Willow's got plants down. Hunter using ice. Gus flying around and levitating
Hunter being able to save a palisman
Eda's absolutely MASSIVE smiles throughout
Magic coming from the heart, callback to The Intruder
The massive Titan heart in the throne room appearing way back when, and us all wondering about it, and it finally FINALLY came back with significance. Awesome
Luz burning away the rot before making an ice path to give her a clear shot at Belos. Utilizing the glyphs to their fullest, one after the other, super fast. She's become fluent in the Titan's language
Luz's confident speech to Belos paralleling her prior speeches in a moment of pure epicness as she annihilates him. And that's the last she ever says to him
The Collector crowning the Titan
The Titan acknowledging that he went after the wrong person
Everyone being so very gender
The Collector explaining "Hide and Seek" scene was just so. Intense. Them not understanding how mortals work. How empathy works. They're a young child who was raised by the wrong sort of people, they honestly didn't know any better. But that's when compassion comes in
The way the Collector flinched away from Amity paints a bad picture of the sorts of expectations he has
The Hexside kids are okay!!
Belos obviously tries one last Hail Mary, and Luz Is Not Having It
Did the rain come from Luz channeling the Titan's powers?
You can see scarring on Raine's arm. Almost matching Eda. And someone else we know. They should talk
#toh#the owl house#toh spoilers#the owl house spoilers#Watching and Dreaming#watching and dreaming spoilers#text post#wr3nns ramblings#I actually ran RIGHT up against the character limit on this#which was unexpected#I'm sure I have more to say but for now I will leave this as is#I had a blast everyone#I'll be thinking about this for the next... long time#long post#read more
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Your Grom Factory post is so right!! I felt like the last parts of it felt off but I didn't know why until I read your analysis. I wanted to like the ending and Ayzee's character so bad because Milan and Ayzee looked so cute together (even if they weren't all that interesting) but Ayzee's final depressing thoughts just ruined it for me :(
I also agree with A Little Hint of Blue being boring. I'm a Vinira shipper so I may be biased but they feel so bland in the comic. I know it's supposed to expand Skara's character but she also just comes off as annoying to me, and it's weird because she kinda reminds me of Anne (her dynamic with Boscha reminds me of Sashanne) but I like Anne and I don't care for Skara. Also the musical scene was cringe, I'm sorry, might be because it's in a comic but still. I did like how the comic kinda expanded on healing and bard magic, the fight was cool even though I think it was ooc for Viney to fall for Skara's trick by the end of it.
So like I said before, I don't want to harp too much on Mark's work without a point. Honestly, if you want to talk about Mark's work with me, my DMs are open, I've talked about him a fair bit on my Discord (in fact, it was voicing that I wasn't certain about posting the blog on Discord that got one of my followers to reassure me I wasn't just being an ass and shouldn't worry so much that led to it being posted) or you can even just ask me non-anonymously and I'll answer in private. I'm not trying to start anything.
With that said, you actually bring up a really good and interesting point in regards to Skara's character that has been digging at me for a WHILE and is useful as a more condensed version of the issues with both Hunter and Amity's arcs who share a lot of issues and I will bring up throughout this as well. A Hint of Blue is indeed meant to expand her character by saying she's a generally and genuinely good person but she has to put on a performance for others. That she is stuck between the person who she is deep down and who society wants her to be. This is effectively the same trick the show does for both Hunter and Amity so A: it is literally nothing new and B: it suffers from similar issues while its specific methodology is a NIGHTMARE to portray well. Worse yet, both of these issues render Skara's character somehow less than the blank canvas it already was.
See, and this is the big part of why I decided to respond, Skara's trick is to show someone with a pure survival response in this regard. She hasn't internalized ANYTHING that people push upon her by what her actions have shown. This means it is all an act rather than these outside forces having had a deeper personal impact. Hunter and Amity, again, suffer similar issues but they at least pay some lip service to the idea that they're not just twin personalities. There is some overlap. For Amity, it's when she is still somewhat cold after breaking the everlasting oath in Covention as even when shown kindness, she still keeps some of that distance. Or heck, just her entire first appearance honestly. For Hunter, it's the constant reinforcement of needing to please Belos. Moments that show that even when the external pressure isn't actively there, it is weighing on their mind, much like how Zuko clearly always had something stressing him out, even when all was quiet. It's part of why how easily Amity throws off her shackles, and how Hunter doesn't actually refute the morality he's clearly been taught, make their arcs and characters weaker because it implies that these pressures never actually got in.
And unfortunately for Mark, he can't seem to decide which version he has and canon supports neither option. In the very first page of the comic, Mark emphasizes A: how long Skara has been being a bully. Not just a bully but enjoying it as even her first act of monstrosity, kicking a sand castle down, is greeted with a smile while she is still very small. This implies some part of her is just cruel. But that's being actively contrasted by B: having her immediately willing to break the bitch code Boscha has in place by apologizing to Viney without any real hesitancy until Boscha speaks up, implying her instincts are to be nice. Mind you, in that first comic she does need to be pushed to destroy the sandcastle... But not to claim be wronged. She first, before the prompting, claims the playground as hers. She's not pushed to be pushy but to stand up for herself and claim what is hers. Not actually inherently unhealthy so long as you aren't a bitch about it honestly which, yes she was being.
And this sort of incongrueny gets better and worse as the story goes on, let alone with the framing of it. After all, the story is trying to frame it as her being a naturally good person who only acts up due to Boscha. This is why Viney, for no reason, is so anti-Boscha. She is meant to be the second world that Skara is being pulled between. When written REALLY POORLY, this is how you get Skara stating Boscha isn't that bad and actually cares in her own way one comic and then literally two comics later, Boscha destroys Skara's chance at romance while mimicking Dio (I know it's Jojos in general but like... Why Jojos there at all?). It's superficial to put it extremely mildly.
As a note, this would actually be the heart of the sort of stuff I would talk about, characters making choices because they fit the tropes of the story, if I decided to talk about the Hallmarks (pun intended) of boring romances. Forced character writing with zero motivation or real flavor is the normal core to that problem.
And well... When your motivations as a character are "I inherently have a heart of gold!" versus "I am the puppet of the most evil fourteen year old on my continent"... You get a really boring lamp that keeps getting passed around. It's meant to expand on Skara's personality but instead it reduces it to NOTHING. Or, it's that her personality is ENTIRELY dependent on whoever she is around and the nice version is the version that Viney gets because she believes Viney will kick her ass otherwise as that is actually the reason the first apology comes out. Or appears to with how worried Skara immediately becomes while Viney rolls up her sleeves.
And since you brought it up and they're PERFECT FOR THIS, let's contrast this with Sasha and Anne. They actually are this sort of dynamic after all. Sasha forces Anne to do things outside of her comfort zone through using their friendship and this is bad for Anne but Anne does it because what Sasha gives her is fun, it's exciting and it's from someone who at least claims to genuinely care about her. Even at her meanest, Sasha is wanting to spend time and make Anne's life better. It's part of why her character is so great. Skara gets lip service in the first comic about liking being on the top of the food chain but all her actions are independent and even the final panel goes out of its way to show Boscha leaving Skara behind, showing the actual gulf in their relationship. It's lip service that Skara will spend literally the ENTIRE rest of the comic saying she hates. She doesn't actually ever act like she ever gets anything out of this.
Then we have the second world pulling Anne: The Plantars. Suddenly, she is shown that you can be loved and cared for by other people without having to do morally dubious things... And she chaffs at it because it does mean more complicated relationships. Hop Pop and her don't understand each other. Polly isn't the gal pal she wants even though she is a gal and a pal. Even Sprig still chafes at her her habits and the like while Sasha may have more cleverly gotten to stop anything she didn't like. This is part of why Anne isn't all that great to the Plantars early on. She doesn't want the work that goes into a real relationship. She'd rather be subservient and have it be simple. It's only through seeing just how much better these people are, and how it feels to have her own autonomy, that she breaks her chains and discards Sasha, at least for a while until they're both in healthier places. As a note, THIS is why S1 of Amphibia is the way it is because this shit takes TIME, let alone while also using an entire town to reinforce these lessons.
Skara meanwhile just... likes the other world. That's really it. She just gravitates towards being nice and real connections, just like Hunter and just like Amity. As always is stated: We're TOLD that she likes being on top but why? It's never even elaborated on with words, let alone shown to us but also yes, this would have extended the arcs overall to show this. Like I said, Amphibia spends a lot of time on groundwork for a reason. Arguably more than it needed to but it still needed a large amount of time to make the payoff and journey as satisfying as it is.. Even TOH understood this with Amity as they pretend for a little longer than a single line that she has reasons to want to be on top until she just drops it all once no one is looking. -_- This attempt to make it less blatant though is part of why Amity dominates a THIRD of the entire series.
And honestly, between this and the enemies to lovers trope from the base show (and actually this too I guess if Viney didn't seem to have some deep seated hate for Boscha that we just haven't been told about yet) I really am getting tired of people seeming to think romance really is a simplistic genre. In fanworks, you get a lot of quick romances, yes, but that's fine. They're normally not trying to claim to be doing an arc or the like with it. They're just bringing two characters they like together. However, romance is an entire GENRE for a reason. You can tell whole stories just around a romance with no other elements because just two people interacting and figuring out deepening feelings is one of the most complex elements for a writer to figure out, regardless of which complex emotion you're choosing. If you don't actually figure that out though, romance tends to be the genre where characters show their narrative purpose fastest. Where you feel the hand of the author forcing the characters together the most. It's why the romantic subplot is such a despised narrative trope. It's why Amity descending into being a love interest is so sharp because capital L LU- LOVE is all she's about now.
And that is the case here too. Skara is all about Viney... Because this is a romance. That is a not deep character, that is a sexy lamp that happens to sing.
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I didn't even hint to giving the two moments to bond and have real chemistry instead of just lecturing at each other. *screams* GEE, the romance writer has opinions on romance!? Never would have guessed. I won't even say I'm perfect at it, I'm definitely still improving myself, but it is technically my genre, even back when I was writing harem erotica.
I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!
I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past.
I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead.
If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.
A Twitter you can follow too
And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.
#the owl house criticism#toh critical#toh#the owl house#moringmark#A hint of blue#Skara#toh viney#Boscha
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A Mag'har Orc in the Banshee Queen's Horde
Gorgrond, Draenor, approximately 30 years after the defeat of Archimonde
The worst that could happen had come to pass. The Lightbound had found Grommash and his camp of free orcs, the last remaining ones in all Draenor, and had come in force. One way or another, all of Draenor would unite under the Light, whether it be with brainwashed orcs or dead ones.
Galdia glared out at the army, gripping her axe and snarling. She remembered them, she remembered all she’d lost to those light-blinded Draenei and their enslaved orcs. Her parents, her friends, her brother-in-spirit… the young orc woman fingered the fangs on her necklace, standing at the ready. “You’re going to feed well today Nightpelt…” she whispered, then looked to Warchief Grommash… and hesitated. “Whats that thing he’s talking to?” she grunted.
Next to Grommash were two people she’d never seen. One looked like an orc, but a very old one with green skin, and the other… was some sort of strange clefthoof woman? She was taller than Grom, with a strong looking body, hooves for feet, wearing long robes and with a strange beast-like face and horns.
She looked back to the amassed draenei, then hurried over to the Warchief just in time to hear Grom say to the two of them, “Get them to safety, I don’t care how.” before he turned to face the Lightbound, unsheathed Gorehowl, and screamed with fury, leaping into the air.
At the same time the animal woman pulled out a shard of some sort of glass that seemed to shimmer and warp before Galdia’s eyes. All around her the rest of the surviving free orcs unsheathed weapons, channeled the power of the elements and shadow that remained on Draenor and roared as well, preparing to charge.
Suddenly, the shard that thing was holding exploded in energy! A massive swirl of sand filled the entire camp, and the last thing Galdia heard was Grom’s voice.
“LOK’TAR OGAR!” he cried out, and then there was a tremendous crash and Galdia felt like she was falling…
For the young orc everything went black.
Slowly, agonizingly, she opened her eyes, feeling the wind on her skin. She was facedown on hard packed red earth, around her she heard the groans and confusion of her people. “Where…” she grunted, forcing herself up onto her hands and knees and looking around, then staring. “This… this isn’t Gorgrond! Where the fel am I?! Where’s Grom?! Did that bitch Yrel kill him?!” she snarled, quickly standing up and unsheathing her axe… then pausing as she saw buildings in the distance, some of the other orcs already pointing to them.
In the distance was a massive city, as big as Shattrath had been… but… this wasn’t the crystal spires and golden metal of Draenei buildings. “… it can’t be…” she whispered.
Those buildings… she’d never seen them before, but something about them seemed to scream ‘orcish.’ But there were no orc cities on Draenor! The Lightbound orcs served in Shattrath, Karabor, or one of the other Lightbound citadels alongside the other light-corrupted beings like the Arakkoa.
“It worked…” sighed that strange clefthoof woman, looking down into her hand, then gasping as the object she held suddenly cracked before crumbling into sand that blew away on the wind.
Galdia glared at her, that woman… what had she DONE?! “HEY! YOU! CLEFTHOOF THING!” she shouted, stomping towards her as she and the green orc looked up. “WHAT DID YOU DO?! WHERE THE FEL ARE WE?! WHAT HAPPENED TO GROM AND YREL AND THAT FUCKING ARMY!” she demanded.
The woman winced a bit at her words, “I… look, I didn’t have a choice! We were sent by our warchief to recruit the Mag’har and that army would have killed or captured everyone! Grom told us to do it!” she stammered.
“Your warchief?” she snarled, “I ALREADY GOT A WARCHIEF! GROM HELLSCREAM! HE WOULDN’T ABANDON US!” she shouted as the other orcs began to turn to them.
“H-he didn’t! He knew you were outnumbered and asked us to get you to safety while he distracted Yrel’s army!” she protested as the old green orc held up a hand.
“Youngblood, I know this is sudden and we wanted time to explain, but we came because our people helped your’s drive back the Burning Legion and Grom swore an oath to aid us should we call for it. Our lands are at war, we need the might of your people. Of the mag’har.” he nodded.
She snarled, then her face took on a confused expression, “Wait… you’re the ones from Grom’s stories? He told us that Draenor was saved from the Legion by people from another…” she paused, murmurs spreading out among the orcish refugees.
“No… that can’t be…” she whispered, looking around… but… it had to be. The land here was harsh and rugged, but it wasn’t light blighted! There were none of the signs she’d learned to recognize! “This…” she stared out to the horizon, “This… isn’t Draenor?!” she gasped.
“No, it is not.” replied the old orc, “Everyone!” he called out, cupping his hands to his face, “Hear me! My name is Etrigg, of the Horde! I represent Warchief Sylvannas Windrunner! Grommash Hellscream gave his life to buy us time to bring you all here! This world is not Draenor! It is Azeroth! Yrel and her Lightbound cannot reach this world! Here you will be safe from them! All we require is that you and your people join our Horde and serve under our warchief’s banner!” he called out.
The orcs in the crowd hesitated, some were furious that they had been pulled away from their warchief’s defense, others were confused and lost, some seemed intrigued by this new world… until another voice rose as a mag’har woman walked out to stand next to Etrigg.
“Warlord?” asked Galdia, looking to the woman. Warlord Geya’rah, daughter of Durotan, Grom’s second in command.
“Everyone hear me now!” she shouted. “The old one speaks true! Warchief Grommash’s last command was to get our people to Azeroth, beyond the reach of the Lightbound! We are uncorrupted! We are mag’har! Do any of you refuse our warchief’s final command?” she barked.
At this Galdia shook herself, then joined the others with a cry of, “NO!”
The warlord nodded, turning to Etrigg again, who mentioned their Warchief would come to meet them shortly… as Galdia turned to look up at the spires of the city.
“Um…” came a voice, the orc looking over her shoulder. That weird clefthoof thing again.
“What do you want… thing?” she asked.
The creature winced, then replied, “Um, not a thing. I’m a tauren. My people are native to this world and my name is Nitika. Nitika Dawnhoof.” she offered.
“So?” grunted the orc, looking around. This land was… pleasing to her. Harsh, rugged, unforgiving. The kind of land an orc should live in, where every day would make them stronger.
“W-well, I just wanted to say I’m sorry… about losing your home world. I mean, this must be a big shock…” she replied.
The orc woman shrugged, “I can take it. I am Galdia Grimaxe, of the Warsong.” she replied, “We do not fear change or challenges. We face them, we break them, we conquer them.” she said in a firm tone.
Inside her head though, Galdia’s mind was a storm of emotions. Grom had stayed behind?! Was he dead?! Lightbound?! What about the other orcs she knew? She didn’t think this was all of them! Did Zayera make it out?! What about Krogosh? Zarkog? Rokthor? She forced those thoughts down. She was Warsong, she was iron. She did not fear. Instead, “Those buildings, what is that?” she asked, pointing to the spires in the distance.
Nitika looked, then said, “Oh, that’s our capital. We call it Orgrimmar, and the land you’re in is Durotar, on the continent of Kalimdor.” she explained.
Galdia hesitated, “Wait what?” she asked, “Durotar? Orgrimmar? Those sound like orc names…” she muttered, orc names that she knew.
“Yes, our founder, Thrall, named the land for his father, Durotan, and the city for his mentor, Orgrim Doomhammer.” she nodded.
Galdia blinked slowly, “Wait… Durotan is my Warlord’s father… and he didn’t have any sons… and Orgrim died years ago when the Legion attacked Draenor.” she said in confusion.
Nitika blinked. Orgirm didn’t die then, Blackhand had killed him in Shattrath City when they were fighting the Iron Horde. She wondered if Grom didn’t leave out a few details about the Horde’s past… “Well, yes… about that… you see… the thing I used to bring you all here is called the ‘vision of time’ and…”
One explanation later Galdia’s head was seriously beginning to hurt. Alternate timelines? Bronze dragons? Grom’s old prophet was the Garrosh Hellscream of THIS world? He knew about the plague because he had lived through it on his world, which was Draenor, but a different Draenor where Gul’dan’s treachery wasn’t discovered?
“… and, um, that’s the main points… I’m sorry, it must be a lot to take in.” she said.
Galdia blinked slowly, “… clefthoof-thing… does your world have beer?” she asked in a deadpan voice. “Because… I want beer. Right now.” she nodded.
Nitika smiled, “Oh um, yes. We have an alehouse in the city called The Broken Tusk. Would you like a drink? I’ll pay.” she offered, then gestured for Galdia to follow her.
Galdia shrugged, whatever was in that city could not be crazier than that story that Nitika had just told her.
A half hour later, in the Broken Tusk.
Gladia sat stock still infront of an empty mug, her eyes wide and her expression wooden.
Half of her mind was repeating ‘I am Warsong, I am iron’ over and over.
The other half was screaming.
Noise hit her the second she got into the city, smoke and soot assaulted her senses. Another of those clefthoof things walked past as they entered, flanked by a tall skinny creature with tusks so massive it was a wonder it could keep its head up.
She saw a trio of slender creatures with huge, pointed ears talking animatedly about a crystal one was holding, all of them dressed in extravagant robes. Two had pale skin, while the other had dark purple skin with swirling arcane tattoos that seemed to shimmer with magical energies.
Further along she saw another pale skinned creature walking along through the buildings… except this one had no flesh on parts of its body and reeked of decomposition, its eyes glowing a poisonous green.
This world was NOTHING like she’d ever seen on Draenor. Nothing at all. Grom’s tales didn’t even begin to scratch the surface.
As she sat there in the bar Nitika looked at her from across the table. “Galdia, are you alright?” she asked.
“… I’m fine.” she replied in a strained voice… then suddenly her back was flat against the wall and her hand halfway to her axe as a startled voice yelped in shock.
A bear-like woman with black and white fur wearing a red silken top and skirt stumbled back a step, “I-I was just going to ask if she wanted a refill…” she stammered, her eyes wide.
Nitika winced and shook her head. The last thing Galdia needed was to get drunk. “I think she’s had enough for now…” she insisted, waving the pandaren barmaid away quickly.
Galdia grunted, sitting back down and trying to remain dignified after that.
Nitika was relieved that she’d stopped. She would have shielded the pandaren if she had to, but her sun-blessed powers were basically channeling a form of the Light… and she doubted Galdia would react well to that.
Galdia slumped, “Look, it’s a lot okay? I mean I find out that the orcs I was told of growing up are all different here, but the same… I mean, you said that big building out there is Warsong hold, as in my Warsong clan?” she grunted.
Nitika nodded, “Yeah, it was named that by Garrosh when he was still our Warchief.” she replied.
“Mmm…” she grunted, “So… thanks for the beer I guess, but... what do you get outta all this?” she asked.
“Well… I was hoping to… um… look, we defeated the Legion for good recently, but during the battle… my team lost one of ours…” she sighed.
Galdia raised her eyebrow, “… whats that got to do with me?” she asked.
“I was thinking… you would need to find a way to support yourself here. A lot of us do mercenary work to survive on Azeroth, but its easier if you have allies. I’m part of a group called Savage United and, well, we could use someone who’s strong and isn’t afraid to take on dangerous enemies.” she added.
“Hm…” she grunted, glancing around. “Who died?” she asked bluntly.
“Huh?” asked Nitika, blinking at her.
“You said you 'lost someone.' That means they’re dead. Who died, what happened to ‘em?” clarified the orc in a pointed tone.
Nitika hesitated, then reached into her pouch and took out a broken piece of metal, a shard of an orcish totem. “His name was Krag’thar Stoneshaper. He was our shaman. He was really old, but he was really wise too. When I first joined Savage United I’d never seen a real battle before, and then we wound up in a war with… well… the point is, it was a really bad war and I almost didn’t recover from it afterwards. The things I saw…” she shuddered, scratching at her shoulder as she said it.
“Krag’thar supported me through it all… and then after we came back from your world we found out your Gul’dan had been sent to ours by Archimonde before he died. He opened a pathway for the Legion to invade Azeroth. We fought them back to their own home world of Argus… but during an assault, things went badly. One of our allies was gravely wounded and we were outnumbered. We tried to take shelter in a cave so that I could heal her, but Krag’thar fell behind. He…” she coughed a bit.
“He sealed the cave entrance so the demons couldn’t follow us, then stood against them alone. Mola’raum, my friend who came back for his body, said that there were at least two dozen demon corpses around his remains…” she finished, glancing down.
For a long moment, Galdia was silent, looking at the table.
“Look, I’d understand if you didn’t want to join aft-…” Nitika started, but the orc cut her off.
“This world is fucking insane, clefthoof-thing.” she said.
“Tauren…” murmured Nitika.
“Whatever… there’s all sorts of crazy shit here. Those furry things, dead people walking, those skinny pointy-ears, big tusks, and shit…” she grumbled, looking up, “… but orcs still know what it means to be orcs. You said the Shaman protected you, threw himself at the demons knowing he’d die and took as many as he could with him.” she nodded, “Mag’har or not. That is an orc. Some things didn’t change.” she smirked, “You said your team is, what, Savages?”
“Savage United.” corrected Nitika, looking up.
“Right, whatever, fine. I’m in. I don’t know shit about this world, so I need someone I can jab in the ribs until they tell me what the fuck I’m looking at.” she nodded. “You need things to die. We can make that work.”
Nitika looked relieved, “Right, well… I told our leader to meet us here so he should be coming soon… ah!” she looked up at the door.
“HEY NITTS! SAID YA GOT A NEW RECRUIT FOR ME?” came a gruff voice. Galdia could practically smell the strange smoke on it’s breath.
“Over here Grimo!” she called.
Galdia looked over at the door, looked to the left, then looked to the right in confusion… then looked down.
Standing infront of her was a squat green creature with large bat-like ears, a stubble coated face, wearing a mixture of leather and scrap metal and smoking something that smelled like the shit she’d scrape out of the worg corral back on Draenor.
“Grimo Blamstick, but you can call me boss.” he smirked, extending a hand, “Nice ta meecha.”
She looked at him, then looked up. “HEY! FURRY THING! BEER! NOW!” she barked. This world was too godsdamn insane.
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A Thought regarding Darth Maul
Recently i saw this post
https://jr4cats.tumblr.com/post/670958045026811905/beanabouttown-tragicfantasy-girl
And I got to say, I find it really strange to say that Maul was horrible for his choices while also thinking that Anakin was the biggest tragic baby who never had any chance at all.
What i am trying to say is:
Maul had it worse than Anakin, Growin up wise.
Anakin grew up on first with his mother in tatooine, and then later with the Jedi. While living as a slave was definitely a bad life, he still had a loving mother for those nine years, besides also having friends to play with and a home.
Then the Jedi take him to the Order (With the consent and bleesing of his mother by the way.) And now there's a long and complicated discussion to be made about how well Anakin was taken care of, but he still had a roof under his head, food on his plate, and people who genuinely wanted to help him (And let him make questions, contrary to what some may say).
When Palpatine came to try to grom Anakin into the DarkSide, he had to hide his actual intentions and pretend to be just a kindly politician, pretend he actually gave a shit about Anakin.
And that also meant that Anakin had much easier asses to different opinions and philosophies, which is why Palpatine had to butter him up with promises of saving the ones he loved.
Maul, on the other hand didn't have that.
Maul, in Legends, was given by his mother to Sidious because she thought he would give him a good life. Needless to say, that didn't happen.
Maul was put into a living hell from day one, from being put in a vat of acid unless he answered questions, being send to a school of assassins were he was then ordered to kill everyone there regardless of they were to him. Left to die in horrific wastelands, starved, and pretty much left to dwindle in his on misery.
Questioning Palpatine was unthinkable, and the only way he was able to express any form of oposition to his master was in the form of murderous intent.
In Canon, we don't have as much information on his growth, but we know that he was stolen from his mother and trained to be an assassin, with promises of becoming his second in command when Palpatine took over.
Now if you know Sidious, you know that that's is a load of crap. Sidious doesn't want to share power. He is a backstabbing bastard that loves to backstab people. At best, Maul would be a useful lapdog, send to do the dirty job, but never given enough power or autonomy to actually challenge his master.
Except that didn't happen, instead, Maul was cut in half and went crazy for the next 20 years or so. Scurring along, surviving only on his hatred. By the time he comes back to "sanity" he doesn't have his legs and had everything that was promised to him taken away.
And is important to understand that, while the choices one makes are ultimately their responsability, how a person makes their choices is often defined a lot by how they grew up. Maul's choices, to me, while wrong and terrible, are way more easy to understand than Anakin's. From a very young age he was feed a violent ideology which told him that the only way to survive was throught hate, that his response to something happening to him was vengeance, that the only form of relationship he could have were that of a master and a underling.
And again, I am not saying that Maul didn't have any choices in his life. He did, and so did Anakin, and I think it's a disservice to both of this characters to ignore their autonomy to bash Obi-Wan.
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Grom Queen
Written for Bianuca Week day 2: Dance, @rainbow-frog-earrings
The Owl House has taken over my brain. Bianuca has taken over my brain. This happened.
Content warning for a touch of (imagined) homophobia.
AO3
"You set my heart on fire!" Marella announces dramatically, drawing a spell circle that produces a flaming heart shape. Linh quickly douses it.
She laughs. "You're going to start the fire alarm!"
"I'm trying to be romantic! Linh Song, will you be my Grom date?" She holds out a violet, one Linh accepts with a smile.
"Of course! You didn't have to nearly burn the school down asking me."
The two continue chatting, and Biana and Maruca watch as they walk down the hallway. Of all the gromposals echoing around the school that day, Marella's was definitely the most entertaining. The other awkward couples are starting to get a bit annoying. Maybe Maruca's just jealous. That they all go to the dance with their crushes, while hers won't be anything other than her best friend. Which she's happy about, of course, but... it would be nice to go to Grom with Biana Vacker, is all.
Feedback from the loudspeaker cuts off both the chatter and Maruca's pining train of thought. Dame Alina's syrupy sweet voice sings "Foxfire students, I'm happy to announce this year's Grom Queen... Biana Vacker!"
Biana winces.
Maruca looks over at her.
Biana groans and slams her head against the row of lockers.
Maruca takes a step forward, cautiously.
"Bi?"
"This is gonna be a nightmare," she mumbles.
Quite literally. If Biana doesn't manage to stop it, Grometheus will terrorize the whole town, taking the form of each person's worst fear. Maruca doesn't know what Biana's is going to be, but it can't be fun to cope with, especially not in front of the entire school. Grom was meant to be a night for the pair to enjoy, albeit not as a couple like Maruca would like, and Biana definitely shouldn't have to battle her worst nightmare. "I'm sorry," she says, and it feels inadequate.
Biana sighs and lifts her head from the locker. "It'll be fine. Fitz was Grom King last year. And Alvar was a few years before him. Both of them did alright, and if my idiot brothers can survive Grom, this should be no problem." They've known each other for long enough that Maruca can tell just how faked the cheer in her voice is. "I should go choose a weapon."
"I recommend a sword," Maruca offers. If Biana wants to distract herself, she'll let her.
"Swords are cool."
Biana does indeed find a cool sword, and once she settles on it, goes home to get ready for the dance. Reluctant as she is to leave her friend, Maruca does the same, and when she gets home, Livvy is standing at a mirror in the hallway and glaring at her half-done bow tie. She eagerly abandons it when she sees Maruca. "Hey, kid! How was school?"
"Good. I need something to wear to Grom."
"Luckily, your cool aunt is going to take you shopping," Livvy says, huffing and tossing the bow tie to the side.
"How about this one?" Maruca says, pointing as they walk through the store. "It says 'I'm a witch with a dark side.' Ooh, or that one! It says 'I'm an otter! ...with a dark side,''
Livvy laughs. "How about that suit jacket?"
It looks nice. "And that skirt?"
"Sounds good." Livvy buys the clothes and they head back home. Maruca changes into it, hoping Biana thinks it looks nice. Even if she does, that doesn't necessarily mean... it's... whatever. She waits for Livvy to figure out the bowtie, yelling some words her mother won't be happy were said around children. Finally, Livvy manages, and takes Maruca back to Foxfire. "Ah, I remember my Grom," she reminiscences on the way. "Your friend's mom was Grom Queen- Della Vacker. She looked badass with a sword. I spent most of the dance on the side eating cookies and getting made fun of by Elwin. Good times."
These times might be slightly less good, considering what her best friend is about to endure.
She runs into Biana in a dimply lit hallway, wearing a purple dress that flares around her knees. "Wow- you look great!" she blurts.
"And you look... nice. Strange, but nice." Biana clears her throat. "I think I'm about to be sick."
"You've got this," Maruca tells her, putting a hand on her shoulder before coughing awkwardly and stuffing it back in her pocket.
Biana's mouth opens, like she's about to argue, but before she can, a booming voice announces "And now, our Grom Queen will fight Grometheus. Give it up for Biana Vacker!"
"Wish me luck," Biana mutters, face pale.
"Luck."
She takes her sword and brandishes it at Grometheus. Both their eyes glow for a moment. Then, Grom takes shape. First, shards of broken glass scattered across the floor. Then, a spider. Then-
Her. Biana. Handing a note to a shadowy figure Maruca can't make out. The note unfolds. Then, another silhouette. Taller. It snatches the note from the first, tearing it to shreds. "I won't allow it," it declares, voice distinctly like Biana's father.
The real Biana stands, paralyzed.
"Get away from her!" Maruca yells, running down to the arena before she's entirely aware of what she's doing. She grabs a knife from the stand of weapons and brandishes it at Shadow-Alden. From up close, she can read the note Shadow-Alden tore. Will you go to Grom with me? -Biana. "Oh," she whispers, mostly to herself. Then, louder; "Hey, if... that didn't work out, want to go with me instead?"
"Really?" Her voice is shaky.
"That's what friends do."
A small smile. "Well, if that's settled, may I have this dance?"
She extends her hand, and it's all Maruca can do not to faint as she accepts it. Biana whirls her around as they take turns blasting Grometheus with spells until, finally, it retreats. The crowd cheers, and the dance resumes its dancing and talking and eating, leaving Biana and Maruca with slightly more privacy. Maruca nudges Biana. "So, who'd you want to ask out?"
"It's- it's not important." Biana kicks the scrap of paper off to the side, blushing. Maruca takes her over to the snack table. She doesn't look at the discarded paper. Doesn't see who it's addressed to.
Maruca,
#bianuca#bianucaweek2022#bianuca week 2022#biana vacker#maruca chebota#this is going with the livvy/prentice sibling theory btw#idiot lesbians! i love my idiot lesbians
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The Blight Chronicles: Odalia and Alador
Ultimatum Part 1
She really could not understand why it was so important to Alador that they got to Grom together. It was a bit funny though considering their first year at Hexside Odalia could not say or do anything to get Alador to go to Grom with her. He said it was nothing more than a waste of time.
Their second year Odalia was able to convince him to go with her but he ended up leaving early. She had learned a new spell that allowed her to see other people's futures with just a simple touch. She was not going to let the opportunity go to waste so she started talking to as many people as she could while dragging Alador along. In all honesty, she was surprised he lasted as long as he did. Before she knew it he was already long gone.
Then there was last year where the school had a competition to see what weapons would be used by the lucky Grom king or queen. Of course, we won and Principal Bump was so impressed that he also asked Alador if he could build some special effects machines to make the party livelier. That year they spent the entire time working the machines.
I guess maybe he had a point. Grom was supposed to be a memorable experience though she never thought Alador would be into such sentimental things. Normally he wouldn’t and on top of that, he was the one suggesting to do something he did not like. If there was one thing Alador hated it was large gatherings. He didn't like being around so many people and he couldn't stand loud music and chattering. That meant there had to be more behind him being so persistent about going. Blaming Darius might be out of the question this time. Alador seemed to be too excited for this to be one of Darius's dumb plans. The other option would be that he read it in a book. That was probably the most likely reason. Hopefully, he wouldn't do anything embarrassing in front of everyone.
Though she couldn't think about that right now she had to focus on her dress. This was going to be their last Grom so she decided to go all out on her dress. The tricky part was trying to keep it hidden. She didn't want Alador to see it until it was ready and there was no way she could leave it at her own home.
If her mother ever laid her eyes on it just the thought made her shudder. She would probably burn it on the spot. That's the reason she kept it hidden in one of the spare rooms in Alador's house. Though one could say it was her room. Over the years it had become more like a home for her than her own house. It was filled with several of her things. She had even started keeping some of her clothes thereafter one too many experiment explosions leaving her covered in abomination goo. Walking from Alador's house to her own covered in goo was not fun.
If she was being really honest sometimes she wished she wouldn't have to go home. It was a lot more relaxing here and she felt like she had her own space where she belonged. Thanks to the abomibutler she didn't even have to do shores. The only thing she had to worry about here was food and Alador. She had no idea how that boy survived so long without anyone watching over him.
On the other hand, being at home had never felt worse. Ever since she met Alador the need to leave her house had intensified immensely. Her parents didn't know about Alador and she wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. The only reason she was able to spend so much time with Alador without raising suspicion was that she had convinced her mother that she was placed in a special advanced program meant for students with strong magic. Her mother believed that she had early and late classes on top of her regular classes which is why she was able to go to Alador’s house early in the morning and after school. Of course, she still had to do her chores but that just meant she had to wake up a little earlier, nothing she could not handle.
There had been one occasion when her mother saw her with Alador at the market. They had been out buying some materials Alador needed when they ran into her. They told her Alador was in the same special class and they had to do a group project together. Luckily thanks to Alador's appearance and natural calm demeanor her mother didn't think too much of the situation and let them go on their way with only asking a few questions.
“It’s finished,” she said, taking a step back to admire the dress. It looked very extravagant if she said so herself. It was a strapless gown. The top was fitted and a light lavender which bled into a much darker shade of purple as it went down. The bottom of the dress was puffy rather than fitted with intricate embroidery which made her feel like it was a dress fit for a princess. She had been working on the dress for the past two months and looking at it now she felt like all that hard work had really paid off and just in time as well. Grom was in two days.
Just then she heard three lazy knocks on the door. “Oh no, is it that late already?” She took out the window and notice how dark it had gotten already. She had gotten so distracted by the dress she had lost track of time. She quickly threw a blanket over the dress to keep it hidden even though she knew Alador would never go into her room. She packed her things as quickly as possible and opened the door where she was met by the abomibutler. “Thank you for the reminder and the great work and remember stay out of my room.” There were two rooms the abomibutler was not permitted to enter unless specifically ordered to which would be Alador’s bedroom and her room. They did not want it moving anything around in there.
She quickly ran to Alador’s room to say goodnight but she found him fast asleep at his desk. “It really is late isn’t it,” she muttered to herself. She quietly approached Alador and kissed him on the cheek “come on Alador you have to sleep on the bed.” she whispered into his ear. Alador got up and let himself be guided by her as he remained with his eyes closed. Odalia tucked him in before giving him one last kiss on his forehead and whispering goodnight.
It was really late much too late she just hoped that her parents were asleep or too intoxicated to notice her arrival. Once she got home she saw there were no lights on and took it as a good sign. She opened the front door as quietly as possible hoping not to get her parents' attention. She closed and locked the door behind her and tried walking quietly to her room. She was halfway past the living room when a light went on.
"Good evening Odalia,'' said a cool icy voice coming from the living room. Sitting there in a recliner was her mother, her eyes shone with a quiet furry she had never seen before.
"He..hello mother" stuttered Odalia, noticing the small chest on her mother's lap. It took her a moment to realize that was her chest the one she kept hidden under her bed. The chest that contained random poems and stories but more importantly it also had money she had been saving up before meeting Alador. Since they met she started stashing away money in her room at his house. She had completely forgotten about the chest under her bed.
"You must think me a fool girl," hissed her mother in between clenched teeth as she got up from her seat and approached Odalia.
"Mother no I...," pleaded Odalia, her feet rooted to the spot as she was cut off by the burning sensation across her face. Hot tears started to roll down Odalia's face but it wasn't from the pain. No, it was that she knew that what was coming was much worse.
"How long did you think you could keep this from me?! You must have thought you were so clever stealing my money so you could run away with that boy from the market!" growled her mother.
Odalia's face went pale when she heard her mother mention Alador. She had been so sure she didn't suspect anything was going on between them. What else did she know? How did she find out?
"Oh yes I know all about that boy and I saw the poems. To think I had raised such a stupid girl who would want to run off with the first boy that gave her the time of day." snarled her mother.
"No I wasn't…" pleaded Odalia.
"Don't you dare lie to me girl!" she said, grabbing Odalia by the scruff of her shirt and started dragging her to a nearby door. "I'll teach you to steal from me!" roared her mother before opening the door and tossing Odalia in. "You will never see that boy again," she growled before slamming the door shut and locking her in.
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Luz, Emira, and Edric
Clearly the twins gave Amity a lot of unnecessary flack themselves, but… I’m really loving the idea/concept of Emira and Edric ALSO being like her, having a mask they constantly put up, and it’s just less obvious because they’re seemingly more charming and confident, and their abuse manifests in different ways?
Again, we never see the twins interact with anyone outside of the family besides Luz… And Eda that one time, but that’s mostly because she’s already there, and even then their interactions are pretty minimal as-is. I imagine that as charming, flirty, and confident as the twins are, seemingly beholden to no rules…
…They’re actually really lonely? Like, Ed and Em are actually low-key insecure, or at the very least, they make a point to hide whatever ‘dork’ tendencies they have. I think it isn’t out of the question that Emira and Edric make a big deal of putting up the façade, the illusion of being confident twins who always know what they’re doing, who are too cool for school…
And, while they’re definitely not fans of school- I really love the idea that Luz has earned an implicit, yet powerful trust from them after Lost in Language??? Like she’s someone who’s willing to get into trouble and dumb antics with them, but at the same time, she’s an outsider who can tell whenever Ed and Em go too far with their sister. She’s someone who can make it clear to them that disregarding Amity’s personal rules and boundaries is NOT the same as, say, rebelling against their parents’ strict rules or against generic authority in general. Mostly…
I think of Luz as someone who the Blight kids can be comfortable around, all of them! She’s someone who doesn’t, and never judges. Around Luz, the Blight kids feel safe- Like they can drop the masks and façade and just be who they are, without fear of retribution, without fear of someone spreading the ‘truth’, without fear of anyone judging them or thinking lesser of them for it… I love the idea of Emira and Edric, these seemingly cooler twins and upperclassmen, allegedly out of Luz’s league… One day admitting to Luz that to THEM, she’s the one out of their league! That they’re amazed by her ability to just unapologetically be herself, out in the open, while Emira and Edric feel the need to hide that.
They’re still rebels in a sense, but in other ways the twins hide who they are, how they feel, because they don’t want to be seen as ‘soft’, because despite their best attempts the abuse of their parents DID really affect them! And I love the idea of Luz finding out after Lost in Language that the Blight kids all are actually really open in affection or would like to be, that they’d rather be down-to-earth… Adventures in the Elements was a different glimpse to ‘another side’ of the twins, in the sense that this was a more genuine part of them. It was how the Blight kids interacted with one another at home, whenever nobody was watching them…
After all, it IS the Knee, which is a pretty secluded location as-is, and the Blight kids didn’t expect anyone else to be there. The only ‘exception’ to this open trust is Eda, whom Amity clearly has some reservations towards… But while Ed and Em keep their interactions minimal, they’re also very open-minded to the Owl Lady’s ‘weirder’ ideas. Or at least, Edric is, but Emira is at least operating from a sense of safety rather than prejudice. They don’t bat an eye at Eda, probably because they’ve heard stories about her as someone who doesn’t care what others have to think, and it’s low-key inspiring to them… And they figure, if Eda doesn’t care what others think of her, maybe the same applies to how she thinks of others? LUZ seems to be open around the Owl Lady and trust her at least…
Plus, given how Odalia and Alador witnessed Eda’s first transformation, almost immediately after she rejected the Emperor’s Coven to its face- You can’t tell me they didn’t fill their kids’ heads with stories, ‘cautionary tales’ of Eda the Owl Lady, who defied the sacred will of the Titan by rejecting its messenger’s coven… And right on cue, was personally punished by the Isles itself by being transformed into a horrific owl creature! Knowing Ed and Em, they probably figured out that if their parents hated Eda THAT much, then Eda was actually a pretty cool person after all! There IS a lot of trust to the twins and Amity heading over to the Owl House during Enchanting Grom Fright, after all…
And while there’s no open interaction, Eda definitely appreciates their giant illusion of her! You can tell that through Luz, the Blight kids are getting to know and open up to Eda, or at least trust her to a degree because of Luz’s own opinion… And in turn, this lady is helping these kids find a home where they can be themselves, and maybe some other new connections and relationships along the way. Luz isn’t the only one who won’t judge, Eda is willing to let these kids be the goobers and doofuses they’ve always wanted to be, and it’s just sweet to me… Eda would trust these kids because that’s what Luz said, not to mention she likely knows how messed-up Odalia and Alador can be, as she may have interacted with them back at Hexside.
I can see her brushing it off as her trying to ‘stick it’ to Al and Odalia by getting their own kids away from them… But let’s be real, Eda’s mostly doing this just for the sake of the Blight kids, to give other people room to actually be themselves because she knows how much that means to them. And it’s touching to the Blight kids, to see an adult who’s seemingly closed-off, but provides so much more affection and unconditional love to them than their own parents ever did…!
But, back to Luz and the Twins- I think Luz would be very surprised to hear from them, be it implicitly or not, that they actually trust the girl… Because Luz is someone who was conditioned to under-value herself, to underestimate her own worth and importance to others. She’s pretty good at hiding it, but it’s still there, and it always blows her mind and makes her world when people openly tell her that she means a LOT to them!
I can just imagine a scene, where Emira and Edric show up to Luz, and Luz is excited, trying to play herself off as being really cool… And then they just swoop in for a mutual hug with her from both sides, because they’re really not feeling it, they’ve had a bad day and they just feel crummy… They really missed Luz and they want some emotional validation and affection for once, these kids are touch-starved even around each other! And Luz is just SURPRISED, that these out-of-her-league upperclassmen would choose to be so vulnerable with HER, of all people…
But then just as quickly, she takes it in stride and hugs them back. And then Luz and the Twins are silent like this for a long time, before Ed and Em choose to let Luz go, and without blinking or referencing what happened –unless they WANT to talk about it- Luz asks Emira and Edric how their days were, what antics they’d like to get up to, etc.! I love the concept of Ed and Em lowkey having self-loathing, wondering what anyone could see in the TRUE Emira and Edric… and then Luz just confidently reassures them, that they don’t need a mask to be so cool to her! And it’s both embarrassing and dazzling to the twins, that this girl seems so eager to impress THEM when it should be the other way around…!
And I can see Emira and Edric taking a LOT of cues from Luz, especially since she’s more of a rebel than they are, without being harsh to others- She’s an open criminal, she changed Bump’s mind on multi-track learning… She even managed to convert Lilith, their little sister’s former teacher and a contributor to her indoctrination, the Head of the Emperor’s Coven, to her side! Luz foiled a public petrification at the Conformatorium, personally overseen by the emperor himself- And wounded Belos!
I can imagine Emira and Edric maybe becoming insecure. Thinking Luz is too cool for them NOW, but she reassures them that’s never the case… Even as Luz inspires them to more openly defy the system in a different, more productive way. They’d probably follow Luz when it comes to a revolution, and convince Amity to do the same. They’re like Eda, in a sense- They learned to survive against some horrific abuse and indoctrination by becoming open rebels and troublemakers… But there was always that distance, that sense of loneliness, that feeling that they never accomplished anything and that their lives were wasted. That they could only ever be a nuisance to others, even if they weaponized and embraced this- And that deep down, there was an insecurity over who they were as they questioned if their own judgment was enough to say that they were lovable people.
But then comes Luz- And she tells Ed, Em, and Eda that they’re all great people. That their lives aren’t meaningless… She tells them they ARE lovable people, but she’s also someone who can help rein them in, teach them a thing or two! And it’s so reassuring to actually learn from someone else, instead of having to figure it out all on your own… And maybe with Luz’s guidance, these E-named troublemakers CAN make a difference! That they can be even more than what they already were, and learn how to help other people when that was always something they wanted to do, but were never sure how to accomplish!
Especially since Eda, Emira, and Edric both share that situation of having a sister they’re concerned for, a sister who’s too indoctrinated into the Coven System, and a feeling of failure at not being able to lead that sibling down the right path… Messing around with that sister, but ultimately lamenting the loss of their sibling’s personhood. So how inspiring is it, then… That Lilith, who is Eda’s sister, Head of the Emperor’s Coven, and also one of the people who influenced Amity into this same indoctrination… Changed her mind, that with Luz’s help, Eda managed to rescue her own sister! Maybe it’s never too late… Or at least, Mittens is DEFINITELY less indoctrinated than Lilith was. So if Luz can help, then I can see the Twins being willing to openly beg for her help, and Luz just reassures them that they neither need to ask nor get on their knees- She WANTS the best for Amity!
Obviously that leads to the twins being the OG Lumity shippers, in-universe! Luz is just SO cool, they’d LOVE her as a part of the family, they love what she does for Amity and vice-versa, because Luz means the world to them and they know that Amity makes her happy- And it’s the least they can do for Luz given all of the stuff she’s done for them, to engage their little sister with her! Luz has GOT the siblings’ approval, all right! It’s the two people they care for most, Luz and Amity, being together and happy… So Emira and Edric want to contribute.
And while Ed and Em like to joke a lot about flirting with Luz, about thinking she’s cute, and all that stuff… Really, I don’t necessarily think they actually see her in that romantic light? Not that it’s entirely out of the question if that’s what Luz wants, because they love this girl and want to give her everything- But not only is she with Amity and the Twins are not letting ANYONE jeopardize that relationship, least of all themselves… In general, they’re just grateful for Luz? They’re not looking for any romantic relationship in her, not necessarily? They love her as-is. Luz is someone they can be open around, someone privy to the Blight kids’ more open and vulnerable moments…
Luz is like family to them, and not just in the in-law sense! Emira and Edric may joke about flirting with Luz, but I don’t think they actually see her like that… And no, it’s not just me making room for Lumity, Vinira, and Jedric, nor is it JUST me acknowledging the age-gap. In-universe, even if that’s another reason… I think Emira and Edric just see Luz not as a romantic interest, but as someone they’re already close to and open with. And it’s incredibly sweet to me, honestly… Like Luz is an adopted Blight, a little sibling in a sense! One Emira and Edric of course respect and provide autonomy for, and they’d never force this relationship on her… But in general, I do think Ed and Em see Luz as like a kind, younger sister! So obviously that would not only make a romantic relationship weird to them, even if all three got a bit older later in the future; But Luz is nevertheless someone that Emira and Edric want to take care of and vice-versa, in the familial sense! And I can see them being concerned of becoming too clingy to Luz… But honestly, Luz has no issues, and hey- She gets to be with Amity more!
Maybe Emira and Edric become convinced that they can only ‘hold onto’ Luz, or at least justify their relationship with her, through Amity’s romantic relationship with Luz… But Luz reassures the Twins that just as she’d always love Amity, even if Amity wasn’t romantically interested- The same goes for the Twins, that she cares for them as their own people, and NOT just as Amity’s older siblings! And to be seen, recognized, and loved for themselves as their own individuals, not defined solely by their familial relationships or status as Blights… It’d mean a lot to Emira and Edric, I feel.
#the owl house#owl house#the owl house emira#emira blight#the owl house edric#edric blight#the owl house luz#luz noceda#the owl house amity#amity blight#lumity#the owl house eda#edalyn clawthorne#analysis#speculation
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Okay, now that I’ve calmed down from Wing it Like Witches (and am back home after my parents dragged me to an indoor inflatable obsitcle course for the day) i’m finally able to process my thoughts on the episode.
Lemme start off by saying, I don’t like sports. I find them unbelievably boring and if an animated series has one or even a few sports related episodes I will ALWAYS skip them on a rewatch. So leave it to the Owl House to make a sports episode I want to keep rewatching over and over (like soon as i’m done writing this i’m gonna watch it again). Like i’m gonna be ranking all the season 1 episodes once the finale happens next week but this is easily gonna be one of the top ones.
Building off the few glimpses we got in First Day and Enchanted Grom Fight, Willow is gaining so much more confident and is socialising with other kids. No longer hiding her talents and letting everyone appreciate her. It’s just so heart warming to see considering how we were originally introduced to her. But I love how it’s shown that her getting over her trauma is going to be a lengthy process as she still hides away whenever Boshca tries to put her down but is now able to bounce back.
Speaking of Boshca, oh my gosh. I already know there are people out there who are going to call her bullying one note and unrealistic. But lemme tell you, i’ve never seen a more realistic portrayal of a bully in animation (I thought Amphibia was great at that but this is a whole other level). Every single day of my 5 years in High School was exactly what Luz, Gus and Willow went through here and it is honestly refreshing to see. The bully doesn’t always need a sympathetic backstory (and since we have the abusive parents angle covered with Amity I really hope Boshca just stays the way she is). Some people are just jerks who enjoy hurting others. But this is a Disney show so I won’t get my hopes up (like I did after Amphibia’s first episode).
Gus was also on top form this episode. He was able to add some comic relief while still not taking away from the episode and even getting a few badass moments (I cheered when we swiped Willow’s hair clip back from Boshca.
The only thing I didn’t care for was the Eda and Lilith stuff. Thankfully their subplot where they have there own Grudby game isn’t too long and the ending was really nice and presumably is build up to both next week’s episode and the season finale. But it was every part of Sports episodes I really don’t care about. The moment Hooty said “no magic aloud” I was ready to just zone out. You’re just watching 2 insanely powerful woman not use their powers while running around a square and throwing a ball. It’s not bad but it’s way too generic and safe for this show especially compared what’s happening during the game in the A story.
While Luz challenging Boshca is totally in character, at this point I am kinda waiting for when all this catches up to her and she learns to stop living others lives by making decisions for them. However, I will say there has been some significant development in that Luz realizes she’s taken this too far and honestly her going up to Boshca taking Willow’s place as her target might honestly be one of my favourite moments in the series so far. I do really like they show Luz is capable of being simultaneously selfish and selfless.
And finall let’s talk about Amity. I love how quickly we’ve escalated from a small blush to her entire face turning red if she even gets within 6 feet of Luz. Also LOVE! AMITY BLIGHT SAID “LOVE” PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE ARE APPROACHING A CONFESSION. I REPEAT, WE ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING A CONFESSION. But as great as all that is my favourite moment comes from the start of the episode where Boshca insults Willow and Amity just materialises out of thin air to deliver one of the sickest burns. Even though Lumity is the main focus, I like we are still showing how Amity is growing as a person outside of that. And even though it seems Willow and Amity are basically friends again here I really hope we get a little more development of that relationship in either the next episode or the finale before they state it as fact.
But I hope you’re already for next week cause Luz is going to Emperor Bellows’ palace which means IT’S ABOUT TO GO DOWN. Can’t beleive we’re almost at the season finale. I hope the hiatus between seasons 1 and 2 isn’t too long but it’ll probably last until next year. So I want a Lumity confession in either Agony of a Witch or Young Blood, Old Souls because that will be the only way i’ll survive the Winter.
#the owl house#toh#the owl house spoilers#toh spoilers#luz noceda#toh luz#edalyn clawthorne#toh eda#willow park#toh willow#amity blight#toh amity#toh gus#toh lilith#lilith clawthorne#luz x amity#lumity#disney channel#disney tva#disney televsion animation
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Owl House rewatch thoughts
* Hard to say from what little we see of her, but I think Luz' mom might have been less worried about her daughter reading fantasy and more about the "multiple incidents of bringing uncontained live animals and explosives to school" thing.
* If Eda considers Luz' Azura book as being only useful as kindling, it means she's not inclined to view human books as something she can make snails on. Considering how unique her portal to the human realm is treated, where did Amity get her Azura books? I've seen people suggest the author travels between realms, but if that were the case, Amity would've been able to get the latest volume from a local store rather than needing to borrow Luz' copy.
* Suggestions for other species that escaped from the Boiling Isles: the platypus and peacock mantis shrimp.
* "Weak nerd arms" ok really identifying with Luz here.
* Really love this take on Chosen One stories. Because yes, there is an appeal in being told you're special, you're unique in the best possible way, but ultimately this is a story about people who aren't "special" so much as outcasts who do their best with the situation they're in. Which is something that a lot more people can aspire to be.
* The fact that this was a set scheme(as the multiple fake maps would indicate) rather than a trap specifically designed for Luz indicates that even people who've spent their lives on the Boiling Isles would be drawn to the idea of being a magical chosen one. I bet Amity's not the only one to have an interest in fantasy literature around here.
* Oh wow Amity's first appearance outside the credits is . . . something. It's easy to forget just how far she grew in one season.
* Eda's not a *bad* teacher, so much as she has yet to learn that teaching requires expanding on a concept you introduce and explaining your reasoning. "Here is what you can learn from tasting snow" instead of just "here, taste these different kinds of snow"
* Hm. For someone who despairs at the concept of the school teaching blind obedience, her teaching style kinda relies on it. Bit of a hypocrite there, Eda.
* Gonna be honest, the first time I watched this and King mentioned Eda sneaking a drink of elixir, I thought it was going to turn out to be a magic-looking flask.
* It seems slightly odd that King's apparently known Eda for a while but didn't have any idea of the curse. Maybe she was just REALLY good about keeping up with her elixirs pre-series.
* Really like the metaphor for a chronic illness that's kept under control by medication.
* If the Emperor's Coven provides access to all forms of magic, you'd think others aspiring for a spot would be permitted a multi-track education at Hexside. That might be why none of them seem to be that impressive at magic when they're supposed to be the "best of the best" -- even if they have *access* to all forms of magic, they've only had training in one specific field during the bulk of their education.
* lbr, Lilith's cheating was worse because at least Eda told Luz what she was doing.
* You'd think Willow and Gus might have caught on that Luz didn't have permission for them to come over when she told them to hide from Eda.
* It's nice that Eda realizes raising a kid with a "screw the rules" mindset will result in a kid who breaks her rules sometimes. Cleaning up the mess she caused is really the correct punishment for Luz; directly dealing with the consequences of her actions but otherwise considering it a lesson learned.
* Reading to kids in the library is an A+ way to shift Amity from "Jerk" to "Jerk with a heart of gold" territory.
* Prediction: At some point, Luz will return to the human world (probably only briefly but Eda won't know at the time) and Eda will come across the "Coping with empty nest syndrome" book Luz got her from the library. She'll cry. King will cry. Hooty will cry. Every viewer will cry.
* Pretty sure that, given what the world is like, if any of them ended up questioned about their actions during the body swap episode, they could just say "Oh yeah I was body swapped that day. What'd I get up to?" and everyone would consider this a perfectly logical explanation for them acting out-of-character.
* HC that Hexside is fully aware some illusion-track students skip class by having an illusion of themselves attend in their place, but they figure a student maintaining a decent replica of themselves for the duration of the class period requires enough effort to count as a form of class participation, so they just let everyone think they're getting away with it.
* Gus and Willow are really ride-or-die friends. Always nice to have.
* Probably some of the mystery appeal will be gone from the Human Appreciation Society once a legit human is just attending classes on a regular basis; being able to get definitive answers to questions rather than spending your time speculating would cut back on the draw.
* I love all the details they include on this show -- a lot of other shows would just stick in scribbles while panning past pictures instead of writing out all of Eda's incident reports.
* The pallisman is a neat concept; sort of like a mix of a wand and a familiar, a magical control that will have opinions of its own.
* Given Bat Queen apparently has enough of, um, a biological aspect to have kids, I wonder if that means Owlbert is capable of laying eggs. Or having eggs with another owl/pallisman if the male pronouns are anything to go by.
* I mean even Phineas and Ferb didn't question Perry laying an egg when he uses male pronouns so could go either way in terms of what Disney would allow.
* Reading the book fair signs, it looks like sci-fi is a popular genre in the Boiling Isles. Makes sense, since what we'd consider Fantasy would be more contemporary/urban fantasy to them.
* Getting the vibe that someone on staff had a less-than-amicable experience co-writing with a friend to inspire this one. And/or experience with shitty contracts.
* The Hexside requirements also required knowledge of basic runes, but given Luz apparently had no issue with that I'm guessing she just picked those up offscreen.
* "I've seen worse" is the ideal admissions response tbh. Like . . . she pulled off the required spells and the headmaster has seen decades of students' awkward first attempts. It probably counts as a good day when no one's admissions test resulted in needing to bring in someone from the Construction Track to repair the building.
* It's very reminiscent of D&D that the majority of the cast has the response of "This is clearly a trap. Let's check it out!"
* You'd think that carnival fortune tellers wouldn't have the same appeal in a world where it's something you study at school. Unless it's viewed the same way as those "magic" shows they have sometimes where the tricks all involve chemical reactions.
* Kinda surprised a school that teaches kids fire spells doesn't have some kind of fire suppression system in place.
* Hrm. Guessing the mind guardian went back and undid their own damage offscreen; otherwise they'd have had to go re-do the repairs before leaving.
* Good they had the wifi and charging cable coming through the portal to explain why Luz' phone still has service and the battery's not long dead.
* Luz, how have you survived this long with your instinct for pushing buttons. The same as the rest of humanity in a world full of buttons, I suppose.
* Probably if they thought about it, the best criteria for picking Grom royalty would be less who's the most skilled at magic and more who has the most low-key fears.
. . . nvm, having a Stay-Puft incident would cause them to reasonably scrap that approach. Maybe appointing someone who obsesses over grades would have better odds of producing a relatively-simple-to-combat exam paper.
* I'm thinking the letters are written by Eda, who doesn't intend anything sinister by it so much as being the type to cover her bases when pulling off a scam and realizing Luz' mother would need some evidence to indicate her daughter was safely at camp.
* The band-aids clearly have some healing spell built-in, considering they've been used to heal inanimate objects.
* someone on the writing staff has a long-standing rant about Quidditch they've been holding back on.
* I know that normally the humor in the cut from "she's finally growing up." to Luz planning the heist would be that she's doing something that sensible adults would consider to be a bad idea, but if Eda saw her just then she'd wipe away a tear of pride and go "Her first self-planned heist! They grow up so fast!"
* Eda's the one who talks about cheating at stuff, but Lilith has a habit of playing *dirty*.
* I would like to say I appreciate them going with a more serious credit sequence because it was disconcerting with Star Vs when a dark ending was followed by "I THINK EARTH'S A REALLY GREAT PLACE"
* Lilith may have made a 30-years-late attempt to redeem herself, but I really don't trust her. I don't quite want her dead, but she DID spend decades trying to force her sister to join the Emperor's Coven as a prerequisite for curing her curse.
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How to Survive Being Reborn Into an RPG, Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
How to Deal With a Blue Slime
In a spacious backyard, many children were playing; Most in groups, others alone. All were under the watchful and caring eyes of the Priestess who ran the orphanage. Near a large stump, in a corner hidden away from the others, a pair of children were conversing. From a distance, it may have looked like they were playing with dolls.
"I... Don't really get what you're saying, Mayumi." Said the young, half-orc, boy. He scratched his head, bald save for a thick but short Mohawk of wavy black hair, in consternation. "That sounds like a really weird dream." He had a simple face, but it was open and honest. His skin was a light green complexion.
The girl beside him sighed heavily. "Grom. Are you even paying attention to what I'm saying?" She asked, leveling a glare at him. Her red hair was bright in the midday sun, long and flowing like a gentle flame. Her green eyes held far less excitement and emotion, and far more wisdom and experience, than there should be in a child's eyes.
"This wasn't a dream you dolt. I'm telling you this happened. Like, in reality."
Grom scratched his chin. "Run it by me again?"
Another heavy sigh from Mayumi. She picked up the makeshift doll made of straw and twine once more. "Fine. Like I said; this isn't my original body. Back in the other world-"
"Like, across the sea?"
"No! Uhg... It's a different reality. I guess... I think. Anyways, it definitely wasn't on the same planet as this world. Also, stop interrupting. So, back in the other world I was a boy. In fact, I was a 26 year old man."
"But you're a girl. We bathe together so I know!"
"Stop interrupting." Mayumi grabbed the doll and moved it around a little. "Back in the other world, I was a 26 year old man. There was technology, and computers, and all kinds of awesome stuff. Personally, I liked my life. I pretty much lived at home, by myself. I worked from home, and had everything delivered. I never even had to go outside. Haaa... it was great... Hey!" She snapped her fingers in front of Grom's face, who had clearly started to check out if the glazed look in his eyes was any indication. "Pay attention, damn it! Geeze, you're dense!"
"Hahaha! Yeah, I am, aren't I?" He chuckled.
Another glare. "I wasn't praising you, dummy... Anyways... Even though it was pretty awesome in it's own way, I was still kinda depressed, you know? I was lonely. I didn't have any friends to rely on."
"You got me though! I'm your best friend, right Mayumi?"
For the first time, she smiled. It was subtle and small, but it was genuine. "Yeah, dum dum, you are." She poked his forehead. "Stop. Interrupting." She picked up the doll again and made it walk. "So, one day, I decided to go for a walk for once; To clear my mind. While I wandered, I eventually found myself at the top of a really tall building." Here she put the doll atop the stump. "I guess they were doing construction or something because the guard rail that's normally around the edge of most buildings that tall wasn't all there. I went to the edge, mostly out of curiosity. I hadn't looked off the edge of a building or cliff since I was a kid." She moved the doll on top of the stump, near the edge. "Well... I guess I had been way more depressed than I realized... because while I was up there I kept thinking about how easy it would be to just... let go and jump."
She looked up and saw Grom making a face at her. "Hey, hey, don't gimme that look... I'm not gonna do anything stupid like that, okay?"
"...Promise?"
Sigh. "Yes. I swear. And even then, when I was thinking those things, it just made me angry at myself. I swore that I was gonna start over and make a better life for myself." Mayumi puffed her chest out a bit, proudly. Then she looked sheepish. "But... I guess a really strong wind kicked up... It, ah... blew me right over the edge."
"And then?"
She made the doll fall slowly to the ground. "And then... I died, I guess... I remember falling, and the ground coming up at me really fast... and then... the next thing I knew, I was a baby in this world."
There was a long silence as Grom took it all in. Then he looked up at her.
"I, uh... still don't really understand it all though... I mean... Couldn't that all have been a dream or something?"
Mayumi shrugged. "I guess it's possible... but I have such vivid memories, and... if it were a dream, how would I know all the things I know about this world? I mean... This reality is basically an Role Playing Game."
"I don't... know what that is?
"Yeah... I know... but... look!" She held her fist out in front of her, then spread out her fingers. Instantly, a flat, transparent window appeared in front of her. "This! This is a status window! How do you explain this?!"
Grom looked at her like she was crazy. "Everyone can do that, though. It's just natural. Sister Lana says the gods gave us the ability to see within ourselves. It's called the 'Reflection'."
"Yeah, I know what it's called, but seriously. It's JUST like a status window in an RPG. It shows you your health, stamina, magic reserves, equipment, items... Everything! Hell, in this world, people can literally gain experience points and increase their attributes and abilities! We can select items we're carrying or equipment we're wearing and equip or un-equip them instantly! How does that make sense to you?!"
"I'm telling you, that's just normal!" Grom huffed.
"And I'm telling you it's not!" Mayumi glared.
The two friends sat there, glaring defiantly at each other for a moment. Mayumi narrowed her eyes and seemed about to say something when she noticed Grom's eyes widening and wandering to just over her shoulder. She started to turn to see what was behind her, but her friend tackled her to the ground just before a thin, gelatinous blue tendril shot past her face.
The two children scrambled to their feet and backed away quickly from their surprise assailant, Grom dragging Mayumi to safety. When they moved away a good distance, Grom positioned himself between Mayumi and their attacker. From behind, she poked her head around for a better view.
What greeted her was a blue, opalescent, translucent blob vaguely oval in shape. It was roughly half their size and, now that they had backed away, wasn't making any overt movements towards them.
"What's a Blue Slime doing this far past the Wall?"
Grom looked over his shoulder. "Mayu, get back! I'll protect you!"
She gave him a flat look. "Look, I appreciate you getting me out of the way and all. Seriously, that was cool. But the Blue Slime is an ambush predator. Now that we're aware of it, it's not particularly dangerous." She stepped out from behind him and furrowed her brows as she scrutinized the slime.
Grom grabbed her arm. "Then... we should go get Sister Lana, right? She can take care of it... Or she can get a guard from the Wall."
She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the slime. "We're about as far away from the Wall as we can get. It would take forever. And Sister Lana's a Priestess; she uses healing magic, so she wouldn't have any affect on it."
Grom snatched up a nearby rock with a grunt. "Then... I'll just smash the thing!"
"Wait, Grom! Don't do tha-!"
With a grunt, the boy hurled the rock at the slime. It hit it's mark dead on, and seemed to splatter the thing. "Ha! That wasn't so hard! I bet I could be a guard at the Wall!"
His celebration was short lived, however, as the slime began to reform quickly. As soon as it did, it began moving towards him.
"All slimes are basically immune to physical attacks, doofus! I tried to tell you that was gonna be useless..."
"Bu... but why is it coming towards us now?" he stammered, backing up while still trying to keep Mayumi behind him.
"Cause you're sweating."
The comment made him take his eyes off the slime to give her an look of incredulousness. "Cause what?!"
"Slimes all hunt using different methods. Blue Slimes hunt by sensing bodily fluids coming from their prey. That's how they hone in. Now... how do we take this thing down..."
Grom looked back at the slime, and twisted up his face in thought. Then he smiled and started snorting like he was trying to clear something out of the back of his throat.
"Ew. Grom. Cut that out, I'm trying to thin-"
Suddenly Grom spat out a thick mouthful of mucus off to the side. He was quite proud of the distance.
"Gross! What's with y-..."
Mayumi grew silent as she watched the slime change directions towards where Grom's unhygienic projectile had landed.
"Hey... that was really smart! It's attracted to your... well... yeah... Anyways! That gives me a great idea! Grom, keep it distracted, okay?"
He nodded enthusiastically, happy to get praised by Mayumi, and began leading it around by spitting on the ground.
Meanwhile, Mayumi opened her status window again. "Ever since I began learning how this world worked, I've been pouring every last experience point I could scrounge up into my Magic Stat..." She mumbled to herself. "Granted, it's barely been anything; being an orphan and a child doesn't really present a lot of opportunities for monster hunting. But even rats and spiders give XP. So! Let's see if I can pull this off!"
Grom looked at her with concern. "Sister Lana said your not supposed to use that, Mayu! It's dangerous!"
"Just keep spitting! I'll be careful!" She opened up her list of Spells. Of course, she only knew one at the moment, and it was barely a spell at all. More like a trick to light candles and fireplaces. "But... If I pour a whole bunch of Mana into it... I might be able to get a nice effect." She looked up to see Grom struggling to work up any spit. "Okay. Enough talking. Lets bag some XP!"
She selected her "spell" and aimed it at the slime. "Gentle flame, guiding light. SPARK!"
With just the tiniest amount of mana, Spark could light a candle or other such item. But Mayumi poured every last bit of her miniscule mana reserve into it, creating a much bigger flame that swept across the body of the slime. The slime burst again, but this time quickly dried up and withered into nothingness.
SLIME DEFEATED! GROM AND MAYUMI GAIN 10 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
Both children saw the words pop up on their status windows and smiled.
MAYUMI HAS GAINED A LEVEL! LEVEL 2 APPRENTICE REACHED!
"Hmm... So I guess it's true that a kid doesn't get to choose their class levels, huh?" Mayumi frowned. Then she suddenly slumped to the ground as a wave of exhaustion came over her. Grom ran to her and helped her up.
"Are you okay...?"
"Ah... yeah... I forgot about Mana Drain. But I had to use it all up or I couldn't be sure to take it out. I'll be fine after I rest. Thanks Grom."
"Of course! I'll always be there to help you out!"
This made her smile again as she put an arm around his shoulder to stabilize herself. "Apprentice... I've heard that when kids grow up, they can retrain weaker class levels into stronger ones. If that's the case, I'm already on my way to becoming a mage. Just like I wanted, heh."
"Hey, Mayumi? How'd you know your Spark would kill it?"
"Oh. Well Blue Slimes need a lot of moisture to survive. Fire dehydrates slimes like no one's business."
"You sure know a lot about monsters, Mayu."
"Well, I've been reading up on all kinds of creatures ever since we got those books donated to the orphanage. Plus, I do have all of my knowledge about games from my previous life. It helps."
At about that time, the Priestess he children knew as Sister Lana came around the corner. "There you two are!" she exclaimed in a mildly reproaching tone. She daintily lifted her dress enough to walk quickly. "I've been looking all over for you two! Come inside, quickly. We just got word that a couple of small monsters may have slipped past the Wall and made their way into the village. It isn't safe for children right now." The kind young woman tilted her head. "Why on earth are you two grinning at each other like that? And Mayumi! You look exhausted! You've been playing around with your magic again, haven't you! Oh, you two are just..." She sighed the heavy sigh of one who deals with troublesome children on a daily basis.
She bent down and lifted Mayumi into her arms. "We'll talk about that later. For now, come in. Grom, get in the bath with Mayumi and watch over her will you? That's a good boy. Mayumi, after you get clean you're to have supper and then it's straight to bed for you."
"But I-!"
"No buts! I recognize Mana Drain when I see it, missy! Bath, supper, bed." She said the last word in a tone that brooked no argument, while lovingly brushing a stray hair from the girl's face.
Sister Lana carried the girl into the orphanage with Grom close on her heels. The two children looked at each other ruefully.
'If I had to be reborn into a strange new world...' thought Mayumi, 'I could have done a lot worse.'
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preview of some str stuff
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During Garrosh's first few months in Azeroth he had accompanied Warchief Thrall on many a business trip, familiarizing himself with the planet, its inhabitants, and the faction Thrall reigned. He wanted to say the worlds were similar, but it was not within his experience to judge. Draenor had been in tatters as long as Garrosh could remember. Rocks, trees, earth; all were present on Draenor, as one would expect the Portal to lead somewhere inhabitable. The atmospheres and natural landscapes between the two worlds did not vary too drastically. That is, until he had met with the outriders in Warsong Gulch.
The Warsong were elated to see him, of course. "Hellscream lives!" they cried, cheering and saluting and bowing their heads. "Son of Grommash! Glory to the Horde!" His presence alone was emblematic of the enduring lineage of the Warsong, festooned in gleaming armor and atop a black Orgrimmar war wolf. Removing his helmet, however, to greet his people, appeared to make their stomachs turn. Warm Mag'har skin dabbled with sweat from the oppressive heat of the Barrens was a sight many at the gulch were not prepared to see. Some faces were contorted with confusion, disgust. Hellscream was welcome. But the son and his mocking skin were a sick joke. A Mag'hari Hellscream was a beggar with a full stomach.
He does not know our pain. He is not like us. He is saddled with no sin and therefore absolves us of none.
Their initial enthusiasm waned, focusing intently on the words of the Warchief.
"To my noble outriders, I bring you news from beyond the Dark Portal. Though I am sure the Warsong have already heard, the great Grommash Hellscream survives by his son, Garrosh, who stands before you!"
Many salute solemnly, more out of respect for Thrall than for his companion.
Tuning Thrall out, Garrosh focused on the forest in the distance. It was a sight unlike anything he had seen on Draenor, the closest comparison being the towering fungi of the Zangar marsh. The Gulch was bordered by colors unthinkable for foliage, as if gems and velvet grew out of the ground. So dense was the forest that it blackened on the horizon, the yellow dirt path from the Barrens engulfed in royal purples and glassine greens.
It was called Ashenvale, Thrall had said, and Garrosh yearned for its riches. He was drawn to it. Tempted by it. There was something in its dusky boughs that curled a finger toward him. Fanciful and fae, the forest set forth a cool breeze that swam through the Barrens air and kissed him.
"Garrosh."
He shook away the dreamy sensation and turned attention to the Warchief.
"You have agreed to join the Horde, have you not, Garrosh?"
"But of course. Your people have much to offer, and much to be proud of."
"It is true. And these outriders here have fought with great endurance to secure this area for the Horde, many of which are your own clan."
"Bloodshed is inevitable. The weak shall be crushed beneath us!" A few hollered out in excitement to hear the Mag'har hearkening to the old ways.
"The kaldorei may be stubborn, but they are not weak. I have drafted many treaties and agreements to open trade—lumber for our ore—but they refuse. It is a shame to see so many lives ended over the coveting of these resources."
'Shame'? There is no shame in protecting your people. "It is best they die. The weak cannot progress the Horde."
"Is that what you believe in?"
"Of course. I believe in strength. I believe in the strength of our people. And through the Horde, we will secure a future for the orcs."
"All orcs?"
"Yes. All who are strong enough."
"Our people have many strengths, Garrosh, many which are often overlooked. Consider if I had been the same."
"But Thrall, you are strong. And a great leader."
"Thank you," Thrall smiled. "But that is not what I mean."
"Then—"
"Your father was not only strong; he was my friend. The little family I had ever known. If I had shunned the whole village of Garadar for its 'weakness', I never would have discovered what remained of my family, my people, or my true namesake. And I never would have met you or brought you into the Horde, son of my brother. You are family, as the Horde itself is family."
"But I— I am a warrior, Thrall, and it is my strength, and the strength of my father, that makes me worthy of the Horde."
"You place such emphasis on this," the Warchief said, amused. "You are a great warrior indeed, but strong too of mind and heart. The Greatmother Geyah herself agreed."
Garrosh shifted uncomfortably at her mention.
"Even when you suffered physically and your body was weak, you were still worthy of the Horde, Garrosh. Even when you could not be a warrior."
Some of the Warsong exchanged glances among themselves.
"It is better that I am a warrior," Garrosh spat, feeling self-conscious. "Those in the Horde should earn their place."
"So long as the Horde is looking out for one another, we all belong within it. They have earned their place by right of belonging."
"I... know little of these other people," Garrosh admitted. "I have met with a few tauren in Nagrand. But no trolls, no elves, none of these walking dead you have come to ally yourself with. How can they be trusted? We struggled to trust outside our own clans, orcs all."
"Azeroth is our home. It is new to orcs, but together we share it with tauren, trolls—"
"But what do they offer? How can we trust them if they sit idly, watching our people starve? What home is this to have made?"
"—even the Forsaken of Lordaeron have come to be our allies. And the sin'dorei of Quel'thalas also sought refuge in our Horde—"
"You must listen to me, Thrall!" Garrosh spoke out of turn, voice overtaking the Warchief's. "Of all places on this planet, we call that desert our home? Orgrimmar is impressive, yes, but look where you chose to build it! It echoes the steps of the Portal itself!"
"The orcs are proud to call Durotar home."
"You make that land worthy of your father's name?" The Mag'har began to look exasperated. "Have we truly chosen to inhabit the one part of the world that closest resembles what we tried to escape from? Have we chosen to hide there in a corner like frightened dogs, whipping ourselves for falling to fel? Is it any different?"
Thrall rests a hand on Garrosh's shoulder. "It is not your burden."
"So long as I carry the name Hellscream, I shall carry this burden!"
"I have told you before, there is no such burden to this honorable name. What burdens you must be different, son of my brother, for Grom's noble sacrifice freed—"
"He is NOT your brother. He is MY father!" He wrenched himself from Thrall's gesture. "Yes, so you told me he had atoned, but I will not stand by your blind veneration of him when he brought me and my people so much shame!"
"Yet I knew him better than you ever could," Thrall said, grimly uncharacteristic of him. His demeanor remained placid but the scorn was palpable.
A voice arose in Garrosh's head, one that sounded just like Thrall's but was not spoken by the Thrall that stood before him. "How many of my brothers will you take from me, Garrosh?"
The brown orc stood speechless, dumbstruck by the phantom voice and publicly humiliated by the present one, harnessing all of his will to fight the red fury edging into his vision. He remembered the tauren, suddenly, yet did not know why.
"You are not your father," Thrall needled, his veneer of tenderness faltering. "You may be Hellscream, but you are Garrosh also. You must choose your own fate."
Recuperating, he only nodded.
Thrall sighs, regaining patience and a swirl of pity. "I tell you again that the Horde will ensure a fulfilling life for you, for all orcs, and for the rest of the Horde as well. They give their lives just as any orc would, and with strength to match. Through our allegiances, there is a future here on Azeroth. A chance for peace." The shaman subdues himself further. "Inner peace."
A green hand reached for him and Garrosh bat it away. "I shall not trust these allegiances until their promises are realized. Should we fail to secure these forests for our people, the orcs will find such peace only in their emaciated deaths. And death is where, I, too shall make my peace, glorious on the battlefield, as an honorable orc should. As my father did."
Some Warsong cheered. "Son of Grom! Truly, son of Hellscream!"
Garrosh looked pleased with himself, but inside his heart boiled and screamed with fear. Thoughts skittered frantically in his mind, some of them not his own, foreign and bleeding into his head. The cheers of the Warsong began to sound distorted, desperate, as if suppressing and edging into tortured shrieks.
I mean no dishonor to you, Thrall, please, let me not bring dishonor to another clan, to more orcs, to this new world, who knows how far, please, do not let me shatter this one too, please, do not tempt my black thumbs with ruin, please—
"Truly, son of Grom!"
—please, do not let me—
"Hellscream after all!"
Thrall, you brought me into this world—
The silver trees and dark moss taunted him, hearing their thousand-year murmurs strain over the din of the Warsong lumber mills. Louder and louder, the ancient static smothered all.
—you must be the one to take me out!
Deep in Ashenvale, whether on the wind or in demons' whispers, the spirit of Grom called to him. Dilated and wide, his pupils vibrated with surmounting madness, the voice of his father drowning out the Warsong. It was close. It lingered. Something, someone, some energy, channeled itself into him with claws and tendrils and thousands of eyes with lashes like daggers. Rivers of blood once spilled from Mannoroth pulsed in the soil beneath him, a grueling heartbeat under his feet, tasting the smoke and charred flesh of the demon's presence.
"Son of Grom! Son of Grom!"
"The demon's fire," Grommash croaked, "has burnt out in my veins..." His immortal words thundered in his son's head. The midnight soil spoke. "The fire... in my veins..."
As another set of eyes within his mind, a spirit, he saw Thrall, younger than now, knelt by the body of Grom. "No, old friend..."
"The fire... the fire..."
Booming and rattling, the pit lord's words resounded. "He didn't know what burns within your soul... when in your heart, you know we are the same."
This was not the reproduction Thrall had displayed in Garadar. This vision was the contribution of hundreds of the eyes and beating hearts of witnesses, and he still heard them beating, and he still heard the wet eyes rolling in their sockets. They lived, somehow, still, his mind trapped in their skulls.
Through jittery eyes and gritted teeth, Garrosh swallowed the spell, slamming his fist against his chest—instead of his head, curbing the impulse—as a forward salute. Perhaps the fel, latent in the other orcs' green skin, gave them an innate tolerance toward demonic energy. Perhaps, because it was no one's first visit to Ashenvale but Garrosh's, they had already grown accustomed to the environment. Perhaps, because they had no blood ties to the remains buried at the nearby monolith, they were not tormented by the memories of his spirit. But for him, this land was too old, too wise, too tainted with demon blood and privy memories to bear. The purple forest, at first so enchanting, now loomed past the lumber mill ominously, mocking him, concealing its terrifying secrets within its watching speaking trees and the labyrinthine bowels of its gnarled barrow dens.
Sweat dripped from his clenched salute. It was too much to bear.
I beg of you—
Thrall appeared oblivious to Garrosh's turmoil, heeding the rowdy Outriders with raised brows.
—send me home—
"Well, Garrosh..."
—to my balance—
"It seems you are truly..."
—to Geyah—
"...A man of your people."
—to my death—
He is wrong.
"The boy believed you could be saved."
I cannot go in there.
"The demon's fire has burnt out in my veins..."
It should be burnt to the ground.
"In your heart, you know we are the same."
This forest should be burnt to the ground.
Making a point in doing so, Thrall's hand returns to the distant Garrosh's shoulder. "And so long as you let the strength and spirit of your people guide you, the Horde will place its faith in your future."
How dare he feed me this syrup. I know where my fate lies.
"I mean no dishonor to you, Thrall," Garrosh finally verbalizes, nostrils flared. "But I know my fate, whether or not I have chosen it. It is the fate of my people I wish to change."
Cheers of "Hellscream!" echoed into the savannah and were swallowed by the sumptuous, hungering vale ahead. We have heard that name before, it smiled.
Maybe then I will be allowed to die.
==
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Some of the tricks nature plays on us go even further back in evolution. Take the humble if duplicitous Cuckoo, laying eggs in another bird's nest. When hatched the cuckoo chick's mouth is that bit wider, that bit redder than those it's sharing the nest with (should any other chicks have survived). That fair. I personally am not a fan of shooting in RAW on my phone but I also not a fan of a camera auto processing pictures of my loved ones and friends either so I can definitely see the predicament. I think, based on Samsung most recent response to 태안출장안마 the Bixby button, if enough hell is raised regarding facial processing, an update might be pushed out. I haven't seen anyone comment this yet, but a lot of people on the spectrum tend to dislike fruits and veggies. I work with kids with special needs and most of them have very few foods that they will actually eat. We have one kid that only will eat four foods (Cheerios, strawberries, pretzels, and apple sauce pouches).. Self posts disguised as recommendations requests are not allowed. Ask for recommendations in /r/kdramarecommends, the weekly "Monday Madness' thread, the weekly 'What Are You Watching?' thread, and the weekly "Weekend Wrap Up" thread.F. Questions about the general nature of a drama ("Is it a good drama/worth my time?") are not allowed as self posts. This may sound crazy because almost all the comments recommended setting powder and baking, but I've accepted that this reality of glasses removing the makeup there is just how it's always going to be so recently I've just stopped setting my face with powder altogether. You could just spot set if you have oily eyelids or forehead, etc. But anyway, I find that not setting my face makes it much easier to blend that nose bridge area with my finger throughout the day than when it's been baked with powder. She knows she does this stuff she doesn't want to. Just be patient with her. You're already understanding. We can say the characters might be dumb for not realizing these dangers, but I think a lot of that is our bias having seen so much Star Trek that the PD is embedded in how we look at sci fi intervention. I can blame Pike, Bernham, or anyone else on Discovery for making the decisions they did from their perspective. Subjugation is a terrible thing. Trust me we want to have the damn gwps as badly as y'all do mainly so we don't get bitched at for not having it. I go above and beyond hunting them down and most of the time it's pointless. We got 4 devacurl gifts in FOUR. CAFOs have long been a point of contention in the determination of public health officials in North Carolina. No matter how hard people have tried to get them to adhere to standards that will benefit the health of the surround community, businesses do not want to honor these agreements due to the volume of work that it will take to implement the change. Unfortunately the health of those living near these facilities is in terrible decline, but because of the racial divide in these areas, they are not high on the priority list.. So my 2017 Grom with 15K km on the odo suddenly lost all power the other day. I was heading down into a parking lot and noticed that my dash was off. Hoping it was a fluke, I parked and restarted the bike but it still was off. Please, call 태안출장안마 911 if you're feeling bad don't be ashamed, call. Remember heart attacks can come at any time even during sleep. You don't have to be stressed, in the cold, overeating or exercising when an attack can come on.
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Special ops in space part 3
I'm on a run man. My boredom is pushing me to keep writing cause even reading is boring right now. If y'all have any ideas on what to put in this thing that'd be awesome, or even if you just wanna bounce ideas. Who knew that I'd actually look forward to school... I'm so bored.. The problem with sharing stories with those who have only known war is that they will share things casually that would make others sick. The Quirn’s visible leathery skin had gone a soft grey at what the human warriors were describing. Mainly at what Human Victor and Human Anzelm would say. “When things were becoming very bad, I was drafted in the GROM. We are an anti-terrorism taskforce, and we’ll do anything to protect our country. I, along with my comrades, were sent behind Russian lines in order to covertly sabotage their equipment. We were caught and I and one other of my team survived. Her arm was removed though, so she barely survived. We both managed to carry the other three to the extraction point, though Gerald was easy as the acid they used against him had eaten half of his body.” “Ah, I know what you’re talking about. I had seen Agent Red used against a few squadrons. Nasty thing that was” Martin hummed. Lyne snorted. “Who hasn’t? That was a personal favorite of theirs. If it weren’t for the corrective surgery, my lungs would still be suffering from the effects.” The others nodded. “Anyway, it was only when I was made to have a checkup did I realized that half of my leg had been hit by the acid. Thankfully by boot had stopped it from getting to any tendons, so I was able to recover quickly.” Anzelm lifted his pant leg and showed off a variety of scars, the worst being the angry red skin stretched tight over the back of his calf that wrapped around to his shin. “Bah, at least you kept the leg. Damn Brazilians were a beast at IEDs. Had my left leg blown off by being a dumbass in my younger years, thinking I was invincible. Later lost my arm when a bomb was dropped on it in Egypt. Thank god it was a dud or I’d be a goner.” Victor laughed. “Ooh, they gave you one of those fancy micro-biotic synthesized limbs didn’t they.” Oliver said, staring at the mentioned arm. Anthony laughed when Victor pulled his long sleeved shirt off, exposing horrendous scars that ran all over his body. The Quirn knew from where some lead that the man had many more where they could not see. The only part that did not have even a mark was his right arm and his face. “You just love showing your chest off to the ladies don’t you?” Victor’s chuckle was his only response. “If you do not take offense to my asking, how are you able laugh amidst such distressing stories?” “If we did not laugh we would cry.” Martin answered. “Many of our fellow soldiers have succumbed to the crippling sorrow, something we call depression, and are either unable to function, or have killed themselves as a way to escape. We laugh because we were the few who survived. We laugh because we have looked into the face of death and have returned.” The Quirn could only stare at the little Humans from the mudball planet in a small solar system with new respect and fear. They were true warriors who survived their battles. What terrified them was that they warred with their own race to such an extent. “I remember when I first joined the military. We had this mascot, a cute little rabbit we named Hobs. We taught him to carry this little knife in his mouth and chase the new recruits.” Lyne laughed as she shared the story, moving the topic away from such depressing matters. “We should do that here! I’ve seen a few roomba-like things moving around here!” Anthony yelled excitedly. Anzelm grinned and produced a knife from seemingly nowhere. Azxceta was beginning to regret offering to share stories, and knew he was going to regret asking the question he was about to ask. “Why do you desire to weaponize a cleaning implement?” It was Victor who answered with a shrug. “We get bored rather easily. This is a way to keep us mildly entertained, keeps us on our toes.” The pieces of the puzzle began to fit together for Azxceta. The boredom they easily face, but the stories they told of relentlessly chasing their foes. They were predators through and through. “You must be the most feared predator on your home planet.” All 6 special ops looked at each other and burst out laughing. The Quirn were more confused than other. “You see Azxceta, humans are not really close to the top. We’re not the strongest, fastest, or the best at overall survival. We’re pretty smart though, which is why we are the dominant species. We can still be killed by true apex predators. We’re just stubborn sons-o-bitches honestly, and refuse to go down without taking others with us.” “Well… Thank you for sharing your experience with us.” The Quirn vacated the immediate area faster than they would like to admit. “Weird. Well, Imma go find that roomba thing. Let’s go Anzelm!” Anthony yelled, pulling the shorter man away to search. Victor headed back to his assigned quarters to report his observations on the aliens on the ship to hs superiors.
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why do you like garrosh so much pt. 2
to expand a little bit (okay a lot) on anon’s question (which, again, I could do until i typed the skin off my fingers), i will EMBARRASSINGLY ADMIT that i have a 40k+ word ffffaaaannn fiiiiccctiioonnn ive been writing for almost a year now that delves into a lot of my ~headcanon~ and self-indulgence regarding garrosh and his character. i began writing it in the first place to try to identify what my feelings were about him, just stream of consciousness as most of my writing goes. but it got longer and longer, and i tried to make it in reference to a second person, to an amorphous “you”. from there it became a reader-insert story for cathartic garbage (or catharbage as i endearingly refer to it) with about ten different notepad docs dedicated to it and its many drafts. one of these docs is a series of notes to further attempt to analyze my own thinking. the contents are below. es muy largo (over 2k words, plus a 500 word chatlog).
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I had begun playing World of Warcraft in late 2005 and quit in early 2009, just before the release of The Secrets of Ulduar/the Argent Tournament (Patch 3.1.0, released April 2009). Most of my playtime occurred while I was in high school, and upon my first year of college/university I felt I needed to close that chapter of my life and move on.
I kept zero tabs on the goings-on of WoW or those who still played. Something about dragons, goblins, canon pandaren. I was slaving my way through college, mental illness, and abusive relationships (if I had to grade my quality of Self during this time, I’d say it was hovering around the low-C, high-D range).
In September of 2014, I started a new job, had long finished college, and escaped my abusers. Inevitably I returned to Azeroth, and thus a new chapter of my life began.
The culture shock was jarring, to say the least.
Not only was I flooded with a deluge of high school memories, obsolete items (hunter ammo, anyone?), and a friends list like a graveyard (some names legitimately of the deceased), I had to play catch-up for two and a half expansions and five solid years' worth of content. I jumped haphazardly throughout the zones, surveying the damage from the Cataclysm (atop my flying mount!), exploring old raids, and leveling my then-capped 80 main to 90 in preparation for the new Draenor.
Polar Bear Syndrome took hold in the form of Garrosh Hellscream. He was everywhere and nowhere all at once, name-dropped constantly but tangibly elusive, yet I didn't for the life of me piece together who that was (no thanks to that atrocious, beady-eyed Cataclysm model). Apparently he was the new Warchief ("where is Thrall?!" became a growing concern) but it took a skim through WoWWiki to realize this warmongering bigot was, apparently, the same Overlord of the Warsong Offensive in Borean Tundra that I recalled from many years ago; the "same Garrosh that spent half his life crying into a campfire in Outland", quoth WoWhead user TGFseb15.
I spent over a year trying to digest this character shift. On top of everything else, due to some sleep aids I was trying out at the time, the “Polar Bear” sightings of Garrosh extended into my dreams. I did hours of reading and research, questions becoming insurmountable rather than answered. How did this happen? Why was he like this? Why is he showing up in my dreams? Of course, all this racking of my brain resulted in more dreams, more conundrums.
In October 2016 I began writing this story in lieu of being able to talk to the man (orc?) himself and ask, "Dude, WTF happened?". In attempting to reconcile my feelings, I had to sacrifice my wishful thinking for who and what the <Son of Hellscream> from all those years ago had become, and accept what had drawn me to him initially: his instability and his depression.
Garrosh's core character, from all that I can gather, is that he is unstable and miserable. From start to finish, Garrosh is miserable. It is the only way I can imagine the descent of a fearful, suicidal orphan into the fully hardened numbness and apathy and hatred of a genocidal sociopath.
However, I am not attempting to garner any sympathy for Warchief Hellscream (or even the Overlord Hellscream of the Wrath era). My wish fulfillment and "head canon" extends only as far as my attempts to rationalize the myriad conflicting storylines Garrosh was subject to throughout the years and unify them into one semi-coherent character.
I love that Garrosh was canonically chronically ill as a child (I was too); I love that he was (is?) mentally ill (I was/am too); I love that Garrosh is one of the major canon explorations of the less-than-glorious ramifications of war on an individual level, as memorable to me as the quest for Mankrik's wife.
When I first played through Burning Crusade ten years ago, I thought his presence was an Easter egg, a callback to those who had played through Warcraft 3 and remember Grom’s sacrifice to ask themselves, “What about those who remember life before the demon blood? Is Grom truly a hero, or is he simply repaying a debt?” (As many a comedian have put it, there is applause for recovery; there is no applause for never having been an addict.)
And to have Grommash’s son, of all potential critics, take the brunt of that, was a bold and interesting consideration. On top of everything it reconnected Thrall to his family: his true name, his biological grandmother, and his “nephew” Garrosh (although by all accounts Garrosh cannot possibly be younger than Thrall). But it also introduced a kind of storyline that I hadn’t seen previously in WoW: we didn’t get a quest to lead Garrosh from the village and make his death look like an accident; we didn’t challenge him for leadership; we didn’t stage a coup; we didn’t even accept the role of Mag’hari chieftain when he offered it to us (unlike our veneration in Ogri’la). Everyone asked you to simply do what Garrosh, “The Impotent Leader”, could not. He was incompetent, but he was protected. He, like everyone else in his village, is doing his best to survive in spite of his affliction, be it physical or mental destitution.
I remember thinking he was Geyah’s son/grandson until the reveal that Garad was her husband, and Durotan her son. Yet from her quest text she had so much faith in Garrosh that I was convinced they were related, especially because he had no faith in himself.
There are three pieces of quest text that have stuck out to me and remain lodged in my brain over the years, paraphrased as follows:
• “Curse you, and curse your ancestors! Only blood can cool my rage, so if that is your wish then... Throw yourself into the heart of the Skullsplitters in the east. [...] May he tear off your limbs and leave you to rot and be eaten by carrion.”
— Speaking with Gan’zulah, a defunct quest part of the Saving Yenniku questline
• “If you are ever captured by Legion, tell them ‘Xar il romath da tidesbi.’ They will kill you instantly for insulting their god, sparing you intolerable torture or worse.”
— Commander To’arch, Hellfire Peninsula
[I once posted this line in a creepypasta thread on /x/ circa 2007 lmao]
• “Everyone is proud. Proud that we may live to see another winter. But beyond that, what is there?
Maybe you should lead this clan, [Arete]. Maybe then I will be allowed to die when the Greatmother passes. Allowed to finally erase the shame of my family name. I long for such peace.”
— The Inconsolable Chieftain, [now] penultimate quest in the Garadar questline
You see where I'm going with this.
The only other quest I can think of that stirred such morbid anguish in me comparable to Garrosh’s was the starting quest in Tirisfal Glades where you collect duskbat wings/pelts to stitch into blankets for Gretchen Dedmar, who is succumbing to the chill of Mindlessness/reverting to Scourge. Until WotLK, the motif of “hopelessness” was not one I had personally seen much of in WoW, despite playing a Forsaken. There were sad, sentimental moments. But moments of failure, of bleak resignation, were few and far between. And the most that I did find were in reference to the Scourge or major events that had already occurred (Stratholme, the Sundering, etc.).
Garrosh and Mankrik’s problems were domestic; pedestrian, almost, like gathering the cactus apples in Razor Hill or disrupting the love triangle of trolls at Swamprat Post. Most of all, they were personal. Mankrik wanted his wife to come home safe. Garrosh does not want to turn out like his father. Mankrik must defend his home from angry quilboar and marauding centaur. Garrosh must defend his village from invading ogres while resisting the urge to off himself for the sake of his people.
And, again, because I main a Forsaken, my WotLK starting zone was Howling Fjord (this is also what I played in the LK beta). I must have done the Borean Tundra quests in a blur because I have no memory of them from that time period, other than Kalu’ak dailies, DEHTA quests, and Saurfang and Garrosh’s conversation in the foyer of Warsong Hold. [Note: I have very little memory of 2009-2010 for other reasons. Reasons much like The Inconsolable Chieftain. And by that I mean suicidal depression. HAHA.]
Other than that, I gave Garrosh little to no concern during my few months of WotLK. I saw that Blizzard had carried Garrosh over from the portal to Azeroth to assist in Northrend, and I took it in the same type of stride as “Oh, how nice of them to include this Easter egg for the players. The orc we saved followed Thrall into Azeroth." I had also, apparently, missed the mak’gora.
But it's not as if I had forgotten about Garrosh; I did work my way to becoming exalted with the Mag'har during Burning Crusade to earn a talbuk, and I spent countless hours outside Garadar fishing up and cooking poached bluefish for my raiding boyfriend at the time. “Trading kandi with ogres” was how I referred to grinding obsidian warbeads for rep. And every time I went past the campfire to Warden Bullrok to turn them in, I would /hug Garrosh (and stick around for the Thrall event, should it have been ongoing).
And Garrosh did not forget about me, either.
Do not think that I have forgotten what you did for my people in Nagrand, [Arete]. Hellscream never forgets.
For that I am indebted to you and it is why I give you this chance now: run. Leave this place and never look back.
Return to your home and say a prayer for the dying. (x)
Garrosh apparently talked a lot of big game in WotLK, but I did not bear any witness to it before quitting. I had barely made it into Sholazar Basin and did not touch Icecrown, the Storm Peaks, or Wintergrasp. So the way I interpreted this opening statement from Hellscream was him admitting to me, his friend, someone that he knew he could trust, who knew him as he was before, that he was afraid. After all of Thrall’s encouragement, and Garrosh getting the confidence to leave his village and give himself to the Horde, feeling his namesake redeemed, feeling a future was possible, Garrosh was still terrified. “You got roped up in my business once before, and I am thankful it worked out for the both of us. But I got myself into this mess and I cannot have you bail me out again.” He took a leap in a rogue moment of assurance and then, upon settling back into his depressive median, steps back and thinks, “I have made a terrible mistake.”
(>when youre feeling good and make plans
>when those plans actually arrive and you have to be social)
This is further heightened by Garrosh’s response to the player if they have not completed the quest chain:
A hero of the Horde, eh?
<Garrosh sniffs at the air around you.>
Fear...
<Garrosh spits.>
You won't last long. (x)
He himself is most definitely afraid. But he does not trust you, so this is how he tells you. He accuses you. He affirms this aloud, for himself, passing the blame to you. Anyone would fear standing at the Lich King’s doorstep, most certainly an orc who has known starvation and disease and death and shame, but also blue skies and white clouds and bright sunshine.
The red of Durotar was dismal enough. The gray endless death is even more difficult to bear.
And so, this is the mindset and place where my story begins: after Burning Crusade, after the first mak’gora with Thrall, after the summit in the comics, after clawing their way through the kvaldir and erecting Warsong Hold, but before Garrosh and Saurfang’s conversation, and before the rest of the Horde reinforcements (the players) arrive. I wanted to capture that tenuous period of Garrosh’s ego boost having only barely thrust him out of his dysthymic doldrums, still wrestling with his twenty-plus years of self-resentment, still trying neurotypicality (for lack of a better word) on for size like a garment in need of tailoring. Garrosh yearns to run with the pack but is a coyote among wolves.
This is the Garrosh I knew and remembered. So when I came back to Azeroth... well, you know the rest.
==============
Valkosk - 01/17/2017
It was Garrosh first command experience where he was trying to prove himself amongst his war seasoned clan that he had the brutal edge needed to command the Warsong or Blizzard's writing team didn't think about over arching storyline for their individual heroes. Might be that second one.
Keelhaul - 01/17/2017
All he did in Warsong Hold was turtle. He literally brags about it.
Arete - 8:52 PM
Keelhaul - 2:43 PM
Boreal Tundra Garrosh to player:
"I hate you. I'm ignoring everybody who wants to help/needs our help. Later, I'll send you on a suicide mission."
Borean Tundra Saurfang to player:
"Ignore Garrosh, he's being a bitch again. Here is how you can help us, and also there are others you can probably help in the other room. Later, I'll go behind Garrosh's back to save you from death."
Saurfang is the true hero of the Warsong Offensive.
Seriously, every quest in that zone comes down to "we need to clean up Garrosh's mess" or "Garrosh is refusing to do anything productive, so we need to go help _ ourselves."
SOURCE?
cause garry told ME to go home & pray for my family because he loves me
Keelhaul - 9:05 PM
[links the Foolish Endeavors quest dialogue]
Arete - 9:13 PM
wtf is a flenser
is varidus an elite?
is that why you say he sends you to your death alone?
or do other npcs call it a suicide mission?
i gotta get my characters up to 70 so i can play through the wotlk campaigns again
its been almost 10 years since i did
saurfang is such a good dad
omg
Keelhaul - 9:17 PM
You deliver him intelligence some of the Forsaken spies died to deliver, basically saying that a Necrolord is found and such-and-such place. They ask Garrosh for help, he says "I'm just going to send you."
The one Forsaken agent spying on him is stunned to learn that you're the only one coming to help, so he moreorless just assumes you're both going to die.
The fight begins, and it's immediately obvious that you can't win. The boss stuns both of you, tells an assistant to take you away. The assistant reveals himself as Saurfang, and then basically carries you for the whole fight.
Arete - 9:18 PM
damn saurfang is such a fuckin bro
garry trusts me because i am strong
Keelhaul - 9:20 PM
He's a tool to everyone who didn't see him as a bitch in Nagrand. :stuck_out_tongue:
Arete - 9:21 PM
fuckin yikes!!!
he was a lil bitch but i was too
some of us were beginning our descents into mental illness alongside Garrosh <Son of Hellscream> in Garadar :sob:
i mean there's no denying he's a piece of shit idiot post-wotlk
he's an incorrigible racist asshole in pandaria
it really sucked fo rme to find a character i identified with 10 years prior had been taken down the route he was
i had quit wow before the release of ulduar & came back in WoD because i heard there would be new models. i knew nothing about the new xpac storyline or anything that had transpired past black temple
so IMAGInE MY SURPRISE
WHEn A CHARACTER I THOUGHT WAS JUST An EASTER EGG FOR OnE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE QUESTLInES In ALL OF TBC
IS REVEALED TO LITERALLY BE A GEnOCIDAL FASCIST DICTATOR
"hey things worked out well for hellscream!!! maybe, despite my depression, things can work out for me too!"
'HAHA nOOOOO BITCH'
its just so sad, like
what a shame :frowning:
im still tryna cope
[end log]
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Phoenix 74 1330AE
CW: Violence, ghost rape/assault mention
I left the Grove about a week ago to join Ras in the woods. With Hira's betrayal uncovered, I no longer feel that I can remain in the city safely. I'm unsure if our current situation is safe either, but as long as the necromancer that plagued our hall is at large, we can't return to my dwelling.
For now, Ras and I are occupying a cave tucked away in the forest. It's a remarkably clean one, formed from gray stone. We cover the opening with leaves and other foliage to conceal our presence, which I'm told we can easily break or burn if we need to escape. For food, Ras hunts and I bring back leftovers from the hall and for water, there is a creek not too far. I'm lucky that I can still supply myself from the hall, as living purely off the wilderness would be a very difficult life for me.
Ras is used to it, but he has been exceedingly accommodating to me. He built me a privacy screen and he comforts me at night when I hear the growls of the jungle stalkers or the clicks of the giant spiders. One of the spiders crawled into my bedroll a couple of nights ago. I shrieked so loudly, startled as I was, that it scared the poor thing and it fled. Ras laughed at me. I'm so grateful for him.
There's a story I've been reading to Ras, called Janet and the Wild Tree. Janet is an actress from Divinity's Reach who is dropped into the heart of the Maguuma Jungle when her airship crashes, kind of like the nobles rescued from Verdant Brink. Janet must survive on her own until she meets a handsome but uncouth sylvari named Torbyn, a Pale Reaver who lost his unit. They agree to help one another escape the jungle...
...and that's as far as we've gotten. The author, Gillette Hovens, has likely never met a sylvari in her life. She treats Torbyn and the Pale Reavers like they're exceptions to a pacifist sylvan culture, willing to pick up guns and fight for peace, as if there weren't thousands of sylvan soldiers battling both Mordremoth and Zhaitan. Also, we can't read ten pages without his "carved oaken abs" being mentioned. It's not as if I could forget that he's attractive. That said, I like Janet a lot. She's fun and determined, kicks some tail when she needs to, but she has a vulnerable side where she's been estranged from her parents due to her career choice and she wonders if she'll get to see them again. The plot itself seems very promising too, as far as copper adventure novels go. It's a good escape from the circumstances that have brought Ras and I here.
We finally talked about Ainbertach. How it happened, how Ras felt. The courtiers ambushed Laecin, Gabhar, and him in their home. They drugged Ras and killed Laecin. Gabhar fled. When we talked I was angry at him for leaving Ras and Laecin to suffer, but had he not fled to the Source and told us what happened, we would have been too late to save Ras. So I must forgive Gabhar.
Ainbertach drove stakes through Ras's body and perched Laecin's head upon him. The courtier whispered lies, tried to make Ras into his pet Nightmare monster. He was held in such pain and despair. He would have fallen had we not found him when we did.
Ras asked me if he was weak. He cried as he confessed his pain to me. I've never seen him cry before, not even at Laecin's funeral. My poor mushroom.
I said that I killed Ainbertach. Apparently, I hadn't told Ras that once this past season. It comforted him greatly to know that this sylvari who tormented him so could never do it again. I can't believe I left him guessing this long. Though unintentional, it was cruel.
I need to embrace the fact that I am a being that is capable of killing. I need to remember that I kill to protect life from the people and things that seek to destroy it and who won't be compromised with. I am not evil because I kill. No one is evil because they kill.
It is the reasons why that make us good or evil.
I do not have to like killing. I do not have to embrace it or accept it as the first solution, but I do need to recognize it as a viable and sometimes optimal solution. Like Ainbertach, there are enemies who won't back down until they are dead.
By choosing to stay, I am choosing to fight. I am choosing to protect myself, protect my coworkers, friends, and family, and protect the Grove. I am choosing to suffer for what I believe in, choosing to suffer for waving the banner of Verdance because I believed in our cause.
Sometimes, I'm angry. I didn't break the rules myself. I didn't know until Hira showed up with her cease and desist and Oaken dropped the Sovereign bomb. I didn't do anything except choose the wrong side in the eyes of the law. And if I stay, I must be willing to pay for it.
Twice, I've been asked to stand and suffer. For Ruinali, then for the sanctity of our hall. Twice, I have had to watch others suffer with me. I've had to watch Del bear it until she passed out and recover from a broken arm, hating herself and her perceived uselessness. I've had to watch Poly slip into revenge fantasies as Grom clings to life (luckily, he's been doing much better). I've had to watch Cantair return to us only to lose himself to a fugue state.
And that thing what was it the white mantle spirit it wanted to rape me it wanted to rape us and i couldn't run i couldn't or it would have hurt volaine but i felt its stupid pleasure bullshit with the pain and i hate it i hate it it made me hard it touched me i had to stand there and take it and i hate it im glad its fucking dead or whatever the fuck happens to ghosts rest in godsdamned pieces[The last phrase is scratched into the page hard enough to leave an impression.]
...
At least within the coalition, I don't have to be passive. I won't be passive. If one thing is certain, Sovereign wants us to despair. He wants us to fear him and everyone who works for him. Perhaps he's just like Ainbertach, power-hungry and lecherous, but even if that's not the case, I think that the most powerful thing we can do is deny him what he wants. Ainbertach doesn't get Ras. Sovereign doesn't get our sorrow (and he doesn't get Ras either. Or anyone).
To that end, I must put aside my anger. Until this is over, the chain of command stays and so it is my duty to keep up morale. As we are asked to suffer, I must be there to support everyone, on and off the field.
Yet I know that it can't come only from me.
There will be times when I falter, but I can trust my guildmates. Sadrienne, Bakari, Airia, Lock, Riath and Trisbaine have all shown that. Perhaps...it's alright to be angry? Just not angry at the coalition. None of us asked for this. We all believed that we were doing the right thing.
...But if it was the right thing, wouldn't the accusations against us be false? No one is denying them. In fact, some confirm them. Likely...the greater good is more complex than I thought.
Or rather, we have to make a choice between ourselves and the greater good. What happened to Rhoeta suggests that. Our Legate for four innocents. I want to trust that Oaken made the right call. Out of context, it's what I would agree with.
But we sent a message to Sovereign, or his associates at least. We said, "We are willing to break ourselves if you measure us against uninvolved lives." Which means that if we're consistent, he gets what he wants. Or if we're not, people die.
I don't know how to handle this scenario, if it repeats. I can't make that kind of call, between two lives or more.
Or maybe it's not that I can't. It's that I won't like what I discover about myself if I do. Like killing, it's the reasons behind the decision that matters.
But it's not a very clear cut decision.
...Unlike Torbyn's abs. Haha.
The best I can determine for now is to follow orders. But if I must make a choice like that myself...
No. That won't happen. Someone will be there. Oaken or a Legate or Bakari or Caem. Someone else more capable. There's always someone.
Our strength lies in unity, after all.
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