(2021-05-29) Orgrimm Becomes Canon

Details

Author:	Athena
Summary:	Oranna and Bargrimm confess their feelings. Fireworks ensue. Literally.
Rating:	T for Teen

[In a quiet out of the way sitting room off the side of Cut Throat Alley]

Bargrimm wanders in much slower than a full sprint.
Oranna is sitting quietly, reading her journal, flipping the pages back and forth.
[Bargrimm]: Evenin', Sunbeam.
Bargrimm smiles at Oranna. He takes a seat, his left hand drumming fingers on his knee.
Oranna stands up quickly, smiling brightly, before blushing a little and ducking her head. "Hi. Ah."
Oranna sits again, tucking her dress neatly, and picking up the journal that has slipped to the floor, tucking it back into a bag.
[Bargrimm]: I got yer letter a bit ago an', well, wanted t' see ye, soooo…
Oranna smiles, although she's still looking rather at a spot around Bargrimm's shoulder than his face. "An' yer doin' well, then? E'erything…better?"
Bargrimm is wearing a fresh cape that does not have harpy talon shredding detail. Aye, 'bout good as new. Full medic clearance an' all. But, well…wanted t' talk wi' ye about all tha' happened on th' way back from Gadgetzan. Before we kept on wi' chargin' into peril an' whatnot.
[Oranna]: Oh. About…th' attack, ye mean?
Oranna fidgets with her hands in her lap, as though she's expecting to hear something awful. “I…I really am sorry. Tha' ye…ye had ta take th' blow fer me.”
Bargrimm hems only slightly. "Aye, tha'… an' wi' wha' happened after — oh, tha's just wha' I do fer ye, lass. Tha's me all over. Kinda."
Bargrimm fidgets a bit himself, as if searching for words.
[Bargrimm]: Oranna, I — Bolts, I'm usually clearer t' talk. Eh, I think I need t' figure a way. Lass, I dinnae know exactly how t' spell this out wi' ye, but if ye'll pardon a blunder or two, I'd like t' try?
Oranna looks up, almost at his face, her brows raised.
[Oranna]: Ye can tell me anythin', y'know tha'. I promise, I'll listen ta anythin' ye need ta say. *she smiles a little, warmth in her voice*
Bargrimm's ungoggled eyebrows dance a little, like he's processing a particularly difficult engineering glitch.
Oranna gets up and moves closer, although her cheeks go pinker. "What's wrong?"
[Bargrimm]: Oh, nothin' *wrong* exactly, jus' — changed, ye ken. Ye noticed it too, I reckon. After th' harpies. Actually, maybe startin' there would no' be th' worst idea.
Oranna freezes a little, and ducks her head lower.
[Oranna]: Oh?
[Bargrimm]: Ye were in danger, wha' wi' them comin' in from above, an' I couldn't bear th' idea of tha' blow landin' on ye, so I did wha' I did, an' I'd do it again. But — well…
Oranna swallows hard, and nods. "I know. I'm…if yer tryin' ta say…tha' I shouldna ha' been there…I…I'd understand."
[Bargrimm]: No, no' tha' sort o' thing. Look, I know there's lots said these days about folk dyin' t' protect people they love an' well, I'd no' be diminishin’ someone's choice. But t' me it's kinda off kilter a bit. Seems t' me tha' dyin for someone's almost th' easy choice? Sort o' a one-off? An' like, if ye care enough about someone, seems dyin' an' leavin' them behind, alone, really is no' th' best choice t' make?
Bargrimm's mouth twists a little, like he's expecting a disagreement but wants to avoid it.
Oranna looks down at her lap, tears forming in her eyes. "I dinna…aye. I…I was sayin' tha' ta Ivri, yesterday. When we talked. Tha'…I dinna e'er want ta be…left behind like tha'. No' again. When they…they took ye, tha's wha' I thought of. Tha' it was happenin' again. Ye'd be gone…an' I'd be left there. Alone. Again.”
[Bargrimm]: Well, tha's good. Because, well, I dinnae want t' be tha' for ye. I want t'… stay livin' alongside ye, righ' an' proper.
Oranna smiles at him, looking into his face briefly, before dropping her eyes again. "Good. I'd no' bear it well if…if ye left. I'm keepin' tha' copper piece." She flushes a little, and turns her head, looking at the books. “I mean, tha'…as…as a friend, I dinna want…ye ta….go. Away.”
Bargrimm runs a hand back through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. "Ah, well. Lass, tha' friend thing. It's no' goin' anywhere, but…look, Oranna, I'm fallin' in love wi' ye, pretty sure. An' ye deserve t' know it righ' off, without me dodgin' about."
Bargrimm looks like he just swallowed one of his own bullets.
Oranna startles enough she almost loses her balance on the chair, and she goes a bright red. "I…ye…wha'?"
[Bargrimm]: Yeh. Figured it out on th' way back. I…dreamed about th' fire again. An' then I realized tha' I'd do it again. But only for ye, if it came t' tha'.
Bargrimm's eyes meet hers very directly. "I dinnae want t' be wi'out ye, lass. Ever."
Oranna brings her hands up to her face. "Ye…yer in love…with me?" She seems to not quite be able to process this.
Bargrimm nods at Oranna.
[Oranna]: Oh.
Oranna covers her face with her hands and leans forward. At first, it sounds like she might be crying.
[Bargrimm]: An' I know tha'…well…
Oranna starts to laugh, and raises her head, tears on her face, but a happy smile. "I'm in love with ye."
[Oranna]: I've been tryin' ta…ta hide it. Fer th' past week now. Badly, I expect.
Oranna is still laughing, and crying a little.
Bargrimm looks like he's unsure how exactly to reply, but he's hiding his own joy very badly too.
[They both stand.]
Oranna practically leaps into his arms, still laughing.
[Bargrimm]: Well. Tha's…best grand news I've heard in years.
Bargrimm sweeps Oranna up and holds Oranna close.
[Oranna]: Yer sure? I really won't let ye go. I mean it. *her voice is slightly muffled, pressed into his chest*
[Bargrimm]: An' I'm sure o' this as anythin'. I'll no' be leavin' ye, Sunbeam. Ever, for anythin'. I'm sure ye know we can no' keep this jus' 'twixt ourselves for too long.
Oranna raises her head just a little. "Ye mean tell people?" She seems to be considering this. "I…I mean, ye do know I canna lie well enough ta save my life. I…willna ha' a choice but ta tell people. They'll know it soon as they see me."
Oranna looks up, demonstrating the High Beam Smile directed at him. She's never looked happier.
Bargrimm's eyes are shining right back.
[Bargrimm]: Well. This is…we'll be…Ah, most o' that'll keep til later.
Oranna tucks her head back onto his chest, squeezing a little tighter.
[Bargrimm]: But aye, I love ye dearly, lass. An' I'll be happy t' be all yer own.
[Oranna]: D'ye know how happy ye make me, Rocks? *she presses as close as she possibly can* I've ne'er been this happy. I could write a whole page o' th' first part o' my journal an' only ha' yer name on it, an it'd be full.
Bargrimm presses a kiss to her forehead. "I've an idea for us righ' quick. Come on, let's step outside a moment."
[They go outside into the alley.]
[Bargrimm]: Ready?
Oranna looks at him expectantly.
[Bargrimm sets off a firework]
Oranna laughs with delight.
[Oranna sets off one. Bargrimm sets off another. Both go mad with power, setting off firework after firework.]
Oranna laughs harder. "It's a good thing with ye here I canna run out of fireworks."
[Bargrimm]: Aye, that's for certain!
Bargrimm almost cautiously reaches for her hand. "Well, now. I guess I'm free t' call ye my Sunbeam 'round th' others then, if ye dinnae mind?"
Oranna grabs his hand, and smiles. "O' course. Tha's wha' I am." She looks off to the right for a second and then back to him. "An'…tha' is…I'm no'…ah. I've ne'er done…anythin'. Afore, I mean. Are ye…tha' is, are ye…courtin' me?" Her cheeks go pink. “I…I expect ye could go ta th' head o' th' clan, but, ah…she's sorta standin' righ' here.”
Bargrimm nods. "Aye, I reckon courtin' partners is near enough t' th' mark, aye? Leastaways that'd put somethin' clear enough on it for Atley an' Barlowe."
Oranna laughs at the mention of Dane and Ivri. "Oh, no. They're…they're goin' ta be verra pleased with themselves, aren't they? An' Jo. An' Niris. An' possibly th' rest o' them. They've been askin' me about ye fer ages.”
Bargrimm shoots Oranna a wide smile. "Oh, I reckon some'll be right insufferable, but no matter; and aye, Hinterlands custom goes both ways, but if I'm t' be Bargrimm Stormbreaker eventually, best get meself proper suited for it."
Bargrimm gives Oranna's hand a squeeze.
Oranna blinks. She continues to blink. "D…did ye say Bargrimm Stormbreaker?" Her eyes fill with tears again. "Ye'd…ye'd leave yer clan?"
Bargrimm nods with no further explanation needed. "Aye, lass. Ye're my whole future now, aye? A good start for us both, I reckon."
Oranna throws herself into his arms. She's definitely crying now, but it appears to be in a good way.
Bargrimm holds her tight and strokes her hair. "Plenty o' time t' decide paths goin' forward. Ye make me full happy, Oranna, an' that's a fact. I'd be proud t' be carryin' tha' name."
[Oranna]: I ne'er thought anyone would…*she just rests her head for a moment* I thought I'd be th' only Stormbreaker rest o' my life.
Bargrimm has about thirteen followup thoughts but manages to stay in the moment. "No' any longer, lass. I'll be there til th' end for ye, promise."
[Oranna]: It means a lot ta me, tha' ye'd ask ta…ta join mine. I'll be *she sniffles a little* evaluatin' yer application righ' fair, see tha' I don't.
Bargrimm chuckles, nodding. "Aye, dinnae let anyone accuse ye o' nepotism there."
Oranna laughs. "Aye, I'll consult th' whole clan, I promise." She pauses. "Th' clan says, aye, they'll be considerin' it goin' through all th' proper channels."
[Bargrimm]: Well oiled machine, tha' Stormbreaker clan. True efficiency.
[They both notice the time, and begin to walk back to the Gilded Rose]
[Oranna]: Will ye be comin' with us, tomorrow?
[Bargrimm]: Likely no' able to. I took an assignment headed south t' Stranglethorn. But I'll keep safe wi' Keane an' let ye know progress when I can.
Oranna smiles. "I'll try no' ta worry."
Oranna reaches out and squeezes his hand.
[Bargrimm]: Aye, I feel a wee bit guilty leavin' ye t' face th' gossip alone wi' th' Company.
Bargrimm squeezes her hand back.
Oranna looks at him mildly. "Oh, I can handle a wee bit o' gossip, I'm sure."
[Oranna]: I get -you- out o' th' deal, after all.
Oranna beams a smile at him.
[Bargrimm]: Aye, that ye do.
Bargrimm gives a thoughtful nod. "Tell Niris first, if ye can."
[Oranna]: I'll do tha'. She's goin' ta try verra hard no' ta say I told ye so, but aye.
[They arrive at Oranna’s room]
[Bargrimm]: Sleep well, Sunbeam.
Bargrimm gives Oranna a gentle hug.
Oranna reaches up, hesitating just a moment, before standing up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.
[Oranna]: G'nigh'. *her face is a little flushed as she back away* Be careful.
Bargrimm beams at Oranna and nods.
[Bargrimm]: I will. See ye soon, promise.
Oranna waves goodbye to Bargrimm.
Bargrimm turns to go with more spring in his step than usual.