TRP: Gavi and Griffin (Blessing)

**Abby:**

 [Setting: Reception Night day 200/Feb 3, shortly after the
fight with Taryon]

Gavi had been trying to stay back more, avoid interacting
with most of the folks here. Except for that scrap with Tarrington- she was
still sore from that. Been a good fight though. Shame she didn't get some more
hits in. It'd been a good distraction too- from some of the things Imesh-
Griffin- had said. Things still twisting around in her mind.

Griffin was sitting on a bench, cleaning his axe. Gavi
wandered over, settling down next to him. "Mind if I join ya?" she
asked, leaning back and hooking her hands behind her head.

**Izzy:**

 He glanced at her, narrowing his eyes for a moment. If she
was gonna criticize the way he fought with his axe he was gonna have to remind
her that he was grown, now, and she wasn't his tutor anymore.

She looked pretty relaxed, though. Still kinda beat up from
the fight even though that cleric girl had taken care of her. She'd passed out
for a minute, there, and -- well, it was over now.

He shrugged and went back to his axe. "'Course
not."

**Abby:**

 Gavi shifted restlessly. Well. Now that she was talking to
him, she was beginning to wonder if bringing it up would just- cause problems.
"You did good today," she said instead, reaching out and clasping his
shoulder. "With that metal monster. Smashed it good. Prouda you."
Smiling, she shoved him lightly, affectionately.

**Izzy:**

 He grinned, looking down, letting her jostle him. Aw. Aw.
Well, that was ... really nice, then. "Thanks," he said.
"Learned from the best."

**Abby:**

 "Darn right you did," she said proudly. And he'd
put it to good use too. "Maybe we should spar soon, lemme get a better
look at how you're coming along." Course, then he'd see how Gavi was flagging,
but eh, that was the rot for you.

**Izzy:**

 He scoffed good-naturedly. "How I'm comin' along ...
ima, you know I've been doing all right on my own, for like, a while now,
right?"

**Abby:**

 "Hey I haven't gotten to fuss over you for a while
either. Don't tell me you didn't miss it," she teased. And then for good
measure, hooked her arm around his neck and dragged his head down to rub her
knuckles on his scalp.

**Izzy:**

 "Gavi." He shoved away from her -- wasn't as hard
as it used to be, he didn't have to drop his axe and use both hands -- and
grumbled. "God." He grinned, though. Maybe he missed it a little bit.

**Abby:**

 Gavi grinned, leaning back and just taking it all in. It had
been a nice ceremony- not what Gavi was used to but still nice.Except for the
interruptions. Nice decorations- real good food. All in all a good day, a day
that she believed Griffin could look back on with fondness. Gavi lapsed into
silence for a while. Watching the people and what they got up to.

Only that still didn't answer the question still on her
mind. "Hey. Im- Griffin," she corrected. "There was a- couple
things you said. In your vows," she said slowly, leaning forwards and
resting her elbows on her knees.

**Izzy:**

 "Uh." He felt himself turning red. God. He'd just
... focused on Raef, and tried to forget everyone else was there. "Uh. I
sure did. I said a couple, uh, couple things." She was gonna razz him for
this. God.

**Abby:**

 "Y'know there was one part that really stuck out to
me," she said quietly, looking down, not at Griffin. "Bout, being
happy. And safe."

**Izzy:**

 "Uh. Yeah." He kept his eyes fixed on his axe. It
was so clean. Very clean. It was gonna be the cleanest axe in the world.

**Abby:**

 Gavi looked up then. Studying his face. Imesh was always so
open about his feelings. Some would say too open. If he said that, up there, to
his husband then. He sure would have meant it. She let out a soft sigh,
reaching over and pulling him into a gentle hug. "I'm sorry," she
said softly.

**Izzy:**

 He blinked, extremely confused but going along with it. He
slowly hugged her back. "What ... for?"

**Abby:**

 "That you had to find him to feel that way."

**Izzy:**

 "Oh," he said, quietly, and then didn't know what
to say. "I mean, I ..."

He wanted to say something about how she'd always made him
feel safer than his dad or brothers did -- than anyone else had -- but it was a
really low bar, and ... well, it was the truth, but he'd also always known that
she wanted him to become the avatar of Gruumsh as much as anyone. Supposed to
be an honor. It wasn't supposed to scare him, and make him unhappy. He just
wasn't real good at being an orc. She was a lot better at it than him. That was
all.

**Abby:**

 "Hey," she said, pulling back and tilting Imesh-
Griffin's chin so he was looking at her. "I'm glad you have it now,"
she said firmly. "Aright? I know I wasn't exactly- supportive about it.
But hey, good for you standing up against your stubborn ol' auntie."

**Izzy:**

 "Oh, well. Hey," he tried, embarrassed, "I
mean, yeah, I was gonna marry Raef even if you'd won the duel, and all. I mean
... It's okay."

**Abby:**

 "Okay for you," she said wryly. Said stubborn ol'
auntie was wondering. How much things might have changed if she'd really
listened to Griffin before.

Eh, regrets were for people who could do something about
'em. "Hey," she said, grinning. "Guess what."

**Izzy:**

 He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't think I
wanna."

**Abby:**

 "Psssh it's fine." Gavi grabbed him and kissed his
forehead. "I give you two my blessing."

**Izzy:**

 "Aw," he said softly. "Aw." He was gonna
cry. He shifted to grab her and hug her, hard. "That -- that means, um, a
lot to me, Gav." He sniffled. Maybe she wouldn't notice.

**Abby:**

 Gavi hugged him back, tight. Glad he couldn't see her face.
It felt like she'd just jumped off a cliff, with no idea what was at the bottom.
Terrifying, and a little exhilarating. "Just a few words, s'not like it's
all that much," she said.

**Izzy:**

 "'Kay, well, you can be wrong," he said,
"'cause I love you."

**Abby:**

 Gavi snorted. Griffin was so precious when he was sassy.
"Me? Wrong? Psh. Never happens," she declared.

**Izzy:**

 "Yeah, yeah." He squeezed her tighter to cover up
the fact that he was quickly swiping at his eyes before he pulled away.

**Abby:**

 Gavi tried to hide a wince, her bones didn't take squeezing
like that so well any more. Worth it though. Course Griffin was crying again.
He may try to hide it but an aunt could always tell. "Lookit you,"
she said fondly, cupping his cheek and brushing her thumb over his cheek. She
meant to tease, but the words dried up in her throat. "You look happy,"
she said instead.

**Izzy:**

 He rolled his eyes, trying to act like it was nothing.
"Yeah, well, that's 'cause I am. 'Cause I just got married. And 'cause my
favorite aunt was here to see it. And 'cause she gave me her blessing, and
that's, y'know, that's -- that's real important to me, 'cause she's real
important to me, so." The act was not going well.

**Abby:**

 This was tooth-rottingly sweet. It was getting a little
awkward. "Hey, hey Griffin," Gavi said, nudging his elbow with hers.
"Wanna go get wasted?"

**Izzy:**

 "Oh, god, yeah." He hooked his axe onto his back
and stood up, pulling her with him. That would be way easier. And when he ended
up crying again, he could blame it on being drunk, and maybe one or two people
would believe him. "Let's do that."

[END]

Title: Blessing. Summary: After Raef and Griffin's wedding,
Gavi sits down and apologizes to Griffin for the fact that it took this long
for him to feel safe and happy, and gives him and Raef her blessing. He cries,
surprising no one.