Post by Astrid Hall on Mar 25, 2018 17:06:31 GMT
Astrid had never felt such strong emotions for such a small thing in her life. It jumped up on the bench behind her, walking with its stubby little legs before jumping down and wondering towards Pandora who let out a small sound of excitement.
“I keep thinking she is going to do something that will make it easier to leave without her, but she keeps doing more to prove how much I need her.” Pandora picked it up in her arms and set it in her lap. It spun once before flopping down and showing Pandora it’s belly.
“This was a mistake.” Astrid moved closer to Pandora, petting its soft belly, feeling it’s little paws wrap around her hand.
“Do you regret it?” Pandora asked, looking up at her with those eyes.
“No.” Astrid admitted with a small smile.
“I know I said I just wanted to look.” Pandora kissed Astrid’s nose softly. “But…We can’t leave her here.”
“You don’t know it’s a her.” Astrid countered.
“I can’t leave them here then.” Pandora winked.
Astrid looked down at the little kitten with it’s yellow eyes and brown tabby fur. It looked at her like she meant something. Like it judged her for simply who she was at this moment and nothing else.
“I’m sorry.” Astrid said softly, leaning her forehead against Pandora’s.
“You don’t think we should take them home?”
“No. For everything else. For…For slipping.” Astrid took a shaky breath in. “If I’d known, if I’d—”
“That’s the seventh apology you’ve given to me.” Pandora sighed, reaching out and cupping Astrid’s face. “You were motivated by your hatred for Maxine. You were motivated to get a shot at Brooklyn. To remove the last of The Pack from their power. I get that.”
“You don’t have to forgive me.”
“Are you skipping your pills again, Astrid?”
“No. I just know what I did….It scared you.”
“Worried me. I don’t want you to lose who you are in what you want. Too many people lose themselves that way.”
“I lost the path for a moment, but I know where it is now. I understand how important it is not to lose my footing again.” Astrid moved back to look in Pandora’s eyes. “I don’t want to lose everything we’ve built.”
“Hey, a smooth ocean never made a skilled sailor.” Pandora shrugged. “I trust you.”
“I will try to continue to be worth of that trust.”
Pandora got a soft smile. “Soooo is that a yes to Miss Kitty?”
Astrid wrinkled her nose slightly. “We are not naming them that.”
“You got a better idea?”
“Maybe…” Astrid smiles looking down at the kitten.
She hears the ringtone on Pandora’s phone go off. One they both know. But neither moves from looking at the kitten to answer it.
Astrid sits in front of a roaring fireplace, there is a sword on her right side and a shield on her left. The light is low but she can still make out the features on her face. Astrid is wearing a pair of jeans and a t shirt. She looks down at the camera.
“Brooklyn Madrox. Diamond’s champion. We used to end up in matches together. You believed yourself weak then. You considered yourself a body. I said things, I pointed out the warrior you could be if only you believed in yourself. You were a warrior in heart then but could not see yourself fulfilling those duties then. You saw nothing of what you could do and only saw how you could not defeat those you faced. You saw shame in defeat and curled in on yourself.”
She shakes her head. “I know that bitter drink. I have gone to that river myself a few times. I knew the lies and the poison it gives you. How it robs you of knowing your true worth. It can soothe the ache in your chest, but it only makes you crave it more. I spoke words to you, Brooklyn. I spoke how you needed to see the worth you had. I tried to do for you what others had done for me. We were rivals in battle on opposite sides, but I tried to reach you. You were drowning but you refused to accept a hand offered to you.
You had such promise, Brooklyn. I enjoyed facing you. Others may have talked down your accomplishments. Others may have derided you. Others may have seen you as a joke and someone to pity but I never did. I never saw you as less than. You were fighting a battle within yourself as well as a battle in the ring. You were a warrior fighting on many fronts. Maybe the other Women in this division could not see that, or maybe they did not care. But I saw it. I tried. I was not the only one, but I tried to reach you. You refused any hand offered to you.
Or you did refuse when it came from us. The moment the monster’s offered you a place at their table you went with open arms, didn’t you?” Astrid glares. “Rowan made you an offer and you didn’t even think on it a full 24 hours. You accepted without a second thought.”
You took the easy way. You took the path of least resistance. You took the deal that the rest of The Pack took. You accepted the new poison of Rowan’s gospel of lies. You have improved. I will not insult you by saying the path you took has not gotten you to where you are. With Dean and Maxine training you how could you not? We all see how they both tend to you.
I hate Maxine. I utterly loathe her with every fiber of my being. Before I saw you as someone who was struggling. But knowing that you are Maxine’s little wolf pup means I have to end you. This will not be over quickly, Brooklyn. I will not go easy on you. I will punish you. You will be punished for taking the easy way out. You will be punished for following Maxine’s path and not your own."
She cracks her neck, but does not grin. “If putting you through pain is the only way to maybe, just maybe make you see the errors of your ways… then so be it.”
She slowly stands, reaching her hand down to a small bowl beside her. She dips her fingers into it, pulling them out covered in thick, deep red liquid that she smears in a streak across her face. "Let the war begin. Skål!"
“I keep thinking she is going to do something that will make it easier to leave without her, but she keeps doing more to prove how much I need her.” Pandora picked it up in her arms and set it in her lap. It spun once before flopping down and showing Pandora it’s belly.
“This was a mistake.” Astrid moved closer to Pandora, petting its soft belly, feeling it’s little paws wrap around her hand.
“Do you regret it?” Pandora asked, looking up at her with those eyes.
“No.” Astrid admitted with a small smile.
“I know I said I just wanted to look.” Pandora kissed Astrid’s nose softly. “But…We can’t leave her here.”
“You don’t know it’s a her.” Astrid countered.
“I can’t leave them here then.” Pandora winked.
Astrid looked down at the little kitten with it’s yellow eyes and brown tabby fur. It looked at her like she meant something. Like it judged her for simply who she was at this moment and nothing else.
“I’m sorry.” Astrid said softly, leaning her forehead against Pandora’s.
“You don’t think we should take them home?”
“No. For everything else. For…For slipping.” Astrid took a shaky breath in. “If I’d known, if I’d—”
“That’s the seventh apology you’ve given to me.” Pandora sighed, reaching out and cupping Astrid’s face. “You were motivated by your hatred for Maxine. You were motivated to get a shot at Brooklyn. To remove the last of The Pack from their power. I get that.”
“You don’t have to forgive me.”
“Are you skipping your pills again, Astrid?”
“No. I just know what I did….It scared you.”
“Worried me. I don’t want you to lose who you are in what you want. Too many people lose themselves that way.”
“I lost the path for a moment, but I know where it is now. I understand how important it is not to lose my footing again.” Astrid moved back to look in Pandora’s eyes. “I don’t want to lose everything we’ve built.”
“Hey, a smooth ocean never made a skilled sailor.” Pandora shrugged. “I trust you.”
“I will try to continue to be worth of that trust.”
Pandora got a soft smile. “Soooo is that a yes to Miss Kitty?”
Astrid wrinkled her nose slightly. “We are not naming them that.”
“You got a better idea?”
“Maybe…” Astrid smiles looking down at the kitten.
She hears the ringtone on Pandora’s phone go off. One they both know. But neither moves from looking at the kitten to answer it.
Astrid sits in front of a roaring fireplace, there is a sword on her right side and a shield on her left. The light is low but she can still make out the features on her face. Astrid is wearing a pair of jeans and a t shirt. She looks down at the camera.
“Brooklyn Madrox. Diamond’s champion. We used to end up in matches together. You believed yourself weak then. You considered yourself a body. I said things, I pointed out the warrior you could be if only you believed in yourself. You were a warrior in heart then but could not see yourself fulfilling those duties then. You saw nothing of what you could do and only saw how you could not defeat those you faced. You saw shame in defeat and curled in on yourself.”
She shakes her head. “I know that bitter drink. I have gone to that river myself a few times. I knew the lies and the poison it gives you. How it robs you of knowing your true worth. It can soothe the ache in your chest, but it only makes you crave it more. I spoke words to you, Brooklyn. I spoke how you needed to see the worth you had. I tried to do for you what others had done for me. We were rivals in battle on opposite sides, but I tried to reach you. You were drowning but you refused to accept a hand offered to you.
You had such promise, Brooklyn. I enjoyed facing you. Others may have talked down your accomplishments. Others may have derided you. Others may have seen you as a joke and someone to pity but I never did. I never saw you as less than. You were fighting a battle within yourself as well as a battle in the ring. You were a warrior fighting on many fronts. Maybe the other Women in this division could not see that, or maybe they did not care. But I saw it. I tried. I was not the only one, but I tried to reach you. You refused any hand offered to you.
Or you did refuse when it came from us. The moment the monster’s offered you a place at their table you went with open arms, didn’t you?” Astrid glares. “Rowan made you an offer and you didn’t even think on it a full 24 hours. You accepted without a second thought.”
You took the easy way. You took the path of least resistance. You took the deal that the rest of The Pack took. You accepted the new poison of Rowan’s gospel of lies. You have improved. I will not insult you by saying the path you took has not gotten you to where you are. With Dean and Maxine training you how could you not? We all see how they both tend to you.
I hate Maxine. I utterly loathe her with every fiber of my being. Before I saw you as someone who was struggling. But knowing that you are Maxine’s little wolf pup means I have to end you. This will not be over quickly, Brooklyn. I will not go easy on you. I will punish you. You will be punished for taking the easy way out. You will be punished for following Maxine’s path and not your own."
She cracks her neck, but does not grin. “If putting you through pain is the only way to maybe, just maybe make you see the errors of your ways… then so be it.”
She slowly stands, reaching her hand down to a small bowl beside her. She dips her fingers into it, pulling them out covered in thick, deep red liquid that she smears in a streak across her face. "Let the war begin. Skål!"
Well howdy there pardner.