One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives

A lot had been on his mind lately. Perhaps it was his life flashing before his eyes just as everything started to look up for him, or maybe it was his birthday and the addition of Sirius and Zee's newest litter that had him wanting more. Children were a responsibility that he knew neither him or Malachai were ready for, if they ever would be. He might adore kids, but raising them when he still felt like one himself was probably a recipe for disaster.

Grimshaw instead sought responsibility in a different way. He already knew that he would be asking Malachai to marry him soon, something he was nervous about but just as equally confident. Ever since Artorias' wedding, Grim knew that he wanted the same for himself and the Klein man, but he didn't know when until recently. Waiting until the right time would be the hardest part, but he knew that soon the other man's birthday would arise. He felt comfortable giving himself until the fall to propose, but that hardly did anything for him now.

His bar would be opening soon, though he planned for that to be more of an grand opening and so took his time to finish the last touches to acquire as much alcohol as possible before, what he hoped would be, the big event. He'd been doing a lot of thinking during this time, that he appreciated everything that the Armada had done for him. It only made sense to him that he would want to repay that back, more than he already had in the rank he'd acquired before their move back in Winter. He might not be of Fatalis blood, or even a Carpathius by blood, but he felt that he'd done a lot for the Armada since Sirius brought him here that fateful night.

He'd hunted religiously through The Long Night until he himself could no longer push through the worst of the symptoms, provided food and pelts for the sick before he would need them himself. Although he wondered if anyone noticed his efforts, he never questioned it or expected anything in return. He was serving his pack and doing what he was expected to do... but that didn't mean it wouldn't add up over time, hopefully backing up his reasoning for standing in the middle of the Col with his back to the Obelisk. Sirius had recently handed over his rank to Azure, and after their short trip to the Crazy Cat Compound Grimshaw had a new opinion on the man he'd hardly had the pleasure of getting to know before.

His loyalty had been to Sirius, to the man that had saved his life that day, but he was also loyal to the Armada. If Sirius felt that Azure was ready to lead, the Grimshaw would trust them both. With that came the desire to prove his loyalty to Azure, however this time he wouldn't beat around the bush. He sought to prove his loyalty in a much more direct way, seeking to claim the responsibility he felt that he was actually ready for. Dipping his head back, Grimshaw called for the new warlord as his muscles twitched with excitement and nerves.

"Speech!"

art © basilisk ─ code © skelle 2022