#kat hawke

[darkspear-dancers]

😍-for all of them

[ If you're not wielding at least three blades at any given moment, can you really say you're well-dressed? Kat gets it. ]

[jessicamariana]

[lovelydeadlysocialite]

Request for Reassignment (Vyn/Kat)

Vynette sat at her desk, finishing up the paperwork assigned to her, just like any night in the office. The only difference was her demeanor. Something about her was tense. She caught a look from Kat more than once for her heel tapping nervously, and the elf kept sneaking glances at her Director to almost make a comment before sealing her lips again.

Finally, without looking up, some of the proposed words in her head finally managed to tumble out. "I was talking to an agent from another Unit today. I guess they've had eight agents now put in to answer the call for aid. From, you know, the Covenants."

"Uh-huh," Kat muttered in response without looking at the elven operative, her focus remaining on the papers she shuffled, expression blank.

It was more or less the kind of response Vyn expected. She sighed, knowing she was going to have to move things forward. "It seems like the need for more trained hands is still pretty great. And what with the duties of wartime off everyone's plates, more or less," her voice trailed softer and quicker as she mumbled, "I was considering requesting a temporary assignment to offer my abilities. Ma'am."

Kat froze in place, staring at the document in hand as a slow exhale spilled over her lips. Eyelids shut as lips curled inward over the teeth and the paper set aside. "There are plenty of eager hero types and jar-heads t' fill the ranks." Her response monotone as the stark gaze shifted to the elf.

"We have plenty t'do here."

The air in the room thinned out at Kat's tone and in any other instance, Vyn would have dropped the topic. Unfortunately, the circumstances here were unique. "I know. There is work to be done, and I'm not ignoring or underplaying the work we do." She may have come to Unit Eight looking for a job and a safe place to hide, but she did understand the value they added to the Alliance she was somehow a part of now.

"It is just... the request came for me specifically." An uncharacteristic uncertainty softened Vynette's voice. "My teacher is part of the House of Eyes. He has called for me to aid the Necro Lords."

Without missing a beat, Kat's eyes narrowed sharply following Vyn's confession. "I see..." Her tone and demeanor turned ice-cold, and the eye contract broke, the Director diving back into her papers.

"So after everythin', I've done, everythin' I've risked, yer going t' abandon me just like that." Pain and anger laced Kat's words, her jaw tightening towards the end. "One letter from a ghost and I'm nothin' t' ya'."

Vyn's bright blue eyes went wide at the shift in tone. It was rare to see such intensity drawn from the otherwise collected and calculating Director. As someone who genuinely respected Kat, Vyn felt the pit of guilt in her stomach. "No, that's not it at all! You're... you mean a lot to me. You took a chance on me." She spoke of the risks Kat took for her in a hushed voice, not wanting to raise suspicions of anyone who might still be lingering in a nearby office. "I owe you everything."

Taking a deep breath, Vyn pressed forward, mustering up her determination. "I am not looking to leave beyond a temporary reassignment; my home is here. With you and with the Unit." Their office was one of the few consistent places anyone could find her these days. "But he was the one who got me here. He saw value in me and gave me purpose. And I failed him. And he died," she finally admitted.

"And I saw value in ya', and gave ya' a new purpose!" Kat quickly countered, pointing a finger in the elven woman's direction. "A purpose that could have, and still could, get us both killed."

With a scoff, Kat's head shook, and her arms crossed as she stood from the desk and paced. "Ya' failed him, but he sends a letter? Have ya' gone dense Vynette?" For once, the Director addressed her elven shadow by the first name rather than the forged surname. "It has trap written all over it. Or did ya' forget how ya' were ejected from the Horde?"

It would have been easy to call her paranoid; plenty of people in SI:7 had already. The real pain came from the truth in her words.

"I was overconfident when I got set up. I'm not that anymore thanks to you," she pointed out. "Being by your side is important to me."

Vyn was to the point of pleading, even when she knew Kat was not so easily swayed. What else could she do? "Kat..." She addressed the woman, not the title. "There's still closure I need from my time as an apprentice. Shit I'm still carrying with me. My loyalty is with you; no one can change that. So I'm asking-- begging for the chance to serve the cause in the Shadowlands and put my ghosts to rest."

A heated exhale pushed through the nostril as Kat turned her back to Vynette's pleading, facing the wall where documents, pins, and red string put together the tapestry of their current case. She did not appear to be swayed by the elf's begging, not entirely. Something in that final statement did bring a silent pause.

"If bein' by my side is so important, then why so eager to leave it?" She chose to hone in on other points and skip over the please, keeping her back to the elf. There was still a tinge of pain and anger in her tone.

"Livin' in th' past never moved anyone forward. I need ya' here. Or is suddenly wot I and this job I graced ya' with no longer of importance? I didn' say a bloody thing when I came back to find yer visage eerily similar to mine, plucked a hair from the office, no doubt. Even when my patience is tested by yer sometimes questionable motivations and comments in the borderline territory of breakin' my rules, I allowed yer leash to remain lax. I never asked fer anythin' other than service in return, even after footin' the bills to fake and create yer life in the Alliance. But this is the thanks I get? T'be abandoned fer some Horde dog."

Vynette got to her feet, because she disliked the tone Kat was taking regarding her teacher. Vyn rarely defied Kat; it was not in her nature. Still, she persisted. "You've let my leash remain lax because I've done everything you've ever asked of me, without question. I've followed every order, completed every mission," her voice dropped lower, but picked up its intensity, "I've done every off-book task you've needed with a smile because I'm your knife. I've committed sins for you and I'd commit them thrice over and you know that."

Scrunching her nose at the realization that her tone was getting away from her, Vynette composed herself. "He's not some Horde dog, Director; he's found a place of high standing in the House of Eyes. If I went over your head, they'd give me the go ahead. Hell, I could go to Fiske. I didn't do that because I don't give a shit about their authority. You're the one I follow."

Looking down at her desk, Vynette sat back down feeling resigned to defeat. "If you command me to stay, I'll stay. I don't ask for much. But I'm just asking for you to trust me. I have debts to repay, but he's not my master anymore."

As the Operative's tone began to get away from her, Kat looked back over her shoulder. One brow lifted as she stared the elven woman down from across the room as if cursing her for the act of defiance.

"Go over m'head or t'Fiske, and it won't be a temporary reassignment." The Director barked. Whether it was a threat or fact was anyone's guess.

Fingers ran through her raven tresses, pulling the strands back as she sighed quietly, seemingly content with Vynette's concession. "When this case is over," Kat motioned to the wall at her side as she turned to face the elf. "Then I will consider signin' off on a temporary reassignmen'. I will no' make any promises, however."

The tension in Vyn's shoulders released. Resisting Kat's authority made her physically uncomfortable, but she had made it to the other side. They both knew the elf would not go over Kat's head, but she was still being given an out. She could handle finishing their assignment at hand. She would cling to the hope that, if she continued to be on her best behavior, Kat would give her the chance to settle her past.

"Of course, ma'am," she replied with an earnest salute and a genuine, radiant smile. "Til then, the only thing on my mind is our case. I'm all yours; you have my word."

"Good," Kat murmured as she returned to her desk and the papers scattered atop it.

"Now get out of m'sight for an hour or two before I change m'mind, and there better be a bottle in one hand when ya' return."

[ @kat-hawke​ ]

[tinybewitchedgilnean]

Sibling Evacuation Orders

With an air of impatience Kat repeatedly slammed her fist against the door to Rin's flat.

"Eep!" Rin's ears perked up as she tied off the cloth carrying food for the trip out of Stormwind. The energy of the city was hectic and she was doing her best not to panic, so slamming did little to help. She approached the door, sighing when she realized who the familiar presence on the other end was.

"Katanie, ye'll give a girl a heart attack like that," Rinnessa huffed as she greeted her sister at the door with a hug. A brief fright was not as important as confirmation of her sister's well-being. "I'm glad ye're safe."

"Heart attack will be th' least of yer concerns," Kat breathed out in the hug. "Ya' need leave, now." Her tone cold and stern, as if addressing a subordinate.

It was always a bad sign when Kat was like this. Kat was always a serious person, but this business-like intensity was another level. "I'm not dumb, Kat, but I can't jus' pick up an' go when I have two wee ones t' consider. Lark is gettin' th' kids ready an' I'm finishin' wi' collectin' essentials." Rin tied up her parcel hastily to prove her point.

"We're leavin' and headin' up t' Caer Amaranth. Roxie's securing things up there an' I can lend a hand." They arranged this evacuation plan in the event they would need it. It never hurt to be prepared in Stormwind. Roxlyn confirmed through a sending stone that Lord Dahl's lands were still relatively safe.

"Well, yer out time." Kat spoke over Rin as she explained, waving her hand to further her point. "Take wotever is ready and leave th' rest. Less wait is better, anyway."

Rinnessa rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed that her big sister seemed to think she was underestimated Azeroth's most recent Armageddon. "I still remember how t' escape an overrun city, Kat." She was young then, but the haunting memories were not lost on her. "We're on our way out, I promise. Where will ye be going?"

"This is differen'," Kat breathed out as she looked towards the sounds of distant chaos. She didn't sound convinced. "I'll be far enough away from everything and everyone, I'll be fine."

Rinnessa softened, furrowing her brow with concern. Rin could leave right now, but Kat had duties. This was Kat being protective and caring, and while her older sister was a total badass, Rin was still allowed care for her safety anyway.

"Please send word when ye get somewhere safe. Caer Amaranth, north of Andorhal." Rin already had to deal with Kat going missing twice in two years; she wanted to know her big sister was safe. She needed that peace of mind for once.

"I will." Fingers ran through the raven mane as she glanced off again, slowly backing away. "I gotta go, and so do ya'. Now. Please. Stay safe."

"I will. Now. Promise." Before Kat could run off, Rin took quick strides to give her sister a quick, very tight hug. It was rare she got an opportunity like this before the chaos. "I love ye. Be careful."

"Love ya'. I'm always careful." It was a lie and they both knew it, but Kat quickly took off before Rin could argue otherwise.

Rin rolled her eyes. "An' she worries 'bout me." Sighing, Rin hurried to help Lark to get Paigenie and Laurent smuggled out of the city. Rin would let no harm come to her family from Stormwind to Caer Amaranth, and she would pray a quiet prayer of protection for her reckless, caring, overly-protective sister.

[ @kat-hawke​ ]

[alyssa-ward]

Happy Birthday!

(This is beautiful.  Thank you so much @kat-hawke.  I have loved every single one of these I’ve seen you do for people, it always shows such a simple clear understanding of the characters, and a real care for what other people have made.)

[serelia-evensong]

Happy birthday to @kat-hawke‘s player.  Enjoy another spin around this wild ride.  Thanks for being an awesome RP partner, and a great friend. 

Less thanks for your musical puns, but no one’s perfect. :D

Here’s a bunch of candles but no cake since you’re not big on sweets.

[brassikarts]

Sweet Music Playing in the Dark

Named using the Hozier Lyric Generator!

Val didn’t remember the last time she herself had stepped foot in Basha’laran.  Before the battle that took place within, certainly. In the what was left of the fading day, however, she was thankful for the respite - even the temporary one - from her cave.  Mobility was one of the few perks that came with being the Night Terrors’ only arcane spellcaster, and though she respected and even the people she was fighting with, the freedom of moving about alone, safely, in fresh air wasn’t something she was willing to knock.

The ruined city was little more than a war camp now, with a moonwell and several hastily erected purple tents in a circle nearby, along with a barracks.  A few fresh seedlings had been planted that she didn’t remember and they reached upwards into the starry sky, purple leaves trained towards its light.  Far more grisly, wooden-hafted spears had been driven into the ground between the city’s broken arches and pillars, and the heads of several Forsaken, a handful of orcs, and a smattering of other races had been driven atop them. Obviously, she gave those a wide berth during her stay.

The Arcanist was there today to make their presence known to the Alliance troops present.  She had a secondary agenda as well - she would soon report back to the rest of her band on the progress of the war effort, and bring back any intelligence on other strategic targets they could hit in the area.  There were a mess of Shatterspears near the cave that had allied with the Horde that looked potentially problematic, for example; too, the sawmill that had been abandoned when the Terrors had struck the docks near Lor’danel was operational once more and the shredders were out in full force.  Val had once been a Fusion Analyst during the Legion Invasions - those weren’t skills easily forgotten and so, with those thoughts occupying her mind, she missed the presence of the black-clad Director at first.  

It was when she leaned against the purple canvas to listen to the situation in Lor’danel a short while later that the mage registered Kat’s presence, and bit her tongue back.

“... and while the effort to rebuild the docks at Lor’danel continues,” the brass was saying, “The explosives planted underneath did an admirable job of hobbling their ability to receive shipments and troops by boat, leaving us to consider striking at terrestrial routes.”

“In Ashenvale?” someone asked. While the conversation continued, Val sidled past Kat.  On the front, she eschewed robes - her tan and black gear was utilitarian.  The Diviner even managed something vaguely akin to politeness: a clipped, “Director.  What brings you to Darkshore?”

@kat-hawke

[renwyck]

A Fortune for the Director

[ @kat-hawke ]