Chapter Text
It had been a long day and it was still only morning.
Gricko had been cursed, like many times before, and transformed into an angry orc, his mind gone as he tore through Twig's tavern and breaking everything in sight until finally his mind returned to him and his body soon after.
It was when the memory of his daughter Hootsie returned to him when he knew something terrible had happened.
Running down the stairs, the group discovered Hootsie sitting in a pile of broken wood, a bandage on her head and paw as her eyes darted to the sight of her father and the sound of soft hooting escaped from her beak.
Tears immediately sprouted themselves in Gricko's eyes as he reached forwards towards his daughter, arms outstretched and jumping gently into her fur as he held her tight, embracing her with all the love and warmth in his hug.
"Oh Hootsie, I'm so sorry." He whispered, his tears causes wet patches in her fur as the group moved forward, staring at the Owlbear,
"Are you okay, Hootsie?" Asked Gideon, placing a firm hand on the top of his niece's head as she purred and cooed, noises of happiness escaping her beak as her father refused tonlet go of her.
Frost and Kremy were next, Kremy moving to where Gideon stood as he joined in the movements of giving Hootsie many headpats as Frost moved towards the still crying Gricko.
"Gricko, is everything alright?" Gricko turned from his daughter's fur, tears still welling up in his big watery eyes as he looked up at Frost.
"No, everything is not alright, Frost! I hurt my poor Hootsie!" He was still holding onto her, soft sobs leaving him as his outstretched hands began to pet at her skin,
"Well, uh, maybe it's a good idea not to tightly hold onto her, then?"
Gricko gasped loudly, his arms removing themselves from Hootsie as he turned to stare into her big eyes, a pained expression on his face as he stared at his daughter.
"Hootsie, have my hugs been hurting you? Oh I'm so sorry Hootsie, I didn't mean to."
Hootsie cooed, her noises sounding rather confused as she did so, but still she accepted even more headpats from her dad and her uncles.
Frost sighed, turning to where Twig was trying to clean up the mess.
"Twig, how much are the damages?"
Twig gasped at the sound of her name being said before she nodded, moving towards Frost.
"Oh well, I don't mind as long as you help me clean this up."
Frost nodded.
"Of course, Gricko? Can you come help me with this mess?"
Gricko looked over at Frost before turning back to his daughter, letting out a soft sigh.
"Alright, bye Hootsie, I'll give you lots of headpats tonight, okay?" Hootsie purred in agreement as she watched her dad leave, watching as he walked towards Frost and left his daughter in the hands of Kremy and Gideon.
Kremy smiled his toothy grin as his eyes darted from the top of Hootsie's head to Gideon's eyes.
"So, do you ever want a daughter?" He asked and as Gideon's mind registered the question, his red skin darkened and flushed a different shade of red.
"Shut up, Kremy." He mumbled, still patting Hootsie in the silence that followed, a quiet moment in the inn as they stayed standing together, even as a small smile found itself on Gideon's face.