A request featuring Thrall and Jaina.
***
"Where is Khadgar?" Jaina huffed, using her fingers to draw a glowing purple rune in the air and then shaking her head in frustration.
Deep within the heart of a looming Dalaran citadel, Horde, Alliance and Kirin Tor alike met to discuss the evolving war in Northrend. Guided by two guards--one human and the other an orc--they made their way through expansive corridors towards what would be there meeting room. Always the advocate for peace, she had arranged the meeting with Thrall's help, and while she had expected some difficulties, she did not expect them to arise before discussions had even started.
"I can't believe he's doing this again!"
"I'm sure he'll show up eventually," Thrall replied nonchalantly, evidently not as worried over the wizard's absence as Jaina was.
It was an unwise remark, for she redirected her frustrations at him.
"And did you have to bring
him
with you?" Jaina jerked her head towards the half-naked mag'har orc in front of her and then shot her walking companion a disapproving look.
"He needs the experience," Thrall explained, gently resting a hand upon her shoulder. "And it's my responsibility to look after him."
He and Jaina walked side by side, slowly so that they were out of earshot of the group in front of them. Already bickering before they had reached the negotating table, Garrosh and Varian raged at each other, shouting, insulting, and, on more than one occasion, threatening one another. The other members of their meeting party--Archmages Modera, Pentarus and a number of ancient men with long, scraggly beards--shied away from the two arguing men. Despite the efforts of everyone present, they could not be mollified, and so the next best course of action was to simply get out of the crossfire and hope that things didn't escalate into violence.
It was an awful start to what she hoped would be a peaceful, productive meeting.
"He is older than you are, Thrall!" Jaina continued. "Garrosh is not a child and you are not his father--he should not be here so that he may potentially sour our negotiations."
"One way or another, he has to learn, Jaina. Things will be fine, so long as you do not let his attitude affect you." Thrall's hand, still clinging to her shoulder, dipped lower and lower, softly brushing along the length of her back before reaching the hump of her behind. He grabbed it and squeezed, scrunching the fabric of her robe.
"I do not think it will be he that affects me," she sighed, voice hushed and her blue eyes darting around in panic. They were safe at least: no one was looking back at them to notice Thrall's misplaced hand. Garrosh and Varian were too caught up in their verbal war and the rest of the group was too busy murmuring amongst themselves, no doubt complaining about the men in front of them.
"Will you please stop doing that in public," she whispered, heart racing in excitement despite her protestations.
"Fine, fine," he said, squeezing a handful of her ass again and then retracting his hand.
"Thank you." Jaina nodded primly, running her hands down her robe and flattening out perceived yet non-existent wrinkles. "There will be plenty of time for that later," she promised, and then her eyes narrowed. "Provided your ward doesn't start a war first."
Thrall chuckled. "You worry too much... and besides, your human king seems just as eager to trade insults."
"You're right," she sighed. "They bring out the worst in each other."
"Then we will have to be the voice of reason now won't we, Lady Proudmoore?" Thrall smiled warmly, his voice mockingly formal.
"Certainly, warchief." Jaina returned the smile, simultaneously swatting away the orc's probing green hand as it reached once more for her rear-end. "I just pray that you are able to concentrate on the issues at hand."
"I'll try, but between the three of you I think I'll have my hands full."
"Figuratively, I hope," Jaina teased, her smile widening.
"We will see about that!"
They shared a laugh and continued walking, ascending a long, spiral flight of stairs and proceeding through cobbled, somehow-dust-free hallways until they finally reached an antechamber that connected to the conference room. It was empty save for a number of plush violet chairs, and their guards hurried across the room, opening a wide, gate-like door and ushering the party of four inside. The door to the meeting room was huge, and Garrosh and Varian surged through it, brushing shoulders as they rushed to their seats with a great clattering of wood against stone. Thrall and Jaina had yet to even pass through the door before the troublesome duo was seated and glaring at one another from across the massive round table.
Exchanging a glance and a shrug of their eyebrows, Thrall and Jaina sat down next to each other. Situated at the middle of the table with their backs to the door, to their right was Garrosh, and to their left, Varian. Across from them, and likewise sitting together, was the quintet of Dalaran mages in all of their (mostly) bearded glory.
Sitting together as they were, Jaina and Thrall hoped to portray an image of unity, trust, and understanding. Everyone at the table had their own biases, but, as they had both explained countless times before, a bit of trust could go a long way. It was with this mindset that they led the discussion, steering it in a productive manner while their belligerent companions stayed quiet.
They hammered down a mutually beneficial trade agreement revolving around the exchange of Horde iron for Alliance rations, shared information on Scourge movement, including their flying necropolis structures, and promised to dial back aggression between the two factions in Northrend--particularly in areas where the Scourge threat was most prominent. As they spoke, Garrosh and Varian did little else but nod; it was clear that while they were both stubborn and hotheaded, each of them cared about their people in their own unique way.
Still, they