CW: Slavery, torture and trauma
Tory didn't know what it was like to have fun for the longest of times. She didn't have anyone who cared for her growing up. She couldn't remember her parents, sometimes she thought she never even had any. The two people who cared for her, if you could even call it caring for her, demanded that she call them Madam and Sir. They were both watchers as well, both wanting the world to be one where admins catered to their every need, so that is what they made Tory do. It was all she had known as she grew up, she cooked and cleaned, and did whatever was asked of her for fear of being on the end of a nasty fireball. They insisted that only galactic was spoken in their household, even though she learnt galactic first she found she had a preference for speaking the language of the players. She had learned the hard way that she shouldn't speak the language of the players around Madam and Sir, she had the burns on her back to show for it.
- - - - - -
She was around seven at the time and she had been having lessons from the other admins. She had picked up on the language of the players pretty fast and she had been proud because of it, being able to speak two languages at her age was an achievement. It was one cold evening when Tory was bringing some tea to Madam and Sir that she had made the slip-up. After she had given the tea to them she bowed and said, "Madam. Sir,"
She could feel the air turn cold, it took her a few moments for her to realise just what she had done and she froze. She could feel the anger coming off of them. "∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ↸╎↸ ||𝙹⚍ ⋮⚍ᓭℸ ̣ ᓭᔑ||" Sir said.
"ᒲᔑ↸ᔑᒲ. ᓭ╎∷," Tory said, trying not to cry as she guessed what was coming.
She saw it, as purple flames appeared in the watchers' hands and she felt it as it was sent towards her. She could feel the fire burn across all the skin she was showing. The fire was one that didn't leave any scars, Madam and Sir didn't like scars, but instead of having scars the fire hurt more. "ᓭ!¡ᒷᔑꖌ ╎リ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᓵ𝙹ᒲᒲ𝙹リ ℸ ̣ 𝙹リ⊣⚍ᒷ ᔑ⊣ᔑ╎リ ᔑリ↸ ||𝙹⚍ ∴𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ᓭ!¡ᒷᔑꖌ ᔑ⊣ᔑ╎リ," Madam said as the fire started to disappear, "⊣𝙹 ᔑ↸ᒲ╎リ,"
- - - - - -
Tory wasn't given the chance to go to an academy, she knew that they existed thanks to the other admins who were employed there. Most of them had attended but they were also taken away by Madam and Sir, many had said they were going to the academies that were against the Main World. According to them, there was a council that led and cared for everyone who was taking down the corrupt academies that were out there. It was during one of those battles at the corrupt academies they were taken away to care for Madam and Sir, in the action they were knocked out with magic and ended up there. The admins did teach her in secret about everything they had learned, she found she had a natural affinity for admin talents. She always made sure to check that nobody was nearby when she used them, Madam and Sir would not let her last as they would think she was trying to rise up against them. She wouldn't want to rise up, she just wanted to get out, but the magical barrier they set up stopped that from happening. It only stopped teleportation commands, it was why she knew the other admins hadn't left yet.
- - - - - -
She was a young adult when a crash sounded from outside, she was scared and didn't know what to do. She tried to find the other admins but she had no idea where they were. She was scared, she didn't know what to think as she heard more bangs and screams from outside. What she wasn't expecting was for the magical barrier to snap. She looked around more to see if she could find the others and she ended up making her way outside, there were many admins and watchers attacking but Madam and Sir were holding their own against them. She knew they were powerful but she also didn't know who these attackers were and why they were there. She then saw a masked watcher appear, and with a flick of their hand, Madam and Sir disappeared. Not like when someone teleports but they disappear. She didn't know what they would do to her so she typed in what she thought was the teleportation command, she knew that in the centre of the Main World there was a city so she tried teleporting where she assumed it would be. The red light surrounded her and now she was in a place where buildings stood tall behind her.
- - - - - -
Tory wandered around for a bit, not knowing where to go. She knew that people were judging her and she was scared that someone would attack. She knew that the watchers here were good, that's what the other admins told her but she couldn't help but be scared. Madam and Sir's faces came into her head whenever she saw any watchers walking around with their wings out. She ended up next to the building she assumed was the library, she didn't go in but she could still see there were many books inside. She didn't know what to do, part of her wished that she was back with Madam and Sir, at least then she had food and people who cared about her. Here she had nothing. A part of her knew that she would also never want to go back, she couldn't any way not with them now being gone. She was just holding out, hoping that something would happen.
"Hey, are you okay?" an admin said to her on a cold day.
She looked at him, scared, who he was and what he wanted with her. She just nodded, she didn't want the admin to worry about her. "I'm Hayden and if you're not I have a spare bed at my place, even if you just want to spend a night there," Hayden said, she guessed he knew that she was lying.
He reached his hand out to her, she didn't know if she should take it. She thought to herself that she didn't have anything now so she might as well take the risk. "Come on, let's get you warmed up," he said.
Luckily it wasn't a far walk, she did wonder for a moment why he wasn't teleporting them but then remembered she never said her name. When they got inside his apartment he showed her the spare bedroom he had and sat her down on the bed. "You can have a warm shower if you want, the bathroom is just down the hall, and I can grab some of my clothes, they'll be big on you though," Hayden said before he asked her, "Do you have a name?"
"ℸ ̣ 𝙹∷||," Tory said.
- - - - - -
Tory wasn't expecting to grow so close to Hayden, he was her first proper friend. He had opened up to her even if she didn't feel ready to speak about what had happened to her. She did tell him about how she preferred speaking in galactic because of something that had happened but she preferred it when others spoke in the language of the players because hearing galactic made her uncomfortable, but she never told him details, she wasn't ready yet. He helped her get used to having other watchers around her without being scared as well, so she was able to do things out and about. After Hayden realised that she had indeed been trained in the skills she needed to be an admin he talked about her working at ᓵ||∷╎ℸ ̣ ⍑⚍∷╎ᓭ with him. She was scared at first, but hearing about how Hayden talked so passionately about how he and the others there impacted the world around them she wanted to try. It wasn't long after that she started working with Hayden and he was happy for her, she was happy to be working with him as well.
- - - - - -
Tory was working with Hayden when the two of them were called into the council meeting room. She was nervous and she was pretty sure Hayden was too so she squeezed his hand, showing that she knew that he was scared as well. When they went in they noticed that it was only the High Leader in the room, she knew that she shouldn't be scared of the High Leader but she had such a presence about her, one that was similar in ways to the watchers she grew up with, she no longer referred to them by the titles they chose, but also different, it felt kinder. If this was before she met Hayden she was sure that she would have teleported away at this point. The High Leader flew down from her balcony and joined them on the ground. The two admins bowed towards their leader, not sure how to react, not sure why they were there in the first place. "Hayden Joris and Tory Gieli I am offering both of you places on the council," the High Leader said to the two admins.
Tory didn't know what to think, what made her worthy of being one of the leaders of this world, one that was so different from the one she grew up in, so much better. She wasn't sure if she should join or not. Then Hayden said, "Sure, I will be a part of the council,"
At that moment she decided that if Hayden was going to do it, she would too, so she said, "ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹. ╎ ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ʖᒷ ⍑𝙹リ𝙹⚍∷ᒷ↸,"
- - - - - -
It was on the rooftop of ᓵ||∷╎ℸ ̣ ⍑⚍∷╎ᓭ that Tory was currently sitting. She needed some time to herself to get away from everything and everyone. It had only been a short while since she had been offered her position on the council and she found it hard, she was surrounded by powerful watchers and even though they were the nicest people she couldn't help but think of them. She knew that Hayden would understand if she talked to him but she just couldn't tell him, it was like there was a giant wall up in front of her that would let her past escape. The other council members had also been so kind in understanding that she only spoke galactic and that she preferred it when they didn't, they didn't mind at all. She did ask them to speak some galactic to try and get used to it, but they used it sparingly and it was mainly the admins who did so. She felt like she was a burden on everyone since they had to change the way they operated with her there.
Tory heard the beating of wings and looked up to see the High Leader flying up next to her. She didn't know what to think, maybe the High Leader was going to kick her out of the council for being such a burden on everyone, but she would deserve it anyway. It was like the High Leader had read her mind because she said, "Don't worry Tory, I'm not going to kick you off the council,"
"∴⍑|| ᔑ∷ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷリ?" Tory asked.
"To see if you are okay. Are you?" the High Leader asked.
"リ𝙹, ╎ ⎓ᒷᒷꖎ ꖎ╎ꖌᒷ ᔑ ʖ⚍∷↸ᒷリ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ᒷ⍊ᒷ∷||𝙹リᒷ ʖᒷᓵᔑ⚍ᓭᒷ 𝙹⎓ ᒲ|| ᓭℸ ̣ ⚍!¡╎↸ !¡ᔑᓭℸ ̣ ᔑリ↸ ⍑𝙹∴ ╎ ᓵᔑリ ʖᔑ∷ᒷꖎ|| ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ⍑ᔑリ↸ꖎᒷ ʖᒷ╎リ⊣ ∴╎ℸ ̣ ⍑ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ 𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑ᒷ∷ᓭ ╎リ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᓵ𝙹⚍リᓵ╎ꖎ. ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ|| ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ʖᒷᒷリ ᔑꖎꖎ ᓭ𝙹 リ╎ᓵᒷ ᔑリ↸ i ᓵᔑリ 𝙹リꖎ|| ⋮⚍ᓭℸ ̣ ⍑𝙹ꖎ↸ ᔑ ᓵ𝙹リ⍊ᒷ∷ᓭᔑℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ ∴╎ℸ ̣ ⍑ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷᒲ, ╎ ᓵᔑリ'ℸ ̣ ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ℸ ̣ ᔑꖎꖌ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷᒲ ╎リ ⊣ᔑꖎᔑᓵℸ ̣ ╎ᓵ. ╎ ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷリ'ℸ ̣ ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ᓭ!¡𝙹ꖌᒷリ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ꖎᔑリ⊣⚍ᔑ⊣ᒷ 𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ !¡ꖎᔑ||ᒷ∷ᓭ !¡∷𝙹!¡ᒷ∷ꖎ|| ╎リ ||ᒷᔑ∷ᓭ ᔑリ↸ ╎ ↸𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ꖌリ𝙹∴ ╎⎓ ╎ ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ᓵ𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ᔑリ||ᒲ𝙹∷ᒷ ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ℸ ̣ ⍑𝙹⚍⊣⍑ ╎ℸ ̣ 'ᓭ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ꖎᔑリ⊣⚍ᔑ⊣ᒷ !¡ᒷ𝙹!¡ꖎᒷ ᔑ∷ᒷ ᒲ𝙹∷ᒷ ꖎ╎ꖌᒷꖎ|| ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ꖌリ𝙹∴," Tory cried.
(No, I feel like a burden to everyone because of my stupid past and how I can barely even handle being with the other watchers in the council. They have all been so nice and I can only just hold a conversation with them, I can't even talk to them in galactic. I haven't even spoken the language of the players properly in years and I don't know if I even could anymore even though it's the language people are more likely to know,)
"You aren't a burden on anyone, yes we've made changes but that isn't a bad thing. You can only just hold a conversation with them but you've come so far. Before you may have teleported away but you're staying here with them, you are overcoming everything that has happened to you. Your past won't just disappear, it doesn't happen like that, but you have been choosing to not let it hold you back, some people aren't that strong. You could have just been hidden away from the world but you still chose to accept a position on the council. You joined the council where you can help people, just like how the council helped you escape from those cruel watchers. I do remember seeing you there, who I am seeing in front of me now is someone who is yes, still scared, but is no longer being trapped by that fear. You may not speak the language of the players but that isn't important, you are," the High Leader said.
Tory was crying more now, not tears of sadness this time, "Thank you," she croaked out, letting the language of the player slip from her tongue.
"||𝙹⚍'∷ᒷ ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ," the High Leader said as she flew away, to give Tory some space. For once Tory didn't flinch when a watcher spoke galactic, she wasn't scared, and she felt loved. She knew that she would keep speaking galactic but maybe she could speak the language of the players more and she would try to get used to everyone using galactic around her.
WC~ 2439