#additional content warning of the Austrian is in this and does not die I am so sorry

[auspicioustidings]

Content Warnings

CWs: Military being military (inclusive of torture, child death, sexual abuse, exploitation and corruption), wildly inaccurate military terminology and inner workings, Hindu nationalism, childhood trauma, non-con (not by the 141 and off screen), non-traditional pack bonds (inclusive of both on page and suggested sexual relationships outside of the main group), murder, smut

As a note there is also an alpha who discovers they are flexible with their secondary gender and a case of a side character being an alpha supremacist and getting a redemption by the end. Neither of these were written to be allegories on purpose, but I recognise author intent doesn’t really have an impact on how you read this story.

I would not consider this a darkfic. The 141 are fairly typical in terms of the omegaverse genre in that they are mean, morally grey and sometimes violent, but are still portrayed as the romantic heroes.

There are some more detailed notes on content below the cut that will spoil some plot points. If any of the above CWs are worrying you, there is more explanation on them below so you can make an informed choice on whether this story is for you or not.

SPOILERS BELOW

The military is very much bad in this story. Part of the plot in the later half is our characters trying to fight a system of sexual abuse and exploitation. Charu does get tortured by the 141 as part of the trials for the SAS as this is what happens in the final phase in real life. On a mission, she shoots and kills a child who was going to shoot at her team. This haunts her, there are discussions around how this kind of thing is just the reality of being an SAS soldier.

I have no interest in learning anymore about how the military works than I currently know, so in this fic it works however best serves the plot.

Charu will struggle with accidentally falling into a Hindu Nationalist mindset. Part of her story is overcoming this and claiming her culture. Gaz will mention that he does not have the same certainty of his heritage as Charu does, they have a conversation surrounding that and the links that their cultures have to religion.

Charu later comes to terms with the fact that her mother was a flawed parent and confronts a lot of trauma she has surrounding her mother’s own expression of her trauma. There isn’t physical abuse, this is more nuanced emotional stuff.

There is a conversation during which Charu suggests that she had been sexually assaulted by senior officers before, the narrative confirms this. Part of the plot in the later half as mentioned is our characters trying to fight a system of sexual abuse and exploitation and as part of this there are testimonies mentioned by soldiers and staff who have been raped by officers.

Pack bonds will not be traditional in this story. None of this is secretive, everyone is aware. Outside of the 141 pack bond, Ghost is bonded with Mace and Keegan who spend a heat with Charu, Gaz is bonded with Alex and Farah and Price is bonded with Nik. Most of these bonds are either explicitly stated or suggested to have a sexual element.

The 141 are the romantic leads, but as with many omegaverse stories they are morally gray. They mention that they have murdered people (outwith being soldiers) and there is a named person that Ghost murders, these are seen by them as justified because the people are abusive to those they hold power over.

Soap is an alpha in this story who sometimes feels like an omega and tries to repress that feeling. Part of his story is learning to accept that part of him and be happy with who he is.

There is a side character called Weston who has an alpha supremacist mindset. He will have this shattered and be horribly abused which fully traumatises him. He is written as a tragic character who gets a hopeful ending.