#oc of xelara

[fancifulflora]

ATOC ROs at a Theme Park: Modern!AU Headcanons

I just came back from Universal since I was celebrating my baby cousin's birthday and my legs hurt and I hurt and I regret not having shoes that aren't heeled. So while I nurse my wounds I'm going to slap down some headcanons about the LIs at a theme park since it popped into my head mid-wait for a ride

Azad/Ashti

Enjoys people-watching a little too much while waiting in line. They might look a little distant and in thought, but don't let those hazel eyes fool you- they're judging the unfortunate beach bottle blonde Karen cut on one of the others in the line.

Will ignore most of the side vendors and booths for the most part, until they pass by the carnival-style games where you can earn your selection of over-priced, mass-produced plushies you could probably order online.

That's when A backs it the fuck up and makes it their mission to win.

I mean.

They want to win one for you, of course. That's why they're doing it. It has nothing to do with the self-satisfied smirk on the vendor's face when some teenagers walked away with a measly consolation prize.

And it has nothing to do with the fact that they dared to boast that it was unbeatable. No, no no no. Nothing as silly as that.

After a few failed tries, curses, and a small snack break, you end up with the biggest prize in your arms, resting on top of a tiny mountain of small keychains and prizes that A won while trying to beat the damned game. But hey, at least you have something to remember the day by? Well, a lot of somethings but you get the idea.

When the heat starts getting to the two of you, A is the most likely to go get one of those water bottles that mists you while a fan blasts a cool breeze into your face- without you needing to ask too.

If there's a cool water ride or, even better, one of the crazy ones that flip you upside down and drag you so close to the water's surface but not quite. A's going. Period.

They will have their hands in the air the entire time and enjoy the adrenaline rush and laugh internally at everyone looking like a wet rat by the time the ride's over.

And if there's a water park???

To be honest, A might try a few cool water rides in a water park but have you seen the pools? They might enjoy swimming and the water more than your average joe but they aren't a fool.

Would be a little more than curious to try out one of those artificial wave machines though, probably faring well on their own board.

Dara/Delal

They come prepared with a complete battle plan. The tickets are expensive and so to make the most of their time there's a perfect route for everyone to take that will let the group hit all the best rides before they have to leave or simply loose the will to continue on

Too bad everything goes out the window the moment they get through the gates and everyone starts splitting into their own groups

Still, is dedicated to not letting their work go to waste and will trek on anyways. One second, you see them on one side of the park, but the next time you get off a ride D is now on the exact opposite side of the damn place, halfway through the line already. How did they even make that much distance so fast? And how are they already that far up the line? Isn't that ride supposed to be popular?

The world may never know

If the two of you are together though, then you'll know that D has one of those sites on their phone that keeps you updated on the amount of traffic on each attraction and has already committed the map to vague memory. No need to shuffle awkwardly to the side of the path in a sea of people and "Sorry!"s and "Excuse me!"s as you fumble through your bags to find some flimsy piece of paper.

With D around, your trip is made much less socially awkward. And with their large size, it makes it easier to carve through the swarms of tourists and regular parkgoers. After all, no one wants to be flattened by someone so large with that serious look in their eyes, all part ways for the two of you, if just by a little bit.

Will scrunch their nose at most of the cheesy lines on the t-shirts and hats but will most likely cave by the end of the day and at least get one thing to remind them of their little outing. Avoids all eye contact when they leave a gift shop with a cap on that says "I had an un-bee-lievable time!" with a cartoon bee winking at you as if they too were enjoying the embarrassment.

Though slightly flustered at first, would probably wear a matching outfit or a couples t-shirt with you for the day. It's cute, okay?! And if done tastefully, isn't nearly as bad as it sounds.

Will probably wind down and relax by going on slow rides, the kind that takes you on a tour throughout the park just so they can see the sights and rest their legs from all that standing and walking around.

But the moment they get off the break's over and D's already on the move, only slowing down fully if you show signs of getting tired yourself.

If it wasn't going to catch the stares of everyone within a 20 feet radius, D would most certainly be down for carting you around in their arms when you get tired. If you ask them too they won't hesitate, though it might make them a little more than embarrassed to do so.

Rozerîn/Rêzan

Why are they even here? Couldn't you all have chosen something more relaxing? It's hot. Too hot. There are so many people. Sweaty people. People who need a bar or two of deodorant or some sense of personal space knocked into them. R is the unfortunate one that's dragged along for the day but still finds a way to enjoy it themselves

Admires the way all the employees stay in character as they put on shows throughout the park. The costumes are wonderfully designed, the atmosphere, even when it changes just when you round the corner, is rather immersive if you linger.

Wouldn't want to go on any crazy rides that throw you haphazardly around. However, they would enjoy those cool 3D rides with a simple storyline and cute effects like a fog machine or a water mister.

Finds the fact that all the rides drop you off at an appropriately themed gift shop the second after the ride's over to be distasteful.

Then, they see the cutest animal plush in the world and forgets all about that for a second. You might want to stop them before they have the mind to get you one too because these plushies are gonna quickly become your new faux children. And whoops, they have names now too. How did that happen?

Will don the biggest sunhat you've ever seen and dramatic sunglasses for the day and no, they aren't taking it off. Would be willing to replace the big shades they have if you buy them a replacement. No matter how silly it looks, it's still a gift from you after all.

If there's some kind of petting zoo available they're already b-lining for it. You can certainly join as well... if you catch up with them. But unless there are other cool sights to see this may be where they spend a great many hours of the day.

I'll give it a solid 6/10 chance that R ends up babysitting everyone else's stuff while they go on rides. Bumping it to a 9/10 if X is allowed to go crazy with their purchases. I mean, someone's gonna have to watch all your stuff and it's not like they're all too interested in whatever the "Shark Tornado" that you're all going on is.

With enough convincing and maybe a little smile from you they're willing to go on one or two of the more intense rides, although the caveat is that they're gonna be riding next to you no matter what.

If the ride's especially scary they'd hold and squeeze your hand tight before moving to the safety rails before they cut off circulation or something.

And afterward, with the wind having blown through their long hair and their face flushed from the pumping of adrenaline and blood in their heart, R manages to come out still looking pretty.

A messy pretty, but pretty nonetheless.

Xelara/Xelef

Buys a ridiculous amount of souvenirs. Like. A silly amount.

Will start off at a gift store absentmindedly looking through the selections and then they see something Heval would like. Oh shoot, you would love this. They just have to get it! Damn, they should probably get this too while they're at it. Ohhhh, now D would hate this... which is the perfect reason why they need to buy it for them.

Will shrug off any attempts to get them to stop with a small "it's a special occasion!", as if that argument really holds when they're trying to buy a snow globe in mid-July.

Honestly, the mental image of X clad from head to toe in theme park merchandise is more than amusing, until you realize that they're going to rope you into the same thing.

Would die waiting in line, so they make it a point to buy into the dumb fast pass system and will reserve the right to still complain a little if the line wait is too long.

I could see it being really cute being in line with X though, due to how physically affectionate they are. They wouldn't go over the line with PDA if it made you uncomfortable, but would most likely burn the time away with their arms wrapped around you, their chin resting on your head if you're short enough or against your shoulder. Might sneak a lil smooch in there if there aren't too many people in line.

Feel free to give them a little shove when the sun rises too high and everything gets too overwhelmingly hot though, X is practically a furnace so they understand even if they pout a little.

Same as D in the sense that they enjoy the more extreme rides more, but instead of putting their hands in the air and taking it in like a normal person they make it their mission to scout out the exact timing in which the ride takes your photo and comes in prepared

They'll do the usual, raise their arms up, screaming much louder than those around them, but by the time the ride is up and everyone's disheveled and their legs are all wobbly X is practically bouncing on their feet.

Heading down to the gift shop you can see why, with everyone looking like a mess they're the only photogenic one in these "candid" photos. It's even better if you aren't nearly as graceful on rollercoasters, X determined to collect all the images of the two of you on every ride you go on with claims of finding the contrast "endearing". And if you do happen to look pretty put together despite the hellish twists and turns of the ride, X makes it their mission to get the two of you to do poses for the camera on the rest of the rides. Collecting the images and then lining them up by the end of the trip in a makeshift photobooth reel of the day.

BONUS

Kulîlk Teyran

Will not eat the entire day prior in preparation for the big outing. But don't worry too much about her, she's already planning to make up for it in spades when she gets the chance.

She's super excited the moment that the trip is even brought up, never having really gotten the chance to go out much before. And to spend one of those outings at a theme park? With friends? With you?? What more could she want?

Does research in her own way. Mainly by looking through social media of other people going to the same park and studying their reviews and pictures. Will go to YouTube for videos of people eating through the menus there or taking POV footage of rides so she can mentally prepare herself and plan accordingly. Oh? The turkey legs are overrated? Well she won't bother with trying that then...

However, it's due to her excitement that she can't sleep by the end of the day. And when she can't sleep she begins to be anxious about missing the set time you guys meet up and being late. And when she thinks about being late she gets physically ill with anxiety and the fear of irritating her friends and you. And since she's anxious now, she can't sleep.

The cycle continues and before she knows it she barely gets 3 hours of sleep and her alarm is already ringing while she stares wide-eyed at the ceiling. Great. Lovely. What a start to the big trip to the theme park.

Still shows up before anyone else does, the most bitter cup of coffee in hand and her stomach dying. Only brightens up when she sees you or the rest approaching.

Finds the most endearing thing about theme parks to be the cute way they style and theme their food. Whether it's a cupcake with a little unicorn horn on it or a burger with the character stamped across the top of the bun Kulîlk is taking photos and sampling anything that doesn't seem too sweet.

Will offer to share what she eats with you as well, though it's partially so that she has more room to eat other things.

If you're eager to ride the attractions then she will be as well! Although you might have to help her walk a little after an especially fast and loopy one.

Not going to lie, she's the most likely to get sick after an especially intense attraction. Anxiety, a full stomach, caffeine, none of it is especially helpful to the poor woman dying on the park bench.

Will probably buy some souvenirs, but in this case, has her phone out comparing the prices online with what she sees in the stores. So unless it's an item that you get to customize or has a big show about it, Kulîlk will wait till after you all leave the park in order to order you whatever you want.

Could cave with a light breeze or kiss though, so go nuts lol.

Is the annoying one with a camera, wanting to take pictures of everything that seems cool and will ask for group photos on occasion. She prefers the more candid shots anyhow.

[ambrosykim]

my oc index

listed by how much they're on my mind, with some exceptions. bolded ones are especially dear to me.

mind blind

oc: alex wiseman (alex x rosy) (art) oc: evelyn wiseman (evelyn x noh) oc: frankie baker (frankie x nick)

the exile

oc: alva kalesko (alva x vethna, alva x syfyn) oc: zora hanak (zora x vethna, zora x vethna x nikke)

body count, infamous 

oc: angel andrews (angel x vinh, angel x august) (art) oc: noah nelson (noah x charlie, noah x seven)

a tale of crowns

oc: jêla teyran (jêla x delal) oc: niyan goran (nîyan x azad, nîyan x xelara)

the wayhaven chronicles

oc: charlie reyes (charlie x adam, charlie & felix) oc: lauren greene (lauren x mason) oc: del newman (del x farah) oc: simone moore (simone x nate) oc: kiki mori (kiki x ava)

dragon age

oc: ysolt cousland (ysolt x alistair) oc: alden hawke (alden x varric) oc: helle lavellan (helle x solas) oc: iola lavellan (iola x cullen)

thicker than

oc: day arthur (day x marcel) oc: aimee young (aimee x tracy)

baldur’s gate 3

oc: saffron carnavon (saffron x astarion) oc: zia lhalabar (zia x minthara) oc: sindri silversong (sindri x rolan) oc: nahza sunsvalor (nahza x shadowheart)

other ocs

oc: con silva (con x nightowl) (blooming panic) oc: noa sano (noa x sergi, noa x marco) (blood moon) oc: day arthur (thicker than) oc: mia kovacs (mia x blane, mia x kai) (the midnight hours) oc: ben anderson (ben x bautista x nazeri) (greenwarden) oc: jade foster (jade x oliver) (scout: an apocalypse story) oc: orion wright (speaker)  oc: thom dawson (the golden harp)

[ocs-of-xelara]

coral but she’s turned evil

[prim-moth]

Your Imperial Majesty, your party is so swag

[lyriumsings]

I present Crown Sozan and her Royal booty call the Pale Sword feat. some good little spirits doing their best

[sorcererrezan]

unconvinced

congratulations on outdoing yourself yet AGAIN with chapter 7 @ataleofcrowns 💛 you are truly on another level queen 😌✨

prompt: “Then tell me, how can I convince you?” (list here) pairing: X/crown rating: spicy T 😏 word count: 1,929 summary: ‘It would be so easy to make him kneel for you, the way he clearly wants to—’ 

Crown Navid shows Xelef that two can play his game.

—

Liar. 

It’s what the earth spirits had said, but now, ensconced in his palace, where he has invited in those who are merely curious about him at best and possibly strategizing his murder at worst, Navid hears it in his own voice.

The control he has maintained since Ishrah and Siham opened his doors this morning squeezes around his chest. It pinches and he can feel his heart bursting out of the gaps of its hold, turning into spikes.

Navid’s eyes thin into slits of piercing gold. His tone, now devoid of its casual charm, is flat. Unamused. “I’m not convinced.”

Xelef, just as persistent, gauges him. Navid can pinpoint the exact moment the sellsword decides on his next tactic, green eyes shifting hues like a turning emerald.

“Then tell me, how can I convince you?” 

Just as much as Xelef is surely leaning on his sensory abilities, Navid’s awareness of the situation rises. Above his disrespected aggravation and Xelef’s agile contortions he can see the conflict between his own present and Xelef’s past. In the back of his mind he notes a sense of affronted duplicity—isn’t this the same man that warned him against self-destructive paralysis, the one that saw through his worries leading up to today and offered reassuring distraction?

Why can’t Xelef use that insight to understand the position he’s put a newly coronated Crown in, instead of to devise an escape from the consequences of his impulses?

Xelef steps close, as skilled at wielding a weapon as he is his own body. Navid’s thick brows furrow at himself, at the way his reaction betrays him, heart rabbiting in response to the enticingly deep fragrance clouding the mercenary, the ridges and valleys of his form set in such a tantalizing display. Navid can feel the heat from Xelef’s bare chest even through the rich fabric of his ceremonial robes and the magic imbued in them. Xelef’s hand on his shoulder is a reminder of his size and strength, of his willful potential to overpower.  

“Shall I beg you again, on my knees this time?” 

Every single thing about him is a distraction.

If Xelef wanted to keep up their easy flirtation from this morning, he shouldn’t have soured it by testing the limits of Navid’s control. But now that he has…

An open palm finds the heated skin of Xelef’s abdomen, gliding across hard muscles; callouses catching on the random, puckered skin of his scars. Navid can hear Xelef’s rushed inhale before it turns into a low chuckle. He lets his lips brush against the goosebumps on Xelef’s neck before he murmurs, breath hot on his ear, “Kneel, mercenary.”

The last word is a sharp hiss, accompanied by the bite of his blunt nails on Xelef’s bare skin. The muscles underneath his touch jump as Navid pulls him down, fingertips gliding up his torso along the way. Xelef would look almost reverent, on his knees before him like this, if it weren’t for the devious gleam of getting what he wanted in his eyes.

Navid’s lips twist into something wicked.

“Beg for my forgiveness,” he repeats, voice husky, one hand cradling Xelef’s jaw in a commanding grip. Navid feels powerful. Different from the ways before when he has bent Xelef to his will because this time, there’s no perceptive audience. 

Distraction or not, this is all for him.

Xelef bites his bottom lip and Navid eyes the plumpness of it, gaze sharpening in vindication as the man in front of him lets out a shaky, almost whining, exhale. 

“Please forgive me, Navid,” dark eyelashes flutter in a practiced way that Navid is nonetheless susceptible to. The use of his given name throws him off guard, widening his stare. Another distraction, or an attempt at sincerity? Only the Void knows for sure.

Navid nods, letting some of his cool charm return in an inviting smile. The hand on Xelef’s jaw slides to cradle the back of his head, fingers threading through the smooth locks of his hair. “You look good like this, Xelef.”

“So do you,” he eyes Navid hungrily, not even hiding the lascivious way his stare roves from right below his waistline, up the slim taper of his waist, the flare of his shoulders, then lingers on his lips before making eye contact and meeting fire with fire. 

Navid’s smile shifts into a smirk and he tightens his hand into a domineering fist, pulling Xelef’s hair, holding him in precarious place as he leans over him. He makes a show of sliding his eyes from Xelef’s to his mouth as he bends closer then closer still, until the mercenary’s long lashes flutter closed in anticipation.

Their lips are separated only by their breath when Navid tugs—not gently—and Xelef lets out a choked half of a groan.

“Don’t ever deign to undermine me like that again. Especially not amongst these vultures,” Navid spits the last word out, voice testy and dangerous in a way Xelef has never heard before. He conceals his unspoken ‘I need you on my side.’ in another jarring pull of his hair, forcing Xelef to bare his throat to him. “Do you understand, Pale Sword?”

From his vantage point he can see Xelef’s desperate swallow, can hear the submission in his shaky exhale of a response. “Yes… my Crown.”

“Good.”

Navid breaks away like a glacier’s cliff dropping into the sea. For half a second Xelef crumples, not expecting the loss of support so immediately, before his muscles clench and he regains his balance. Spirits help him, but he is not immune to the way Xelef’s abdominals, framed by the rich textures of his formalwear, dance under his tanned, hairy skin.

Navid keeps a calculated, cunning look on his face as Xelef rises on his own, eyeing him in equal parts defeated respect and surprised annoyance. 

“I suppose I deserved that,” comes the begrudging admission. Finally, Xelef’s sincerity outweighs Navid’s doubts.

“Don’t mistake my reciprocation of your attention for naïveté,” Navid pins him with a knowing stare, a reminder that as much as Xelef can see through him, he can see the same. And to let him know that, even still, he wants to continue cultivating this “whatever you want it to be” that’s growing between them. Navid doesn’t know what Xelef’s romantic past looks like—and doesn’t much care—but if Xelef wants to keep courting his favor, he needs to know that there are harsh lines that Navid will not allow him to cross. 

“I’m sick of people hiding things I should know from me.”

The last part comes out more resentful than Navid intends, tinged with his turbulent reflections about his parents’ debilitating omissions and how exhausting it is to think of learning to divine the nobility’s nebulous motives and intentions.  

“You’ve known me for mere days, and you expect me to bare all my secrets to you because I helped you once?” Xelef snaps back, patience run ragged after Navid turned the tables on him. It stings. The fatigue of the day’s emotions slams into Navid all at once, his hurt the delayed catalyst. 

He takes a deep breath, recentering himself. Is his pride worth it? They’ve both made their point. And he doesn’t quite yet know where the line for Xelef is, when taking advantage of their attraction to each other morphs into something destructive. 

He sighs. So many calculations today, mind overstuffed by the endless observations he’s made to try to perceive everyone around him. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

Navid shrugs, closing himself off from the weight of it all. He never asked for any of this responsibility, still doesn’t understand why the spirits chose him. Did they do it with the person he could’ve been before he spent a decade on the run in mind? Or with the decorated shell of a man he is now, desperately trying to fill his insides after those he trusted to protect and guide him failed? Maybe he really is naive, for dreaming that his problems could be solved simply by finding his sorcerer and finally becoming the Crown.

“You’re right, after all. We’ve only known each other a short time, and we’re not friends. I’m only your employer, right?” If Xelef wants to shield himself with that context, so be it. Navid is just as good at hiding.

“Navid…” Regret paints Xelef’s face an unfamiliar expression. 

“It is what it is. You have your secrets. I have mine.” 

“I didn’t mean—”

“Xelef,” he interrupts tiredly with an open palm. “It’s alright. I understand. Just don’t get me killed.”

Navid forces a smile to soften the jibe, retreating back into performance. Xelef opens his mouth as if to say something, brow bunched as he seems to sway between decisions.

“I’ll just see you—”

“The Mîrs of Rojan and I have a long, bloody history together. I don’t want to speak of Behram, but…” 

Xelef holds Navid’s gaze, still wavering for a beat before choosing his path. Something parts behind his eyes, something that allows both of them to see. How alike they are. How tired. How terrified and cautiously hopeful.

Xelef tells his story about Behram’s predecessor. Navid listens raptly, fully aware that this vulnerability could be fleeting, and hangs onto it. The part of him that doesn’t ache for Xelef as he unravels the tragedy of his childhood is grateful for the distraction from his own maelstrom of trauma and emotions.

“Then why did you help me?” Navid asks, feeling the gulf of his status between him and Xelef more distinctly than ever.

“I… had my own reasons,” he doesn’t meet Navid’s eyes when he answers. Though it’s not the reassurance that he wanted to hear—that he did it for more than just the potential of gold or vengeance—at least it’s the truth.

“In any case, does this sate your curiosity a little bit?” 

Navid recognizes the attempt at lightheartedness as a tool, though just like with his own attempt earlier, it’s outweighed by the ghosts that linger around them both. 

“Is this usually how you leave people sated after kneeling for them?” It’s not quite the same playfulness that’s usually between the two of them, not after what they’ve found out about each other today, but it proves that they can bounce back. Move forward, together.

“No, but today was a special occasion,” Xelef smiles, though it looks dim on his face. It flickers away, making room for the solemnity in his voice. “You should know—I told you that because I wanted to.”

“I do know.”

Navid reaches for Xelef, this time with no ulterior motive, but someone clears their throat before they touch. 

“Yes?” Navid tries not to let exasperation color his tone—the guards don’t deserve his ire. Still, he can’t help but be disappointed at the interruption, especially since this feels like some sort of breakthrough between him and Xelef.

“Forgive the intrusion, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Ah, right. The banquet and its accompanying expectations. Navid sighs, imagining the steam rising from the bath he plans on sinking into after all this. Alone.

“You go on ahead,” Xelef concedes. “I think I need some time to myself.”

“Will I see you later?”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” relief flushes out Navid’s discordant emotions, and he holds on to the smile that Xelef sends his way to bolster him for the rest of the night. “You haven’t paid me yet, after all.”

“I’m good for it,” Navid hopes his returning smile, laden with the complications of things said and unsaid but sanguine nonetheless, does the same for Xelef. 

[somewillwin]

I want to draw my tale of crows Mc… but I want to be as culturally and ethnically accurate as possible. I’m nervous.

I see the vision. Idk if I can do it tho 🫠🫠🫠 so many ideas.

Me to me: do it hoe.

[ataleofcrowns]

i know you said in a previous ask the LIs dont have canon genders, but do they have canon sexualities? or playersexual?

All 4 of them are bisexual! 😌❤️

[queerbrujas]

alright, I got all caught up on A Tale of Crowns, so I commissioned @fruittulip to draw my Crown, Sahar, and I am just !!!!!!!!!

look at her smile!

(did I make Sahar blonde on purpose so Xelara would call her “my darling star”? maybe so)

[nerdferatum]

This past month has been so long, but here you go the only sketch I’ve been able to draw and who knows if I’ll even finish it

[leirsulien-archive]

WIP Whenever

thank you for the tag @amlovelies 💕

this is from a xelara/aliya wip i started a while ago and I'm not sure if i'll ever finish agsvgsd

For as long as you can remember you’ve been running from it, flames licking at your feet, starved and desperate. For you fire had always been searing heat and insatiable hunger, never had you considered before that it could also be warmth and light, that fire could also be a torch guiding you through the dark.

Never had you imagined that you would ever seek it out on your own accord, that you would willingly let it consume you. But here you stand, holding your hand into the flames.

Tagging: @lookingforsomethingcuzimbored, @whowhatifs, @knight-du-mortain, @natesquill, @lilas

[megaeratheefury]

hello omg that r/crown prompt was so soft and well-written i just... if it's not too much trouble, would you consider writing one for x/crown but with the prompt, "you can call me whenever you want... even if you don't have a reason to." 👀

thank you for such an inspiring prompt, anon! i literally created my X romancing crown just so i could read the route and fill this prompt. 🥰

i hope y’all enjoy crown navid, who is my love letter to @ataleofcrowns’ X 🥺💌

ps. i have an atoc sideblog now! askbox is open for r/crown and x/crown prompts over at @sorcererrezan 💛

—

Navid finds out about Xelef’s return to the city via a messenger from the Crescent Blades. Apparently the Pale Sword himself saw it fit to give advance notice, though whether it is because he is the Crown or because he is Navid is still elusively up for interpretation.

Typical Xelef. 

Navid conceals having to swallow the piece of his heart that jumped up his throat at Xelef’s impending return. He doesn’t reveal any additional curiosities about how far away the Blades are or how long they plan on staying to the mercenary, maintaining instead a welcoming though busy countenance. Internally he runs over his schedule over the next few weeks to calculate his free time while he calls for a servant to show the messenger to one of the rooms in the guest quarters. 

The more rational and less giddy part of him tries to temper his eagerness—where he and Xelef stand with each other is as opaque as it is exciting. ‘You are both but distractions,’ it reminds. Not for their duties necessarily, but for their idiosyncratic inner turmoil. There’s something about Xelef—whether its his acute sensitivity, his devil may care attitude, or his unflagging self-assuredness—that makes it easier for him to escape the gaping maw of trauma he’s left unprocessed and memories his mind has already saw fit to protect him from.

Navid has never faced a distraction quite like Xelef, after all. 

And perhaps, he considers when the sellsword greets him with an unabashed grin and an embrace that lingers a few days later, Xelef has never faced a distraction quite like him either.

—

“So General Delal has finally scrubbed off the decade old rust on the Imperial Army, has she?” Xelef’s words are as light as the breeze that dances around them. They’re in a sitting area nestled in the corner of an upper floor with high ceilings, enclosed by open windows more than walls. It’s the Crown’s favorite with its bright light and how it only takes one step into his imagination to feel like he’s sitting in the sky. 

Navid drinks from his cup of tea—perfectly brewed and sweetened, he’d have to compliment Siham on his attention to detail later—before responding. Xelef always speaks with hidden context. Navid reasons that it could be because the man himself processes so much information outside of just what’s spoken whenever he interacts with others. The practice of figuring out what Xelef really means in any situation is a more efficient lesson in navigating politics than a week of interacting with the nobles. He guesses that in this situation it is equally likely that Xelef is inquiring about the strength of his security as he is looking for something with which to needle the general.

He has to remind himself not to project motives or objectives onto Xelef just because of his own expectations and hopes. But it’s hard not to, when for all intents and purposes, Xelef seems to have returned to see him. He offered up the veil of having business in the city and giving the Blades a break, but Navid has gotten even better at reading people since they last saw each other. 

You have to pay attention to what Xelef does, he’s learning. And take what he says with a grain of salt. As it stands, the sellsword has managed to squeeze himself into every bit of free time that Navid has had luxury for since his arrival earlier this week: be it testing his combat training, joining him for a meal, or inviting him to the Red Lantern and then personally escorting him back to his quarters. For safety, they both reason, considering how the last time went. But there’s an almost palpable tension that only grows whenever they’re alone together, and Navid somehow intuitively knows that they’re approaching the edge of something they may not be able to dismiss after the fact.

He’s never backed down from an adventure though.

Navid settles his cup in its saucer before replying, a touch of genuine pride coating his words, “Yes, she’s seen to it personally.”

He meets Xelef’s eyes, can feel a smirk dancing on his lips as he continues, “Why? Planning on invading me soon?”

Xelef’s gaze heats up in the face of the suggestion Navid doesn’t bother to conceal, lingering on the expanse of his chest and arms that the diagonal drape of his tunic leaves exposed. 

“I could try,” Xelef leans closer, drawing Navid into his orbit until he can almost feel the air behind his words. This tucked away into the palace, behind an army and the full strength of the guards, Xelef’s attention isn’t split by trying to foresee an attack. The full weight of his focus builds up a thrill that pounds through Navid’s entire being. He can feel his pulse in his palms just as clearly as he can see the green of Xelef’s eyes shift from lighter to darker.

“How successful do you think I’d be? In your infallible opinion as the Crown.” 

“As it stands?” Navid pretends to weigh the question, using the pause as an excuse to let his own eyes do some appreciating. He doesn’t flatter himself by believing that Xelef dressed just for him today, but the way the fabric parts across his broad chest when he props an elbow on the table is too effective to not be intentional.

Spirits but does he look irresistible. And he knows it, too. Navid can’t hide the sentiment from him—not that he wants to, anyway. Xelef tries his damnedest to rile him up every time they see each other and Navid would be doing them both a disservice if he didn’t make Xelef face the consequences of his own boldness.

“Near impossible,” Navid answers like fate herself gave him the authority. “But maybe if you had an agent on the inside…”

“And do I? Have an agent on the inside?”

Navid hums to consider. “You could.”

His inherent evasiveness prevents him from leaving the cover of their loaded metaphor. There is a line that he has learned not to cross when dancing around with Xelef. He refuses to be the sentimental fool that blindly steps too close.

—That’s what Navid tells himself at least, when Xelef is not within two breaths of him and watching him intently, like he’s pulling him apart and putting the pieces back together in his head. It’s much harder to resist testing him when he’s right there. 

But to his delight, Xelef huffs out a satisfied chuckle before breaking into a wide smile.

“Sounds like I have my way in then.”

Navid grants him an indulgent look. “Let’s see what you do with it, chief.” 

This time he lets out a full-fledged laugh and Navid joins him in it, reveling in how fun it is to be around Xelef. This is how he’d like for them to remember each other when they’re apart.

Xelef regards him for a beat when their amusement tapers off, likely having sensed the emotions that thought inspired as it passed through him. Navid quietly holds his breath. It’s not exactly comfortable, how easily Xelef can pierce through his walls, but if it’s out there then he’s not going to hide from it. 

“You know,” Xelef begins, looking away for a second before locking gazes again and resting a calloused palm on the back of his hand. “You can call me whenever you want. Even if you don’t have reason to.”

That… isn’t what Navid expected. There’s an almost tentative seriousness to the mercenary’s words and demeanor. The warmth that he’s learning to associate with Xelef radiates from their hands, powering the quickening beat of his heart.

Navid swallows, though he doesn’t look away. Xelef’s skin shines from his stare. “Even if I’m just thinking of you?”

“I don’t think there are enough birds for that in the whole Empire, my dark-haired beauty.”

And just like that, Xelef settles back into his easy demeanor, self-satisfied grin and all. But now Navid knows better, can discern the seed of… something behind the mysteries of Xelef’s eyes. Something that could be more than just a distraction.

[ocs-of-xelara]

here’s a cursed elm!!!!

[siennadraws]

Rêzan: Yes, locusts can fly. How else would they migrate such long distances?

Xelara: Does that mean grasshoppers can fly too?

Ashti: Enough! I don't get paid enough for this...

I should rll stop taking photos of my traditional art at night vjdjsk

[prim-moth]

I’ve been playing atoc again!! God I miss the characters so so much

Also ft new Crown! Playing a blunt + shy type :3c

[sorcererrezan]

crown navid riahi and his royal boytoy 😌

thanks for letting me and navid love xelef, @ataleofcrowns 👑💛

art by @iigoart