#verse: off citadel

[im-the-king-of-the-ocean]

here’s to feeling disconnected from literally everything

[fuckyeahaudiodrama]

☀️JUNE LISTENS☀️

i still don’t have a brain! ah!!!! but i do have ears for listening! i actually listened to a lot of stuff that i ended up not liking as much, last month, but i still have plenty to rec.

Remnants — (ep1-2 early access) a dark fantasy mystery anthology. hard to describe without giving anything away. i love everything by Hanging Sloth (creator of SBR, NQD and Clockwork Bird), so i knew that i was very likely to enjoy this regardless of the premise… but my god, absolutely surreal vibes. the sound design is breathtaking! feeling very grateful to be a HS patron right now. keep an eye out for this one coming 15th july! subscribe now and don’t miss it.

Mockery Manor — (3 seasons, 37 eps + miniseries, between seasons) a murder mystery set at a theme park with a comedic twist. i didn’t think this was going to be my thing and i was so wrong. the protags are twin sisters with plenty of baggage between them. their shenanigans and banter keep the tone light even when the plot takes dark turns. looking forward to s4!

Limelight: The Specialist — (5 eps, complete) self-described as a “dark medical thriller” set in rural wales. Limelight series are generally good but satisfying endings are hit or miss; this one was VERY well-paced, with a satisfying payoff, and gave me hope for a series 2 in future. i loved the execution of the gruesome mystery and i loved the protagonist to pieces.

Close Your Eyes — (1 season, 9 eps, s2 in production) having recently listened to RQ’s Neon Inkwell: The Pit Below Paradise, which also centers around cult dynamics, i found this to be a very fun contrast. here we see how someone can be immersed and isolated by a cult, regardless of their personal skepticism or strength of will. the suspense was so delicious i had to listen to all nine episodes in a row. ends on an incredible cliffhanger — can’t WAIT for season 2.

The Silt Verses — (44 eps, finale soon) a grim religious fantasy dystopia. some of the most intricate and fascinating worldbuilding i’ve ever seen. huge cast. i know that everyone in the AD space has rec’d this pod a hundred times over, but i can’t stress enough how it’s one of my very favorite stories in the medium. the penultimate ep left off on an absolutely deranged note and i have no idea what’s coming! so exciting, if you’ve been waiting to check this one out — now might be the time!

Dice Shame — (2 seasons, 200+ eps, ongoing) classic dnd actual play ft. Harlan Guthrie of Malevolent fame, and his equally charismatic friends and family. i don’t listen to a lot of APs bc i have trouble focusing on such long episodes but i just love the chemistry of this party. slapping it on the rec list bc the current storyline has me hooked!!

Bridgewater — (1 season, 22 eps, ???) supernatural mystery, notably starring Misha Collins as the protagonist. this one has a lot of complicated family dynamics read: mommy AND daddy issues. the length of the series is just enough to let you spawn several of your own theories, which is fun, and i was really pleased that i was able to predict the true conflict and identify the antagonist. excellent use of foreshadowing etc, biggest props to Lauren Shippen of The Bright Sessions fame.

Consumed — (12 episodes) small town horror/mystery through the eyes of a stranded newcomer. this one did NOT go where i expected it to, because i started it before i listened to Bridgewater; they’re set in the same universe, so the same worldbuilding applies. i would honestly recommend listening to this one FIRST because if you do listen to the end of Bridgewater, it will kind of spoil the twist in Consumed.

The Penumbra Podcast — (5 seasons, 2 storylines, both ending this summer) still barreling toward the finish line for both Second Citadel and Juno Steel. as a patron, i was notified of early release for the SC finale this morning, which i know is gonna wreck me. just wanted to feature this because i don’t see it recced as often anymore and that’s a fucking crime. one of my top AD recs for sure.

Red Valley — (While You Were Hypersleeping 3) three ep miniseries featuring our main best boy, warren, who has been notably absent from most of this season! so nice to hear from him and to get a glimpse of what might be coming in the next part of the season.

Observable Radio — (11 eps, ongoing) my favorite recent sci-fi/horror anthology by far, tied up in a terrifically dreadful meta narrative. afaik this is a limited series but i’m really savoring each and every episode; the most recent, “Earworm”, was one of my favorites. very dark and dystopian. mind the content warnings!

The Network Defenders — (ep1) the debut of a new Planet Arcana miniseries, featuring some new voices and a fresh new tarot-based system (crowdfunding this year!) has all of the appeal of PA in terms of prod. quality, vibes and emotional depth, just new mechanics. 2nd ep is out now so i’m hopping right on that as i post this!

Waterlogged — (ep1) a new indie horror that i’ve been waiting to drop for a while now, and i really enjoyed the soft-spoken eerie vibe of the pilot. there’s a couple more things in the feed now so i’ll have to go catch up.

[this-machine-runs-on-coffee]

So, hello!

Made a playlist on my YouTube account of all the rtc videos of songs I knew, and I think it might be 40+ videos and I put them in order of (I think + except for This Song Is Awesome and Talia, since the 2015 Chicago video I found has them put together) when they were used in productions (I've heard very few so forgive me if I'm wrong) and (as far as I know) their order in the musical (the openings are put in weird ways because I don't really know their order, I'd be more than happy to correct the order they're in if I were to be wrong). I'm putting the links here because I don't feel like sharing my YouTube account with my name lol

Plus funny thing in the 2015 Song Cycle they sang Noel's Lament before Ocean's song, so I'm really unsure as to how to put it, and we'll make it like this: Noel's Lament 2015 Song Cycle, the two Play To Win which barely change from each other, the two What The World Needs which barely change from each other, Noel's Lament from 2015 Chicago (maybe only a word changes from the Song Cycle but it has the added verse compared to the 2016), Noel's Lament Official Audio and then on with the other ones normal order, except that La La Love is going to be next to Talia instead of at the end

Karnak's Dream Of Life [Official Audio]

Ride the Cyclone: Cut/Lost Uranium Suite Variation (Clip)

Uranium Suite / Tragic Fact | From Citadel Theatre, Ride the Cyclone

Tragic Fact (14/02/2015 Song Cycle)

Fall Fair Suite (2015 Chicago)

Fall Fair Suite (I think more around 2016 version? Not sure, but it isn't on the Official Cast Recording, so)

Waiting For The Drop (2018 Seattle)

The Uranium Suite [Official Audio]

The Otherside (Non-Album Track) ("Somewhere sunrise begins another day, begins another day" that one)

Jane Doe's Entrance (14/02/2015 Song Cycle) (basically the 14/02/2015 and 15/02/2015 should be the same unless I'm wrong and I don't know, so [for all the Song Cycle songs I'll only put one version except for the ones I know vary in certain ways between the two days])

Jane Doe's Entrance [Official Audio] (but this video has the lyrics and I have this one ready and not the other one, audio should be the same)

U-R-A-N-I-U-M (2015 Song Cycle)

Noel's Lament (2015 Song Cycle)

Play To Win (2015 Song Cycle, 14/02/2015) (the one that cuts off at the end and is sung differently in maybe a point or two)

Play To Win (2015 Song Cycle, 15/02/2015) (the one that doesn't cut off at the end and is sung differently in maybe on point or two)

What The World Needs (2015 Chicago) (Angry Birds? Candy Crush?)

What The World Needs [Official Audio] (Pokemon, Spiderman)

Meet Noel Gruber [Official Audio]

Noel's Lament (2015 Chicago)

Noel's Lament [Official Audio] (but the video is one of the lyrics ones)

Spooky Jane Fornication (Non-Album Track) ("Fornication Under Consent of the King" that one)

Every Story's Got A Lesson [Official Audio] (yes the one with Karnak talking at the end)

This Song Is Awesome [Official Audio]

This Song Is Awesome (2015 Song Cycle) (I'm not sure of the differences between the various "This Song Is Awesome"s but I'm giving you the ones I find so here)

This Song Is Awesome + Talia (2015 Chicago)

Talia (2015 Song Cycle) (again I don't know the differences but here have this)

Talia [Official Audio]

Small Things Become Big Things (2015 Song Cycle) (Hank and Trishna's love song)

La La Love (2015 Song Cycle) (So many la la, Hank and Astrid's love song)

Space Age Bachelor Man Sting (Non-Album Track)

Meet Ricky Potts [Official Audio]

Space Age Bachelor Man (2015 Song Cycle) (not sure what changes from this one to the next one but hey you get both)

Space Age Bachelor Man (2015 Chicago)

Space Age Bachelor Man (2018 Seattle) (Zolar, you said? What's that? I've heard of Cattaris and its queen though)

Space Age Bachelor Man [Official Audio] (a bit different from the 2015 ones and we have Zolar again like in 2016)

Meet Jane Doe [Official Audio]

The Ballad Of Jane Doe (2015 Song Cycle)

The Ballad Of Jane Doe [Official Audio] (lyrics video though)

The New Birthday Song [Official Audio]

Sugarcloud (2015 Song Cycle) (wow I did not find the Chicago version on YouTube but alright)

A World Inside (which I don't know when it was done, but I heard it was kept in for two days then abandoned. Sugarcloud was there as well in 2016, but A World Inside was made in 2018 and cut soon after, so I'm putting it here before Official Audio Sugarcloud and Jawbreaker because they were kept even after)

Jawbreaker [Official Audio]

Sugarcloud [Official Audio]

Cookies, Cookies And Some Lemonade/Celebration (15/02/2015 Song Cycle)

It's Not A Game/It's Just A Ride (2015 Song Cycle)

Be Safe, Be Good (For Rachel)/It's Not A Ride (a song sang in 2018 as a tribute for the late director Rachel Rockwell because she loved it, or so I heard. You get the song sung by the choir here and in the next one the Official Audio)

Be Safe, Be Good (For Rachel)/It's Not A Ride [Official Audio]

It's Not A Game/It's Just A Ride [Official Audio]

Here are 3 more that are really soundtracks more than sung songs + the Corey Ross tiktok+the 2018 dance battle between Constance and Ricky in SABM:

Karnak's Theme (or how the video's title says, Karkak's Theme) [Official Audio]

Wonderville Jingle (which apparently according to a comment was found by AdoreDevito on Discord on the Ride The Cyclone's Facebook page from 2012)

Jane Doe's music box leitmotif

Kholby Wardell's Corey Ross's song's tiktok

Cut 2018 Space Age Bachelor Man, part of the dance battle between Cataris's queen and the Space Age Bachelor Man

If you want to here's the 2010/2011-2013 channel of RTC

UPDATE (18/08/24): I noticed yesterday when I should've been sleeping that I had inverted the order of La La Love and Small Things Become Big Things chronologically, as Trishna was there before Astrid was. I'm changing it, just letting you know this. But for anyone who has never heard La La Love, it sounds very similar to Talia, which is probably why I put them close to each other in the first place, but I don't remember so I'm not sure. I think the love songs originally were after Corey Ross's rap (not really any videos of it except for a deleted tiktok from Kholby Wardell which has a small verse saying something and describing a little what happens during Corey Ross's rap battle against himself, so pretty much lost media or so I heard), so I would've put it after This Song Is Awesome, had there not been a video that connected both Talia and This Song Is Awesome. Changing that now.

Update number two, 19/08/24: I've just seen this Reddit post now and wow, I knew I wasn't original but we had the same idea, which is great like wow I am impressed. I've genuinely never seen this post before tonight, and you can believe me or not believe me, either way it would be fine, I've done this post for myself to organise my playlist and in case it could help others, had I seen it before, I probably would've done this post earlier, inspired by it, but with probably less songs as my knowledge was more limited a month or two ago. Genuinely (positively) surprised to find that while searching for Talia sheet music in the RTC subreddit lol, won't be adding the "Still here?" And "Welcome..." Songs tho because they aren't really sung or do much. Maybe I'll add them to the additional videos in the end, that will definitely be inspired by that post, since in the end those are part of the RTC song album after all, and probably deserve to be added

Please do notify me if I've forgotten any songs or themes, I'd like to hear them if I have because then I've probably never heard them

[sparklecryptid]

All the Bastards verse but it includes Fleur as bio-mom of one of the kids.

Maybe she and Regis had to have a quick wedding on the road, or maybe they split and she wandered off before she realised she's having a kid. I'm just here for Fleur Vs Ardyn custody battle over the Bastards.

(Regis: don't I get any say in this?

Fleur and Ardyn: No!

Random Bastard: if you wanted any say, you should've left mom with your phone number)

You know I was debating whether or not to make Persephone or Jules Fleur's kid in this prompt and then I figured that since I don't really have a backstory for Persephone LET'S MAKE HER FLEUR'S DAUGHTER.

(rip regis you will be missed)

It doesn't take long for Fleur to wind up back at the Citadel, seething with anger. She knows that if she still had her more cat-like features her ears would be pinned back and her tail would be swaying. As it is, Fleur is having a hard enough time attempting not to snarl at Regis and Ardyn.

Fucking Lucis Caelum's. Fleur wonders why she was ever fond of them.

"Why," Fleur begins and takes a terrible pleasure in how Regis stiffens. Good, he remembers her wrath at least. "Is my daughter of interest to you two?"

"She's my daughter as well." Regis presents an argument and Fleur wonders if Phoenix will still answer her calls. "She deserves to know her father."

"She is 15, even if she had made the choice to get to know you, I would have thought you'd be mature enough to tell me."

"Come now," Ardyn croons and Fleur makes a face that makes Regis snicker, "She needs teachers. Your daughter is one of ours, which means someone needs to teach her how to wield that terrible power she has."

"I've been teaching her myself just fine," Fleur hisses at Ardyn, "I don't appreciate you questioning my knowledge." She turns back to Regis then. "I won't keep you from her, but if a single hair on her head is threatened I will burn this city to the ground.")

[slightly-nerdy-rambles]

Robstar Week Day 7: Like the Fire, the Sun (Prompt: Playlist)

After putting some thought into the final prompt for this week, I decided to get a bit creative with it. Many of you are probably familiar with the Royal Family Verse, a special "setting" that I like to place one Robstar Week entry in each year. Well, when I was planning out each of the fics for this year, I realized that 1) I was six fics in and still hadn't made plans for an RFV fic yet, and 2) I didn't really have any good ideas to make "playlist" into a story. So then I thought, "Why don't I make the playlist, have it be an RFV playlist, and use one of those songs as a story prompt?"

What follows is a story set in the 'verse that's inspired by the song "You Are the Beginning" by The Family Crest. It's a sweeping, epic piece (The Family Crest is really good at those, I highly recommend the group) that gave me the mental image of Nightwing and Starfire standing together on a cliffside and staring down an alien invasion fleet. Because of today's theme, both the title of the fic and the lyrics at the beginning are from that song as well.

As a bonus, I'm also going to post the playlist itself once this fic is up. Now you, too, will be able to listen along while thinking about Robin and Starfire being awesome warrior monarchs together. Enjoy everyone, and happy Robstar Week!

Like the Fire, the Sun

Oh, what a love that gives And then taketh all away Oh, what a man will do When a man’s lost everything When everything’s changed

One of the less pleasant things Nightwing had learned from moving to Tamaran was that the Vega star system it was a part of was kind of terrible. Half the inhabited planets were veritable death-worlds, more than half of them seemed to be in competition with one another over who could make the most tyrannical and expansion-hungry interplanetary empire, and everyone who just wanted to be left alone had to deal with it. As loath as he was to admit it, he could see why some members of the intergalactic scene looked at the powerful warrior race of Tamaran and assumed they were just another gang of space thugs.

But he had also seen, time and time again, that those naysayers couldn’t be more wrong. Starfire’s people – his people, by rite and marriage – weren’t some mindless brutes, they were survivors. He’d seen them wrestle beasts five times a man’s size to the ground to stop them rampaging through the streets. He’d seen them cultivate carnivorous plants that made their mightiest Earth counterparts look like daisies because those plants’ flowers and fruits had too much medicinal value to ignore. He’d read and listened to the long history of Tamaran, its greatest triumphs and harshest tragedies alike, and he could say with full conviction that he was proud to be accepted among its people.

And if the Citadel warlords thought they could take that all away, Nightwing – Mari’kesh in Tamaranean – was far from the only one ready to put them in their place.

*******

Empress Koriand’r and Emperor Mar’ikesh stood at the edge of a jagged peak about a dozen miles out from Tamaran’s capital. The empress hovered just off the ground, though what joy sustained her at a time like this her husband could only guess. The source of the small crackles of viridian light playing at her fingertips was much easier to identify.

“What are you thinking?” Mar’ikesh asked. His grip tightened a little on the carved fighting staff propped against the ground – heavier than the bo staff he’d wielded years ago, but a comforting presence nonetheless – and he peered up beyond her to see how much of the descending warships he could make out.

Koriand’r did not answer right away, but her nostrils flared as if in challenge and she squinted closer against the haze of distance.

“There,” she finally said, pointing out one ship among many. “The Citadel disguised it well, but it’s just a little too bulky to be practical for an ordinary fighter, and too well-guarded. That is where we will find the command center.”

“Hmm.” Mar’ikesh didn’t have a Tamaranean’s distance vision, so he would have to take her word for it. In spite of the dire circumstances, the corner of his lip twitched into the tiniest of smirks.

“So now all we have to do is head straight for the ship with the most firepower and the heaviest guard,” he said. “Sounds fun.”

Koriand’r could not bring herself to share his dark humor. “They will not take our children.”

Mar’ikesh let his smirk evaporate. He wasn’t sure whether she was thinking of their own children – evacuated from the capital, now, and hidden as safely as they could be in a distant fortress – or the children, the people, the future of Tamaran itself. Either way, he replied, “No. They won’t.”

With a concerned frown, he eyed her and added, “You’re sure about this plan?”

The split-second of hesitation before she nodded was barely perceptible, not enough room for argument. “Yes. I can fly more quickly than a ship, and I’m a much smaller target. This is the best chance we have to end this quickly.”

Mar’ikesh nodded back. “I’ll be right beside you, even if I do need a ship.”

********

The flight to meet the invasion fleet went by in a tense blur. Mar’ikesh was not the only one who needed mechanical assistance to get there – only the best fliers dared join their empress in taking this mission on without the protection of a ship’s hull and shield, and in any case they needed the firepower to pierce the shields covering the command ship’s hull. But they sent a single fighter ship, their smallest and fastest, and cloaked along with the empress and their fliers until they got close enough to open fire.

What followed were a few tense minutes of sheer madness that seemed to stretch on to forever, as fighter and fliers alike dove and weaved to avoid return fire all while trying to make a breach in the command center. Mar’ikesh could only wait, white-knuckled in his seat, while blasts from the Citadel’s fighters strained the limits of his own ship’s shields and fliers around him fell. He could not say how many were hit and how many recovered, but he did not see Koriand’r among them. Speed, maneuverability, and surprise all seemed to be working in their favor.

In that time of waiting and praying, it struck him all at once that he didn’t know what he would do if he lost her. He had given up everything back on Earth to be with Koriand’r, with Starfire, when she had first been summoned to take the throne. They had both lost the lives they’d built for themselves twice over now, to tragedy and duty and love, but duty and love had given them a chance to build their lives anew. They had a family now.

If his children lost their mother while he was stuck waiting in a tiny fighter ship, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to forgive himself.

The sudden crackling of the command ship’s force shield tore him from his morbid thoughts, and the pilot of his fighter whooped as the shield finally dissolved under the Tamaraneans’ fire. The gunners didn’t miss a moment, and in seconds more the weaker physical hull of the command ship had been breached.

And then a new chaos broke out as the door to the fighter flung open and a Tamaranean flier leaned in to gather him and the other small handful of passengers. It was not Koriand’r, and Mar’ikesh had to fight to stop himself from making a leap of logic and assuming the worst.

Wordlessly, he undid his harness and took the flier’s arms in a trapeze hold like he’d done with his wife so, so many times. The Tamaranean pulled him out and up past the wild and confused shots of their enemies, and in another several stretched-out seconds they were through the breach in the command ship’s hull.

Mar’ikesh’s racing heart skipped a beat when he saw Koriand’r there, already felling Citadel guards with a flurry of well-placed starbolts. He pulled the staff from where it was clipped against his back and moved to join her.

“If anyone tries to challenge you for the throne after this, I’m kicking their varblernelki myself,” he quipped, swinging the staff wide to catch two Citadelians around the midsection and slam them against the wall.

Now, as the Tamaraneans were making headway, Koriand’r allowed herself a fierce grin. “And I will gladly watch,” she replied, flinging two more Citadel warriors to the end of the hall with her eyebeams.

The two of them whirled around one another, working together with practiced ease and watching each other’s blind spots as they fought. Before long the first wave of Citadel guards had been dispatched, and the Tamaranean team began making their way to the main control center. There they would be able to wreak havoc on the standing fleet’s organization and – with luck – claim some of it for their own. If this mission went well enough, they’d weaken the Citadel’s forces enough to end its invasion before it really started.

The two of them had found their paths changed twice each: Princess Koriand’r and Dick Grayson, to Starfire and Robin, to Empress Koriand’r and Emperor Mar’ikesh. They had rebuilt both times together, overcome countless challenges together, and now they could not truly imagine their lives taking any other path.

And whatever world they lived on, so long as they drew breath they were going to ensure that world was not lost.

[bigjuice34]

Private Affair (Year One)

Chapter Six

A/N: We are so back. Please let me know your thoughts!

Masterlist

Word Count: 8.1k

“All dragon breeds have different temperaments,” Professor Kaori stated while glancing around the room full of cadets. “It’s important to keep such differences in mind when approaching specific breeds during Threshing.”

“What happens if we approach a certain breed incorrectly?” A female cadet sitting at a table to Freya’s left asked, earning some scoffs from others in their class. Freya exhaled.

“No one has lived to tell the tale,” Kaori replied simply, then nodded toward the centre of the circled table closest to him. Soon enough, an illusion of an Orange Daggertail, much smaller than the actual dragon would be, appeared in the middle of each table. “Orange Dragons are the most unpredictable of the breeds. They are extremely risky. This one here is an Orange willing to bond during Threshing.”

Some cadets shared what they knew about Orange dragons before the image changed to a Brown dragon. Freya wrote down what Kaori said about each breed of dragon despite being well-versed on the topic, having come from a family of riders herself. There was always an opportunity to learn more, Freya thought.

Kaori went on to show a Red dragon and started a discussion on them. Then, eventually, the image changed to a Green Morningstartail, making Freya do a double-take before feeling herself go stiff.

“That’s the Green that was at the citadel on Conscription Day,” someone in the room spoke up, but Freya didn’t bother looking at them. Her focus remained on the illusion of Caden’s dragon displayed before her.

“Correct,” Kaori said. “This particular Green is one of the largest and most cunning of that colour I’ve seen in years. He is of Uaineloidsig lineage, making him remarkably intelligent, and he’s the only known Green Morningstartail that has been in service during the last few decades. That tail of his alone is an incredibly deadly weapon. Factor in the other traits I’ve listed, and it’s easy to assume this is one dragon you don’t want to be on the wrong side of.”

“Is he one of the dragons bonding this year?” A male cadet asked from the other side of the room.

“When was the last time he was in service?” Another cadet questioned from the table next to Freya’s. Still, she didn’t take her eyes off the dragon.

“Dìo hasn’t been in service for three years,” Kaori answered. “It’s unclear if he will be bonding this year. He wasn’t before Conscription Day, but from what I’ve heard, that may change. His last rider was a rebellion leader.”

Several gasps sounded around the room, followed by murmuring as people discussed what they’d just learned.

Freya took a deep breath, trying her best not to let her feelings get to her as she tugged on a loose thread of the material she used to wrap her left wrist. It’d been two weeks since Nolon mended it for her, she had begun sparring again, but her wrist still ached and the wrap helped. Freya made sure no one saw her with the wrap though, and always took it off before Gym. Only people she trusted knew her wrist was still bothering her a bit.

Eventually, Freya moved her gaze from the illusion and glanced at the table to her right. Xaden and Garrick were already looking at her, concern prominent on their faces.

“Do you want to leave?” Xaden mouthed to her.

“We’ll go with you,” Garrick did the same. Freya appreciated their offer but shook her head no.

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered, unintentionally gaining the attention of those sitting at her table. Nova and Bennett looked at her questionably and waited for her to elaborate. Freya sighed. However, another cadet spoke up before she could say anything to them.

“Was he the Green bonded to Caden Tarlor?”

Freya immediately snapped her gaze to the female cadet who asked the question and couldn’t help but glare when she saw it was Amber Mavis. People began muttering and whispering again.

Even before the rebellion, the Tarlor’s were known and respected around Navarre for having so many powerful riders. It didn’t surprise Freya that people knew of her family. However, the rebellion ripped the Tarlor family name to shreds, and Freya carried that burden. Nonetheless, she knew her family best and would always protect them.

“That would make sense with how the only person it seemingly didn’t want to burn at the citadel was Tarlor’s little sister,” Alic, a cadet from Second Wing said. It wasn’t long before all eyes were on Freya.

She glanced around the room at those looking at her, a hard and unreadable expression on her face as her gaze trailed from one end to the other, but Freya stayed silent.

“Everyone, that’s not what this class is about,” Kaori cleared his throat, bringing some attention back to him. “We’re not here to point fingers, we’re here to be educated. Freya, you do not have to comment on the topic.”

“No, I will,” Freya stated, then took a deep breath.

Kaori nodded.

“The Tarlor family has a long lineage of impressive riders. I’m sure many in this class could learn a lot about dragons from you, Freya. The floor is yours.”

Freya remained silent momentarily, considering her words, but straightened her posture once she felt many eyes on her again.

“Thank you, Professor Kaori. I grew up surrounded by dragons. At least one grandparent from each side, three uncles, an aunt, my parents and my older brother were all riders. That being said, I learned how these creatures worked from a distance, as none were mine to associate with. Dìo was my brother’s dragon. If there’s anything I learned from Caden about the greens is that you must never back down from them. A Green will challenge you. If one approaches you, be patient. Show submission as you wait for their approval or else you’ll never be deemed worthy to them.”

“Precisely,” Kaori spoke before anyone else could. “A few greens are willing to bond this year, this is crucial information to know for those approached by one, including Dìo if he does decide to bond.”

“It’s forbidden for a dragon to bond a relative of a past rider, right?” Amber asked, not even looking at Freya or showing that she listened to anything said.

“Typically, yes,” Kaori answered. “However, the dragons have their own system of law. We do not interfere with it.”

“That’s why none of the rebellion dragons were destroyed,” Bennett stated from their spot next to Freya. “Not that they should’ve been. But, it was up to the dragons how the ones who lost rebellion riders and lived through it were punished. The people of Navarre had no part in that.”

“That’s correct,” Kaori replied before the image in the middle of the tables changed to a massive Blue Daggertail. “This is the only Blue that has agreed to bond this year. Her Daggertail makes her one of the rarest types of blues. Would you like to share what you know about the blues, Freya?”

Freya exhaled, then nodded.

“They’re ruthless and intimidating,” she declared. “There is no proper way to approach a Blue. It’s probably best that you don’t. If one chooses you, let them have control over the situation.”

“What makes you such an expert, Tarlor?” Alic sneered. “Why are we listening to a separatist’s kid, anyway?”

Freya took a breath to remain calm. She didn’t know Alic well or much about him other than that he was King Tauri’s middle son. That fact, however, Freya kept to herself. Xaden told her who he was, but she didn’t lead on like he was of any notoriety. To her, he was just a pompous asshole and a bully.

“The Vale lost two blue dragons following the rebellion. They were a mated pair. The male was a Daggertail, the female a Scorpiontail. Their bonded riders were my parents. However, the dragons didn’t die during the rebellion. It was after. My father’s dragon, the Scorpiontail, died within 24 hours of my family’s execution. The Daggertail fell soon after.”

After her spiel, Freya glanced at Xaden. Had he not shared everything he knew about what happened to her parents’ dragons with her, she probably wouldn’t have a better understanding of just how strong the bond between dragon and human could be.

“This is a significant example of the strength of a rider’s and mated pair bonds,” Kaori took over. “We all know if a dragon dies, so will its rider. However, occasionally, a rider’s death causes a dragon’s demise. This doesn’t always happen, though. A mated pair of dragons bonded to a married couple is a perfect situation on paper. However, as unfortunate as it is, if one falls it’s likely they all will.”

Murmurs erupted from around the room, but otherwise, class carried on. Freya noticed the way some cadets continued looking at her as if they were studying her. Others would speak quietly to someone beside them, and then both would glance in Freya’s direction.

Despite her calm and reserved exterior for the remainder of the lecture, Freya felt the opposite internally. She didn’t mind sharing what she knew about dragons and was aware that confidently doing so showed the other cadets she was educated on the topic. However, everyone knowing about Caden’s dragon had her on edge. Freya knew she’d have to be on high alert going forward.

Once the bell tolled and the class was dismissed, Freya already had her things gathered and was one of the first up from her desk. However, she didn’t even reach the door before she was stopped.

“Freya, do you mind staying back for a moment?” Kaori asked just as she was about to put her hand on the doorknob.

“Uhm, yeah I can do that,” Freya replied awkwardly as she adjusted the strap of her satchel on her shoulder. She received some looks from other cadets as they passed by her to leave, and then her eyes landed on her two guys as they approached. “You two go. I’ll see you at Lunch. I know you both want to wait, but you should go.”

“Freya,” Xaden immediately started protesting. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Push us away.”

Freya blinked at him surprised. Was that what she was doing?

“That class wasn’t easy, Fern,” Xaden justified. “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” Freya responded, then exhaled. “I appreciate you checking in and worrying, Xaden. But, Kaori just wants to talk to me. I’ll be fine.”

“She’s right,” Garrick spoke up. “Nothing bad will happen, Xaden. We’ll see you soon, Fray.”

With that, Garrick started pulling Xaden toward the door. Freya mouthed a quick thank you to him, he understood that there were some things she wanted to do on her own without them. Then she looked at Xaden and nodded, sending him a reassuring smile before Garrick got him out the door.

Once the door closed, Freya moved her gaze to the right and saw Nova and Bennett waiting nearby.

“We’ll wait for you,” Nova said. “If that’s ok.”

“Sounds good,” Freya replied, smiling. She felt she could spend some time with them before spending lunch with Xaden and Garrick.

Once the room was clear, Freya took a deep breath and approached Kaori’s desk.

“You wanted to speak with me, Professor?”

“Yes,” he said and leaned against his desk. “I wanted to thank you for your contribution to today's lecture.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Freya replied. “I’ve learned a lot about dragons over the years, I was just sharing what I knew.”

“There are cadets here that could learn a lot from you. Given who your family is, it’s no surprise you’re as knowledgable as you are.”

“Yeah, unfortunately, who my family is makes my time here a lot more difficult than it originally could’ve been, though.”

“Not necessarily,” Kaori stated. “The members of your family were some of the greatest riders Navarre has ever seen. Your parents were well-respected and powerful. Your brother, Caden, was of the same calibre.”

“And we all know how that ended up for them,” Freya said, then dropped her gaze as she fiddled with the wrap on her wrist again.

“Your parents and Caden were good people, Freya. I know the rebellion makes that hard for a lot of people to believe, but it doesn’t change all the good they did before. Your parents were incredible leaders, they helped a lot of people. Your brother was just like them and saved so many people being the mender he was. I see a lot of all three of them in you. I’m not the only one who does either”

Freya was speechless and shook her head as she processed what was said to her.

“It’s not too often I hear compliments about my family nowadays.”

“I can see why that may be,” Kaori explained. “The rebellion is a touchy subject to many, but it doesn’t change everything that came before it.”

“I guess you’re right,” Freya nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Professor.”

“The pleasure has been all mine, Freya. Now go enjoy your lunch.”

With that, Freya nodded and went on her way. She joined Nova and Bennett again, and then the three of them exited into the hallway.

“So, that was interesting,” Bennett was the first to break the silence between the three of them.

“I didn’t realize that Green from Conscription Day was your brother’s dragon,” Nova said as she glanced to where Freya walked between her and Bennett.

“Yeah, it was,” Freya responded softly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t think it was a detail everyone needed to know. Kind of like how you decided not to tell us about your brother.”

There was an unintentionally hostile tone to Freya’s voice and her eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. She didn’t mean to snap at Nova. Following what happened after Freya had her wrist mended and she learned that Nova and Nathan were siblings, the two girls were fine. The next day they talked it through and Freya understood where Nova was coming from with not wanting people to know her brother was a wingleader as it brought unwanted attention. Nova took a few days after that to feel she trusted Bennett enough to share, which was also a feeling Freya knew all too well.

Freya had no harsh feelings toward her friend, but the weight of what happened during class had finally caught up to her.

“Nova, I’m sorry,” Freya apologized. “That was uncalled for.”

“I appreciate the apology,” Nova responded. “It’s alright, though. That class put a lot of strain on you.”

“It’s not alright. Yes, that lecture sucked, but it’s not your fault and I shouldn’t take it out on you just because I’m frustrated.”

Nova nodded, showing appreciation for Freya’s words as they rounded a corner.

“Speaking of Nathan, have you talked to him?”

“Not a chance,” Freya stated. “I have nothing to say to him.”

“Right, you just stare at him longingly whenever he’s near,” Bennett remarked, making Freya scoff.

“I do not!”

“If it’s not my brother, she’s busy looking at Xaden,” Nova teased then nudged Freya with her shoulder. “You should talk to him, though.”

“Are you saying that as Nathan’s sister or as my friend?” Freya asked skeptically.

Nova shrugged.

“Maybe it’s both.”

Freya shook her head in response and remained silent as they entered the gathering hall. It didn’t take long for her gaze to fall on Xaden and Garrick sitting at their usual table.

“We’ll see you in Gym?’ Bennett asked, regaining Freya’s attention.

“Oh, yeah,” Freya replied. “See you two later.”

The other two went to grab a table together while Freya went up to get her lunch. She always sat with her guys during meals, which Nova and Bennett never tried to interfere with.

There wasn’t much of a line to get food seeing as most cadets had already been served their lunch, which Freya didn’t mind since she was getting rather hungry. After she had her food, Freya went to turn around and make her way to sit with Xaden and Garrick but accidentally ran into someone in the process.

“Sorry,” Freya gasped as she quickly tried to prevent anything from falling off her tray without looking up at the person standing in front of her. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright, Freya,” the man spoke, making Freya’s breath hitch as her gaze shot upward and met a familiar pair of golden brown eyes. Nathan looked back at her with an unreadable expression until his eyes flickered down to where her left hand was holding the apple that almost fell off her tray. “Your wrist is still wrapped.”

“Yeah, it is,” she grumbled and swiftly tugged down the sleeve of her shirt so the wrap wouldn’t be seen by anyone else.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Why do you care? I thought I asked you to leave me alone.”

“It was just a question,” Nathan replied simply.

“Whatever,” Freya told him then went to walk around him and continue towards the table, but Nathan stopped her by gently grabbing her arm. Freya immediately tightened her jaw and turned to face him again. “You’re not going to make a scene here in front of everyone, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what do you want?”

Nathan inhaled deeply.

“Meet me tonight after curfew,” he started. “Just after curfew. By the bottom of the steps under the citadel.”

“What makes you-,” Freya went to reply but stopped herself when Nathan turned away from her and walked away. She stood there watching him go, glaring at his back for a moment before continuing on her way. As she walked, Freya glanced over at where Nova and Bennett sat and didn’t miss how Nova bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning too wide, obviously entertained by the interaction she just watched. Freya just shook her head then set her tray on the table and stepped over the bench to sit across from Xaden, next to Garrick. “Hey.”

“Hey, how was talking to Kaori?” Garrick asked.

“It was fine,” Freya replied then took a bite out of her sandwich. “He thanked me for my part in the lecture. What are you two talking about?”

Neither of them noticed her run-in with Nathan, and Freya wanted to keep their topic of conversation off of that if she could.

“A few things,” Xaden said and lowered his voice. “Today is our first real day of challenges. While I was out last night, I was wandering the halls where the professors meet; I saw a list posted. It was all of today’s matchups for sparring.”

“Wait, it’s not random?” Freya asked, confused. “I mean, I guess I shouldn’t say I’m surprised.”

“It’s probably a way for them to weed people out and show the weak ones,” Garrick explained.

“Did you see who we were against?” She questioned.

“Yeah,” Xaden answered. “Garrick is against a guy from First Wing.”

“What about us?”

“Each other.”

Freya’s eyes widened.

“Oh,” she said, then let her gaze fall to her tray.

“Fern, I’m not going to hurt you,” Xaden stated. “I would never.”

“I know that, Xaden. It’s just- it feels like a setup. Everyone knows who we are and who our parents were. It’s like they’re trying to send a message by putting us against each other on the first day. If a list was posted, it’s been decided that we’d be opponents for some time now.”

“I feel like it’s impossible to get any type of leverage in this place,” Garrick groaned. “We feel like we’re one step ahead only to be pushed two steps back all because of these relics. Two other marked ones are against each other too.”

Freya glanced at her friend and nodded, completely understanding how he felt. Then she started thinking about something the three of them discussed a few days prior.

“I think we need to do what I suggested the other night,” she started. “A meeting or something similar with all of us. Marked ones. We lost Warner the other day because of pure negligence. It could’ve been avoided. Some of those here with us don’t know what we know about dragons or combat and could use our help. You’re responsible for all of us, Xaden. I know it’s risky, but we have to do something. We need to look out for our own.”

Xaden observed Freya as she spoke and when her green eyes met his dark ones after she finished talking, he nodded.

“You’re right,” he responded. “I like your idea of a meeting. It’d have to be after curfew because if we get caught, it won’t be good. I don’t know where, though.”

“What about under the citadel?” Garrick suggested. “Down in the valley by the river. It’s not too far and if we give proper directions, I don’t think anyone would get lost. When we were down there yesterday I noticed a massive boulder and some oak trees around a bend. Those trees would be good for coverage if we thought someone was coming. What about there?”

Freya and Xaden immediately looked at each other again. They both knew what trees and boulder Garrick was referring to, it was where the two of them had met during their first night at Basgiath. Freya couldn’t help but think of what happened the last time she and Xaden were there but shook her head so she could stay focused on the topic.

“I think that could work,” Freya agreed. “But when? It should probably be sooner than later with today being our first day of challenges. Gauntlet Training is going to come up quickly too.”

“I think tonight,” Xaden replied.

~*~

“You ready?” Garrick asked as Freya handed him the last of the four daggers she had crossed the parapet with. Xaden had done the same. They weren’t going to use any weapons against each other during their sparring match.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Freya responded, then glanced at the crowd gathering around the mat. She and Xaden gained a bit of an audience of other cadets and riders wanting to watch the showdown between two marked ones.

“You’ll be fine, Fray.”

“Tarlor and Riorson, go ahead,” Professor Emetterio spoke up, then nodded at the two to get into position.

“Here we go,” Xaden muttered then turned so he could lead the way onto the mat.

With a deep breath, Freya followed Xaden then stopped and got into a fighting stance when he turned to face her again. This wasn’t the first time the two of them sparred against one other. Growing up, they play-fought and trained together all the time. Where Xaden was larger and stronger, Freya made up for it with her speed and agility. She was an extremely skilled fighter, but so was Xaden and they knew each other's moves.

Murmurs and whispers sounded from those closely watching them, but Freya kept her gaze on her best friend, easily blocking them out. She was about to attack first but then noticed Xaden glancing down at her left wrist, which was unwrapped so it wouldn’t seem like it was still bothering her to those watching. It was a quick and subtle glance, but Freya didn’t miss it and she knew he was already planning on being mindful of her injury.

“Don’t go easy on me now, Riorson,” she said, then smirked when Xaden shook his head.

“Have I ever gone easy on you?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Freya chuckled.

“No, but I won our last matchup. I’m expecting you to want this one back.”

“That’s true. Let’s see if there’s anything new you’ve learned over the last three years.”

With that, Xaden took the first swing. Freya dodged it by crouching out of the way but didn’t miss how close he’d gotten to almost making contact when a whoosh sounded above her head. She felt her French braid hit her back, falling with her sudden movement and immediately regretted not braiding her hair into a crown. Although she knew her long hair didn’t matter while in combat against her best friend, Freya got very annoyed when it got in her way.

Although it felt longer, only a few seconds had gone by since Xaden struck first and Freya used her crouching position to her advantage by kicking her left leg out and trying to sweep his feet out from under him. Xaden lept over the attack with ease.

“Going to have to be quicker than that,” Xaden taunted, a smug smile tugging at his mouth.

“Oh, I’m just getting started,” Freya replied as she stood straight, then took a quick breath before charging at him. She started with a series of punches, which Xaden mostly dodged or blocked, but she still managed to get a few good hits in.

Xaden began retaliating and Freya was finding it gradually more difficult to keep up with his fast and calculated moves. She knew she had to do something to knock him down a peg and quickly. After she dodged another one of his kicks, Xaden swung at her with his right fist. Freya reacted by reaching across in front of her body and grabbing his wrist with her right hand to prevent him from making any contact. She then spun to her left and brought her knee up as she completed an almost 360-degree spin, quickly because she was taking no chances having her back to Xaden for long, before extending her leg and kicking him firmly in the chest.

Freya let go of Xaden’s wrist and watched as he stumbled backward, the wind knocked out of him, before he stopped and looked at her with wide eyes then shook his head.

“Nice move,” he said then charged at her again.

“Thanks,” Freya replied then blocked another one of his hits.

The two of them continued battling for a few moments making it evident to everyone watching that they weren’t only great fighters, but also evenly matched against one another. Freya could feel herself growing tired, but she knew she had to keep going. She got another good kick on Xaden’s exposed side as he blocked her incoming fist, then responded by faking a right hook toward her. Freya ducked out of the way again without realizing he had no intention of hitting her, which was what Xaden wanted. Instead of completing a punch, he ducked too and swiftly landed the same move she had tried on him earlier, sweeping her feet out from beneath her with his leg and watching as she fell back onto the mat.

Freya groaned at the impact but had to quickly recollect herself because Xaden was already coming at her again. She rolled out of the way of his attack, but he didn’t let her get very far. He grabbed her leg and pulled her back toward him then climbed over her into a straddling position so he could reach for her left arm and twist it behind her back. Freya inhaled sharply at the searing pain that came from where Xaden gripped her previously broken wrist, making him freeze slightly. He immediately let go of her wrist and debated his next move while Freya took the opportunity to roll onto her back and bring her knee to his groin area.

Xaden’s face scrunched in pain as he fell forward but prevented himself from landing on Freya by placing his hands next to her shoulders on the mat, holding himself mere inches above her.

“Finish this, Freya,” he whispered to her, only loud enough that she could hear. Freya looked at him like he was crazy for saying such a thing, but the hard gaze coming from those onyx eyes told her that he meant business. “Now.”

Without another thought, she wrapped her hands around the elbow of Xaden’s right arm and pulled to bring his shoulder crashing down to the mat. Freya then raised her left knee again, lifting his right thigh and continued pulling at his elbow. The move allowed her to roll the two of them over so that she could be the one straddling him instead.

Once on top of her best friend, Freya elbowed his gut, not too hard, mainly for show and Xaden played along. He groaned in fake pain rather convincingly, but Freya knew better. Still, she wasted no time pinning his arms down to the mat, his arms bent so that his hands were next to his shoulders, then stopped and Xaden didn’t fight back.

The two of them stared at each other, both panting as they tried to catch their breath. Their fight was over.

“What a show,” Emetterio stated and loudly clapped his hands together. “Now that, right there, are two of the best fighters I’ve seen so far in this group of cadets. The rest of you could learn a lot from what you just watched. Next up we have-.”

Emetterio continued talking, but Freya and Xaden’s eyes were still on each other. Freya let go of Xaden’s wrists and let her arms fall to her sides as she took another deep breath. Xaden did the same, and Freya felt tingles when his hands brushed her thighs in the process. Her heart started to race when his right hand didn’t move from where he placed it just above her left knee, then squeezed it, making Freya blush slightly.

“Why did you let me win?” Freya whispered before climbing off of Xaden, then held out her hand to help him up too. She needed to no longer be in the position of straddling his waist.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Xaden replied with a smirk as he took her hand and they both stood.

“I can’t stand you sometimes.”

“We both know that’s a lie.”

Freya rolled her eyes as Xaden nudged her with his shoulder then let him lead the way as they headed off the mat back to where Garrick was waiting for them. After taking a few steps, Freya looked up at everyone who was still watching them for the first time since her match with Xaden began. The way people were looking at her ranged from awe to glares of envy, but she was unphased until her gaze met a familiar pair of eyes observing her intently from within the crowd. It was Nathan.

The two of them held each other’s gaze as Freya continued making her way off the mat until she brushed shoulders with Nova, who was next up sparring against a male cadet.

“The tension between you two,” Nova muttered so that only Freya could hear, making her freeze.

“Me and Xaden?” Freya asked and stood with Nova as the male cadet stretched, then glanced toward Nathan again, who was talking to Finn. “Or…”

“Both of them.”

“Oh.”

Nova chuckled.

“I think if I had to pick a team out of the two, you know who I’d have to be loyal to,” she teased, making Freya roll her eyes again. “But Xaden seems alright too and is your best friend so I can respect it.”

“Good thing it doesn’t matter because there’s nothing like that with either of them,” Freya grumbled.

“Sure, Freya. Real convincing.”

Freya’s mouth fell open in shock at that response, which made Nova laugh again. However, before Freya could say anything, Nova’s opponent spoke up.

“Are you two done talking?” He asked. “This matchup is already going to be a waste of my time with how easy it’ll be. Let's get it over with.”

Freya raised her eyebrows, surprised at his words, then looked at Nova again.

“Embarrass him.”

“Oh, I will,” Nova replied simply, then stepped further onto the mat while Freya walked off.

Once off the mat, she was met with Garrick looking at her with an amused expression as he handed her daggers back.

“Say nothing,” she hissed, knowing his amusement was because of what happened between her and Xaden on the mat.

“I’m not saying anything,” he chuckled, then winked at her. “But that was something.”

“I hope you lose your matchup.”

“I won’t.”

Freya huffed in annoyance, which made Garrick laugh even more. A moment later, Xaden joined them, coming back from wherever he’d gone off, and then they all turned to watch Nova make a complete fool out of her opponent.

~*~

Later that night, Freya was lying awake in bed, trying to get her timing right. It was maybe half an hour after curfew, and she’d told Amira, whom she’d gotten to know better since meeting on Assessment Day and the other female marked ones about meeting in the valley below the citadel an hour after curfew. Xaden and Garrick were taking care of telling the boys. Freya didn’t get the chance to tell the girls what the meeting was for, but when she explained it was just marked ones, they seemed less hesitant to take part, seemingly comforted by the thought that it was all people like them. It made Freya happy because that’s what the meeting was for, so they could all help one another.

However, Nathan was waiting for her to talk, and she somehow needed to ensure that didn’t crossover with the illegal meeting of all the marked ones she helped plan.

With a deep breath, Freya sat up and quietly put her boots on. She slipped Caden’s dagger into her left boot once it was tied, always having it on hand in case she needed it, then grabbed her cloak to throw on. Her movements were quick and stealthy, and she thought she was in the clear to start sneaking out until a whisper sounded from nearby.

“Tell Nathan I said hi,” Nova said from where she lay in her bunk. Freya immediately whipped around to look in her direction, and even though she couldn’t see through the dark, she was sure Nova was smiling.

“He told you we were meeting?” Freya asked, keeping her voice low.

“No, but I saw the two of you talk at lunch and figured that might be why you’re sneaking out after curfew again. Seems like your thing when it comes to him and Xaden.”

“I’m not going to entertain what you’re implying because we’re just going to talk.”

“I’m not implying anything. You’re assuming I am,” Nova countered. “Either way, please go easy on him, Freya. I may sound biased in saying this, but he means well. He doesn’t let people in easily, but with you, he’s different. I don’t know what that means yet or why that’s the case, but regardless, he’s a good guy, and you bring something out of him I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Freya couldn’t help but smile at Nova’s words but quickly shook her head so she didn’t read too much into anything.

“If I thought he had any ill intent, I wouldn’t be sneaking out to meet up with him,” she stated. “But I should get going. I’ve already made him wait longer than I intended to.”

“I expect to hear all about it tomorrow.”

Freya shook her head again, smiling as she finished putting her cloak on, then quickly and quietly snuck out of the dorms.

She snuck through the courtyard and down the steps with ease. She’d gotten quite good at making her way around after curfew without getting caught but remained on high alert because she never knew who also might be out.

The moon was bright, which helped illuminate Freya’s path, but it was incredibly hot. She regretted wearing something as heavy as her cloak, but the cloak was needed when it came to blending in with her dark surroundings and concealing her identity.

Once she reached the bottom of the steps into the valley, Freya looked around for a sign of Nathan being nearby but didn’t see anyone. She took a few more steps, still not seeing anything that indicated he might be there and thought that maybe he got tired of waiting for her and left. However, Freya was soon met by a strong breeze that blew the hood of her cloak down and whipped her hair around which she knew had to be caused by Nathan and his signet.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to show,” he said, then stepped out from the shadows, also wearing a cloak.

“I debated not coming,” Freya replied. “But you didn’t leave me much of a choice.”

Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed at that.

“You always have a choice with me, Freya. After the last time we talked, I wouldn’t have blamed you for still not wanting anything to do with me.”

Freya inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

“Everyone has their reasons to keep secrets and just because that happens doesn’t mean it’s despite anyone else. Sometimes it’s out of care and respect for someone or something and there’s no intended maliciousness. In your case, you were protecting your little sister and not wanting to put a target on her back. I can respect that. You and I don’t really know each other, Nathan, and I wasn’t entitled to know such a thing. However, now that I do know, I have no intention to betray Nova’s trust or friendship. I haven’t told anyone.”

“Not even Riorson or Tavis?” Nathan asked.

“No, not even them,” Freya explained. “It’s not for me to tell and although I trust those two with my life, it’s not something they need to hear from me.”

“You’ve got a pretty interesting perspective on secrets, I must say.”

Freya shrugged.

“Secrets are nothing new to me. As much as they can hurt sometimes, there’s often a bigger picture to look at when they come to the surface. The truth can be more painful. There’s a difference between flat-out lying and withholding information that could shake someone's world. The only downfall is that secrets rarely stay hidden forever. They usually come out and a lot of the time, it would’ve been easier if there was no secret-keeping in the first place.”

Nathan nodded in understanding, then stepped toward her. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience. Not that I’m prying, just an observation.”

“Yeah,” Freya started. “When you have a family that took part in a rebellion, that tends to happen.”

“Right.”

“Now, why is it you wanted me to meet you out here?”

Nathan’s gaze fell to the ground briefly, but he quickly recomposed himself and looked back at Freya, his eyes seemingly sparkling in the moonlight.

“I was hoping we could talk,” he told her.

“About anything in particular?” Freya questioned.

“Not really. I just missed talking with you. You’re good company, Freya.”

Freya couldn’t help but smile at his words because although they’d only just met the day before their fight, she enjoyed his company too and had also missed talking to him. There was just something gravitating about Nathan that continued pulling her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

“Lead the way and let’s talk.”

With that, Nathan nodded again, then turned and started walking toward the nearby river. Freya followed and soon fell in step with him as the bell tower tolled in the distance, indicating the start of a new hour.

“You were incredible on the mat today,” Nathan said after a few moments of walking in silence. “I wasn’t expecting to see such a good matchup between two first years.”

“Thanks,” Freya responded. “Xaden and I have been sparring with each other our entire lives so that also wasn’t anything new.”

“The two of you grew up together?”

“Yeah, we’re both from Aretia. My parents and his father were very close friends before we were born, which led to us becoming inseparable. He’s my best friend. I don’t know life without him.”

In the moonlight, Freya was able to see how Nathan’s jaw stiffened as she talked about how fond she was of Xaden.

“I see,” he uttered bitterly without making eye contact with her, which made her smirk. He was jealous, that much was evident and Freya wanted to teasingly call him out on it. However, she noticed they were approaching the bend that led to the trees the marled ones would be meeting under soon. Her eyes widened in realization and she knew she quickly had to wrap their conversation up and prevent him from seeing the others. “Riorson’s lucky to have you in his corner.”

Freya racked her brain for things she could say that would potentially make him want to stop talking to her but hated the idea of pushing him away. She enjoyed being with him, but she couldn’t risk him finding out about her and all of the marked ones meeting when it was her idea to do it in the first place. She had to protect her own.

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Freya asked, not knowing what else she could end their conversation without changing the topic entirely. Maybe if she called him out, he’d get angry and leave. “Because it sounds like you might be jealous, Nathan.”

At that, Nathan stopped and turned to face her.

“Maybe I am. Like I’ve said before, there’s something about you. I can’t say I’m too thrilled about another guy having so much of your attention when I want it. I want to get to know you, Freya. I wasn’t lying when I said you fascinate me.”

Freya blinked in surprise. That was not what she was expecting him to say, but his words made her feel endeared. She liked him too.

“Nathan, I-,” Freya started but cut herself off when the wind picked up again and Nathan’s posture went stiff. “What is it?”

“Someone’s coming,” he stated, then grabbed Freya’s hand and started leading her toward a nearby tree to hide behind. “Come on.”

Freya didn’t ask questions and followed his lead, not speaking again until they were behind the tree.

“Do you know who it is?”

“No, but they're coming from various directions. There’s more than one.”

It wasn’t until then Freya noticed she was still holding Nathan’s hand and she gulped as she let go of it, then turned to face him. Nervousness took over her because either he’d soon see the marked one's meeting, or they’d be met by others who may not be so forgiving seeing the two of them out after curfew together.

“Nathan, we should go,” she said in a shaky whisper. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she had to do something.

“Hey, I’m not going to let them see you,” he assured, then reached up to delicately tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, just like Xaden always did. The gesture made Freya feel like her stomach did a flip and suddenly she felt even more guilty for not being honest with him. “I promise.”

“I believe you but-.”

Before she could finish her sentence, two voices became clearer in the distance and her heart dropped at whose voices they were. A moment later, Xaden and Garrick came into view. Nathan watched them looking puzzled.

“Is that your friends?”

“Y-yes,” Freya stammered, then watched her two best friends walk by. After they were a bit further away, she looked up at Nathan and saw that his expression hardened.

“Did you tell them we were meeting?” He asked, his voice much colder than it had been moments prior. “Is this some sort of setup?”

“No, I didn’t! I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Then why are they talking about where you are?”

Freya took a shaky breath. Although she couldn’t make out Xaden and Garrick’s conversation, she knew Nathan could because of the wind. She worried about what would happen if he saw the others.

“They’re waiting for me,” she admitted.

“Did you agree to meet with me hoping you’d get information just to take back to them?” Nathan questioned.

“It isn’t like that! You have to believe me.”

“Then what is it like, Freya?”

“Watch and you’ll see,” she whispered, hoping she’d be able to do damage control when he saw what was about to happen.

Gradually, pairs of more cloaked figures made their way past where Nathan and Freya were hiding. They all made their way toward where Xaden and Garrick had gone and in the distance, Freya could see them gathering under that one tree. There were eight of them, she was the ninth. After a few moments, she spoke up again.

“Nathan-.”

“They’re all marked ones,” Nathan replied, his tone still cold and firm. Gone was the guy she wanted to get to know better, suddenly replaced with a harsh wingleader again. “This needs to be reported, what they’re doing is illegal.”

He went to step around Freya, but she quickly stepped in front of him and shook her head.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“What do you mean you can’t, are you defending those people?”

“You’re seeming to forget that I am one of ‘those people,’” Freya replied firmly. Something about the way she referred to the marked ones as ‘those people’ rubbed her the wrong way and it showed.

“Freya, I didn’t mean it like that,” Nathan explained, picking up on how her demeanour changed.

“Then what did you mean? Because to me, it seems you’re just like everyone else here thinking we should be treated differently because of the relics we have. That our families getting executed in front of our eyes wasn’t enough. We still pose a major threat for what they did.”

“No, I don’t think that at all. You and the other marked ones have been painted so poorly to the rest of Navarre since the rebellion ended. I’m not saying that makes it ok or that I agree with how you get treated because of your family’s part in it all, but it’s been ingrained in our minds. I’m sorry. I was just caught off guard.”

“I believe you,” Freya replied because she did believe him. She didn’t think he meant her any harm because of her relic. “I promise we’re not doing anything bad. I know we’re not supposed to meet because Melgren can’t see the outcome when we do, but the reason we’re meeting is so we can help one another. Whether that be with studying or in combat, these people are my own and I want them to make it through this college. I owe it to them to watch out for and help them where I can. The odds are already so stacked against us, it’s the least I can do.”

Nathan watched her intently, then shook his head, making her heart drop once again.

“Nathan, please keep this secret to yourself. I know that’s asking for a lot from a wingleader and at the end of the day, it’d make sense for you to report this, but I really hope you don’t. You’re not like the others here. I feel like I can trust you. But if it comes down to it, I will take the fall to protect everyone standing over there when it comes to this. It was my idea that we meet up in secret, no one else’s. Xaden, Garrick and I worked together to make it happen, but I was the one who suggested it. Please, Nathan.”

“I won’t say anything,” Nathan responded after a moment of silence, making Freya let out a sigh of relief. “What you’re doing is admirable, Freya. I believe what you’re saying.”

“Thank you, thank you. I just- I need to look out for them.”

“I understand, and there’s no need to thank me. I can hear them talking right now and it’s lining up with everything you’ve said. You should go, though. They’re waiting for you.”

Freya smiled and nodded, not being able to help the tears welling in her eyes at how sweet and understanding Nathan was being. He didn’t have to be, but she greatly appreciated it and had a gut feeling she wouldn’t regret trusting him. Without giving her next actions a second thought, she stepped closer to him, linked their hands together again then stood on her tip-toes to place a peck on his cheek.

“Thank you,” she said again, then moved back and put her hood up again. “Goodnight, Nathan.”

“Goodnight, Freya,” he replied, then watched her run off toward the others.

Nathan observed the group for a few minutes, listening in the wind to Freya apologizing for being late then immediately helping explain the purpose of all of them meeting in secret. She hadn’t lied and Nathan didn’t feel a need to eavesdrop. Freya trusted him with this secret and he wasn’t going to betray that trust. So, he turned on his heel and headed back toward the steps leading up to the citadel, letting his mind wander to the tingly feeling on his cheek from where she kissed him.

[francesminos-tt]

I would like to request Joffron from your Ñuhon inspired verse, the moment Daeron finally understands he’s in love with Joffrey… which is another moment in which Joffrey has a breakdown because his husband will never love him as much as he does his brother… (with a happy ending?)

This one is for dear Mash! Hope you like it!

“I need to go to Driftmark.” Daeron said to Joffrey after putting the letter down, “The Triarchy invites the throne to visit them and negotiate a new peace treaty. Lucerys volunteered to go on this mission.”

“…Okay.” Joffrey nodded after a short pause, patting Rhaenys’s back gently to prevent her from choking by the milk. Daeron needed not say more. Joffrey knew that his husband had to be part of the entourage in order to carry out his duty as Lucerys’s sworn shield. Even though Lucerys had personally relieved Daeron of duty after he had been betrothed to Joffrey, Daeron refused to accept it. Daeron was a stubborn man. He honored his oath more than anything.

“It won’t be long. I promise.” Daeron added, joining Joffrey on the couch and planting a gentle kiss on Joffrey’s hand, “We will fly on dragon back to Lys. If everything goes well, it will take a week, ten days at most.”

“You don’t need to tell me the details of the mission.” Joffrey replied, “You can come and go as you please. There is nothing keeping you here.”

“My daughter is here.” Daeron looked down at Rhaenys, who was sucking her mother’s nipple eagerly, “Be a good girl for your mother while I am gone, okay?”

Joffrey tried his best to keep his expression neutral, though his heart was arching with disappointment. He knew this day would come, didn’t he? He knew that Daeron’s loyalty to Lucerys would take the alpha away eventually. No matter how gentle and caring Daeron had been to him these past months, the alpha’s heart lied in somewhere else.

What were you expecting? Daeron might stay for Rhaenys, but not you. Never you.

“When will you leave?” Joffrey asked, “I will let the dragon tamers have Tesserion ready.”

“Tomorrow at dawn.” Daeron wrapped one arm around Joffrey’s shoulder, enveloping the omega with his scent, “I will prepare Tess myself. You don’t need to worry about anything. Just look after our daughter.”

Joffrey went stiff, fearing that Daeron might sense his erratic heartbeat. If Daeron noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“I will write whenever I can. Hel gifted me a raven bred by the Citadel. I will leave it with the maester. It can find me faster than any other raven. Send me a message if you need me, okay?” Daeron instructed as if Joffrey was a little boy, unable to live on his own.

“It’s you who don’t need to worry, husband.” Joffrey said, wiping off a drop of milk from Rhaenys’s lips, “I will be perfectly fine. I have lived in the castle alone longer than you thought.”

Daeron grabbed Joffrey’s wrist and brought the omega’s hand to mouth, licking off the drop of milk from Joffrey’s finger.

“I know you are capable of looking after yourself,” Daeron whispered against the back of Joffrey’s hand, “but I am your husband. I am allowed to worry about you.”

Joffrey had nothing to say to that. He just smiled, bitterly.

Liar.

Everything went back to normal after Daeron had left. Joffrey would wake up alone, wash his face before having moderate breakfast, read, dealing with estate matters if there was any, and spend the long, boring afternoons either playing with Rhaenys or taking Tyraxes out for a flight. He made sure Rhaenys get familiar with her little whelp, and personally fed the whelp with charred meat specially prepared for it. Life without Daeron was fine. He could get used to it. He had gotten used to it a long time ago.

Everything was perfectly fine until that night. Joffrey was jolted awake by a distant roar in the middle of the night. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was no longer in the dreamland. The castle was dead quiet, all its occupants in a deep slumber, even the tides brushing against the shore seemed gentle, almost sleepy, but Joffrey knew something was wrong. The roar came from the Dragon Mount, the volcano looming at the horizon like an ominous cloud. Joffrey had spent enough time with dragons from his youth to know that the roar could not mean anything good.

There was no time to think. Joffrey rolled off the bed and rushed to Rhaenys’s cradle, relieved to find his baby still sleeping peacefully, a small whelp curled at her side.

“My prince? Is anything wrong?” There was a soft knock on the door, followed by the rough voice of the guard stationed outside.

“Gather all the guards and troops.” Joffrey picked Rhaenys and the whelp up before throwing on a fur gown, “Tell them to clear the barracks and come to the castle. Quickly!”

“My prince?” The guard sounded confused, “May I ask why? Is there an attack?”

Joffrey pulled the door open with a panicked face.

“I don't know, Ser.” Joffrey said in a hushed voice, as if fearing someone might hear him, “But I know there is something coming. The dragons are being restless.”

The guard’s confused expression turned into one of determination and resolve.

“Right away, my prince. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, just go,” Joffrey paused, “quickly, please.”

The guard bowed and rushed down the corridor. Joffrey shut the door immediately after the guard turned to leave. It was a miracle that a seasoned knight would listen to him, an omega prince with no battle experience, who only lived in the castle by the courtesy of the Queen. However, there was no time to dwell on this. Joffrey ran the bell to summon his most-trusted maid, and send her to gather the defenseless maids and servants to the main tower. By the time the first Triarchy warship appeared on the shore, Dragonstone had already transformed into a strong fortress.

“How many ships are there?” Joffrey asked, standing at the head of the carved table in the war room. He still cradled his daughter to his chest, and by some miracle, the baby neither cried nor screamed. She just clang tightly to her mother, grabbing a handful of Joffrey’s gown, and stayed quiet.

“At least a dozen, as far as we can see.” The chief commander of the guards replied, “There may be more to come.”

“The Triarchy warships come in formation of six, so we are dealing with at least two battle groups.” Joffrey said, looking down at the carved table, though it offered little help to him now, “Can you tell me how those ships are sailing? One after another or in a horizontal line?”

“One leading ship in the front, and the rest follows in a triangle formation.” The commander replied, surprised at how knowledgeable the prince was. Few soldiers in his troops knew about the Triarchy warship formations. How could a well-protected prince know this?

“They are going to battle.” Joffrey murmured, his voice echoing in the large hall.

“Outrageous. They are challenging the Iron Throne!” Another knight spat, “How dare they attack the ancient seat of House Targaryen? We have dragons in the Mount.”

“Dragons without riders.” Joffrey reminded him, “The only dragon that can potentially help is my Tyraxes. That’s why I had it brought to the courtyard, but I won’t just fly my dragon into battle without knowing what I will be facing. Do you need me to remind you how vulnerable a single dragon could be, facing all these warships? One lucky arrow, and my dragon will be dead. So will I.”

The knight went silent. The omega prince had a point. One dragon against a dozen warships was not a good bet.

“The Triarchy has learned their lesson in the previous war with the throne.” Joffrey added, his face pale but his tone calm, “Their warships never sail too close to each other, so they are not likely to catch fire all at once. The good thing is, they have no idea we are already prepared. We can use this to our advantage.”

The air shifted in the room, but soon calmed down. All the knights and squires seemed to have finally realized how dire the situation was. They were at the front line now, the first line of defense.

“I need barricades set up around the harbor, and troops guarding the main road. I have already ordered all crops and salt be brought to the main tower. Our goal is not to defeat them, but to hold the castle for as long as possible, until reinforcements arrive.” Joffrey said as clearly as possible, letting the words truly sink in, his heart pounding against his ribcage, hard enough to hurt, but he continued, “Prepare for a siege, good Sers.”

“We will defend the castle to our last breath, my prince. You have my word.” The commander knelt down in front of Joffrey and kissed the ruby ring on the omega’s finger.

“And you have my blessing, Ser.” Joffrey said with all the dignity he could muster.

Daeron had not crossed Joffrey’s mind until this moment. Joffrey had learned to depend no one except himself from a young age, for he was always the other brother, worth little to none attention. Before he had presented as an omega, he was practically useless. He had no inheritance of his own, so his best shot was to join the White Cloaks or marry a minor heiress. His dragon was the only thing that differentiated him from a common squire. He was at least more useful as an omega, for he became eligible in political marriage.

Joffrey had sent the ravens to King’s Landing and Driftmark to inform his mother and brother, but he suspected the reinforcements would not come easily. Lucerys had gone to Lys, one of the Triarchy cities, leaving Driftmark vacant, and there were hardly enough fleet in the capital. Without the Velaryon fleet and the dragons, Dragonstone was vulnerable. Perhaps that was why the Triarchy decided to attack the ancient seat of House Targaryen. The trip to Lys was just a way to eliminate the threat of the Velaryon fleet.

Smart. Joffrey himself couldn't think of a smarter way to bypass the formidable Velaryon fleet. If the Triarchy wanted to attack in stealth, the last thing they wanted was to cause suspicion from Lucerys. Sending a raven to Lys would be premature. What if the Lyseni intercepted the raven and decided to hold Lucerys’s entourage prisoner? Joffrey could not let that happen. Besides, calling Daeron for help was never an option. What difference would it make? Daeron would never come. The alpha would always choose Lucerys over Joffrey. He would never leave Lucerys behind to come to Joffrey’s rescue.

“It’s just us now, Rhae.” Joffrey whispered to his incredibly well-behaved daughter. He didn't know what he would do if Rhaenys started crying. Rhaenys’s calmness was the only thing that kept him sane. The little child was all it took for Joffrey to keep fighting.

He could not break down. He needed to be strong for Rhaenys.

The trip to Lys extended longer than Daeron had expected. They were supposed to stay for only a couple of days, but the First Magister insisted that they stayed longer to explore the city and have a taste of the sweet Lyseni wine and sweeter Lyseni omegas. The negotiation went smoothly; the magisters agreed to every term that Lucerys brought up, even agreeing to cut off the ties with Dorne.

They mounted their dragons to fly back to Driftmark on Day 10. For some reason, Daeron was agitated. He couldn’t wait to get back. He couldn’t wait to see his daughter again. Was Rhaenys being a good girl? Would she grow? Had she learned to say papa?

Daeron knew he was being irrational. Rhaenys had not yet been weaned. It would take some time for her to learn speech, and it would definitely not happen in the 10 days that Daeron was absent. However, the alpha couldn't help but feel giddy, like a homesick boy coming back to his family. Strange. He had never felt like this before.

“You seem very eager to go back.” Lucerys said to him as the omega was ready to mount Vaghar with his husband. His own dragon was still too small to make the flight across channel with a rider on its back, so he let the peach-colored dragon fly along while he joined his husband on Vaghar.

“I miss Rhaenys very much.” Daeron replied, “Now I understand why my brother was so grumpy when he was separated with the twins.”

“Only Rhaenys?” Lucerys asked, but before Daeron could answer, the Lord of Tides smiled and dismissed the question, “Never mind. Let’s take flight, shall we?”

The flight from Lys to Driftmark took about a day. A gigantic dragon like Vaghar didn’t need to rest during the flight, but for Tesserion, the trip was testing the she-dragon’s limit. However, Daeron was so eager to go back that he urged the Blue Queen to keep flying.

“Just hold on for a little longer, okay? I promise you will have the best sheep when we land. Good girl.” Daeron said to his dragon in the roaring wind.

Things started to look strange when they flew across the Gullet. There were ships on the sea, which by itself was nothing unusual, but the ships were not part of the Velaryon fleet. Their number was so large that they almost blocked the Gullet.

“It’s the Triarchy!” Daeron could hear Aemond shout as the one-eyed prince urged Vaghar to fly above the thick clouds, “They betrayed us! Dishonorable cunts!”

For a prince, Aemond did have a colorful mouth, but Daeron couldn't blame him, not now. Daeron was also a war veteran, so it didn't take him long to understand the dire situation at hand. If the Triarchy had planned the attack from the beginning, it meant their whole trip was a setup. No wonder the First Magister tried so hard to keep them in Lys. The question was, they had successfully left Lys. If they were not the target, who was?

“Fly back to Driftmark!” Aemond’s voice came again, “Let’s hope Addam Hull is as good as he claims to be.”

Right. Driftmark. Surely the Triarchy would attack the formidable Velaryon fleet, wouldn't they? Eliminate the most powerful enemy first, right? It was in every strategy book.

Daeron’s heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. Aemond’s logic was right, but there was something bugging him. The line of Triarchy ships was not from Driftmark. Instead, it stretched from another direction, a little to the south west, where Dragonstone was.

Dragonstone. Dragonstone. Dragonstone!

“Fuck!” Daeron cursed, steering Tesserion in the direction of Dragonstone. He had no time to explain his worries to his brother and Lucerys. If his guess was correct, the Triarchy chose to attack Dragonstone instead of Driftmark, for Dragonstone had less fleet and troops guarding it. No one would have expected that the Triarchy would dare to attack the Targaryen House seat, and that was exactly their strategy.

How long had they been attacking Dragonstone? Had Dragonstone already fallen? How was Rhaenys? Had his daughter managed to escape?

How about Joffrey?

Joffrey landed Tyraxes in the inner courtyard of the castle. He slipped down his dragon, but his legs were so sore that he almost fell to the ground.

“Reports?” Joffrey asked, having to lean on a squire for support.

“All the outer entrances have fallen, my prince.” A disheveled knight answered him, “The remaining soldiers have retreated to the inner ring. We plan to hold the enemies at Dragon’s Gate.”

“How many days can the crops last?”

“Five days. Eight, at most.”

Five days. If the reinforcements didn’t come in the next five days, they would starve. Joffrey bit his lower lip, trying to think of a solution, but failed. He had already sent all the ravens out, but still no response. He suspected that the enemy had intercepted all his messages, so it was most likely that his mother hadn’t received his distress call. On the sixth day of the siege, they had lost so many soldiers that Joffrey had no choice but to let Tyraxes join the battle. He didn’t dare to fly out to the open water, so he only rode Tyraxes around the castle to fight off those who were lucky enough to break the line of defense. Tyraxes was their last hope. Joffrey could not risk losing his best partner.

“Make sure they don’t find our crops.” Joffrey instructed as he refused the goblet that was handed to him, “Save the wine for the wounded. I don’t need it.”

“You need to drink in order to feed the little princess, my prince.” The squire insisted, his boyish face pale and sunken, but his eyes were bright.

Joffrey sighed. The boy had a point. He could endure the hunger and thirst himself, but he couldn’t let his daughter go through the same ordeal. Joffrey took the goblet and gulped its contents down in one go. The wine was diluted, bland like water, but it was the best they had left.

Joffrey needed to reverse the tide. The soldiers and the servants all fought bravely, but there was only so much they could do. They depended on their dragon lord to save them, and like it or not, Joffrey was the only dragon lord they had right now. Joffrey couldn’t let them down. He needed to stand up. Be a true Targaryen.

If the ravens all failed, the only way to send the distress call out was by a messenger. However, the Triarchy sod had swarmed the pathway leading to the harbor that not even a fly could pass. Even if the messenger could break through the Triarchy soldiers, there was no way they could get pass dozens of warships in the sea. What could Joffrey do?

There was another option. Joffrey could fly Tyraxes to King’s Landing and deliver the message himself. He had been reluctant to put Tyraxes in the attack range of the warships, for fear that his dragon would meet the same tragic end as his brother’s. But now, he really had no choice, didn’t he?

“No, absolutely not.” The loyal maid who had been looking after Joffrey since he had presented threw herself in front of Joffrey, trying to block the omega’s way, “You cannot risk yourself like that. What about the little princess? What will happen to her if anything happened to you?!”

“If I don't take action now, my daughter will starve.” Joffrey replied with a tired face, “I cannot rely on others to come to our rescue. I’ve waited long enough.”

“The Queen will send troops, and your husband-”

“My husband is not here!” Joffrey couldn’t help but raise his voice, letting the frustration take over him, “He left me to fulfill his duty to my brother. I won't bet my daughter’s life on him.”

The prince rarely raised his voice like this. Joffrey was a considerate master, never asked for anything beyond reason, so the old maid had almost forgotten how stubborn the prince could be. Joffrey looked worse for wear, full cheeks now sunken like rotten apples, skin pale as sheet, numerous small cuts on his face and neck, and a nasty bruise on his left temple. He was pushed nearly to the limit. It was a miracle he hadn't collapsed yet.

“How about the Queen? Her grace will never give up on you, my prince.”

“Yes. Mother will risk everything to save me, just as I will risk everything to save Rhaenys.” Joffrey replied, his hard expression softening a little, “That’s why I need to deliver the message to her. We are under siege. Ravens are useless in this situation. Do you understand?”

She did. Of course she did. She had gone through too many conflicts to understand the cruelty of war. She just couldn’t bear the thought of Prince Joffrey putting himself in danger. An omega should never have to make that decision. Where was Prince Daeron when his family needed him the most? The old maid had never hated Joffrey’s husband as much as she did now.

“Yes, my prince.” She finally whispered, her arms falling to the side in defeat.

“Then help me change. I need to feed Rhaenys before I depart. Hopefully my milk will last her long enough for me to return.” Joffrey let out a tired sigh, stumbling a bit as if he had suddenly lost all the energy.

“I will protect the little princess with my life.” She promised, “I will gut myself and hide her in my corpse if I have to. Don't worry about us. You just focus on what needs to be done.”

“Thank you.” Joffrey whispered.

Joffrey decided to take flight on midnight. Fortunately, the moon had just turned, so the night sky was moonless. The thick cloud and Tyraxes’s black scales further played to his advantage. If he was lucky, he could fly above the clouds before being spotted by the Triarchy scout. Tyraxes was fast; it could probably make it to King’s Landing before the dawn broke.

The cold air made Joffrey shiver as soon as he stepped into the courtyard. The dragon tamers had already prepared Tyraxes for the journey, putting a new saddle on and feeding the last sheep to it.

“I know you are tired and hungry,” Joffrey said to his dragon as he gave Tyraxes’s snout a gentle pat, “but I need to make this trip so that we can all be saved. Hold on for a little longer, okay?”

Tyraxes huffed, letting out a trace of smoke from its nostrils, startling everyone except Joffrey.

“I know you are tough.” Joffrey chuckled, leaning in to place his forehead on the dragon’s cold scale, “I wish I can be as tough as you.”

Joffrey climbed onto the saddle swiftly, trying to focus on the task at hand. He had left Rhaenys with her wet nurse and a group of loyal guards and maids in the castle, for he couldn’t bear seeing her face when he took flight. He needed to be strong. Help would not come unless he seek for it.

The battle at the front had calmed down after nightfall, just like all the previous days of the siege. It seemed that the Triarchy didn't want to attack at night, probably being cautious of a possible dragon attack. Apparently, it was much easier to hit a dragon in daylight than at pitch black night. It was the Triarchy’s caution that had kept Joffrey alive so far, but as the enemy soldiers pushed in, they would eventually find out how weak the Dragonstone defense was. That would be Joffrey’s downfall. He had to act before the time came.

Tyraxes ascended the sky with a smooth flap of its wings, flying higher and higher until it was surrounded by clouds. For anyone else, surrounded by clouds meant losing orientation, but not for Joffrey. He had grown up in this island, so familiar with its terrain that he could fly Tyraxes blindly around Dragonstone. Years of training, flying, and running around all paid off now. Joffrey successfully made it to the sea without being spotted. He just needed to stay hidden for a little longer, until he flew across the line of enemy ships.

However, things began to go down when a bright flame pierced across the sky.

“Dragon Attack!”

At first, Joffrey thought he had been spotted, but soon another flame came, then another, and the omega finally understood that there was another dragon attacking the Triarchy warships.

Had reinforcements finally come? Joffrey’s heart elevated with relief and excitement as he steered Tyraxes down to join the fight.

Beneath the clouds, it was havoc. There was more than one dragon coming to his aid. Dragon flames set the warships in formation on fire, burning so bright that as if the sea itself was burning. In the red flames, Joffrey recognized Seasmoke, the pale-colored dragon claimed by Ser Addam Hull. There was an enormous figure looming at the horizon, so large that it blocked the sky. Vaghar.

If Vaghar was here, it meant Driftmark, or at least Lucerys, had learned about the attack. Joffrey had never expected he would be so relieved to see Uncle Aemond’s dragon, but having Vaghar at his side really boosted his confidence. Joffrey joined the battle with all he could, raining flames on the ships while using Tyraxes’s swiftness to dodge the arrows aiming at him. Two more dragons caught his eye when Joffrey had just successfully destroyed one of the flagships.

Tesserion glided in the air with grace, with another smaller, but no less elegant peach-colored dragon flying next to her. Joffrey’s heart skipped a beat, but soon sunk into his stomach with dread. His husband finally came, but not alone. Daeron came not as Joffrey’s savior, but his brother’s protector.

Knowing the truth was one thing, but being exposed to it so bluntly was like a blow to Joffrey. His starved stomach clenched with incredible pain as disappointment washed over him like cold water. Joffrey had to bit the tip of his tongue to prevent himself from vomiting. No. Now was not the time.

Tesserion didn't join the battle. Instead, it flew right in Joffrey’s direction. Joffrey had no idea what his husband was planning, and he had no intention to find out. With all the dragons here, defeating the Triarchy was just a matter of time. Joffrey could feel his adrenaline began to wear off, followed by an overwhelming wave of fatigue. Tyraxes flipped to the side to dodge another arrow, almost sending Joffrey straight into the burning sea. It took all his strength to keep holding onto the saddle as he maneuvered through rains of arrows.

Hold on. Do not give up now. The reinforcement had come. You are saved. Just keep going.

However, no matter how hard Joffrey pushed himself, his vision began to blur and he was slowly losing control of his dragon. Tyraxes knocked off the mast of a warship by flying too close to the sea surface, exposing itself in the range of the massive arrow specifically made to pierce dragon scales.

Tyraxes let out a pained shriek as an arrow hit its left wing, at the same time, another dragon shrieked in the distance, echoing Tyraxes. The shriek was too high-pitched to be made by a large dragon like Vaghar, Seasmoke, or Tesserion. Joffrey tried to look for his brother, but the enemy took this opportunity of distraction to launch another attack. This time, the arrow didn’t hit Tyraxes. It hit the black dragon’s rider.

Joffrey fell. He couldn’t feel his legs anymore from the arrow embedded his thigh. The fall to the sea felt like an eternity to him. He could see his whole life playing out in his head, the happy childhood, his mother’s warm embrace, the conflict, the war, the agony of losing a brother, the joy of having said brother back, the fear of presenting, the anticipation of his wedding, the disappointment afterwards, the pain of childbirth, the utter bliss of having his daughter in his arms, and the sadness when he noticed a blue dragon flew in the direction of a peach-colored one instead of him.

Joffrey realized just before he hit the cold water that his life was a total failure.

No one had seen Prince Daeron in such a furious state. The Blue Queen was the doom of the Triarchy troops, its scorching flame drove all the enemy to the sea before burning them alive. There was no captives, no prisoner of war, no one to interrogate because Daeron had killed them all. Even the one-eyed prince seemed surprised at Daeron’s show of violence.

Now, Daeron kneeled at the side of the bed, his hands clasped together in a praying gesture, as he waited for his husband to wake up. The so-called gentle prince, later known in the Triarchy as the Death Bringer, was nothing more than a desperate alpha who feared of losing his omega.

“Why didn't you send a message to me before it’s too late?” Daeron murmured, staring at Joffrey’s chest without blinking, as if he feared Joffrey’s chest would stop moving if he looked away, “I could have come earlier. I could have saved you, Joff.”

Joffrey made no answer. The omega was in a deep coma from the fall, the shock too much for his body to handle. According to the maester, it was a miracle that Joffrey even survived.

“If you didn’t catch Prince Joffrey in time, Prince Daeron, we would have lost him. You saved your mate, my prince.”

The maester’s words brought no peace to Daeron. If he had indeed saved his mate, why hadn’t Joff woken up yet? Why did Joff lie in the bed like a corpse now? If he had been a good alpha, why didn’t Joffrey call him for help first?

“Do you not trust me, Joff?” Daeron ran his finger over Joffrey’s cheek, “Am I being so bad to you that you would rather endure all this ordeal than asking me for help?”

Daeron had never been so desperate when he saw Joffrey fall from Tyraxes. He hadn't noticed Joffrey being hit by an arrow first, so he chose to drive off the enemies picking on Lucerys’s small dragon first. His reason was simple. It had nothing to do with choosing which brother to save. Lucerys was nearer. That was all. His experience taught him to be practical in battle, so he followed his gut.

Lucerys’s panicked face was what made his world turn upside down. Daeron looked in the direction of Lucerys’s finger, only to find a small figure falling from a small black dragon into the burning sea. Daeron’s head went blank. His heart literally stopped, the whole world turning silent as he could no longer hear anything, not even Lucerys’s voice. Daeron had never experienced anything like this. The absolute dread that paralyzed him, the deafening silence, the fear of losing his mate, his Joffrey, was just too much to bear. The feeling was distinct, new, and more powerful than anything he had never felt before.

It was at this moment that Daeron finally realized just how important Joffrey had become. What he felt towards Lucerys was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He had worried about bad things happening to Lucerys before, but that was all it was, worry. It was not desperation, not dread, not wanting to destroy the cruel world that had made Joffrey suffer. He had been blind for so long. How could he be so stupid? How could he leave Joffrey alone? How could he allow his precious mate to go through such horrible ordeal?

Before Daeron realized what he was doing, he had already urged Tesserion to fly towards Joffrey and jumped off the Blue Dragon to catch his mate. By an incredible amount of luck, he managed to catch Joffrey just before the omega hit the water. He used his own body as cushion to mitigate the impact, and that was why Joffrey had survived.

“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have left. I am so, so sorry.” Daeron felt his eyes burn, but he couldn't care less now. If his tears were necessary to bring Joffrey back, he would gladly cry his eyeballs out.

“Will you forgive me? Will you forgive the stupid alpha who have failed you so many times?” Daeron took a hold of Joffrey’s cold hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly, “Will you give me another chance to properly love you?”

“…You must have mistaken me for someone else.” A weak voice said, too hoarse that Daeron almost missed it.

The first thing Joffrey saw after opening his eyes was Daeron’s face, covered in bruises and tears, lips pursed into a sad line. What was he sad for?

“Joff!” Daeron jumped from the floor immediately, but his legs failed from kneeling for too long, causing him to fall back, “Thank the Seven you are awake!”

Joffrey was confused. Why was Daeron here? Had he done anything wrong? Did anyone get hurt because of him?

“Is everyone safe?” Joffrey struggled to let the words out, his throat too tight to speak coherently, “Luke? Rhaenys?”

“Here. Have some water.” Daeron finally managed to get up and press a cool silver goblet to Joffrey’s lips, “It will make you feel better.”

Joffrey didn’t have the energy to struggle, so he complied. He drank like a thirsty horse, letting the cool water put out the fire in his throat.

“Slowly.” Daeron wiped off a few water drops sliding down Joffrey’s jaw, “No need to rush.”

“Why are you here?” Joffrey asked after he had emptied the entire goblet, “Did we win?”

“Yes, we did, thanks to you.” Daeron replied, though he was a little annoyed that Joffrey hadn’t asked about himself yet.

Joffrey let out a long sigh of relief. He tried to move away from Daeron, as if he was allergic to the alpha’s presence.

“Thank you.” Joffrey said politely, keeping his eyes down, “You can leave now. Don’t let me keep you.”

“Why would I leave?” Daeron took a hold of Joffrey’s wrist to stop the omega, “Why don’t you look at me? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.” Joffrey replied, still not meeting Daeron’s eyes, “As you can see, I have woken up. I am fine now. You don’t have to stay. You are free to go.”

“Go where?”

Joffrey cursed the dumb alpha internally. He didn’t expect Daeron to be so, difficult. He didn’t need Daeron here. He couldn’t have Daeron here. He was too proud to let Daeron see him like this. He would be fine, eventually. He just needed some time to piece together his shattered self-esteem. He didn’t need a witness to it.

“Just go.” Joffrey murmured, trying his best to hold back the tears, “Leave me alone.”

“No.” Daeron answered with no hesitation, “I won’t leave. I have nowhere else to be.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Joffrey cursed with gritted teeth, “Go to my brother! Go to Lucerys! Make sure he is okay and well taken care of. Do you need you to spell it out for you?!”

“Lucerys isn’t hurt so badly as you. He has Aemond with him. He doesn’t need me.”

“Well, it has never stopped you before!” Joffrey was so angry that he could not hold the tears anymore. He sobbed. He fucking sobbed like a puny baby in front of his husband. He hated his inner omega who yearned for Daeron’s touch. He hated his feeling towards the alpha, he hated his moment of weakness, he hated the ugly jealousy he felt whenever Lucerys’s name slipped from Daeron’s tongue. He hated it all.

“Joffrey-”

“Leave me alone!” Joffrey cried, desperate tears running down his cheek, “Why do you always have to crush my hope whenever I let myself believe you might like me, even for a bit? Why bother showing me kindness if you are only to leave me behind eventually?”

Joffrey couldn’t hold back the raging emotions anymore. He had gaslighted himself into believing that he didn’t worth anyone’s love from the beginning, being too ordinary, too coward, too stupid, without an ounce of omega charm. How could he ever compare to his beautiful, brave, fertile, politically-savvy, perfect brother? Yet, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, his pride always got in the way. He just couldn’t give up. He might not be as alluring as Lucerys, but maybe he could make it up with his sword skills. He might not be as good a dragon rider as Lucerys, but maybe he could be the most diligent one. He might not be as fertile as Lucerys, but he tried to take care the only daughter he had. God. He tried so hard. Why was it never enough?

“You will always choose Lucerys over me.” Joffrey struggled out of Daeron’s grip and curled himself into a ball, “You will never love me no matter how hard I tried. If you can’t return my love, don’t give me hope in the first place, please.”

Joffrey never openly admitted his feelings to Daeron. He always acted indifferent when Daeron brought Lucerys up. He had to, or it would be too much to bear. Hearing his mate admit his love for another was like a stab to his heart over and over again. Joffrey had to hide behind the façade of indifference, or he would break down.

“You…love me?” Daeron murmured, more to himself than to Joffrey. His heart was beating so fast, blood rushing through his body as if he had been out running. He never thought he would the subject of the affection from such a brave, beautiful being like Joffrey.

“Are you surprised?” Joffrey said self-mockingly, “I let you take me over and over again. Do you think I will give my body to someone I don’t love like a whore?”

“No! No,” Daeron knew he shouldn’t be happy when Joffrey was in so much pain, but his whole body sang at Joffrey’s confession, every pore filled with tenderness and love, “don’t say that about yourself. You are so brave, Joffrey. You saved the whole castle. Everyone will be dead if not for you.”

“I barely did anything. I just sat in the tower like a coward.”

“No. You know who drove off the enemy eventually? The soldiers. They were so furious because their prince was hurt. They fought for you, Joffrey. You are their dragon lord.” Daeron took Joffrey into his arms despite the omega struggling, “I am so proud of you, Joffrey.”

“You left me behind. You flew to my brother instead of me in battle.” Joffrey said. He knew he sounded childish and jealous, but he couldn’t help himself.

“I know, and I regret it deeply.” Daeron tightened his arms around the omega, “I am a fool. I have been blind to the most precious thing standing right in front of me for so long. All I ever wanted is a mate of my own. I already have you, and yet, I haven’t even noticed your feeling.”

“You said you loved Lucerys, ever since you presented.” Joffrey was still skeptical.

“I thought it was love, but it’s not. I didn’t know it before, but I know now. I never felt so desperate when I saw you fall, Joffrey. It was as if my heart fell with you.”

“I fell for you first.” Joffrey whispered, letting Daeron’s kisses land on his ear and temple.

“And I will make sure I fall harder.”

Joffrey closed his eyes. Was that a promise? He did not know, but he was too tired to care. He fell asleep in Daeron’s arms, knowing for the first time that when he awoke, his husband would be there still.

[smehur]

Lost scenes/fics game!

Thank you for tagging me, @tigerlyla-of-metinna! Here are the rules:

We all probably have them, those scenes that never made it to the story, the stories that never went anywhere, all those small and larger bits of love we wrote and still hoard on out hard drives. So now - let's share!

The rules are simple:

1. Share a piece of fic that you cut out for some reason, or a piece of a fic that you began and never continued, some lost piece of your writing, be it long or short, prose or verse. Unfinished Art and Illustrations are also welcome.

2. Tag five or more people who might want to share a piece of their writing or art. Specific questions are welcome, but don't need to be adhered to.

3. Be kind. Let's spread positivity. Show support for your fellow artists and writers. Laughing along is great, mocking is not welcome.

4. Tagging someone back is totally fine, if the person doesn't want to share anything else, or anything at all, for that matter, that's fine too.

What follows is a scene I cut from my Mass Effect story, The Precedent. This was written long enough ago that I have no memory whatsoever of writing (or cutting) it, and I can't say, off the top of my head, why it got cut -- likely because it was going to make an already complicated situation even more complicated for no particular gain.

Anyway:

But Saren wasn’t done with the examination. He covered Elethea’s upper body and uncovered her right leg instead. “There’s another problem. Hold her knee up.”

Her skin was clammy, the flesh under it squishy. Nothing like medigel to remove any trace of tone from the muscles. They struggled a bit to plant the foot on the bed with the knee bent above. Apparently, there was something under the skin on the back of her calf.

“She has a—” Saren glanced at the girl. “An emergency termination chip.”

Nihlus silently repeated the unfamiliar phrase. Emergency termination… of what? “You don’t mean, like—” he soundlessly mouthed the words “—a suicide chip?”

“Yes. We have to get it out.”

“That’s insane. Saren—” his options for gesturing were limited and Saren was refusing to look at him, busy trying to get a reading from the back of Elethea’s leg with a small hand-held scanner. “We have neither the skills nor the tools. What if we trigger it?”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, it’s risky.” His patience was wearing thin, Nihlus could hear it in the rasp of his voice.

But so was his own. “So, let’s get her to a hospital?”

“You think they have better ‘skills and tools’—for this? It’s exactly why I didn’t want you to take her to a hospital.”

Nihlus had to admit, however begrudgingly, that Saren had a point there. Suicide chips weren’t exactly an item on the standard medical curriculum. Like most illegal micro-cybernetics, they usually came with a reflective coating that could hide them from generic scanners, but a full-body medical scan would probably reveal it. Any attempt to tamper with it, without disabling it first, would trigger the release of a deadly neurotoxin into the user’s tissue, causing nearly instant death. And depending on the settings, even aggressive scanning might be taken as “tampering”.

Nihlus had seen it happen. He had lost a priceless source in a batarian slaving ring to a suicide chip triggered by a Citadel customs scanner. His guy had been picked up from the line of arrivals because it looked like he could be wearing a weapon under his baggy jacket. The real reason, Nihlus suspected, was that he was batarian; the C-Sec was notorious for exercising their limited power on minorities, especially those with a bad rep. When the normal weapons scanner failed to confirm their theory, they put the guy through the high-power one used to uncover illegal cybernetics. Nihlus had arrived just in time to see the guy convulse on the floor.

“You don’t have its command frequency?”

“It’s activated with biotics. Only she can disable it.”

“Fuck.”

“Fuck!” the girl echoed.

Nihlus ignored her. Mention of biotics gave him an idea. “Can you… put a stasis field around it?”

“Perhaps. But what then?”

“Then I fry it with a laser.”

Saren put the scanner down, staring past Nihlus as he considered it.

“Would that even work? The laser, I mean, inside a stasis field. Does it… arrest… the light too?”

“Shut up and let me think.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tagging: @anjian, @ghostpeppercalamari, @kuraiummei, @bronzeagelove, @oathbreakerapologist

[valentine-cafe]

(Rishen 9948 with a side of silly please ❤️)

I don't care you are an angel and can't get sunburnt, if we are going outside I'm going to cover your face in sunscreen.

-🍍

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ᥫ᭡ verse 9948e rishen

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍮 ꒱ angel x reader ⊹ ۪ ࣪

a deep chuckle leaves him and the angel turns to you as the both of you walk through his marble citadel.

“is that so?” he tilts his head to the side as he halts beside one of the fountains — hands reaching for your waist and hoisting you over. the gold rings flushing up against your skin.

“again, mi amanecer, the sun of nadir will not affect me - but if you are so insistent I suppose I cannot change your mind, hmm?”

he leans down, pecking your nose and chuckling at the way your face scrunches up in response.

“well, then I will concede; under one condition, however.”

rishen grins at the raise of your brows. he’s swooping in for another kiss. before leaning his red-painted lips to your ear and murmuring,

“you will have to catch me,”

and before you know it, he’s flying off. leaving you yelping and shouting after him. your running steps echoing through the citadel.

[thetrashbagswasteland]

Hi.

Are you willing to ramble to me about Saren's spectre training shenanigans and how Nihlus and Avi were different.

Thank you 😊😊😊

Apologies for the delay there's a chronic shortage at the spoon factory here BUT (obligatory disclaimer here: some of this is based off canon, the rest is headcanon central) Basically in my verse(s), Avitus came first. There's varying reasons for this but basically, if we go off the timeline as provided by bioware, Saren had been a spectre for 10 years at the time he recommends Avitus to the council (as per their official timeline stating he was hired in 2158 and Avitus himself saying he'd been a spectre for 15 years aka if he quit in 2183 after the battle of the citadel he was hired in 2168). My personal feeling is that, no matter how much trust the council had in Saren and how comfortable he was in his position, that first choice of student is going to be heavily scrutinised with some real pressure placed on him to pick someone who is comfortingly loyal to the hierarchy and the way the system is. Ergo, he knows that as much as soldiers don't necessarily make the best spectres, picking one is very good for optics and confidence in him. But... the lists he's given, full of recommendations for good, dutiful lifelong military people don't cut it; where's the spark? where's the strength of personality needed to be alright with working alone and under extreme pressure? where's the confidence and harshness to make hard calls without a chain of command to hold their hand? And then he finds out about Avitus Rix, who's in the middle of being court martialed for blowing up a mining colony against his superior's orders. How he finds out varies; in the yes-reapers verse he finds out due to the fact that the reasons giving for destroying the colony sound like the arca monolith and he's curious enough to interrogate him, only to feel sorry for him. In the no-reapers verse though, it's Desolas, on the board for that trial, who goes "hey, you might like this one" and encourages him to see if he's got what it takes. Either way, he saves this man from what'll surely be a death sentence and decides to give him a fair shot at it. The first few weeks are... rough on the both of them. Avitus is pretty certain he's going to die regardless, Saren's got no idea how to handle training someone. Empathy is what he picks, in the end, deciding that empathy and respect will go a long way into building a ruined man into a useful asset. And... he's not wrong! With Avitus, respect is the crucial thing for earning his loyalty and he sure gets that in spades. He's firm but tries to be encouraging whenever possible and treats him like a person. For either verse, Avitus has a ton of respect/hero-worship for Desolas and that translates into respect for Saren with surprisingly little work. But... the problem with him is that he's fundamentally limited by years of being told to shut up and listen to orders. Maybe he's unflinchingly barbaric when called for, but he's most comfortable as a follower, not a leader, and that's really quite a shame.

Then Saren gets the call to go pick a new student. Again, lists of nominations from the great, the good and the hopeful pour in. Fuck that, fuck the lot of them, he wants to do better this time and... the way he sees to do better is to find someone who's not a good little citizen. Look, he's proven he can pick good little turian citizens, but he doesn't want good, he wants great. And that's what leads him to go searching for a mercenary; someone who's far more comfortable with working independently and who's got a mind of their own. Still, can't get away with a barefaced merc, no matter how much he'd like one. So... he goes looking for what the hierarchy does with mercenaries, the dead-end soul-destroying postings in the middle of the shittiest environment possible, and there he finds Nihlus Kryik. Young, intelligent and violently disinterested in doing as he's told. He's perfect. So he spirits him away and realises within about 10 minutes flat that respect and kindness won't cut it with him; Nihlus has no desire to listen to him and even less to be told what to do. They fight. A lot. Dawn wakeups for endurance runs, repetitive ass-kickings until Nihlus is debating between murdering him in his sleep and running away to never return - it's an exercise in psychological warfare until he finds exactly what makes him tick and perfects the right combination of praise and ass-kicking to get what he wants out of him. And then he's just... superb. Within very little time, he's as close to a household name as a spectre can be, darling in the council's eyes and scourge of everyone who comes up against him, highly successful and justifiably decorated as a result of that. Exactly what Saren had hoped he had the potential to be from the start, now if only the bastard hadn't driven him halfway insane on the journey to get there! Together, the three of them are a force to be reckoned with; one spectre alone is a one-man-army and the three of them are damned near unstoppable for how they work together and play off one another. Plus they're just... feral as a group. As for shenanigans, well, I'm in the process of writing my version of Saren recruiting Avitus (to be called: The Student) and can offer this fic (Like Dogs In Elk), which is a training mission fic set midway through Nihlus' training. I really want to write more of these when I get a chance but I have SO MANY WIPS as it is 😅

[fio-renze]

Becoming a citizen was going to take some time — that’s what the lawyer had said, at least. Not that the timeline mattered too much, there were reasons to avoid Silvermoon that weren’t related to her fears around the intelligence wing of the Magistry claiming that the memories of her former projects were government property and seizing them. 

There were reasons to stay fairly well hidden in Dalaran, too; at the very least it made sense to avoid some of the more public spaces where people she knew tended to congregate. The floating city, with its hard boundaries, was still fairly large and had quarters she hadn’t spent much time exploring. Fiorenze’s realtor had tipped her off about the upcoming sale of a modest flat in a tower that had been converted into a multi-unit situation — a rarity, and certainly a situation not worth passing up. 

It certainly wasn’t the Sunmote Tower; just a single floor, segmented up into a kitchen, a sitting room, a guest room with its own small bathroom, a master bedroom with its own large bathroom, and a couple terraces like most of the tower living quarters tended to have. The carefully curated style of the wooden floors and wall moldings made it pretty clear that it had once likely belonged to an entire household that likely spanned a couple more levels above and below. 

Now it was hers, and mostly empty. The down-payment alone had taken a decent chunk out of her funds left over from the settlement with Sheizara Tel’vaiel, and while she certainly wasn’t destitute, she didn’t want to touch the gold she’d sequestered away for investments. Getting some kind of a job was starting to seem more and more prudent as the days drew on. 

Pyraelia had kindly offered to put in a good word with the Violet Citadel for her, they were always in need of clerks and reliable administrators. It was a safe bet, but seemed horrendously mind numbing and tedious. 

Fate, fickle mistress as she was, smiled a bit during one of her small adventures in her new neighborhood cluster. There was a little flower shop tucked away at the base of one of the grander towers, and she’d ducked in to see about a couple bouquets and vases to help brighten up the new apartment. The bell above the door jingled and Fiorenze was met with an immediate shout from the back of, “I’m SO sorry, we’re closed!” 

The florist hurried out immediately, an extremely harried look on her half-elven face as she looked at Fiorenze and the sign on the door that still very much was turned to ‘Open’. Fio raised an eyebrow and smiled politely, “Of course, I.. well, this is probably a bit of a forward question, but do you need any help? My name is Fiorenze Sunmote, I’ve just moved in down the street…” It seemed like she needed help, and it was bad luck to not seize what seemed like a good opportunity. 

“My employee hasn’t shown up for the third time this week and there’s a wedding in the citadel that I have to start setting up in less than an hour—” the florist paused as Fiorenze’s question caught up to her, “Do you have experience with floral arrangements?” 

Fiorenze smiled brightly and nodded, “I do, I am well versed in the language of flowers and previously worked in an antiques shop in Silvermoon City, so I know how to work a till.” She certainly didn’t remember how to work a till, but how hard could it be? Not to mention she’d been fired from Brasspride & Birchleaf’s, but that was a different time and circumstance. 

“I’m Emeli Springwhisper, it’s very nice to meet you. I do need the help, but I don’t know you,” she reached up to brush the pieces of black hair that had fallen out of her messy bun back behind her short, pointed ears, “and I really need to be going. Would you mind coming back by tomorrow with a resume and flipping the open sign to closed on your way out?”

That was, at least, not an outright no. “Of course! I don’t mind at all, more than happy to. I’ll come back first thing tomorrow morning — I hope the wedding goes well, the flowers smell amazing from here!” Fiorenze left one of her personal contact cards on the main counter as Emeli immediately rushed back to whatever she had been doing.  

At the very least, Fiorenze liked flowers more than she had liked antiques, and even if it wasn’t the best paying job it was still better than nothing to help provide a cushion for the necessities. She turned the sign to closed like she said she would and started her walk back across the city to Sunmote Tower. 

Pyraelia was going to have to help her write a resume.

[a-world-in-grey]

In Sola & Nox verse, how old was she when she had her whoops babies the first time? Was she already married to Libs or did they have to organise a super rushed wedding too?

@secret-engima more Whoops Baby fun times!

Sola was 21 when she and Lib had their whoops twins. By this point they’ve only been dating a year, though Sola’d been openly flirting with Lib for a year before that.

Sola and Libertus end up proposing to each other shortly after Sola discovers that she’s pregnant. Honestly, neither of them are in a hurry to get married, Galahdian culture doesn’t put emphasis on parents being married like Lucian culture does, and Sola’s never given a damn about Lucian nobility’s delicate sensibilities before, she’s sure as shit not gonna start now. Besides, it’s not like she’s the only one at court to have a kid out of wedlock - Plenus Egestas near had a stroke when his daughter wound up pregnant with no father in sight.

Besides, anyone talking shit about Sola’s children being bastards within earshot of any of the royal family will find themselves regretting that in short order, because Sola’s reaction will be the least of their worries compared to her male relatives.

But both Libertus and Sola are soldiers. They know the risks of their profession all too well. They marry (Galahdian-style at first, the Royal Wedding can come after Sola gives birth because she’s not going to rush the planning just to squeeze into a dress) mostly to give their children the extra legal protections afforded under Lucian law. And so no one in court can get it into their heads to try to deny Libertus parental rights simply because he wasn’t her husband. Is it paranoid? Perhaps, but Sola would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to Libertus and her kids, in the event she’s no longer around to protect them.

I haven’t decided when Sola winds up pregnant the first time exactly, but in the theme of surprise pregnancies at the worst possible time… she probably finds out while out on rotation on the front lines. At first she thinks it might be a stomach bug or hangover, she and the off duty glaives at the time did have a few drinks and she wasn’t the only one feeling it the next morning because Sola’s regeneration doesn’t actually fix dehydration, rip.

Only the stomach bug doesn’t go away. On the second day Sola goes to the medics because if it is a bug then they need to get her on antibiotics or antivirals asap.

Surprise, it’s not a bug!

Sola’s immediately yanked from the front and placed on desk duties, because if Sola miscarries Titus wants to be able to tell her family that it was not because of anything related to the glaives. He does not want that headache.

Titus also yanks Sola’s Retinue, because he’s not an idiot, there’s no way they’d be able to focus in the field. Libertus is yanked too, as the presumptive father and as Nyx’s only Braincell.

Titus also, politely, requests Sola tell her relatives sooner rather than later about her pregnancy. The King is aware that Sola was yanked from the front for medical reasons, and isn’t actually entitled to know anything beyond that unless Sola volunteers it, but Titus asks that Sola spare him the stress of dealing with her panicky father and uncles.

Nox, of course, is already aware, having been on the front lines with her when it was discovered, with that particular piece of gossip ripping through the gleeful glaives faster than a wildfire in Cavaugh in a drought.

Sola refuses to say anything until Cid arrives in the Citadel, claiming she only wants to explain once - a bald-faced lie, she just wants to get everyone at the same time.

Noctis lights up in excitement at the announcement he’s going to be an uncle. Ignis’ jaw drops in surprise before he recovers, and Gladio actually falls into a wall. (If Prompto has joined the Chocobros at this point, he’ll flail.)

Ardyn goes statue-still, which is probably the best reaction of shock Sola will ever get out of him, before he’s on his feet embracing Sola in a hug and spinning her around. Titus just looks relieved that he doesn’t have to keep dodging questions about Sola’s health anymore. Penny, meanwhile, is eyeing Sola like she’s already measuring her for new outfits.

Nothing can shock Clarus as much as meeting his own grandchildren and then his son in the span of fifteen minutes. Instead, he looks wryly amused, knowing he has no leg to stand on when it comes to having kids out of wedlock. Cor is oh-so-slightly wide-eyed as he processes the announcement, but Cor.exe has very much stopped working, please check back in about ten minutes.

Cid, of course, is laughing his ass off, wheezing something along the lines of ‘I hope you have kids just like you’-

Regis runs a hand down his face, exasperated and resigned and reluctantly wry. Of all the things for his daughter to surprise him with. He opens his mouth, starts to lecture her, only for Sola to raise an unimpressed brow at him, retorting that Regis has no room to lecture her when she was born only a couple months after he and Mama married.

And Six, she looks so much like her mother in that instant - Aulea never had much patience for his dramatics either - that Regis feels a swell of love and fondness. And Sola is clearly so happy about it, so Regis places his own reservations aside and congratulates her and Libertus instead.

Of course, then Sola finds out she’s having twins. And the temptation is too much for her to resist, so she and Libertus are the only ones that actually know she’s having twins.

(Nox and Axis suspect. Nox because he actually has memories of being pregnant from previous Queens, and Axis because he’s a father of triplets and has passing familiarity with the signs of a multiple pregnancy.)

(Ardyn also suspects something, but only because he can feel his niece’s gleeful anticipation. Being a fellow chaos gremlin, Ardyn refuses to spoil Sola’s fun.)

Meanwhile, the glaives in Insomnia get to experience the sheer terror of having a very pregnant Sola as their drill instructor, Abyssus and her Retinue all too willing to be her assistants in delivering her Training from Ifrit’s Pyre. >:)

Haven’t decided on names yet, alas.

[anothersarcasticdolphin]

Oh! How about this au in which Rhaenyra wins the war, and some of the Greens are "spared," not out of mercy, but in a "fate worse than death" way. The Blacks ensure Aemond will never ride a dragon or pick up a sword for the rest of his life. Aegon is castrated (because what happened to Dyana and countless other women was horrible) and sent to The Wall, where he lives the miserable rest of his life in the cold. Criston Cole's sword hand is cut off by Daemon, and he is also left to rot at the Wall with Aegon (let's see how far his temper and outbursts get him when he doesn't have a Queen to hide behind). Maybe Daeron is spared if he doesn't cause any trouble. Helaena and her children are sent to Dragonstone to live the rest of their lives in peace. Otto is made to watch his fellow conspirators be roasted alive or skewered by Dark Sister one by one until he's the last man to die. Alicent is locked away in a tower; she remains deprived of friends, her children, and her status. Everyone moves on without her, and Westeros changes under Queen Rhaenyra's rule, with Alicent observing helplessly as King's Landing flourishes like never before from the bars of her single window. Finally, at the height of her despair, Rhaenyra gifts her the "beloved" page from their girlhood in a cruel mockery causing Alicent to break.

Ah, so kind of like a fate of the greens in the event of a black victory?

I think a fair chunk of the Greens still end up dead, but there is certainly some room for fates worse than death on the way. Having them alive is too dangerous to Rhaenyra, even having won the war.

I should be doing an addendum onto The Red Queen in the nearish future along a similar concept.

But in general, here are my headcanons for the fate of the greens if they lose:

Aemond: Probably already dead - generally I don't see the greens as a whole surrendering unless he is out of the picture, and if he decided to side with Rhaenyra then he is not getting punished. But in the event that the blacks do get to have vengence on him, I think at the least they'd take his other eye.

Aegon: Something public. Beheading or for a properly poetic end given canon, fed to Syrax. Before that - I mean who is to say what happens in the Black Cells? And demonizing Aegon would certainly potentially help Rhaenyra with PR. Castration could work for that.

Daeron/Jaehaerys/Maelor: Not killed - these three are important for Rhaenyra keeping control of both claims - it is hard to rebel in someone's name when they are the captive of your opposition. To that end, I think house arrest on Dragonstone is likely, with the possibility of being sent to the Citadel or joining the Queensguard, depending on how things work out with how loyal they are to the new queen. But they are unlikely to ever marry - Rhaenyra has enough boys of Targaryen blood on her own and this way the male line claim of Aegon II would die with them.

Helaena/Jaehaera: Again, not killed - these two are always beneath Rhaenyra in the line of succession, and given the relative lack of Targaryen boys, Jaehaera is definitely in the running as a wife for Joffrey or Aegon. That being said I would think Rhaenyra would require Jaehaera to be raised at court, and I think it reasonable that she would allow Helaena to remain with her. This also would be good PR for Rhaenyra.

Alicent: I see Rhaenyra being very vindictive and cruel in a personal way to Alicent, especially if Luke is dead in this verse. Something along the lines of being sent to a motherhouse in the Vale, never to lay eyes on any of her children or grandchildren again, and never to see the Reach again. After being made to watch all the executions. I also could see Rhaenyra declaring her father's second marriage to be invalid as it was not a Valyrian one, and calling Alicent nothing more than the king's mistress and her children nothing more than bastards. It would kind of fit thematically with Rhaenyra's eldest three actually being bastards. Alicent would definitely live a long, horrible life - and Rhaenyra would go out of her way to make it worse than death. And I could see her giving

Otto: Gets to watch as Rhaenyra reduces House Hightower to second-rate Tyrell bannermen, effectively undoing his entire legacy, before getting to 'light the way' - literally. Whether dragonfire or wildfire is used is optional.

Criston Cole: Daemon gets to do whatever he pleases with him. Likely would end with Caraxes roasting him - but not before he begged for it.

Where there any others you were interested in?

[theratking-heheheheheh]

KROGAN OCS ARE THE BEST(bonus if shipped with human oc)

The proportions in the image are a little off don’t mind that:)

The original plan was roommates nine years after the first contact war so one year since the human embassy was established on the citadel!

I hadn’t seen anyone within the mass effect community make an indigenous OC, whether it be Shepherd or Ryder or their own person in the verse!

So this Neska she is swampy Cree and I love her more than life itself:) her name is the Cree word for goose, but I think I might’ve spelt it wrong because I would rather end my life before explaining why I need the correct spelling(I suck ass at lying)

And for Krogan roommate and future lover I was inspired by a post and a few other posts from this blog!!!

[secretlyhuntokar]

Hello it is about time I make one of these

I am Vince or Huntokar and I have hired they/them and xe/xem pronouns to work for me.

I'm agender and aroace

Podcasts I Enjoy (and have FINISHED!! HUZZAH!1!1!!!): Camp Here and There, Stellar Firma, Ethics Town, The Magnus Archives, Alice Isn't Dead, Welcome to Night Vale, Within the Wires, Malevolent, The Penumbra Podcast (Junoverse)

Podcasts I am still Listening to: Station Arcadia, The Penumbra Podcast (Second Citadel), The Silt Verses

Podcasts I plan on Listening to in the Future: Red Valley, Wolf 359, Hello From the Hallowoods, SAYER, The Hotel (Man I feel I've coloured these Incorrectly like I assign fandoms I like a colour but I'm not in these fandoms (yet) so uhh apologies for the deception for getting it Wrong)

Other Fiction Stuff I Enjoy: Community, Doctor Who, The Mechanisms

I post and reblog fandom related things, stuff I plan on using as art references and things that are important for as many people as possible to see/be aware of

TMagP reaction tag is #huntokar reacts

I occasionally post fanart (art tag #huntokar draws)

sideblog for art is @huntokar-draws

T(W)ERFs, ableists, racists, sexists, zionists, etc, (dis)respectfully fuck off

This feels so formal I'm too tired to think rigjt noe krlp me i am going to go to sleeb now its not that late but my braon is tired

[grislyintentions]

|| Silent Sentinel (HSR Emanator Verse) ||

Records dating back to Year 1000 SC detailed discovery of the Echidna Skywall; celestial-sized Subspace Crystalline Barriers formed into existence to separate the world from the endless void. It is suggested that the Amber Lord, Qlipoth, Lord of the Preservation: Firmament Arbiter, sought to isolate contact between planets in order to separate and protect all worlds.

Yet, the main faction (IPC) following this Aeon facilitates trade, emigration and contact between the stars with their fleet. Among the IPC was a brilliant inventor who chose to devote their entire life to following the will of Qlipoth. They understood that while the Amber Lord kept humanity and others safe from others, they are no less immune to the ravages of time and death. How then can they do their part to ensure that the Almighty Skywall continues to endure in the name of their Aeon even after their death?

The solution is simple: A creation resistant to erosion and capable of self-repairs.

Thus, Mirai is 'born'. To protect the future by preserving as well as protecting the values of the past and present: that was her sole operative.

And it is this same operative that she continues to carry out in her duties as the ever loyal sentinel of the Arcis Space Station. There is much about her that is unknown: How she came to be a priestess at the Citadel, where/how many of her replicas are stationed, what exactly is she, what secrets does her memory banks hold etc. She is a being of very few words after all.

There are however things that are known: Mirai is here to protect her fellow priests and priestesses at the Citadel from harm (be it from external forces or each other), keep the peace and ensure they step forward into a future of co-existence/harmony.

Drawing from her powers as Emanator of the Amber Lord (Preservation), she wields them with a wrathful viciousness against those who seek harm against her charges. With each day coming to a close, the dutiful being would pay respects to the Aeon and honour them.

Additional Details:

Path: Preservation Combat Type: Imaginary Image Reference: Yuuhime from Dislyte Normal Attack: Deals base damage to single opponent by extending two of her fourteen hands to claw at them (forms temporary shield scaling off damage to team for 2 turns) Skill: Fourteen hands emerge from beneath opponent to seize them in place, dealing extra dmg for two more turns (blast) Ultimate: Summons giant demonic hands from an interdimensional pocket to deal imaginary damage to all enemies, who will be imprisoned for 1 turn, enemies will have their actions delayed by 42% seconds with speed reduced by 5%.