#xenoblade chronicles 2 fanfic

[vanillahina]

Xenoblade Modern AU: La Science du Coeur

I can't believe that I forgot to share my 1st fic in 8 years, also the first one in English.

Modern AU with the Trinity Processor. They're attending University.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48001567/chapters/121030735

[gexfan32]

Honestly why don’t more xenoblade fanfics focus more on past lives of blades. There is damn near limitless fanfic potential there, possibly even more so if you consider the fact that at least a few of the Agnian characters from xc3 were originally awakened from core crystals, and so had past lives to explore in Alrest.

[polaris764writing]

The Aegis' world is gone. Destroyed from the battle with her and her brother. She now seeks a fresh start in a different world. Izuku Midoriya encounters the Aegis and becomes her driver, changing both of their destinies for the better. However, their world will challenge that destiny and make life difficult for them. Can they overcome the challenges of their past and grow stronger? Or will they encounter an event that will end their adventure prematurely?

[silent-partner-412]

an idea in xenoblade 2 i wish they explored a bit more was the idea of blades changing depending on their driver, specifically with the aegis’s. it’s a huge part of malos’s character that he doesn’t know how much of what he wants to do is thanks to his own desire or just because of who he was awakened by, and it’s an incredible concept that adds a lot to him but it would’ve been cool to see these changes be more… shown?

i don’t think malos would be a great fit for this in the context of xenoblade 2’s story because he kinda needs to be your big bad guy and having him change to be… not that? would definitely harm the story. but i think they could’ve done something with mythra since we actually see her have two different drivers with addam and rex. admittedly rex and addam are super similar, and the way mythra’s personality manifests probably wouldn’t change a ton between the two of them. but i think it could’ve been interesting to see her acknowledge subtle changes to how she thinks and feels after being awakened by rex.

the thing that’s hard is that so much of what makes mythra compelling is how much she changes over the course of the xenoblade 2 timeline, and seeing her regain hope and desire to live after hating herself unrelentingly for so long, and i think this would be somewhat undercut by them stating that she was in some way fundamentally changed thanks to being awakened by rex. plus, we do get stuff like the theory and praxis questline that blatantly shows how blades can be changed depending on who their driver is. but i think it would’ve been interesting to explore how this principle would work for an aegis since they don’t return to a core crystal and lose their memories when their driver dies like all other blades do.

[roztekawrites]

It's time for an update on my second longest longfic, after almost 8 months!

[caparrucia]

I'm committing crimes against humanity again. Malos/Jin post XC2 shenanigans. Because I'm awful and my chat is traumatized. (and I'm here to make it worse.)

[demon-dm-22]

The Fuck AI/Chat GPT Fanfic Commission openings!

I've never quite done this before but I'll do my best! Paypal payments only!

3 Slots open as of 9/1/24!

Experience with semi-professional writing is between 7-10 years now.

For references here's my A03? Like what you see? Commission me!

Fandoms as of now that I'm aware of:

Homestuck, Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Animal Crossing, Xenoblade Chronicles 1-3, Shadow of the Collossus, Okami, Spyro, Kingdom Hearts (multiple games), Delicious in Dungeon, Final Fantasy-multiple titles, (But not 14 as I am not a player), Pokemon, many more. Please ask beforehand! I cannot write a fanfic if I'm not aware of the material!

Opening written fanfic commissions starting at 20$-capping at 100$. 20$ for fics between 1-4k words

Base rate: 40$ for 5-6k (average)

+10$ for 7-8k (total of 50$).

+25 for 9-10k (total of 75$).

Want to have it published on AO3? Add $15.

If works are between the amount estimates, I WILL ALWAYS CHARGE LESS FOR ACCIDENTALLY GOING OVER ON MY BEHALF. Sometimes ideas don't quite always flow into neat word counts!

Price estimates will be based on length of work requested. I will not write more than 20k at this time.

What I'm willing to write:

-**Smut, NSFW Fetish (minus a few see additional notes below)

-Gore, trauma, horror, angst

-Fluff, OcxCanon, slice of life

-Multi-chapter fics (within reason, I do have my own personal projects still!)

WILL NOT WRITE:

-ANY Animal sexual encounters. Even anthro, sorry!

-Any sexual encounters/lusting/non-consent or purposeful attacks on characters intended to be minors

-Alpha/Omega/Beta universe/sub-universe.

Other General info:

I will always discuss with the commissioner what they are comfortable with especially if it involves an OC. I understand certain language and mentioning of things can be very personal! Please tell me what big no-nos to avoid!

Please allow up to 2 weeks for a finished product. I will not work until I receive 50% payment up front. Once I am completed, I will provide the first two paragraphs of the fic for approval. These will not be shared/peer reviewed. Any editing mistakes once sent (via email) will be fixed ASAP. If wanting published to AO3, please let me know what tags/characters/etc you'd like as well.

All sales are final!

THE CLEARER YOUR DESCRIPTION THE BETTER I CAN WRITE IT!

[awritingcaitlin]

✨Vibes✨

4 Songs 3 Visual Media 2 Books 1 Author

✨BREWING WAR VIBES✨ 🎧 "Bullets" by Archive, "Opacus" by Arkasia, "Heartlines" by Florence + the Machine, "High Priests" by Ronan Hardiman 📺 Witcher, Arcane, Dragon Age 📕 THE THOUSAND NAMES, WAY OF KINGS ✍🏻Brandon Sanderson

✨ SiegeWIP vibes ✨ 🎶 "Avalanche" by FLETCHER, "Love Lost" by Mattia Cupelli, "An Toll Dubh" by Runrig, and "Steampunk Dogfight" by Escape the Clouds 🍿 Sharpe's Rifles, Dishonored, SW: The Clone Wars 📗 DUNE and MISTBORN 🖊️ Robert Jordan

✨ CureWIP vibes ✨ 🎵 "Jump!" by Thomas Bergeson, "Whispers" by DREAMOIR, "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten, "Alba" by the Sidh 📽️ Firefly, Cowboy Bepob, and Warhammer 📘 The Expanse series and CRIMSON QUEEN ✏️Diane Duane

✨ Violin Heist Vibes ✨ 🎻"The Hero Within" by James Paget, "Halo of Light" by Taylor Davis, "Roundtable Rival" by Lindsey Stirling, "Wild Heart" by Thomas Bergeson 🎦Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Impossible, Fullmetal Alchemist 📔MISTBORN era 2, FOUNDRYSIDE 🖋️ Tamora Pierce

✨ SecretSoup2 Vibes ✨ 🎧"Dog Days Are Over" by Florence + the Machine, "Never Say Die" by CHVRCHES, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, and "What About Us" by P!nk 🎮Xenogears, Tales of Symphonia, Xenoblade Chronicles 📙Discworld, KH novelization 📝Every ND fanfic author

✨ Team W Vibes ✨ 🎵 "Don't You Worry Child" (PTX cover), "Rebels in the Light" by Manicanparty, "Gold Guns Girls" by Metric, "Night Sky" by CHVRCHES 🎮Kingdom Hearts, Spiderverse, Super Smash Brothers Brawl 📘His Dark Materials, Circle of Magic ✍🏻x-over fanfic writers

✨ The Great Game Vibes ✨ 🎶"Walk me Home" by P!nk, "A Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World, "Disarm" by Smashing Pumpkins, "Moondance" by Nightwish 📺Hero among Thieves, Disney's Atlantis, Chrono Trigger 📘The Witcher Series, THE SHADOW THRONE 🖊️Claudia Grey

✨Aftermath Vibes✨ 🎼"I'm not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance, "We Don't Have to Dance" by Andy Black, "Kill the Lights" by Set it Off, "Heartbreak Feels so Good" by Fall Out Boy 🎥The Owl House, Breath of the Wild, Avengers 📕CLOCKWORK BOYS, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS 📝Robin McKinley

✨Beauty and the Dragon Vibes✨ 🎶"What if it Doesn't End Well" by Chloe Moriondo, "I Need a Hero" (Shrek 2 version), "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" by Flogging Molly, "Love from the Other Side" by Fall Out Boy 🎬Shrek, Beauty and the Beast, Gargoyles 📙BEAUTY, DEALING WITH DRAGONS ✍🏻Patricia C Wrede

[mochiixia]

About Me

𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦

♡︎ = love or likes

♥︎ = do not love or dislikes

ⵌ Info:

♡︎ delila (nicknames: dee, lila, or mochi)

♡︎ she/they

︎♡︎ 15+ only (allowing 18+)

♡︎ demigirl + bisexual. biracial (aa, white, 🇪🇸)

♡︎ born on 06/14 & gemini

♡︎ lives in usa, does speak english/french/spanish either one

♡︎ is autistic person who’s funny, shy, and cute sometimes

♡︎ kpop lover, anime lover, music lover, multifandom

♡︎ is an editor, cosplayer, shifter, and does traditional & digital art

ⵌ Blog:

♡︎ a biracial reader in this blog and fanfic page

♡︎ sfw/nfsw

♡︎ i made cute layouts inspired by y2k, kawaii, anime, and other aesthetic

♡︎ main fandoms are tekken, genshin impact, & soulcalibur but is a fan of any fandom that i like and post when i feel like it (will be opening request asap)

ⵌ Loves:

♡︎ music, spotify, apple music

♡︎ youtube, pinterest, notion, tiktok, discord

♡︎ food, cats, dogs, coffee, rain & cold weathers

♡ anime, kpop, video games, mobile games

♡︎ blackpink, loona, bts, twice, newjeans, stray kids, txt, and other kpop stans

ⵌ Does Not Love:

♥︎ struggling things like mental health, hardworking

♥︎ school, bugs, hot weathers, chaotic days

♥︎ panic attacks, crying a lot, getting picked on a lot

♥︎ anti-kpop stans, anti-anime fans, people who shaming a person’s insecurities

♥︎ people who are using mental health as a jokes/trendy, people who makes jokes to lgbtq+ community

ⵌ Things I Love:

♡︎ tunes i love: blackpink, bts, twice, loona, gidle, stray kids, newjeans, le sserrafim, itzy, txt, pink fantasy, nct, aespa, seventeen, dreamcatcher, ive, nmixx, kep1er, morning musume, akb48, asca, lisa, sora amamiya, angerme, juice=juice, tsubaki factory, =love, riho sayashi, airi suzuki, yoasobi, ariana grande, taylor swift, little mix, dove cameron, the weekend, ice spice, nicki minaj, marina and the diamonds, beyoncé, lana del ray, miley cryrus, becky g, mina okabe, olivia rodrigo, cardi b, etc

♡︎ fandoms i love: tekken series, genshin impact, cookie run ovenbreak, cookie run kingdom, soulcalibur series, street fighter, kakegurui, demon slayer, aot, naruto, dc comics, marvel, injustice 1&2, total drama, mha/bnha, disney, final fantasy, stranger things, xenoblade chronicles, legends of zelda, resident evil, super mario, mortal kombat, etc

[vanillahina]

La Science du Coeur - Chapter 2 is out!

Fall Semester is starting~!

[gexfan32]

Crystal of Shining Justice Arc 2, A sleepover in Alba Cavenich part 1

Two weeks after the intersection

Miyabi: So, yeah, my mom said I could go with you two to Alba Cavanich to test out Tiger Tiger Kart 2: The Sequelpon

Sena: I wanna go too!!

Miyabi: Of course you can, you are my blade after all, and more importantly my friend, why wouldn’t I bring you.

Sena: Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!

Glimmer: I’m quite glad Tora’s programming skills are being used in a more low stakes environment this time.

*everybody winces* Miyabi: Glimmer that’s not funny

Mio: Well I think it’s funny, and I’m the one who actually remembers anything about that whole incident, seeing as for you guys it was just a millisecond

Mythra: Anyways, you’re gonna have to bundle up a bit, seeing as Mor Ardain is now a snowy mountain with the cloud sea gone and the titans merged

Sena: like half of us are fire blades we’re going to be fine.

[eienias20]

Remember Xenoblade Chronicles Mira?

Published December 7th, 2019 with the last uploaded chapter being 40 on December 21st, 2020. it's been over two years since I update it and yeah i'm super mad at myself for that

Recently i've read a really long and really good fanfic. add my feelings on XC3 to the mix and i've finally pushed myself to try and write more for my Xenoblade Chronicles X AU

to answer why the long hiatus for those who want to know. i do this a lot when i write a long story. i get really into it, i write like 75% of the story, update regularly. then it slows down and stops.

at first it was just a break, then it kept going and i couldn't find the drive. i did try in 2022 to write chapter 41 and it was awful. i tried to reread the last few chapters but i couldn't get back into the mindset

so i'm trying something new. i'm rewriting the entire fic. how? well i have the story open in one window and a blank doc on another. i transcribe the old version, changing some sentence structures, actions and whatnot. scenes are reworked and even new scenes are added. its a big ol update to the whole fic.

currently i have rewritten 7 of 40 chapters and i say its going pretty well. once i've rewritten and edited them i post them on my discord. anyone want to join the discord and get a sneak peek, i'll get a link to you.

the goal right now is to rewrite part 1 (21 chapters that cover 4 years on Earth and 2 aboard the White Whale) then once that's done, i will update the fic on archiveofourown with the new chapters, then the same with part 2, then what i wrote of part 3 and the hope is that this will spur me beyond 40 and push me to the conclusion cause i really do wanna finish this fic.

AO3 link to the current version of Xenoblade Chronicles Mira

All this is just to say for anyone who still remembers or is still curious after 2 years. i'm working on it for real and i really do want to complete it.

For those who don't know, XCM is my own version of Xenoblade Chronicles X most of the main cast is in it, i've got quite a lot of OCs. The two main protags are Elma of course and my girl, Jaynix.

The fic is divided into 3 parts.

Part 1 covers two timelines, 2050 - 2054 (ends when humanity leaves Earth, the Exodus) and 2054 - 2056 (ends when the white whale crashes on Mira)

Part 2 covers two timelines 2056 (the first two months before the game would begin, ending with Elma in Starfall Basin) and a certain set of events in 2060 (3 and a half years after the end of XCX itself)

Part 3 has one single timeline continuing right after part 2 and is the final part

[teecupangel]

tag people you want to get to know better

tagged by @concerned-astronomer :)

Three Ships: (I... don't even know how I can pick 3 so I'll just pick the 3 most recent XD)

1. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad x Desmond Miles (Assassin's Creed)

My current OTP. Can't really be sure how they became my OTP but I just love writing them. The fact that they're both morally ambiguous (especially Altaïr during his AC1 days) makes it fun to think of different scenarios to throw them in. Definitely have the 'I'll kill for you' and 'I'll destroy the world/timeline to save you' vibes which I'm weak for. Also, the fact that they're centuries apart means I could easily add in time-travel fix-its which I'm weak for as well and the Bleeding Effect adds a touch of 'to be completely and wholly connected' setup that I can use whenever I feel like it. (To be fair, this is applicable to Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton as well and I do pair Desmond with them too but pairing him with Altaïr means more morally ambiguous/questionable setups XD)

2. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd x Byleth Eisner (Fire Emblem Three Houses)

Speaking of 'I'll kill for you' and 'I'll destroy the world/timeline to save you', this pairing is the one that got me back into writing fanfic. The sheer potential of the three routes and Byleth's time-bending powers scratched my 'time travel fix it' weakness and the fact that Dimitri dies in all other routes not his own just makes my angst-with-a-happy-ending heart go hhnngggnnn.

3. Mio x Noah (Xenoblade Chronicles 3)

The development of their relationship in the main game got me. I don't normally like canon pairings, especially in JRPGs, but this one... The short moments of sweetness between them, the angst building up and culminating into those huge scenes in Chapters 5 and 6, the anguish in Harry McEntire's voice as Noah in those scenes, the absolute fuckery that is an absolute spoiler and... ugghhh. They're one of the few canon pairings I wish will have a happy ending.

(honorable mentions: sterek (the movie reignited what had long been embers because fuck that movie), merthur (they are the once and future otp), ghoap (shipped them casually in OG, loved them in the reboot) and hibatsuna/1827 (the pairing that got me writing fanfics in the first place))

First Ship: I had to think which pairing would be my first ship and I have concluded that it's Loki x Mayura Daidouji from Matantei Loki (although I do prefer Mayura's characterization from the manga). Mayura is the reason why I love pink-haired characters and their pairing has cemented the whole 'sunshine x loner/arrogant ass' otp trope for me. (I still believe in the theory that Mayura is meant to be Sigyn)

Last Song: Tranquility by Sawano Hiroyuki

Last Film: Teen Wolf (2023 Movie)

Currently reading: ... does the mission transcripts of Call of Duty Modern Warfare II count? If not, I guess the 120+ pages legal document my boss made me read for work XD

Currently watching: Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, (rewatching) Leverage

Currently consuming: Plain white corn

Currently craving: An all-you-can-eat buffet that gives me a food coma for an hour or so then makes me regret all my life choices later at night

Tagging @scrysthea, @fanworldbuildingfun, @kitsunesongs, @escapism-and-disassociation and @princesslikesfanfics but no pressure whatsoever. And anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

[tinkertechy]

I'm bored and I want to ramble.

Pick a number and I'll ramble about the Fanfic idea.

Lean on Me (FFXV)

SSB ReMiX (Smash Bros)

Jak IV (Jak and Daxter)

A Realm Retold (FFXIV)

A Journey Retold (FFXIV)

Letters on Leather Wings (FFXIV)

Starlight's Wish (FFXIV)

Her Father's Arms (FFXIV)

A Journey Worthwhile (FFXIV)

Kingdom Hearts III.5 (Kingdom Hearts)

Heartless Hunter (Kingdom Hearts)

Files from the Lego City PD (Lego City Undercover)

Empty Chairs (Lego City Undercover)

Lego City Undercover 2: The Chase Continues (LCU)

Blindsided (Pokemon X/Y)

The Pokemon World Tournament (Pokemon X/Y)

Of Myths and Maidens (Pokemon X/Y)

A Champion Time (Pokemon Sword/Shield)

Realistic Legend (The Legend of Zelda)

Depths of the Yiga (Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

Strength of the Sheikah (Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

War of the Mystics (Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

Legacy of the Hero (The Legend of Zelda)

Personnel File Addendums (Portal 2)

A New Road Trip (BIONICLE)

Hope's Aurora (Half-Life, Portal)

Stratgem (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

Masked Intentions (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

Lock and Key (Xenoblade Chronicles 2)

Frozen in Time (A Hat in Time)

Five Nights of Ghost Stories (Five Nights at Freddy's)

Not Quite Sharp (Octopath Traveler)

Theme Park of the Crossroads (Dissida FF: Opera Omnia)

The DUMBEST Idea EVER. (Everything. I'm not kidding.)

Heart of the Valley (Stardew Valley)

[peregrinefanfic]

Figured I'd start this blog by posting a link to my fanfic, My Hero Chronicles. It's a My Hero Academia/Xenoblade Chronicles 2 crossover following Izuku Midoriya after he finds himself in Alrest.

[textbookmobster]

it all begins with a rebellion

This is inspired from a drawing made by the lovely lesbina in the moraghid discord server.

Pre-relationship, fusion fic. Maybe I’ll write more someday.

It’s strange how easy your life might change in just under a day.

It all begins with a rebellion.

It’s one that’s been brewing for a while now, ever since the young Emperor refused to go to war with the Gormotti for a piece of their land. They had underestimated how unhappy the civilians of Mor Ardain were. With the Senators stirring unrest, and the military fractured underneath its various generals, it was only a matter of time before the tide of dissatisfaction turned against them.

Mòrag had been paranoid in the final days leading to the collapse of the Empire. She had studied maps of Mor Ardain and its many trade routes. She had befriended friendly ship captains where she could and squirrelled away coin and physical assets in foreign banks under the guise of long-forgotten Ladair relatives. When the opportunity to audit the Royal Treasury had presented itself to her, she had quickly taken two of Mor Ardain’s most precious Core Crystals, knowing how easily such things could be turned into weapons.

She had not anticipated using one of them herself.

They’re helping Senator Stulc and his wife board the small salvaging vessel Mòrag’s second had acquired when a contingent of soldiers close in, having been alerted to the location of the smugglers’ cove.

Niall, running on nothing but worry and adrenaline, stumbles in front of them, throwing his arms up defiantly. “It’s me you want!” he shouts. “Let the others go. Please.”

He’s brave—braver than Mòrag who is all too happy to throw some other stuffy, well-meaning Senator under the line of fire.

“Get back inside, Niall!”

“These are my people, Mòrag! I won’t let them die.”

“Who the fuck cares?” she all but screams. “Idiot brother!” This is all for you, don’t you understand?

But of course he doesn’t. Because he’s never had to face his mortality as intimately as she had faced hers.

She picks him up by the scruff of his shirt and shoves him into the direction of her second-in-command. “Don’t let him out of your sight.”

“Sir!”

With her back towards her brother, she takes a deep breath and rushes for the swarm of advancing soldiers. She doesn’t notice the soft blue light that begins to emanate from her brother’s haversack, which had fallen in the chaos.

"Mòrag!"

She's a whirlwind of death, her rapier snaking into joints and cracks with pinpoint accuracy. The buckler that she had taken from her second-in-command slams into a nearby foot soldier, redirecting a spray of bullets away from the ship. She's careful to stay within melee range, their eagerness an advantage: with too many bodies between her and the Ardanian gunners, getting a clear shot on her would take skill and a lot of luck. She only hopes that she can prove to be adequate distraction for her fleeing countrymen.

Blue light begins to trace the outline of her figure, curling along her arms and across her torso. Some of the soldiers scramble back, alarmed at the ghostly aura that begins to manifest around her. It's a short respite, however. A brace of gunners take advantage of the clear field, emptying a clip at her general direction.

Mòrag grimaces and braces herself against the small buckler, barely large enough to cover her sword arm. Pain drowns her other senses as she falls to her knees, darkness slowly consuming her vision. The last thing she sees is the Ardanian salvaging vessel flying westward towards freedom before everything goes dark.

- - -

It's a different woman who steps out of the steaming body of Mòrag Ladair.

She is made brilliant by the bright blue flames that outline her body. A wingtip steel visor hides much of her face beyond the curl of smug lips, emphasizing the eerie flicker of blue along her black stresses. Though she wears the uniform of an Ardanian officer, there’s a provocative quality to the sway of her hips and the transparent cloth that covers her lower torso. Behind her, a long wisp of a man falls to his knees, offering a double-bladed katana with easy reverence. “We’ve work to do, it seems.”

“Pity,” the woman says, adjusting her grip on the katana, watching her brother-in-arms dissipate into her form. “A full body resonance—and I get to spend what time I’ve been given fighting against impossible odds.”

She cracks an exultant smile. “So be it.”

Death follows her wake like a wildfire left unchecked. She cleaves into the soldiers with frightening speed, revelling in the body that she has been gifted. It’s not often that a human succeeds in awakening the Jewel of Mor Ardain, let alone one that has had a taste of battle.

In a matter of minutes, she has decimated the incoming force of foot soldiers.

Aegaeon reappears by her elbow, the exertion of maintaining a form evident from the sweat of his brow and his fading smile. “She won’t have the energy to keep both of us.”

“I’ll send her your regards.”

“My thanks.” He returns to his Core Crystal which the woman quickly scoops up and pockets.

She heads to the wharf in search of a vessel.

- - -

Mòrag wakes to the gentle press of heat against her skin, the warmth of the morning sun like a heavy blanket. She aches all over and feels the world around her teeter when she tries to move.

The creak of wood and easy sway of the ground underneath her startles her. If not for the sudden arm that wraps around her, she would have fallen on her side, just below the crude cot from where she rests.

“Easy there,” a mellifluous voice murmurs from beside her. “I’d hate for you to undo all the hard work that I’ve done so far.”

Her senses sharpen, pinpricks of light fading into dark, muddy browns that hint at her whereabouts. “Let go of me,” she demands, straining against her captor’s hold.

“Will you behave?”

She grits her teeth. No, she wants to say, but knows that she will have a better chance of escaping if some slack is given. So she relaxes her limbs, focusing on her breathing to stabilize her senses.

"Good girl," the woman murmurs, leaning into her space to reveal strands of bluish purple hair escaping a pair of braided buns. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. My Drivers tend to be feisty little things.”

“I’m not little,” Mòrag sputters.

“I’ve had taller Drivers.”

It’s an awkward conversation: one that starts out accusatory before meandering into the territory of expository with a dash of flirtatious. Mòrag knows about Crystal Cores, Blades, and Drivers, but she had never been interested in the specifics until now.

Because it isn’t every day that you get to awaken a Crystal Core, one that’s so attuned to your soul that you get a fully-formed Blade instead of the less visible spectres that Mòrag is familiar with. Brighid is shockingly solid—a presence that Mòrag cannot so easily ignore—and it unsettles and invigorates her in equal measure.

She’s in a strange boat with an even stranger woman by her side, an empire crumbling behind her, and a brother, lost, waiting to be found again.

It feels like the beginning of something good, something exhilarating: a promise whispered in the dead of night, the thrill of numerous possibilities racing along her spine.

It feels like a start.