#archlancer

[darrowsrising]

The most Lorn ever fussed over Darrow publicly, was when he declared that if anyone came within 2 meters of Darrow, he would kill everyone in the room. Dale died extremely young, Darrow probably does not remember his father fussing over him. Uncle Narol never fussed and Fitchner and Nero were never the type.

Darrow openly fussed over Alexandar in every possible way. He killed people for him, he protected him, he got him medical aid, he was affectionate. He told him, loud and clear, he loves him, that he is proud of him. How healing was all of that for both of them? This is the best mentorship and you can try to pry it from my cold, dead hands, but you won't succeed.

[archlancerinc-blog]

Landscape designing with the highest standards. Ask your designer how you need your land to be designed. #residential #apartments #Archlancer #Architects

[darrowsrising]

Losing a son:

Alexandar Arcos has spent at least 10 years under Darrow's tutelage. He has been trained by Darrow and then trained with Darrow. He has been mentored by Darrow, guided and raised by Darrow. And he has been loved and protected by Darrow. Like a son by a father. He was a son to Darrow.

He has also spent at least 5 years in the services of the Republic. From small jobs to Venus and Mercury. As archLancer of ArchImperator Darrow O'Lykos. As Pup One and as a Howler. He is a hero of Tyche and a good man.

And his murdered corpse is rotting on Mercury. Probably on a spike. And Darrow cannot mourn him. He cannot say he lost a son in Alexandar. He cannot say to anyone how he wished he appreciated his time with Alex more. He cannot cry for the boy who looked at him like a hero and a father figure when he first came under his wing. He cannot even bury him with honours, dress him in the wolf cloak that he valued more than any Peerless Scar or even put Martian soil in his rigid hand.

He cannot grieve his little pup at all, it's that painful.

[darrowsrising]

Sons of Reaper:

By @m-austinbooks for my last birthday. I wish my favourite artists were more appreciated when they did their utmost to reach out to carve out a place into the industry. But life happens and I only wish you the best, my friends. You are the best thing to ever happen to this fandom. Period.

Howl on!

[darrowsrising]

Of course Alexandar needed no Peerless Scar! He knew who he was, after all Darrow the Self-Aware King raised him. 🥺💖

[darrowsrising]

Unfriendly reminder that everyone who died in Light Bringer gets a sunburial with honors, but Alexadar au Arcos - the archLancer of the Solar Republic, the Hero of Tyche, a son of Reaper - is probably rotting on a spike on Mercury without a wolfcloak or red soil.

[darrowsrising]

What are your thoughts on the way that Volsung Fa and the Obsidian plotline got resolved? (Because I loved it and wanted to know what you thought)

I am not going to lie, my brain had an bookgasm. A very long, satisfying one.

I loved that there were parallels between Darrow and Volsung, as well as Darrow and Atlas and Darrow and Lysander. And from then on the build up to the resolution started and it was flawless. Absolutely amazing feat of writing.

Darrow's growth reaches new heights when he finally finds his own path:

I knew it will happen. This, the growth, the finsing of himself among all the darkness that has swallowed him, all the bullshit thrown at him, he is all-enduring. For the Reaper may be broken, the Reaper may be delayed, but Darrow is never ruined, never lost.

Darrow has always been inspiring, even when hopeless and loving even when scorned. I feel like Light Bringer is the book when Darrow and Reaper can coexist somehow. He does not see his heart as something he must hide for battle, he is not the lock that keeps the box of horrors shut, he does not put away the key. He is also realistic, capable and apt at what he does - he will do his duty, he will do his utmost, his will shift paradigms - and now has found the joy in it too. Unlike Cassius, he never seemed to enjoy fencing, for him it was always do or die on the battlefield. I doubt he will ever fence or duel for pleasure, but his style of fighting that he dedicated time to has brought him joy and a connection with himself that he thought lost forever.

I knew that if someone can bring light, it is Darrow. For he is an eternal spring of love, he keeps on giving.

Also, he is THEE daddiest, daddy of the Solar System. So fucking daddy, it hurts. He daddied so hard, he Daddy Red God.

Now, unto Obsidians.

I knew Volga would be easy pickings for manipulations. That is why Ephraim tried to spare her any interaction with either Sefi or Volsung. He knew - after all the trauma he himself inflicted upon her, he must have known the sort of cultist court of Vomsung would have been damaging to her.

I was happy to get more information on the Obsidians and their rituals and have Darrow fight as legitimate brother of Sefi and Ragnar, declared so under the Spires. Tyr Morga saves the day, but did not use that to claim superiority over them. I think he felt he owed Ragnar a debt - hence why he kept the beard and shaved it after the deed was done. The mourning period ended, he assured a future for the Obsidians.

The Ascomani guy who took a look at Darrow, saw the ashwar markings and went back to his food was the book's mvp.

Lyria and Volga stans were fed so well. I loved the cxonplexity both underwent in such a zhort and believable amout of time.

The best of all was Darrow's pov however. Why?

Ephraim about Volsung: Horror, terror, pain.

Darrow about Volsung:

The WORST thing that happened? Alexandar was not there. Darrow will not teach his archLancer how to bypass any other style via his own style. Alexandar au Arcos was compared to a Lykos dancer, the wind of the deepmines would have welcomed him. The Breath of Stone would have shined by his movements, as his own eyes would have shined with wonder as his father outdid his grandfather.

Now I want Blood Feud.

I have MANY thoughts, but this is getting too long 😅

[darrowsrising]

hello! what do you think of ajax in light bringer?

Hi!

I think he was wasted opportunity, but if I think harder, I see that there was no way conceivable that he would have forgiven Darrow for Aja's death. And as much as he deserved to be loved like Alex was loved by Darrow, taking the memory of his mother away from him or any such thing to fit him in a neat place next to Darrow would have been unfair to him.

If Darrow openly massacrated Diomedes' family, the guy would not have forgiven the Reaper. So it's understandable. Cassius didn't really forgive Darrow either, he had to learn his family was massacrated at Octavia's orders and then made a choice.

There was just no way and no time to make Ajax turn sides. And because he was the only redeeamable Gold in the Core, Pierce Brown jad him die than work with Lysander for too long. Not that Lysander cared for more than two pages. And gave Thraxa what she wanted in Dark Age.

Guess no more archLancers for Darrow, though. I'll go burn all adoption papers.

[darrowsrising]

We were robbed off Rhonna kicking Alex in the shin to get him to bend for a kiss😭.

[darrowsrising]

oh oh alex for the send me a character thingy!!!

Thanks you for this one, it put a smile on my face!

First impression: If Ephraim hates you, Pinks love you and Darrow made you his archLancer, you are really special and I already love you!

No, seriously, Eph's hatred took me aback a little, but then he's a pretty meh judge of character when he's emotional. No way Darrow would choose someone who treats Pinks like he owns them or something, as Eph implied. Surely, between Dano and Alexandar, you'd understand why charming, easy-going and good-looking Republic hero Alexandar au Arvos trumps Dano, even though he's a funny guy.

Impression now: That kid owns my heart. And I don't care he's about my age. I loved him so much and I still do and it breaks my heart to even think about him. Did you know that Darrow was having a kid at Alexandar's age? Well, you do now, because why must I suffer alone 😭😭😭 I am not saying Alex should have had a kid, just that it was probably a thing he thought about or something he wished to have in the future, whenever and however Rhonna wanted.

Favourite moment: I LOVE EVERY MOMENT WITH HIM, OK? I loved it especially when he roasted the Minotaur and got a pat on the arse from Sevro. I loved it when he refused to give up on Darrow and Darrow refused to give up on him. I loved him when he stayed in Tyche and I loved him when he came back to Darrow to hive him his cloak. I loved him when he took Rhonna on a date and...I BLOODY LOVE HIM, DEATH TO EVERYONE WHO EVER HARMED HIM!

Idea for a story: I can't be the only one who wants cute stories about Alexandar and Darrow when Alex was little.

Unpopular opinion: Lysander killing Alex isn't the reason I hate him, it's just the point of no return.

Favourite relationship: I find all of his relationships interesting, to be honest. I obviously love him with Rhonna, but his relationship with Darrow and the other Howlers? I AM STILL BITTER, YES!

Favourite headcanon: I like to think that Alex was Darrow's favourite kiddo from Lorn's family and helped him get away with straling cookies or something.

Howl on!

[darrowsrising]

Not to sound like a stranded person away from the cool guys (again!), but Pax knew Sevro used zoladone in the Rat War and the lack of hype for Uncle Sevro and how much Pax cares about his co-godfather is really concerning. If anything, Sevro gets away with telling Pax horror stories and showing him gory stuff way more than anyone realizes.

Also, a huge missed opportunity was Big Brother Alex - imagine him having to babysit Pax and it ending up in a big adventure that also involved Rhonna and them making a pact not to talk of it ever again. Of course Pax looked like an absolute angel during the entire thing.

[darrowsrising]

Title: Generations

Timeline: First Part - between Red Rising and Golden Son (circa 738-739 PCE); Second Part - between Morning Star and Iron Gold (circa 749 PCE)

Characters: Alexandar au Arcos, Darrow of Lykos, Lorn au Arcos, Pax au Augustus

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Alexandar au Arcos watched in awe as his grandfather - the Master of the Willow Way Lorn au Arcos - trained the latest and the most infomous of Institute champions - the ArchPrimus Darrow au Andromedus. Now a lancer of House Augustus, his grandfather decided to take him as his student, the first in more than 30 years.

They called him the Reaper of Mars and they said he slayed a Bellona boy with his bare hands. They, being a pair of careless Praetors that talked in the boardRoom, very unaware of a child hiding in plain sight - a secret hideout carved into a marble column. He should tell his grandfather of his stellar spying techniques, but then he would be forbidden from utilizing them again.

Darrow au Andromedus looked every bit the killer he was. Taller than his grandfather, with wide, strong shoulders, he had a savage, cold danger about him that froze everyone off. He moved beautifully, without wasting any movement. He worked hard to master the Willow Way, but he had the right skills for it, otherwise Lorn au Arcos wouldn't waste time with him. He came specifically for him to Agea, although the stronghold of House Arcos is in Elysium.

The trainning razor made harsh whipping sounds in a flurry of fast motions - as Lorn's bo staff came down aiming for the Reaper's head, he ducked a bit and whipped it in half. The two halves were near his torso. That was quality right there, he's been trainning for a few weeks and he's become this good. It was almost terrifying - he didn't understand whether his grandfather was creating a monster or adopting a son.

As soon as his grandfather saw him watching, he asked him to leave, 'This is no place for children,' he muttered in a slashing tone. He didn't wait to be told twice.

The next day, he woke himself at the crack of dawn and sneaked into the trainningRoom. He planned to imitate the movements he saw yesterday with an actual practise razor, no more half-arsed stuff on the balcony garden using twine and sticks. As he entered with his eyes at the closing door, he exhaled with relief.

'You must be Lorn's grandson, Alexandar!,' the Reaper's voice echoed in the room and stopped the child's heart in his tiny chest. His back jumoed against the wall by sheer instinct. The man was twirling a bo-staff in his right hand with the ease of a Circus Violet and he looked like he's been practising for a bit, before he arrived.

'You know, I have a friend who is just as sneaky as you are. Yet, if you want to learn the Willow Way without Lorn's knowing, you'll need more than watching me and then sneaking in here to practise later.'

'Would you...be willing to help me?', he was scared of him, but held his gaze as he tried to calm his heartbeat.

'Well, Lorn is strict and rigurous teacher. I might as well have some fun when it presents itself,' he shruged. 'By the way, you might want to look for blueprints of this mansion, just in case you'll need to get in and out of here without anyone noticing you. I don't mind Lorn being upset at me, but while I might get some muscle aches, you might get into a nastier situation.'

'What's your friend's name?'he asked, making mental notes to check the blueprints later.

'Sevro', he smiled. 'His name is Sevro.'

Alexandar approached Darrow and reach out his hand, 'Well, it's nice to meet you, Darrow! I mean, teacher!'. Darrow shook Alexandar's small hand and smiled. He very much liked the kid.

'Due to the restraints, I'll just teach you and help you practise the basiscs every dawn. Now, go warm up.'

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When Servilla au Arcos asked him to take Alexandar, her son, as his lancer, Darrow smiled remembering the boy who found the courage to look him in the eyes after he spooked him. Not a few minutes into trainning for the first time, he confessed to telling everyone from the family and the staff that the Reaper of Mars eats glass.

He invited Alex to dinner with the Howlers and the ebthusiastic youth hit it off quickly. He sneaked on Sevro, took his favourite toothpick from his boot and slammed it into the huge, tender stake on Sevro's plate. Sevro then proceeded to make a fuss, but accepted the boy, semi-reluctantly. Screwface and Clown kept trying to tempt him into a nasty drink off, while Peeble declared him a worthy Pup, the very first the Howlers ever officially had.

During a Willow Way training session, Darrow's voice echoed from the trainningRoom: 'How are you going to teach my son what I taught you at his age, if you aren't holding your posture right?'. He was carrying his son on his big shoulders. The child looked exactly like the Reaper. Their smiles were different, though, Pax looked more like his mother, the Sovereign, when he smiled.

'Apologizes, sir,' he gave a tired nod.

'You are my lancer, Alexandar, because you deserve it. I've known you since you were a wee one who spread scary rumours about me. I had my offers and pleas and only you got the job, because it's only you I trust,' he put Pax down and gave him a practise razor.

'Now, you can practise the basics with Pax, sunce you look like you need to revise them again. I do worn you, he knows the sequences with his eyes closed.' He retreated at the back of the room, pulled out a book from a shelf and sat in a wooden chair.

'Hi, kiddo! I'm Alex! Did you know I made up the rumour about your da' eating glass?'. Pax's cristalline laugh ecjoed in the room.

'Start, already!'

I ended up writing a small one-shot about my favourite Pup, Alexandar au Arcos. It's all @m-austinbooks 's fault, because she reminded me of how much Darrow loved Alex. And now everyone shall cry with me because why not. I am a lousy writer, but I am ok with this piece, so...YAY, i guess!

[darrowsrising]

Ajax and Diomedes are cousins - their fathers are brothers, they hold the cloak of the Storm Knight in their respective corners of the Solar System and they are regarded as the best duelists too. Yet, they are complete polar opposites of each other, it's like they are mirroring each other, depending on how you look at it.

Same with Alexandar and Lysander! But the aesthetics are better for the former pair.

[darrowsrising]

unpopular opinions about alex?

The only one I have is this:

Even Alexandar wasn't killed by Lysander, Lysander is still very much deserving of dying, because it's not Alex's death the point of no return, but it's more like a culmination of horrible things that he thought and did throughout Dark Age. The point of no return for me is what he did and what he allowed to happen in Heliopolis.

Sorry, I know it's not exactly 100% Alexandar, but I pretty much have the same opinion the fandom does - I love him, I adore him, he deserved better etc.

Howl on!

[darrowsrising]

alex/rhonna for the ship game?

You are very sadistic, anon!

Who was the one to propose:

Alex proposed one day when everything was peaceful and he was so blissfully happy, he didn't know what could possibly make the day better. And then he did.

Who stressed more over wedding planning:

Their parents were quite the annoying with the ppanning, so they asked Darrow and Virginia if they can get married on a mission, so the royal couple had to invent one thatvincluded the annoying loved ones.

Who decorated the house:

Servilla did. Rhonna didn't truly care and Alex just wanted space and quality. Servilla devorated it with gusto, but also used a lot of sentimental stuff - Rhonna has a garage where she can tincker with her mech and it has pictures and mementos in a corner, where she could see them. For Alex, she included a sparing ground and a corner dedicated to all his throphies.

Who does the cooking:

Alex is a pretty good cook. He makes her dinner when she is tired.

Who is more organized:

Alex. Rhonna is very disciplined, but being Darrow's Lancer made Alex an organization stickler.

Who initiates bedroom fun:

Alex likes to touch her and plant little chaste kisses every now and then, he would caress her softly for a few seconds and so on. Almost to just make sure she is there, so when Rhonna jumps his bones, he is a bit surprised, but he really shouldn't.

Who suggested kids first:

Rhonna. The matter of kids was always up to her as far as Alex was concerned. He could pick an heir from his cousins' children as far as he was concerned. She dictated this. If she wanted to use clonning or carving or whatever, he was completely down for it.

Who’s more dominant:

Alex is more teasing, but Rhonna is wilder.

Who’s the cuddler:

Alexandar. He just loves to cuddle with her. Rhonna won't admit it, but she likes it more than she lets on.

What’s their favorite non-sexual activity:

HoverBike rides, fun, little games they got used to playimg with the Howlers, dancing - they are great dancers!

Who comes home drunk at 3am:

Again, if Sevro mixes, both get very drunk home.

Who kills the spiders:

Rhonna. Alex pretends he doesn't see them, because he doesn'tvlike touching them.

Who falls asleep first:

Alexandar. Rhonna falls asleep by counting his breaths ans heartbeat. She needs reassurance.

Their relationship summed up in a gif:

[darrowsrising]

Howler Rule no. 1: Never Bow

Alexandar au Arcos died a Howler - he refused to bow to a Pixie and got shot in the head for it.

Hail Arcos!