#ch: daeran arendae

[arendaes]

Thank you to @aevari for this wonderful comm! It turned out better than my wildest dreams and I can't stop staring 💕💕💕

[alterdaes]

Finally made it to Act Two! 🥳 Also, we're doing things a little differently this time and taking Galfrey along. I'm kinda reformulating some things in my headcanon, namely how she and the OC I intend to have romance her meet...but more on that later. Have Ariadne hiding her joy at Daeran not leaving behind some light-hearted teasing (at least, that's how she sees it.)

[aezyrraeshh]

PATHFINDER: WRATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS [9/?] ➣ PUSH DAERAN INTO THE WATER

[dragonologist-phd]

they're besties 💖

[spyridonya]

21 - collapse and 40 - pet for Kadira, Lann and Daeran?

Send me a number and I’ll write a micro story using the word or phrase - 43: undone (10 sentences)

21 - Collapse

The words on the page become unfocused, the light not quite so bright as the tiefling fights off a yawn despite not wanting to put down her pen from her work. Between one yawn and the next, she finds her head tipping down to the expanse of the Hall's meeting table, her forearm as a pillow and her lashes drifting lower and lower.

The commander nearly jerks to full consciousnesses when someone lifts her out of the chair to carry her princess style out of the room and through the hallway. However, it's only for a moment. The weight of her lashes feel so heavy and the warmth of the body feels so good, she doesn't fight.

Fingers brush over a warm scaled shoulder and the tiefling smiles and continues to smile as she's carried to her room, to her bed, and finds herself placed in the middle of it. It's almost instantly a body presses to her right side, seeking her warmth, an aasimar's face pressed against her neck.

The last thing Kadira remembers before falling asleep is the shift of weight in the bed, and a second body is pressed to her left side, touching her face gently with warm human hands as covers are drawn over them all, soft and safe.

40 - Pet

Their sleeping arrangement settled into two variants: Kadira or Daeran occupy the middle of the bed (Lann won't because he's worried about his horn).

Tonight it was Daeran's turn with Lann pressed against his form and Kadee curled up besides him, her tail tangled between their legs.

The count keeps his vigil despite twice the comfort and intimacy surround him, when suddenly a shape lands on the bed with a thump, causing his heart to leap to his throat.

He watches in the darkness as that delicate shape crawls on top of Kadira (who snores so softy) to survey the room.

The shape meows.

Without hesitation, Tiger pads off the tiefling to sit on Daeran's chest, turning once, then twice, in a circle before curling on top of the blonde man and begins to purr loudly.

Sourly, the aasimar finds he would rather deal with his otherworldly parasites in this moment as he stares ruefully at the cat.

In response, Tiger tucks his head under Daeran's chin, continuing to purr for the rest of the night.

[arendaes]

Finally made good on my threat promise to get my favorite meme done Ariadne-style. Done by the wonderful @nen-the-pigeon, who still has comms open on VGen!

[arendaes]

By Any Other Name

This is my one prompt fill for the AU Roulette Challenge 2024! The other two prompts I got were not to my taste, but thankfully the one that was, Fairy Tale AU, was more than enough to get the creative juices flowing. In fact, it kinda spiraled and I'm now writing a full-blown longfic 😅

Fandom: Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous

Rating: M to be safe

Warnings: None

Relationship: Commander/Daeran/Woljif (F/M/M)

Ariadne Trias had a promising future, one that was ripped away after a terrible accident left her scarred with a mysterious wound. After relocating to a small town named Heaven's Edge with her family, Ariadne finds herself drawn to two of the local boys. Woljif Jefto is a thief, one she feels a particular kinship with, while the imperious attitude of Daeran, the only son of the town's ruling Countess, reels her in despite herself. Together, the three of them forge a bond that can withstand time, and someone who's set their sights on Ariadne for a different purpose fully intends to test them... This is a Fairy Tale AU, originally started for AU Roulette Swap 2024, based on East of the Sun and West of the Moon and the Ballad of Tam Lin. There is still some of the original game's lore here but be warned this is heavily AU and I've taken a lot of liberties with the source material!

[arendaes]

from the micro story prompts: 48) rampage

@outeremissary thank you both for the prompt! We're back to Dance of Masks for this one, so there's spoilers in this one!

48. Rampage (Ariadne/Daeran/Woljif, 354 words)

“Must you make such a racket?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, are we inconveniencing you? Might I remind you that you -”

“Enough! You do not have to make your point. Again.” Ariadne could swear she saw Razmir’s eyes narrowed to slits behind his mask, but he said nothing further as he watched her and her companions continue to tear through his palace. Tough luck - he’d offered this up as restitution, and while it might not be possible to completely dismantle the palace brick by brick, that didn’t mean they weren’t going to try.

Woljif mumbled something beside her, tossing a golden candelabra into the pile of treasure that sat in the middle of the room. He’d actually tried to remove the bricks from the walls and only had a broken dagger and several marble flakes to show for it. It had put him in quite a mood. Well, more of a mood.

Most of their other companions had dispersed throughout the palace, looking high and low for anything of value that was easy to transport back to Mendev. Besides them, only Ulbrig had remained in the great hall, not taking his eyes off Razmir and muttering under his breath about “fey tricksters” the entire time.

The sound of boots screeching across tile caught all of their attention. They turned to find Daeran rushing down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Excitement burned in his eyes, a look mirrored in Ariadne when he reached her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. Razmir wasn’t standing close enough to hear, but Ulbrig was, and he let out a hearty chuckle as they caught Woljif’s attention and all three of them hurried up the stairs and out of the hall.

“It would appear they’ve found your bedroom!” Ulbrig said when they were gone. Razmir titled his head. “Let’s put it this way - I hope you pay your cleaning staff well. And I don’t just mean because of all the mincemeat we’ve made of your followers.”

Razmir sighed. He would think twice before agreeing to another stunt like this again. The Commander had earned her reputation honestly indeed.

[arendaes]

37. defy

Thank you! This one's a bit longer than the others since it's the last one. I promise I'll actually write the date they're going to at some point. Dance of Masks spoilers below!

37. defy (Ariadne/Daeran/Woljif, 712 words)

“I am sleeping, Commander. As you should be.”

Regill’s admonishment from moments ago rang in her mind. He was right, of course, but tonight Ariadne was of a mind to defy all sound advice and common sense. It was late - or perhaps early - and they were due to return to Drezen tomorrow, but sleep was not high on her list of priorities. Every nerve in her body felt alive, and as the boozy haze that’d pervaded her senses had faded, she found there was only one thing she wanted.

Well, two things, and she needed to find them.

It didn’t help that she’d turned from Regill’s cot, having rethought the urge to poke him, and found Daeran had already abandoned his short-lived turn as a philosopher. There wasn’t a trace of him to be found, and the remaining group had been most unhelpful, having no idea where he’d gone.

She rounded the corner into the main room of the tavern, hoping to catch up with him, and froze at what she saw. All thoughts of finding Daeran fled at the sight of Woljif crouching down beside a passed-out patron, rummaging through the man’s pockets and muttering to himself.

“Huh!” she said, just loud enough for Woljif to hear, crossing her arms as she did so. He froze, eyes widening before he slowly looked up at her.

“I, um…hey Ari! Can’t sleep, huh? I can’t blame you.” His smile was guilty and sheepish.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Maybe it was the exhaustion she hadn’t felt moments before finally creeping into her voice, or maybe it was just his conscience catching up with him, but Woljif flushed.

“It’s…it’s nothing! It was for me, for old time’s sake. To prove I still got it.” Woljif looked at the fistful of coins clenched in his hands. “It’s not like I’m stealing from our people, and they don’t got much on them anyways.”

“The people in this tavern are ‘our’ people too.” She moved closer but stopped just shy of touching him. “Put it back.”

Woljif glared at his fist, and she couldn’t tell if it was because of her or himself. But he sighed and crouched down, stuffing the coins haphazardly back in the man’s pocket. His mark barely stirred, mumbling something about his mother before trying to burrow further into the soiled carpet.

When he stood, Ariadne closed the distance between them, wrapping one arm around his waist and bringing the other hand to his chin, gently guiding him down so she could place a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”

A blush stained Woljif’s cheeks, but before he could say anything a polite cough drew both of their attention behind them.

The source was a familiar half-elf, dressed in the fine clothes and nervously glancing between the two of them. “Commander? Sir, um, Lord Jefto? Do you remember me?”

Ariadne nodded at the same time Woljif whispered, “Lord Jefto?”

“I-I’ve been promoted since we last met! Count Arendae has made me his herald, and that’s why I’m here. My first official duty is to extend an invitation to the two of you, to meet the Count at a secret and secluded rendezvous location.”

Ariadne and Woljif exchanged glances, both of their eyes full of questions. Before they could ask any of them, he continued, “I promise I’ll convey you both there with all the decorum that befits your rank! There is a carriage waiting just outside. Count Arendae is already at the rendezvous site, waiting for you. He also told me to tell you that if you’re wondering why he didn’t personally invite you, it’s because you all are important people, and communicating through heralds and servants is how things are done!”

“Oh really?” The servant paled at the obvious displeasure in Ariadne’s voice.

“What’d ya think, Chief? We gonna take him up on it?”

“Of course we are. I know you’re just as curious as I am, and I was hoping to…spend time with the two of you tonight anyways.” Ariadne didn’t bother to hide the mischievous grin that played on her lips. “I don’t know about you, though, but I intend to continue giving him a piece of my mind face to face. Starting right now.”

[arendaes]

number 46, 'shimmer' for the ask game?

Thank you! Since I had already been asked this one I decided to make this one a bit of a successor to that micro story. Dance of Masks spoilers in this one as well!

46. shimmer part 2 (Daeran/Woljif, 516 words)

Of all the “if you told him he’d be doing this a year and some change ago he wouldn’t have believed you” moments Woljif had experienced during this crusade, this one was probably at the top. Sure, going to the Abyss, reuniting with his long-lost grandfather, turning down said grandfather’s promise of power, and finding himself in bed with not one but two people were all things he’d qualify as unexpected. But him dancing in the middle of the Defender’s Heart without a care in the world? That was something the old him would’ve balked at, for several reasons.

“See, Chief? My tail…did you see it?” Woljif turned in the direction he heard Ariadne’s giggle coming from, effectively making himself dizzy as this was fifth time he’d twirled in under a minute. He threw out his arms, hoping to break the inevitable fall.

To his surprise, it worked. His hands collided with something solid, yet soft. His fingers curled instinctively. He knew this fabric.

As soon as the world stopped spinning and he felt he could look up without feeling sick, he did so. Right into Daeran’s smug, bemused face.

“Have you been drinking?” He had, but he didn’t want to admit that. He didn’t want to lie either, though. That left only one course of action.

“Have you been drinking?” That earned a smile from Dae, one of his real ones that still felt like they were rare as gold and twice as valuable.

“I think we’ve all been drinking,” he said with a chuckle, stepping closer to him. Woljif had to fight the urge to step back, to shrink out of his touch as one of Daeran’s arms wrapped around his waist. He pulled him closer, swaying in time with the now crooning melody coming from the stage. “Though I’m not the one nearly falling over myself on the dance floor.”

“No, you were just holdin’ court and askin’ for absurd compliments. That’s much better.” Woljif rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips. He wondered if Daeran realized there was glitter on his cheek, the shimmer of it enticing him to reach up and touch it.

“Hm, perhaps you’re right. Our beloved Ariadne delivered the best one, but the rest of them made a poor showing of it. I should’ve stuck closer to the two of you - not only are your commendations better, but they’re actually sincere.” He paused for a moment, continuing to lead their slow dance across the floor. A shadow of doubt flashed over his features, and he added a characteristic, “I hope?”

Woljif decided to give in to his impulse, reaching up to brush his cheek right under the streak of glitter. “Of course! In fact, I’ll give you one right now. For a price.”

“Oh you little -” Whatever protest Daeran was about to voice was cut off by Woljif’s lips on his own, his tail snaking around his body to pull him even closer than they’d already been. Judging by the smirk pressed against his lips, it was a price Daeran was happy to pay.

[arendaes]

If I ever pass up the opportunity to play with characters in photo mode like they're dolls, assume I'm dead. Anyways, I call this set "Evening in Gundrun" because I like to pretend my screen archery is serious business.

[arendaes]

Only had a little bit of time to play tonight but guess what scene I got ~

[arendaes]

Hm. Actually, I like the idea of Daeran being a trans man who's fully transitioned via Serum of Sex Shift. I think I am going to adopt that headcanon, thanks @rollofleaf.

[arendaes]

shimmer and/or nightfall for any of the owlcat beloveds 👀💜

I'll do Shimmer as someone else has asked for Nightfall! This also has mild Dance of Masks spoilers!

46. Shimmer (Ariadne/Daeran, 419 words)

“Ariadne! We can hardly start the evening with you. Will you join us?”

Greybor’s sonorous voice shook Daeran out of the reverie he’d fallen into. It had been a long day, one that’d seen him kidnapped twice - two times too many, for the record - and his worldview thoroughly rattled once. And then, once he’d found himself in a safe place, he’d been abandoned by both his lovers - one to the lure of scoping out his old stomping grounds, and the other to their horde of fawning admirers!

Still, far be it from him to let his disappointment - no, dissatisfaction! - show.

“Ah, there you are, my darling,” he said simply, giving Ariadne a lazy smile across the table. The fact they’d made a beeline for him as soon as they entered did make him feel slightly better. The fact he’d made sure to be seated as close to the door as possible while also being clearly visible certainly had nothing to do with it, he was sure. “I’ve been waiting for you to arrive. I have something to show you.”

Ariadne cocked their head, lips curved in a curious smile. Oh, how he adored that look! He hoped to see it on their face several more times this evening, but for now he opted to keep his casual air as he flicked his hand, releasing the glitter bomb that’d been in his coat pocket for the better part of the day. He’d planned to use it much earlier, but circumstances had conspired against him. Their grin as the shimmering smoke died down to reveal the wine and glasses he’d carefully transfigured and charmed to appear when he’d finally detonated the bomb was more than worth it.

“Oh, bravo!” Ariadne laughed, clapping lightly before picking up one of the glasses and holding it to the light. It was a strange shape, round at the rim before narrowing then flaring again at the stem, and one he knew would capture their attention.

“I knew you’d like it,” he said airily, not hiding his own pleased smile as he picked up his own glass, “Raise your glass and praise me with a toast.”

With a smirk, Ariadne did just that. “To love!”

“To me!” He took a sip, then set the glass down haphazardly, reaching across the table to pull Ariadne him.

Greybor shot a withering look at the couple kissing above him, then shrugged and picked up the abandoned third glass. The wine had glitter in it, but otherwise, it was pretty good.

[arendaes]

Just sitting here, thinking about the Ascended Angel AU. About how it's the less happy ending for Ariadne and Daeran specifically, because they're forced into positions of power that neither wanted to be in. How, despite that, it doesn't matter if they regret ascending because neither one of them could have returned to their previous lives now that they met each other. And that fact actually makes their newfound divinity slightly more bearable.

[arendaes]

I would love to see an outline of what you'd do with Knight-Commander Daeran Arendae!

Thank you for this ask! When I looked at the possible AUs for the challenge, I did think a bit about a role-swap between the Throuple, where Ari is the cursed Countess, Daeran is the street-smart thief, and Woljif is the intrepid adventurer from Absalom, but I’m assuming you want to know about Count Daeran as the Knight-Commander. I’ve got to admit I’m a bit nervous posting this, because I’m not sure everyone’s going to agree with my assessment.

Right off the bat, I think he’d take the scroll and try to get out of the square. He didn’t want to be there anyways, and taking on Deskari is not a move that would ensure his continued survival. Part of me does like to think he’d take the crossbow just to get a shot in, but honestly I’m not sure that’s something that’d occur to him in the moment.

He’d hide the Light of Heaven from the mongrels (in no small part just to be spiteful to anything angelic) but choose Lann at the end of the Shield Maze. I can’t see him trusting someone who’s shown they have a taste for aasimar.

Would probably kill Hulrun to protect Ramien, but act like he’s doing to because he’s always wanted to and the old codger finally gave him an excuse.

Meeting with Galfrey after the Grey Garrison would be incredibly tense and oh, I would love to be a fly on that wall.

Would not help the Hellknights at Reliable Redoubt. Would probably actually laugh in Yaker’s face at the suggestion.

This leads to an interesting question - what would happen with Liotr? Perhaps Liotr would try to find a way to covertly investigate, and then help him? This is one I’m really not sure on, because Daeran’s storyline really relies on him not being the Commander.

As for his mythic path choice, my answer’s probably going to be controversial. Angel’s obviously out, he’s made his feelings on this clear. Same with Aeon. I honestly can’t see him going Lich or Demon either; the former would cause him to lose his looks, and the latter…we all know how he feels about demons, I can’t see him willingly becoming one. That leaves the only two paths he expresses approval of - Azata and Trickster. Trickster seems the most likely for his alignment, but I think Azata might call to him, especially given his Musetouched blood.

From there, how things would turn out would really depend on which path he picked. An Azata!Daeran would probably turn out closer to his Good ending whereas a Trickster!Daeran would be closer to his Happy ending. Or maybe Azata!Daeran would just utterly fail and go Devil. I think ultimately it would depend on who’s at his side influencing him. If he has companion!Ariadne I’d like to think he’d be an Azata to Legend commander myself.

Speaking of - I think whether or not he’d keep his powers would be a hard choice for him. On one hand, he has a chance to spite the goddess he loathes. On the other, his powers are killing him, and as Daeran repeatedly tells us he very much likes living…I do think there’s a chance the desire to live would outweigh the spite.

One thing I do like about the idea of Trickster!Daeran is with that path's ending he'd be able to save Regill from the Bleaching in a truly Daeran fashion 😂