#crimson-haired princess of annihilation

[domina-noctisim]

❝ Annihilate? Your father? What- Hold on a second! ❞ @ichihero

That's way more information than he can handle. It's like these days he can't take a step in any direction without somebody trying to fight him, and just because he got used to it doesn't make it any easier. All Ichiban can do is sigh and gesture around himself in frustration, showing that he's alone. Only an idiot would try to take down the Chairman of the Tojo Clan by himself.

❝ Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that the Sixth Chairman is my friend - hierarchy and all that - but we know each other! ❞ Apparently not well enough, because Daigo sure as hell didn't mention having an adult daughter!

He also never said anything about a wife or anything like that. Wait. The Chairman is like, what, only one year older than him? And he already has a grown-up child? When did he have time for all that?! They both went away for the family, although Ichiban stayed in jail for much longer. Yeah! It must have happened before he went to jail, which is why he never heard about it.

❝ So you're his child, huh? I mean, I can totally see the resemblance! You both have... dark hair. And the... um... ❞ Oh no, he can't come up with anything else.

Vermilion   hues   narrowed   a   little,   studying   the   other   cautiously   and   with   interest.   Her   lack   of   familiarity   with   him   led   to   her   concern.   Invading   Tojo's   headquarters   requires   a   considerable   amount   of   audacity   that   only   a   fool   would   possess.   The   premises   were   under   careful   surveillance.   “Then,   I   guess   I   can   consider   you   a   friend.”   Uttered   using   a   softer   timbre.   With   equanimity,   she   stepped   back   from   the   entrance.   In   the   event   of   his   dishonesty,   Ai   would   be   inclined   to   aggressively   pierce   his   flesh   with   her   canines,   ideal   for   causing   anguish.   His   appearance   was   appetizing,   just   as   the   marvelous   elixir   flowed   through   his   veins.

“He   adopted   me   when   I   had   no   one   else.   He   gave   me   a   home,   so   I   promised   myself   I   would   do   anything   to   protect   him.   Even   if   I   need   to   kill   and   mutilate   people.”   The   princess   of   the   fortress,   an   almost   cryptic   secret   weapon.   A   fair   maiden,   bearing   a   resemblance   to   both   a   nymph   and   a   siren.   Similar   to   a   siren,   she   handled   her   attributes   to   allure   and   liquidate   those   whom   she   deemed   dangerous,   a   peril   to   Daigo's   well-being.   He   welcomed   her   despite   her   natural   immortality   and   her   rapacious   desire   for   blood.   “I   apologize   if   my   tone   came   across   as   hostile.”   A   gentle   smile   materialized   upon   her   margins,   while   her   beguiling   contour   bend,   showing   him   respect,   courtesy.   “I’m   Ai,   pleased   to   meet   you.   And   you   are?”   With   a   sense   of   intrigue,   she   lifted   her   peculiar   crimson   hues   to   meet   his   gaze.

[damnedsoulsneedsleep]

ABOUT NYX 

FULL NAME: ARTHENICE DE LANCRE NYX

NICKNAMES: LADY OF THE NIGHT, NYXIE, L’OMBAGREUSE, QUEEN OF EMBERS, CHILD OF THE BLEEDING MOON, HARBINGER OF DEATH AND CARNAGE, THE BLOODWEAVER

PRONOUNS: SHE/HER

SEXUALITY: BISEXUAL, POLYAMROUS

AGE: 28 YO at time of death / 429 (spent most of this time being tortured in Hell because she sold her soul and she also refused LUCIFER’s marriage proposal)

EYE COLOR: DARK BROWN / CRIMSON RED

HAIR COLOR: DARK AS NIGHT

SPECIES: MORTAL WITCH SEELIE OR HALFLING, TURNED VAMPIRE VERSE READ ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES HERE

FAMILY (biological mother) SEELIE QUEEN TATIANA (adoptive father) PIERRE DE LANCRE (jules and julian's ancestor) † (descendant of her adoptive father and business partner) FINN DE LANCRE  (adoptive child) LUCINDA L’ESPÉRANCE (who was in fact LUX) †   

SIRE: SAGE

PARTNERS: ENORA CLAIRE (ancestor of Evanora, Serafine and Mike), SAGE 

PLACE OF BIRTH: SEELIE REALM READ LORE HERE

PLACE OF RESIDENCE:  MORTAL WORLD, SEELIE REALM, HELL, DARK DIMENSION

OCCUPATION: NOBLEWOMAN, OUTLAW,  REGENT OF THE CIRCLE OF EMBERS,  PRISONER OF HELL, WAR GENERAL, DESIGNER/SEAMSTRESS

LANGUAGES: FRENCH, ENGLISH, FAE, DEMONIC

BIOGRAPHY

TW:  STORY CONTAINS TOPICS SUCH AS ABUSE, RELIGIOUS TRAUMA, LOSS, INFERTILITY AND MOTHERHOOD

The lost princess was born under a blood moon and a sky devoid of stars. A bad omen, they all said. A harbinger of death and carnage. Perhaps her disappearance will bring prosperity to the kingdom after all. 

From day one, she hadn’t been destined for grandeur. As a first born child MARKED BY THE BLEEDING MOON, there was no way Princess Velara would ever ascend to the Seelie Throne of her mother’s kingdom and so she was raised at the palace (by servants) up until the tender age of 3. The Queen had only kept her around as backup heir in case she couldn’t conceive another one. Though as soon as the Queen found out she was pregnant with the legitimate heir, SHE ORDERED FOR HER FIRST CHILD TO BE KILLED IN A CLANDESTINE SACRIFICE to the Great Mother to bring prosperity to the kingdom. Fortunately for the little one, a servant snatched her just in time, glamoured her and tossed her into a portal for her own protection. LITTLE DID THE SERVANT KNOW THAT THE CHILD SHE’D SAVED WOULD WIND UP IN THE HANDS OF A HUNTER…  

She was found in the hollow of a tree by A WEALTHY HUNTER NAMED PIERRE DE LANCRE and was raised by him whilst also being of the very kind he hunted. He named her Arthenice (an anagram of the name Catherine, which means pure). And as the man who raised her held her on a pedestal, bragging about her being some kind of saint/savior who would point in the direction of magic users (she was able to feel magic in others), SHE GREW TO HATE ANY MANIFESTATION OF MAGIC IN HERSELF, WHICH SHE SUPPRESSED AND KEPT HIDDEN UNTIL SHE LET IT ALL OUT IN PUBLIC AS HER HANDMAIDEN AND ONLY FRIEND ENORA WAS BEING UNJUSTLY ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT. The men who held the innocent girl bled from all orifices of their faces until their bodies went limp and lifeless. That’s when the pure one they painted her as finally earned the devil’s child title.  She wasn’t a miracle child anymore nor a successful experiment of the church. She was its ruination and she needed to be annihilated. She was ultimately rescued by the friend she’d saved who turned out to be a magic user as well but was just very good at concealing her magic from her special sight. Both of them fled after Enora unleashed a curse on the village (a plague of paranoia that had the villagers turn against each other until they all burned at the stake). ENORA TAUGHT HER ALL SHE KNEW BECAUSE SHE ASKED HER TO. SHE WANTED TO KNOW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT WITCHCRAFT, ALL SHE WAS MISSING, LACKING. AND FROM FRIENDS AND MASTER/APPRENTICE, THEY BECAME LOVERS. Later, Enora was killed by hunters and she swore to avenge her death. To harness more power, SHE SACRIFICED HER ABILITY TO BRING LIFE INTO THIS WORLD. Power and rage was all she had left now. Even after avenging Enora’s death, she didn’t feel any better. IT WAS AN ENDLESS NIGHT, ONE EVEN THE BLOOD OF HER ENEMIES COULDN’T BRIGHTEN. 

THAT’S WHEN NYX AND THE CIRCLE OF EMBERS WAS BORN. Finding a new purpose, creating a community but, even then, THE THIRST FOR POWER STILL REMAINS AS A WAY TO FILL THE VOID. She makes quite a reputation as a young but powerful sorceress, known as both a tyrant and a savior among her kind. SHE HAS NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE WHO PERSECUTES OTHERS FOR THE SAKE OF BEING BORN LIKE THEY ARE AND FEELS A KINSHIP WITH THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO SUCH TREATMENT. Those who are part of her small yet powerful coven are considered untouchable. Her coven accomplishes deeds for supernatural beings in exchange for payment in the form of magical artefacts  orreturns of favor they would come to collect eventually and often without warning.  She’ll be known as Lady Night or the Queen of Embers. 

After Enora’s death, she buries herself in a quest for power but still longs for something more. Later when she was 25, she made a deal, selling her soul to protect the one person (adoptive child who was 10 yo at the time) that made her feel that spark of life again. Upon her arrival in Hell six years later (when she was 28 yo and the child 18), she found out that the being she bargained with was the actual Devil/Lucifer/Satan. He told her she could escape an eternity of torment if she accepted to be his wife. She spat in his face for only answer and he condemned her to endless torture whilst the child she’d made her own remained unharmed, had a fulfilling life and peacefully died of old age.

APOLLYON SAGE, LUCIFER’S SON, EVENTUALLY USED HIS SINGLE GET-OUT-OF-HELL FREE CARD TO FREE HER SOUL BEFORE THE REBELLION AGAINST HELL. Eventually, he asked her to marry him and become his Queen in the Dark Dimension but she refused. He respected her decision to not marry him and they resumed their relationship where they left off. Sage is the only person she let into her heart so far and she panicked when he asked her to marry him and be his queen because she knows what having power does to her and she’s terrified of falling back into those old patterns again. She told him she couldn’t marry him because she hadn’t processed her wife’s death, which is true but she keeps the other reasons for herself. Also, NYX IS STILL LINKED TO LUCIFER TO THIS DAY (he did it as a way to make sure Sage would never attempt to kill him because it would’ve meant killing his new love too). Even though her soul had been freed by Sage, she still isn’t able to leave Hell’s territory (for a long period of time) because of that curse. THE DARK DIMENSION IS THE FARTHEST SHE CAN GO AND THE CLOSEST TO EARTH SHE’LL EVER BE UNLESS THEY FIND A WAY TO BREAK THAT CONNECTION. If Nyx dies while living a life where she gives into her old patterns of Greed, she will end up right back into Hell and Sage’s gesture would’ve been for nothing. 

NOWADAYS, SHE’S ON AN ENDLESS QUEST TO FIND PURPOSE. She tries many things/hobbies. She currently working with FINN designing and providing gender-affirming clothing for trans and non-binary youth. She also helps pregnant people get safe abortions. Despite these modern missions of hers, SHE STRUGGLES TO ADJUST TO THE 21ST CENTURY. That’s the reason she remains in the Dark Dimension most of the time because it is modeled after the Renaissance Era, which is the time period she lived through as an earthling.

MORE FACTS

She is furious when someone breaks their word with her as she always keeps her own (some might say she does not, but if those people listened carefully to every word she says before bargaining with her, they’d know better than to complain). She despises when people lie to her and is quite prone to revenge.

She’s a master of deception and a great secret keeper. 

Several times in her life, she fell for people, often more than one person at a time, but denied herself this deeper connection, sticking to something casual instead, because loving as deeply as she could felt like betraying her wife’s memory. She’s also convinced she doesn’t deserve to be loved so deeply once again because of all the evil deeds she’s committed to fulfill her revenge fantasies and quench her thirst for power. 

She never really processed her wife’s death. She never got the chance to give her love a proper burial. She should’ve been there to protect her but she wasn’t and she will never forgive herself for what happened that day. 

She makes all her clothes herself. Sewing is a comfort for her, same for making potions. 

She cares for very few people and will always be willing to do whatever it takes, including killing, to keep them safe. She didn’t hesitate to kill a child in order to protect her own adoptive one. 

She has had multiple occasions of escaping her abusive caretaker but she never escaped until that person threatened to harm her love. The reason Nyx has stayed for so long is because she knew they would find another kid to brainwash/experiment on if she left and she didn’t want another kid to go through this, especially if she knew she could prevent another soul from suffering by enduring it all herself. Nyx wouldn’t fight for her own survival, but she did fight fiercely to protect the one person she cared about back then.

[bloodmoonborn]

FULL NAME: NYX

NICKNAMES: NYXIE /THE LOST PRINCESS / QUEEN OF EMBERS / LADY NIGHT / L’OMBRAGEUSE / CHILD OF THE BLEEDING MOON / HARBINGER OF DEATH AND CARNAGE / THE BLOODWEAVER / UN-MOTHER (EXCLUSIVE TO CARDAN)

PRONOUNS: SHE/HER 

SEXUALITY: BISEXUAL, POLYAMOROUS

AGE: 429 / 22-28  VERSE DEPENDENT

EYE COLOR:  DARK BROWN, CRIMSON 

HAIR COLOR: DARK AS NIGHT 

SPECIES:  MORTAL WITCH SEELIE OR HALFLING, 

TURNED VAMPIRE VERSE DEPENDENT

PLACE OF BIRTH: SEELIE REALM

PLACE OF RESIDENCE: MORTAL WORLD, FAERIELAND, HELL, DARK DIMENSION VERSE DEPENDENT

OCCUPATION: NOBLEWOMAN, OUTLAW,  REGENT OF THE CIRCLE OF EMBERS,  PRISONER OF HELL, WAR GENERAL, DESIGNER/SEAMSTRESS 

FACECLAIM: MADHULIKA SHARMA

tw:  story contains topics such as abuse, religious trauma, loss, infertility and motherhood

The lost princess was born under a blood moon and a sky devoid of stars. A bad omen, they all said. A harbinger of death and carnage. Perhaps her disappearance will bring prosperity to the kingdom after all. 

From day one, she hadn’t been destined for grandeur. As a first born child marked by the bleeding moon, there was no way Princess Velara would ever ascend to the Seelie Throne of her mother’s kingdom and so she was raised at the palace (by servants) up until the tender age of 3. The Queen had only kept her around as backup heir in case she couldn’t conceive another one. Though as soon as the Queen found out she was pregnant with the legitimate heir, she ordered for her first child to be killed in a clandestine sacrifice to the Great Mother to bring prosperity to the kingdom. Fortunately for the little one, a servant snatched her just in time, glamoured her and tossed her into a portal for her own protection. Little did the servant know that the child she’d saved would wind up in the hands of a hunter…  

She was found in the hollow of a tree by a wealthy hunter (who was Pierre de Lancre for historical verses happening in our world) and was raised by him whilst also being of the very kind he hunted. He named her Kaethryn (Catherine, if historical verses). And as the man who raised her held her on a pedestal, bragging about her being some kind of saint/savior who would point in the direction of magic users (she was able to feel magic in others), she grew to hate any manifestation of magic in herself, which she suppressed and kept hidden until she let it all out in public as her handmaiden and only friend Enora was being unjustly accused of witchcraft. The men who held the innocent girl bled from all orifices of their faces until their bodies went limp and lifeless. That’s when the pure one they painted her as finally earned the devil’s child title.  She wasn’t a miracle child anymore nor a successful experiment of the church. She was its ruination and she needed to be annihilated. She was ultimately rescued by the friend she’d saved who turned out to be a magic user as well but was just very good at concealing her magic from her special sight. Both of them fled after Enora unleashed a curse on the village (a plague of paranoia that had the villagers turn against each other until they all burned at the stake). Enora taught her all she knew because she asked her to. She wanted to know all there was to know about witchcraft, all she was missing, lacking. And from friends and master/apprentice, they became lovers. Later, Enora was killed by hunters and she swore to avenge her death. To harness more power, she sacrificed her ability to bring life into this world. Power and rage was all she had left now. Even after avenging Enora’s death, she didn’t feel any better. It was an endless night, one even the blood of her enemies couldn’t brighten. 

That’s when Nyx and the Circle of Embers was born. Finding a new purpose, creating a community but, even then, the thirst for power still remains as a way to fill the void. She makes quite a reputation as a young but powerful sorceress, known as both a tyrant and a savior among her kind. She has no respect for anyone who persecutes others for the sake of being born like they are and feels a kinship with those who have been subject to such treatment. Those who are part of her small yet powerful coven are considered untouchable. Her coven accomplishes deeds for supernatural beings in exchange for payment in the form of magical artifacts or a return of favor they would come to collect eventually and often without warning. She’ll be known as Lady Night or the Queen of Embers. 

After Enora's death, she buries herself in a quest for power but still longs for something more. Later when she was 27, she made a deal with a demon, sacrificing her soul for the one person (adoptive child, 17 yo) that made her feel that spark of life again. Upon her arrival in Hell (in 1621), the being she bargained with told her she could escape an eternity of torment if she accepted to be his wife. She spat in his face for only answer and he condemned her to endless torture whilst the child she’d made her own remained unharmed, had a fulfilling life and peacefully died of old age.

APOLLYON SAGE, Lucifer’s son, eventually used his single get-out-of-hell free card to free her soul before the Dark Dimension’s rebellion against Hell. Eventually, he asked her to marry him and become his Queen in the Dark Dimension but she refused. He respected her decision to not marry him and they resumed their relationship where they left off. Sage is the only person she let into her heart so far and she panicked when he asked her to marry him and be his queen because she knows what having power does to her and she’s terrified of falling back into those old patterns again. She told him she couldn’t marry him because she hadn’t processed her wife’s death, which is true but she keeps the other reasons for herself. Also, Nyx is still linked to Lucifer to this day (he did it as a way to make sure Sage would never attempt to kill him because it would’ve meant killing his new love too). Even though her soul had been freed by Sage, she still isn’t able to leave Hell’s territory (for a long period of time) because of that curse. The Dark Dimension is the farthest she can go and the closest to Earth she’ll ever be unless they find a way to break that connection. VERSE DEPENDENT If Nyx dies while living a life where she gives into her old patterns of Greed, she will end up right back into Hell and Sage’s gesture would’ve been for nothing. 

MORE FACTS

She is furious when someone breaks their word with her as she always keeps her own (some might say she does not, but if those people listened carefully to every word she says before bargaining with her, they’d know better than to complain). She despises when people lie to her and is quite prone to revenge.

She’s a master of deception and a great secret keeper. 

Several times in her life, she fell for people, often more than one person at a time, but denied herself this deeper connection, sticking to something casual instead, because loving as deeply as she could felt like betraying her wife’s memory. She’s also convinced she doesn’t deserve to be loved so deeply once again because of all the evil deeds she’s committed to fulfill her revenge fantasies and quench her thirst for power. 

She never really processed her wife’s death. She never got the chance to give her love a proper burial. She should’ve been there to protect her but she wasn’t and she will never forgive herself for what happened that day. 

She makes all her clothes herself. Sewing is a comfort for her, same for making potions. 

She cares for very few people and will always be willing to do whatever it takes, including killing, to keep them safe. She didn’t hesitate to kill a child in order to protect her own adoptive one. 

She has had multiple occasions of escaping her abusive caretaker but she never escaped until that person threatened to harm her love. The reason Nyx has stayed for so long is because she knew they would find another kid to brainwash/experiment on if she left and she didn’t want another kid to go through this, especially if she knew she could prevent another soul from suffering by enduring it all herself. Nyx wouldn’t fight for her own survival, but she did fight fiercely to protect the one person she cared about back then.

ABOUT THE NAMES

MEANING OF VELARA: The name Velara combines two things ‘’velare’’ and ‘’elara’’. velare in Latin means "to veil/conceal/hide". As for Elara, it is the name of one of Jupiter's moons. In Greek mythology, Elara was a mortal woman and a lover of Zeus. She became pregnant and was buried deep into the Earth to protect her from Hera’s wrath.

MEANING OF KAETHRYN/CATHERINE: Variation of the name Katherine, which means ‘’pure’’. The name alludes to the purity of the miracle child she was supposed to be, according to her mortal caretaker(s). 

MEANING OF NYX: Nyx is the name given to the primordial night in Greek mythology who was born from Chaos alongside the Darkness (Erebus). She embodies the transformative power of darkness and the restorative nature of the night. 

ABOUT FAE MARKS

SHE HAS A BIRTHMARK HIDDEN BEHIND HER EAR, NEAR HER NECK. It appears like a delicate bleeding crescent moon etched against her skin. As if painted by the moon's own brush, there’s a subtle luminescence to it, creating an ethereal glow when touched by moonlight. She wears her hair down to keep it hidden. Only those who are intimately close to her may catch a glimpse of the mark.

SHE HAS POINTED EARS, which (in her main verse) are concealed by a powerful glamour she isn’t aware exists on her person until she sells her soul.

RETRACTABLE SHARP LONG NAILS (LIKE TALONS) meant to draw blood

SNAKE SCALES ON HER SIDES AND BREASTS AND RETRACTABLE FANGS (VERSE DEPENDENT)

POWERS AND WEAKNESSES WILL BE IN THE NEXT POST

[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

Need Help Deciding on a D&D Character

Edit: I made a Twitter poll to help decide: https://twitter.com/noblecrumpet/status/1144389611763961856

As my Tomb of Annihilation campaign is nearing its end (they are exploring level 4 of the Tomb now), I have been offered the opportunity of a lifetime for a DM: to actually play in a game instead of DM-ing it!

The problem is, I have three banger character concepts and no clue which to play. Since I have a lot of followers that can weigh in, I figured I would present them to you guys to help me decide. Each has at least one friendly NPC and one rival/villain NPC in their backstory and a character arc for maximum involvement in the story. Let me know which one sounds the most interesting or exciting to play because I like all of these dudes equally.

The setting is Forgotten Realms, but not the Sword Coast, and I think our team comp has two different barbarians and two other unknown characters. All three of my ideas are spellcasters so I’m not as concerned that I will be going against party comp.

Character 1: Dain, the Undermage

Character: Duergar Slime Sorcerer (homebrewed) focused on dealing a lot of Acid damage.

Appearance: Dain has ash-colored skin with a dirty red beard turned yellow in places from contact with acid. His forehead is magically branded with a column of three dark violet eye symbols rising from his brow. He wears a conglomeration of found and scavenged clothing scraps that form into robes, using bones for ornamentation and clasps. He wears a dark cowl to hide the sorcerous mark on his forehead. His spells all have a visual effect involving green ooze or slime.

Character Arc: Once he understands what heroic comradery is like, or if someone risks their life to save his, he will go from a selfish and greedy miser to someone willing to share his ambitions and to risk his own life for his new friends.

Backstory: Dain was once a proud brewer in a duergar kingdom called Blackmount, a subterranean mountain citadel ruled by Gabrid Grayrune. Brewing is an especially rare and almost taboo art since strong alcohols will cause duergar’s psionic powers to go awry. He lived with his wife, Azntryd.

One day, an aboleth named Thuuldukod took control of a good number of the duergar in the kingdom and spirited them away to its lair. Somehow the aboleth’s transformative slime and Dain’s innate psionic powers awakened a latent form of sorcery within him. He gained power over slimes, acid, and ooze and was also able to break free from Thuuldukod’s control. After freeing some others, they were able to overcome the aboleth and bury it beneath a pile of rock.

   Upon returning to Blackmount, the duergar took in the other freed duergar that survived, but banished Dain. His awakened power marked him with three purple eye symbols on his forehead, and the duergar believed this proved he was somehow still under the aboleth’s control. He left his life and his wife Azntryd behind. Angered by this treatment, he left to wallow in the filthier regions of the Underdark with his newfound powers, going slightly mad as he wondered if he was truly the one in control of his magic.

   Adventurers came by and tried to slay him, thinking the raving duergar was a common monster, but he overcame them. This battle caused him to rethink his priorities and once he noticed the wealth these heroes had accumulated, decided to act on his duergar greed and become a “hero” himself. His ultimate goal is to create his own kingdom to replace the one he lost.

Character 2: Klak, the Dungeon Delver

Character: Kobold Artificer (Artillerist) with a focus on exploration and utility.

Appearance: Klak sports red-grey scaled skin with orange eyes. As an artificer, he is always weighed down with lots of equipment, but thankfully has been able to design a haversack that can hold many of his things despite their weight. His artifacts are primarily made of stonework with glowing crimson runes, including his artillerist turret which grows from nearby stone to attack. The energy of his magic is red with lots of Kirby dots.

Character Arc: Klak is distrustful of warm-bloods but is his curiosity for history and ancient relics easily overcomes this. When he finally reunites with his crush who stayed behind when he was exiled, the only kobold or even person he ever trusted, Klak will have to choose between living in the ancient past or finding his feelings in the present.

Backstory: Klak (“Pebble” in draconic) and his kobold brethren served a green dragon named Andorax the Venom-Fang. Klak was one of the tyrant’s trap-makers. One day when mining out space for a pit trap, Klak came upon the entrance to an ancient lost tomb with magical technology and defenses. Not wanting to tell Andorax, he created a secret door in front of the tomb’s entrance and would steal away to the place when no one was looking. Slowly he began to uncover new secrets and learn how to abuse the magical items there. He even overcame some undead creatures by himself thanks to learning how to recreate a magical turret that once halted his own progress.

   After learning so many new tricks, Klak’s traps began to improve and Andorax started to take notice. He also started to notice when he went missing. Eventually, he discovered the secret entrance and filled it with poison gas while Klak was inside. Thinking quickly, Klak was able to create a gasmask and hide within a secret compartment. He couldn’t risk leaving, and knew that his kobold brethren would soon be combing the tomb for his body, so he dug and mined his way to the surface. Exhausted and running drastically low on air, he breached the ground in the wilderness nearby.

   Now Klak looks for new dungeons to delve, only stopping into town to sell treasures and buy tools and supplies. He knows a dwarven antiques merchant named Helga Goldbraid that shares new leads with him. He has joined adventuring parties before, but is wary of doing so ever since a human fighter, Amyster Bayn, betrayed him to get away with wealth and leave him to die.

   He misses one of his kobold friends whom he had a crush on, Jakryl, a crackshot crossbow sniper who presumably still works for Andorax. Klak was never able to confess his feelings for him before his escape.

Character 3: Gazmin Selunath, the Tide Princess

Character: Triton Bladesinger (elf restriction waived) with a focus on hitting people with her morningstar and blasting things with ice but with valuable utility spells in her back pocket. I imagine her as Thor’s personality, Starfire’s appearance (inverted color scheme) and the feeling of a Frank Frazetta painting.

Appearance: Big wavy green hair down to her calves, blue scaled skin, and yellow-green fins and webbing. She is tall for a triton, and has a powerful muscular build. She wears algae-stained whaleskin leather armor studded with barnacles, and a crown of spiked coral. She wields a magic morningstar whose head is a giant pearl with conical shells for spikes.

Character Arc: Gazmin is a prideful and haughty noble on a self-imposed quest to prove her worthiness to rule by slaying a great evil. However, she will never be satisfied. She has no actual desire to rule, but instead wanted to explore the surface world and its wonders. Her arc will complete once she stops lying to herself.

Backstory: Gazmin Selunath, daughter of Queen Myrthyn and King Genallus, is next in line to the throne of the triton kingdom of Seluna (which lies in a deep part of what the landlubbers call the Shining Sea). Gazmin was taught triton magic at the most prestigious magic schools and also the art of combat from the greatest triton warriors, and combines these skills into a bladesinging style she calls the Orca style. She wanted for nothing, but still realized something was missing. She didn’t feel worthy of attaining the crown and proclaimed that she had been given a task in a prophetic dream from the gods: she cannot rule Seluna until she destroys a great and terrible evil. Seeing no great evils in the kingdom, she opted to leave it and find this evil on land. Her parents gave her powerful triton relics to aid her in her quest. Then they said their goodbyes and she left in search of glory.

   Gazmin is unfamiliar with the ways and workings of the surface world. The first thing she did upon arriving was save a mountain man named Riff Bin from a group of marauding orcs. When asked where he lived that she may return him safely, he said his home was the mountain. She mistook this to mean that he was a great king who owned an entire mountain, and now offers him fealty and occasionally visits to send him tribute. Riff takes this in stride, not wanting to offend the terrifying woman who froze ten orcs solid and shattered them with her morningstar.

   Little to Gazmin’s knowledge, her jealous and treacherous younger brother Elganus has followed her to the surface world in hopes of ensuring Gazmin never returns to claim the throne he believes he deserves.

[reylofanfictionanthology]

After the Blazing Fire Dies: the 2019 Reylo Fanfiction Anthology Treats Master Post

The After the Blazing Fire Dies Collection on AO3 | Gift Fic Masterpost Part One | Gift Fic Masterpost Part Two

sun and moon by Anonymous for aionimica

“You look pale.”“I always look pale,” he says without thinking, and then flushes.Rey of Jakku laughs. “Pale as the moon, my lord.”“And you are as bright as the sun.”

In the Worshyr Grove by Anonymous for apisa_b

Canonverse, meeting unexpectedly.

graft my soul to yours by Anonymous for bitterbones

Kylo Ren didn't know he made a mistake until the pain started.

Breakout by Anonymous for bittersnake

In which Rey, Finn, and Ben break Ransolm Casterfo out of prison... for reasons.

Rammahgon by Anonymous for bittersnake

Rey didn’t know how to begin to be a Jedi, repair a lightsaber, or how to stop the First Order.

the question by Anonymous for crossingwinter

In which Ben proposes to Rey.

Twelfth Night by Anonymous for crossingwinter

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our King!" He announced grandly, gesturing wildly at Rey, who was still as frozen as a deer before the hunt. Cheers came from all quarters, nobles and servants alike. "Do we have a Queen?"

I was glad by Anonymous for crossingwinter

Princess Rey of Austria is to become the future English queen.

What Are You Doing Christmas Eve? by Anonymous for Dalzo

Ben wants to ask Rey a really important question.

Dinner With Friends by Anonymous for flypaper_brain

Rey and Ben are preparing for dinner with Rose's new friend and her husband. Rey just needs a bit of reassurance.

The Kitchen by Anonymous for flypaper_brain

Rey and Ben, hunting for their first house.

By Your Light by Anonymous for hipgrab

It’s cold outside, so Rey and Ben must figure out how to stay warm.

Force Annihilation by Anonymous for incognitajones

A Resistance team crash-lands on an uncharted planet, with unfortunate results.

Edelwiess by Anonymous for jeeno2

Captain Kylo Ren hires Rey, a postulant from the local abbey to be a governess for his adoptive children. As time goes on, music grows in the Ren household and the Captain and Rey must choose: love or duty?

Founding Day by Anonymous for jeeno2

Senator Ben Organa is upset in the weeks leading up to the Alderaanian Founding Day celebration, so his bodyguard has a plan for a gift that just might make him happy. She would very much like to make him happy.

The Stairwell by Anonymous for jeeno2

Ben Solo has worked with Rey Johnson for the past two years. And he's been in love with her the whole time. He just needs to work up the courage to tell her... unless she beats him to it.

Lavender Midnights by Anonymous for kuresoto

She knew her familiar wasn’t a normal cat. A curse broken in the night changed everything.

Hijacked Holiday by Anonymous for MeadowHayle

Rey and Ben have been dating for eight months. They’re taking things slow, but when Ben borrows his Uncle Luke’s cabin in the mountains and conveniently plans a romantic holiday getaway in order to avoid his family at Christmas, nothing goes quite as planned.

Investiture by Anonymous for MissCoppelia

In which Ben goes to daven for his father’s yahrtzeit and manages to prove to himself once again that he is both a terrible person and a terrible Jew. Oh and he sort of falls in love.

Trying Something New by Anonymous for MissCoppelia

“I can do this, I can do this, I can do this,” Rey thought to herself as she tugged her bag over her shoulder. She wanted to do this. She’d pored over holonet sites in preparation. The mere idea of Ben’s request made her wet. And terrified. Just a little terrified.

Don't Complicate It by Anonymous for monsterleadmehome

Rey, an Omega, in order to get a job as a chalet hostess, poses as a Beta. On getting the job, she's assigned to the chalet owned by the Organa-Solo family, with Rose Tico as her co-hostess. Rey knows it'll be a breeze; all she has to do for a season is cook, clean and serve drinks to society bigwigs. What could happen?Ben Solo, of course. Ben Solo, big old Alpha, who Rey finds herself in need of when her plan to pose as a Beta goes suddenly awry...

The Hunters by Anonymous for OccasionallyCreative

Rey and Kylo meet as they hunt vampires in Victorian England.

Tickle Monster by Anonymous for okaypianist

Ben finds love, comfort, and a few kicks to the ribs when he tickles Rey.

the librarian (or, where ben solo can't talk to a pretty girl) by Anonymous for perperuna

Dr. Ben Solo often goes to a certain library that he does not need to go to.

First Night by Anonymous for persimonne

Kylo Ren won't let his wife see him naked, and then she finds out why.

iron and steel by Anonymous for politicalmamaduck

The Resistance is waiting for them, waiting for one brother of the Night’s Watch and one wildling to open the gates of King’s Landing and let the army conquer the city--and with it, the Seven Kingdoms.

Babel by Anonymous for redbells

They understood each other when they were young. Now, in the face of arranged marriage, Rey couldn't be sure

linger by Anonymous for rissanox

myosotis by Anonymous for rissanox

Ben picked the flowers for their wedding.

Some Vast Unnameable Fear by Anonymous for roamingbadger

After Kylo Ren's relationship with Rey is discovered by the Resistance, the Supreme Leader hurries to save her and bring her back to the First Order. If he makes it in time.

Something From Nothing by Anonymous for sciosophia

It was Rey, the fostered neighbor kid that had run loose all over Luke’s land once upon a time; the one that had pestered him to play or go swimming back when he’d spent his summers out here in the sticks. Once again memory pulled Ben under: chasing her into the pond, splash, cool green all around him, her legs flitting by as she swam away. Rey, her lip cut. Rey, spitting watermelon seeds with his dad- every summer, Rey. She’d grown up well. The years that had kicked Ben from one side of the world to the other had been a hell of a lot kinder to Rey. She was in scuffed boots and jeans that had been washed soft and broken in to cradle her legs (when had they gotten so long?) gently. She was in a worn t-shirt, and the once-shoulder length hair she’d sported as a teen had grown out into a braid that was resting over one shoulder. “Oh, she said, casually as anything, as if she hadn’t just angrily barged into private property. “Hey, Ben.”

Whitlatch's Guide to the Fauna of the Naboo System by Anonymous for six4au

Rey and Finn go birdwatching. It doesn't go as expected. It's better.

and after us, the flood by Anonymous for spookykingdomstarlight

Ben is here, she reminds herself for what feels like the thousandth time since they fled the war together. He is all you have.But the bond is gone, and he will barely look at her, and it doesn’t seem fair that she could escape Jakku and find people who actually cared for her and still, somehow, end up alone again.

crimson red, juliet by Anonymous for spookykingdomstarlight

He lets her, though. Lets her nails rake bloody slashes down his cheeks, lets her pull his head down so her tongue can dip into the thorn-filled hollow where his eyes should have been. Used to be. [Angsty plant-based body horror for angsty magic space babes ]

A New Generation by Anonymous for thewayofthetrashcompactor

Ben glances at Rey and quietly asks, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life with a twice-fallen former warlord who doesn’t know what place he has in this galaxy except as a porg-mother?”

baby you can drive my car by Anonymous for tigbit

They call them “soulmates.” Probably because it leaves less of a sting in their mouths.

The Maiden and the Horned One by Anonymous for TourmalineGreen

Village girl Rey decides to take an offering to appease the forest god in hopes that a late frost won’t kill the first grape buds in the village vineyards. The ancient ritual entails a maiden who who has just reached womanhood to bring the Horned One an offering of honey. However, when Rey reaches the temple, she realizes that there is much more to the ritual and the true offering is her virginity.

Wintertide by Anonymous for TourmalineGreen

It was important work, gathering fuel for the Burning of the Ren, though only an outcast like the Scavenger could do it. The ceremony marked the turning of one year into the next, and ensured the light would come again to drive back winter’s darkness.The good Queen had tried to change the ancient rite, to mark the year without the loss of one more soul from their war-torn land. But in the ten years since her decree, the disasters sweeping over them had only multiplied. Famine, flood, unearthly winds and the summer’s fires had torn at people’s goodness, and the refugees that sought the Queen’s peace had only taxed it more. When a Wizard suggested that only human sacrifice would appease the angry spirits, the people listened, and demanded a real Ren for the fire.

alone with a heart meant for you by Anonymous for walkingsaladshooter

Ben orders Grubhub; Rey's car breaks down.

[loruleanheart]

The Legend of Hilda, Chapter 33

Rated: M

Pairing: Princess Hilda and Yuga

Fayre opened her eyes. The chilling voice inside that sounded so much like hers echoed through her mind.

She'd felt the need to reach out to that which had spoken to her that day she'd gotten lost in the temple's maze-like corridors. It had said she could take 'his' place, but what did that mean? And now, sensing that dark, unsettling voice clearer than ever, Fayre had received an answer that only left her with more questions. It had said: I am... the calamity...

The Princess supported Yuga's limp body in her arms as she knelt beside him on the floor. Her cold, vacant stare was fixed on Fayre. Fayre was sure her expression was equally as blank and distant, wondering if the Princess knew she was the one that held her in place when Twinrova brainwashed her. Fayre lost all sense of self and time as she stared back into that soulless crimson gaze, until….

As Fayre feared, Twinrova materialized in their midst, made possible now that Yuga's magical barrier had faded.

The sorceress of fire and ice turned on her heels towards Hilda, seething, "Worthless girl! You were the one who was supposed to fall by his hand! Why couldn't you have just played your role all along? What is it with you two? Not even he could play his role because you've had him wrapped around your finger all your life! Both of you, bitter failures! What a waste! At least I have comfort knowing you'll never be whole again. Even if you live to be an old queen you'll have to live with this the rest of your -."

Hilda screamed over Twinrova's rant. It was probably the foulest curse in the Lorulean language, and Fayre experienced pure catharsis with the Princess. Hilda gave another primal scream that dissolved into a cry as she thrust her hand up into the air and released a dark wave of magical energy that tore through Twinrova, clearly meant to annihilate in the most devastating and swift way possible. The atmosphere around the witch rippled, but she had only been forced back a single step.

Twinrova regained her footing. "Is that all? Pathetic girl..." she said cooly.

Hilda gave a frustrated moan and buried her face in the folds of Yuga's cape.

"All of these centuries of planning... squandered!" Twinrova lamented. "What a shame my black magic would be ineffectual when used on the most important variable: His Grace... Well, whatever... There are other ways. The moment His Grace is reborn into this world - no matter how long it takes - we'll be there. And we'll see to it that your future incarnation is nothing to him.

"His Grace?" Hilda sniffled, taken aback. She looked up again at Twinrova, perhaps briefly hoping Yuga could be revived, but knowing better.

Twinrova paid her no mind, continuing on her unhinged rant. "And we won't make the same mistake next time..." Twinrova settling her reproachful gaze on Fayre. "Fayre, so help me… You will pay the ultimate price for what you've done! Don't even think of reincarnating back into my tribe. May His Grace choose a suitable woman to be his mother! Any woman! Just not you!"

Fayre said nothing, she simply raised her chin in a challenging manner. Her lips were pressed so tightly together and her eyes welled with tears of rage.

Ravio drew his sword, taking a step forward, coming to Hilda and Fayre's defense. "There won't be a next time. Yuga's reincarnation cycle has ended. He suffered a mortal injury and the Demon King was revealed. Your plot did indeed backfire. You couldn't fathom that Yuga would rather die than harm Hilda. It is solely you who is responsible for his demise. Not the Princess or this woman. Yuga's blood is on your hands."

"No, I refuse to believe that! As if that vile goddess, Lorelle would allow her precious Demon King to cease reincarnating."

"I fear it's true…" Hilda said. " It was Lorelle… or rather I, who cursed the Demon King to reincarnate time and time again as a mortal as divine punishment for his pride. But Lorelle had a secret motive- she wanted to live countless mortal lives with him. But... I don't know what will happen now… I was so confused and full of hatred... I fear even that part of myself - Lorelle - has forsaken him."

"No! No! If His Grace can't come back I will throw Lorule into darkness myself!" Twinrova screamed.

The hero spoke up again. "I won't allow it. You've already ruined two lives. What made you think you could interfere with-" The air was knocked out of Ravio as he was backhanded across the face with enough force to send him to the stone floor in a heap, the Master Sword clattering a few feet away from him.

"Ravio!" Hilda screamed.

"Don't lecture me, you irritating cur! I'm not as stupid as you seem to believe. You never trusted His Grace. Don't try to pretend that you didn't secretly dream that he would show his true colors so you could have the Princess's trust and admiration all for yourself." Twinrova approached the fallen hero and held out her hand, drawing Reason in. It lifted from the back of Ravio's hand and rose up so that Twinrova could claim it. Before he could wriggle away, Twinrova brought down her sandaled foot on his head, holding him to the floor.

Twinrova set her sights on Hilda once again, smiling cruelly. "Oh, Princess...You don't deserve a happy ending. I think deep down even your hero would agree." Twinrova ground the sole of her sandal into his temple. Ravio's features distorted into a grimace.

The Captain made to move in on Twinrova, but the sorceress shot him a caustic glare. "Take one more step, and see what happens." She hissed. The Captain did as told, his expression uncharacteristically grim.

Twinrova addressed Hilda again. "Admit what a foolish girl you are, and I will let him live."

Sadness registered in Hilda's previously vacant expression. What good was pride at a moment such as this? She knew she and Yuga could never be together again."

"I admit it. I am a disgrace… Even in the hero's eyes." Hilda said dimly.

"Hilda, no… That's not true." Ravio managed, through the pain.

Twinrova, seemingly satisfied, released Ravio, but not before giving him a swift kick in the ribs. A sharp gasp escaped the young hero. The Captain went to Ravio's side, helping the boy to his feet. Ravio tried to shake the throbbing pain in his temple. He took up the Master Sword once again, setting a determined gaze on Twinrova, who had returned her attention to Yuga's lifeless form that laid across Hilda's lap.

"Feeling sorry for yourself, Princess? Don't you dare… Because of you, I will never be able to experience the glory of the Demon King's perfect world. Even though the Triforce of Hope seems to be out of my reach, I can still have Beauty. His Grace's piece of the Triforce rightfully belongs to me now! Hand it over!"

"Don't touch him! Get away from us!" Hilda hissed, summoning a barrier of Nayru's love around herself and Yuga.

Twinrova thrust a palm through the barrier, shattering it. She grabbed a fistful of Hilda's hair and pulled her up and away from Yuga, holding her in a headlock with her right arm. In her other hand was the broomstick of ice, and she brought it dangerously close to Hilda's face. Twinrova cackled ruthlessly anticipating her victory. The frigid air wafting from the staff threatened to numb Hilda's skin to the bone and eventually freeze over in a slow and torturous death. Hilda was about to resign herself this terrible fate when she heard Twinrova let loose a sudden scream. The witch flailed and dropped Hilda, who crashed to the floor unharmed. Twinrova reached behind her to grab for the Master Sword, which was impaled in her back. Twinrova sneered at Ravio and he began to backpedal

"Oh no…" The hero mumbled under his breath, his face pale.

In one quick motion Twinrova sent the sword flying back towards its owner's head. Ravio just managed to dodge, missing him by mere centimeters. Ravio helped Hilda up and pulled her to safety, his heart still pounding. Hilda struggled, "Don't let her near him!"

Twinrova held out her hand to claim Beauty, but nothing happened. And then Twinrova noticed there was no trace of it on the back of Yuga's hand.

"Where is it?" Twinrova huffed, still in debilitating pain from her injury.

The Captain raised his hand, with some hesitation, showing off the golden relic. "Now I'm the fairest of them all!"

Ravio gave a weak laugh. "Captain, I can't believe it!"

"And neither can I… I guess the goddesses saw fit to manifest it in me in Yuga's stead."

"So that's why you've been so quiet all this time! A baleful affront to His Grace!"

Twinrova sent a pillar of flame in his direction. He quickly sidestepped the flame, feeling intense heat at his side. Next, Twinrova attempted to freeze him as he closed in on her, sword in hand. This time the Captain quickly raised his shield to block the blast of ice. The shield froze solid on impact, causing him to drop it just before his hand could be frozen to it. Twinrova huffed sending another torrent of flame at the Captain - this one too wide to sidestep. He froze in terror. Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the woman, Fayre step between him and Twinrova, raising her palm to summon a protective barrier. The flame collided with Fayre's magic, causing it to ricochet in the opposite direction, hitting Twinrova. Twinrova shrieked in agony but recovered quickly. She disappeared her broomsticks and rushed at Fayre, grabbing her by the throat, holding her up single-handedly.

"What are you still hanging around for, you old whore? I have no further use for you." Twinrova's grip tightened. "Now, succumb to my fire which can burn you to your soul."

Fayre closed her eyes, bracing herself for death's sweet release. Fayre's lips curled into a faint, spiteful smile.

No longer under their thumb...

In an instant Fayre was ignited, beginning at her throat where Twinrova held her in place and spread throughout her body. Yet her smile did not waver.

The Captain, Ravio, and Hilda looked on horrified as they watched that poor woman immolate before their eyes. Her pale skin began to bubble and ripple, becoming blackened and charred.

"Goddesses, have mercy!" The Captain exclaimed, losing his resolve.

Twinrova shrugged her shoulders, letting go of what was left of Fayre - a burnt husk of a woman. Fayre landed next to Yuga. She was barely conscious and in unimaginable agony as she laid her gaze on Yuga, who appeared beautiful even in death. It reminded her of when she used to watch him sleep as a young child.

Fayre sits in a carriage bound for Misery Mire. The cobbled streets of the town give way to a dusty rural road. She places her hand on the small bump of her belly and smiles. Her sisters will be happy to see her after these long months away.

It sounded distant to Fayre, but she could hear Twinrova and Hilda having another row.

"Tell that Captain of yours to hand over the Triforce of Beauty, or I'm going to bring down the curse on you all over again, except this time, there will be no hope of coming back from it, not even in your future lives! You will have nothing but hate and contempt for His Grace, no matter how many lives you live!"

"I will never stop loving him, even if I perish and become a shade!" Hilda shouted, ready to fight Twinrova herself, staff in hand.

These were the last words Fayre heard as her eyes slowly glazed over. Malice began to form in those eyes and spread throughout her body, regenerating her. A red miasma spread out, billowing around her as she rose into the air, gaining the attention of Twinrova and the princess.

When the spectral woman's feet met the floor once again, her eyes locked with Twinrova's, and her lips curled in a caustic smile. The being that had been Fayre held out her hand towards Twinrova, drawing in, sapping her power. The great sorceress of fire and ice gave an enraged scream before an intense burst of light consumed her, and the twin diminutive, ancient women stood in Twinrova's place, dazed. "W-what have you become? Aren't you Fayre?" Koume asked.

"Have mercy on us. We are merely servants of His Grace." Kotake implored.

"I am the calamity in the Demon King's stead." The dark being said. Then Fayre's voice cut in. "Love made me..." The Calamity's voice overlapped with Fayre's. "Hate made me…" The cold, dark voice continued. "The Demon King chose me as a vessel for the demon king's mortal form to be reborn in this life. While we shared a body for only a short time, the Demon King left a permanent imprint on me that allowed me to transcend into this form in death. It is comforting to know a part of my son has been closer than I thought all along, lying dormant in my cells even decades after birth. In death, I can see that all mothers share a similar connection with their children… Something you will never experience or understand, you disgusting old hags. You put me through so much… More than I could bear… I believed I was powerless and inconsequential. I can see now that your impact on Lorule's history will be but a speck of dust in comparison to mine."

"Sister… We have… failed... the Demon King." Said Kotake, as if in a trance.

"Indeed. We have failed..." Koume agreed, no anger in her voice, completely given to horror and despair. "Please forgive us, Fayre... Allow us to serve...you."

Calamity Fayre gave a cruel giggle, she held out her hand to take the remainder of the twin's power. Slowly, it became apparent that Kotake and Koume were disintegrating, their existence being erased. A powerful unseen force hung in the air between the twins and Calamity Fayre. Blood and organic matter became magic and flowed through the air being absorbed by the Calamity.

The Calamity laughed, "I can feel their power in me. A pity it's not much..." And then the Calamity turned her attention to the Princess, who had returned to Yuga's side the moment the Calamity turned her wrath against Twinrova. Hilda's eyes widened in fear. Sensing her unease, Fayre spoke using her own voice. "I will not harm you. I only wish to be near my son one last time. With my connection to him, he can live again."

Hilda blinked, speechless. She rose and moved back a few steps, her eyes never leaving the Calamity or Yuga.

The being that had been Fayre knelt next to Yuga's form, placing a spectral hand to his forehead. A fine matrix of energy flowed through her and into him. Damage to his mind was undone. Shattered bones were mended. His heart began to beat again. The spectral woman appeared visibly weakened from this feat as she stumbled away.

Hilda raised her hands to her mouth, coming apart again as she returned to Yuga's side. His chest was rising and falling once again. She hugged him as he began to stir. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a golden gleam and exhaled softly when she realized it was her piece of the Triforce manifesting on her once again. At the same moment, the Triforce faded in on the back of Yuga's hand.

"Hey, where'd my beauty go?" Hilda heard the Captain remark, although she could tell by the tone in his voice that he had a pretty good idea.

Hilda looked to Ravio to see him examining the back of his hand as well, appearing relieved, but looking at the Calamity with apprehension, ready to pull the Master Sword from its sheath at any moment should the being pose a threat.

"I have no interest in your Triforce, Hero of Lorule. I only expect to see my descendants on Lorule's throne. You won't interfere will you, Hero of Lorule?" The boy was silent for a long moment, an incredulous look on his face. "I see… You anticipated this outcome as you watched them grow closer. You've come a long way… Even grown to accept that which you originally could not. Yet, you can't believe that is all I desire. In exchange, I will ensure peace in Lorule - freedom from fear of your responsibility as the hero.

Ravio remained silent, overwhelmed.

The Calamity smiled. "Then this shall be our agreement for the next 10,000 years. A promise between the Calamity and the Hero."

Ravio's emerald eyes held a heaviness about them. This was all so much bigger than himself or even future lifetimes he could fathom. "10,000 years?"

"In 10,000 years the last traces of my memories will be completely gone. Only the calamity will remain. I have loved so intensely that I have given everything; even my life and become evil itself. And I have no regrets." Calamity Fayre looked to the Princess who was trying to awaken Yuga. A single tear slid down the spectral woman's cheek. "Princess… Take care of him… My son…" The Calamity let loose a soul-rending cry, almost a howl, and vanished in the blink of an eye, her rapid departure causing the castle walls to shake.

The rumbling awoke Yuga, who opened his eyes and smiled at Hilda. "Your Grace…?" Hilda exhaled and smiled back. He wiped away the tears cascading down her cheeks and they embraced silently for a long long time.

"I knew the goddesses would renew their restraining order against him and he wouldn't stay dead," The Captain mumbled to Ravio.

Ravio said nothing at first, merely looking at the Captain blankly.

"I can't believe it's over… For a time, anyways…" Ravio finally said. "A mother's determination can be a frightening thing… Especially when she is the mother of the Demon King. What a relief that a being so powerful only wants peace for her son and the princess. And so, I will also let them live in peace. I can only pray that the goddesses have mercy on Fayre's spirit and that she finds rest. Someday…"

[loubuggins]

Author’s Notes: So I wrote this as a prompt for @fluffbingo, but then I went back through my ask box and realized that I misread the request! @serrj215 asked for Hidge! But I...kinda wrote this long ass one-shot for Allurance. 😭 Whoops. So I’m still going to post it, because gash darn it, I like it. But Serrj, my friend, I promise I’ll do one for Hidge! Anyway, happy reading everyone!

*~*~*

Garrison briefings were terribly dull when the planet or universe was not in immediate danger of being destroyed or invaded. Being raised in the traditions of Altean royalty meant being very familiar with protocol and politics, but humans seemed to have a talent for conducting lengthy meetings based on little to no new information.

“This could have been an email.” Allura heard Pidge grumble under her breath. The smallest Paladin sat to the princess’s left, her arms folded over her chest and body slumped in her chair. Allura could tell her fellow teammate was just as annoyed with this silly meeting as she was, although she had no idea what an email was.

The briefing room was crowded with other Garrison officers, aliens, and nicely dressed humans that she had just recently discovered were leaders of their respective groups. She recalled Lance explaining the concept of countries to her when she was first introduced to the variety of diplomats. Altea had similar divisions, but all were led by her father, the King of Altea. On Earth, there did not seem to be a clear leader that all humans looked to for guidance. Loyalties were scattered and everyone in the room seemed to have their own personal agenda. It made the princess uneasy and it was probably that feeling of distrust that kept her awake through this dreadful rundown.

Years of sitting through meetings had trained her body to keep a proper, respectful posture, even after sitting in the same spot for at least a varga. She could not, however, shed the bored look on her face or stop her obsessive drumming on his fingers against the arms of the chair.

“- and so with the recent updates made to the Garrison’s communications systems we can -” It only took a moment of tuning in to the officer’s report before his words faded back into the background. Sure this information pertains to her to some degree, it was not necessary to listen to all the added updates that she had no use for.

Her emerald eyes fell to her fidgety finger as she allowed her mind to wonder for a bit more. Her first thoughts were of her current project. After General Holt had shown her the Altean inside the monstrous machine used in an attempt to kill her and her fellow Paladins, she had dedicated much of her time to aiding the humans in discovering how exactly the robot was able to harvest an Altean’s life force and use it as a power source. However, she could only think about the project for so long, before slipping down a trail of darkness and mourning. So she pushed those thoughts into the back of her mind and forced herself to think of something less intense. Of course, it didn’t take long for her thoughts to travel to her second most thought of topic. Her mint-colored eyes drifted to her other teammate sitting beside her, this time to her right.

She took a few ticks to take him in. He was wearing his Garrison uniform, similar to her’s. Before they all wore the same orange and white suits, but as part of the Garrison’s appreciation for the Paladins’ involvement in the mission to liberate Earth and save it from annihilation, they were each given their own unique uniform. It was basically the same as what they had before, only this time they each wore their own colors that matched their Paladin armor. Where there once was orange, she now sported a pastel pink. The boy beside her had on his signature royal blue that made his baby blue eyes pop. Though she noticed she couldn’t see his familiar azure pupils since they were covered by his drooping eyelids. That’s when she realized his head was hanging forward at an uncomfortable looking angle and that his breathing was slow and rhythmic.

“Is he out of cranker? Sleeping during a meeting!” She hissed in her head as she narrowed her eyes in disapproval. She couldn’t blame her fellow Paladin for dozing off during this dreadfully boring meeting, but it was still extremely unprofessional of him. A Paladin of Voltron is held to higher standards than most and must be an example for those they are around. Not passed out and drooling during a briefing!

She gave a nervous glance around the room to see if anyone else had noticed Lance’s unconscious state. To her relief, everyone’s attention was either on the speaker or anywhere but on them. Twisting in her seat, she prepared herself to nudge her friend awake, but she had made the fatal mistake of looking at him. Now that she was turned in her chair, she had a much better view of his face.

It was still aimed downwards, his messy brown hair hanging loosely over his forehead. His eyes were closed lightly and his lips were slightly ajar. As she predicted, a single string of saliva leaked down the corner of his mouth. She used to be so disgusted by how much humans salivated while resting, it was strange and at first, she thought it was a sign of illness. She soon learned during the past few years of living with the Earthlings that this was just a simple sign of deep sleep.

“How is he able to do that?” She wondered to herself as her face became thoughtful and she studied the boy’s face some more. It amazed her how he was able to sleep like this. No matter how uninteresting the information may be, she was still in a room filled with people, all of which she knew would catch her the moment she began to nod off. Not only that, but the way his neck was bent at an awkward angle made her flinch. There was no way he was comfortable in that position. For her to have any hopes of sleeping, she had to be lying down with her head properly supported by at least three fluffy pillows. Yet her Lance was, soundlessly snoozing in his chair during the middle of an intelligence briefing.

Again, she repeated to herself, how was he doing that? “Certainly,” she thought confidently, “he would not be able to keep it up for much longer.”

She gave him a pointed stare as she waited anxiously for his body to inevitably lean too far forward, which in turn would naturally jolt him out of his slumber. Only she did not expect for him to open his eyes for just a split second, before falling in her direction. Unprepared for this action, her whole body tensed the moment his head touched her shoulder. His head felt heavy resting on the edge of her shoulder, the spot warming instantly upon contact. A few strands of his soft, brown hair tickled her exposed neckline. The minty fragrance of his cologne drifted to her nose, making her heart pound against her chest. She squeezed the black leather arms of her chair and her ocean eyes darted around the room frantically. Her first reaction was to shove the boy off her, but she forced herself to remain still. No one was watching them yet, and pushing him would only result in attracting unwanted attention.

Finally, she looked over to Pidge, being careful to only turn her head. She gave a silent plea to the green Paladin and as if she had read her mind, the younger female looked up to meet her gaze. Allura gently gave a small side-nod and her eyes flickered between Pidge and the boy napping just inches from her face. The brunette’s eyes widened behind her glasses and she covered her mouth to hide the laughter that bubbled up inside of her. Allura’s eye narrowed in annoyances at her teammate's reaction.

“What do I do?” She mouthed, hoping the smartest Paladin would at least be able to offer a helpful suggestion, but all the other girl did was shrug her shoulders and mouth back, “Don’t wake him.”

Allura’s left hand balled in a fist as she clenched her teeth and scowled at the other Paladin’s lame attempt at a joke. Clearly, Pidge would be of no help to her. Turning back to the subject of her agitation, her features softened a bit. Different than before, he now looked extremely comfortable. Apparently, her shoulder made a decent pillow. His face was even more relaxed than it had been originally and the added weight seemed to bother her less the longer he stayed. His breath was pointed downward so she couldn’t feel it under her uniform, but the soothing sound calmed her racing heart. If she were being honest with herself, this situation would not bother her as much if they were in a more appropriate place. The more she thought about him, the closer his tantalizing lips felt to her own.

She wondered if he tasted sweet like the sugary treats she had tried while being on Earth, or if he tasted more like the salty ocean that he spoke so often about. Upon realizing where her thoughts were leading, a dark crimson blush stained her cheeks. She cursed herself for letting her feelings get the better of judgment. It had to have been several doboshes that had past, and yet, her shoulder was still occupied by the silly Cuban boy who had somehow weaseled his way into her heart. The corner of her lips twitched up and she found her head slowly lowering to the side, resting gently on top of his chocolate mop of hair. Within a few ticks, she felt her eyes flutter shut and she took in a slow drag of his natural, boyish scent. Between the relaxing aroma and the peaceful rhythm of his quiet snores, she too felt herself drifting off into another world.

*~*~*

“Should we, um, wake them up?” Hunk asked as he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous habit.

“We should leave and lock them in for the night. Teach them a lesson for sleeping during an important meeting.” Keith grumbled with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

“We’re not locking them in.” Shiro reasoned, though he too wore a disapproving frown.

“Yeah, ‘cause they’d probably like a room all to themselves for the night,” Pidge said with a smirk as she placed a hand on her cocked hip.

Her male teammates all gave her a mortified look at just the idea that she had now planted in each of their minds. She simply shrugged them off, before reaching for her backpack that was still hanging on the back of her chair. It was about a third of the way into the meeting that everyone noticed the two unprofessional warriors cozying up to each other. Turns out, Allura was a loud snorer.

Once everyone discovered two of the five Paladins of Voltron were out for the count, General Holt decided it was a good time to end the briefing. Many were appalled by the blatant rudeness of the sharpshooter and the princess, forcing the other Paladins to apologize on their behalf. It was a very embarrassing situation, to say the least, but not as bad as the punishment that would be coming to the sleeping beauties.

“Give them an extra hour of training every day for a week,” Shiro suggested as he turned to Keith. The Black Paladin nodded his head in approval.

“And maybe I should talk to the kitchen staff. Make these two wash dishes for a few hours too.”

“Ah, come on guys,” Hunk stepped forward and gestured to the slumber duo still in their chairs. “Look how adorable they are. Do you really want to punish these two blossoming lovers?”

Shiro’s frown deepened and Keith’s face twisted with disgust. With a raised hand, the ladder stressed for Hunk to never call Lance and Allura lovers ever again.

“Okay, okay,” the yellow Paladin threw up his hands in defeat, “but maybe we should go easy on them, I mean, that was the most boring meeting in the history of meetings. Frankly, I’m surprised I wasn’t the one to pass out.” He ended with a half-hearted chuckle.

Shiro and Keith exchanged a brief look, then finally Keith let out a sigh and nodded his head. “Okay, fine, no kitchen duty, but they are going to put in a few extra hours of training and apologize to everyone who was at the meeting.”

Everyone either nodded or voiced their approval after their leader laid out the punishment. Keith then stepped closer behind the pair, who were cuddled up as close as they possibly could be while still sitting in their respective seats. As he stretched his arm out to shake them awake, a much smaller hand slapped his away.

“Pidge, what the hell?” Keith hissed as he coddled his now stinging hand.

She hushed him with an “Shh.” “We can’t wake them up yet!” She said in a loud whisper.

“Why not?” Keith challenged, mimicking her whispering.

With her signature mischievous smirk, she pulled out her phone from her bag and waved it in front of her friends. “Not until we get some quality blackmail.”

Keith grinned back at her and glanced over at the other two men beside them. Shiro shook his head, but a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. Hunk tapped his finger against his chin as he mulled it over before his lips broke into a wide smile.

“Do it.” He instructed Pidge and without hesitation, she scrambled over to the other side of the meeting table, so that she had a better view of the blue and pink-clad couple. She held up the phone over her eyes and took several pictures of them. There was no way she’d let them forget about this one.