#lord violet blackwell

[castleaudios]

You know the person who did the ranger rides a journal because he doesn't want to forget I want to add something...

He used to write a dream journal and now he's realizing that all those dreams were actually faint memories...

Hehe 😭

[magneticmage]

Quiz Meme; OC-style

I was tagged by @rozhevisny to take this quiz.

I also ended up doing a number of my OCs. They are under the cut for length.

I am tagging @awellboiledicicle @mikkeneko @changeling-fae @higheverweave @yusukesmomjeans @dalishious and @draxen1123 but don't feel pressured to do so if you don't wanna! It's all for fun.

(Inquisitors)

Paeriel Lavellan="You're choking on how much you have to try". Accurate by the time of Inquisition (specifically around Skyhold) as Paeriel very much embodies the virtue of suledin. She can handle the amount she's dealt with but it is still a burden and she worries about how it will affect others if she slips and drops under the weight. She doesn't want more harm to come to innocents and those who are already struggling under their own burdens (mages, dwarves, elves, even the templars to some degree), and yet it is a fight that continues on and on seeming without end. Just as Solas walks his path to break the systems oppressing people, she tries to work within those same systems to better chances for those who need it.

Armashok Adaar="You were meant to". Accurate prior to his joining the Inquisition. He spent so much of his life struggling to find his place as everyone told him what to be; silent, obediant, a weapon to be protected against. He chafed and struggled to find comfort in it and yet he ultimately realized that he was his own person. No one could tell him who and what he was or was meant to be, not even his wife. So he chose for himself; To be Armashok Adaar.

Ransley Trevelyn="This isn't enough for you" Also accurate for pre-Inquisition Ransley, as he balked against his family expectations. They wanted him to marry a nice noblewoman of status and wealth. He courted them but couldn't quite bite the bullet as something about them just lacked....something. Even when he met his lover, he struggled against the fact that they had to be discreet for her reputation as a Knight-Divine. His family demanded he become a Templar, he decided the Seekers would be a better use of his talents. Always when he was told something, his innate ambition would push him for more and better things. While he can give up things as needed, he dislikes it. That last part is something he struggles with-and notably fails during Trespasser-post-Inquisition. This is a trait that Josephine can understand, though like their lover Cassandra, she tempers it in herself and him with patience.

Naranka Cadash="Because you have made mistakes you cannot swallow" Pfft. Yeah, this is very much her. She seeks redemption just as badly as Paeriel does for Solas, just as badly as Blackwell-her love interest-does.

(Inner Circle)

Kara Adaar="Because you cannot hold freedom". Very true. She's seen what freedom has cost her parents to give her a better life and plans to make the most of hers. That desire to enjoy life is shared with Sera. The desire to understand the world through the lens of ensuring that freedom for others is something she shares with Dagna.

Emilyse Trevelyan="You swallow pain and fold around it" Yikes. This is accurate to her time in the Circle, however. She spent much of her time trying to be a "good" mage, despite a number of abuses by the Templars and the Chantry. It was only when her brother visited her during his training as a recruit that some of those abuses came to light and she was brought to the Circle in Ostwick, closer to home and with the newly added bribes to ensure her safety, she did much better. However, this newfound life did not for too long as the Rebellion broke out and she was left adrift for a time before making her way with some other refugees to the Conclave at Haven. She was nervous about so many Templars, but eventually found solace and peace with Cullen as they each began to heal over their own traumas of their respective sides, and together as they began a family shortly after Trespasser.

Samrel Lavellan="because you cannot hold freedom" Interesting. He's actually one of my simplest OCs; a simple life with his clan and husband, First to the Keeper and cousin to Paeriel, is all he wants. Unlike some of my other Dalish OCs, he hasn't faced quite the same level of hardship and loss, and though he does mourn the loss of his clan, he seeks to rebuild it alongside his husband and the few survivors that managed to escape the humans' blades. So perhaps that defiance of the losses inflicted harkens back to the Dale's and the elves' refusal to submit to the Alienages, by simply standing up and saying "No, you cannot silence us" is enough? That could be a type of freedom and there is power in that refusal. Thoughts to consider more later.

Pyrmar Cadash="This isn't enough for you". Oh that's interesting. Pyrmar is one of those characters that seems super simple (ex-surfacer Carta bruiser with a notable penchant for leadership as a Champion) and, for the most part, he is. He likes drink and fun as much as any other mercenary like the Chargers. But, like Dorian, he sometimes feels inadequate in some way. As if he is meant for more; to be and do more. Most notably for basic respect and care, something his upbringing in the cutthroat nature of the Carta was missing. Dorian shows him that he is capable of love and being loved and The Iron Bull gives him the respect and belonging he lacked previously. While he can still fall orey to his baser nature at times, his heart as grown much over the years and so it becomes less common to "want more" as he used to.

(Last Court)

Aurore de Serault="Because you have made mistakes you can't swallow" Ooo. She does carry some lingering guilt and grief over her late husband's death at the hands of the Game. She struggles with the Orlesian court at times, and much prefers solitude and peaceful quiet to gossipy ballrooms and noble Lords and ladies demanding a dance, a bonding point for her and her love interests of The Silent Huntsman and the Elegant Abbess. However, it's not that she's unskilled in the Game; in fact, she's quite good at it. She simply prefers simplicity to more complex machinations. All that said, she does regret the ferocity with which she holds grudges; she had gone on to murder the entire families of those individuals responsible for her husband's death.

Marcel de Serault="You swallow pain and fold around it". Hmmm. Not sure of this one. Marcel divorced his wife to pursue a cloistered and scholarly life in pursuit of knowledge (he was once a Chevalier). Eventually he began to crave the adventure of the Game again, which is how he fell for The Wayward Bard and the Dashing Outlaw. Again, not too sure but it's interesting. Perhaps he simply internalized his losses and pain?

(Hawkes)

Knight-Commander Jasper Hawke of Kirkwall="because you've made mistakes you can't swallow" Oh cool! Jasper watches his younger siblings-three of his fellow quadrupled and Carver- go off into the Deep Roads expedition. He made the decision to stay behind to protect Bethany and their mother in case things went south. Despite assurances from his departing siblings, things did go south. After being pissed at Batrand, he sighed and went to work for the Templars. Shortly thereafter, despite his best efforts, Bethany was caught by Templars and taken to the Circle. Jasper did what he could to protect and shield his sister from the worst abuses of the Templars under Meredith's command, no matter the personal costs and enmity it earned him from his siblings and companions. It even ended his relationship with Anders around the beginning of Act 2. After Meredith was defeated, he worked with Cullen to try and reform the Templars and rebuild Kirkwall post-Chantry boom. His efforts were strained once red lyrics began to show up and corrupt his fellow templars. Despite narrowly avoiding being swept into the group while infiltrating it to gather intel, he succeeded in driving them out. When Cullen left for the Inquisition, he stepped up to continue reforming the Templars for protecting the mages. While he originally balked at the pro-mage decisions of the Inquisition, he ultimately agreed that the Chantry had abused all of its charges-mages and templars both. He began to reshape the Templars under his command to fit in line with the changing world; a choice to take lyrium, and a recovery and rehabilitation plan set in stone for all members who wished to leave, new rules and regulations in place to protect the rights and dignity of both mages and Templars, slowly making them a secular force beyond the Chantry but under the control of Vivenne's newly reformed Circle of Magi perhaps. He does what he believes to be right and for the best of his family, even if they dislike his decisions. A trait he no doubt picked up from his mother.

Lord Gray Hawke of House Amell="You swallow pain and fold around it" This is fitting for Lord Amell. While Jasper and Violet always held loft goals to pursue and Skye simply wanted to go and see the world for all it was, Gray preferred to remain at home and tend to their family. He is the one most connected to the Amell legacy rather than the Hawke self-made determination. That's not to say it isn't there; he's more than willing to help others and make something of himself, but it comes back to wanting to appease and help his family in whatever ways he could. He pines for Anders for a great deal of time, but doesn't make a move due to either Jasper dating the mage or simply not wanting to be a rebound for his brother. In the end, however, Anders surprises him (perhaps nudged on by Skye and Violet) by initiating a kiss and the two quickly develop into a stable relationship. He is even willing to leave all he'd built to go on the run with Anders and further aid him in his cause. Gray is just a cutie who wants a simple meal and a nice husband. If he gets to watch Anders shoot lightning at fools, well, who is he to laugh?

Viscountess Skye Hawke="Because you cannot hold freedom". Accurate. Skye loves her freedom. While she is certainly ambitious, it often comes down to more power means more freedom. She rules as Viscountess of Kirkwall for a time until abdicating in favor of Varric so she can pursue Tallis across the seas, but also to simply go back to adventuring and exploring. While she does not care for the Qun and its Qunari, she cares about people and her family most of all. It is one of the few tethers she did not choose but it is the one she keeps above all others. After all, even the Sky must touch the earth at some point just as a Hawk must return to its nest to rest and tend its young.

Champion Violet Hawke of Kirkwall="Because you have made mistakes you cannot swallow". Fitting given that Violet is both a blood-mage (also a spirit-healer and force-mage) and extremely pro-mage freedom, and her choices often led her to conflict with Jasper due to their views and lives. She has only ever wanted to be free to live her life as she chooses, with is how she fell for Isabela. She fell for Fenris because she's a bleeding heart who wants to help everyone as much as she can. Kirkwall left its mark on her and she's struggling to do better than what she views as a failure due to her diplomatic nature in the name of mage freedom by the time the Inquisition comes around. While just as driven by the cause for equality as Anders, she often privately struggled with her mother's death among the many other revelations and choices of her family, fearing the loss of all she called dear. Luckily Fenris and Isabela returned to her and they made a pact to live well on the seas after everything had settled down and Champion Hawke was no longer needed.

(Awakening)

Senior Warden Dion Caron="This isn't enough for you" Okay. So, Dion joined the Wardens to escape the Templars (p.s. it didn't work) and his adopted sister Victoire-Ainsley was already joining and he had promised to protect her for their parents. He's happily married to Garam and spends much of his time training recruits and fostering camaderie in the ranks of the Wardens. What more could he want? Perhaps it is nothing and the doubt is simply there as is human nature, perhaps he frets about his dwindling time in the world before his Calling, perhaps he does want more. Who can say?

Senior Warden/Warden-Constabke Victoire-Ainsley Caron of Orlais="This isn't enough for you" Pfft. Victoire-Ainsley's ambition to make a name for herself and her family (she came from a long line of Chevaliers) nearly cost her her life and resulted in her father's death. Her mother adopted an orphan boy-Dion-in the hopes it would curb some of her darker tendencies. It partially succeeded. While she did not go as far as she'd once been willing, she still acted ruthlessly and this earned her quite the name in the Game for a time. However, her fall from grace was just as bloody as her rise, and she was only spared by the intervention of the Wardens' Conscription. She lost a great deal and was now forever barred from reclaiming it. She acted out for a time and was surprised when the Wardens allowed-encouraged even-it. However the death of her husband to save them during a nasty skirmish against a powerful broodmother she'd led them against resulted in a mission successful but at a cost she hadn't wanted to pay; only her, Dion, Garam, and I senna made it out alive. Since then, she had been working towards redeeming herself, opening up to the criticism and vulnerability she'd been so afraid of, much like Loghain is when he is sent to Orlais. And so while her pride demands more of her, she focuses instead on what she can provide and tries to bite back the bile this causes. After all, this is for the best and that is enough. Right?

Senior Warden Isenna Andras="You were meant to" Isenna lived first under the Orlesian cruelty in the Alienate and then the Templars' in the Circle. It is no wonder she fights to carve a name for herself in history, to make herself her own, to be what she was never meant to even dream of. She wants to be a hero but struggles against her own inner nature to survive. She is driven by the conflict of selflessness and self-preservation. Perhaps Mhairi's idealism is enough to tip the scales for her.

Senior Warden Garam Kader="Because you have made mistakes you cannot swallow" Accurate. He joined the Wardens after passing off the wrong Carta Boss and then spent years helping Victoire-Ainsley and her brother grow their ambition and then....his unit died beyond the four of them. And all the glamor of the Wardens fell away and he realized just how far some would go and he began to wait for them to step back, hoping they would step back. Victoire-Ainsley and Dion and Isenna did. He did. But the Clarel didn't. He hopes Loughlin will do better as the Warden-Commander of Orlais. He knows he will do better and he knows his husband, Dion, will.

(Wardens)

Warden-Commander Lynera Mahariel of Fereldan="You were meant to" Ouch my heart. Lynera lost Tamlen and never quite recovered. She was forced into a Warden and then into leading the party as the Hero of Fereldan and then into the role of Warden-Commander/Arlessa of Amaranthine and she did it. She took all the pain and hurt and losses over the years, the Taint and its horrors and its strength sapping, the politics and hard decisions; she took it all and she did it. She did what was needed, became what a Grey Warden Commander and hero was meant to be. She can't even say she regrets becoming a Warden anymore as its become so central to her identity now, only mourns the things and people she's lost to get there. I think Sten-excuse me-the Arishok understands this. Perhaps that is why they both hope to never meet on a battlefield unless they are on the same side again.

Warden Isemaya Tabris="You swallow pain and fold around it" Okay that's like SUPER interesting. See, Isemaya learned about the injustices elves face early in life. It cost her her mother's life and very nearly her twin brother's as well, after all. She became a warrior to protect them (her family, her community, her home) and she was good at it. But then she saw a glimpse of a different life with Nelaros, one where she might be happy simply letting someone else deal with all the fighting and clawing and exhaustion. She wanted it, she realized, she wanted it very much. But then she lost him and Shianni was hurt and she was hurt and Vaughn was dead and the humans were so angry. She geared up to protect her people again, to be the brave warrior like her mother before her. And then....Duncan Conscripted her. She was forced from her home, alive and angry and proud, and so she expanded her family to her companions. Then Zevran tried to kill them and they let him live and she watched him like a hawk and saw the same longing for a life, for more in the absence of loss, in him. She helped him heal and learn to live again and he helped her set down her weapons and her anger for a time and then the times became more frequent and they grew closer. She told him she loved him in the brisk Haven air and he gave her a golden earring to match the old and blood-stained wedding band she still wore, and she had found peace. She continued with the Wardens, with helping him take down the Crows, with searching for a cure so they could have more time. She took her pain but instead of weaponizing it like Lynera and others did, she learned to let it go and continue on. She learned to live in spite of, not because of, her pain.

Arcane Advisor Catriona Surana of Fereldan= "Because you have made mistakes you cannot swalllow" Oof. This is definitely Catriona during Origins. Her decisions to betray Jowan, to use blood magic at Ostagar and then to continue to practice and study it despite the stigma it holds, the merging with Compassion to save Cale, to give up her dreams of marriage and freedom and let Alistair marry Anora for the good of Fereldan and again when Leliana went on to become the Left Hand of the Divine and then again as the Divine Victoria...she makes a lot of mistakes and the consequences haunt her for a very long time. While she does manage to find some good in them, or at least simply makes peace with them, they still color how she becomes in 2 and Inquisition and beyond.

Warden Cale Amell=

Teryn Fion Cousland of Gwaren=

Paragon Prince Barran Aeducan=

Warden Paragon Tatha Brosca=

(Origins)

First/Keeper Vireth Mahariel=

"Dark Wolf" Elthorn Tabris=

"Stormcaller" Alaros Surana=

Lord Azul Amell=

Lady "Nightshade" Raven Amell=

Lord Carmine Amell=

Lord Reed Amell=

Lady Marigold Amell=

Captain "Highever Spitfire" Aelynne Cousland=

Princess and Orzammar Commander Valda Aeducan=

(Canon Solo Shepard)

Commander and Spectre Annette Shepard=

(The Sibling Shepards Canon)

Spectre Riley Shepard=

Spectre/XO Roscoe "Ros" Shepard=

Spectre/Commander Joanna "Jo" Shepard=

(Shepard Cousins)

Angelus "Angel" Shepard=

Elliot "El" Shepard=

Jaden "Jay" Shepard=

Alexandra "Alex" Shepard=

Kristopher "Kris" Shepard=

Clover "Clove" Shepard=

(Starship Ryders Canon)

Pathfinder Lucas "Luke" Ryder=

Pathfinder Rebecca "Becca" Ryder=

Pathfinder Shiloh "Shy" Ryder=

Pathfinder Evander "Evan" Ryder=

Pathfinder Asher "Ash" Ryder=

(Baldur's Gate)

Cei Gloomdraft=

Faenerys Elendir=

"Sable Shades" Risaeder Rosandoral=

Saga "Muse" Musehart=

Lyr(e/a/an) Lovemoor=

Rune Mistsea=

Lucine Mistsea=

Roan Roarke=

[notalwaysthevillian]

For the questions thing if you're still doing it.. maybe 12, 22, 119, 149, and 150?

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

The Things We Used to Share (Thomas Sanders), The Afterglow (Silverstein), Hoodie (Hey Violet), Make Me Feel (Janelle Monae), Mister Glassman (Scotty Sire)

22. Where would you like to travel?

Greece

119. Favorite book?

I really liked Lord of the Flies for some reason in English class, and I still do. My favorite book series is a tie between Percy Jackson (the whole thing, through Trials of Apollo) and A Series of Unfortunate Events

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

Absolutely

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?

I don’t have a physical book near me, so have something off my Kindle app!

This is why I was so startled to see a woman appear around one corner of the brick wall and walk toward me. (In The Shadow Of Lakecrest by Elizabeth Blackwell)   

(Hella Cute Questions)

[avidbeader]

Voltron fanfic: “Scattered” Chapter 15

Season 2 AU. No ships, K+ to T rating. Begin at the beginning here.

Giving a particular shout-out to @rangergirl3 – after reading the latest installment of her “Lost Paladins” series with all the Keith and all the Pidge, one thread to this chapter just took off and started running and I don’t know when it’s gonna stop. And after you read this fic/chapter, give yourself a few days’ treat and go read her stuff – it’s fabulous and full of solid OCs and world building, great character interactions, plenty of hurt balanced by plenty of comfort, and all the nerdy references you could want.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

Pidge set up the laptop to transfer the rest of its files to the Altean database, locking the information under a personal password, then looked around for how to make Keith more comfortable until Allura could try to address the energy issue.

And then she kicked herself for sending the others out so fast. There was no way she could drag a bed or couch from another room here, and even then she couldn’t lift Keith by herself. Everyone else was currently in the control room and she was not going to interrupt negotiations. Time to improvise.

She raided a storage cabinet of all the blankets meant for patients when they exited a cryo-pod. She piled a few together next to Keith for a makeshift mattress and shifted him onto it in stages. She added another pair of blankets to cover him, then considered. She pulled off most of the white-and-green pieces to her armor so she was left in the same black uniform as Keith, then sat cross-legged at his head. She lifted him up enough so his head rested in her lap, then activated the interface in the gauntlet that she still wore and laid her bayard on the floor next to her, ready to snatch up.

“Let’s see what we can find from here…”

After a few tries, Pidge found a pathway into the Garrison’s Internet connection. She began scanning the major news sites, her free hand absently running through Keith’s hair as she read.

<> <> <> <> <>

“What do we have, Coran?”

“It seems to be a voice message only. I think we would need Pidge to instruct them on establishing visual contact, since she’s familiar with their capability.”

Allura shook her head. “She’s watching over Keith right now. We’ll make do.” In her peripheral vision, she noticed Hunk and Matt Holt put their heads together over Pidge’s station. She drew a deep breath and nodded at her adviser, who touched a control and gave her the thumb-up gesture she had seen the Paladins use.

“This is Princess Allura of Altea. To whom am I speaking?”

“I’m Commander Iverson, head of Galaxy Garrison.”

He was the one trying to open communications with Keith. He told us where to find him.

Before she could answer, Iverson continued. “Please, is Cadet Kogane—Keith, is he safe?”

Allura the princess felt her anger loosen at that. This man sounded genuinely concerned. But Allura the leader of the universe’s only known resistance to Zarkon replied.

“Why would you think he’d be safer with us than with you? Aren’t we the aliens here?”

Iverson hesitated very briefly, then spoke. “Because even though he left the Garrison early, between his time here and what Captain Shirogane would say about him, I know something about Keith. He does not give his trust lightly and you people obviously earned it. His very first thought was returning to you. He wanted to give us information about some threat called the Galra and communicate with the other cadets’ families, but he never once indicated any desire to stay here.”

Allura glanced at Shiro, who nodded at her.

“He is safe enough, though he will need medical attention from the drugs you poured into him.” Allura’s tone turned sharp.

“I have the list that Darzi and Blackwell used—”

“Unnecessary. We have that information.”

That seemed to stun Iverson and Allura did not volunteer how they knew. She continued, “Those names, have those people been punished yet for their assault?”

“They are being held while we try and sort out exactly what happened. Darzi will face a court martial at the very least.”

“I will tell you now. We have ways of monitoring the outcome of any inquiry you have, and if we are not satisfied with his punishment, we can and will enact our own retribution against him.”

<> <> <> <> <>

Benítez had finally made it back to the Garrison, having been forced to land several miles away rather than risk becoming a target for the very large and very unknown space vessel that was hovering over the desert. She entered the communication center just in time to hear a female voice coldly announce that she was in possession of information that should not have been available to anyone besides the command staff. When that same voice followed up with threats, she inhaled sharply.

“This is General Benítez of Earthforce. Who are you to make that kind of threat?”

“I am Princess Allura, the guardian of the Voltron Force, and I will protect my Paladins in every way possible. Your people could have killed my Red Paladin with their insistence on medically coercing information from him. There is no threat. I promise that if your punishment does not fit this Darzi’s crimes, we will rectify the situation.”

<> <> <> <> <>

Shiro touched her arm gently and and she paused to look at him, a bit annoyed that he had stopped her building up into a really satisfying rant.

He waved at Coran and made a slashing motion across his throat. Coran looked puzzled for a moment, then realized what Shiro was asking and adjusted the controls. “All right, the connection is muted for the moment.”

Shiro turned and pointed to Pidge’s station. Matt looked up from his display. “We have visual contact ready if you want it – it’s going to pop up on one of their security camera viewscreens when I initiate.”

Allura smiled a little at that. Pidge’s brother was proving to be quite useful. “Yes, please.” She waved a hand to bring up the proper viewer.

Shiro moved to stand next to her and waved at Hunk and Lance. “Come on, guys, united front. Sam, Matt, will you join us at my signal?”

Both Holts nodded and Shiro turned to Coran. “Ready to reopen the channel.”

The screen wavered and then showed two people. Allura looked them over and guessed that the balding one with only one good eye was the adult male, Iverson, and that the one with dark hair pulled back from her face was the general.

Iverson jumped as he focused on the sudden visual. “Shirogane?”

“Commander.”

Iverson was now looking at Lance and Hunk. “I see Garrett and McClain. Where’s Gunderson? Is he all right?”

Lance snorted at that, but Shiro gave him a look and he got himself under control.

“The person in question is safe and currently looking after Keith. But there is no ‘Pidge Gunderson’. That person assumed a false identity to infiltrate the Garrison and look for more information on why her family disappeared.”

As they watched, the penny dropped and Iverson breathed, “Katie Holt.”

Shiro nodded once and waved to the waiting pair. “And as you can see, she succeeded where you failed.”

Sam and Matt stepped forward and Sam gave a resigned smile. “Hello, Mitch.”

<> <> <> <> <>

After a few minutes of shared crying from joy, Rosa pulled herself together. “I’ll contact Iolana to let her know about Hunk…oh, lord, should I wait? I need to figure out the time difference—”

Colleen interrupted, her own emotional storms subsiding as her natural inclination to organize took over. “Go ahead and call now. Even if you wake her, you’re giving her good news. I’ll contact Shiro’s family.”

“And the Garrison? When do we contact them?”

“We don’t. Sam was very insistent on that. They lied and covered up the fact that the Kerberos team was kidnapped by aliens. They lied again when our children disappeared. Sam said he’d contact me as soon as they handled their immediate crisis and sort out when and how to meet.”

“What do we do if they contact us first? Or reporters?”

Colleen thought a moment. “We have plausible deniability with that audio being spread about everywhere. Deny everything but that you know Lance is alive until we have some guidance from Sam.”

Rosa glanced at Seamus and the girls, all listening closely. He nodded at her. She replied, “All right. We stay in touch and contact the others as soon as anyone hears anything.”

<> <> <> <> <>

His surroundings brightened and shifted away from Red’s soothing aura. For a moment it was as if he were surrounded by the gleaming white and soft blue that characterized the Castle. Then everything came into focus, showing the room where he was being held prisoner.

He struggled uselessly against bindings that held him down as the door opened. Darzi was coming back again…Darzi would never stop trying to wring every last bit of information from him.

Red! Red, where are you?

And then the figure moved from the door to tower over him. A scarred, purple face grinned at him, violet eyes shining in glee at his helplessness. The figure lifted clawed hands and brought them down, sealing off his air. He tried to tell himself it was just a dream. And then he felt something warm on his face.

“Keith! Wake up! It’s okay!”

He tried with everything he had to fight the hands that were suffocating him. To his surprise, his arms moved and he connected with the form hovering above him.

“Ow, dammit, Keith! Wake up! You’re dreaming! Wake up!”

Wake up, my Paladin!

Zarkon’s face shifted, becoming rounder and pale and…

“Pidge?”

Her face was upside down and it took him a moment to realize he was looking up at her from her lap. Her glasses were askew. She straightened them and smoothed his hair back from his face.

“Yeah. You with me?”

“Where…where are we?”

Home, my Paladin.

“We’re safe in the Castle. We broke you out of the Garrison.”

He felt locked muscles begin to relax at the knowledge that he was out of that blasted room, out of Darzi’s hands. But the second the tension in his body eased, sensation flooded in. Pain hammered his skull and shot down his neck into his shoulders. His mouth and throat felt full of sand. He could feel sore points on his arms from where needles had been inserted and his skin itched with the need for a thorough shower. The only things that felt good were Red purring in his mind and Pidge combing through his hair with her fingers.

She shifted underneath him. “Here, can you sit up a second?”

Keith was able to prop himself on his elbows long enough for her to bring a stack of folded blankets over. But sitting up made his head swim and he fell back on the improvised pillow. Pidge frowned at that. “Are you dizzy?”

He nodded.

“Headache? Dry mouth?”

“Yeah.”

She took his hand and pinched the back of it briefly, her eyes narrowing when it took several seconds for the skin to smooth out again. “You’re dehydrated. Those bastards.” She went to a cabinet and pulled out a few pouches; he recognized them as the portable drinks Coran gave them when they were training. She opened one and handed it to him. “Slowly. If you suck it down there’s every chance you’ll throw it back up.”

“Yes, Mom.”

Pidge rolled her eyes, but grinned at him. Keith made himself sip the liquid, rather than gulp as he wanted to do the second it hit his parched throat.

She snagged a laptop from its perch on the console and settled close beside him. Now that the light showed her face fully, he could see a red mark on her face that appeared set to bruise deeply. He flashed back to the dream, striking out against Zarkon’s image, and realized what he had done.

He reached up but she caught his hand before he could touch her.

“God, Pidge, I’m sorry—”

She squeezed his hand and laid it back on his chest. “It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re awake and coherent. Everyone’s been worried sick, I’m still so mad that the Garrison did this to you!”

“Earthforce. Not the Garrison.”

“What?”

“It was someone in Earthforce that gave me all this trouble. I remember Iverson saying something about them pulling rank.”

“Oh.” Several expressions flitted across Pidge’s face as she assimilated the new information. She looked back down at the laptop and scrolled to something, then brought up a screen from her gauntlet and poked at it.

“That’s not yours.”

“No, I stole it when we went in to rescue you. We needed the medical information to tell the cryo-pod what to fix, given that Altean medicine might not recognize Earth drugs.”

Keith looked around at the makeshift bed, his armor piled to one side. “So, why am I not currently imitating a popsicle, then?”

“I wish you hadn’t said ‘popsicle’. I’ve been reading everything about what’s been going on—there were too many photos and vids for Earthforce to hope to contain the news—and the food ads are killing me.”

“Back to the point, Hunk…”

She made a face at him. “Anyway, Allura was afraid to use a pod because somehow your body is acting like a supercharged battery full of that Quintessence stuff the Galra were processing at that hub. We have no idea how—”

She broke off, seeing Keith’s expression change.

“You have an idea how that happened.”

“Yeah, but go on.”

“So she wasn’t sure that the pod would be able to manage the excess energy you currently have inside you. I think she might want to try something like what we saw her doing with the Balmera, siphoning it off or redirecting it or something.”

Keith nodded thoughtfully at that.

“I think that this Quintessence issue is part of the reason you had such a high resistance to their drugs.” Something on the screen from her gauntlet beeped and she poked it, studying something on it.

“What’s that?” Keith finished the last of the drink.

Pidge swapped the empty pouch for a new one. “Tell you later. Anything feeling better?” She started to lay a hand on his forehead to see if he felt feverish, but he instinctively jerked from her hand. She saw his pulse jump in his throat and his eyes dilate.

“All right, what is it?”

“What’s what?” he deflected, willing himself to calm his racing heartbeat. Red rumbled in his head, trying to soothe him even as her own anger spiked.

“Why are you so jumpy about me touching your face? First you slugged me one and now you avoid me checking your temperature.”

He looked down and closed his eyes, searching for a way to tell her without having to relive those terror-filled moments of Darzi’s hands clamped across his face, the inability to defend himself, the struggle to breathe.

Too late.

He reached for her hand and pressed it to his cheek, deliberately trying to break the association. Inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes. “I think it was the second or third time they tried a truth serum on me. The lieutenant general that was in charge arranged to take out the medtech that was in the room and brought his own person, so he could use as much of the amo-whatever as he wanted. I yelled, trying to get anyone’s attention, and he…he tried to stop me. But he covered my nose and mouth so tightly I couldn’t breathe. And then he seemed to lose it. If the medtech with him hadn’t stopped him, he’d’ve killed me.” He closed his eyes again and focused on her hand, which had begun to tremble.

<> <> <> <> <>

My sister! Is this true?

Red growled dangerously in reply to Green’s question. Yes.

And you left the place standing?

If the other had not stopped the attack, I would have razed it to the ground.

And I would help you!

<> <> <> <> <>

Pidge caressed his cheek and withdrew her hand. Keith opened his eyes and looked, seeing her visibly trying to control a growing rage.

Glints of gold swirled in her brown eyes.

<> <> <> <> <>

Allura watched the reactions closely. Iverson seemed stunned at the appearance of the Holts while Benítez immediately frowned.

Iverson was the first to speak. “Sam…you’re alive. You’re all alive!”

“We are. Matt owes his life to Shiro and we owe our freedom to Lance and the rest of the Voltron Force. But you? You lied about what happened to us. You put out a false story blaming Shiro for an accident that never happened!”

Benítez snapped, “That was the only thing we could do! If we’d told the public there were signs of you all being taken by some alien force, we’d have uncontrollable panic!”

“And yet when I returned, you didn’t listen to me, either.” Shiro’s voice was hard and cold, and Allura couldn’t stop herself from glancing at him worriedly.

“If those cadets hadn’t interfered—”

“If they hadn’t, Earth would be under the control of the Galra Empire right now. We were the ones in the Blue Lion when it led the warship away.”

That seemed to stop the general. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “We’re not getting anywhere like this. What is it that you want?”

Allura stepped forward slightly. “We are willing to give you intelligence on the Galra. We will decide on a few alterations to your technology that will permit scans at longer ranges than you currently have. In exchange, you will guarantee safe passage so my Paladins can see their families and establish their own secure methods of communication with them. Finally, we will establish multiple layers of counter-signs so that in case the Galra do approach your system you will be able to alert us through the Paladins’ families.”

Iverson and Benítez looked at one another and Allura sensed that they might have a starting point. She schooled her face to prevent a smile of triumph from showing.

The floor of the Castle shook under her feet.

Startled, she looked around and saw similar confusion on the Paladins’ faces. Then she realized what was happening when twin roars tore through the halls, echoing from the bays to the control room.

Each of the Paladins had what she would call the ‘listening’ face as a child: that open, concentrating expression which meant that the Lions were communicating with their pilots. Then all three of them—Shiro, Lance, and Hunk—suddenly looked furious. Before everyone’s eyes, Shiro’s right hand began to glow as it curled into a fist.

Allura jumped when a new comm screen popped up, showing Pidge with a truly terrifying snarl on her face, her eyes seeming to glow in anger.

“Princess, has Earthforce dealt with that murderer Darzi?”

“Murderer?” Allura spun back to the two humans on the other screen.

Iverson looked shocked, then angry. He turned on the general. “Is that what Perkins was talking about? Did Darzi actually assault him?”

Benítez slumped her shoulders slightly.

Allura’s eyes widened at the unspoken admission. “Pidge, what are you talking about?”

“Keith just told me! Darzi tried to kill him!”

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

Next chapter

[castleaudios]

How many nicknames does Ranger have by the pack and is there any of the pack that enjoys Rangers company?

The list is endless, honestly, some of the pack members are vicious.

Simon genuinely likes the Ranger and is rooting for them, despite being the most intimidating bastard in the whole group

[castleaudios]

Hello my dear castle.

You already know why I'm here so I'm not going to prolong the hellos.

I know the basics like werewolves and vampires can be shifted but what about things like wendigos? are those a thing? And is there any similar things to it?

Will you be including any mythology or is this based off of your own Universe completely?

How old do you prefer your audience?

What's your favorite theory on Glenwood?

We all know Ranger is afraid of hospitals... is there any other things they are scared of like lightning?

What stops our favorite podcaster from just learning about magical stuff and taking magical books out? Or accidentally drawing a rune?

Do different types of blood taste different for vampires? And do they have a specific preference?

In this universe can you be shifted into a werewolf by using the lycanthropous flower and wear it after sunset on the night of a full moon?  that's usually a thing that turns people into werewolves.

Are your vampires affected by running water?

Are there such thing as Wraiths in your universe?

Is there going to be any characters with wings? avian character? Or at least a mention of one?

How far are you planning to go into the lore on a scale of 1 to 10

Do vampires immediately combust or is it like a sunburn that slowly cooking you to death?

Are vampires able to bleed if so is it a different color or thicker? Like would it be a dark red or a blackish Brown instead of the light Crimson that humans have?

What do you think Claire's favorite song would be?

How do you visualize Claire? I know there's plenty of art but I would like to know what you see you when you think about Claire.

Does Beth have any scars?

Who do you think is the strongest in each category like physical strength? magical strength? spiritual strength? mental strength?

How long has Ranger been a ranger? How strong would they be?

Does any of your characters have any physical or mental disabilities?

Blood magic in your Universe seems interesting could you explain it a little bit more? Like how long until the blood is not able to be used anymore? Or can the user stop someone from bleeding out or make them bleed out? (Add anything you think would be nice to know in any of these)

You said something about everyone having their own unique Magic but what would happen with twins or triplets or more?

How old is her majesty exactly?

Can ancestry help choose your magic in any way?

Do past lives exist and can that alter what magic you get?

What happens if someone uses magic against the law? is they're a special jail?

How far can something go until it's no longer Magic? is there a scale for how much Magic? Like if you only have a speck of magic in your soul and can't really use it... would you really be considered a magical creature or not?

Ranger sounds like someone with a very depressing childhood. He probably wears autism socks. (Sorry I just had to diss him a little bit... I do love him though...)

What's Claire's favorite color? (She seems like the type of person who would like Navy maybe some dark blues and yellows)

How old would you have to be to be considered a vampire king or queen?

Is brushing your teeth harder as a shifter? (If their teeth even change that is)

Do they have a Walmart?

Is Ranger Canadian? they seem Canadian. ( at this point I'm just making Ranger into whatever the hell I am... poor Ranger...)

Beth looks like the person to sleep with 30 blankets and those old grandpa pajamas.

Since there's advanced version of magic is there an advanced version of alchemy?(please touch Alchemy... nobody does.. and I'm getting desperate here... even if it's just a little caress... you can like barely poke it just give me Alchemy... please...)

Since Beth has 30 blankets now which one do you think is her favorite or would be her favorite?

What happens when they can't track down a magic user? a new one in specific?

Have you ever had Pringles? if so what's your favorite type? (My favorite is pizza.)

How much money does Claire make being the alpha?

Do any of the listeners have any siblings?

Does any of the characters have any siblings?

Can non-human blood work in blood Magic? Would it have different property's?

That's all the questions I have for now! Thank you my dear Castle. ❤

Alright, it's taken me long enough to sit down and go through all these questions. I won't be able to answer every single one, but I'll o my best! Let's go:

For the sake of being respectful to other cultures, we're sticking with the more basic idea of shifters and mythical creatures, that includes Mythologies.

I generally prefer my audience to be 18+ but I understand that's a hard thing to monitor when it comes to the internet. My content isn't necessarily inappropriate, but you'll never see any content on my channel in a high school setting.

My favorite Glenwood theory is that Alexander survived and is waiting to take revenge.

Our Ranger is pretty fearless despite their dislike for hospitals

The magical books are covered with a Glamour spell so Abby will skim past them while researching. Runes don't inherently work, even if she drew an accurate one.

Different blood types don't taste different, but that doesn't stop vampire society as a whole from being in on the joke and talking about blood types like types of wine.

In my universe, either you were born as a shifter or you weren't, you can't be turned into a werwolf.

Vampires are not effects by running water

I've thought of including Wraiths in the channel! Though I have no plans as of right now

Avian characters are in consideration and will make an appearance eventually

I'm hoping to go into lore at the very least 7/10

Vampires can take about three minutes in direct sunlight before they're burned into ash. The can be severely burned in those few minutes.

Vampires, in my universe, don't bleed. Their insides are still red, though.

Beth does have some scars, but they're more from being a reckless child growing up rather than any incidents.

Physical Strength: Claire.(not considering vampiric strength) Magical Strength: TBA (We haven't met her yet) Spiritual Strength: Evie. Mental Strength: Rose.

Ranger has been at their job for about 5 years

Honestly, I'm planning to make a whole explanation on blood magic.

When it comes to twins and magical auras, they would be similar but there would still be subtle differences. If we compare it to having a certain color as you aura, twins or triplets would have different shades of the same color.

Ancestry only really has a hand in shifter magic or having magic in the family at all. You can't perfect your lineage's magical ability

There is a judicial system within the Bureau of Magic which incarcerates magic users who break the law.

Magic can't really be measured, but if you are able to access magic, then you're able to use it. There's no variation in the starting amounts. Just like a muscle, magic needs to be trained and nourished in order to become stronger, so if you don't practice, then that dictates how much magic you can use.

It seems that many people have claimed Ranger as (lovingly) having a touch of the 'tism so they def had autism socks.

Claire is a big fan of rich jewel tones

Vampire Kings and Queens don't have to be a certain age to earn the title, a vampire of any age can rule over a Court. However, Celine is considered a Vampire Prime after living past 500 years and presiding over several Courts.

Brushing their teeth isn't harder, but werewolf children grow up with their teeth being a little larger than average, including their canine's, so many will wear braces to hide the size of their teeth until they "grow into them"

Glenwood does, in fact, have a Walmart

Beth has an ungodly blanket collection. Her favorite would be one she got from her mom.

I promise to touch on the topic of alchemy in the future, I just need to do some research before including it so it actually makes sense!

I have had Pringles! My favorite are the honey barbecue flavor

Claire makes enough money to put the entire pack into an early retirement based on her agreement with Celine. Other than that, being the Alpha does not actually have any monetary benefit.

Listeners having siblings is up for interpretation! Characters on the other hand, Claire and Beth are only children. Abby has four siblings. Evie has a little brother.

Non-human blood can work in blood magic, regardless of the different properties.

PHEW!! All done! I'm not even gonna think about how many typos I have in this but it's DONE! Hopefully that cleared some stuff up!

[castleaudios]

What is the name of the service that Ranger is working under?

Ranger is working under Visitor and Resource Protection while Diane works under administration

[castleaudios]

Do you have a map for Glenwood?

Are there any specific names for forests and landmarks?

Sorry I'm feeling a bit curious today I'm finally not sick anymore so I'm able to work on my story❤❤

There is no official map of Glenwood yet but one is in the works!!

The lake by the Den is called Cyrus Lake which everyone teases Sylis about relentlessly.

Within Glenwood's forest, there are several notable landmarks like "Rockpoint Crest" and "The Morris Stone" which are two major rock formations near the base of the mountains. The Pack use these landmarks to keep track of their borders.

[castleaudios]

Hello it's me again, back with some more questions!

1: If a wielder doesn't use their magic from very long period of time could it weaken their magic?

(Kind of like if someone is really good at archery doesn't do archery for 7 years and has to relearn some things)

2: who is your favorite listener?

3: was Glenwood just a random "pop up" idea or was there inspiration?

4: does Ranger have any magical coworkers?

5: how do you feel about Ranger becoming a menace to society?

6: What's your favorite color?

7: how are you and CW doing?

That's all my questions bye-bye!

Hello! Welcome back :)

Their magic won't be weakened, but they'll have a harder time controlling it after a long period of time

Ooooh That's really hard... Honestly a tie between Ranger and Knight right now

I got the idea for Glenwood as a town from a local diner near my hometown! I've been thinking about these characters and stories for a few years, but only seriously started plotting them together a few months before the channel was made

Dewdrop works at the nature reservation! They're the only elemental on the team

I, personally, love it!

Green!

We're doing well, thank you so much ^^

[castleaudios]

Here is the final design of my Court Vampire Alchemist their name is Willow Hyalus Antoinette.

They were found by Celine, relatively young stuck in a rotting Old Willow Tree!

Oh they are STUNNING!!!

It's so exciting seeing all the Castleverse OC's!!! <3

[castleaudios]

Yum more question because I'm mentally ill

1: is it possible for vampires or werewolves to go into a feral state? And if so what does the higher-ups do about it?

2: do you like cats?

3: what type of books do you think Claire Beth and Ranger would read?

4: what is your favorite mythical creature? mine is a Basilisk.

5: do you have your own original gods in Glenwood or do you just have the ones we have here on our planet?

6: do werewolves have a higher pain tolerance than humans?

7: can werewolves catch diseases that's only in dogs?

8: what was Claire's biggest regret?

9: would vampires be considered cold-blooded?

10: meow meow meow meow meow meow I don't like uneven numbers hehehe

Oh yeah and you forgot to add one of the flashbacks in the flashback playlist. Just thought I would let you know...

Hehe

1: Werewolves, no. Vampires, yes. It's called a blood rage when they get so hungry that they will lose all humanity and feast on anything that moves in order to sate their hunger. If a vampire was found during their rage, they would be put down, but now, because of blood donation systems, there are safeguards put in place to make sure any vampire that's gone too far can be brought back.

2: I do! I love cats but I am terribly allergic

3: Claire loves old fantasy and sci-fi, anything that takes her to another world. Beth likes non-fiction romance and suspense novels. Ranger enjoys reading mystery novels or memoirs

4: Ugh it's so hard to pick just one! I've always loved the stories about Selkies, that's the first that comes to mind

5: We're working with the gods that already exist

6: Not necessarily a higher pain tolerance but they are considerably more durable and can withstand more before getting injured.

7: No, they cannot

8: Not staying in contact with the portion of that pack that left.

9: I don't believe they would. They're undead, but otherwise they would have warm blood

[castleaudios]

Hello castle

I was wondering where would a homunculus (artificial creature made with alchemy) be put in the Bureau?

And would there be titles for Alchemists?

(Examples: Apprentice Alchemists, Adept Alchemists, Master Alchemists, Ancestor Alchemists, Venerate Alchemists, Saint Alchemists, Sovereign Alchemists. )

I just think Alchemy is neat 🤗

Something like the creation of humunculi would be heavily regulated and only allowed experimentation by highly ranked Alchemists of the Bureau.

For those particularly ranked, they would have the title of Sovereign Alchemists who choose two apprentices every few years.

Alchemy is a learned skill but it’s incredibly difficult to master on your own, so anyone with that particular interest would need to go through the apprenticeship program to gain sufficient resources.

[castleaudios]

How much can you tell us about the ministry of magic? Or whatever it's called the higher-ups magic people I forget I have the memory of a moldy bagel... it's also 2:00 a.m. and I'm very sick

It is also 2:30AM as I'm answering this so its a good time all around!

I think I made a post about the Bureau of Magic a little while ago going into more detail, but this is the simple answer.

Bureau of Magic = Magical HR

[castleaudios]

Is it bullying myself if I'm bullying Ranger? Hmmm

Or is bullying other people?

Buddy, I hope its bullying other people because with how much Ranger slander I'm seeing, I'm fixing to send you all to therapy /lh

[castleaudios]

First off for your question my favorite ship would be Ranger and Claire and my crack ship would be Ranger Claire Beth and seer and second off I feel like Ranger is really good with acrobatics

All those acrobatics and they still fell down a cliff? Sounds like someone just wanted to be carried…

In all seriousness, I really like that headcanon!

[castleaudios]

Will you do anything with Alchemy?

or are you not using that in your universe?

I would love to delve into that topic eventually! The idea of artificers has been hinted to in this universe, I just need to research alchemy a bit more before I make it a focal point of an audio. If I’m gonna include something, I want to have half an idea of what I’m talking about.

(Also I still have your other list of questions! I promise I will get around to answering them 💛)