#tredd is the only one who knows luche's tickle spot

[wintersweetbou]

Running on Empty

Fandom: FFXV/Kingsglaive. Rating: G? Its fluff. 

Summary: Luche Lazarus works himself too far trying to prevent further losses on the battlefield. Tredd Furia sees the crash coming. Now, a nice person would calmly voice their concerns. A Furia would drag them kicking and screaming back home. Is Tredd a nice person? In his eyes he is, until Luche fights it. They are both going to give their captain a headache at this rate.

Luche keeps tapping away at his keyboard despite the fact it was quitting time. Shadows hung under his eyes, blooming under sickly pale skin. Tredd leaned against the doorframe of the tiny office, watching in concern. Luche took to being a workaholic to deal with the stress of losing a battle, everyone was getting worried while he threw himself at his work. The redhead lightly knocked on the polished wood, looking expectantly. 

“Yes?” Luche groaned, rubbing his eyes. 

“Wanna hit Yama’s for some food? Heard they were toying with new recipes.” Tredd watched the slow roll and shudder of Luche’s shoulders as he stretched, and shook his head. 

“You ok?” 

“I’m fine.” 

“Don't sound fine to me. Don't look too good either. Lets get some food, and watch a movie at my place, hm?” 

“Sounds great- but go on without me” Luche sighed, rubbing at his temples, slouching in his seat. Frowning, Tredd stepped forward, putting his hands on his hips. 

"Dude, you are not ok. You're working yourself way too hard. I get it, you are working for us. But you need a full meal and nights sleep." 

Luche slumped a squidge in his seat, as if acknowledging his condition was shameful. 

"Your work will still be here in the morning. Burning yourself out won't solve anything."

"I'll get some rest tomorrow. Tonight I can get by with coffee…" 

"If I have to drag you out of this six-damned office I will. Luche- don't think I won't." 

The readhead barged over, grabbing Luche by the wrist and hefting him to his feet. The vice captain was tired enough that his mind and reflexes didn't catch up until Tredd almost had him out the door. Luche snarled, bracing against the door frame. 

"Enough! I don't have time for this!"

"You don't have time for me?"

"No! The war-" Luche wheezed as Tredd tackled him to the floor of the cramped office, struggling to pin his growling brother in arms. 

"Fuck the war. I'm taking you home, getting some food in you, and making sure you get some sleep!"

Luche struggled- Tredd was broader and stronger and the miniscule floorspace gave him no wiggle room. Tredd grinned, bearing his full weight down on the growling glaive, squishing him into the corner between the desk and wall. Luche viciously bucked, throwing Tredd enough for him to twist and regain his position, kneeling, bracing against the desk and forcing Tredd back in a wild grapple. 

Tredd locked with Luche, grinning maniacally. This was Tredd's forte- brute strength. Luche's muscles trembled under him, barely holding his idiot back. Tredd mustered and shoved forward, the other glaive shuddered but held, shaking violently with effort. Tredd shoved again, forcing Luche down against the desk, then on his back on the ground. 

"Get off, asshole!"

"Too tired to make me, Lazarus?"

Luche squirmed, but no longer had the energy to buck him off. Tredd sat on his legs, pinning his hands above his on either side of his head.

"Get your insubordinate dickish self off of me-" came a muffled growl.

"Take a night off." Tredd snickered, leaning further on the kicking legs under himself.

"I said get off!" Luche roared, struggling in vain to muster strength that just wasn't there.

The blonde managed to turn and bite the readhead on the wrist. Tredd glanced down, still holding tight, to see teeth marks- rapidly turning red- clearly visible. 

"The fucker bit me." Tredd sounded awed. Luche bit Tredd. He must be in far worse shape than they thought- calm, in control, cool Luche lay smirking and bedraggled after fighting and biting his best friend. Six.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You are going home one way or another. Gonna keep fighting?" This got a quiet curse in response.

"Hard it is." Came the muttered reply. 

Tredd adjusted his sleeves, pinning the others two hands in one of his, over his head, looking down at his prey. Luche lay exhausted but still defiant. His hair flopped down in his eyes, uniform a mess, shirt untucked under his coat. Tredd chuckled at the sight.

"Remember, all you need to do is take the night off …" 

 Luche growled in response, writhing in his grasp. 

Tredd leaned in, tugged his shirt up further, and dug his fingers into the skin above Luche's hip. “Tredd! Get off or I swear to Ramuh!” Luche squawked, bucking weakly.

Tredd tickled along the cut of his hips and lower belly, earning increasingly desperate threats. Tredd grinned, clawing into the muscle above the joint, deeply amused at the shaky curses. Based on the flush along Luche's face and how bad his stomach quivered in his grasp, the beleaguered glaive just needed a little push. 

“I’ll go home as soon as I’m done!” Luche squirmed, desperately struggling to reign himself in. 

“You are done for the day.” Tredd smirked, kneading. 

“Just a little more! I swear!” Came a pleading squeak. 

"You asked for it." Tredd snickered, leaning in. 

"No! Get the fuck off! Nonononoo!" Luche squealed, then broke into wild cackling at Tredd nibbling at the exposed skin of his hip. The blond managed to break his arms free, but his strength to do anything else withered under the crippling mirth. Tredd laughed into the quivering skin, holding tight onto the poor glaive frantically squirming in his arms.  

The vice captain bucked weakly, shaking his head amid aching guffaws. His lungs and muscles burned, adrenaline spent. Tredd chuckled, kneading into his quaking waist. Luche looked to be near admitting defeat, face bright red and hair askew. 

"Gonna get some rest?" Tredd glanced up, smiling at the giggling glaive.

Luche panted and told Tredd to go fuck himself in Gahladian. 

"Alrighty then..." 

Luche screeched as Tredd blew raspberry after raspberry onto his belly, clawing into the meat above his hips. The blonde was held tight as he thrashed and laughed helplessly. He couldn't stand it, couldn’t escape, his mind stuck in a spiraling loop of six, it tickles and I'm stuck. Tredd smirked, continuing mercilessly, not noticing the form of the captain in the doorway, taking a stealth pic of his poor second being tickled to death. 

"May I ask why you are tormenting Lazarus?" Drautos inquired over his second’s breathless shrieks of laughter, leaning casually on the door frame. Tredd froze, wide eyed. Then shook himself and smiled up at his captain.

 "Lazarus is burning himself out, sir. I am merely encouraging him to rest up." 

Drautos raised an eyebrow, observing the poor condition of his second. The blonde had been taking on more paperwork and training, desperate to prevent losses on the battlefield. This war had taken a terrible toll on his glaives, and some bore the stress better than others. While training and hard work was well and good, rest was also key. Drautos nodded, and turned back to the hallway.

"Can't fight or think on an empty tank. Go home, the lot of you. That's an order." 

Two yes sirs sounded behind him, one smug, and the other uncertain. 

Tredd ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. After forcing takeout down the blond’s gullet and settling in for a night of games, he had turned around to find him passed out cold on his couch. He really had no idea how Luche held it together for so long. Tredd himself dealt with stress by beating a weighted bag until his knuckles bled. Sometimes with fire dancing viciously between the bones protruding under taut skin. He went until his strength was spent and someone- usually Luche- would catch him. The others did the same, roughly. The “hero” and his squad drank their troubles away, leaning on each other through the hard nights. Axis sank into his family, letting their love wash his wounds clean. Sonitus sang and danced with the remnants of his clan, their songs steady, leading its participants into a cleansing, healing trance. It was easy to let eachother hold the stress for a bit. It was what kept them all going- sticking together. 

Tredd glanced down at a soft snort from Luche, watching the man snuggle deeper into his couch. Draping a blanket over him, the redhead turned to get ready for bed. Maybe Drautos would take it easy on them in training tomorrow.

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Magic and Miracles and Beyond Chapter 12

I did not give up on this and I didn’t abandon it, I just...got a much busier life. I’m going back to school, full time. Am I stalling doing my homework? Yes. Do I have an exam on Tuesday that I should be preparing for? Yes. Did this writers block that’s been in my way FOR MONTHS Magically go away and I found my spark for this story again? YES. But you know what? This little chapter was what I needed. What my soul needed. @the-immortal-marshal. Girl, you’ve been SO PATIENT and so good to me. This is for you. That good good. 

Chapter 12

Ada was in the middle of getting a massage, her and the girls had gone to their favorite spa for a spa day and Ada had just gotten her new bank cards in from getting added as a signer to Luche’s accounts and Luche told her to get anything and everything she wanted and not worry about the cost and she was going all out, getting a mani pedi, a hair cut and some highlights and lowlights and a facial and her makeup redone, her bruises had faded and her body had healed and thanks to a lot of ongoing therapy, her mind was healing too. 

Meanwhile Luche, Ravus, Nyx, Libertus, Gladio, Tredd, Pelna and Craig were all going from each other’s apartments to make sure they would have dinner ready and waiting for their girls when they got done having a spa day. They were going all out, making sure the dinners were several courses long, the apartments were perfectly clean and had gotten rose petals by the case and made sure each place was picture perfect for a huge romantic gesture while each guy made his partner’s favorite meal.

Ada came home and gasped when she saw the way the rose petals had been strewn across the floor leading upstairs, there were candles everywhere and the scent of her favorite foods filled her nose and made her stomach growl. 

“Oh Luche,” Ada cooed as she looked at everything and just couldn’t stop smiling as a few tears came to her eyes. This was beautiful and romantic and so thoughtful before Luche greeted her properly by kissing her after he put the prime rib roast on the table. 

“Hey,” Luche grinned proudly as he put it down and went up and kissed her as his arms wrapped around her and held her tight. He was dressed in a dressy casual fashion and Ada felt like she had stepped into a magazine. Everything was picture perfect. 

“How was Twilla? You look amazing. I love what you did with your hair.” Luche asked as they broke for air and he took the bags that had dropped from her hands that she had been carrying since they had done some shopping before the spa and she had let them go to embrace Luche and she was so happy that only his face pulled away but he otherwise kept his arms comfortably around her while she did the same to him before they both seemed to sway to soft music that was playing on the stereo in the apartment. 

“Thank you, yeah it was amazing. You need to come with me next time, they have couples massage, that’s what Noct and Iggy had and they had nothing but high praise about it.” Ada grinned. 

“Sounds great, we could do that...well not next weekend but the weekend after that.” Luche mentally calculated. 

“Really?” Ada smiled brighter. 

“Yeah, go ahead and schedule it and let me know what time so I’ll put it in my schedule.” Luche confirmed. 

“I will, but first, food.” Ada said as she nodded over to the beautifully set table with real china and silverware and a steaming pot of tea waiting for her before Luche let her go and pulled her chair out for her before he got her bags and stowed those away so she could focus on the meal which they happily dug into. 

“Have I told you how much I love it that you cook?” Ada moaned around her food as she devoured everything and was so touched that Luche had done all this work and made a gourmet meal for her to her liking and even noticed that he had done some housekeeping because everything was immaculate and smelled fresh and clean. 

“I tried, Rae, Nyx and Craig helped a lot.” Luche admitted. 

“Yeah but the fact that you even try and put forth so much effort means a lot to me.” Ada fawned as she poured herself a cup of tea and took a tentative sip. She had made a dent in Luche’s tea cabinet and together they had weeded out which ones were going to be repeat buys and which ones were not and this was one of her favorites, it was a good evening tea since it was decaf but had an amazing flavor that went with everything. 

“I know. That’s why I do it.” Luche grinned proudly, happy that she noticed and recognized his hard work before he reached over and took her hand to kiss the back of it sweetly which melted her in her chair before she mirrored his actions then used her hold on him to pull him over to kiss her again since they were sitting kitty corner from each other. 

“I got you something.” Ada giggled. 

“Yeah?” Luche grinned wider. Tickled that she did. She always had great taste whenever she bought gifts and he had yet to not love whatever she got. 

“It’s for later.” Ada giggled as her cheeks stained cherry which got him to smile wider as a giggle escaped him. It was that kind of something. 

“Can’t wait.’ Luche smiled even brighter. “So I wanted to ask you about something.” Luche changed the subject. 

“What?” Ada returned as she tilted her head curiously. 

“So Sylva is a helicopter pilot and a small aircraft pilot too and she’s offered to help Rae and I and her other “kids” to get our pilot licenses.” Luche began as Ada’s eyes lit up. 

“Really?” Ada beamed happily. 

“Yeah, so what do you think about that?” Luche asked. 

“That would be amazing!” Ada fawned. 

“Good, cause it’s your dad is coming back to teach us.” Luche revealed. 

“Really? Wait what? Us? Like you and Rae us or you and me us?” Ada posed. 

“Both,Sylva apparently made him an offer he couldn’t refuse so your parents are moving back but your brother is staying in London, if you want to learn it too that is and if you’re ok with me going into that as well.” Luche clarified. 

“Hell yes!” Ada immediately agreed before she kissed him excitedly. “Why wouldn’t I be ok with that?” Ada asked after she kissed him. 

“Well because flying, as you know, has it’s dangers and I didn’t want to agree or jump into anything without talking about it with you first and making sure you’re ok with it.” Luche explained. 

“Aww, thank you, no that doesn’t bother me at all, it’s a lot of fun.” Ada grinned happily, touched that he would be so mindful and thoughtful about that and obviously concerned to take her thoughts and feelings into account. 

After dinner Luche led her upstairs and Ada nearly burst into tears when she found the bed covered in rose petals and the room was glowing in candlelight and she was excited yet nervous to see what he would think about her “gift”. 

“So what did you get me?” Luche asked as Ada damn near was bouncing in place and biting her bottom lip in half to keep her face from splitting in half from the smile that threatened to take over her face as she gave him one of the bags and in it was more cologne, some new ties and shirts and sweaters, some moisturizers, hair products and then inside the larger bag was a smaller bag...from a sex toy shop and Luche damn near had a giggle fit as he reached in and got the bag before he eagerly opened it and nearly dropped it when he found a box and in that box...was a cock ring set. A C ring, a regular cock ring and a vibrating one and Luche’s soul nearly left his body because...that’s how he could please Bethany, Caitlin, Andrea and Olivia in Cancun for a week during spring break and Luche had flashbacks. Shit that had only been six months ago but it felt like a lifetime ago. 

“Too adventurous?” Ada worried. 

“No, no, not at all.” Luche quickly reassured her. 

“What?” Ada asked as she looked at him and studied his face trying to figure out if he was weirded out or anything. 

“Um…” Luche stammered as he frowned in concentration while his face burned. 

“Cor never wore one, if that’s what you’re wondering, I wanted to try something new and spice things up a little.” Ada offered, mentally berating herself for not realizing that that is what it looked like. 

“Oh, uh, no that- that wasn’t...um...going through my head at all.” Luche assured her. 

“You can say you’re uncomfortable with it, it won’t hurt my feelings.” Ada concluded. 

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with this or these or anything like that-um, it’s just that I...I know exactly what these are and how they work because I’ve..used them before.” Luche confessed before Ada’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. 

“With...Vivian?” Ada frowned in confusion, trying to remember who he dated before her. 

“No...with Bethany... in Cancun.” Luche revealed. 

“Ooh!” Ada answered before she started laughing which broke the tension as Luche laughed too. 

“Ok, so...do you never want to use them again? Will they make you think of her while we, if we were to use them?” Ada winced. 

“Well, no, because it’ll be with you.” Luche grinned before he simply put them down to wrap her up in his embrace to kiss her and get them both back in the mood. 

"Don't ever compare yourself to anyone else ok?" Luche insisted as he sensually undressed her before he gently pushed her back into the bed before he put the vibrating one on. 

Ada hissed in pleasure as he entered her and because of the placement it hit her clit just right and Luche grinded himself into her so that the vibrating bit wouldn’t leave her clit and smiled happily when Ada writhed under him as he did his best to commit this to memory so he could please her in the future before he gave her more hickeys on her neck and chest while her newly manicured nails raked down his back, mindful of the few moles on his back and his itchy spots before she prompted him to roll over so she could ride him as Luche laid down and pushed up into her as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her down as Ada rode him and put her hands on his chest to hold herself up as her eyes screwed shut in concentrated bliss as her mouth hung wide open to moan, pant and keen.  

“Lu!” Ada whined as she found the perfect spot and pushed herself down onto it as hard as she could before she came and spasmed on top of him, her legs shaking and her arms buckling while she rode out her orgasm before Luche sat up and gathered her in his arms again and continued to hike his hips up into hers as he kissed her senseless, absolutely determined to get her to a second orgasm because this cock ring was tight and keeping him hard enough that he could last at least two to three intense rounds and by the time they both wore the other out did they collapse in a heap of sweaty limbs and satisfied smiles before Luche took the ring off and set it aside. 

“Yeah I think that worked out well.” Luche panted as he fought to catch his breath. 

“Oh yeah, total win.” Ada giggled as she curled herself into him, her clit still buzzing as her senses were drowning in endorphins.  

“I love you.” Luche grinned proudly as he kissed the crown of her head. 

“Love you too Lu.” Ada cooed back before they fell asleep. 

The next weekend they were all at Craig’s farm since his parents had a better set up to handle a wedding as they were going through dress rehearsals as Craig Sr. grilled some steaks, chicken and pork chops as Chelsea and her team finished setting up all the tents, decorations, chairs and tables. 

“Hey Lu,” Sylva said as she managed to catch him by the punch bowl. 

“Yeah Sly?” Luche answered. 

“I just wanted to let you know that if you happen to get swept up in wedding fever tomorrow and perhaps you were to be moved to propose to Ada, could you just give me a heads up so I’m next to your mother when you do it because I’ve been talking to her for the last hour or so and when I hinted at it she was, understandably, apprehensive to the notion and it’s going to take a lot for her to make peace with that.” Sylva warned him. 

“Yeah…” Luche grimaced. “What do you think it’ll take for mom to come around to the idea?” Luche asked cautiously. 

“A prenup, otherwise she will be the biggest bitch any of us has ever seen.” Sylva answered. 

“Yeah, I figured.” Luche nodded in understanding. 

“Good you’ve made peace with that idea, it’s already drawn up.” Sylva grinned triumphantly. 

“For how long?” Luche frowned. 

“Since May.” Sylva beamed. 

“Really?” Luche deadpanned. 

“Yes really, and once you do I have gifts, they’re already wrapped and the dresses she showed interest in at Kleinfelds are already on hold for her as are a few others.” Sylva revealed. 

“And that’s why you paid her dad extra to come ASAP.” Luche realized as his gaze traveled over to Ada sitting and catching up with her parents who had come just a few days before. 

“Yup, they wouldn’t want to miss it.” Sylva smiled proudly. 

“Do you ever just...take a day off?” Luche teased with a chuckle. 

“No, when you have your kids, you’ll see and understand and you won’t either.” Sylva reminded him with a fond smile. 

“Thank you.” Luche thanked her gratefully before he hugged her as she hugged him back.  

“You’re welcome, now I gotta go tell Chelsea to make the “inlaws” table extra big to include them and I’ll have your mother right next to me so I can keep her from making a scene.” Sylva explained after she pulled away and clued Chelsea in on what would happen as she made the adjustments.

[wintersweetbou]

Melting Point

Fandom: FFXV/Kingsglaive Rating: Fluff. Self-indulgent, diabetes-inducing fluff. 

Being stranded turns a regular mission into an impromptu camping trip. In a storm. Crowe and Sonitus work together to herd their glaives (wet cats they swear) to actually sleep. Everybody has a sweet spot- a melting point- and Crowe knows them all. 

The day could not get any worse. Crowe had had it up to here with her idiots. Yes, they were crammed in a shitty tent pitched hastily- the thunderstorm raging at the time had allowed for nothing less- but at least they could try to dry out. Her pack of mages were the only sensible ones here, drying sopping clothes with soft puffs of fire magic. The others were too busy griping about their situation- waiting for pickup at a haven after said storm washed their transport out- and not being of any real use. Crowe shook her head at their bickering and turned to see her mages pull out sleeping bags from the armiger, setting up for a damp yet relaxing night. It wasn’t so bad, the storm now a steady downpour rather than the lightning bath it had been an hour earlier. 

Sonitus and Axis were the only boys who seemed to have their shit together- changing into spare clothes and settling in, sharing ration packs. Sonitus caught her eye, nodding towards where Nyx, Pelna, and Libertus sat squished together, whining about the stupid flooding getting their boots wet. Crowe sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes in response. She cocked an eyebrow, jerking her chin towards Luche, quietly growling into his earpiece, and Tredd, silently stewing in irritation. 

Sonitus rubbed a hand wearily down his face, nodding tiredly. If they didn’t get their respective morons to sleep soon they would be pissy all the next day and then some. He turned back to Axis, grabbing his blades and a whetstone from the void. Axis watched with dark eyes, blinking slowly, hair drying into a floppy mess over his eyes. The glaive snuggled into his sleeping bag, belly down, head resting on folded arms. Ready to watch the proceedings. 

Crowe had finally gotten her boys to change and attempt to bed down, but they still wouldn’t shut up long enough for the rain or rhythmic scrape of Sonitus sharpening his weapons to drain some of their tension. A more hands on approach was needed. Everybody has a melting point, and she knew all of theirs well. 

She plopped unto Libertus’s back, forcing him down further into his bag with a grunt of frustration. He squirmed, bumping into both Pelna and Nyx, gaining growls from both men. 

“We are already packed in like sardines, can you not-” Libertus started, but squeaked as Crowe tickled the back of his neck where his braids left it exposed. 

“Can you not. Shut up and get some sleep.” She chuckled, using her weight to pin him, nails following his neck as he squirmed under her. 

“Ok, okokok- just get off!” Libertus nearly squealed, much to their amusement. Libertus wriggled, seemed to find a comfy spot, and lay there, still grumbling to himself. Crowe snorted, and then slowly started to scratch across his shoulders, using her nails to get down through his shirt. Libertus groaned and relaxed, asking her to go higher or lower, slowly starting to drop off under the gentle scritches. Crowe grinned to herself as his requests and quips started to slur, his head drooping down. She followed the contours of his spine, gently digging in, until his breathing evened out, deep and slow, minutes later.

“That was quick.” Nyx chuckled, watching from where he lay squished up against his now sleeping brother at arms. 

“Magic hands. Now roll over.” 

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Make me-” Crowe wriggled her fingers threateningly at his sides, and Nyx thought better about his actions, rolling onto his front with a grumble. Pelna snickered in the darkness.

Crowe carefully got up and stepped over Libertus’s form as the man started to snore. She settled on Nyx’s back and began to run her fingers through his hair, gently untangling and scritching at his scalp. Nyx made a low noise of appreciation and settled in, turning his head for her to get better access. Once there were no more tangles, she scratched down his scalp, from forehead, to behind his ears, to the knot of bone on the back of his skull. Nyx purred at her ministrations and groaned as she continued, following the path of his spine down. Once she reached his lumbar she started her way back up, this time firmly massaging into the tense muscle along the sides of his vertebrae. Up she rubbed, back along the same path to his forehead. Nyx moaned, going boneless in her hands. Back and forth she whittled away at his tension and irritation until he finally passed out with a groan. 

Crowe studied her handiwork, standing and tucking in her snoring “brother” and the “hero”. Idiots, the lot of them. 

She brushed her hair out of her eyes and caught the gaze of a grinning Pelna. She rolled her eyes, carefully stepping over to settle behind his head. The young man immediately laid back, setting his head in her lap, his teeth bright in the gloom. 

“Eager, are we?” Crowe smiled, ruffling through his hair. Pelna made a happy little noise in response, eyes sliding closed. Ever a cuddlebug, Pelna was always down for physical affection. He turned his head and pressed into her hands, murmuring in quiet pleasure.

Crowe methodically ran her hands through his mop of dark curls, picking out any tangles, earning little pleased noises as she went. They chatted quietly about nothing in particular, frustration draining away now that nobody was actively griping. Crowe ruffled Pelna’s hair, then smoothed it back down. Messing it up, and fixing it. Back and forth. 

The young glaive had no resistance to his hair being played with, going slack in her lap. Crowe urged him to slide back into his sleeping bag, which he somehow managed while mostly unconscious. She chuckled, zipping him in, and played with his hair until he was completely unresponsive. 

Sonitus glanced over as he switched blades, one now finished. Crowe had made good progress, three down- two to go. Sonitus slowly stood, careful not to step on the lightly dozing Axis, and plopped down up against Tredd. The redhead sat with his knees tucked under his folded arms, chin resting on tense arms. He stared irritably into the dark, lost in his own thoughts. Sonitus put his back solidly against Tredd’s, leaning in a bit to share warmth in the damp chill. Tredd made no outward sign he even noticed but Sonitus could tell he was not quite as tense as he was a second ago. Hard to think you are alone with another body pressed in against yours. 

Sonitus inspected the edge on his blade, noting how the day of Magitek slaughter had worn down the edge. A single whetstone would be sufficient, but with Luche and Tredd still firmly brooding he pulled his favorite set of whetstones out of the void, setting them down in front of him. A fine polish would be needed tonight- coarse stone down to fine stone. Starting with rough stone he dragged it down the blade, evenly, rhythmically. Tredd took no notice, still rooted in his thoughts. Sonitus smiled to himself and started to sing softly into the night air. 

Axis looked up, startled out of his dozing, and then settled down. The Bellum clan was known for its songs and dances. Songs to work to, to make labor pass and keep spirits up. Dances to keep their joints flexible and to keep coordination high. War chants to intimidate enemies and to cheer warriors. But their secret weapon was known only by few outside their clan. A Bellum lullaby sung in safety to someone they cared for was incredibly potent. Axis had seen it in use several times- if you were quiet and kept your ears open a non-bellum could hear the clan’s magic at work. Lucians scoffed at the notion of magic outside the Lucis Caelum and Oracle lines, but the Galahdians knew better. There are older magics than that of kings. 

Sonitus sung gently as he polished his steel with a fine whetstone. It was an old Galahdian song, in an even older dialect, but Axis could follow along, mouthing the words. It was about the ocean, waves on the sea, rocking the sailors to sleep, the waves holding her children close, bidding them goodnight, sailing on stars….

Axis was unaware of where the tune of the song faded into that of dreams, but Sonitus registered the sudden lack of motion from where Axis was following along. Amusement washed through him and his attention turned back as Tredd made a low noise of irritation and slouched further. Sonitus continued on, willing warmth and safety to flow through the tune. 

Tredd was a fighter, Sonitus would give him that. He could feel the redhead nodding off against his back. Tension slowly left his muscles, leaving exhaustion in its wake. Tredd fought back as best he could, struggling to stay awake. Stubborn like a kid fighting sleep. 

Sonitus sang ever softer, the song naturally looping, designed to lull even the most valiant of souls. Tredd slid down onto his sleeping bag, grudgingly turning to curl around where Sonitus sat. His eyes closed of their own accord, the rhythm hushing his growl of irritation to a muted grumble. It took only a few minutes more for the furrow between his brows to relax and a few more for his body to go slack. 

Sonitus did not stop singing as Tredd started to snore, just in case. Crowe stalked over carefully after tucking in her pack of mages. Sonitus stood as slowly as he could, desperate not to wake Tredd, who was snuggling into the warm hollow that he vacated. Sonitus's face made an interesting sight, cringing in the dark at any errant twitch from the man under him, yet still managing to sing. Even though Tredd clearly was out he kept moving as if dealing with live explosives. 

Crowe bit back a chuckle, gently tucking the bag closed around the sleeping Furia. She turned and gave him a tired smile and turned to the last glaive standing. Sonitus met her gaze and nodded in agreement, gathering up their sleeping bags. They picked their steps silently over to their prey.

Luche sat cross legged on his sleeping bag, pouring over terrain maps by a tiny flame dancing in his palm. The shadows played across his face, deepening beneath his eyes. If they had just moved a little faster they could have outrun the storm, but no, dropships just had to be waiting in just the right spot to ruin their return. It was almost as if they somehow knew the Kingsglaive would be returning that way over the plains...Luche growled low in his throat. Drautos had better get his intel together or he swore to Ramuh…

Crowe snatched the map out of his hands, earning a startled half-yelp, and then the beginning of a curt telling off before she pressed her palm over his mouth. 

“Don’t care, Luche. Bed. Now.” Crowe snarled as Sonitus spread their sleeping bags alongside his. The blonde flinched when Sonitus wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him down. Luche squirmed in Sonitus's arms, resisting, until Crowe forced herself into his space. She wriggled in, grabbing his arm and forcing him to wrap around her. Luche froze in a mix of exhaustion and shock. Crowe scootched back until her back pressed firmly against Luche's chest. Sonitus completed the Lazarus sandwich, cuddling forward against his back. Luche wanted to protest but no noise would come out. Crowe and Sonitus shared an amused smile- Luche's mind only shut up when holding someone or being held. But. Both? At the same time? 

Luche couldn't hold any train of thought anymore than he could hold a handful of air. The gentle expansion and contraction of Crowe's breathing in his arms, her head tucked in under his chin, hair tickling his throat. The soft whisper of Sonitus's lullaby in his ear, a solid arm, warm and heavy, draped over his waist. A soft spot to lay down and comrades keeping out the chill and damp. Muted rainfall outside…

Crowe whispered back and forth with the captain’s second, talking about nothing of importance. Sonitus grinned to himself, feeling the hardness of Luche's shoulders relax gradually. The blonde slowly melted into the curves of Crowe's body, curling around her and holding close. Sonitus snuggled in closer, mirroring, still singing, weaving his spell. 

Crowe started nodding off first, drifting in and out of the conversation. Luche huffed in amusement, allowing himself to enjoy the moment for once. Sonitus almost rolled his eyes. The only way to get the mother hen of the kingsglaive to rest was if another glaive and/or glaives needed cuddles themselves. Luche eventually gave into the fog clouding his mind, following Crowe into dreams. 

Sonitus chuckled silently, settling in himself. Nobody could resist the song.

[wintersweetbou]

Glaiveweek 2020- Day 2. This Never Happened

Day 2 of Glaiveweek 2020! @glaiveweek

Prompt: Fun and Games- Prank Wars, Tickle Fights, Hide and Seek Warp Tag

Summary: A glitter bomb in Titus Drautos’s personal office starts a series of shenanigans never before seen in the Citadel. Eyebrows, laundry, and dignity are lost. For a moment, all hell breaks loose. Then the King walks in to check on his glaives. What he sees will never be forgotten.

Titus Drautos stretched, watching heavy raindrops spatter his window. Monday meant training with the glaives, supply forms, meeting with the king, and preparing his budget proposal for the council to approve... He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Getting the money needed to keep the glaive running was like pulling teeth out of those stingy bastards. 

A boom startled the Captain into glancing down below. Lightning flashed as a bunch of newer glaives ran from the safety of the parking garage into their headquarters. The greenhorns whooped at the cold, splashing each other as they ran. The more experienced glaives warped the distance, laughing. Titus smiled, and gathered himself together. Time to address the troops. 

Midmorning combat drills in the arena began with Titus circulating with critique. Nyx was quick, but needed endurance. Libertus had him panting after the first few rounds. Good team- balanced eachother out... Tredd lost his patience and was subsequently thrown by Luche into a wall. Crowe had to be repeatedly reminded that fire did not solve everything, and Pelna lost an eyebrow in her resulting demonstration that fire did indeed solve everything. The only senior members not giving Titus a headache were Axis and Sonitus- just smoothly sparring like everyone was supposed to be. 

The Captain massaged his temples as a resounding boom, flash, and cut off screech filled the arena. Crowe had not only broken through Pelna’s shield, but also managed to dash him against the ground hard enough to knock him unconscious. She was at his side, checking him over apologetically. Nothing broken, aside from some pride, and a probable concussion. 

“I’ll take him to the hospital. Crowe, no more magic in combat sparring! Tredd, if you don’t like the taste of dirt, change your approach! Luche, you are in charge while I’m gone. After drills, run through the warp course- focus on precision. And when we get back, meet in the briefing hall. Crownsguard wants to run security simulations in the castle- joint exercise might be good for us all.” Titus called out, after hefting the noodly Pelna in his arms.

Various murmurs of assent rose behind them as they left. Pelna came to a few minutes later, groggily settling into a seat in a crown fleet vehicle. The trip to and from the hospital was uneventful- Pelna would be fine if he took it easy, it was a mild concussion. The glaive was more embarrassed to have been carried off by his boss after passing out. The paperwork was minimal, and they were out of the hospital in no time. The glaive seemed more steady as time went on, but there was a slight wobble to his movements as they got back in the vehicle.

“I’m sorry for being a bother, thank you for the ride.” Pelna stated, eyes down as he buckled in.

 “I take care of my glaives. Be thankful it is only a mild concussion” Titus stated fondly.

By lunch they were back, and Titus explained the proposed joint field exercises with the crownsguard. The glaives seemed open to the idea. The captain delegated requisition forms work to Pelna for the afternoon, and asked that Crowe check in on him every so often. With peace seemingly achieved, Titus left them to afternoon resistance training and cardio. 

Crowe descended on Pelna the second the captain was out the door. 

“I was out of line, I am so sorry- are you ok?” 

“Mild concussion, just a bit tired. I’m ok, just don’t hit so hard, ok?”

“Yeah...I’ll check on you, no napping while concussed.” Crowe hugged him softly, smoothing his hair where it stuck up and running a finger where his left eyebrow no longer was. Pelna smiled softly, and hugged back. 

“Take it easy, Khara. I’ll be up after the first rotation.” She smiled, lightly tickling him under his arms. He flinched, squeaking, and fled when her smile turned predatory. She chuckled at his swift retreat, and turned to the weight room, where the other glaives had started. 

One rotation later, Crowe trotted up the stairs with a mug of tea to and down the hall to the offices, to find Pelna semi-asleep over a stack of forms and files. She smiled and slid the mug over the desk. 

“Pels? Peeellls? Wake uppp…” A murmur in response.  

“I brought tea, just the way you like ittt.” A grunt. 

“Please? I know it's hard, and my fault, so here is my support. Wake up!” A grumbled five more minutes mom had Crowe tickling his neck. He squirmed and hiked his shoulders up, slapping lightly at her hands. She slipped a hand under his arm and dug into his pit. Pelna squealed and burst into giggles. Crowe grinned as his arms crashed down, trapping her hand there. She kept it up for just a squidge more and then stopped enough for her to get her hand back. “Awake now?” She grinned at his tired nod. 

“Sorry. The lights kind of hurt my eyes, so I closed them for just a sec…” He rubbed the heels of his palms over his eyes, groaning. 

“Drink the tea, and there are some energy bars left in the snack drawer. I suggest breaks. It helped me when Libertus knocked me into that rock formation a few months back...I still haven’t repaid him for that…” 

“No more injuries today, Miss Altuis. Please?”

“Very well, Mister Khara. Drink, and eat. I promise no blood will be spilled by me today. But you gave me a lovely idea.” Pelna nodded tiredly and lightly sipped at the tea, letting the caffeinated warmth soak into his bones. Crowe skipped lightly back down the hall. Second rotation was about to begin, she had to hurry. Down the stairs she saw the door ajar and heard voices on the other side. Impatiently she yanked the door open and squawked as ice water drenched her, bucket settling over her head with a solid clunk. Laughter echoed throughout the weight room but stopped when they saw just who they had drenched.

Time stopped as she lifted the bucket, fire coursing through her veins. She scanned the room, looking for the guilty party. There. Libertus and Nyx, trying to look innocent for the amount of time it took for her to cross the room and lob the bucket at them. 

“We weren’t trying to drench you! Tredd was being a dick, and ran to get something...We were supposed to get Tredd!” Libertus said as Tredd burst back in the room, pausing at the puddle in the doorway, and then at the sight of Crowe sopping wet, holding a giggling Nyx by the throat. 

“So unprofessional. Such children. Much wow.”  Tredd grinned and turned back to the machines, continuing his reps. 

Crowe snarled, shaking Nyx, and released her grip on his shirt only to grab at his waist. Nyx yelped and curled in on himself laughing, just as she knew he would. She clawed into the meat under his floating ribs, earning a squeal, and followed as he sank to his knees. Crowe smirked- Nyx never could take side tickles, especially if you got your nails in there just right. Nyx squished himself forward into a tight ball, howling. She plopped down onto his back, searching for just the right angle. He thrashed weakly under her, and cried out to Libertus for help.  

“C’mon, we still need him. Release.” Libertus grunted as he attempted to slip an arm around her, only to be bitten on said arm in response. Libertus jerked back hissing. Crowe found the spot she was looking for, and Nyx broke into what the internet would call ugly laughter. He screeched and pleaded for mercy between desperate guffaws.

All in the weight room were now watching the kerfuffle as Libertus struggled to pry Crowe off Nyx. Libertus was easily the strongest glaive save the captain, but she was fighting dirty- biting, kicking. Calls of encouragement to Crowe, snickers, and fond sighs echoed around the room, training forgotten. Nyx was screeching in tears when Libertus finally hauled Crowe up, only for her to twist in his grip and jab into his ribs. He cursed and folded inward for just a sec, long enough for Crowe to clamber on his back and begin blowing vicious raspberries on the back of his neck where the braids left him exposed.  

“Release! Release!” Libertus roared, violently twisting to shake her off, getting desperate. Crowe never waivered, and continued as his strength waned. 

“How long do you think he will last?” Tredd snickered to Luche from his perch on the rowing machine. Luche leaned against the wall, smiling as Libertus started to snort between his growls at Crowe. 

“Dunno. He’s held on pretty good for a while now. Compared to some, anyway.” Luche gestured to Nyx, still panting in a ball on the floor mats. 

Tredd nodded, chuckling as Libertus broke, still thrashing, into a giggling fit punctuated by snorts of random intensity. Luche stretched, glancing out the one window- the storm still raging, even stronger now, since the rain appeared to be going sideways. Tredd snorted at the scuffle, drawing Luche’s attention back to the present. Libertus tapped out and Crowe relented with a smirk, sliding off his back and landing with a laugh. 

“Cardio in ten, then cooldown and then home.” Luche murmured. Tredd nodded absently, collecting his things, writing down their current weight and reps. The other glaives did the same, slowly collecting themselves and ambling toward the arena for laps and sprints. 

Pelna groaned, stretching his shoulders. So much damn paperwork for such stupid things. Every little thing from weapons to office supplies to toilet paper had to be requisitioned, signed, and returned for financial approval. This fucking sucked. He rubbed his eyes, and glowered at the stack of forms, slightly smaller, but still there. The captain stomped in then, looking worse for wear. 

“How was the meeting?” Pelna tried to appear chipper. 

“Slow. The council wants to challenge every little bit of our budget, and the king had little to offer…” The captain said, the anger in his eyes cooling into exhaustion.

“We're in this together, we appreciate you taking care of us.” Pelna glanced up, re shuffling the stack of papers. Drautos nodded, and walked back to his private office in the back of the cubicles, lightly shutting the door. Pelna shook his head. That. That was worse than doing boring forms all day. He couldn't imagine having to argue for toilet paper and keep a straight face. He turned back to his work, but startled when a loud pop and a shout exploded from Drautos’s office. Pelna shot up in concern, hearing vicious cursing, a second pop, and what sounded like furniture being tossed around. He was halfway across the office floor when the door to the captains office flung open, revealing Drautos, disheveled, wild eyed...and covered in fine, bright pink glitter. 

 “Are you ok Sir?” Pelna’s jaw dropped, then closed as he took in the fury building in the captain’s eyes and frame. The captain wordlessly held up the empty glitterbomb, and pointed to his office. Pelna slowly leaned around to peer into the sparkle blasted space. From the spray, it was rigged to blow when someone opened the main desk drawer, pointed right where one would sit at a desk, chest height. The second charge coated everything else. It was everywhere.The walls, part of the ceiling,the desk, cabinets, couch...the entirety of the floor...it would never come out of the cheap industrial carpet entirely…

The captain shook himself like a dog, shedding a fair amount of pink sparkles, but as with any fine glitter, it stuck to his skin and clothes. Pelna watched in silence as the captain strode over to glare into the mirror by the small kitchenette in the corner. He snarled, and rounded on the backpedaling glaive. 

“You're not the type for this kind of stupidity, Khara. Did anyone come to visit my office?” Pelna shook his head, glancing worriedly at the door. Drautos was not one for outbursts- his control was normally too strong, but the ridiculousness of the situation had worn that away.

“I don’t know who did this, but when I find out who..” Drautos grinned, all teeth. 

Pelna nodded, slowly backing towards the door. It might have been the light. It might have been Pelna’s concussion messing with his sight, but with a boom of thunder the power flickered out and Drautos’s eyes glowed blood red in the dark. Pelna’s heart skipped a beat as the captain laughed, talking to himself about what he was going to do to the prankster. It was too much, the glaive backed slowly out of the offices, turning to warn the others.

The group prepared in the arena, lightly warming up. The usual three laps around the arena for a main workout, and then one lap interval sprints for max overload. Lightning flashed overhead, the carbon dome of the arena showing the storm’s fury on full display. The glaives looked up into the gale. Some sleepy, some calm, some excited, and some indifferent. But they all looked. And the power flicked out. Murmurs of surprise flicked around the group, then of concern when Pelna warped into the arena. He staggered with the landing- stupid to warp while concussed- but he looked like a man on a mission. 

“Drautos is coming! Whoever in the mother of fuck did it needs to run for their lives- stat!”

“Who did what?” Luche steadied the teetering glaive, putting an arm around him for stability. 

“Who did what indeed, my glaives…” Drautos rumbled from the hallway entrance. There was a collective intake of breath at the sight of the captain of the kingsglaive plastered in pink glitter prowling along the edge of the arena. The newer glaives choked back grins, and the more experienced glaives barely held back dropped jaws. Pranking each other was one thing- a common occurrence even!- but glittering the captain? Unthinkable. Until now.  

“Since nothing is sacred, the afternoon cardio session will be different from the usual. I want the prankster. Until I get a name, we are going to play a little game.” The glaives dared not to move as their captain circled, grinning with no mirth. No one said a word as Drautos spun, shedding sparkles like a murderous Tinkerbell, typing in a long string of numbers into a security keypad. The building shuddered slightly, and red emergency lights flicked on every so often. Enough to see by, but not enough to see well. Lockdown. 

“Sir?...” Libertus began in concern, but was cut off by a laugh. 

“Lockdown, as you know, means that the doors to the outside are shuttered and barred, as are the windows, and passageways to the rest of the citadel. We are locked in. There is just the domed arena, and the facilities in the corners- the offices to the north, barracks in the east, armory in the south, and holding cells in the west... I want a name.” 

The glaives glanced at each other nervously. Pelna looked at the most rambunctious glaives- Nyx, Tredd, Libertus, Crowe, Luche...all had the wild eyes of kids being blamed for something they didn't do. The others peered into the darkness, innocence on their sleeves. Pelna’s brow furrowed. Who the fuck did it? 

“Until I get a name, we will be playing unfair hide and seek. For the next two hours, I will seek- and drag those I catch into the holding cells. Those who are caught will run laps and polish the armory for the next week.” A communal gulp spread through the soldiers. 

“Those of you who manage to remain free will have no punishment. If I get a name, all get off free and we forget this happened.” The group inhaled and steeled themselves. Nobody had a name to give, or had the balls to speak up. 

“Very well...you have two hours.” Drautos slid his phone out, set an alarm, slid it back in, and growled at his glaives. 

“One, two, three…” He slapped a palm over his eyes and snarled.

 Reality shimmered in the arena as all glaives present warped away at once, in a wave of effervescent fire, with an incredulous captain angrily counting to one hundred in the epicenter. The fleeing soldiers fanned out once out of hearing range. Pairs or trios of friends slipped into the gloom together, hoping to hide out, or have the option to sell eachother out. Nervous energy crackled in the dark between the red emergency lights. Where to hide? Who would get caught first? Excitement tinged the anxiety, and grins flashed in the maroon glow.

Pelna staggered down the southeast hallway- warping while concussed was awful, but doable. He glanced left- a pair of glaives scampering into the armory- Nyx and Libertus. The armory had crates of gear, weapon racks, a cargo bay, supplies....stacks of things to hide in or behind...not a bad idea. Three glaives slipped him on his right, headed towards the barracks. The barracks was the obvious choice for any seeker to start- rows of lockers, cots spread in small groups, little clusters of couches and tables. Not many glaives used the barracks often, it was just a spot to crash and heal between deployments, or for new recruits who hadn't any outside lodging arranged yet. Rent was fucking cheap, and so was the food brought in from the keep’s kitchens. Pelna stayed a month once, when he first started. It worked. 

An arm wrapped around his waist, and Pelna jolted back to reality, barely managing to restrain the punch to Crowe’s now grinning mouth. She pulled him into the shadows as a panicked shape skittered past. She held a finger against her lips, and pointed upwards. Pipes and vents ran the length of the hallway ceiling, supplying heat, air and water to the facilities. He raised his surviving eyebrow. There wasn't enough room for her to squeeze up there, let alone him, or that the air vents probably would not take their weight. She tugged him along, to the doorway to the armory, and pointed up again. He grinned- the main vent widened and dropped lower as it snaked into the armory. There was enough room for someone to curl up there in the darkness against the ceiling, definitely Crowe, probably Pelna. But both? Not without some severe cuddling. She dropped her stance, hooking her fingers together, gesturing to boost him up. His eyes widened, and he started to shake his head, but approaching footsteps quashed his thoughts. He stepped up, and jumped, boosted by Crowe. Pelna hauled himself up quickly, and slid into the shallow, low space. He spun, listening intently. He heard a grunt, and then grunted himself as Crowe popped up and tucked herself into his chest cavity. He held back a noise of surprise as she pressed her face into his neck, making herself comfortable. Or as comfortable as anyone was going to get wedged between a vent and drywall. The skittish steps passed as a lone glaive darted into the armory. They relaxed. 

“How did you know about this spot?” Pelna whispered.

“Growing up with Nyx and Libs taught me to find little nooks to hide in. Perfect spot to snipe paintballs from.” Crowe breathed, and Pelna felt her feral grin against his throat. 

“Still. How did you know we would both fit?”

“Promise not to tell?” He promised.

“Perfect napping spot. If you go to the office doorway, the hot air return is above the door. I've got a bit of canvas so my skin doesn’t stick to the metal, and some blankets up there. It's heaven.” She smiled. 

“That sounds like heaven. Can I steal a nap or two up there?” Pelna breathed. 

“Sure, as long as you leave snacks as tribute, and keep the secret..” He nodded.

The door below them to the armory crashed open. His arms slipped around her in shock, holding her close, both holding their breath, listening hard. They couldn’t see, but they could imagine.

“Here I am, glaives! Come out, come out, wherever you are…” Drautos called out into the dark armory. Silence greeted the captain, but he knew better. He grinned, settling into the game. He wanted to play with his glaives, a little mind game could give him a name faster as their nerves failed. He growled into the gloom, stalking around the edges, looking for disturbed gear and boxes. Nyx watched from his perch laying flat on the roof of a transport van. The captain was sticking to the upper armory, tapping on storage crates, Nyx was safe for the moment. As long as the captain didn’t come and check the spare vehicles by the loading dock…

The captain's snarl forced his attention back to the present, and Nyx trembled minutely. Drautos was almost to Lib’s crate- he had stuffed himself in an empty weapons crate, the only kind big enough for him to squeeze into. The captain continued along the row, tapping some, opening others….Nyx gripped the van’s roof rails tight. He was almost there. Two crates away. One crate. Libs! 

A choked sneeze echoed through the armory as Drauto’s hand descended towards the crate. The new recruit that slipped in at the last minute. He had dove behind a stack of crates by the door just as Nyx clambered up the van. Drautos grinned madly, teeth shining in the red light. The internal screaming was palpable from all parties but the captain, who personally favored evil glee. Nyx winced at the short scuffle. The captain had the new recruit in cuffs and out the door in under a minute. 

Hearing the two sets of steps pass, one steady, the other not so, Nyx peeped over the van roof. He hopped down, and ran as quietly as he could to Libertus. He tapped the lid, just like they used to do in their treefort back in Galahad before it all burned. Libertus cracked the lid slowly, then opened it fully at the sight of Nyx grinning like a madman. 

“He almost had you! He was right here! If that newbie hadn’t sneezed!” Nyx whisper-gushed. 

“What if he comes back? Get back up there!” Came the whisper-shouted reply. 

“It’s fine! It’ll take at least five minutes to lock up the newb and get back here. We have to stretch when we can. How comfy is that box anyway?” Nyx looked at Libertus, all crammed down in that cube crate. 

“My neck is killing me, but I’m good. Now hide! If we get caught cuz of you…!” 

Twin shadows darted into the armory, and Nyx jumped into the crate with Libertus without a second thought. It didn't quite work though- Nyx was now straddling a kneeling Libertus, their legs stuck solid against the sides of the crate, arms steadying each other. Nyx felt Libertus vibrate in silent fury, and he struggled not to laugh at the entire situation. 

The shadows paused, and stepped closer to the struggling pair. As they passed an e-light, their identity was revealed.  

Tredd snapped a pic with his phone, and did his best not to make any noise while laughing his ass off. Luche wheezed into a fist, trying desperately not to collapse at the sight. They gestured wildly at each other- Nyx waving happily, Tredd curling his hands into a heart in response, Luche pointing at the space under a nearby weapons rack, Nyx giving a thumbs up, and Libertus flipping everyone off. Luche slid under the rack and Tredd hid under a coat rack packed with old cloaks behind the doorway- after helping get the lid over the now officially stuck pair of galahdians in a box. 

Crowe and Pelna could partially see and hear all of the shitshow that happened next. The fact that their screams and laughing fits escaped notice was a miracle. It was fast, maybe two minutes, but the Citadel would never forget the moment when all dignity was lost. Time slowed, yet sped up at the same time. Like a demonic Rube-Goldberg machine on crack with yakety- sax playing in the background. 

Drautos returned to the armory with a sense that others were still hiding there. He threw the door open and bounded in. The door flew wide open and hit a pile of cloaks- something supposedly soft- with a painful clonk and a groan. Something on the far side choked on a giggle, and something close by it thumped in place. Drautos grinned, and advanced into the room uncaring of the poor glaive behind the door. He listened hard, and a large crate in the middle thumped again. The captain braced himself and popped the lid. Then all hell broke loose. 

Libertus shrieked and flailed, tipping the crate over on its side with Nyx cackling wildly plastered up against him. Drautos roared in surprise, then roared in laughter as he realized two of his finest were hopelessly stuck. Tredd launched out of his hiding spot with all the grace and glory of a boosted turkey, sprinting out the door and taking the coat rack with him. Luche gave up on life and howled with laughter, clutching his ribs. And Drautos? He showed why he was captain. 

In a mad dash that would be immortalized in glaive mythos forever, Drautos hauled his crate of glaives over one shoulder, snatched Luche and slung him over the other, sprinting after the sentient panicking coat rack. The captain dropped Luche, gathered every ounce of his strength and yeeted Libertus and Nyx, screaming, at the running pile of cloth. Tredd made it to the edge of the arena before he was blasted with the box-shaped force of several hundred pounds worth of galahdian hysteria. The cloth and soft training floor absorbed the worst of the blow, the glaives landing in a tangled mess of limbs and cloaks. 

Drautos, dragging Luche by the leg, jogged over to admire his work, Luche now sobbing with helpless laughter. The captain gently plopped Luche down with the others and planted a boot on the crate, looking down at his soldiers. Nyx was in much the same state as Luche. Libertus hissed and spat like a cat, frantically trying to claw his way out of the crate. Tredd laid there like a slug, seemingly done with the world- probably examining the life choices that brought him here. Drautos stretched and loosed a puff of glitter on the pile of squirming glaives. 

“Anything to say for yourselves?” The captain growled playfully. 

They opened their mouths to reply, but were cut off by the lights flickering back on and the lockdown features sliding back into normal position. The main door clanged open- the king, flanked by his shield and the marshal strode in. Regis froze at the sight, seemingly unable to believe what his eyes were seeing. Clarus’s mouth worked silently, at the same processing error of his liege. Nobody moved until Cor Leonis coughed pointedly into his fist. Sonitus and Axis strode out uncertainly from behind a column. Pelna and Crowe staggered out from the hall, leaning on each other and still giggling wildly. 

“I take it you found my gift?” The Marshall called. The glaives inhaled deeply before breaking into a cacophony of rage, amusement, and confusion. 

“I have a name…” Drautos pulled himself up to his full height and fixed his eyes on the marshal. He tossed his cell keys to Axis. 

“Release the prisoners. No punishments. This never happened.”