Tumgik
#Zovack
Text
Tumblr media
This man has done nothing but harm me and my loved ones but all I want is for him to pat me on the head and tell me I did a good job wtf!!!!
Tumblr media
46 notes · View notes
bigmeandragonlady · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Elettra Peg'asi- two versions + a close up
She's fine. i can't wait for her to give us a bone crushing hug on tilaarin and then beat up vexx
55 notes · View notes
andromedasix · 1 year
Note
I'm a little curious and sorry if you are already answered this, but is Zovack going to make a appearance and actually play a role in The fundamentals of falling? And do you have any head canons about the usurper?
You’re actually the first person to send me anything about him so thank you!
Yes I’m going to have him in the fundamentals of falling but not as a direct character for a bit. Damon will tell stories about his time with him and Vexx will do the same. There’ll be news footage where he addresses the people of Goldis and the rest of the system after the occupation happens. Maybe a memory that Ella has where Zovack actually went to the palace and pleaded for his people’s freedom (that would be before his wife was killed)
To me the most dangerous man is one who thinks they are doing the right thing. And Zovack, for all the horrors he has committed, believes he is. He believes any means are necessary as long as the ends he sees as just are reached. He wants the Peg’asi line to suffer for what they did to his people and his wife, and by extension he wants every single person on Goldis to suffer ten times over what the people of Cursa have. He doesn’t hold the royal family accountable and he doesn’t hold the council accountable - he holds everyone who was complicit just buy knowing about his people’s suffering, every single person who looked away, everyone that said ‘oh it can’t be that bad’. And Zovack does not care what he has to do to make them suffer
He wants his people to be free and to him the best way to do that is to lead them and everyone else himself. I kind of want him to be a foil for Alisa, where she’s more a “of the people for the people” mindset. This is a bit of a tangent but I’m also changing her character a bit, instead of just being a snarky bad ass with a pessimistic attitude I want the main thing she holds onto to be hope. A hope for a warm bed and a full stomach. A hope for the streets of her district to be full of music and light. Hope that one day children on the entire planet will go to sleep and not be afraid to do so. I don’t want pain and anger to be her focal point. It isn’t pain that makes people. Pain is inconsequential, it is love that saves them. I want the difference between Zovack and Alisa to revolve around the fact that he has forgotten this
And I do have a few hc’s for him but I feel like I’ve rambled on long enough so I’ll save them for another time xx
10 notes · View notes
loathsomeloner · 7 months
Text
So! I finished my first playthrough of Andromeda Six a couple days ago and I enjoyed it a lot! I had a lot of fun going through the story and I'm really excited for the next chapter even if it's probably gonna be a while till it's out-
I really wanted to ramble about the game here on tumblr so I thought that just for fun I could make a list about what I liked and didn't like about the game! The list will be under the cut :)
DISCLAIMER Just in case: This is in no way meant to be some objective/critical review about the game this is literally just meant to be me rambling my opinion sooo don't take this too seriously. Also story spoilers!!!
Alright the things I liked!!:
The Main Story: I'm a sucker for fun space sci-fi adventures with spcaeships and planets and aliens etc etc especially when the main characters are a group of vagabond rouges (with found family sprinkled in :>) so that was an immediate eye catcher for me. Also the fact that the plot is a "Lost heir has to take back the throne" type deal was really cool too, a little cliche? sure but I never take that as a bad thing
The Characters: Pretty much every single character was a delight to see in action, June was probably my favourite character out of everyone (even though I didn't play his route lmao-) followed closely behind by Vexx and Damon. The entire A6 crew were so fun to watch interact and talk and I always found myself wanting to see more of them. The only character I could say I didn't like was Zane, but everyone else was really fun!
The Art: Not much to say here, the arts just really nice, I wanna see if I can find the main artist on social media somewhere. The backgrounds especially are beautifully done
The 'Nerissa is Alive!!' reveal: After looking through the tags for A6 I saw that this specific plot twist was a bit of a hot topic among the fandom so I thought I'd share my opinion on it too. For the most part, I liked the reveal! I mainly love the fact that the reveal gives way to more drama regarding the MC and their future and how they can decide if they want to immediately revert back to their status as royalty and work alongside their older sister to restablish the monarchy, or decide they think the monarchy was kindas shitty even when Zovack wasn't in charge and they'd rather get to be their own person with the A6 crew. I'm really hoping that choosing to do the latter (which is what I did) leads to a lot of tension between the MC and Nerissa, possibly even a huge fight (Siblings to enemies even?? that would be amazing imo). Overall I think the plot twist could lead to a lot of cool stuff and I'm eager to see what Wanderlust Games does with it
And now onto things I didn't like:
Some of the Writing: Yeah... Honestly even though I enjoyed the game and it's story there's a couple things about the writing I didn't like that much. I won't list everything I found iffy but my biggest gripe is that the game has a lot of tell don't show, don't get me wrong I'm no writing master and it's not the worst thing in the world, but the moments where the characters would just info dump their entire life story in a conversation kinda irked me a bit, I wish we could learn the characters individual stories in a different way
The Pacing: I get that this is a small team limited to a 10 chapter story but tbh I wish the story could've moved just a tad bit slower so we could spend more time in each planet since it feels way too quick and we get limited to only seeing one small part of an entire planet. I also understand that there were probably both out of story and in story reasons as the why we only got to spend such a short amount of time on certain planets, but still, I just kinda wish we got to stay in one place for a bit longer
The Character Design: Okay, so for the most part I think the character designs are all pretty good, I like the clothes and how everyone feels very distinct from one another, overall the game has good character design. It's just that... in my opinion... the designs for the alien species..... are SO DAMN BORING!! The Tilaari I think looks fine even if I think they'd look more interesting if they had at least one alien feature like extra eyes or horns or something, other than that though they look fine. The Kithalpha though... oh my god.... I went into the game reading the description and expecting to see some cool mix of fish and human but instead I get the most bland alien design ever, it's literally just a human but with gills! I didn't even notice there were Kithalpha characters!!!! The game had to tell me that Ayame and the green guy were Kithalpha!!! Other than that I would've never known!!! And that's terrible!!!! (Not to mention that if I'm remembering correctly the game doesn't even say once that Vexx was part Kithalpha, I had to find that out from the Dev's twitter) I'm not even saying that they had to look like some monster alien creature of the black lagoon type thing but the Kithalpha characters couldve had just something anything that made them more distinct! Give them fins or scales or a tail heck ANYTHING FISH RELATED!!!! THEYRE DESCRIBED AS HUMANOID CREATURES WITH THE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT BUT WE JUST GOT HUMAN + GILLS????? I was so dissatisfied with how boring the Kihtalpha looked that I actively gave my MC more inhuman features despite them being a Kithalpha, fuck the canon Kithalpha look my MC's gonna be a special little snowflake and the devs can't stop me
And Lastly, The 'Nerissa is Alive!' Reveal: So... Yeah. While I do like the twist itself cause of the possibilities, I'm gonna be honest I do agree that the set-up/execution was pretty shit. I don't wanna harp on this too much because this can be fixed as the game updates and gets completed, but still the twist ends up making things feel confusing or downright pointless in hindsight. My biggest annoyance was how literally in the episode right before the reveal we literally get a whole explanation from Vexx describing how he shot and killed Nerissa, like he literally told us how he held the body and saw all the blood but then one episode later surprise Nerissa is doing just fine, there's not even an explanation as to how she survived that (I think I read somewhere that apparently the devs said she was shot through the heart?? Idk if that's true but if it is I- How the fuck did she survive that????) we're just told that K just took her and dipped. Again, this is stuff that can be fixed later on, but it's still kinda annoying
----------
Aaaaand that's about it! Again, don't take this as a critical review, despite my gripes with the game I do still genuinely enjoy it
I'm probably gonna ramble about the game some more in the future, mainly about my MC cause damn did I fall in love with and hyperfixate on him so hard as I was playing. Honestly I'm kinda inspired to create a mini rewrite of the story from my MC's proper perspective without the VN's limitations kinda like how the tumblr account andromedasix did that with their MC
29 notes · View notes
commander-krios · 7 months
Text
A Good Night
Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Damon Reznor/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: The lines between friendship and love are getting blurrier the more time Damon spends with a certain stowaway. Words: 1978 Additional Tags: Tilaari Traveler, Pre-Relationship, Fluff, Love/Friendship, Sexual Humor, Teasing/Banter, Safety and Peace, Small Reference to Childhood Trauma
Read on AO3
~~~~
They were a few hours out from Orion, the payload sitting in the storage room down in the docks. They’d blow the mines to hell once the miners were safe, leaving Orion a smoking crater with nothing but bodies of the K’merii and a big ‘fuck you’ to Zovack. For now, Damon was sitting in the common area, feet up on the couch with his nose buried in a book. Unfortunately, the coming fight had him so distracted that he couldn’t remember the passage he’d been reading for the last twenty minutes, forgetting the words as soon as he finished.
Finally, with a defeated sigh, he laid his head on the armrest, staring at the ceiling. The grey metal was dented, misshapen or discolored in certain areas, a patch job here, a new bolt there. He often wondered how the damn thing stayed together most days. But the Andromeda Six was well loved, well cared for, and it’d be a cold day in hell when Calderon gave it up.
The buzz of the fluorescent lights was comforting, familiar, and Damon closed his eyes, his exhaustion catching up to him at last. He hadn’t slept since Cursa, not for long at least. Carrot head needed a babysitter and as much as he didn’t mind him before the entire shitstorm of Zovack’s coup, Vexx Serif was certainly not the same person he’d been before.
To say it was wearing on him was an understatement.
He was almost asleep when the telltale signs of a certain stowaway entering pricked at his ears: the shuffle of her boots on the deck plating, the whoosh of the door as it opened, the sound of her fingers drumming against the door jamb as she hesitated.
“What can I do for you, Princess?”
“How do you do that?” She asked, the strain in her voice making it sound as if she was holding back a laugh.
“Do what?” Damon tilted his head in her direction, surprised to find that she wasn’t dressed for the night cycle yet. In fact, she looked like she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. Not with the shine of excitement in her eyes and a subtle glow to her skin that Damon still had trouble getting used to.
“Hear me coming before I even get here.”
A smirk curled his lips, a dirty joke on the tip of his tongue when she sensed his thoughts, mouth opening slightly, a subtle blush coloring her cheeks. But he didn’t miss the movement of her eyes as she moved closer, shining with unspoken amusement.
“You’re awful.” She muttered instead, stopping short in front of the couch, still fighting a smile.
“But you make it so easy, Princess.”
“Yeah, well, you’re easy.” He swore she should’ve been sticking her tongue out at him with the way she said it.
Damon couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. Swinging his feet to the floor, he settled himself in a sitting position, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” When she scrunched her nose adorably at him, his smile only widened. “Don’t be like that, Astrea. You don’t have anything to be jealous of, sweetheart.”
She ignored his attempt to instigate an argument, plopping down next to him on the worn out sofa. 
“I have a gift for you, if you’re nice.” 
“I’m always nice.” He bumped his shoulder into hers gently.
Astrea rolled her eyes before thinking better of it and handed him a badly wrapped package, the tissue paper already ripped in places. It was small, thin, and for a moment, Damon held it in his hands, uncertain of what to do. How did a person respond to getting a gift completely unprompted? Or a gift at all? Was there a written handbook on what to do? Because he had no fucking idea what to do.
“What’s this for?” He managed to ask, meeting her gaze curiously, seeing blush spread against her cheeks as she glanced away. She was always so damned cute whenever she got embarrassed. 
“I heard Calderon mention your birthday was coming soon and I didn’t know when it was so I thought I could do something nice for you especially after everything that happened on Cursa-”
“Wait-” He cut off her rambling, perhaps more harshly than he should’ve when he noticed her lips turn into a frown. Running a hand through his hair, he gripped a handful of the strands, trying to make sense of what was happening. “My birthday? I don’t… I’ve never celebrated that.”
“Oh.” Astrea played with the end of her braided silver hair, tugging on the ends nervously. “Well, you can still have the gift if you want it. I made it for you.”
Damon’s jaw tensed, but he resisted the sudden urge to snap at her. He had so much shit in his past that he didn’t like talking about and this was one of those. Birthdays on Cursa didn’t happen. Not for kids like him. Those that were forgotten or unwanted. And with parents like his… 
“You really shouldn’t have, Princess.”
Astrea sighed, reaching forward to close his hand over the package, pushing it closer to him. Her fingers brushed against his skin and left a tingling behind, an itch that made him want to entwine their hands together. “Just open it. If you don’t like it, I can take it back.”
He wasn’t going to hurt her feelings even if he didn’t like it. Because she made it for him and no one had ever made something for him before. With a sigh, he dropped his focus to the package in his hands, pulling the paper apart slowly until the only thing left was a flat rectangle of woven thread in his hands, a blue and black background dotted with yellow and white… stars. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever touched.
Swallowing down the burst of emotion threatening to overwhelm him at the unexpected gesture, he managed to find his voice. “What is it?”
Astrea ran a fingertip over the design, mapping out the stars and little details she’d put into it. “It’s a bookmark. I thought about that night after the Festival of Valen… with the fireflies? I tried to mimic it, the way the fireflies glowed and the stars overhead, but I doubt I did it justice.” She brushed along the section at the top, swirls of blue and white with a small circle of orange and gold. Teranium, if he had to guess. 
“It’s…” His mind couldn’t wrap around this. “You made this?” 
What the hell was he supposed to say? That this was the most thoughtful and best gift he would probably ever receive in his entire cursed life? That he didn’t deserve it? Because with the way Astrea was looking at him, he sure as hell didn’t. She was too good for someone like him, but… he wanted it. All of it. 
And all of her.
Astrea sat silently beside him, twisting her hands together nervously. “Do you like it?”
He let out a breathless laugh, brushing his thumb over the gorgeous weaving. “Yeah. It’s just… I’ve never gotten a gift before. Not like this.”
Any tension between them vanished as they sat there, Damon admiring her handiwork, unable to believe that she made such a thoughtful gift for him, and Astrea quietly watching him, golden eyes searching his face for something she wouldn’t find. Because he wasn’t lying to her. He really did like it.
“Damon?”
“Yeah?”
She shifted slightly out of the corner of his eye, as if she was uncomfortable. “If you ever want to talk about what happened to you, any of it… I know I’m not Alisa and that I probably wouldn’t understand like she would, but I’m here.” 
Damon glanced at her with a soft smile, finding it impossible to not tease her at least once during the conversation. “Why do you care about this so much?”
“I…” She cleared her throat, gaze dropping to her hands. “You have people that care about you, Damon. Alisa and the crew.”
“And you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, waiting for the telltale blush to appear on her cheeks like it usually did. “Are you saying that you care?”
When she met his eyes, he noticed the sly look for what it was. He’d played right into her hands. “Of course I do. You should stop making it so difficult.”
Damon laughed, reaching out to tug on the end of her braid. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’m a dick.”
She swatted him away, rolling her eyes but he could finally see the blush on her cheeks. “You’re not a total dick. Just a quarter of one.”
“That feels slightly like an insult.”
“You’re into that sort of thing, aren’t you? At least, that’s what you want me to believe.” She leaned against the opposite armrest, looking more comfortable than she had since waking up on the ship weeks ago. 
“You don’t want me to answer that.” Damon reached for his abandoned book, trying to remember which page he’d left off, sliding the bookmark in its rightful place. For a fleeting moment, he stared at the design, heart clenching at the memories that they’d bring back every time he looked at it. Then he cleared his throat, closing the book shut, turning to her again. “You should probably get some sleep before we get to Orion. You’ll need it.”
“I’m not going to be able to sleep.” 
She was lying. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious enough but she tried and failed to stifle a yawn immediately after, giving him a sheepish smile when she realized she was caught. 
Damon understood what it was like to be afraid of closing your eyes. He couldn’t fault her for that. Not when he was hiding out in the common room to avoid sleeping alone in his bed, the nightmares that Cursa awoke threatening to swallow him whole.
“I don’t sleep much and with what’s coming… I get it.” The book weighed heavy in his hands, but he wasn’t entirely sure why he was suddenly nervous. “I’ll be up for a while still, if you want company.”
She smiled at him and it was like the sun rising after an eternally dark night. It warmed every cold part of his soul and he didn’t want to fight it anymore. Astrea made him happier than he ever remembered being. “That’d be nice. Thanks, Damon.”
He had to look away, picking his book up to give his hands something to do. “Yeah, well, I hope you can be quiet. I have a book to finish.”
“What are you reading?” She asked, moving closer, the coolness of her skin nearly making him shiver when her arm touched his. “Do you think you could read it aloud?”
“Oh, did you need a bedtime story, Princess?” He teased, enjoying how easy it was to get her riled up. He had to curb the desire to flick her nose when she scrunched it in response.
“I only thought if you read it to me, I’d get bored and fall asleep.” 
Damon thought she’d move away, or possibly leave, but she rested her cheek on his shoulder instead, her silver hair tickling his neck where a stray strand brushed his skin. He chuckled quietly, opening the book to the beginning, knowing he wasn’t getting anywhere substantial in the story, but it was worth it for this calm before the storm.
He thought she had more willpower in her, but she was fast asleep by the end of the first chapter, breath coming in warm puffs against his shoulder. With a shake of his head, a smile playing on his lips, he leaned closer, pressing a kiss against her hair.
“Good night, sweetheart.”
34 notes · View notes
eluvisen · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
How to Dance in Time
Fandom: Andromeda Six
Characters: Vexx Serif/Traveller
Rating: G
Summary: When Nephien is having a bad day, Vexx tries to cheer her up the best way he knows how: sneaking her out of the palace. But with the plans for Sorenn’s wedding underway—along with certain other plans—the secrets are getting harder to keep.
Vexx stands guard at the edge of the garden, watching the fancy shrubs without really seeing them. With the royal wedding just a few months away, the palace is in a frenzy. Most of the palace, at least. The drama has largely passed the south wing by, since it’s not like any festivities are ever held in this far away from the ballroom. Which is good, because Vexx isn’t paying a lick of attention. Not when there are plans for more than just a wedding coming up.
Nerissa and the Stellar Queen have finally hammered out an agreement, and now they’re making arrangements to send a message to the Council of Eons. On the down low, naturally. Ta’jean is happy to depose her bastard husband in what might become the most dramatic divorce in Seleotan history, but who knows if Tilaarin will go for it. Their policy of ‘screw everyone else’ has been working pretty well for them so far.
It isn’t the only recent event, either. Old Commander Nolam’s death reeks. When the news broke, Vexx wondered for a moment if Nerissa was behind it, but if she isn’t willing to execute her father, she won’t kill one of his most loyal officers just to get him out of the way.
But if it wasn’t her, then it has to be Zovack’s play. Vexx doesn’t like what that means.
He needs to hit up his contacts, get a feel for the K’Merii’s movements. Maybe he can—
At the stomp of boots on the pavers, Vexx snaps to, pretending he wasn’t just a million miles away as the patrol moves through the garden. He’s too close now for a minor screw up to ruin everything.
[Read on AO3]
15 notes · View notes
dontwritemeoff · 2 years
Text
MAJOR CH 6 SPOILERS AHEAD
WREN SHOOTS TRAVELER INSTEAD W/ THE A6 CREW + VEXX
hi hi thank you to @bugfoil​ for the absolutely delicious ask about this scenario, it is one i’ve wanted to write! i am an absolute sucker for protective partners and also the protag that is typically seen as weak being able to show that they are in fact strong! do not underestimate a peg’asi lol (i also changed a little bit abt why they were shot instead bc i feel like all LI would put the fear of god into vexx if traveler stepped in front of him)
i also apologize for not writing aya or ryona, i just haven’t played their routes yet and couldn’t really think of how they’d react :((
TW: gunshot wounds (obv), lots of swearing, mentions of passing out/medical operations
Tumblr media
CALDERON
You’re actually walking towards the ship, hand in hand, when the shot resounds off of the trees. Calderon whips his head around, eyes searching for where it could have come from. Where before he’d been grateful for the cover of the trees, he now curses them as the sound’s reflection off of them and their visual impairment of his surroundings makes it nearly impossible to figure out what direction danger was in.
In truth, he’s so caught up in his search that he doesn’t notice you start to lean into him, not until your full body weight is pressing into his shoulder. That’s when he sees the spot of red on the side of your abdomen start to spread.
“Fuck,” he says so quietly that it’d be out of character if anyone was paying attention to it, “[Y/N], you’re ok, you’ll be ok.”
You groan into his chest, your head turned as your face twists in pain. The grip your hand has on his is vice-like but he can’t be bothered with that. Not right now. He tries to start moving, other hand pressing onto your wound, when he looks over to see a blaster aimed right at his head.
“I wouldn’t go anywhere, if I were you,” Wren says, a disgusting look of satisfaction on their face.
As pissed as he is at Wren and the K’merii and the whole situation the crew is in, he can’t help feeling even more anger at the fact that he can do nothing for you as you bleed out in his arms.
“Wren, what the fuck are you doing?” he snarls out, tone indicating no patience.
“Now, I should be the one asking you that, shouldn’t I? What exactly do you think you and your band of merry men are doing here?”
In his peripheral vision, Calderon sees the rest of the crew being led towards his location at gunpoint, similar to him. He’s in a position where he can’t protect who he cares about again, and all the fear that fuels his aggressive disposition feels like it’s about to boil over. His mouth remains shut, not willing to answer to the monster who dared to hurt you, just after he’d managed to save you. 
Cal watches as the butt of Wren’s rifle comes whipping toward him and shuts his eyes in order to minimize the impact, but the pain never comes. Instead he hears you cry out from his arms, pale face now dripping with blood from a cut on your forehead.
“Answer me, commander.” Wren looks on with the bored face of someone in power.
Cal realizes that Wren knows that it’s much more effective for bargaining if they use your life and safety rather than his. And he hates that. Whether it’s the fact that he’s allowed himself to be in this position in the first place, with someone the enemy knows he cares deeply, or just the fact that all he can bring to those he loves is danger.
“I’m just trying to bring justice to the people of the system, not like you’d understand,” he growls out.
“I wouldn’t speak so flippantly with your precious Peg’asi at my mercy,” Wren sneers, watching in twisted glee as any remainder of bravado is wiped from Calderon’s face. 
How did they know that? He thought the crew had done a good enough job of keeping your identity from slipping, and besides he didn’t think that Zovack was looking for you anyways. Right?
“You didn’t think Zovack would deploy his best just for your measly ass, did you?” They look around at the rest of the crew, watching in horror as you struggle to hold onto consciousness as their ironclad commander was crumbling. 
“You lot really do look pathetic, might as well finish this pity party up and start moving,” they motion for their subordinates to pull you to your feet and start ushering the rest of the crew away from the ship when the whir of small ships descended on the forest.
The first to jump from a craft, not even waiting for the vessel to complete its landing, is Zane, blaster already drawn, pointed directly at Wren.
“No, I don’t think so,” he says, smirking towards the crew until he notices your state, a small bit of concern entering his features. He trusted the rest of the crew to pull through whatever shit the K’merii put them through, but you weren’t used to this, and he knew you had become someone important in the fight for making a better life in the system. Inclining his head in a way that was just subtle enough for Calderon to break from his stupor, the captain takes the hint and hoists you up, arm that wasn’t gripping your side wrapping around his neck. 
When he takes off running towards the ship, hoping that the crew was in tow and especially Ryona, Wren shouts something but he doesn’t pay any heed to what they could be saying. He has to get you to the med bay, your feet not following his quick pace anymore and beginning to drag as you barely clung to consciousness. 
When he’s finally able to rest you in the inspection chair in Ryona’s office, you’re fully out, despite his hand resting on your face and desperate whispers for you to hold on. He couldn’t have opened his heart again for you to leave so soon. 
-
You first wake to a aching pain in your abdomen, as evidently your IV was running low on pain suppressants. The lights are dim in the med bay, Ryona’s mister emitting a nice neutral scent, and a weight in your hand. Carefully turning your neck, which in turn causes a flaring pain to spread throughout your forehead, you see Calderon sitting in a chair next to your bed, hand resting in his as he leans back in a fitful sleep.
His cheeks are every so slightly ruddy, displaying to you that he had cried not so long ago. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him do that. Your thumb brushes the calloused skin on the back of his hand and he stirs at the movement, no doubt on high alert even when asleep. 
“[Y/N], you’re awake,” he says, voice rough. 
You smile at him, tears brimming in your own eyes, “I’m awake.”
Tentatively, hand shaking in a way you don’t think you’ve seen him do either, he cups your cheek, wiping away a stray tear that escaped.
“I’m sorry for scaring you, I promise I won’t leave you,” you say, guilt flooding you. You know that he didn’t want to allow you on this mission at all, and after having to save you from the sinkhole, he had to watch you nearly bleed out in front of him. You couldn’t dare put him through that after it was so hard for him to open up to you in the first place.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I should have never put you in danger, if I could have protected you better-”
You cut him off from his guilt laden ramblings, “Cal, there’s no way to keep all harm from me all the time. Not even in the royal palace is anyone completely safe.”
His eyebrows furrow, but he still smiles at you.
“Within the walls of my ship will be safer than any palace in the system.”
Tumblr media
DAMON
One second you’re laughing at some stupid innuendo he’d said, for the express purpose of seeing you smile again, and the next you’re hunched over, clutching your gut. 
What the fuck just happened?
As you double over, you reach out and grab onto the hem of his sweater, his hands hovering over your form. His thoughts are scrambling, telling him that of course this would happen, he only brings pain to those he’s near, he should never have-
“Courting royalty, are we Reznor?” Wren sidles up to where you’re groaning, kicking up dust with Damon kneeling nearby, “That’s a bit above your station.”
“What the fuck have you done?” Damon asks, not even bothering to acknowledge their jab, you’re worth more than his pride.
“Well, my mission brought me here to bring our old red friend over here back where he belongs, but it seems I’ve stumbled onto something much more precious.”
Fuck. He knew they shouldn’t have brought Vexx with them on Cursa, but there really wasn’t much time for debate. Now the only person he felt he might be able to really be vulnerable with was coughing blood onto the dirt and patchy weeds.
Strategy soon takes over his brain, assessing that he could most likely take Wren out and get you back to the ship in time, a plan of action formulating as he sees more K’merii exiting from the ship with the rest of the crew held at gunpoint. Damn it, that makes things much more complicated. 
“Think you’re going somewhere? I’m sure Zovack wouldn’t mind if you came back with us, he might even let you keep your pet Peg’asi if you ask nice enough,” Wren laughs at themselves, evidently thinking that your paling and sweaty face was hilarious.
“When hell freezes over,” Damon spits, pulling you closer to him, hands that only know violence trying to convey comfort to your shaking form. 
Wren looks like they’re getting tired of the spectacle, their gun tapping at their side in a display of absolutely horrendous trigger discipline. As the bring their hands to lift it once more, footsteps crunch the dying grass behind them, the face of a man Damon never thought he would be relieved to see coming into focus.
“Don’t worry, it’ll stay well above freezing,” Zane says, gun aimed directly at Wren’s head.
Their eyebrows furrow as they turn to face him and Damon wastes no time, scooping you up in his arms and rushing inside, passing by his friends engaged in newfound fights with their K’merii assailants. He just hopes he can keep you alive long enough for Ryona to actually treat you.
Your grip on his arm weakens and tightens as you fade in and out of lucidity, muttering apologies at Damon.
“Stop apologizing, dumbass, you didn’t do anything wrong,” his voice shakes. 
While harsher than most would comfort those they love, you smile weakly at him, knowing that means he cares. Your lips are lined with red, and not in a way that he would prefer. He sets you onto the examination bench with a gentleness you didn’t know he possessed, retaining your grip on him even as he tries to pry away the shirt the clung to your skin.
“Damon,” you manage to get out, but your voice is strained, “Thank you.”
-
He doesn’t sleep the entire 8 hours you’re asleep, mind replaying your “thank you.” He doesn’t understand what he’s done to deserve your trust and adoration. He doesn’t really understand what he’s done to deserve anything good that he has in his life. 
He’s so wrapped up in these thoughts, arms crossed as he sits in a chair next to your bed, that he doesn’t immediately notice when you begin to stir. It takes your arm that’s hooked to the IV drip coming to rest on his knee for him to realize you were with him again.
“Damon,” you smile.
“How can you be smiling right now? You nearly died twice today and I could barely protect you,” he can’t seem to meet your eyes, and you think you might be mistaken when his eyes shimmer with unshed tears.
“But you still did. You did protect me, you saved me twice today. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
He laughs wetly, and buries his head in the blanket that covers your legs, hands balling up into fists. 
“I haven’t been scared in years, but with you I’m fucking terrified. You gave me something I’d never been given before: love.”
Your hand comes to rest on the back of his head, patting it softly.
“And I promise I will forever. You’re stuck with me now.”
Tumblr media
JUNE
This poor man had just gone through the emotional turmoil of a lifetime on the mission, finally getting a moment of rest and comfort when you embrace in the woods, when a shot rings out. 
His blood runs cold, literally, when he feels your hand tighten around his, a gasp emitting from you.
He’s been poked and prodded his whole life, no surface of his body untouched, but he feels like his hand burns when it’s your only lifeline to remain standing. He’d just promised you that you two would figure out your feelings for each other together, mutual trust and adoration shining through, and now he can only hope you’ll see the next day.
The bullet hit you just beneath your ribs on your left side and at first you don’t feel anything, just shock. But then a pain unlike any other you’d felt blooms from the entrance wound, spreading throughout your body like a virus.
“June,” is all you can say, not knowing how else to process the moment but to call out to the person you trusted most.
“No no no no, you’re alright, it’s alright, keep breathing through it,” he whispers into your hair as he holds you tight to begin moving you to the ship, knowing that despite the danger that was still out there from whoever shot you, he needed to protect you more.
He backs into the barrel of a gun and slowly turns around, Wren’s cold stare reflecting in his own.
“I don’t believe it’s typical to let your prey get away after you’ve shot them,” they say in a way that indicates to him that they consider you nothing more than the objective of a mission, a trophy and nothing more.
He’d been holding back the rage that simmers just below the surface, eyes remaining their cool gray, until your life and your importance to him and the rest of the crew was disregarded as if they were all petulant children.
June’s shoulders fill out his shirt in a way that hadn’t seconds prior, vest becoming tight on his chest. His mind is racing with the debate between setting you down and dishing out the consequences of speaking about you like that, and just running straight back to the ship to get you help as soon as possible. He is not given a choice, though, as the rest of the crew is rounded up by K’merii and brought to Wren. 
“Our little experiment here doesn’t feel very chatty today,” Wren starts, eyes scanning the rest of the crew, “Any of you have any grand heroic gestures to show your loyalty to this Peg’asi scum?”
“I care more about my loyalty to my friend,” Bash spits out, bionic arm itching to crush the hand that holds his wrists together.’
“Oh please, you don’t really think that this sheltered little brat actually cares about any of you?”
At that June is completely transformed, veins pumping with Orionite. Despite this, his hold on you remains as gentle as ever, but it requires a focus that is quickly dwindling. 
His eyebrows furrow and he bares his teeth in a way that he hates in it’s animalistic sense, but is the only way he knows how to convey that he is about to rip Wren to shreds. He can only take one step before Wren’s rifle is shot out of their hands, other Azure Dawn members ambushing the K’merii that were holding the rest of the crew. 
“No need to waste your energy on Wren,” Zane says, provoking them knowing that it’ll create enough of a diversion for June and the rest of the crew to make a break for the ship.
And he wastes no time, effortlessly lifting you into his arms, and moving as fast as his legs will take him, which is pretty damn fast. You’re still holding onto consciousness, but are fading fast. As his footsteps boom through the the hallways of the ship, he begs you to hold on. 
“[Y/N], you can do this, it’s ok, I’m here with you, stay with me.”
“I know, June,” you rasp out, blood covering your teeth, “You know I care about you.”
A sob catches in his throat as your eyes close, his fist all but slamming into the button to open the med bay door, “I know.”
-
You awake to the sound of crying. It’s quiet, muffled behind strong hands, but it’s the first thing you hear. After that, you begin to process the hum of Ryona’s mister, and your bleary eyes blink away the fog. 
“Oh, June,” you say, hand reaching towards him as the other pushes against the bed to try and prop yourself up.
“No, no, [Y/N], stay laying down, shh, there you go,” he responds as he helps you lay back comfortably. 
“But, I made you cry,” you frown, hand still reaching out in search of his.
And he takes your hand, the scars on his standing out to him. Nobody had ever cared what they did to him, much less if he cried about it. And he was so fucking grateful that you were still with him.
“You could make me cry a thousand more times if it meant that you stayed with me.”
Tumblr media
VEXX
How you reacted to the gunshot before him, Vexx will never know. All he knows is that one moment you’re walking next to him, hand in hand, and the next you’re pushing him down and shielding him. In your haste to get him (and ostensibly yourself) out of the way, you lean slightly which causes the bullet that was aimed for Vexx’s stomach to hit your right shoulder. 
You immediately hiss in pain, and all Vexx can do is stare wide-eyed. He’d put you in danger, actively hurt you so much before, how can you keep doing this for him? Caring for him? He thinks to himself that you should have just let him get shot, make up for some of the evil he’s done. And yet you won’t let him, protecting and cherishing him just like you’d always said you would, though before it had been in joking tones at the thought of you protecting your own bodyguard. 
“[Y/N]!” Vexx shouts, pushing himself up on the palms of his hands, reaching towards your injured form that landed next to him.
“Now how interesting is this?” Wren asks as they comes into Vexx’s field of vision. “You, Serif, were who I came here to collect but it seems like I got a two for one deal. Makes my job easier.”
“You are not laying a fucking finger on them,” he says, moving to shield your wheezing form. 
“This explains your....disciplinary issues. Truly sad that you had to lose the directives of your mission just for this pathetic excuse of a royal successor.”
Wren begins walking towards where you and Vexx lay, and his hand clenches as he processes all the ways he can bring Wren down. He understands that he’s definitely in the weaker position, but he was high up in Zovack’s circle for a reason, he knew what he was doing.
He just barely processes when the rest of the Andromeda 6 crew is led towards Wren via gunpoint, but notices your discomfort at your newfound friends’ danger. He honestly doesn’t give a shit what happened to the crew, but he knows that you’ve found friendship you’d never had before with them, and if they were able to get you out of here safely, he’d do whatever he could.
“Then just take me. I’m who you were sent here to get, don’t bother with the rest of them.”
“Vexx! Don’t!” You cry out, despite the pain, hand of the uninjured shoulder reaching out towards him, desperate to keep him with you. You’d just found him again, just begun to help him, you couldn’t let him leave you again now.
“Hm. Tempting offer, Serif, as I doubt fighting to get you back could be quite the headache,” Wren contemplates, lifting Vexx’s hopes that you’ll be able to get help soon, “But I think it would be much more advantageous for me to take you all back.”
Fuck. Ok, plan B. As Vexx’s mind is running a mile a minute, desperate to find the way to help you best, a warning shot rings out from the forest.
The K’merii assisting Wren instantly reach for their weapons, inadvertently releasing their grips on the crew. By the time Zane is gloating at Wren, Vexx has slung your good arm over his shoulder and making his way towards the ship, eyes frantically searching for the doctor.
Your breathing is labored in his ear, his own hands shaking at the thought of the pain you’re in. He’s already crying by the time he helps Ryona lay you on the examination table, cursing himself for his weakness to tears. He didn’t want to worry you, he was already so grateful for you accepting him back into your life at all.
“Vexx,” you say in a half delirious state as your consciousness is on the verge of fading, “Don’t leave me.”
He takes your hand, squeezing it, even as he knows you’ll be out soon.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
-
The voice you hear as soon as you wake up is the one you want to hear for the rest of your life. Vexx is talking in hushed tones with Ryona, asking for reassurance about your condition for seemingly not the first time if the exasperation in Ryona’s voice is any indicator.
Even as you blink the sleep out of your eyes, you’re reaching out towards the shape that color indicates is Vexx. 
“Vexx, you’re here.”
He turns around so quickly you don’t fully see the movement, smile so large his eyes were almost completely closed, and walks over to kneel next to your bed.
“Of course, I’m here, [Y/N]. I told you I’d always stay by your side. And I intend to keep that promise this time.”
Tumblr media
BASH
Growing up on Terranium, Bash had seen countless people shot before. Hell, he’d been shot his fair amount of times too. But to see you bleeding from a gunshot wound in your leg, it’s a new type of pain and panic. 
It’s a moment where his usually grinning face is now frozen in shock, the reality of the moment hitting him hard. Almost instantly, he’s looking around the forest, bionic eye activated in pursuit of whoever would dare to hurt you. It’s the flash of bright white hair a few meters into the forest that tips him off to Wren’s presence. He doesn’t understand what’s happening until it’s too late, K’merii surrounding him, restraining his bionic arm.
While frustrating, he’s not bothered that much by the restraint, he knows he can break free if he needs to. It’s the fact that he just has to watch you grabbing at your leg in pain from a few feet away, desperately wanting to comfort you during pain that he knows all too well.
“Ilihaj, it’s always good to see you again,” Wren states in a way that indicates it absolutely is not good, “Our offer still stands, you know.”
“I would never join the group that has hurt so many of my friends, Zovack can rot in hell for all I care,” Bash all but yells, eye now glowing red, indicating that it’s active and angry.
“Hm, some could say harm, some could say protecting the rest of the system from. As long as I can finish this job properly. Right, [Y/N]?”
All you manage to groan out is, “Fuck off.”
Bash’s eyes water at the fact that even as you’re breathing is labored and no doubt trying not to scream, you keep your fighting spirit.
“Now that’s not very polite, prince(ess),” Wren seethes, stomping on your leg as they walk by, surveying the crew that they’d rounded up.
You yell out, prompting Bash to rip his bionic arm free from the K’merii that had been holding it, rushing towards your side. 
As he gets to you, he feels something cold on the back of his neck, blood running cold as Wren presses a blade lightly against the skin. 
“Sebastian!” Ryona calls out, trying hard to make sure you both get out of here alive.
Wren tuts pityingly, “That’s not your brightest idea, Ilihaj.”
“Anything’s better than letting you hurt them more.”
“How heroic. Even when it won’t help.”
“But this might,” Zane smirks, pistol already aimed at Wren, members of Azure Dawn already on the move to take out the other K’merii in the direct area.
Bash tunes out all of their banter, knowing that there’s no way he’s letting you bleed into this grass any longer.
“Can you stand?” He whispers, arms already starting to wrap around you.
“I... I don’t know. I-fuck,” you say as you try to put weight on the leg, pain shooting throughout you.
“Alright that’s a no, just hold on tight,” Bash lifts you by your armpits and slings you over his shoulder. No time to be as gentlemanly as he’d prefer.
Ryona is already hot on his tail in the ship’s halls, hands hovering around your wound in order not to hurt you more but to get a grasp on how deep the bullet had gotten.
“Sebastian, lay them down and then please leave the room,” she says as soon as they enter the med bay, pulling a tray of instruments from one of her drawers.
“Why?” He says, scowling just slightly.
“You don’t want to see this.”
Your stomach drops as you finally pass out.
-
When you start to regain consciousness, the first thing you hear is the scratch of a pencil on paper. When you open your eyes, you see at least 5 drawings laying on your legs that are covered by blankets. Legs, you think to yourself, they’re both still here. That was one thing you could be grateful for. 
“You’re quite focused, Bash,” you tease, mouth parched. You must have been out for a while. That, and the fact you had no time to rehydrate after the mission either.
He turns his head, smiling. His hand comes to hold yours, and while cold it warms your heart. 
“Just needed to document your bravery,” he says, pausing to gesture to the drawings that are already on you. They’re of you (you assume?) in action poses, with motivational sentences underneath like ‘what a badass!’ and ‘kick ass, babe!’
You smile at the gesture, but still lift your hand to rest on his cheek.
“It’s ok to be scared, I love you through it all.”
His smile remains, but the glossiness of his eyes betrays the fact that he’s beginning to cry.
“I know. I know now.”
62 notes · View notes
Text
If Zovack turns out to be a secret uncle or half-brother I ----
8 notes · View notes
arcanadreams · 1 year
Note
also another thing about sorenn i cant be the only one who had a thought that like... his bride could have been kmerii. does it make sense? probably not. i mean cals ex was influencial/rich enough i believe but she betrayed him for them as well so?.. plus didnt they mention that the wedding got rushed tho along with the attack? id rather have this hc than know absolutely nothing about you know the most important thing that happened in game bc thats how it all started tho lol (also the way cals ex isnt even supposed to appear in game whyd waste this narrative like this then...) 😂
hold up hold up hold up...Cal has an ex that BETRAYED HIM FOR THE K’MERRI??? damn ok not only did Zovack frame this man for murder but he stole his girl. ...yeah i’d be a grouch too after that LMAO. seriously i had no idea!! i remember back when Aeriie’s tumblr account was still around that she had a preview of a Patreon piece about Cal and Sorenn watching a singer in a club or something and it implied he was interested, so i assume that’s the ex? but i never knew about K’Merri involvement or anything. i feel like a lot of important lore to make the story more dynamic and fun to explore is on Aeriie AND the game’s patreons, since there’s two for similar-ish content. i ain’t paying for all that as a broke college student but i can see why the temptation is there since so much info is behind that paywall.
ANYWAY ENOUGH ABOUT CAPITALISM-- i can’t say i’ve ever thought of Sorenn’s bride being K’Merri! interesting though though! personally i like the idea of them just being super in love and happy for the angst of Cal and Traveler knowing he never got to live out his life with his partner that he loved dearly. i do remember them saying that he and his fiance might have been an arranged marriage that actually fell in love?? that might be why the wedding was quick, because it was always planned to be that way. not sure, though; i haven’t played the game since summer because of school.
9 notes · View notes
burntheupholstery · 2 years
Text
NORTH: bleed, breathe
AO3 link
A Vexx/F!Traveller soulmate AU slow-burn canon divergence fic.
Summary
It is the year 3025. After a coup d'etat on the capital planet of the Seleotan system, Goldis, the system is now in chaos. With High King Fenris Peg'asi, the Three Queens, and the elusive eleven royal children dead, power now lies in the hands of Jez Zovack, Usurper King, leader of the interplanetary K'Merii clan.
Unbeknownst to everyone except the crew of the Andromeda Six, the youngest princess, Apolia Le'jean Peg'asi, third half-Tilaari daughter of the Stellar Queen, has escaped the massacre at Prince Sorenn's wedding reception.
~
this is a fic i’ve been working on for a while now. scifi stuff you can look forwards to:
urban worldbuilding!
space politics!
unethical experimentation!
consensual and non-consensual body modification! found family!
learning to love yourself!
recovering from mental trauma!
reconnecting with family!
and of course heaps and loads of angst.
the title of the the series is north because of the Tilaari soulmark being a compass rose, and the Tilaaria calling their soulmates their ‘north’.
oh also the whole thing is in second person. come read it?
13 notes · View notes
juan-nonetheway · 2 years
Note
yo hyun. how've you been? it's me, the A6 anon hehe...
i wanna know what's your thoughts on ep.6? do you think it's good? nice? okay? so-so? or is it need to be re-do again?
(ok, kinda spoiler here)
tbh, i think it's still enjoyable. but i'm kinda hoped the team will at least give us a few endings. U know, with nerissa is actually still alive, i hope the dev consider to put.. idk, maybe two endings? where one is happy and one is sad? or bad even?
so.. wdyt?
Hmm… since you ask my personal opinion, then, please keep in mind that what i thought may contradict with yours, Anon.
(Starts here contain Spoiler)
I think, for me, Ep. 6 needs re-write and a little bit fixing. I'm talking about the sudden appearance of our lovely Sister, Nerissa. Not that i don't like her, don't get me wrong. Nerissa is obviously the only one who cares about the Traveler in the first place when no one in their family could. That's a great quality of a sibling, i like her.
Her appearance in Ep.6 kinda.. contradictive with what Vexx stated in Ep. 5. Since Vexx has said, "Nerissa was there, and before i knew what was happening, the sound of my own gun was ringing through my ears." That, and, "She was in my arms, and the blood… there was so much blood… it was all over me, soaked through my skin." (I think the statement was like that? Correct me if that's not, Anon).
Those two statements showed how Vexx watch the death of Nerissa in front of his very eyes. He hold her, even. It mean Nerissa was literally dead. Even though the state of his mind was questionable and not under his own control when it happened, Vexx had no doubt our sister really is dead there.
And since the start, the Traveler even convinced that their Sister was gone. They had no doubt, too.
And, i kinda get it why Nerissa Appearance in Ep. 6 confused or shocked some of the players.
If, if the Author want to reveal Nerissa in Ep. 6 still alive, they should made the Traveler in doubt whether Nerissa is already gone or not since the start. You know, like, putting a line or some that hinted Nerissa is still alive out there. Or, or they could make the Traveler thought of something that caused players to guess and form theories about Nerissa. This way, if Nerissa turned out to be alive, it would less shocking. And if Nerissa confirmed dead, the effect would be either 'I thought so!' or could be 'oh no… poor MC'.
And, btw, there's still one thing that contradicted with Nerissa appearance. It was in Ep. 2, where Oppo stated, "But one body they cannot find. The youngessstt Prince." (Sorry if Oppo here said Prince, because i only remember the line from my Gameplay). This, clearly act as a confirmation that, the only one who's still alive, is, us. The MC, the Traveler, or whatever you want to named them. Unless, unless Oppo didn't say this line, then the doubt whether Nerissa is alive too or not was mystery.
Anyway, aside from Nerissa appearance in Ep. 6, i think the game itself has potential to provide Two endings, just like you said. At least. Though, in my head, i'm kinda having a few scenarios where the ending can be divided into 5. It's just my opinion and my thought, i remind you. Don't fuss over, Anon.
The 1st ending can be a happy ending; where the MC somehow can defeat Zovack alongside Nerissa. It included with having their own happily-ever-after with their chosen Li (that, if the player choose to play in romance path). Options to let Nerissa take the throne or let the Traveler take it instead should be provided, because this is a happy ending.
2nd ending is a bad ending; Failed to fight against Zovack? Yes. The Traveler and the Crew held as hostages for the rest of their lives? Yes. Zovack ruled 'till the end? Yes.
3rd ending is bittersweet; I don't know, but, since Nerissa has appeared, maybe in the final chapter they can make Nerissa getting wounded, or die, in the battle?. And even though the Traveler success taking back the throne, something is missing. This ending automatically sets the Traveler as the ruler.
And for the 4th, it's actually kinda just like the 3rd, but the other way around; The MC wounded, or die, in the battle. This automatically sets Nerissa as the ruler.
And last, the 5th, i think it can be called as 'Dark Ending', where the scenario is the whole crew killed by Zovack. Including our sister. It just the Traveler left alone.
Yeah, that's it, i guess. I kinda hope the team provide us different paths for ending.
Aside from all of that and what's going on in the fandom because of Ep.6, i will continue to support Andromeda Six project until it's done. Besides, i personally enjoyed and liked A6 since the start, so i'll stay with it 'till the end. Also, the characters are too good to be left; it's just a matter of perspective whether what they did is wrong or not. I actually quite like something with this concept, you know. And, who knows, maybe the Developer will make a patch path for Alisa and Zane in the future. And maybe Wren as well.
So, yeah, that's all. Thank you for sticking around here as always, you there. Have a great day and hope you stay healthy, Anon! :).
18 notes · View notes
chaoticwriter0526 · 2 years
Note
Read your post about the last a6 chapter and just...let me tell you two simple words "thank you" this is exactly what I wanted to say but was too afraid to write it so it does not come up wrong (English no first language... me makes mistakes sometimes kdkdke)... I thought from the beginning the backlash was just a little too intense since there are other chapters to go and we have no clue what it is gonna lead to... and not it took Traveler in a certain shadow, but I actually did not mind it thst much... any maybe when they will learn more about Nerissa's plans they will realize it is not any different from Zovack, that there are better solutions etc.... we will see... but I'd wait with this backlash till next episode 😁 Your resident Bob Moss fangirl (aka rosiathemagician)
First of all, I am so sorry for taking so long to get back to you about this. School has been a butt lately. Secondly, I don’t know how to start this other by you’re welcome(?) I’m just someone on the internet wanting to get my two cents in before the tag gets set on fire.
I definitely agree with you on the amount of backlash on the A6 tag. It’s dissolved into chaos…and not in a good way.
Knowing that A6 is a whole soup/salad/pile/ what ever other metaphor you wanna use of tropes, I would not be surprised if- by keeping Nerissa alive- we get a taste of the old “Stabbed In The Back By A Beloved Sibling” trope.
Does it sound similar to Marvel? Yes. Am I still gonna play the game because even though I cry, I still love the angst? Heck yeah.
Even without that trope, our traveler didn’t make all those revelations about what their family did to the other planets for nothing. Bash and Ryona didn’t cheer them on over nothing. We didn’t have that small conversation related to what our traveler thought about possibly ruling the system with Alisa over nothing.
If anything, I’m just glad that I’m not the only one feeling this way about Nerissa being alive. I still feel indifferent about it, but I’m ready to see how the story will go now that we have a new edition to the character list!
0 notes
bigmeandragonlady · 1 year
Text
me: i really hope this rebellion leader they teased on twitter has-
me @ me: NO stop it! the last few times you've made optimistic predictions you've been let down
2 notes · View notes
andromedasix · 2 years
Note
top 3 plot twists happening in episode 7! go!
Kitalpha didn't actually explode
Zovack is Damon's dad
Bash's biotic arm is just an elaborate cosplay piece
31 notes · View notes
Text
Traveler, to Zovack: What are your pronouns? So I know what kind of insult to call you.
79 notes · View notes
commander-krios · 8 months
Text
A Friend Among Tyrants
Summary:
She was escaping. He had no idea why or how she did it. All Vexx knew was one second she was sitting quietly in her bedroom, door shut as she brushed her hair or played the harp or made awful art. She was quiet, barely speaking or even looking at him, walking from her quarters to her social obligations and back without a single fuss. By the third week, he realized what was happening.
Rating: Teen
Characters: Vexx Serif, f!Traveler
Word Count: 4208
Notes: Pre-Relationship, Pre-Romance, Friendship, First Meetings, Eventual Romance, Loneliness, Flirting, Swearing
Read on AO3
~~~~
“Princess Daianira is a bit… difficult.”
The words pulled Vexx Serif’s gaze from his surroundings: beautiful trellises and impenetrable stone walls, fountains that were big enough to be swimming pools, flowers blooming every two feet and he still hadn’t found a single vantage point for a sniper perch. The Captain of the Guard hadn’t said a single word most of their stroll through the gardens, deciding now was a good time to discuss Vexx’s new charge.
Princess Daianira Nikolle Peg’asi.
When there was no follow up, Vexx reigned in a sigh. “Difficult, sir?”
The Captain didn’t bother to hide his displeasure at having to explain. He sighed loudly, looking every bit his advanced age, wrinkles pulling tight on his face. Vexx might’ve felt sorry for him, but he found he couldn’t find that particular emotion. Not with his parents suffering in the Orionite mines thanks to King Fenris. And definitely not when he was going to be following around the youngest obnoxious child of Fenris and the Lunar Queen, Nikolle.
“She’s run off all of her guards in the last year. Too impetuous, too stubborn.” A pair of tired grey eyes met his. “Her last guard was set on fire.”
Vexx swallowed down the wave of fear that threatened to choke him. What sort of royalty lived within these walls? Maybe Zovack was right… maybe they needed to take out the entire family. At least then, another little tyrant wouldn’t rise to power.
“I would love to say that her twin brother is worse, but he’s had the same guard for the last year.” They paused near one of the enormous fountains and the Captain turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Be on your guard, Serif. And don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Sir.” Vexx gave a nod, but worry coiled in his gut. The little princess was going to make his job even more difficult. Great. 
“You’re responsible for her safety, Lieutenant.” The Captain continued, eyes trailing over the fountain, a mosaic of blue and sea green reflecting the sunlight, nearly blinding in its radiance. “I don’t have to tell you what’ll happen if any harm comes to the King’s children.”
No, he didn’t.
The surface of the water broke, a shock of rosy golden hair the first glimpse of Princess Daianira he got. She was treading the deep water of the fountain, a pair of hard turquoise eyes peering up at them. 
The Captain bowed at the waist briefly, motioning to Vexx who did the same. No use in getting started off on the wrong foot. “Princess, I have your new guard for inspection. Lieutenant Vexx Serif.”
Her eyes snapped back to his and he noticed the gill scars along her neck. Kitalphan, then. At least it was something they had in common. “Princess. It’s a pleasure.”
Her mouth turned down slightly, clearly not pleased with his presence. Or maybe something else about him bothered her: his hair, the way he stood, the way he looked. Who knew with these royal brats?
She stared at him a moment longer before she ran a hand over her slick wet hair, turning her nose up in the air. “He’s decent enough.”
Decent enough? Where the hell did she-
He swallowed down the flare of anger at her dismissal, watching as she dived below the water again, disappearing as quickly as she’d appeared. 
The Captain of the Guard sighed, rubbing the spot between his eyes. “As I said, please don’t take your eyes off of her. She’s quick and clever.”
Vexx nodded, not trusting himself to speak. 
This was just great.
~~~~
She was escaping. 
He had no idea why or how she did it. All Vexx knew was one second she was sitting quietly in her bedroom, door shut as she brushed her hair or played the harp or made awful art. She was quiet, barely speaking or even looking at him, walking from her quarters to her social obligations and back without a single fuss.
At first, he thought that maybe the Captain had been wrong about her. How could these boring walks be anything more than a dreary experience, with the same colorful flowers and fountains, with the same dark halls, the same faces day in and day out. He spent weeks in the same monotony, following Daianira at a distance while she did her rounds, only ending the day at her closed door until he was relieved by a different guard while he got some sleep.
He wasn’t allowed to wander. The Captain drilled that into his brain within week one and when he wasn’t shadowing the princess, he was sitting in the barracks, staring at a holo-pad or training. How was he supposed to map out the palace, to find out information to aid Zovack’s grasp for power, when he was stuck staring at a fucking wall?
By the third week, he realized what was happening.
Daianira was traipsing around the gardens or swimming in the fountains or, as he found out on day fifteen, running wild through the city. On that particular day, the Captain had returned her back to the room, Vexx still standing at the door none the wiser, an exasperated look on his face and a grin that could charm the most coldhearted of men on hers.
That day, her dazzling eyes alighted on him, a secret smile curling her lips before she brushed past, door clicking softly behind her.
It took him another two days before he figured out how. There was a trellis a few feet from her bedroom window, covered in roses and wisteria, that led to the safety of the courtyard. Vexx had no idea how she even reached the trellis considering her small stature. Not to mention the thorns when all he’d ever seen her wear were full gowns. 
It was day eighteen, a full three weeks since he started the damned job, when he finally got his answer. 
Vexx leaned against the wall opposite the trellis, a smirk on his face as she released her hold on the vines, dropping a few feet to the ground, landing easily as if she did this every day. Who was he kidding, she did. The Captain was right to warn him not to let her out of his sight. No wonder so many guards had gone through here. She was probably getting them thrown in the Orionite mines for this headache.
He ignored the painful twinge of his heart at the reminder of why he was here. His parents. Shoving the thought away, stuffing it back in the box it’d escaped to be reflected on later, he stepped forward out of the shadow of a willow tree. With arms crossed over his chest, he raised an eyebrow at this tiny nightmare of a woman.
“Well, I didn’t know rock climbing was in your skillset, Princess.”
She jumped, cerulean eyes widening as she turned to face him, shock warring with frustration as she spied him watching from the shadows. “Who gave you permission to lurk there?”
Vexx laughed, the question as absurd as the past few weeks. She was a spry one, that’s for sure. Scaling the castle wall until she reached the trellis. Then taking the vines down, careful to avoid catching her gown on any thorns. He’d never seen anything like it.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Daianira smoothed her gown down, eyes downcast. There was no way he was falling for the demure princess act. That ship had sailed four days ago. “For a walk.”
“A walk?” He repeated, unable to hide his disbelief. She was trouble and if he wasn’t here on a mission… Vexx would be tempted to explore how much trouble she really was. “Well, considering I’m supposed to be protecting you-”
Her eyes slanted dangerously and for the first time since arriving, Vexx knew why the Captain was wary. She wasn’t physically dangerous. Vexx had at least a good foot of height over her, and much more muscle, but there was something dark lurking in her gaze. He’d seen that same look in his own eyes before. It was the type of darkness that said a person had nothing to lose.
Daianira stepped closer, the sound of her gown swishing against the stones, and he could feel his heart thundering against his ribs. A breeze blew through the garden, the scents of wisteria and lavender tickling his nose, but there was one scent that stood out among the rest. Cinnamon. 
Her scent.
She approached like a lioness stalking her prey: silent, cautious, deliberate with each step. When he was within reach, Daianira brushed a hand softly against his jacket, eyes roaming his body as if she was finally ready to give him that inspection. “I’m not the one who needs protection, Lieutenant.” Her dazzling eyes met his and Vexx felt his mouth go dry. 
Was she flirting with him?
She plucked a wisteria petal from his shoulder, examining the color as she twisted it between her fingers. “You’re smarter than the last guard.”
He didn’t know how to take that. So he stupidly muttered, “Thank you, Princess.”
Her lips twitched as if she was fighting a smile. “It’s not much of a compliment, Serif. He got himself set on fire. I’m sure the Captain told you that.”
No, he said you did it. 
He didn’t dare reveal that tidbit so instead, Vexx snorted, in awe at how little propriety a damned princess had. “Did you skip your lessons the day your tutors taught humility?”
He realized too late it was a completely inappropriate thing to say to the girl who dictated whether or not he was in the palace at all. Would Zovack kill him when he came back empty handed… after being a Royal Guard for a fucking single day? Maybe the King would do the honor himself for insulting his youngest daughter. 
Princess Daianira stared at him with a blank expression, millions of thoughts swirling behind those turquoise eyes. He steeled himself for the inevitable slap to the face when she surprised him.
She laughed.
Not a giggle or titter either, but a full bellied laugh that echoed around them in the small courtyard. Vexx felt his cheeks flush, a nervous fluttering in his chest as he watched her, rosy cheeks that nearly matched her rose gold hair, noticing little details he hadn’t during their first meeting: like the smattering of golden freckles on her nose, a small white scar above her lip, ginger eyelashes settling against her pale skin. She was beautiful and it hit him how beautiful she was at that moment.
She opened her eyes, a shrewd gaze aimed at him, a smirk still on her red lips. “You’re funny, Serif. It’s against my better judgment, but I think I may actually like you.”
He hated how his body responded to her words, a hunger gnawing in his gut as he watched her turn away, gold dress billowing out around her, a gorgeous enigma that he clearly wasn’t prepared for. He’d expected a brat, a demanding and cold princess who he’d easily grow to hate until he finally returned to Zovack. And that was easier, better. Emotions complicated things and Vexx didn’t like complicated.
Instead, he found Daianira, a woman who had the fire of a thousand suns burning beneath her skin and eyes full of unrestrained laughter. Though she tried to hide it, there was also a sadness lurking beneath her smile that he doubted he’d ever be able to pierce.
Vexx realized a heartbeat later that she was leaving him in the dust. “Wait- what are you-”
When she didn’t respond, pause, or even acknowledge him, he hurried to catch up before he lost her in the maze of gardens. Jogging beside her to keep pace, he raised a curious eyebrow. “Where are we going?”
Patting the bag that was slung over her shoulder, the one he hadn’t even noticed being so distracted by the princess herself, she gave him a grin that could only be described as feral. “I have a gift for my brother.”
Why did he think this gift wasn’t going to be well received?
Vexx noticed the golden violet hues of the horizon, the sun nearly disappearing from the sky. It was well past dinner time, nearing the hour when most people would be readying for sleep. What the hell was she up to? 
“Now?”
“Why not? This is Arlo’s favorite time of the evening.” Daianira twirled around, glittering fabric tenting around her, and she laughed again, light and free and altogether mesmerizing. 
“Don’t you have to… you know, get pretty for bed or whatever it is that princesses do?” 
Daianira threw a sly smile over her shoulder at him. “Thinking about me in bed, Serif?”
He nearly stopped in his tracks, managing to keep the shock from slipping onto his face. He’d definitely walked into that one blindly, but now he knew how she played the game. If she thought she could throw him so easily, fluster him, she was going to be mistaken. Vexx had an arsenal that could disarm and dazzle. When he wanted it to. 
Without thinking of the consequences of such an action, he reached out, fingers hovering just out of reach of her arm. He wasn’t touching her, but his fingers burned as if he was. “Is that what you want, Princess?”
She laughed again, a little breathlessly perhaps, and Vexx tried to calm the way his heart danced to the sound. He thought he might become addicted to hearing her laughter if he wasn’t careful.
Somehow, he managed to restrain himself and dropped his hand to his side, continuing on in silence, footsteps muffled against the cobblestone walkways. 
This was a terrible idea. Vexx was certain that encouraging the princess in these escapades was going to get him thrown out of the palace, maybe worse, but curiosity got the better of him. 
He followed without protest. And perhaps a little excitement.
It wasn’t much longer before Daianira paused, glancing up at a partially open window of blue and green glass about eight feet from the ground. Biting her lip in concentration, she glanced around as if inspecting the area. For weaknesses? Or an easy way inside? 
Was this a forbidden area of the palace that she liked to explore? Or maybe a secret he could exploit?
Less than a minute passed before she smiled and reached into the bag at her side, rifling in it for something.
When she finally found what she was looking for, she let out a relieved huff, pulling a long cylindrical tube from the bag, something familiar that tickled at the back of his brain, a memory from when he was a child.
“Is that a smoke stick?”
Daianira turned to him, an impatient look on her face. “How is your throwing arm?”
“What?”
She clucked her tongue, clearly not happy with his delayed response. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” She twisted the object, black smoke following a moment later, acrid and decidedly pungent. Lifting the hem of her dress in her free hand, she climbed atop a small bench below the window, trying to find her balance as she looked for the best angle to throw.
Vexx didn’t think, again, and stepped forward, hands gripping her waist so that he could lift her slightly, making it easier for her to reach the windowsill. With a gasp, she glanced down with wide eyes. Eyes that felt like drowning whenever she looked at him. 
“Need help, Your Highness?”
She laughed quietly this time and his heart squeezed tightly, a darkness descending on him as he remembered his true goal. Maybe… maybe the entire Peg’asi line didn’t need to go down with Fenris. Maybe there was something good to be salvaged here.
He shook the thought from his head as she tossed the smoke stick into the open window, tapping his hand twice to let her down once she finished.
Vexx dropped her and she shrieked, clinging onto him before he suddenly caught her, cradling her against his chest. She let out a breath, fingers clutching at his shoulders, nails digging into the fabric of his jacket. Her hair tickled his cheek as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck, breath puffing against his skin as she laughed softly.
“I didn’t scare you, did I, Princess?”
She pulled back slightly, lips twitching as if she was trying not to laugh again. Her attempt to suppress it was almost as attractive as her actual grin. “I don’t scare easily, Lieutenant.”
He opened his mouth to respond, a million snarky responses on his tongue, when a bloodcurdling scream interrupted them.
Vexx’s eyes shot up to the window where the black thick smoke had filled whatever room was there, escaping through the space left for the cool night air and curling harmlessly into the sky. The sound of coughing was followed by the sight of a golden visage. The Prince, no doubt about it, even with his lack of clothing.
“You.”
Daianira fussed with the folds of her dress briefly, feigning shock when she glanced up at the image of her twin hanging out the window above them, gasping for air. 
Vexx stifled the grin that threatened to expose him. 
“Hello, Arlo.” Daianira said in a sweet delicate voice, so unlike herself that Vexx nearly barked out a laugh. “Having a good evening?”
Suddenly, Arlo Peg’asi wasn’t alone, a young woman with ebony waves and not a stitch on pushing him out of the way, nearly falling over the windowsill to catch her own breath. Vexx glanced away immediately at the implications of what they’d interrupted.
Of what Daianira had clearly intended on ruining for her brother.
Arlo slanted his eyes at his sister, venom dripping from his mouth as he hissed. “I’m going to-
Daianira stood straighter, expression cold as she regarded her twin, all pretense of kindness gone. “You’ll do nothing. Because if you do, next time it’ll be a bomb. Leave my guards alone.”
An unsettling grin curled Arlo’s lips. “But it was so fun to hear him scream-”
Vexx’s eyes widened, an unsettling realization in his gut. Daianira’s last guard, the fire- 
By the slant of his eyes and the smirk on his face, Prince Arlo Peg’asi was as vicious as his father. Maybe more so by how unchecked his actions were. 
Evil little prick.
Vexx glanced at Daianira and nearly missed her flinch, Arlo’s words striking her worse than any physical attack could. But she didn’t falter, didn’t hesitate as she clenched the folds of her dress, knuckles white as she stared at the man responsible for her hell on earth.
“I’m warning you, Arlo. You won’t like what happens next if this continues.”
Arlo sneered at her, sea green eyes glancing in Vexx’s direction briefly before returning to her. “This one will be fun to break.”
She was shaking, every part of her body shivering with barely suppressed rage. Vexx approached quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. He hoped it gave her some strength to know she wasn’t alone.
With a deep breath through her nose, she managed to speak without her voice quivering. “I won’t let you hurt him.”
Vexx felt his stomach twist further, guilt warring with the warmth her words sparked. She was protecting him. Why? Why did she feel the need to save him from a man playing at being a tyrant? Certainly Vexx was capable of handling this shithead.
And why wouldn’t she tell the Captain, or her father for that matter, that Arlo was playing dangerous games.
The asshole in question scoffed, roughly shoving his lover back inside his quarters, the smoke finally clearing. “You won’t do anything, Nira. You’re too afraid of Father. So you know what that means? I own you.”
Daianira said nothing, turning on her heels and disappearing into the gardens, the only sound left in her wake was Arlo’s disgusting laugh as he returned to his previous activities. Vexx stood still in the aftermath, unable to come to terms with the facts that one- Daianira Peg’asi was probably the best of all of the Royal family, two- Her twin was a threat, not only to Daianira and the Guard, but to everything, and three- the princess thought she was protecting Vexx from the most awful thing she could imagine, a cruel brother who enjoyed tormenting her.
And here was Vexx, plotting the downfall of her entire family.
Of plotting her death along with the rest of them.
Vexx found the thought didn’t sit as well with him as it had nearly a month ago.
It took a few minutes, but he found her sitting beneath a willow, her back pressed against its trunk with her legs pulled close to her chest. Her face was buried in her gown, sobs shaking her body as he approached. With a lump in his throat, guilt crushing his chest, Vexx sat beside her in the grass, stretching his legs out in front of him.
An uncomfortable, tense silence greeted him, but he wouldn’t leave her like this. And not because it was his job to stay at her side. 
But because she was a better person than him. And he didn’t know what to do with that.
“Why are you protecting him?” He couldn’t help but ask when she hadn’t acknowledged him, watching as her shoulders tensed at the question. “He’s willing to harm others to hurt you. You don’t owe him anything, Princess. Certainly not because he’s your brother.”
Daianira lifted her head to glance at him, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, cheeks stained with those she had cried, pretty mouth in a hard line… too grim for one so young and beautiful. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Lieutenant, but I’m pretty much alone.”
He shouldn’t have asked, not when Vexx knew what the consequences would be. Zovack wouldn’t spare her. He wouldn’t spare anyone. No matter how kind or generous she was, Daianira was still a Peg’asi. Still a threat. He couldn’t care about her… shouldn’t.
When he didn’t speak, she sighed, closing her eyes and taking a calming breath. “I don’t want you to get hurt.” When she noticed the shake in her voice, she gritted her teeth, determined to not be weak. He knew what that felt like. “I won’t let Arlo hurt you.”
“Not to be ungrateful, princess, but you know nothing about me. Besides, it’s my job to-”
He paused, the lie dying on his tongue. No, his real job wasn’t to protect her. And he needed to stop forgetting that.
“Protect me?” An unhappy laugh left her mouth, her lips twisting in a wry grin. “Yes, Lieutenant, I am aware. But let me ask you this: what protections do I need in solitude? No one can reach me here and even if they could, I would welcome the chance to escape this place.”
Daianira brushed a hand through her rosy waves, curling a strand around her index finger.
“Sometimes, I imagine what it’d be like… to not be Fenris’s daughter. To be a person capable of making her own choices. To be free.”
The longing in her voice nearly undid him. “Maybe one day, you can be.”
“My father would never let me be anything more than a bargaining chip… something to marry away for an advantage. For money. That’s when he even remembers I exist at all.” She turned her face so he couldn’t see the fresh tears.
The fountains bubbled in the distance, a calming lullaby that was nothing more than an interloper in a vulnerable moment. Vexx could feel the brush of a breeze, the scent of the flowers, the laughter of the nobility as they walked by, unaware of the saddest princess in the galaxy and her guard.
Sometimes a palace could be a prison, the ethereal beauty nothing more than a mask to hide the cruelty and pain beneath.
Vexx swallowed painfully, his throat dry and his eyes prickling with tears. He didn’t know if he could save her from what was coming, didn’t know if he wanted to if he was honest, but sitting here with her, he could ease her pain. If only for a time.
Resting a hand softly on her arm, he waited until she glanced at him curiously. “What is it that Daianira wants? Not the princess, but the girl?”
She smiled then, as bright as the sun and as blinding. If he was anyone else, he might’ve thrown himself at her feet, willing to do anything to see her smile like that again. But reality wasn’t a fairytale. And not everyone got a happy ending.
“To see the stars. Really see them. And to have a friend to share it with.”
The words were the hardest he’d ever said, the lie burning his tongue before he opened his mouth. “Well, if you’ll have me, I’d be honored to be your friend.”
Vexx felt his heart break at the breathtaking smile on her face, turquoise eyes shining with a happiness she probably hadn’t felt for most of her life. It did little to ease guilt.
27 notes · View notes