#wink the charr

[commander-soup]

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 From my queer cats to yours!

#oh tagging will be fun #gw2 #guild wars 2 #guild wars #charr #pride 2023 #tyria pride 2023 #tyria pride #buckeye the charr #confidence hotpaw #belmont hirondelle #tyzine lawmaker #pulmenti brittlejaw #ilex the charr #mahoney of heather #sylvatica the charr #wink the charr #rhett hearthfire #pomme the charr #muriel hearthwarmer #jove hearthsong #axel hearthpoker #hateno stonehearth #namira hearthbreaker #briss darkhearth #boris hearthlight #Rags Hearthsteel #Jackdaw Hearthtinder

[commanderhorncleaver]

this is all only a journey

August stood with his knife at the ready, his former mentor watching from across the field. The older charr scrutinized him carefully before raising his sword and shield–but still he didn’t move. It was almost painfully nostalgic; at a glance, Zerek hadn’t changed much, from his simple garb to his plated helm. Beneath it, the sandy-furred charr’s black mask had grayed, but given his experience with his own sire, August doubted the passage of time had dulled the old cat’s senses or reflexes much, if at all.

“What are we waiting for, old man? I know you aren’t afraid I’ve improved that much.”  The click of Zerek’s tongue was audible from twenty paces away, and August didn’t fight the grin that brought to his muzzle. “The match will continue until one of us is at the other’s mercy. Use the spells you’ve honed since we last met, but don’t involve bystanders. Weak-minded souls won’t always be at your disposal.” 

August charged the moment Zerek finished stating the terms. He swung his blade upwards as he ran, releasing energy along the ground to sweep towards his mentor–as it exploded forward, bright luminescent magic mixed with dirt and stone, he shrouded himself and ducked away. Zerek charged through the wave of earth and magic as it hit him, and three copies of the old charr materialized in formation around him on the other side of the resulting cloud of debris, on watch for August’s attack. He could hear the other charr’s thoughts like his old mentor was shouting them aloud, Come out, Augustus. Where will you strike from?

A clone of August took form and shot forward towards Zerek, and as it ran forward, three phantasms split from it. Zerek responded without hesitation. Two of his phantasms intercepted August’s clone, running it through the neck and chest with their swords, and the third threw his shield, charged with magic, in a powerful arc that punched through the psychic projections August’s clone had generated. As the phantasms shattered into glimmering purple shards that danced and glistened in the air, the shield slowed before returning to its owner’s paw.  “You know that’s not enough to distract me, Augustus!” The Zereks called out together. “I’d have thought you’d be better at facing your enemies by now, after so long with your sire?”

“Of course,” August said, stepping out of his shroud, knife in paw, behind the group of Zereks. “Let’s dance, old man.” August slashed with his knife, freeing one phantasm of its sword arm, and stepped into the group of Zereks. A Zerek jumped away while two others swung at him–their attacks were brutally cut short as streaks of amethystine light shot through their chests, shattering their magic as August mentally tugged at the remains of his projections which Zerek had just destroyed. 

The magic of Zerek’s apparitions destabilized and August blinked forward as they exploded, lunging his knife forward at the older charr’s torso. The gleaming pink blade was parried away by the other charr’s sword, and there their dance began in earnest. He slashed and stabbed while Zerek blocked and evaded–anytime the older charr would attempt a strike of his own, August would simply allow the blade to glide through him as the amethyst needles that floated in an array behind him winked in and out of existence. August had learned a lot in the twelve years he’d been working alongside his sire, but the most important thing his old man had imparted upon him, perhaps, was patience–this, he hoped, was enough to handle Zerek’s precognizance. Whenever Zerek’s form blurred and a clone would appear, he would launch a needle out to destroy it, all while continuing to press his advantage against his former mentor. This, however, was only a means to an end: Zerek’s first lesson to him, after all, was that a mesmer’s greatest strength was the array of weapons at his disposal. 

The telltale ticking of Zerek’s chronomancy began slow and echoing in August’s ears as the older shaman’s eyes glowed bright behind the visor of his helmet. The younger charr had tried to replicate it himself many times in the previous months–he knew its distinctive sound as well as he’d memorized the older charr’s lessons, but as of yet, he’d been unable to reproduce the specific unraveling of chaos that Zerek could unleash.  “Your old man really has been a good influence, hm?” Zerek grunted as he weaved away from a swipe of August’s knife. “I have to admit, I didn’t approve at first.” “Suppose so. It was bound to happen eventually,” August answered as he shot his needles away from him in a fan, one behind them and one to his left and right. The old man’s shield shattered the only one that went for him, and August ceased his barrage of spellcasting and blade swinging. 

Zerek’s magic reached its zenith, and August could see the smirk stretch across the older charr’s muzzle–his old mentor knew he’d won. His stomach shifted as the spell activated and his eyes flared: Gaius had never fully explained how his spell-jacking worked, but he’d seen it in play numerous times during the early days–as with most things, that was generally enough for him to pick up on how something worked enough for him to replicate it. Unlike his sire, he had to stop his own casting whenever he stole someone else’s spell, but if the situation was right, it wouldn’t matter that he was defenseless for a moment.  Here and now, time slowed to a halt around he and Zerek: airborne debris, sweat, and even both charr’s breathing decelerated to an almost imperceptible crawl. Exactly two seconds relative stretched into ninety seconds experienced–and then August jerkily finished his breath as his spell took hold of the well of magic beneath them, releasing him from its grip on space-time. He doubled over, paws on his knees from the exertion, and two more seconds passed before August teleported back to where one of his needles waited where their magic had clashed earlier, and then he transmuted his two remaining needles into clones. He peered through their eyes and saw from three angles the bright dome of pink light. Each version of him raised his paw, and as the well finally began to pop from bottom to top like a bright bubble, they let loose a torrent of needles into it. 

The psionic blades sang as they flew along the wind, shredding the air itself as they shattered the bubble and pincushioned the charr inside. Five seconds passed before he dropped his paw–his clones dissipated with the last of the blades, and August called, “If you’re gonna counter, I think now’s a good time for it!” Dust obscured his vision, and August realized he had indeed gone a bit overboard when the shifting of sand alerted him to Zerek’s movement. The older charr stepped out of the dust cloud entirely nude, armor shredded except for his helmet, and growled, “No, I think you’ve made your point.”  August whistled appreciatively. The older charr sighed as he pulled off his helmet and situated it to protect his modesty. “What is it that you want from me after so long, Augustus?” August sighed, but kept his smile as he looked at Zerek. “I need your help, I think.”

#horncleaver content #horncleaver fic #Augustus Silverhorn #Zerek Mindrender #gw2 fanfic #gw2 oc #charr #charr oc #gw2 #Zerek belongs to @meeeeeeese

[0carkki0]

Commander’s NPC fans

There are some NPC’s that have actually flirted with the Commander. I think these are the most bold ones. 

Then there are few who have expressed admiration towards the Commander. 

Some of them: 

Thoorne (Quaggan):  CoooOOOooo... Quaggan likes you. Quaggan could hug you all night long. Here, take this key and wait there for quaggan. You won't be sorry. (wink) 

Commander: Um... What? 

Minister Nitalie (human):  I hate parties. Sadly, public appearances are part of a minister's job. 

Commander: They have their merits—the food, for example. 

Minister Nitalie:  And the punch. Have you tried it? Hmm, you're the first decent person I've met here. Say, if you're not busy later... 

Commander: Nope! I'm, uh, busy mingling. With others. All night. 'Bye. 

Soldier points at <Character name>.

Soldier (1): That's the one who took down Zhaitan! Tough as nails.Soldier salutes <Character name>.

Soldier (2): You can count on us, Commander! Soldier cheers for <Character name>.

Soldier (1): Death to Mordremoth!

Peacemaker bows to <Character name>.

Peacemaker: Councillor Phlunt asked that I convey his regards.

Whispers Lightbringer cheers for <Character name>.

Whispers Lightbringer: Nice. The first Commander of the Pact joins us.

Vigil Crusader salutes <Character name>.

Vigil Crusader: It's an honor to fight beside you.

Follower Xunn: Are you—aren't you the Pact Commander? It's a pleasure to meet you! The name's Xunn. Big fan of your work. 

If a charr...

Olmakhan Villager (female): Did you see that outlander? Such strength and ferocity in battle, yet so gentle and kind with our cubs.

Olmakhan Villager (male): And such beautiful eyes...and such a charming laugh...

Olmakhan Villager (female): Get a hold of yourself!

Olmakhan Villager (male): ...and also, those biceps.

Olmakhan Villager (female): Well, I mean. Yes.

Olmakhan Villager (male): Mm-hmm.

Olmakhan Villager (female): Mm-hmm.

Pact Tactician Lana: Oh, wow! It's an honor to meet you Commander. I've heard so much about you! 

Commander: Wait, what?

Pact Tactician Lana: Slayer of dragons...liberator of Elona... I can't wait to tell my friends I met you. Could you sign my sword? 

Commander: Absolutely! 

Snargle Goldclaw: Commander, I have a confession to make. From our very first encounter, I felt something special toward you. You are the protagonist I've been searching for my entire career. You are the champion of love. I'm honored to bestow upon you the first copy of my magnum opus. 

And if you read the book Snargle wrote about the Commander: 

CHAPTER 35

"Don't think I haven't noticed," the Pact commander says as your heart skips a beat, "How you've followed me into danger, over and over. How crucial you were against the Risen, and the Mordrem. You're an invaluable ally."

A pause. You should be flattered, you know. But once again, the meeting <he/she> called was strictly professional. Your heart sinks as the silence stretches on, unable to say what you really want.

But then the commander moves close. "I've also noticed the way you look at me." You can feel <his/her> warmth. "The way you've always looked at me."

"So now," the commander continues, taking your hand, "I'd like to propose...a different pact. A lifelong pact. With you."

Almost on cue, a flock of snow-white seagulls takes flight.

Nozomi: Yao wasn't kidding, you ARE cute! It's nice to finally put a face to all the good gossip. [...] Yao was right about you. You're a keeper. 

Kestrel Ariana: Commander. 

Commander: Funny seeing a Kestrel in a place like this.

Kestrel Ariana: I know my limits. Long as I don't hit them, it's a great way to blow off stream. The things I've seen, well, sometimes I need help forgetting about them for a while. 

Commander: I understand. 

Kestrel Ariana: You need to blow something off too? I could use some company... 

Commander: I, ah, ahem...need to go.

These NPCs are called ‘playersexuals’. They flirt with your Commander no matter what gender or species your Commander is (except the Olmakhan ones, they just don’t care about the gender). X3 

These few npcs, and I like to think that there are more. They just aren’t as gutsy or forward with their thoughts. 

These are always fun to find and read. And I would love the idea if the Commander got an enemy that actually had a crush on them, but wants to deny it. 

Also would be nice to every race get a little admiration from their own kind, pretty much like those Olmakhan charr did the charr Commander. XP 

Vividatt: No pressure! ^^; 

#Guild Wars 2 #GW2 #NPC #None Player Character #Flirt #Commander of the Pact #The Pact Commander #The Commander

[tequatls-favorite-spoon]

blease i can’t decide ;-;

also, feel free to ask about them if u want to know more! i tried to explain some of their vibes but there’s a character limit so i could only say so much lol

oh and i mentioned some gender/sexuality stuff, so here’s some additional ones that didn’t fit! anya is ace, shaya is nonbinary, twerra is gay and also nonbinary? (i tend to use he/they for him but idk what they’d identify as, yknow? plus his bf uses he/they too which i think is cute) eless is demisexual, margot is nonbinary, saki is bi, and tharmel is pan but also probably some flavor of ace or aro (i haven’t figured it out yet lol)

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #vsartparty #my screenshots #ok time for all the character tags oof #seneca jackalstorm #jayrim beastcharmer #eless scrapguard #margot inkclaw #saki hayashi #anya conifer #ecologist twerra #tharmel yvet #tharmel stormquake #i’ll changer her name eventually #deserter shaya #this was surprisingly a lot of work lol #ok i gotta get back to painting my final!! #long post #i think this needs that tag lol

[quintiliusheartripper]

Fregion eyes quint with doubt. '38 huh. It somehow feels like I'm the oldest charr alive.' He harrumphs.

Quint laughs and runs his paws through his mane, a few glints of silver already in the sea of black silky mane “My dame would be older than you but thats what happens when you don’t retire and settle down” he smiles. “You don’t look your age though, Fregion” he winks

[sebsallowslytherin]

Leander told me to tell you........

He is waiting for round 2 in Crosswands! and that this time he will 'charr your arse to the ground'

See ya! *wink*

He is aware he almost got crushed by a 'falling' skull and didn't stop crowing on about it for weeks straight, isn't he? Does he really want to have another excuse to dither on about how Slytherins 'don't fight fairly'?

Far be it from me to stop him getting his arse kicked, but I hope the poor bloke knows what he's getting into.

Looking forward to seeing him 'char' me when he can't even hold a decent Protego,

S.S.

#Anonymous #regarding Leander #sebastian rp #sebastian talks

[khorren]

have 1, 4, 5, and 8 from the gw2 human asks for whoever you want! :) @kerra-and-company

Thank you for the ask. Smooch. <3

Counted my humans (excluding Nat, Cosima, and Xunlai) at 11 and did a RNG number picker based off my character page and got 6. So that's….. Ruby! Haha oh god she's lived for yaknow, 300ish years so we've got a lot to unpack here!

1) How do they feel about charr? Big Feelings (tm) to say the least. So Ruby was involved in the GW1 storyline. She grew up in the middle of nowhere off in the Tarnished Coast with her witchy mama and her sister, Kiz. When the White Mantle were poking around looking for Bloodstones Ruby and Kiz went off to Lion's Arch to look for people to come help chase off the Mantle, only to run into the Ascalonian group. Realising they're half-related (same dad) the sisters joined the cause. Knowing their step-family were chased out of their homes by Charr they took a strong dislike to the beasts. Once the events of Prophecies was over, Kiz along with one of the Ascalonian lot, Cea, went back to Ascalon to help getting more people out of Ascalon and safely into the settlements in Kryta. Except the pair of them died to charr attacks. Ruby found out and was just absolutely devestated. Years passed and she still had a lot of hatred for the charr, even when the Ebonhawke Treaty was signed (which her daughter played a part in) she will not trust them and is very uneasy around them. There's about 4 charr in the whole world that she will be near / listen to and even then she is very very suspicious of them and cagey around them. She'd much rather they be rugs on her floors.

2) do they have any strong ties with their heritage? Her mother was into the Aggression and Denial schools of magic. So magic heritage is more her thing than cultural/family. While magic isn't considered these ways anymore, that's a lot of what Ruby picked up on, so her magic isn't strictly "Necromancer". Pressure, punishment, snaring, and shutdown she learned from her mother and prefers that over things like creating minions. The Ascalonian kids have much more of a connection to their heritage, but since Ruby was sort of just this weird jungle kid during her youth she didn't know much outside of her mother. Which is amusing as she became the de facto Fae Family genealogy expert, keeping track of hundreds of blood relatives after GW1 timeline stuff.

5) describe their childhood. So Ruby, Kiz and their mama lived in the Tarnished Coast keeping very much to themselves for the most part. An annual trip to Lion's Arch for seeds, grains, other stuff to grow, then back to the jungle. Their lives were simple and it was mostly magic training, survival training that sort of thing. Mama knew she'd be sending their kids off an adventure one day so she wanted to train them well. They knew from an early age who their father was and they met him once or twice, purely by luck, when he was passing through Lion's Arch (he was a traveling merchant and would dock in every port IYKWIM wink). Kiz thinks she met Zoe once, but she may have just been lying about that. But still, it helped the Tarnished Coast kids connect to the Ascalonian kids.

8) do you have an in-game location for their “home?” Yes! Ruby has two places and they're both in Divinity's Reach. She has a big fancy house in Rurikton, where she puts on the graces of a noble. I think it was this house, though it has a much more impressive front door (this house seriously has like one side door to it. wtf lol).

People generally think she's just some fancy noble with a lot of knowledge about human history and an interest in the Flameseeker Prophecies. A lot of people claim to have ancestors who were the heroes, but Ruby was yaknow, actually there. Still, she'll humour them and smile and go "Oh me too…."

Then she has a place in the East Commons where she actually keeps all her shit from the past 300 or so years.

Quiet little place, the nearby NPC "Alleyway lurker" is one of her people who just watches over the place and reports any suspicious activity. But on the inside it's a cozy little place, if a little run down. The hidden basement is just full of stuff about the family and human history. She'll make a copy of something and give it to the Priory once in a while to keep them sweet. But there's a lot of stuff down there relating to Ascalon, Kryta, Orr, Tarnished Coast, also a lot of information about the Charr, the legions, the Khan-Ur. Know your enemy and all that jazz.

#asks #ruby #gw2 #character babbles #guild wars 2

[assortedasurathings]

SOTO stuff : Alli And the Ward

Stuff under break :

" So the Ascension " " Wouldn't work on me either.. because you can't See me using the spell " She sighs , still within the confines of the arcanic barrier. . even having eroded the stone beneath it into nothingness, it still held. These wizards had some tricks.. Even for someone who accidentally stumbled in. But that accident had been the problem. The wards couldn't see her to trigger... The defenses didn't recognize her presence.. and the one guard on duty relied on Mists Sight.. which also meant to them she was- " So what the fuck do we do with you ? " The Charr had interrupted her thoughts, gruffly insisting that his question take priority. " You can ... Let me go ? " She offers, giving a smirk and an exaggerated wink.. with the one eye she had to overdo it, or risk being mistaken for blinking at an inopportune time. " I'm afraid that would compromise us in a way that's unacceptable. " The human at the back of the room noted, finally standing up. " Oh.. so you're done pretending to be asleep? " Maybe quipping at these people was a bad id- " Quite so .. And given your.. curious properties.. I can't risk letting a factor like you out into the wild.. You'd blow our cover.. or worse, utilize your .. pact with whatever damnable force evades my sight to- " " No, no pact, we've been over this four times now, I - " " Keep interrupting Me, yes.. I'm well aware of this.. situation . Death and revival and all manner of horrendous mists mishaps. None of which I believe because of the simple fact that - " " You'd have seen it, right.. save for the fact that- " " I can't see you, which means by transient property, the thing you were thrown into is /also/ obscured. but the sheer scale of thing you're claiming exists is - " " One of the smaller Dwellers, if you're curious. You probably saw- " " Ith'an Y'ssa , Yes.. I saw it's brief contact with Tyria.. " " And you didn't think to lend a hand to That priory team? " " It was unwarranted." " By sheer luck. don't get me wrong.. Magister Stone is good in a fight.. Miss Kim is too by the sound of things, But They were fighting something that devours Planes entirely . you could have at least zapped it from afar . " " .. Enough of this! I will not be disrespected in my own home.. Mabon already blabbers about using your talents to aid us.. but how can I know I can trust you ? " " Maybe because I haven't mentioned the cracks in the veil i've been seeing everywhere? " " .. Paltry .. Anyone would want to maintain the calm on Tyria. " " Then we're at an impasse. As long as I have something to look at I won't starve here.. Too close to the mists. " " Is that what you call the damage you've wrought upon my floor? Looking? " " In a sense.. to see is to know and to know d- " " No, none of that, I know how the mists work, my lifespan has stretched centuries , millennia even, beyond yours. I do not need 'Reminders' Of basic aplanar logic" " .. So that means .." " Yes. . . You're staying another night.. Get comfortable."

#Alli #SOTO #Gw2 SOTO #isgarren #Mabon #Astral Ward #Wizards #Guild wars 2 asura #Dwellers

[commodorefluffypawz]

Asura: Burning Bright (Short Story + Pictures)

Written by my friend Magus and illustrated by Me :)

CHAPTER 1

“Please not again!” Magus exclaimed loudly, waking some of the other scholars from their midday naps. He had been arguing with Steward Gixx over his new assignment for over an hour, and was getting nowhere. Why did the old Poobah have to be so stubborn?

“You should be less like Magister Sieran.” Gixx replied for probably the one-hundredth time. “You shouldn't complain about your duties, especially when they are this important.”

The problem was, Gixx always said the missions were important. The last assignment had been to participate in and study the Ash Legion during stealth operations; which sounded great until Magus arrived and realized that not only were they only drills but they also had nothing to do with Dragons. He had spent a whole week mucking about on Tawny Ridge before the Charr had packed it in, and he went back to the Priory covered in mud and never wanting to go camping ever again. Gixx had called it a learning experience but the only thing Magus had learned was how to be more sneaky while pulling pranks around the Priory.

This time the Steward was sending him off to Thaumanova in Metrica Province, an asuran power reactor that had been sabotaged by the Inquest a few years ago. The resulting explosion had created transdimensional fallout, which was why the site was now shut down and given restricted access. Magus was excited until he remembered the asurans never made anything exciting off limits. 

He stood up in his chair resignedly, sighed loudly for Gixx’s benefit and jumped down to the floor. “Alright Steward, have it your way. But my next mission had better be a real adventure! One with plenty of action and danger!” He made his way over to the heavy oak door of Gixx’s office, pulled it open and strode through.

“Be careful what you wish for, Novice. With Zhaitan waking, all the world will be in danger soon enough.” Gixx closed the heavy tome on his desk, a logbook documenting all ongoing Priory excursions. “Oh, and, Novice?” He yelled loudly.

“Yes, Steward?” Magus answered, poking his head back through the doorway.

“Please try to behave this time. No gallivanting off to more exciting missions, no pranks, and above all - no explosions!” 

“No promises!” Magus winked and hurriedly shut the door.

The steps down from the lofty heights of the Durmand Priory were treacherous and iced over year round, but as always proved to be no problem for his tiny asuran feet. The real problem was the cold. The genetics of a cave dweller and growing up in the humid jungles of Maguuma had done nothing to prepare him for the frigid heights of the Shiverpeaks. The Norns of the Priory had told him that this was nothing compared to the true north - and he pulled his collar up tighter just thinking about it - but Magus didn’t think he would ever get used to the piercing cold and biting wind. And I Don’t Want To. 

He thought back to the version of himself that had stepped out of a portal for a fight to the death just a few months ago, and shivered all the harder, though this time not from the cold. While lost in thoughts about his own personal demons, his feet took him through the cave to Lion’s Arch, and from there to the portal plaza where he stepped casually through an asura gate to Rata Sum.

Home. Even the air smelled cleaner here. And that wasn’t just Magus being nostalgic, it was literally cleaner due to both the asurans rejecting all creations that failed to pass certain thresholds on pollution, and not keeping livestock of any kind. The air outside the priory was clean, but it was a cold clean that burned your nose on deep breaths, and still smelled faintly of dolyak.

He turned and walked through yet another asura gate and began his hike towards Thaumanova on the far side of Metrica Province. Asura gates were the only way in and out of the floating city of Rata Sum (or the only safe way at least), and it was the only reason the city was still standing. Metrica Province always looked like an amalgamation of a state of the art research site and a battleground, as skirmishes between Rata Sum asurans and the Inquest continued. Outsiders would assume that a conflict between the colleges would be short lived with three on one side and one on the other, but the issue was that the Inquest had no regard for safety or ethics in their research and as such progressed much faster than the other three colleges combined. Leaving Rata Sum on foot alone was risky these days, as it was very easy to be caught unaware in the wilderness by a member of the Inquest who had no qualms with killing another asura, or an Inquest experiment gone awry. Magus hoped he would bump into the latter. As a practiced elementalist he could handle whatever threats existed in the region, but a rogue Inquest experiment was likely to be the only excitement he would have on this otherwise routine mission. Chapter 1 <--- Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

#gw2 #Guild Wars 2 #asura #magus #short story

[padayon-puhon]

my weakness: T-SHIRT. i am browsing Shein and the T-shirts are winking at me huhu they all look cute, they are tempting me. i am more of a T-SHIRT GIRL than a dress girl. so when my friends and officemates see me wearing dress, they tell me that i am a girl on that day or where is the binyag or debut. what more if i wear sexy dress charr haha

#el

[darkblitz3]

Oc interview: Tratk

Tumblr i absolutely hate you, getting tagged and not getting the notifcation even after over a month sucks. Anyway! prooobably playing around 1332AE? Its were the roleplays with him take place most commonly. Anyway, have fun i guess!

INTRODUCTION:

1) Can you introduce yourself?

Tratk pondered for a moment while he crossed his arms behind his head, leaning back in the process. His eyes closed. "Sure. Im Tratk. An asuran tempest, rebbelious, strangely handsome liberator"

2) What is your gender identity, orientation and relationship status? "Male, of course" Tratk didnt miss a beat to answer that, but hesitated at the second question. His face strained a little in irritation and his headed tilted to the side" "Orientation?...like navigation? i dont know, the nightsky? maps?? weird question but ok. And for that last one, i do have a boyfriend; Saxx"

3) Where and when were you born? Tratk just looked at the scenery before him. the rushing waterfalls and the rivers down below the cliff side. "No clue! next question"

4) What is your weapon of choice and fighting style? His ears perked with interest. Finally a question he can get into! Sitting down, tratk closed his eyes with a little grin. "I have a scepter and warhorn, like any good tempest should! I have a dagger stashed under my clothes too. But that'll be our little secret." Tratk winked at his strange company "Overcharging is unnessesary if you ask me, and uncomfortable too. But its nice to know how to do it if it comes down to it. I typically summon storms and elementals if needed. Air is my favorite element, but i work with fire a lot too. Water is..ok. Im not good at it, but i can handle it well enough to heal myself. And earth?....lets not talk about that" 5) Lastly, are you happy? Tratk was amusingly confused for a moment. "...yes??" He was starting to look a little nervous with this question, but sticked to his answer.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

1) Whats your family like? What is your relationship with them? Again, tratk was quite irritated at the questions. Opening his eyes, he stares at a nearby tree. "People talk to their families? No idea where mine is. I guess i was adopted by charrs for a short while, if that counts. They were kinda cool but really infuriating at the same time. I dont talk to them anymore." 2) Have you ever ran away from home? "sweetheart, home is where ever you want it to be. you cant run from it. No, i did not." 3) Would you concider marriage or having children? Tratk nearly choked on nothing. Blushing quite badly he stares at his company with eyes the size of dinner plates. "WHAT? i- uh. n-never thought of it before?? S-saxx cant have kids, h-hes a dude..n-no im not answering t-that marria-ge part! stop looking at me, next question!" 4) Do you secretely hate one of your friends? "...how can you hate your friends? they wouldnt be your friends anymore. No i dont" 5) Which friends know everaything about you? "Oh, probably saxx. I get the feeling Canach knows more than he lets on, but he is my best friend right after Saxx"

CHOICES:

1) Drink or food? "uh...food? the hell?" 2) Cats or Dogs? "Cats, but only if you give me a Lion" 3) Optimist or pessimist? "uhhh...didnt pay attention to that, gimmi a sec." Tratk turned towards the tent and began to shout when he saw the light was still on in there. "Hey Saxx! am optimistic or pessimistic??" "You arent either i think!" 4) Sassy or sarcastic? "can i pick both?"

HAVE YOU EVER:

1) Been cought sneaking out? Tratk thought about it for a moment, while rubbing the back of his head. "I guess there was this one time a friend from the order of whispers noticed, but usually no one knows when im missing. I think" 2) Broke a bone? He awkwardly laughed to himself. "Probably more times than im willing to say outloud" 3) Received flowers? "Sometimes, when Saxx is being kinda sappy..Just dont tell him i kept them, i'd never hear the end of it." 4) Ghosted someone? "uh...no?" He didnt want to admit it, but he had absolutely no idea what that question even ment. 5) Pretended to laugh at a joke you didnt get? "ok lets be honest, who hasnt?" He had a feeling all of their questions were answered, so he stood up, not even bothering to brush off the dust and sand from his clothes. Tratk was heading back to his tent to rest for the night.

TAGGING:

Uuuuh...lets see..@gqyass ! I kinda wanna know more about Hiccup if you dont mind! Known Blue2Cup for only a few days but if anything happened to them i'd jump out the window like Kris.

#gw2 oc #guild wars 2 oc #oc #oc interview #tratk #my oc #gw2 oc interview

[brax-was-here]

Scarlet Briar: Little Wintersday

Written by: Braxxus

Myo cooed softly as the falling snowflakes danced around her outstretched hands. Divinity’s Reach was in full Wintersday splendor as Faeyin carried the child in a carrier on her chest. Faeyin loved children, and Myo was no exception, especially because of where she came from. Faeyin smiled brightly hearing Myo’s voice, her heart brimming with excitement.

“We’ll be at the festival before too long, little one.” Faeyin said proudly as she made her way through the crowded snow-covered street. “You are going to-AAHHH!!” She winced as Myo grabbed a piece of her foilage and yanked

“Ok…ok…ah…let go…” Faeyin gently peeled Myo’s tiny fingers away. “We don’t do that.” she said quietly as she gently held onto Myo’s tiny hand. Myo reached up with her other hand, which Faeyin also grabbed gently.

“Let’s sing!” Faeyin said playfully. “Winterday is here! Everyone is filled with cheer!” she sang as she playfully rocked Myo’s hands gently back and forth.

“Ah, we need to make a quick stop before we go to the festival!” Faeyin said as they passed through the gates to the Salma District. Faeyin hummed a tune as she continued to hold onto Myo’s hands.

The children of the orphanage played in the snow as the priestess watched over them. She noticed Faeyin approaching  and walked to the fence to greet the approaching sylvari.

“Oh…Faeyin…is that..is that her?” The priestess gasped noticing Myo.

“Indeed, it is.” Faeyin smiled at her.

“She’s precious. May I?”

Faeyin smiled as the priestess pulled Myo out of the carrier.

“By the gods.” The priestess muttered as she brought Myo close. “She is amazing.” She looked at Faeyin, who was smiling brightly. “And no one knows how?”

“Not one. Not the Pale Tree. Even her brainiac mother doesn’t know what could have allowed it to happen.”

“And her mother? How is she?”

“She is well. She asked me to watch over Myo for the afternoon while she and Amaranda took care of some things.”

“Ever so busy.” The priestess turned back to Myo. “Look at you.” She said to Myo as she gently bounced her on her arm. Myo turned to her, looking at her face, then turned back to Faeyin, cooing happily.

“Just think. Of all the people, Scarlet Briar-“

“Ceara.” Faeyin interrupted. The priestess glanced at her. “Her name is Ceara.”

“Ceara.” The priestess repeated, looking back at Myo, who laughed. “You mother is very special, little lady. Everything that she endured…and now…you. You arrived into this world.” She gently placed Myo back in the carrier. Faeyin reached into a satchel and handed a pouch to the priestess.

“For the children.” She smiled.

“May Dwayna bless you.” The priestess said as she looked into the pouch full of gold and silver coins.

“Well, are you ready to go to the festival?” Faeyin asked quietly over Myo’s shoulder, who squealed in Faeyin’s ear. She winced as she looked at the priestess, a smile on her face. The priestess smiled back, waving as Faeyin turned to leave.

Strolling back to the main street that circled the palace, she spied a familiar street vendor.

“How about some warm cocoa?” she asked to Myo, who cooed and laughed. “I assume that a yes!” Faeyin smiled. She wandered over to the vendor.

“A warm cocoa please. Not too hot. But just right for this young one.”

“Of course, ma’am.” The vendor smiled at her. He filled a small cup and handed it to Faeyin with a small straw and napkin. In return, Faeyin placed some coins on the vender’s counter.

“Thank you.”

“And thank you. Happy Wintersday and stay warm.” The vender replied. Faeyin turned and looked for a clear place to sit down. She spied a bench under a small overhang not far away. Brushing the small bit of snow from it, she unhooked the carrier and set her small passenger down. Sitting down next to Myo, she placed the straw in the drink and held it in front of her. Myo grabbed it with both hands and started drinking. Faeyin giggled as she wiped some cocoa that drooled down Myo’s chin. Faeyin watched the citizens walking the street, focusing on a group that was laughing and talking.

“Look at all of them. Celebrating their lives. For just a moment, they forget the worries placed upon them. If only every day could be this festive.” She looked at Myo as the slurping sounds from the cup indicating that she had finished her drink.

“Ok! Time to go!” Faeyin took the cup away and wiped Myo’s face again. Strapping her small passenger to her chest once again, the duo continued towards the Crown Pavilion. Slowly, the giant Infinitarium of the asuran toy maker Tixx came into view and the sounds of the festival started to fill the air.

“There it is!” Faeyin quipped excitedly. She could hear Myo cooing. “I know! It’s gigantic!” she smiled. They reached the stairs that descended into the festival area. Faeyin looked over the large crowd of people gathered in the area.

“Here we go!” Down the stairs they went into the Pavilion. “Where shall we go first? Oh! I know!”

“Happy Wintersday!” Toymaker Tixx said as he handed a gift-wrapped present to a charr and her cub near the center of the Pavilion. He turned to see Faeyin approaching.

“Well, you’re just brimming with cheer, aren’t you!” he quipped. He reached into his small bag.

“Hold, toymaker.” Faeyin spoke. “I need not a present this day, but one for this child.” She unhooked the carrier and placed it on the ground in front of him, kneeling next to Myo.

“Oh, of course…” Tixx paused. His trademark smile giving away to a look of surprise when he set his eyes upon Myo’s bright eyes staring back at him. “By the eternal alchemy…is that?”

“It is.”

Tixx slowly placed the back of his fingers gently against Myo’s cheek before looking at Faeyin. “She’s…she’s a hybrid? A sylvari and a human?”

“Indeed.” Faeyin smiled.

“I had heard the rumor that one had been born and hoped that I would have a chance to meet her.” He smiled. “Well, little lady, I have just the perfect gift for you.” He reached into the small bag and fidgeted around, his tongue playfully sticking out of his mouth.

“Ah, here it is.” He pulled out a small gift wrapped present and handed it to Myo who was fixated on Tixx. She grabbed it and held it close.

“Thank you, toymaker.”

“One other thing…” he motioned his head for Faeyin to lean closer. “You have some fans.” He whispered.

“What?” Faeyin replied quietly.

“Some particular asura seem to be interested in you and your ward here. They are IN the pavilion on some sort of QUEST.” He winked at her.

“I see. Thank you for your generosity!” She stood strapping Myo to her chest once again and placed the gift in her satchel.

Happy Wintersday!” he replied, waving to them as they walked away.

“So, the Inquest are here after you, huh?” Faeyin spoke quietly as reached up and held onto Myo’s tiny feet. “Then let us give them a Wintersday they will never forget. Where shall we go next, princess?” Myo cooed and kicked her feet as she reached for the falling snowflakes.

“Ah, the bell choir!? An excellent choice!” Faeyin grabbed Myo’s feet and started rocking them up and down. “Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!” she said playfully as they walked merrily through the pavilion.

“Step up and test your musical prowess!” a sylvari in noble krytan garb announced as Faeyin approached.

“I’d like to try!” excitement overflowing in Faeyin’s voice. He stepped aside and gestured towards a portal.

“This will take you to the stage area in the Infinitarium. Please enjoy!” he smiled warmly. Faeyin stepped through the portal and found herself standing in a snow-covered area. Looking overhead she could see the giant framework of the Tixx’s airship. Myo laughed and clapped her hands together at the site. Faeyin looked down and at her, brushing her foilage, before looking over the stage area. Four circular wooden stages were set up, each guarded by a snow elemental in the appearance of a playful snowman.

“Grab some bells and enter a stage!” one snowman said, gesturing to a nearby rack of brass bells with wooden handles. Faeyin grabbed a set and walked onto one of the stages. She noticed two shady looking asura entered in behind her. She smiled at them as she took her place.

“Now we’ll start. Try to keep up!” a voice came over the speakers built around the stage. A slight hum filled the stage as music started playing. Faeyin rang her bells in tune to the music. She glanced over her shoulder to see one of the asura activating a device attached to one of his bells. He turned to point the bell at her.

“Heh” she quipped as she spun in place, playing a flourish with her bells, knocking the asura’s bell away out of his hand and tripping him in one swift movement, causing him to fall to the stage.

“Disqualified!” the voice announced over the speakers.

“What? No!” the asura shouted as he was enveloped in bright light and teleported out of the stage area.

“Pathetic.” She heard the other asura mutter as they finished out the bell game.

“Well, we didn’t win…eh, we kinda won.” She said as she placed the bells back on the rack. Myo was focused on the snowman, a bright smile on her face. Faeyin walked back through the portal along with various other patrons that participated in the choir game.

“Well, what shall we do next?” she asked Myo as they walked away through the crowded pavilion. Myo bounced in her harness, reaching out to a nearby food vendor.

“Ah, ok. Time to eat. Then we’ll visit Winter Wonderland. How’s that sound?” Faeyin asked as they made their way the small booth, the smell of cooked vegetables and beef filled the air. Reaching the counter, they saw an asura busily slicing vegetables, and a dark skinned sylvari worked feverishly at the grill. He looked up and smiled at Faeyin.

“Customer.” He said as he banged one of utensils against the side of the grill. A human woman appeared from behind a stack of boxes.

“Yes, can I…oh my goodness!” She looked at Myo. “Aren’t you the cutest little thing!” She reached out and gently pinched Myo’s cheek. Myo giggled a bit before turning to try to hide her face.

“What can I do for you?”

“Something for the little princess here.” Faeyin said calmly.

“Ah we have just the thing!” She turned and grabbed a bowl from a nearby shelf. It was full of warm vegetables and thin slices of meat.

“That’s perfect.” Faeyin smiled as she set some coins down on the countertop.

“Thank you and enjoy.” The woman replied. Faeyin took the bowl and found a low wall to sit on. Uncovering the bowl, the aroma of the meal filled the air. She carefully plucked a small bit of potato from the bowl and held it in front of Myo. The little girl grabbed it and stuffed it in her mouth, smashing half of it against her cheek. Faeyin laughed.

“Ok, your mother needs to improve your eating skills.” Myo giggled as Faeyin held another bit of food in front of her. Faeyin’s thoughts drifted for a moment, her smile fading as she watched Myo eat.

“Your mother. How lucky she is. The only one of us somehow gifted with the ability to bear a child. If only the rest of us could be so lucky. If only we had a chance to be children.” She sighed as she tore a small bit of the beef and handed it to Myo. Chewing on the larger piece, Faeyin noticed two asura standing nearby. One brandishing a small staff with some kind of gadget attached to it.

“They don’t give up, do they?” Tixx said to himself after handing a gift to a young human child, noticing the same asura nearby. He turned and pressed a small switch on a nearby floating golem. “We have a couple asuran troublemakers in the festival area. If they board the Infinitarium again, make sure they have the time of their lives.”

“Will do!” a female voice said on the speaker.

“Happy Wintersday!” he said to the next person that walked up to him.

Faeyin and Myo finished off their meal. Myo fidgeted as Faeyin tried to wipe her face, which was covered in vegetable bits.

“Alright, let’s go have some fun!” Faeyin tossed the bowl into a nearby waste bin and proceeded to the stairway of giant floating mints that would take them to another portal. Stepping through, they found themselves on a platform overlooking a large pit of holographic projections of giant floating snowflakes, giant floating mint candies, and an ice-covered cliff wall creating a wintersday scene within another part of the Infinitarium.

“Since we have an entourage, let’s take the more difficult path through, shall we?” she asked Myo. Myo clapped her hands together and giggled, focusing on the giant snowflakes hovering in the air. Faeyin made her way across the candy cane bridge to another platform. She waited for the closest snowflake to reappear before jumping on it. Jump after jump, she bounded along the pathway, keeping an eye out for her followers. She could only see one of the asura behind her along the path.

“Hmm…either his partner is stealthed, or he’s waiting outside.” She muttered as she jumped along the route. She made it to path that took her to the cliff wall, giant balls of snow and ice lumbered along the path in front of her.

“Seems Tixx still has his rat problem.” She quipped noticing a group of skritt nearby on a ledge. “I can use that to my advantage.” She ran along the ledge, dodging past a giant snowball that lumbered by. She paused on a giant mint looking over her shoulder. The asura dodged the ice ball as well, raising a small pistol like device towards her. Faeyin looked up and watched a projectile fly through the sky from the skritt on the far ledge. It hit the ground by the asura, knocking him to a lower ridge.

“Gah!” He growled as he got to his feet.

“Hey!” Faeyin shouted down to him. He looked up at her to see her pointing playfully behind him. He turned just as a lumbering ice ball rolled over him, knocking him off into the pit. She watched as he disappeared in a flash of light. Smiling brightly she continued up the ridge, jumping into the giant present shaped portal at the end. The portal took her to a large platform where numuous other event attendees were gathered, opening gifts they had won for completing the trek. Faeyin took her present and jumped through the waiting portal that would take them back to the pavilion.

“Well, that was fun!” she said. She spied a set of multicolored flashing lights in the distance. Navigating through the crowd she found a small asuran golem floating in the air, ringing a small brass bell in its claw hand.

“Please-donate-so-the-children-will-not-have-to-eat-other.” Its electronic voice spoke. Faeyin closed her eyes as she tried to stifle a bit of laughter at the golem’s comment. She opened a small pouch and checked the number of coins inside.

“Five gold for you.” She said, setting the pouch inside the golem’s bag.

“Because-of-you-the-children-will-not-have-to-burn-their-clothes-to-keep-warm. Thank-you.” It replied. Faeyin snorted a laugh as she turned away from the golem.

“I shouldn’t laugh. She muttered, “but I was not expecting comments such as that.” They started back towards where the main area of the festival where Tixx was handing out gifts.

“Let’s check out main part of the airship, shall we?’ Myo bounced in her carrier, cooing playfully. They approached a large portal near Tixx, who winked at her as they passed through. They found themselves in the main control room of the giant airship, overlooking a large area covered in a giant hologram projected to resemble the five local capital cities and their surrounding areas.

“Well, where do we start?” Faeyin noticed the staff wielding asura appearing next to her. She smiled widely before heading down the stairs and running out into the field. It didn’t take long for the whole field to erupt into a mass of fighting and destruction as various holographic toys from Tixx’s giant machine appeared and attacked. Faeyin smiled the whole time as she heard Myo laughing and cooing. She constantly kept her distance from the shady looking asura during the entire ordeal until the very end.

“Whew! That was exhausting!” she exclaimed turning to the exit. She paused as the asura was standing not far in her way.

“Give us the child…and no one gets hurt.” he pointed the staff at her.

“Alert! Alert!” an electronic voice came over the loudspeaker. A giant golem came crashing into ground the next to them. They covered their faces from the flying dust and debris.

“What is this!?” the asura said, waving the dust from in front of his face.

“You are in violation of code 3.1419.” The golem raised its arm to him.

“What!?” he yelled as he disappeared in a display of light. Standing, the golem marched towards the far end of the field.

“Well, I guess that’s that!” Faeyin quipped. “Time to go!” They exited the giant airship once again back into the pavilion.

“Oh!” Faeyin noticed a familiar duo descending the stairs into the festival area.

“What have you done to my child?” Ceara asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Looks like she’s had a very busy day.” Amaranda said, a slight smile on her face. Faeyin looked down and found Myo sound asleep in the harness.

“Well, she was a very busy princess today. She told me what events she wanted to participate in, and what food to eat and drink. Who am I to deny her wishes?” Faeyin said playfully as she unhooked the harness and handed the child to her mother. Ceara strapped the harness to her body as Amaranda chuckled to herself.

“What are you laughing at?” Ceara asked snidely.

Amaranda shook her head. “Your wyld hunt.”

“Shut it.” Ceara snapped at her. “It was not.”

“Well, I suggest the three of us get a bite to eat. I know a very nice little place nearby that would be perfect for napping princesses.” Faeyin suggested. A nod of agreement as the trio started back up the stairs leaving the Wintersday festival.

Fin.

#Guild Wars 2 #GW2 #Wintersday #Sylvari #Scarlet Briar #Myo Briar #Future Tyria #Tixx #tyrias-library #gw2 fanfiction

[whiskeyworen]

Cyrus - Caveat Venditor

Cyrus and Alice stood at the bottom of the Tribune's Walk in the Blood Citadel, patiently waiting. They had an appointment, but it seemed that the appointment had been delayed slightly; apparently a good amount of the Dragon's Watch guild had shown up to talk to their contact.

He rubbed his nose, thinking about that particular guild. It was made up of all the Commanders from the Pact. Or were they former Commanders? Did they even work with the Pact anymore, or were they free agents now? Heck, had they ever been in the command structure to begin with? He'd heard some rather remarkable and terrifying things about that group.

It's not every day you pass in the hall with half a dozen of the most powerful people in Tyria.

A small yawn drew his attention, and he glanced over at Alice, who demurely covered her mouth. At his raised eyebrow, she shrugged and chuckled. "....it is a bit boring being here."

"I suppose." He admitted. Glancing around, he caught one of the nearby guards staring at him. "....Problem, Centurion?"

The guard said nothing, but tensed a bit. Both of them could see his fingers flex, the sharp claws at the ends of the gauntlets singing as they brushed each other. "....Just wondering why the Imperator wants to see a pair of humans."

There was a breathless pause, before Cyrus replied. "For one, it might be above your pay grade Centurion. Don't you think?"

It was clear the charr didn't like to hear that, as those slowly flexing claws began to form a fist. Alice picked up the slack and added "We're merely part of a merchant guild. Perhaps the Imperator wishes to order some specific personal goods? Ones that are...off the record?"

Her tone of voice implied several things, the most important being What the Imperator wants the Imperator gets, and you will not question further. The Centurion seemed to pick up on that, as he made a dismissive huff and turned away, keeping his back to them.

"....Pleasant fellow." Alice remarked, rubbing her chin. She shot Cyrus a glance and winked. He could only chuckle silently. Alice was very very good at sarcasm these days. It was... actually relaxing for him. There was a kinship of thought there.

Before Cyrus could say anything though, whether a joke or anything else, the enormous iron doors swung open, disgorging a rather large group of people. Stomping ahead in a grumbly glower was Tribune Brimstone, followed closely some of the Commanders. As in, 'Commanders of the Pact', Commanders.

Commanders of Dragon's Watch, Commanders.

Of the Commanders trying to keep pace with Rytlock, a couple seemed to be trying to calm the charr Tribune down. All the others seemed to be either deep in thought, or had a resigned, long-suffering look on their faces. At least... on the faces he could see.

That was the thing about the Commanders; except for the newest ones to join, most of the old-blood Commanders -- the ones from the Zhaitan war -- were incredibly hard to describe. They had tremendous presence, a literal aura of power that made you want to step back and stay out of their way (unless you were stupid), but they were otherwise non-descript. Most of them wore helms or masks that hid their true features, but it was rumored that there was at least two or three Commanders from each major race.

One of the newest Commanders was a recruit named Duncan, a man the others had encountered during the hunt for Balthazar. He was Elonian-born, and still looked out of place among his guild; his desert garb and casualness seemed at odd with the others.

It was Duncan who paused for a moment as the others passed, and looked over to Cyrus and Alice. He gave a bit of a tired shrug, and thumbed up at the open doors at the top of the walk. "....Looks like he's all yours. Might wanna be careful though; that Bangar seems to be in a bit of a rotten mood."

"Much obliged. We'll walk carefully." Cyrus nodded respectfully. "Not to be forward, but I hope in the future I can do business with or help Dragon's Watch, in some way."

Duncan blinked, surprised. "Oh!... Well, we normally get stuff from the Pact but... I'll mention it to the others.  When things calm down." He looked them both over, frowning. "...Do I know you from somewhere?"

Alice answered for Cyrus, saving him from having to make an excuse. "We regularly deliver materials to the Vigil, and to Lion's Arch. You may have run into us there? We're usually docked at Dock 43. We have a few contacts among the Orders, so..."

The Elonian Commander crossed his arms, still mulling their appearances over. "... Hey, were you also involved in our assault on Kourna? And when we took down Kralk?"

"We were. Most of my team was on the ground in both cases, though I was on my ship during Kourna." Cyrus frowned at the memory. "I couldn't go fight on the ground because of being human. So all I could do was fire on plague ships along with the pirates."

"Well, those efforts were appreciated, my friend." Duncan slapped his shoulder in camaraderie. "I'll definitely mention it to the others. But you better hurry before Bangar gets all pissy."

With that, he said his goodbyes and ran off to catch up with the rest of his guild, while Cyrus and Alice started to walk up the Walk.

"...He was a nice guy, for a Commander!" Alice mused.

"Yeah. He didn't have that same aura of 'stand back' that that Norn in his guild did."

"He was also pretty cute..."

"Alice.... please don't hit on the Commanders..."

At the top of the long iron ramp, they stepped into the Blood Imperator's personal office. A broad view of Grothmar Valley, and all its emplacements was easily viewable from that office. It was the perfect place for an Imperator to command his troops.

Bangar wasn't alone in his office, of course. There was a pale-furred charr there as well, but Cyrus had no idea who she was, nor any interest. Instead, his eyes were on the back of the proud-looking, heavily armored Charr standing before the porthole windows.

Neither he nor Alice announced themselves, nor did Bangar turn around to greet them. Instead, after a few tense moments, the pale charr coughed into her hand, before making an introduction. "Imperator Bangar Ruinbringer, the representatives of the materials guild have arrived."

"Thank you Crecia." The Imperator replied courteously, before turning around. He seemed about to greet them, but his eyes narrowed slightly as saw who was standing there. "...I apologize; I was of the understanding that you had a charr team member. I naturally assumed you would have sent them instead to treat with me."

"We do have a charr on staff. But she is..." Cyrus paused, looking for a term. "Persona non grata in her Legion. A Legion who's Imperator is also present, and down on the fields right now."

"Oh?" Bangar seemed amused. "This is a problem?"

Alice nodded. "She is of Iron Legion. I'm sure you're well aware of Iron Legion protocols for those who leave disgracefully."

"Ah yes, I can see the issue." He chuckled darkly, eyes never leaving them. "Hmmm... So Smodur isn't fond of her then?"

"Iron Legion Protocol." Cyrus replied flatly. "No weakness in Iron. And those Smodur deems weak are defects in the Iron. You make Iron stronger by stripping out the defects."

"That does certainly sound like my old...friend." Bangar chuckled ruefully, prowling out from around the desk. Both visitors noticed how proud, and sure-stepped his gait was. He could have cleared the desk in a few swift steps, but he took his time, paws clasped behind his back. "I wonder how many loyal warriors he's put to the sword, all because they disagreed with his tactics?"

Cyrus offered a dismissive shrug. "Not my particular concern, nor that of my crewmate. But in any case, she won't be participating in the ...festivities." He gave a handwave at the semi-organized chaos of the Charr Legion gathering. "There's only one reason and one reason alone she'd ever come down, and I doubt you would ever want that to happen. It might... bring ruin, if I may use a pun."

That made the old charr's ears twitch, and his lip quirk in a bit of a smile. "Well now, I agree with that. It would be such a shame if the fun was disrupted by less-than-amicable contact."

"Then perhaps we should get to why you requested our presence?" Cyrus asked. He pulled an asuran dataslate out of his belt and flicked through it. "We recieved your initial request. Supplies and the like. We offer a fair deal because of ease of transport, but we have strict limits on what we transport. We just wished to make a final confirmation of the items before we begin anything."

Bangar's smile widened, though the expression didn't match his narrowed eyes. He picked up a sheaf of paper from the desk, making a show of sliding an armored claw down it, as if reading it for the first time.

It took everything he had to keep Cyrus from rolling his eyes. Come on... he thought in exasperation. Like you don't know what's on your own request forms. You can play this up all you want, but it's all so fake.

"....Ah yes. Here it is." Bangar pretended to 'just' find the particular line. He didn't read the sheet aloud. Instead he let the silence linger.

Cyrus had seen power plays like this before. Bangar wanted him to react, whether it was to ask what the request was, or to show impatience. Anything. It was a way of showing dominance. A way to show who really was the Big Dog.

He had absolutely no interest in playing along, so he merely stood there, waiting patiently, with his usual empty, tired expression. Occasionally, he flicked a tab on the slate, opening up other windows, other files. Two can play this, old man.

Eventually, Crecia coughed into her fist again. Bangar's superior smirk faded slightly, and he seemed to rouse himself. "Oh, terribly sorry. I believe you wanted to know what the order was? My deepest apologies. I was lost in a train of thought for a moment there."

"It's quite alright, Imperator." the bespectacled human replied, adjusting his glasses. Much to Bangar's annoyance, the adjustment tilted the lenses in just such a way as to catch the sun's rays, hiding his eyes. "I understand that happens to all of us who live to a ripe old age."

That rankled the Imperator; Cyrus could see it in the way his fur wanted to stand up. It must have taken quite a bit of self-control and willpower to only let it rise a little, and Bangar hid it well by shifting his weight. "So I'm given to understand. Luckily Charr live significantly longer than mere humans."

"And may you continue to have a long and illustrious life, Imperator." Cyrus smiled benevolently. "Now, as to your order?"

"Ah yes. That." The Charr warlord idly tossed the sheaf of paper aside. "Crecia will have all the details and numbers, but sufficed to say, I'm looking to purchase various goods. Food. Metals. Wood. Various sundries."

Cyrus nodded. This was no surprise. He'd expected an order like that, and it did match what was on his slate. Even if Bangar was being very vague about it. "That won't be a problem, I believe."

"-- machined parts, large and small. Rifles, pistols, various weapons as outlined in the order..."

That set off an alarm bell in Cyrus's head. Something was off; there was metal in the order, but not machined metal. Especially not weapons. They had a very strict policy about the sale of weaponry. This was an unexpected wrinkle; a glance at Alice confirmed it. "... With respect, Imperator. We do not provide machined goods, especially wargoods. We supply the materials, but it is up to the clients to turn them into the finished goods they desire."

"Oh, but these are for the continuing days of the festival!" Bangar spread his hands magnanimously, indicating their surroundings. "Charr festivals are unlike lukewarm human festivals. We revel in proving ourselves in things like the Ooze Pit, in our target practice on the firing range. We gain camaraderie by facing down dangerous beasts alongside our fellow Legions." His smile curdled a bit. "We even have... music...of a sort... that the younger Charr work out some of their frustration with."

That made Cyrus smile a bit. "Oh I'm very familiar with Heavy Metal music. Rather a fan. I'm going to be getting a copy of Metal Legion's album, once I sell them an audio recorder unit."

"Of course, to keep the festivities going, we require those supplies. Rifles and parts for the shooting range. Spare swords and other melee gear, as well as armor, for the Ooze Pit contenders." Bangar offered a cool smile. "Gladium can hardly prove themeselves if all they have is their bare claws."

"That may be so, Imperator..." Cyrus nodded reluctantly. "But as my companion stated, we do not provide those particular goods. We can supply you the materials to make them, but it is up to you to forge them into what you need. I understand that the Iron Legion Imperator is here at the festival as well?  Perhaps you can make an arrangement with him?"

The chilly smile on Bangar's face got a little bit colder. "It is always such a pain to deal with Smodur. There's always a give and take."

"Then I'm afraid you are quite out of luck." Cyrus turned and began to leave. "We'll fulfill the order as best we can, but weapons and armor are not part of it."

"....I knew I should have been dealing with your Charr crewmate." Bangar muttered, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear. "Humans always retreat, backpedal and decline. You're so weak."

Cyrus had his hand on the large iron door, when he heard that. He paused. Beside him, he could hear the leather of Alice's gloves squeaking as her hands tightened into fists. "Is that what you resort to, Imperator? Racial insults?"

They both turned away from the door, and reapproached the self-satisfied Imperator. Off to the side, Crecia was pretending not to see or hear anything. This wasn't something she wanted to be part of.

"Why don't you tell me what you really want then, Bangar?" Cyrus asked softly, but with venom in the last word. The drop of the honorific was important. "I somehow get the feeling your request is a false one, to cover up another."

"Oh, so the human has some nerves. Good. Maybe this won't be a waste." The Imperator spoke theatrically, stepping behind his desk and sitting down. When he was good and comfortable, claws steepled in front of him, he indicated the humans. "...I want your airship."

The silence was long, and loud. Crecia found herself holding her breath; she knew nothing about this request for an airship. What was Bangar doing? Trying to cause an incident? Another one?

"....I'm afraid I didn't quite hear that." Cyrus admitted. He gestured mildly at his small, human ears. "Humans have rather poor hearing. Perhaps you could speak a little louder?"

"...so those at the back can hear?" Alice muttered, expression hard.

"I said... I want your airship." Bangar scratched an itch on his neck with a single claw, looking at them a kind of annoyed, tired distraction. "I have need of an airship, and as yet the Pact will not sell me one. As I mentioned before, I hate having to deal with Smodur, so making a purchase through him is not possible. And here you have this lovely, powerful airship just floating near my Keep. Forget the order of weapons and armor; I want to procure your ship."

"That ship is NOT. For. Rent." Alice hissed, stepping forward. Only Cyrus's signal stopped her from crossing the line.

"...as my companion has stated, the Forsaken Aspect is not available for 'renting'. Nor is it available for purchase." He shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll have to go through proper channels if you wish for an airship from the Aerodrome. My understanding is that it'll be a long wait, since the last few conflicts have depleted the fleet a fair bit. There might be a line."

"Then....perhaps I will just take this... Forsaken Aspect off your little human hands then." Bangar replied magnanimously, tapping his index claws together lightly, so the armor sheathing them tinged and sang. "You no longer have to worry about having a ship, and I will have an airship. Problem solved."

"Are you threatening me and my crew, Bangar?" Cyrus's eyes narrowed sharply. The rage he was feeling wasn't the scalding hot of wrath. It was as cold as winter ice and intensely focused. He didn't even need to look at Alice to know she was feeling the same. Maybe even more. The sheer gall of this charr...

"Oh, no. Nothing of the sort. I'll ensure that they're escorted off safely once my team has secured the vessel." The Imperator was looking quite proud there. Like the cat that ate the canary.

Cyrus's laughter broke that expression immediately. That was not quite the response he was expecting. The human was actually laughing at him! A deep, rolling, belly laugh!

"You... are laughing. At me." Bangar pointed out flatly, fully confused.

Cyrus took his glasses off and wiped his eyes, shaking his head. "Oh that is a good one, Bangar. I didn't know you had a sense of humor like that."

"....Humor?"

Clearing his throat, Cyrus turned to Alice, his eyebrow raised. "Well?"

"A moment." She closed her eyes, and when they opened again, they were glowing blue with flowing script. "....Intruders detected on lower hull. They are trying to cut in through what they think is an aft access way near the engine of a standard Tyria-pattern airship. A moment. They have just used a breaching charge."

"What is she--?" Bangar began to ask, his confusion deepening. The voice coming from the petite woman was sharper, colder than before. And what was that he could see in her eyes?

"...They have gained access to the hull. Permission to engage?"

Cyrus nodded. "Non-lethal. Subdue, tranquilize them, and administer standard procedure."

What only the crew of the Aspect knew was that 'standard procedure' was a concoction Tenna had developed after the war in Elona. It was a heavily concentrated, modified version of Iboga venom that would effectively erase at least twenty four to forty-eight hours of a person's short term memory, replacing it with hallucinatory imagery and some rather nasty dreams. The reason it was 'standard procedure' was that it was to be used to mind-wipe anyone who got access to the Aspect without permission. You could not spy and report, if you could not remember the last few days. There was more than one Inquest team now laid up with personal trauma from whatever the 'standard procedure' showed them when they tried to get on board.

Whoever was on the team that Bangar had apparently sent, they were going to have a bad time very shortly. Not only would bulkheads start closing around them, but they would be swarmed by Watchwork creatures, kept busy until the Watchknights appearred under the direct control of Aspect itself. Under its guidance, there was no way the breaching team would ever realize what they had just gotten themselves into. They definitely wouldn't remember it, anyway.

"Once they are captured, just airdrop them off the ship." Cyrus told her tiredly. "I'm assuming they had parachutes or gliders. If they don't, have a cheap one strapped on. Doesn't have to last long, since they're just heading to the ground."

"Understood." Alice blinked, and the glow in her eyes was gone. "....You have no idea how much this annoys me, Cyrus."

"I have an inkling. I'm not happy myself. They punched a hole in my ship and attempted to take it." He shook his head and looked at Bangar pityingly. "We're quite done here. Your team will be returned unharmed, and as far as I'm concerned, this never happened. If you choose to press it, that will be to your detriment. The first thing I'll do is cancel the entire order. You'll get your gold back, minus the cost of the damaged hull plating...but you won't be doing any more business with us. Ever."

"Just like that." Bangar replied. "Just like that, you walk away? You deny me the goods I request, deny me the airship I need, and then you walk away?" He growled. "Who the Flame are you people? I didn't see her pull out a communications device! Who the Flame was she talking to?"

"I should be the one demanding answers of YOU." Cyrus replied. "You lure us here with an order for materials, only to ask for things you very much know we will not sell you; it's in the contract details as the THIRD item. On a VERY short list. You then try to purchase my airship, as if it was a loaf of bread in the market."

He grit his teeth, biting back the things he wanted to say; he could still accidentally start something if he resorted to how he really felt. "...When I decline, you threaten to steal my ship. Not only that, but you already had a team in place to do that while we were talking. Which implies that was your first, last, and only intent. That alone blackmarks you and the Blood Legion itself against trade with us. Which, if you have any 'informants' in the Pact or elsewhere, you'll learn very quickly that you just lost out."

Cyrus sniffed in derision, waving it all aside. "As to who we are... We are merchants. Among many things. If I tell you anything more than that, then I have to have both you and your assistant there administered with the standard procedure. It is not a step I take lightly, but it at least leaves you with a heartbeat and most of your memories intact."

"You imply there are other choices." Bangar pointed out darkly.

Cyrus just sighed, and looked over at Alice, who nodded. She stepped forward, and pointed at a spot on the desk. "Tell me what that is."

"It's..." The Imperator blinked, realizing for the first time there was a red dot of light on the map on his desk. He passed a gauntlet over it and the dot transferred to that. "....it's a light of some kind."

"It's a sniper's laser sight, Bangar." Alice told him condescendingly. "Since we entered the room, there have been fourteen trained sharpshooters locked onto this office. In Elona, they call them 'Deadeyes', for reasons you can undoubtedly figure out. We did not expect to need them, but we had them on standby anyway." She glared at him. "We do our research on our contract partners. Your psychology alone required us to have 'security'."

Bangar spun in his chair, looking out the large, bubble windows. Then he glanced down at his chest, counting nine glowing dots. A glance at Crecia told him she had another two or three.

“If you so much as attempt to harm us when we leave this room, or attempt to harm us IN this room.” Alice told him as she walked up beside the chair. She reached up, wrapping a hand lightly around one of the forged iron spikes decorating it. “They will open fire. No one will know where the shots came from; no one except you, and you won’t be speaking. It'll be a tragic incident that I guarantee will be associated to the remnants of the Separatist movement from Ebonhawke, which has long since been disowned by them and is on their last legs. It'll be called a desperation move to destabilize the Blood Legion.”

“I’m fairly certain I can move fast enough to rip your throat out little girl.” Bangar hissed, still looking at the dots on his chest, before letting his eyes rise to see where the Aspect was docked out over the river outside the Keep.

Alice leaned in to whisper in his ears. “You wouldn’t even make it half way.”

As she said it, she slowly bent the spike she was holding, the thick metal groaning and whining as she warped it out of shape. She stepped away, leaving Bangar to slowly look at the manhandled spike on his chair; her glove-prints were visible in the metal, as if she’d been molding putty. As she left, the dots of light drifted off of his chest. There was no way he could know, though, that one was still trained on his forehead, since he couldn’t see that one.

“Just who in Torment are you people?...”

Cyrus was already at the door. “Businessmen and women, Bangar. That’s all. But we don’t like to be messed with. And you don’t want us as an enemy. I'd say contact us if you wish to do legitimate business... but your actions here today tell me I could never trust a word that comes out of your mouth. Just having my ship in your airspace means I have to keep everything on high-alert. You had an opportunity to make a lucrative business deal. And to have an ally that could make your supply lines shorter. Instead you chose racism, sabotage, and attempted grand airship theft. If you weren't an Imperator, you'd be in a stockade awaiting trial.”

He caught Bangar running a finger over the bent spike. “.... and be glad Alice held back. What she did to that metal... she would have done to your bones if anyone on my ship had been injured. And I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t have been able to stop her.”

“Good day, Imperator.”

#gw2 fanfiction #Icebrood Saga spoilers #My characters #Cyrus Sigismund #Alice Spekt #Forsaken Aspect #Bangar Ruinbringer #Duncan #Commanders of Dragon's Watch #Dragon's Watch #Grothmar Valley #Blood Legion Keep #Crecia Glowstone #Caveat Venditor #Lies #Icebrood Saga #My Stories #tyrias-library

[quintiliusheartripper]

violette is a calico charr because shes a ‘house cat’ looking charr to kinda wink wink nudge nudge the human thing 

[uselessidiotsquad]

👄 and 👁 For a toon you think needs more attention !

Thank you for the ask! I don't give Valens nearly enough attention, which I should because she's a hoot!

👄 Big, bright, warm smiles! She's usually got at least a hint of a smile on, so when something cheers up up it gets even wider and brighter! No lipstick or gloss on her. She does chew her lips sometimes, though, when focusing on something.

👁 Her eyes are a gray that is almost white, it's really very pretty. She loves winking at people, though it's a mixed bag for how well it's received. People do tend to notice them, it's not the first thing they notice (which is usually her doing something like balancing or juggling) but they do notice them. She takes after her father, he has grey eyes also though much darker ones.

(Bonus for Ordia, who also doesn't get as much attention: Thin, fake looking smiles and she wishes she could wear lipstick but alas - charr. Beautiful green eyes though, people notice them and compliment them.

Valens jokes that her eyes are green because she's so full of bile.)

#asks #ocs #valens forgedance #charr

[canid-slashclaw]

The Outliers - A Guild Wars Love Story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9,  Chapters 10 and 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16 , Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20,  Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23,  Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29 Chapter 30

Several months later...

"A little more to the right, darling. Oh wait. That just won't do. Nevermind!" Ariyana shouted as she directed several of her workers to re-hang some garlands.

Moments later, her mate Jestin arrived. "Cakes have arrived, dear. Where would you like them?"

She smiled at her husband then pointed towards two large banquet tables. "Put them right there."

"Wait. Isn't that where Ludrick's smorgasbord is supposed to be?"

Ariyana shook her head in frustration. "Gah! So many things to do and so little time to do them in. Use your imagination, my love. I'm sure you can work out something beautiful in that pretty little head of yours."

***

Daniel Grimwald and Ludrick Crushblow rode atop a wagon as the two of them headed towards the grassy meadow that was adjacent to the base of Thunder Falls. Brad, Cynthia, Navina and Krenesh were there to greet them as the wagon pulled into the pavilion area.

"The meat wagon has arrived," Daniel said as he reached over and pulled off the covers. "Thanks to Ludrick here, everything has been put on ice so it doesn't spoil."

"Crap! That thing must weigh a ton," Krenesh commented as he helped unload the contents.

"One and a half ton, to be exact," Ludrick stated while Navina and Cynthia helped him off the wagon.

Brad chuckled. "You gals got the easy part - helping two hansom males, while, Kren and I are stuck carrying a heap of slaughtered carcasses."

"Good and tasty carcasses at that!" Krenesh reminded him.

"Don't let your friend eat everything before you get to the banquet hall," Cynthia commented.

"Bah! With all the work we've been doing, I just might be tempted."

"She wasn't referring to you, numbskull!" Navina quipped.

"If I find Ama's blowtorch anywhere, I might just make an instameal outta this yummy good stuff."

"Do it and die, Brad!" Cynthia chided as she handed Ludrick his cane.

***

"Mom. This dress makes me look like a bloated quaggan," Rachel grumbled as her mother examined the outfit.

"It looks fine on you, sweetie. Now be a good girl and take those audiophones out of your ears."

"But my favorite band just released this single. I'm one of the first in Claypool to even hear these songs."

Her mother looked around for a styling comb. "Have you seen Katie anywhere?"

"Um. I think she's with your soon-to-be daughter-in-law."

***

"This blue flower looks so pretty in your hair," Katie said as she placed a blue violet in Amalthia's golden mane.

"Can you find me a mirror? I would love to see what it looks like."

The little Grimwald clamored off her lap then was off to find a shiny reflective object.

"Oooo. Shiney! I'm a skritt!"

Amalthia smiled at the precocious child as she coaxed her into holding up the mirror to her face. "Why that's lovely. You know that my people love to eat skritt and I'm going to do the same!"

She laughed then playfully nibbled on Katie's head with her large canine teeth. Kaleb's little sister adored the attention that his mate had showered upon her.

Moments later, Ariyana stepped in. "Darling! You look splendid!"

"Ari! So nice to see you!" Amalthia picked Katie up, carefully planted her on the floor then walked over and gave her friend a big hug.

"I see you have a little helper," the sylvari said, eyeing the little girl.

"Oh yes. I could not have done it without her."

Katie found the wedding veil and ran over to place it on Amalthia's head. Kneeling down, the bride-to-be accepted the gift.

"How's that!"

"Oh my. She is going to put me out of business if she keeps that up," Ariyana said with a laugh.

Shortly thereafter, Cynthia and Navina walked into the room each bearing gifts. After a round of group hugs, the presents were set aside and everyone began to get ready for the upcoming event.

"You really outdid yourself, Ariyana. If my man ever gets around to popping the question, you better believe I'll be paying you a visit," Cynthia smiled as she examined Amalthia's bridal gown.

"I still don't get these human rituals. but hey, if it makes the two of you happy then I'm all in," Navina said with a chuckle.

"Kal is gonna die from a serious boner after seeing you in this. Dang girl! Maybe I should find a wizard who can make me grow horns, fur and a tail. Cause you look drop-dead sexy in this getup." Cynthia jested.

"Oh. I'll be giving him plenty of those both on and after our wedding night," Amalthia said with a wink and a wicked grin.

"What's a boner?" Katie asked innocently.

Everyone was at a loss for words.

***

Kaleb wandered around carrying a half-empty stein of lager while eyeing the tent that his soon-to-be wife was residing in. He took another draught just seconds before Brad approached from behind then clapped him on the shoulder. "The man of the hour! How ya doin' bro?"

The slightly inebriated Kaleb shook his head. "Couldn't be better. It's too bad I can't steal a peak at the misses."

"Don't you know it's bad luck seeing the bride before the wedding?"

Moments later, Daniel, Ludrick and Krenesh made their way to greet the groom-to-be. The elder Grimwald looked at his son, shook his hand then took a carnation from his lapel and placed it though one of Kaleb's buttons.

"That suit fits you well, son. Think you'll be sober enough to say your vows?"

Kaleb nodded and smiled. "I'm just nervously tipsy, that's all. I'll be fine once the ceremony starts."

"You are looking well, Kaleb. I'm sure my cub will agree once she sees you," Ludrick said as he handed the young man a flask of herbal coffee. "This is a quick cure for any hangover. Trust me, I've used it plenty of times."

Krenesh stepped in and shook his head. "You and Ama have got to be the oddest couple on the face of Tyria. But even that is secondary to this even odder ceremony. Bah! This thing is so tight around me I can't even move properly."

Brad and Kaleb laughed.

"I can hunt down Ariyana. I'm sure she'll be able to modify the outfit a bit for ya," Kaleb said.

"Nah. I'll be fine. Besides, the sooner I get out of this thing the better."

Suddenly, Brad burst out laughing as he pointed towards a lone male charr who was dressed in what appeared to be a bridesmaid outfit.

Kaleb looked up and said. "Isn't that..."

"...Tovu." Krenesh buried his head in the palm of his hand and closed his eyes.

"A male charr in a woman's outfit. Now I've seen everything," came Daniel's response.

Ludrick clapped the elder Grimwald on the shoulder and said with a half-chuckle. "I think you and I are going to have to follow your son's lead and have a nice strong drink together."

Daniel nodded in agreement.

"Oh man! I'm never going to forget this day!" Brad said in between his uncontrollable bouts of laughter.

"I wish I could," grumbled Krenesh.

"I seriously wish I could."

***

"Tovu! Over here," Bogo shouted as he beckoned for his partner to come join him.

Being careful not to soil the gown, Tovu gingerly stepped over the tufts of grass trying not to trip in the process.

"You look ravishing in that outfit, Tovu."

His partner frowned. "You think so? Everyone looks at me funny. It's not like our females even wear these kinds of outfits anyway."

"Oh, pay them no mind, you silly furball. My suit is rather plain compared to yours," Bogo said somberly.

"Nonsense! That tie brings out the color of your eyes so well."

"You think so? I think it makes me look kinda drab."

Off in the distance, someone was shouting something about where the other bridesmaid was. Tovu's ears pricked out upon hearing the message.

"Sorry big boy. They're calling me. See you at the altar, you big snuggly beast!"

Bogo waved back and winked at his partner. "Give Ama my love!"

***

Amalthia busied herself putting on the finishing touches to her wedding gown. Everyone else had gone to their respective dressing rooms in order to prepare for the upcoming ceremony. As she was braiding the last lock of her long golden mane, she heard someone scratching at the other end of the tent door.

"Come in."

When she looked up, she saw the Grimwald middle child standing before her. She had a pair of audiophones plugged into her ears and appeared to be jamming out to some type of music.

"Oh. Hello, Rachel."

There was an awkward silence for a moment before the teenager responded.

"Hi."

Amalthia smiled then handed her a comb. "Mind helping me with this last strand? It's always a bitch to tame."

The teen was taken aback by the charr's crassness. "Uh, okay."

"I won't bite. I promise," Amalthia said with a noticeable display of her large teeth.

Rachel summoned her courage to speak.

"You don't have rabies, do you?"

"I got my shot yesterday. Doctor said the medicine should take effect within the next week."

"So you do have it."

"You assume much about me, don't you? I never said I did or did not have what you thought I had. Now are you going to help me with that braid or are you going to just stand there wishing you really could just tell your mother to screw off," Amalthia said with a smirk.

The girl was completely speechless.

"Oops. Did I let that slip? Oh well, it must be lagers in me," she pointed to an empty stein by her vanity.

"You really are a lush," Rachel said laconically as she slowly reached her hand towards the charr's golden mane.

"Eh. You can blame my mother for that. I sure do."

"So is your mom mean?"

Amalthia closed her eyes and grinned. "She is as sweet as cyanide in a wine glass and as pleasant as an acidic enema."

Rachel couldn't help but laugh.

"So your face is capable of cracking a smile," Amalthia said.

"Well, even though I don't like you, at least we have one thing in common. My mom pisses me off a lot," Rachel said angrily.

"So what is it about her that pisses you off?"

Rachel shrugged.

"She makes me attend church and tells me the music I'm listening to is made by a bunch of blasphemers."

Amalthia looked closer at the audio box that Rachel was listening to. She noticed the name of the band that was stamped on one of the removable cartridges.

"SynR J-TX. I know their music."

"You do? I'll bet you haven't heard their latest album. My friend knows a friend who knows a friend who works with the band. I was able to get a fresh cut of their latest release."

Rachel switched to another track and began jamming out on that. Amalthia reached over then clicked on the audio box, switching it to another track.

"Hey!"

"Just listen. You've heard the extended release, right?" Amalthia asked.

The teen shook her head.

"They did a remix just recently. So recent, in fact, it hasn't even been cut yet."

"And how do you possibly know this?"

Amalthia gave the girl a wide grin. "I do live in a tavern. It's amazing what I hear sometimes."

"I like their fifth track. It's got a really cool beat."

"It does. Can you dance?"

Rachel nodded. "Well, yeah. Can you??"

The bride-to-be stood up then offered her hand to Rachel, inviting her to dance.

"Watch me!"

Both girls were dancing in sync. Rachel showed one of her moves while Amalthia mimicked her at every step. Soon, they were dancing like a pair of professionals in harmony with the rhythm of the beat.

"How much do you hate your mother?" Rachel asked as they were choreographing their moves.

Amalthia stopped dancing then beckoned for Kaleb's sister to come over to the vanity. She, then' pulled out an old parchment that featured an array of images that she drew when she was still a cub.

"When I was in my fahrar, we were asked to draw what we would do to our enemies once we were old enough to go into battle. Everyone else drew either, Flame Legion, humans, ogres or some other hideous creature," Amalthia smiled deviously. "I, on the other hand, was a bit more creative."

She handed Rachel the parchment that depicted a child-like drawing of one charr cutting off another charr's head.

"That was me beheading my mother with a broadsword. I colored the blade brown in order to depict the blade as being rusty and dull."

Rachel looked at the images, stunned. Amalthia pointed to another one that appeared to show a charr getting blown to pieces by an explosion.

"Oh. I drew that one hoping my mother would, someday, step on a land mine and blow herself up. See the bones and entrails?"

"Um. Dare I ask what this one is?"

Amalthia looked at the image of a darkened charr and laughed. "That one was Mother getting charbroiled by a flamethrower. Get it? Charrbroiled?"

"You are one sick kitten!" Rachel said in her characteristic monotone voice.

"If I am then why haven't you run away?"

Rachel shrugged. "I dunno. I guess you are like a shipwreck. Horrible to watch but I can't take my eyes off it."

"I have the suspicion it's something else. My guess is you resent your mother but are too afraid to tell her so openly," Amalthia stated.

"How would you know? You no nothing about me!" Rachel retorted angrily.

"Oh. I know a mother-hater when I see one. Trust me on this."

"I don't hate my mom."

"But you do resent her for what she's done to you. Always being obligated to live up to those expectations, while your brother doesn't seem to give a damn?"

"Well, maybe. Mom always did get on Kals case about doing things his way. I hate him for being able to resist our mom's authority," Rachel said as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"It's okay, Rachel. Let it out. That's what I did when I was a cub. I let out all my rage and anger through my drawings. Looking back, it was very therapeutic for me," Amalthia said as she rolled up the illustrations then put them back into the drawer.

"Okay, okay. I really think you aren't so bad now. I thought your people were always evil. But in talking to you like this, you seem almost human."

Amalthia smiled and gently reached for Rachel's face in an attempt to wipe her tears away. "I've learned that all intelligent races share the same basic emotions. Even though we each express them in different ways, all of us still feel love, sadness, apprehension and loneliness."

Rachel broke down then cried as she buried her head in Amalthia's chest. The charr gave her a gentle hug as she switched tracks to a more melodious song and began a slow dance with her future sister-in-law.

***

Ulfgar thumbed through the sermon, doing some last-minute revisions as needed. Daniel walked up to the massive norn as his son helped Ludrick navigate across the uneven ground.

"Ah. Three of the finest gentlemen I know. Are you ready for the big one, boy?" The old norn said with a hearty tone.

"When is anyone ever ready? I can't wait to see what Ama's dress looks like. Any idea where my sister's at?" Kaleb asked as he anxiously looked around for the ring bearer.

"Amalthia is giving Rachel the rings now. I think you'll like her attire, Kaleb," Ludrick said with a satisfactory nod.

"Father. Where's mom?"

"She's paying your future wife a visit. It's one of those mother-daughter sort of things." Daniel looked at his son with an air of pride and smiled.

"Take a deep breath, lad. This is supposed to be a legendary occasion, not a funeral."

"Sorry about that, Ulf. It's not the wedding itself that has me uptight so much as seeing so many folks here all in one place. I know that things started off very rocky for everyone, and this whole thing still feels so unreal. Never in a million years did I think we would ever come this far."

Ulfgar patted Kaleb on the shoulder. "And come far, you did. You and Amalthia are the first marital union in Tyira between human and charr. That is no small feat in and of itself."

His father gave him a reassuring hug as well. "Ulfgar's right, son. Through everything, you've never wavered in your conviction. This is as proud a day for me as it is for you and your bride."

Ludrick gave his future-son-in-law a pat on the shoulder as well then saluted with his fist to his chest. "Kaleb. Two years ago, you walked through that door in my butcher shop and everything I had ever known changed forever. You brought light into my cub's heart and hope to this old warrior once more. Even though you may not have fur, large teeth or horns, I feel that deep down you are as much of a charr as I am. If there is anyone on the face of Tyria who is worthy of my cub, it is you Kaleb Grimwald."

Everyone heard a noticeable sniffle coming from the mighty norn. "Baw! You've done and gotten me all sentimental ya old warbeast."

Kaleb gave the charr a tight bear hug as tears dribbled from his eyes and onto his future father-in-law's dark orange fur.

***

The usher called into Amalthia's tent letting her know that the ceremony would begin within the hour. As she was finishing up some last minute details, the usher also stated that Shirley Grimwald wanted to see her privately.

"She may come in."

The tent door opened and in walked Kaleb's mother, who was dressed in a conservative plain long dress. She approached her soon-to-be daughter-in-law then quietly pulled up a chair as she sat directly in front of her.

"That sylvari did an impeccable job making that dress," Shirley said as she began straightening out the pleats along the front.

Amalthia helped her with the hem. "That she did. I really like what she did to the backside. It doesn't bunch up around my tail at all. Not that such a thing is an issue with your people."

Shirley paused for a moment before responding. "About that topic Miss Steelblade..."

"Grimwald-Steelblade, if you don't mind. And Mrs please. It's a title we will all have to get used to," Amalthia said without looking at Kaleb's mother.

Shirley struggled to make conversation. "Please understand, Amalthia. I know you and I do not see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. But I also know that my son thinks the world of you, even though I have yet to understand what he sees that I don't."

"And your point, Mrs. Grimwald?"

Shirley could no longer contain her emotions. "Dammit! I still don't understand why my son picked a woman who is as rude and crass as you. If I were a man, I would object to this whole affair before either of you could take your first vows. That's what I would do, Miss Steelblade."

Amalthia shook her head then said in an unemotional tone. "But you are not a man, thank Pyreshot. I would like to like you, Mrs. Grimwald, but what you've presented me so far hasn't given me reason for changing my perception of you."

"So just what is your perception of me, Amalthia?"

"I think you are a woman who is deathly fearful of change. Look. I did not choose to intentionally seek out a human lover. My love for Kaleb just happened. Not everything that we are taught is necessarily the right path. There are some among us, of all races in fact, who travel to the beat of a different drum. Kaleb and I are such people. The sooner you accept that fact, the sooner you will feel a greater sense of happiness."

"I am trying to accept this, I really am. It's just so hard knowing that he is giving up his chance of having children who are his own. You are giving up your chance as well. Who's to say if this whole thing wears off you won't go..."

"Stop right there, Mrs. Grimwald. In case you were never informed, I cannot even bear children of my own. A war wound saw to that. Here, I'll show you. I developed an infection in my uterus that all but ruined my reproductive ability." Amalthia promptly lifted up her dress then showed Shirley the small scar that crossed her lower abdomen.

Stunned, Mother Grimwald said nothing as she reached out to touch the scar tissue.

"I... I'm soo sorry. I didn't know... Please forgive me for making such a cruel statement," she began to cry once more.

"Ignorant, yes. Cruel? No." Amalthia lowered her gown then reached out and held her soon-to-be mother-in-law by the shoulders, as she looked her in the face. "I don't hate you Mrs. Grimwald. You raised a fine son and I'm very honored to be his wife. Once you get to know me, I think you may actually grow to like me just a little."

The usher stopped by once more indicating that the ceremony was close at hand. Both Shirley and Amalthia waved him off as the two ladies smiled at each other for the first time.

"Be a good wife to my son, Amalthia."

She looked at her future mother-in-law in the eyes and said in a resolute voice.

"I will."

***

Ulfgar stood at the podium all dressed in his finest regalia. Below him, stood Kaleb who was anxiously waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. To his right stood his best men - Brad, Krenesh, Jestin and Bogo. Their outfits were designed to match in spite of the physical size and proportion difference between human and charr. To Ulfgar's right stood the bridesmaids - Cynthia, Ariyana, Navina and the most unusual of all Tovu.

The aisle was lined with soldiers from both the legions and the Seraph. Each one instructed to hold their swords aloft in criss-cross fashion when the bride walked down the aisle.

Moments later, the final wedding theme began to play. Katie began dropping petals of jasmine and lilac flowers as she walked by followed closely by her older sister, Rachel (who was the ring bearer).

Once the two girls found their places. The ode to the wedding march began. Soldiers from both Seraph and legions drew their blades and meshed them together in staggered formation. Kaleb could see the swords withdrawing as his bride drew closer.

Amalthia strode lightly across the pedal-laden carpeted aisle as the last blade drew back from either side of her. She glanced up at Kaleb then gave him a wink. For his part, Kaleb was awestruck by her beauty. The gown she wore accentuated her best features, and reflected the amalgamation of two vastly different peoples. In spite of his old injuries, Ludrick summoned strength to walk his daughter down the aisle.

She helped hold him steady his gait the entire time until he found his seat at the front row. Once she had helped her father to his seat she stood next to Kaleb as the both of them turned to face Ulfgar.

The old norn smiled upon the bride and groom just as he was about to deliver his sermon.

"Today a legend is born. For today, for the first time in recorded Tyria's history, we are gathered here today to unite two souls from two very different peoples. On this special occasion, a human and a charr will be joined, not in bloody combat with each other, but in sacred matrimony."

Ulfgar turned to Kaleb. "The young man standing before me is one whom I have known since he was a pup. Never have I met a soul who is more good-natured, witty and willing to go the extra mile than this young man. I have seen his courage, his generous heart and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of others. Kaleb Grimwald was a boy who did not know what his future would be. He was brash, independent and in many cases, foolish. But all that changed when he met the one soul who gave him a purpose."

The old norn then turned to Amalthia. "This young lady is like no charr I've ever met. In spite of her rather small size, she has the heart of a norn. She is bold and completely unafraid to say whatever's on her mind. Only she could tame the heart of the wayward boy whom I've known since he was pup."

Ulfgar gestured for Kaleb and Amalthia to face each other while holding hands. He took the rings from Rachel then handed the first one to Kaleb.

"There are no words, no ceremonies, no rituals that can adequately express what is about to transpire this day."

"Kaleb Grimwald - will you swear to give Amalthia your heart, your soul and keep her well in sickness and in health? Will you be there to comfort her when she is sad or downtrodden? Will you be there to bring joy and happiness into each other's lives? And will you promise to do these things for the rest of your days? What say you, lad?"

"I do," Kaleb said as he looked lovingly into Amalthia's eyes then slid the ring onto her finger.

"Amalthia Steelblade - will you swear to give Kaleb your heart, your soul and keep him well in sickness and in health? Will you be there to comfort him when he is sad or downtrodden? Will you be there to bring joy and happiness into each other's lives? And will you promise to do these things for the rest of your days? What say you, lass?"

"Of course!" She smiled as her ears twitched and she slid the band onto his finger.

"Then by the power vested in me and the Great Raven Spirit, I now pronounce you man and wife."

Ulfgar, then, smiled and said with a wink. "You two know the rest."

Kaleb and Amalthia embraced in a passionate kiss as cheers erupted from the crowd. The old norn waved for the newly married couple to face the audience then announced in his resonating voice.

"Behold, Kaleb and Amalthia Grimwald-Steelblade. May they both share many happy years together!"

Shortly thereafter, both were given plenty of hugs and well wishes by various friends and family. Kaleb, then, grabbed his wife by the hand and said. "You know what comes next, right?"

Amalthia and her new husband said in unison.

"Get toasted!"

(All chapters have been posted to AO3. Chapter 30 is posted here.)

#gw2 fanfiction #tyrias-library #the outliers #guild wars fan fiction #kaleb and amalthia #charr and human #inter-species love