#he is going to be there waiting for echo and emerie right?

[kriffclone]

Shadow Agent in these last TBB chapters

#i wonder what happened to him #is he alive? is he ok? #he is going to be there waiting for echo and emerie right? #the bad batch #tbb

[danikamariewrites]

Okay but being mated to Az, Cass, and Nesta but you don’t know and a foreign dignitary comes to stay at the House of Wind with the four of you and Rhys asks you to seduce/be flirty with them and the three of them are absolutely feral trying to keep their jealousy down

Just One Night

Nessian x Azriel x reader

A/n: I’ve been dying to write another fic with these four! They would absolutely want to kill Rhys for this especially Nesta.

Warnings: possessive Nessian & Azriel

Today is the day. Nesta had decided for the group that today they would tell you about the bond. She was just waiting for you all to get out of a meeting with Rhys and her sister. The last thing Nesta wanted was to confess the bond - and her love for you - in front of Rhys.

Nesta heard the angry footsteps echoing off the marble floor of her mates before she saw them. Setting her book down she tilted her head curiously at their disgruntled looks. The males dropped into their respective arms chairs letting out dejected sighs. Nesta stood with her arms crossed and a raised brow as she looked between the two.

“Well.” She said sharply. Azriel let out a low growl from the back of his throat. She felt his annoyance down the bond and looked to Cassian for an answer. Sighing through his mouth and rubbing the bridge of his nose Cassian bites out, “Rhys is having her seduce the emissary from Montesere. Cyrus Yarrow.”

When they looked up at Nesta those silver flames were dancing with anger in her eyes. Her left one practically twitching. “He’s having her do what?” She growled. Nesta turned on her heel, black dress flaring dramatically. Cassian grabbed her wrist before she could go give Rhys a piece of her mind.

Her fist balled. The first and only warning Cassian would get to release her. Letting go his open hand hovered cautiously. “Wait. She, just…she took the job. She knows what to get from the guy and we won’t let it get farther than that, yeah?” Nesta cracked her neck, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Fine.”

“You don’t want to be overbearing, Nes.” Azriel said. That deep, even voice relaxing her. “You’re right.” She looked back at her mates as Azriel waved her over. His arms open for her. Without hesitating Nesta sat on Azriel’s thigh, resting her head against his chest. “I know you’re impatient,” he says against her hair, “the Mother knows we are too, but we want to make it special for her.”

———

Pulling out the garment bag from your closet a knock sounded at your bedroom door. “Come in!” You hear whom ever enter, shuffling around the room. Nesta poked her head in your closet. You smile at her, “Hey you.” She gives you an equally dazzling smile. For a moment you swear something like love sparkles in her eyes.

Your heart leaped at the thought then quickly sunk. Remembering how in love she is with Cass. Blinking rapidly you plaster that smile back on your face. “What’s up?” You ask lightly. “I thought we could get ready for the ball together.”

You nod vigorously. “I would love that.” You and Mor used to get ready together - Feyre too - until she found Emerie. Usually when Rhys gave you a job for the evening you liked to get ready alone. Being alone lets you think through your plan for the night. Being with Nesta will be a nice change though. She was able to distract you from the awaiting nightmare of Cyrus.

Cyrus Yarrow was renowned for the females he chose to surround himself with. Always beautiful and charming. He was also quite demanding and handsy when he found something he liked. A shiver runs down your spine causing you to shake, your chin dropping to your chest.

Looking back up you saw Nesta had moved closer to your face. Her hand poised to draw with the kohl on your lid. “Are you ok?” You give her a small nod. “Stay still,” she giggled. A warmth bloomed in your chest at the sound.

———

The ball was in full swing. Nesta had stolen you for the first dance before you were swept away by Cyrus. Azriel had grabbed her waist before she could kill the male, dragging her into a waltz she could do in her sleep. Cassian was sending waves of calm to her down the bond. He stepped in for Az once the song was over. Also so Azriel could keep an eye on you for the night.

“Remember what Azriel said, Nes.” She gave him a curt nod, looking over her shoulder for you as they spin around the floor. “Hey,” Cass demanded, taking his hand from her waist to grip her chin. “She is fine. She is capable. I know the instinct to protect her and be by her is intense, we’re feeling it too. But tomorrow, he will be gone.” “Yeah.” She mumbled. Cassian pressed a quick kiss to Nesta’s lips before dipping her dramatically.

Azriel watched from the shadows as you entertained Cyrus. His party from Montesere was nothing like him. Kind and proper as they chatted with Mor and Feyre. His eyes bounced between the groups wanting to make sure that his court was safe. Feyre stood up straighter. A shocked and confused look pulling at her features.

He met his High Lady’s gaze and she tapped on his mental shield wasting no time in updating her spymaster. Cyrus no longer held the power they were told about. His Lord had stripped his title a week ago. This relieved Azriel. It meant he wouldn’t feel guilty about pulling you away from work and that Rhys wouldn’t give him a tongue lashing.

The Shadowsinger was about to step in and save you from Cyrus’s awfulness when a panicked feeling froze him in place. His shadows had reported Nesta and Cassian were safe. He even spotted them smiling and laughing as they danced.

When the realization hit Azriel that it was you projecting your feelings down the bond ran to you, sending his shadows ahead to pull Cyrus off of you. The look of disgust on your face had his instincts to protect you screaming at him to go.

Azriel drew Truth Teller, holding it to Cyrus’s neck. “Back away from my mate.” Azriel said practically roared. The fae around them stopped, gasps sounded through the crowd as they stared. You clung to Azriel’s arm through the whole ordeal. As the word mate left his mouth you stared up at Az, your eyes twinkling with love.

You had always had a crush on Azriel. But Nesta, you thought to yourself. No, you’d let her go. You have Az now. “Mate,” you repeat. Azriel stilled as the realization of the word he just spoke dawned on him. He slowly turned to look at you. The corners of your lip turning up at the his shock.

“Yeah, umm…” His gaze drifted behind you. You followed his gaze to find a stunned Cassian and a fuming Nesta. “Az?” You ask softly. The party had resumed around you as the couple stepped closer. Cassian placed his hands on Nesta’s shoulders in a calming manner. “Why don’t we all go talk somewhere else.” Cass suggested. “Why do we all,” you trail off as Nesta grabs your hand to drag you out of the ball room.

You kept looking between Nesta, Azriel, and Cassian as she leads you to the living quarters of the House of Wind. Her iron grip never leaving you. Entering the main living room Nesta drops your hand making a beeline for the bar cart housing one of Rhys’s expensive bottles of whiskey. Pouring herself a finger she downs the amber liquid in one go.

“I thought,” she started, her tone dangerously calm, “we wanted to make it special. To do something sweet for our mate.” Nesta flashed her perfect canines in a saccharine smile at the males. Azriel’s jaw tightened. His head dropped, clearly frustrated with himself.

You hold his hand with both of yours. Running your thumb across the back of his hand in calming circles. Nesta’s words caught up with your brain. Our, she had said.

You looked at her with wide eyes. “Our? As in all three of you are my mates.” Cassian couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah sweetheart. You have all three of us. We’ve been waiting to tell you and we wanted to make it special. Cyrus just got in the way.” You covered your mouth as happy tears lined your eyes. That warm feeling in your chest that appeared with Nesta earlier returning. The bond glowing fiercely as it branched out to all three of them.

You sink on to the plush couch taking in the information. You have been blessed with three mates. Each one you were madly in love with. And you get to love them all for the rest of your life!

Cassian came to sit beside you. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders pulling you into his side. You could sense the apology on his lips before he could even say it. Cassian has always been too apologetic for his own good. You grabbed his hand resting on his thigh. “I’m not mad. I am incredibly happy to hear this.” Cassian’s head dropped to rest on yours. Azriel takes the spot next to you wrapping his arms around your waist pressing a kiss to your cheek.

You stare at Nesta who hadn’t moved an inch since you entered the room. You wave her over to join couch snuggles, tugging on the bond to entice her. Nesta ran at you. Jumping to straddle your lap and pushing Cass and Az off you. You hugged her tightly inhaling her scent of fire and steel masked by the vanilla and almond perfume she wears.

“I love you so much, y/n.” She whispered just for you to hear. “I love you, Nes. With all my heart.” You whispered back, just for her to hear.

#acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar reader fic #acotar reader imagine #acotar imagine #azriel x reader #azriel acotar #azriel shadowsinger #azriel x you #Cassian x reader #Cassian x you #Cassian acotar #cassian fanfic #nesta archeron #nesta archeron acotar #nesta acotar #nesta x reader #nesta x you #nesta archeron x reader #Nessian x azriel x reader #Nessian x azriel x you #poly!nessian #poly!cazriel #poly!acotar

[ilcuoreardendo-fic]

From Here on Out (Echo x Reader)

I needed a little break from plotting my Echo x Jedi!OC fic, so here you go.

Takes place at the tail end of the series finale. (All because I saw a post asking what you were going to do with your clone now that you knew they were living out a long life on Pabu. Well, Echo's obviously not staying on Pabu.)

_________________

“What are you doing?”

You’d recognize that voice anywhere, challenging and firm but always with a soft-edge. For you. Even when you exasperate him. As you’re sure you’re doing right now.

You close the container of blaster power cells you were double checking, tuck it into the weave of the storage shelf. You pick up your pack, sling it over your shoulder and glance at him as you turn. He looks strange in the shiny white armor, without his neural interface. He’s staring at you; it’s too soft to be a glare, but he’s not pleased.

He’ll get over it.

“What’s it look like?” you say, heading toward the cockpit. “Coming with you.”

He sighs. His footsteps are heavy behind you. You feel his stare as you tuck your bag under the console, settle into the copilot seat.

He says your name and the way he says it, softly, like you’re something precious and fragile, makes your heart clench.

You take a breath, spin the chair to face him, looking up at his face, pale and stern. You remember the first time you met him.

The job Cid had arranged had gone sideways; you’d gotten the intel but the client had decided you wouldn’t live to possibly share it with Cid (which, admittedly, had been the plan). The Batch was sent to extract you.

Even now, what stands out isn’t the fear for your life amidst the ear splitting ring of blaster fire but Echo’s weight bearing you to the ground, his eyes, dark and serious and concerned, as he asked if you were injured; the warmth and breadth of his hands as he’d checked for himself before you’d caught his hands, assured him you were okay and watched the sweet blush spread over his nose.

“No, Echo. I stayed with the others when you decided to leave with Rex. I understood what you needed to do and that you needed peace of mind. And then I waited on Pabu because you were concerned about the coming dangers. But you realize danger came here?” You can still smell the ozone of blaster fire, the choking smoke of burned down homes and livelihoods. You can still hear the screams.

Echo looks guilty and that’s not what you’re after.

You stand, go to him, put your hand on his face, palm cupping the edge of his jaw, fingers tracing the shell of his ear. He leans into your hand. A reflex. His arm slips around you.

“I just want to protect you.”

“I know. But the galaxy isn’t a safe place. You can’t protect me. And I can’t protect you. But we can work together. We can be together. You wanted to do more? So do I. And we can do more. And look out for each other while we are. For as long as the Force or the universe or whatever will let us. And isn’t that something?”

“Sweetheart…” With a sigh, Echo closes his eyes, presses his forehead to yours. “You always make too much sense.”

“You think you’d listen to me more often, then.”

“I’m afraid I’m not very logical when it comes to you.”

“Well,” you murmur, “we can work on that.” And you kiss him, softly, almost tentative. It’s been a while and it almost feels new. His lips are warm, surprisingly soft. And he makes a noise that, if you were somewhere more private, would have you shoving him up against the wall.

Someone clears their throat and you both start, turn to the doorway where Emerie stands. You’d met her briefly when she first arrived, before getting lost in the logistics of getting the children she’d brought with her what they needed and preparing for the imminent arrival of the rescued clones.

She’s looking at the two of you—your hand still on Echo’s face, his right arm around you, scomp pressing into your lower back—with surprise but seems to catch herself, schooling her features into a neutral expression. “All of the clones who are coming to Pantora are on board,” she says and disappears back into the ship.

You glance at Echo. “Time to go.”

“You said your goodbyes?”

“I have the hug-bruises from Wrecker to prove it. Omega has my comm code. I promised to visit.”

He smiles, small, a little nervous. Genuine. “All right.”

You settle into your seats and mere moments later you’re passing through the atmosphere of the planet and into the blackness of space.

Once you get the clones settled on Pantora, with Senator Chuchi, he says, you’ll rendezvous with Rex and his remaining men and start talking plans, from rebuilding what was lost on Teth to the next blows you’ll strike against the Empire.

Echo gets the ship into hyperspace, reaches over and takes your hand. He raises it to his lips, places a warm kiss on the back of it. As he looks out at the starlight, he weaves his fingers with yours, giving your hand a squeeze.

You know what that is. A silent promise.

Everything you’ll do from here on out, you’ll do together.

#the bad batch #echo bad batch #echo x reader #echo x you #tbb s3 #tbb spoilers #clone trooper echo #arc trooper echo #sw fic #sw reader fic #tbb fic #echo (tbb) #reader insert #queued post

[coralseacourt]

Undeniably yours Part 4 by @coralseacourt

Summery: A girl falling through darkness into a world of fae, landing right in Hybern’s Throne room. Azriel finding his mate but not wanting her. Rhysand’s & feyre’s bond severed for good. What else could go wrong?

Azriel x Reader x Rhysand

Part1, part2, part3, part4, part5, part6, Part7

Part 4

It had been days.

Days of Rhys not visiting, after our flight across Velaris and the abruptly ending of it.

He had not shown himself or gave me any notice of what to do with myself.

After day two I had found a library, which magically appeared and hadn’t been there before. Starting to read a book sounded like a good plan for the time being.

I came across priestesses that seemed to work here, one had introduced herself as Emery before quickly disappearing.

Since then I had only gotten the silent treatment, which might have been because of the friendship Nesta had with them. Emery had told me about their friendship.

I just finished my morning routine and slipped out of my room to make my way back to the library like I had done the past week, when I encountered Nesta leaning against the wall across from my bedroom.

What should I do? Wait for her to say something or walk away? I scooped around awkwardly.

Her eyes narrowed while starring at me.

“You know, if I were you I would stay in this Room.”

I blinked a couple times confused.

Stay in the room? Was I not allowed to come out? But Rhys , he had seen me and not mentioned anything.

I cleared my throat

“Why would I do that ?”

“Good that you ask. Let me explain.” She pushed herself off the wall and came closer until we almost touched.

I had to look up.

Her smile turned mocking, she seemed to like the feeling of her looking down on me.

“You are not wanted here, you are a burden. A danger.

Not one single person in this court wants you in our Court . So if I in fact were you, i would take my problems and uncertainties and would not leave come this room.”

She stepped closer and I swallowed stepping back and meeting the door behind me.

“And you know accidents do happen.” Her eyes started to gleam dangerously.

She turned with an hair flip and walked away chuckling.

I had to keep the tears in that were threatening to spill.

Without another thought I went back in to my safe haven.

Is that why Rhysand didn’t visit me anymore?

Was I danger?

Did he know something I didn’t about myself?

I whimpered and pulled my arms around my middle.

I knew it was ridiculous to feel betrayed by the thoughts of Rhys thinking of me like that, but I couldn’t help it. It hurt .

I needed to know more about myself. Needed to know what happened before I came here?

I walked to my bed and sat down with crossed lega , closing my eyes and calming my breathing.

There had to be something other than darkness.

I concentrated .

what was before the dark? What pulled me here? I started to whisper lowly, “please there has to be something.”

And then there was a string of light .

Like something pulling me in the right direction. I could smell something.

Wood? Night air? Water?

And then there were pictures.

A dark figure on top of me , the smell of Alcohol.

Me fighting him. What did he want? I felt my body tingle lightly like it was charging with something.

Then I saw myself falling in to water.

Cold,Deep,Dark.

Dark, dark, dark it was echoing in my head.

I m cold and alone.

It started to hurt.

My chest it burned like ice and fire combined.

I started screaming, the pain it was unbearable. I only barely felt someone shaking me , touching my face.

Then nothing. I felt like floating in darkness. Until even that disappeared and I didn’t exist no longer.

When I woke up , I felt the hardness underneath me. Not my bed. I opened my eyes and found trees? Burned trees?

And I was alone.

How did I got here? I slowly stood up.

“It was about time that you woke up.”

I knew this voice my heart started racing and I looked around. There out of the shadows came azriel like an angel born to revenge.

I stopped breathing for a moment and my fear seemed to overwhelm me. Nesta’s words halled in my mind.

“ Accidents can always happen.” But I needed to know.

“What happened?” I asked not sure I would like the answer to that question.

“What happened? What happened is that you almost blew up Velaris with whatever powers you possess.” He hissed.

“What happened is that you charged yourself up with magic, bright shining light that streamed out of you. If I hadn’t brought you here who knows what would have happened. “ He was raging literally fuming of anger.

I could feel it.

“Powers? What powers? I have no powers. I only tried to remember who I had been before.” I bit my lip and my hands formed to fists from frustration and anger. “ Then look around, look at the trees.”

Burned trees. I did this?

“ You know I don’t want to be here anymore then any of you want me here.

I rather would stop to exist than be in this lonely place with people that want me dead.”

Tears streaming down my face but my head held high I turned around and walked away.

“Where the hell do you think you are going.” He growled in the same moment that he appeared in front of me.

“Why can’t I just go someplace else if I m not wanted here? What difference is it gonna make?” The last words I had screamed at him.

“You are dangerous, anywhere you go. Do you not understand that? Especially now that we know that you have magic.”

He grabbed my shoulders and I flinched a lthinking of the memories that had overpowered me .

His eyes were boring into mine like he could erase me through his look alone. “ Why do you treat me like I m your biggest enemy? What have I done to warrant that? “ I pulled away and had to look away from his face.

He let out a long breath , showing me how annoyed he really was with me for not understanding.

“ I don’t care enough about you to see you as anything. You are just a burden.”

He grabbed my hand while saying,” Let’s go.”

And with that we disappeared both into his shadows.

The moment we got out i found myself in a different place than where i had lived the last couple weeks.

We were in a comfortable greeting room with lush cushions, and tasteful arranged bookshelf’s.

A tray with what I assumed was liquor standing on a side table.

Why bring me here?

Did he bring me here to kill me ? Just like Nesta had said?

“Nesta said what?” Came an angry voice from the doorway.

Rhys .

Did he read my mind? He stormed towards me and ripped me from Ariel’s arms that had somehow found there way around me while going through the shadows.

“Y/n , what did she say to you? “

He seemed angry. With me? “I m not angry with you but you need to tell me what she said. Or better show it to me, in here” Pointing and then softly touching my forehead.

His thumb sliding over it and down to my cheek.

A growl came from Azriel , but I ignored it not wanting to give him any more of my attention.

So I showed Rhys what happened , because all I could feel standing in front of him was trust, warmth , comfort.

“I shouldn’t have removed the glamour so early.” He whispered quietly while starring at me.

“I knew she would be trouble , I just did not know how much.”

“Glamour? What’s that?”

“I had the house of wind where you stayed, glamoured for you so you could only go to certain parts. Just until I was sure I could trust you. “.

Oh that’s how I suddenly found the library.

As much as it hurted to hear that , the more I understood what an excellent High lord he really was .

To protect his court but still trying to help me.

“ Azriel what happened up there? Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”

He pulled me behind his back while facing the Shadowsinger.

Grabbing my Hand and holding it tight, like he tried to hold himself back from the anger that was now directed at Azriel.

I glimpsed around him to see better and found that he wasn’t even looking at Rhys.

He was starring at our connected hands.

“ Tell me Rhys, why is it that you haven’t tried to contact feyre? “ I could hear Rhysand’s heartbeat go faster. “ We are not mated anymore , so how do you think I should do that? No spy is able to get to spring, no message will reach. What exactly do you want me to do?”

“ How about anything else than taking the next best female that you can find to your bed?”

Rhys stilled and the tension was wired.

“ You might think you know it all, but if you ever speak to your High lord or your brother that way again , then I can promise you that the consequences will be swift and harsh. Out of my eyes now”. He growled the last words.

“ I might not have been as welcoming as you to her,” he narrowed his eyes ,

“but maybe I should change that.” And with that he disappeared.

part 5

continued in part 5….

Tags: @hnyclover

#acotar fanfic #azriel #azriel acotar #azriel x oc #rhys acotar #rhys x reader #rhys x y/n #rhys x you

[totallyunidentified]

Friendly Fire

This is the longest thing I've written yet.

I started this right after episode 14 came out early Wednesday morning.

Enjoy my little Echo ficlet/Prophecy

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 14 OF TBB SEASON 3

When they finally make it inside Tantiss, Crosshair's hand is shaking worse than ever. He had tried everything he could to not return only for his worst nightmare to happen. He’s back and Omega was there because of him. Because of his misfire. He had hoped that he wouldn't have had to even talk about Tantiss again but here he is. They run through corridor after corridor simply taking out whatever stormtroopers they come across, they can’t afford anything going wrong. 

“We have to find Echo!” Crosshair calls to Hunter and Wrecker as they keep up their search. They had gone completely com silent so they have no idea where the reg could be. 

Emeri had led Echo to the vault. Despite her warning him, he’s shocked at the conditions the children are being held in. 

They walk in together and another female doctor walks up to Emeri looking at her with thinly veiled disdain 

“Doctor Karr you are aware that stormtroopers aren't allowed in the vault with the specimens. I shall have to report this to Dr. Hem-,” 

Before she can finish her sentence Echo is astounded when Emeri pulls her arm back and knocks out the other doctor in one hit. 

“I guess you really are a clone!” He comments as she uses the incapacitated doctor’s datapad to turn off all the security measures. 

Omega, seeing Emeri take action, immediately jumps on top of the medical droid and reprograms it telling it to shut down. She then jumps off and rejoins the other children moving to stand between them and the man in a stormtrooper uniform in front of her. 

Echo sees Omega standing in front of four other children as if she's guarding them. She’s watching him suspiciously and he realizes he’s forgotten to take off his helmet. 

“Echo!” Omega almost sobs before throwing herself in his arms. When he wraps his arms around her, Omega notices he has two hands holding her. When he lets go she grabs his robotic hand and twists and turns it trying to get a better look at it.

“This is new,” Omega comments and starts to ask but Echo just shrugs. 

“It grew back on its own,” Echo says with a straight face making Omega arch her eyebrow at him. 

“Suuuure” Omega says, rolling her eyes and grinning at him. She turns to Emeri,

 “So you finally decided you wanted to help us?” 

Emeri looks down at the floor frowning and then back up at Omega

 “I- I am a clone like you. I realize my actions have been counter to what I should have been doing, but I swear I’m ready to do better” Omega smiles at her and gives her a quick hug, shocking Emeri

 “I have…never gotten one of those before.”

“Better get used to it” Echo quips, turning to the rest of the kids in the vault. 

“…Hello. Are you guys ready to get out of here?” 

The kids look at each other and nod apprehensively. The Pantoran girl holding the baby moves closer behind the green boy, hiding. 

“We’re just kids, how are we supposed to help get us out?” she asks in a quiet voice. She's scared, they all are. Echo can see clearly. He remembers a similar situation on Kamino; while these kids weren’t soldiers, they still had something about them. Echo just had to make them see that.

Echo kneels down to see eye to eye with the kids.

“You guys are here because there’s something special about you right? Even the Imps could see it. They needed you for a reason, just like right now I need you to be brave. I need you to have courage. Be strong. You have the hearts of clones and the strength of the Jedi. Whatever it is that makes you special was in their blood and is in your blood. It’s in Omega’s blood, which I'd say is close enough to make you honorary clones. You aren’t some helpless children, you are strong and have heart! Now we need to get out of here!”

Echo starts to herd all of the kids plus Emeri to the doorway to get them out of there. 

“Wait!” Omega stops Echo. “I know a way we can get out of here. I have a distraction planned.” 

”Do you?” 

“Uh huh. The Zillo beast that they have in one of the containment areas, we can free it and let that distract the rest of the base.”

Echo just stands there for a moment and grins “You know, you remind me so much of someone that it almost scares me. He came up with these hair-brained schemes all the time too”

Omega stands up just a little straighter. “He sounds like fun”

“He was.” 

Echo turns to Emeri “You take the kids to the hangar and wait for us there.”

“Ok I’ll try. Come along, we have to hurry!” 

They run out of the vault together before Emeri points Echo and Omega in the right direction to go before urging the children to walk faster in the other direction.

As they run to the Zillo beast enclosure, Omega can't help but ask,”Where are the others?” She fears the worst but is relieved when Echo slows, “They are here…somewhere. We've gone com silent since we got here,” Omega nods at this, understanding the need to be untraceable. They fall into silence as they run through hallway after hallway with no interruptions. 

“After this…I want to be done. I want to find somewhere even more remote than Pabu and just stay there. Maybe we can find wherever Cut and Suu went! You and Rex can even join us. I'm sure Hunter wouldn’t mind,” Omega says to break the silence.

“...Omega, We-” 

“You have your mission, I know. I just want us to all be together again.” 

“Rex and I won't be done until all our brothers are free. If I'm honest even after that I don't know if I'll stop fighting for what I feel is right. There are the makings of a larger rebellion against the Empire, maybe I'll join them. I’m a soldier, ’Mega, it’s what I’m made for.”

“Yeah, but…” 

“Listen, after we get you out of here we can talk more about it but we need to find the beast and your brothers first.” 

Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker knew that they needed to find Omega then Echo, and fast. They run through the hallways and corridors turning corners and shooting the stormtroopers with barely a second glance. “Nothing from Echo?” Crosshair asks yet again. “Nothing!” Hunter answers as the men keep running, finding fewer troopers as they get deeper into Tantiss. Echo guides Omega through the halls keeping his new hand on her shoulder, his real hand holding his blaster. 

Crosshair is starting to panic. Omega is nowhere to be found and Echo hasn't checked in yet. He must have gotten off the ship and be somewhere in the facility. 

Omega and Echo are running towards a corner.

Crosshair comes to a T in the hallway 

They turn the corner. 

Crosshair sees a stormtrooper with a blaster in one hand and Omega grasped by the shoulder in the other.

Crosshair acts on instinct and doeswhat he had been doing the whole time they were running through Tantiss. 

His sister is in danger again. This time he wouldn’t fail her. 

His aim is sure and his hand steady as he immediately raises his rifle. 

The stormtrooper raises his hands as if to try and stop him but Crosshair has had enough, he briefly notices the strange stiffness of the trooper’s right hand but his mind is moving too fast to stop on that thought. 

He just wants to get Omega, find Echo, and get back to Pabu

He wants to leave Tantiss and blow the place to the Maker.

All these thoughts run through his head in a split second. 

Crosshair does what he does best: he shoots.

And this time. He doesn’t miss.

Hitting Echo in the chest. Directly over his heart. 

Crosshair watches the stormtrooper collapse. 

Omega screams and pushes Crosshair away when he runs to grab her.

He doesn't understand.

Until she takes off the stormtrooper’s helmet.

Crosshair can only watch in horror as Echo’s face is revealed. Somehow he is even paler than before. He lies on the ground and Omega puts her hand over his wound desperately trying to help.

All three clones rip their helmets off, dropping them to the ground. 

When Crosshair tries to step forward to try to help, Omega yells at him to just stay back. She sits on the ground beside Echo, he’s practically in her lap

Just this once Crosshair wishes that his hands had shaken.

The one time he wished he could have…Crosshair didn’t miss.

Echo knows he isn't going to make it. 

He can’t help but chuckle to himself over the way that this had occurred. It sounded all too familiar to what Rex had told him so long ago on Anaxes after he had been brought back. 

Rex walks into the room where Echo is getting a final look over by Kix and the other medics. Echo looks up at his captain, his brother. “Finally decided to tell me huh?” Rex can only nod and raises his hand to the back of his neck, his nerves all over the place. “Echo listen, I-,” Echo puts his hand up stopping him. “I know. You can tell me how but it won’t make a difference. He’s gone. He would've been here if he wasn’t. Just, just tell me he went down fighting,” Rex grimaces and brings his hand down putting it on his shoulder. He makes eye contact with Kix who moves to clear everyone else out of the room before leaving himself. “You know Fives, was there any other way?” Rex and Echo chuckle remembering Fives’ personality. “Tell me Rex…” Echo says seriously after a moment. Rex sighs but moves to sit next to Echo on the bed. “In the end…Fives didn’t die on the battlefield. I’m sorry Echo, but he was killed by a brother. By Fox. At the time we had no idea about the chips, but somehow Fives found out. We- I didn't believe him, I was there when it happened and he- well he died in my arms,” Rex says this without looking at Echo. When he finally does he sees Echo’s face not filled with anger as he suspected, but with sorrow? Even a bit of pity. “It isn't your fault Rex. You had no way of knowing, not even the Jedi knew and they were supposed to know everything.” Rex had looked at him and nodded. Echo had wanted to say more but couldn't, internally reeling about how Fives had been killed by a brother, and how he had died assuming he was the last domino to fall. 

Returning to the present, Echo’s eyes focus back on Omega and her hand on his chest. Once again reminding him of another blond clone who had left their handprint on his chest. 

Echo’s eyes move across the room and land on Crosshair, who can’t even look at him. “Hey Cross… I’d say that intel earned your hug.” And suddenly all the men are surrounding Echo and Omega. Crosshair has his hand on Echo’s scomp. He leans over and puts his forehead to Echo’s and whispers “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be, I would've done the same thing,” Echo says firmly and hopes that Crosshair believes him.

Crosshair can’t look at Echo as he stands up and turns away from him, wiping his hand across his eyes. Erasing the tears that Crosshair would refuse to say came. Hunter and Wrecker can’t even say anything. It’s Eriadu all over again. This time they are in a medical facility without their medic, and they can’t do anything to save Echo. Both take their turn to say goodbye and to put their own foreheads to Echo’s as the tears stream down both their faces. They’d gotten so used to crying around each other they barely even noticed it anymore. Unlike Crosshair who was still hiding his face.

Omega looks up just above where Echo is lying. Tears streaming down her face she swears she feels a familiar presence, one she had felt years ago as a young child back on Kamino. She looks back down at Echo who is looking at the same spot, a slight smile on his face. 

“Took you long enough you Di’kut,” Echo chuckles wincing. “You know, Fives, I never thought I'd be the last Domino to fall. Can’t say I’m glad for it.” 

Omega is the only one to hear this. Her other brothers stay back knowing that there is nothing they can do. She looks at them, scared, “Who is Fives?” The men all freeze. They all feel their stomachs drop. She looks back down towards Echo who is already watching her. The rise and fall of his chest is slowing. “Vod’ika, I-I’m… I don't want to go but, My brothers, they’re here. Fives, Rose, Hevy, Cutup, Droidbait, 99... They say I can march with them.” Echo’s eyes are glistening, unfocused. He wants to go with them but he has so much to do here. Omega can see his struggle and pushes her feelings away. 

“It’s ok Echo. You are done fighting, you can march with them.  We will be ok.” Omega’s eyes are full of tears but she doesn’t let them fall. She lays her head on Echo’s chest holding his hand in one of hers and putting the other hand on his chestplate. Feeling as his breaths grow shallow, his heartbeat slows and eventually fades away. Echo’s hand slowly lets go of Omega’s but grabs onto his twin’s. Echo barely notices the lack of metal weighing him down as Fives helps him up, grinning as he pulls Echo into a hug before he turns and leads Echo away with an arm around his neck. 

Omega looks up at Echo’s face. She doesn't think she ever saw him look this peaceful before.

The final domino. Fallen. But rising to join his brothers as they march on to forever.

#the bad batch #star wars #bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #tbb spoilers #tbb #tbb season three #tbb season 3 spoilers #tbb tech #tbb echo #arc trooper echo

[xecutivecucumber]

Executive Cucumber's Thoughts on The Bad Batch 03×12!

Spoilers under the cut

Let start out by saying holy heck that was the cool down episode I needed. My sister watched it before me and was able to tell me that Tech/CX-2 wasn't in it for a significant amount, so I was able to get past my disappointment and not be stressed out during the episode. Yes, I'm still on the 'Tech is CX-2 Bandwagon.' I do think they should have revealed him to the audience earlier, because I have to actively avoid Bad Batch social media (*cough*reddit*cough*) for my own mental health because of the negativity around the idea. It's really draining.

Anyway, on to the actual episode!

Today I realized that I might be triggered by Omega being trapped at Tantiss because of some past experiences. (And yes, if you've read my fics you know that I've done it to her too, but I have control over that and I think the problem is the lack of control I have)

Hi Tech! I love you! Please be un brainwashed soon!

I want to murder Hemlock. I don't know if I've ever hated a Star Wars villain like this before. It feels so personal.

It devastates me that they're going to take Omega's clothes away. Clothes that were given to her by people who love her. Ow.

Also you're playing a dangerous game, not keeping those binders on her, Hemlock.

'Is everything all right, Dr. Karr?' 'No, the Jango parent gene got awakened in me and that does not go away'

Why does Emerie think she HAS to do this?

I'm a little disappointed we didn't see Hunter find out about Omega. He's probably just in 'go' mode, honestly. Adrenaline and all that.

Crosshair is so proud of Omega oh my gosh.

PHEE MY QUEEEEEEEEEN

Oh my gosh Tech told Phee about Crosshair. That implies that had more time than we saw. That makes me so happy and sad.

Phee talks about Tech with such fondness. You can tell how much she cared about him. I feel like I'm watching a widow who's processed her grief but still talks about her husband because she loved him.

Also, looking at Phee, she doesn't really have any implied make up on. She's very natural. Good for her.

...Rampart looks kinda good with a beard.

Okay Tech would find the stunt Phee pulled extremely attractive.

This is the closest we've gotten to the original Batch we've gotten in a very long time. It feels good to see them go mission mode with Crosshair.

This is reminding me of Eriadu and I don't like it.

Crosshair asking Wrecker if he remembered whatever plan and then patiently waiting for him to remember lives rent free in my head he's so sweet.

WRECKER'S THEME IS BACK BABY

Also, Crosshair's theme is played in this really fun way?

Crosshair should be allowed to kick Rampart in the balls. As a treat.

Rampart you snake. Crosshair should have shot him in the leg instead of stunning him.

My sister pointed out that the juggernaut represents how the Batch is right now. You cannot stop them.

Man, it's nice to not to be as conflicted when the TK troopers die, as opposed to when clones were sent against them. Quick thought though, does Wolffe have all the remaining clones?

Man these guys get BRUTALIZED.

Them throwing around passed out Rampart is amazing and should continue to happen.

Okay Wrecker has his knife out HE IS READY TO TORTURE A MAN.

Frick you Rampart. He is the worst replacement for Omega.

Aww they probably didn't bring Batcher on the mission to protect her. (Plus she a half trained dog and it was a stealth mission)

And then the boys spent the next hour arguing over who has to call Echo and tell him.

Hemlock you FOULE you're giving Omega ALLIES. Also why are you telling her all this. She will use it against you.

Gall, I hate Hemlock.

Again, I really needed this cool down episode. Though I'm afraid the final three episodes are going to hurt. THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOW WHY IS IT STRESSING ME OUT SO MUCH. ALSO WAITING A WEEK FOR EPISODES ALSO SUCKS. A LOT.

#the bad batch #tbb #tbb season 3 spoilers #tbb season 3 #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch season 3 spoilers #the bad batch season 3 #tbb omega #royce hemlock #emerie karr #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #phee genoa #vice admiral rampart #mount tantiss #tbb tech #tech lives #otherwise the writers have been extremely cruel #tech x phee #techphee #tbb spoilers #tbb echo

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Ep. 12 "Juggernaut" Review

This episode was certainly fast paced. I wished it was a teensy bit longer because I want more of my boys. That being said, the juggernaut sequences were absolutely fantastic. Everything from Hunter's crazy maneuvers to the TK troopers actually being competent were phenomenal. I loved seeing the crazy ride that our boys took as they raced against the Empire's forces and the lack of road. It reminded me of the tank chase in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Thankfully, both Indy and the Batch make it out (thank you Phee).

Also, shoutout to that one Steve Blum voice cameo for random imperial. He's awesome.

As usual, spoilers below

My discord friend and I both theorized that Rampart would return as a prisoner with information and boy, were we right. I'm just gonna say it, Rampart is hot with the scruffy look. Yes, I still hate his guts and he's still an ahole. But I have a thing for the scruffy look. This is because James Norrington was one of my crushes in Pirates of the Caribbean. I don't make the rules, ok?

Ngl, it was cool to see him return. Prison hasn't been kind to him, but it's clear he hasn't changed one bit. He might give up info out of spite, but his views on others he perceives as lesser haven't changed. I wasn't surprised when he had no clue what an Ugnaught was nor when he referred to Crosshair by his number. Unlike Kallus or Cross, who both learned from their mistakes (and obviously had honor), Rampart remains greedy. Although he offers information, he could sell the Batch out in exchange for freedom. We'll see how well that goes. Crosshair was right to be wary.

Side note: seeing Rampart being thrown around like luggage when he was stunned was hilarious. He deserved it though.

Speaking of Cross, his snark was golden. You tell them Cross. Snark aside, Crosshair is not ok. Even mentioning Tantiss is a trigger for him. He doesn't want to go back nor think about anything related to the place. But we all know he will because Omega needs him. She saved his life and he loves her dearly. But I'm glad Hunter and Wrecker didn't hold it against him. Although, I wished we got more dialogue on that whole situation. At least both of his brothers know that Cross didn't hand her over willingly or what not. And Cross trusts that Omega's choice wasn't without reason. Also, Cross' theme kicks in after his hand starts trembling and he needs a hug. He's been through so much.

The interaction with Phee was also really sweet. Crosshair finally got to hear the iconic "Brown Eyes." And the fact that Tech clearly talked about Crosshair in a positive light to Phee makes my heart melt. Tech doesn't know how much Crosshair has changed, but that love he had for him never went away. I am in tears. I also have no doubt that Tech would be impressed with Phee's stealthy drop off of the boys.

Something else I enjoyed was seeing the brothers work together like to good ol' days. It really reminded me of the earlier seasons and CW and just how much I missed it. Season 3 has been so heavy and dark that moments like these make me happy. Cross and Wrecker using battle plans while Hunter drives was so much fun to watch.

And then there's Hemlock. I can't wait for him to fall off Tantiss and die. He's so creepy and gross. I cringe whenever I see his stupid face. The way he showed Omega the children and was like "this is your new home" just made me want to hate him more.

And Emerie! She feels so trapped between her duties and affection for Omega. But she will choose a side in the end and I have a feeling it'll be Omega. My theory is that Omega will encourage her to help her and the children escape. Emerie will provide assistance and probably be killed by Hemlock.

someone please tell me how Echo is doing off screen. I love you sweet Echo; just stay off screen and you'll be safe. but also come back bc i miss your presence

Anyways, that's all for now. We're in the endgame now fellas. 3 more episodes. I will post some theories. Until next time, take care!

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb crosshair #tbb omega #tbb hunter #tbb tech #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #vice admiral rampart #royce hemlock #emerie karr #tbb spoilers #phee genoa

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

TBB S3 Ep 12 Thoughts!!

Gotta remember to look up what the title means

But starting off with rainy Tantiss and dark music

Setting the tone and I’m here for it!!

Ah yes

There he is

hemcock

I guess this joke is getting old but at this point I refuse to spell his name correctly

Yanno bitch really showed up with an undercut and an eyebrow slit right from the get go, like some well payed criminal

I never noticed that tbh

Ey yo Tech don’t shove your sister like that

The eye contact between omega and Emerie right of the bat got me like 👀

Girls are cooking

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re save.”

Right.

Damn occupied pabu hurts my heart

But hey batcher and hunter are okay

Crosshairs hand tremor acting up in a stressful convo with his bros

🥺🥺🥺🥺

my heart

Crosshair having potential info on Tantiss and not sharing it is… complicated. On the one hand he had the option to save his brothers and actively chose not to. On the other hand it is very clear that Crosshair suffers from PTSD as a result of the trauma he sustained there. Trauma is rarely something that allows you to act based on logic or even your own morals. It puts you in survival mode, not because you’re not strong enough to withstand it, but because it’s necessary. That’s why it’s called survival mode. Very likely every instinct within him told him not to return there and that can be hard to overcome. But he’s willing to take that step for Omega. Severe and unyielding, indeed.

Also, Omega not having that issue, not being scared to return to Tantiss isn’t a show of her strength or Crosshair’s weakness. They had different experiences and have different brains, therefore they process and deal differently. Crosshair is not the weaker link because he was unable to muster up the courage to return before now. He’s simply in a different place than she is.

PHEE AND AZI!!!

“Tech told me all about your sparkeling personality.”

PARDONNE MOI???

I BEG YOUR BIGGEST PARDON

JUST TECH???

NOT “YOUR BROTHERS TOLD ME ALL ABOUT…”???

NO JUST TECH HUH??

SPENT SOME ALONE TIME WITH HIM DID YA PHEE???

Also Phee and Cross bickering hihihehe

They have good sibling energy already (sister in law vibes huh)

Why did Hunter sound like Rex during the briefing?

Like he just put his “man in charge” hat on for the first time

Phee just straight up turning the ship off to get in undetected is such a Tech thing tbh

Obsessed

Gotta watch that again

Beautiful

Oh wait fuck RAMPART is WORKING THERE???

Serves him right

I love seeing this trio work together tbh

Hunter, Cross and Wrecker bring such a different vibe without Echo, Tech and/or Omega there and idk why or how to describe it but I am here for it

“Anything?”

“Yup.” *clocks him* “Clear.”

Baby <3

“You remembered. How touching.”

Queen💅😪✨

“Are you here to kill me?”

“Tempting. But, no.”

FUCK ME.

KING SHIT 👑

Rampart is still a whore then, huh?

“Oh, please. You’re not going to kill me.”

“Not yet.”

GO OFF

“We’re in this together.”

Yo buddy saying shit like that seems like a nice way to loose some teeth

“This is your new home.”

The fact that they left us on THAT line

OW

Fr most of my thoughts on this are Crosshair brain rot and if I wasn’t so busy today you’d get to read it. (No u probably PROBABLY won’t get it another time bc I am adhd and I either forget or don’t have the motivation later so… lots of good thoughts get lost in the void unfortunately)

#cross is really making a run for the pedestal I put rex on huh #still low-key disappointed that he and echo weren’t there today but seeing as this is headed to an attack on Tantiss I can’t imagine we’re #far from that happening #star wars #the bad batch #tbb #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #tbb omega #tbb echo #captain rex #tbb spoilers #tbb s3 #tbb s3 spoilers #star wars the bad batch

[rose-of-the-grave]

Two Can Share

Pairing: Gwyn x Azriel

Hey! I hope you like this. I'm the author(please don't repost)

Masterlist. Read on Ao3

Warnings: kissing, mating bond, getting together, drinking

Word Count: 2,775

Description: After having a little too much to drink Gwyn accidentally stumbles into the wrong room.

Gwyn stumbled through the hallway to her room, drunk giggles echoing from the room she had just left. Tripping over thin air, she reached an arm out to steady herself against the wall. She tried to keep walking but ended up kicking something solid. Cursing, she shook her foot. Trying to dislodge the pain. She had run into the stairs. Hesitantly she took a shaky step. Then another. And another. She kept on climbing the stairs, pausing whenever she felt dizzy. Which was nearly every step.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she made it to the top. And was faced with what seemed to be an endless hallway. She couldn’t focus enough to even see the end of the hallway.

She walked, or more aptly stumbled down the hallway. She counted the doors on her right. Or wait, on her left. Normally she slept in the dormitories with the other priestesses but Nesta had offered her a permanent room to stay in.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 

There it was. Or wait, was it seven doors down? Oh, who cares. It’s not like any of the rooms were occupied. Emerie and Nesta were still downstairs drinking. Cassian was in the capital and Az was on a mission.

Right. Azriel. He’d been gone for weeks. All she knew was that he was in Vallahan gathering information for the High Lord. She missed him so much. She missed their late night practice sessions, she missed talking with him, she missed spending time with him. Every night when she couldn’t sleep she had been going to the practice ring and had gone through the same motions he had been teaching her before he left. The stars glittering above her, the moon illuminating her surroundings so didn’t trip. She missed him.

She missed his smile, and although he rarely did it, his laugh. She missed the way his eyes would light up whenever she got something right. She missed how at ease she was when she was with him. Over the last few months they had become friends. And maybe, just maybe, they were on their way to becoming something more. She needed to see him. She loved him.

No. Those thoughts were what had prompted her to indulge so much tonight. What she needed was sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. Maybe in the morning she’d feel better prepared to take on her traitorous thoughts.

Twisting the handle to her room, she entered her room. There in the middle of it was a bed. A great big bed that looked so welcoming and cozy. Without changing she plopped down on the bed, face down. Reaching up she grabbed and hugged her pillow. Turning over onto her side, she promptly fell asleep.

The minute Gwyn opened the door, he had awoken. Not because his shadows had warned him, the little traitors, but because he had been having difficulty sleeping. In his exhausted state he hadn’t been able to speak. He watched as she fell face down on his bed, readjusted, and then fell asleep. Careful not to wake the sleeping figure, he slid out of bed. He pulled on some clothes.

Sighing, he dragged a hand down his face. Walking over to the chair in the corner of his bedroom he picked up the book he had been reading earlier. Placing a pair of glasses that had been enchanted to allow him to see in the dark on his face, he opened the book to where he had stopped.

He read for a few hours until his vision started to blur and he regretted not finding somewhere else to sleep. Determined to be more alert he put the book down and stood up. His muscles groaned at him.

Walking to the kitchen he made some coffee and a scone that had been made yesterday. Nuala and Cerridwen had probably made them. He bit into it, swallowing it down with the bitter taste of the coffee.

When he got back to his room Gwyn had sprawled across the massive bed. Her red hair was the only indication of where her head was underneath the blankets. By this point rays of golden light were peaking over the mountains in the distance, illuminating Velaris. Pale light streamed through the windows of Azriel's room. The light brought out the strands of gold in Gwyn’s hair, it looked like golden flames, licking against his sheets. If anyone had asked him his opinion on fire it would have been decidedly negative but any comparison of Gwyn’s hair to flames seemed to ignite a warmth in his heart.

His love for the priestess had not been a lightning strike, stunning him into silence. It had been a slow realization that had crept up on him over the last few months of spending more and more time together. At first they had bumped into each other when neither could sleep but after it became obvious that their insomnia was not going away, he had suggested they train at night. It would allow him to teach her his more specific skill set and gave him the opportunity to take his mind off of the previous few months, particularly Solstice.

Over time their late night training sessions became the best part of his day, the part he looked forward to the most.

Just as his love had grown for Gwyn, so too had his hesitancy to tell her how he felt. This wasn’t the first time he had been in love, or at least thought himself in love and look how that had turned out. He had been obsessed with Mor for centuries and it took him just that long to admit what he had long known. She didn’t see him like that. It had hurt at first, but the signs had all been there, he had simply ignored them.

After meeting his High Lady’s older sisters, he had also found someone new. Elain, the middle sister, was everything kind and gentle and it had been difficult to believe himself worthy of her. It had been only right that she be his mate. Her younger sister and her older sister were both mated to his brothers. Three brothers for three sisters. But like Mor, he was just ignoring all signs to the contrary. When the youngest Vanserra had said those fateful words in Hybern it had hurt but it also felt like everything clicked.

How could Elain be his mate? He wasn’t worthy of her and he never could be. 

That night when they kissed and then Rhys had stopped them had only been about attraction. If he was being honest, when his brother and High Lord had told him to stay away from Elain his issue hadn’t been that he didn’t want to stay away from Elain so much as it had been that it had been Rhys telling him to. It had felt like a confirmation of his own darkest thoughts. That he wasn’t good enough.

In the months following everything had been so busy that he hadn’t had time to really think about that night. Then, like a ray of light in the darkness, came Gwyn. They had already been friends for a while at that point but things had changed between them. When he started training her their friendship deepened to the point where he realized that his infatuations with Mor and Elain had been just that. Infatuation.

There were times he supposed when he thought that there might be something more between him and Gwyn. Almost as if he was being drawn to her by something not quite of this world. He didn’t dare to hope that it was the mating bond. It was probably just his imagination.

“What are you thinking about with that intense look on your face?” Gwyn’s words were enough to shock him out of his thoughts.

He had been looking out into the distance, unfocused, but now all of his attention was on the veritable goddess who lay in his bed, wrapped in sheets. Her auburn hair created the impression of a halo above her angelic face. Her eyes met his and he smiled. She returned for a split second before she groaned.

“Ow! My head.” He chuckled. “It’s not funny!”

“No, it’s not.” He assured her, still smirking.

“Quiet. Please. Too loud.”

Lowering his voice a bit, he said, “I’ll get you some water.”

“No. Coffee.”

“Sure. I’ll be back soon.” He made to leave when the sound of a mug appearing on the bedside table reached his ears. Looking back, he saw Gwyn sipping what appeared to be coffee from a blue mug that he distinctly recalled being down in the kitchen last he checked. It looked as if Nesta hadn’t been lying when she said that the House was sentient.

“Why are you in my room?” She asked, blowing the steam rising from the mug nestled between her hands.

“I think you mean what are you doing in my room.”

“What?”

“This is my room.”

Looking around the room Gwyn saw that it was indeed his room. All of a sudden last night came back to her in a flash. Drinking with Nesta and Emerie. Leaving to go to her room. Stumbling into bed. Drunk Gwyn could have easily miscounted the rooms. But she could have just as easily been trying to do what Sober Gwyn desperately wanted to.

At least Az didn’t think anything of it. He just found her predicament amusing. How would he react if she told him that what she wanted most, enough that her subconscious was meddling, was him? She wasn’t blind. She had seen him with her friend’s younger sister. Nesta herself had mentioned it in passing about the two of them.

Pushing the blankets off of herself, she stood up. Still holding her coffee she walked towards the door. Towards him. He walked with her, opening the door.

She turned to look at him with a soft smile.

“Thanks for letting me stay here. It was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.” Then, without giving herself time to think, she stretched up onto the tips of her toes and brushed her lips gently against his cheek before walking through the door. She left him there stunned. Lifting a hand to his cheek, he let his fingertips graze the very spot where her soft lips had kissed him.

He stood there, rooted to the spot, amazed.

Before he could even come up with a plan for what to say he ran out of his room and down the hall, chasing Gwyn.

At the sound of his rushed steps she turned around to face him.

“What…?” Before she could finish what she was going to say he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

He poured every emotion, every feeling of longing that he’d ever felt for her into that kiss. Her smile flashing before his eyes. He didn’t care that he probably didn’t deserve her. He loved her and he was going to tell her in the only way he could without having a way out if things went south. At least if she rejected his kiss he could pretend it never happened. He didn’t quite think he could if he voiced how he felt for her and then she rejected him.

But then, something magical happened. She kissed him back! He smiled into the kiss causing them to break apart. Gazing intently into her eyes he leaned in to kiss her cheek before walking away. Her hand somehow entwined with his pulled him back.

Smiling at her he knew that they would need to talk later.

“Kiss me.”

Fuck that, later can wait.

She leaned in and this time her hands crept up into his hair pulling him down. He met her kiss with equally as much passion and need. All too aware of their surroundings thanks to his shadows he pulled away once more and led her into a room that just happened to be a library. It was a small, cozy room with a few shelves of books, a comfortable looking couch, and a fireplace that warmed up the room deliciously.

He walked them backwards towards the couch, his lips never leaving hers except to come up for air. They tumbled back onto the couch, giggling like a pair of horny teenagers. In that moment he needed to tell her. 

Pulling away to look in her lovely face, he smiled at her low whine. Taking her face in his hands he said those three little words that he had never said to anyone before. He might have wanted to but he had never screwed up enough courage to. She made him feel like he could be brave.

“I love you.”

Her eyes flashed with some unknown emotion.

He hoped this wasn’t a mistake.

“You don’t have to say that.” She said, not meeting his gaze.

Lifting her chin with his hand, he said, “I mean it.” He wanted her to believe him. He wanted her to feel just how much his love for her had consumed him. “I love you with all my heart. With every breath I take, with every beat of my heart. I love you.”

She smiled softly. “I love you too.”

Then leaning up she kissed him, slowly and sweetly. Taking one of his hands in hers she placed it on her hip. Deepening the kiss, she bit his lip. Growling, he took control twisting them so he was above her, careful not to put his full weight on her.

“Is this okay?”

Instead of responding she simply drew him even closer. 

They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t even notice the time until Rhys spoke into Azriel’s mind.

Where are you? You’re already five minutes late.

He shot back a quick, be there in a minute. Before pulling away from Gwyn, regrettably.

“I’m supposed to be in a meeting with Rhys right now.”

She frowned but urged him, “Go. Don’t keep him waiting longer. I have to get back to the library soon anyway.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Can I see you after?”

“Sure. I should be finished in time for our usual late night training sessions. I can meet you in the training ring?”

Not wanting to push her he simply nodded instead of asking if she wanted to meet him here instead where they could maybe talk instead of practice.

“Or,” she continued, playing with a strand of her hair instead of looking at him. “I could meet you in your room and we could talk?”

His heart warmed at her words. “Of course.” Getting up from the couch, he walked over to the door and was about to leave when he looked back at her. “I’ll see you then.” His voice, full of promise.

--------------------------------------------------

After sorting through books and reshelving for what had felt like hours Gwyn was finally free to go. Walking along the hallway to Az’s room she couldn’t help but grin. He loved her.

The door opened the instant she went to knock.

He smiled at her, opening the door wider so she could come in. The door hadn’t even closed full before she was back in his arms kissing him. Walking together, they fell on his bed. After kissing for a while, she pulled away to catch her breath. Her eyes met his and that’s when she saw it. He looked at her in awe, lifting a hand to her cheek, cupping it almost reverently. A thread of gold streamed between them, binding their two hearts together. It didn’t feel surprising, it felt like she had always known. In an instant she saw every interaction between them in a whole different light. Every time she had felt inexplicably drawn to him now made sense. Her entire world had been spinning but now it had snapped into focus.

Was this how it felt for his brothers? He wondered. He was overwhelmed with his love for her. It was the most amazing feeling in the world to realize that Gwyn was his mate. He was destined to be with the person who he was in love with. No more heartache, no more wishing for a mate. He had never felt luckier.

Breaking the silence he asked, “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

“Yes, but only if you actually sleep in the bed tonight.”

He blushed.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“And I’m grateful but from now on, the two of us can share. That is, if you want to.”

“I would love to.”

“Then it’s settled.”

#gwynriel #acomaf #acotar #acowar #acosf #acofas #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #rose of the grave #azriel and gwyn #gwyn berdara #azriel x gwyn #gwyneth berdara #gwyn acosf #gwyn x azriel #pro gwynriel #gwynriel fic #gwynriel fanfiction

[tending-the-hearth]

okay so as much as it pains me to think about it i am writing out my theory about the deaths that will happen in the finale:

first off, getting this out of the way because i'll start crying if i think about it for too long, echo is going to die. they're setting up too many parallels between him and fives, plus with the writer for the finale having written the citadel arc, it's going to happen no doubt.

echo is going to die in the first half of the finale. not right at the beginning, but it'll be at one of the main crucial moments. it'll give us as the audience time to mourn his death before the episode is over, and it'll give the rest of the batch the fire they need to destroy tantiss. emerie's not going to betray him, they've set too much of a connection between her, omega, and the other kids, but i do think echo is going to die protecting everyone. he's going to reunite with omega first, and as they're escaping, that's when he's going to die. my little shriveled angsty heart thinks that it's going to be clone x who kills him, then we MIGHT get the reveal of who clone x is. if it's tech, he's going to trail after omega, if it's dogma, i think echo's death would snap him out of whatever brainwashing's been done, and it'll be just... so angsty.

now onto the one that could go two different ways:

the first is hunter and wrecker both dying together by either staying behind to blow up tantiss, or to hold off the troopers so omega and crosshair can escape with the kids and the other prisoners. either way, i think it's going to be a scene of crosshair having to physically pick up omega to pull her onto the shuttle where emerie and the kids are waiting, both of them in tears, omega screaming for hunter and wrecker as they just face forward to make sure their siblings escape.

OR they could go the other way, and have crosshair die. which would be upsetting, given that he's gotten some fantastic character development in this show.

if he is the one to die, i think it will be protecting his brothers and sister. maybe he'll stay behind to buy hunter and wrecker time to get everyone on the shuttle, or it'll be during a standoff with hemlock, something where he gets one final line in about his loyalty always being to his siblings, to his team.

i do fully believe it's going to be crosshair and omega left at the end of the show, just the two of them, BUT if cross does die, i hope they do it in a way (like i hope with echo) that honors his entire arc and his development.

either way on wednesday i am going to be in so much pain because no matter if i like it or not, echo's going to die, and i don't know how i'm going to cope with this

#apollo god of prophecy STAY AWAY #the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #star wars #arc trooper echo #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #tbb omega

[skellymom]

thoughts on the new bad batch trailer?

(i saw it had come out thru @techs-goggles9902 and couldnt be bothered to watch it for hours and now i have im so excited)

~ Jamie <3

Heeeyyyy, @fionajames <3

I just posted a spoiler...looks like someone is back w/their brothers...*cough* Mosshair *cough*

Please take my analysis with a grain of salt as Disney can post flashback scenes, scenes that might look to be part of a whole sequence but are two separate/several ones to throw us off. Plus these is plenty that they AREN'T probably including in the trailer. Should be interesting if there will be a second trailer for S3.

I don't see too much serious evidence that outwardly points to Tech. HOWEVER, I do see two "maybe" possibilities in the trailer and they are both wearing helmets:

Timestamp 1:03, The "X" Clone Trooper shown in the second half of the trailer. Now I have seen one trooper who unalived himself in the last season w/Senator Chuchi and Rex, so we know there are clones still actively working for the Empire. And, if you look REALLY close, Timestamp 0:36, there are more X Clone Troopers in the trailer scene right before the one w/Omega getting scanned. It's a shot from the top of the room showing what looks like 3 X Clone Troopers and a droid. Could one of them be Tech? Don't know.

Timestamp 1:14, The scene with the Imperial armored soldier in the cockpit of his ship lifting his left arm up. Did Tech steal a stormtroopers armor to save his brothers? Remember Tech's "hand signal" callback to S1? Is he signaling to The Batch? Or, also in Tech fashion, is he flailing because of an explosion as Tech sometimes does? Or, is it just a random stormtrooper and not Tech?

Looks like we get Fennec, Rex, Echo, Phee, Howzer, Cad Bane, Ventress, Palpatine, and Scorch.

The scenes in the trailer that REALLY has me scratching my head:

Timestamp 0:28 shows an Imperial Transport ship crashed and smoldering on a large hill. Is it the same ship from Timestamp 1:07? Faraway shot of several figures walking away: The one at the top of the hill looks like Omega. There is a figure either rolling down the hill: Wrecker? Although, silly me who works with dogs...it almost looks like a dog running down the hill. And a figure at the bottom that I at first thought was Crosshair...but then it kinda looks like Rex with the shadowy person walking next to them on the other side. It looks like Phee's hair. Or did this ship only carry Omega as seen in Timestamp 1:23? Did she meet someone on the planet to help her hide? Someone with a dog (I just remember the wonderful scene with the space puppy licking Omega's face and how happy her laugh sounded)?

Timestamp 0:33 is that Crosshair in the left hand side of the screen walking calmly in the opposite direction (that everyone else is running)? Is he settling a score? Is that Clone Trooper "X" (possibly Tech?).

What does the "il" uniform patches on each side of Omega's shoulders mean. I checked the Aurebesh language keys online. Doesn't match up with anything.

Who is CX-1??? Timestamp 1:15. Boba Fett????

Timestamp 1:21, who is the dude in the white and grey armor??? Wait...OH SHIT...is THAT WOLFFE???

I DON'T trust Emerie. She's creepy. Sorry. Not all the clones are tight with one another. I worry she's in secretly with Hemlock.

Are Fennec and Cad Bane working with The Batch? Or against them? Is Ventress teaming up with The Batch against Palpatine? Or is she truly fighting them at the end? Or is that just two separate scenes meant to look like they go together?

And, something that makes me sad: Both Hunter and Wrecker look older, more aged. They are still so handsome. However, with the stress of what they have gone through, plus their advanced aging...well, how long do they have left? The still of Echo doesn't look like he aged at all. Could it be that he isn't as accelerated due to what the Techno Union did to him? Or were The Batch genetically altered to be so specialized...but live even shorter lives than the Regs?

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #bad batch #clone force 99 #the bad batch season 3 #thoughts and musings about season 3 #skellymom #ask

[iellarenuodolorian]

Gonna rant about a few Bad Batch things real quick…ish

Tarkin wants the Batch eliminated. He’s wanted that since they defected. And now we’ve got this whole thing from Eriadu which makes Tarkin hate clones even more so…I’m expecting Tarkin to play a big part in this season.

The Emperor wants Nala Se to finish up her cloning research. So, in the Celebration trailer we get Rex telling Hunter that “she’s vital to whatever they’re doing on Tantiss”. The “she” in question initially makes me think Omega because Hunter then says “Omega’s been waiting for us, I’m not making her wait another day.” So are they somehow still in contact!?

Is the “she” Nala Se, the chief cloning engineer who is responsible for creating the genotype for all of Jango’s clones and who Palpatine has captured to help make him a Force sensitive clone so he can rule the Empire forever (ya’ll do know that’s his plan right?). Or is the “she” Emerie???? I seriously doubt the last option, but I’m beginning to think it’s Nala Se. And that’s who Ventress is after. And I honestly wouldn’t blame Ventress for wanting to kill her either.

Nala Se will also be a big part of this season. And I SWEARRRRR if she tries to be “good” I will be CONSTANTLY reminding ya’ll that she does NOT care about the clones. SHE IS PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING FIVES 😤😤😤😤 she could have let the secret about the chips out and maybe more of them would have lived and maybe she would have died (because Palpatine killed her for failing him) but THAT WAS HER CHOICE AND FIVES IS DEAD!!!!! I will never forgive her for that.

Dr Hemlock I’ll kill with my bare hands, all on my own. He’s gonna be terrifying, and I’ll be so worked up every time I see him on the screen during an episode. I’m NOT excited to see how dark he is. Maybe this will give me some new ideas about how to torture him as I slowly kill him….I’ve had more than 300 days to ponder exactly what I’d do. It’s a pretty gruesome list. If Cid decides to show her face, I have a similar list for her of what her torture will look like.

One positive hope is that IF Nala Se does decide to switch sides and save the clones that Rex is going to recruit the Batch to help save all the other clones because Omega is somehow the key to getting all of them out and safe and with their accelerated aging turned off.

All I’ve wanted for the Batch to show us is that the clones have ALWAYS deserved better and that after the war, some of them managed to find a small shred of peace fighting for whatever family they found and fighting for a cause THEY chose. Part of me hopes the next show will be the Clone Rehab program and some of them finding a happy ending!?! (can we have a happy ending, JUST THIS ONCE DAVE!?!?) (even Doctor Who has a few episodes where “just this once everyone lives!!!!”)

I will also never forgive them for letting us see Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair working together in ONE MISSION! We got the original four rescuing Echo and the short mission after that where we see them all adjusting to maybe adding Echo. And then we have Kaller, but we don’t get the planning or the initial set up, just the badassery that is them completely destroying a shitload of droids like it’s a walk in the park. And then Crosshair’s chip goes off and everything is wrong. We have ONE halfass mission of all of them together and I feel so short changed on getting to see THE BAD BATCH in action being a whole ass army, just the five of them.

So, Crosshair and Omega might escape, but I still want to know who the 5th enhanced clone is. It’s not Omega, Tech changed his mind in 1.10 about her being enhanced saying that shes the other half of the pure genetic replication of Jango’s original genetic material. Remember, Venress leads another mission on Kamino trying to steal Jango’s DNA code from the DNA vault on Kamino. Omega is vital to some part of Nala Se’s research on making a Force sensitive clone for Palpatine, or maybe something else entirely. So, will we find out who the final member is or was that a throwaway line in 1.1 when Tarkin asks Nala Se how many enhanced clones she has left and she tells him five.

I’m also wondering if Bane will be sent after Omega again when she escapes and if Fennec will be the one keeping an eye on her for Nala Se (like what happened in S1). And Hunter and Bane better not have another showdown, we know Bane survives until after the second Death Star blows up. So that showdown won’t look good for Hunter….again….

It bugs me that Hunter has FINALLY realized that he can’t run and hide from the Empire. Pabu is going to get taken from them, and maybe thats the final straw for Hunter. Echo was right to try and push Hunter to realize that they needed to be gathering allies and resources. If they can keep Omega from the Empire’s hands, that means Palpatine won’t get the clone he needs to be immortal and that the Rebellion stands a chance. And if they have enough resources to keep Omega safe, they can try and relax and give her as normal of a life as possible during the terror of the reign of the Empire.

I read the Legends series “Republic Commando” books before Batch started and had hopes that at least the plot lines of the clone rehab program and figuring out how to turn off their accelerated aging to give the clones a chance at a normal life would be brought to Canon. Instead I’ve gotten nothing but pain and sadness and a broken family. You have 15 episodes to give yourselves a chance to save it all!!

#anxiously awaiting season three with all the anxiety in the world #I’m prepared to scream and sob like I did for Tech if they decide to take any of the other Batchers away from me permanently #trying to be optimistic but I’m such a pessimist that its not going very well #honestly im expecting them to all be unalived by the finale #Emily rants #the bad batch #bad batch season 3

[twinsunstars]

Thoughts on The Bad Batch Episode 15 - The Cavalry Has Arrived - A Discussion Post (PART 2)

LINK TO PART 1 OF DISCUSSION

(SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVE NOT SEE THE FINALE YET! all screencaps from www.cap-that.com! https://www.cap-that.com/starwars/the-bad-batch/315/)

Nala Se heads to the central lab, attempting to destroy her work to prevent the Empire from getting their hands on it. Little does she know, Rampart had picked up a blaster and aimed it at her head. He takes a look at the data, wanting to know everything about Project Necromancer.

Little does he know, Nala Se held a bomb, pressing the button to get it warmed up.

Echo and the clones reach the "training room", attacking the troopers inside. A heated battle ensues while Omega heads up to try and free Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair. She gets spotted by one of the CX troopers, getting caught just as Hemlock and Scorch return. Hemlock releases the poisonous gas he had used on Crosshair last season on the clones, causing them to faint.

Rampart is fascinated by the data about Project Necromancer and downloads it onto the datapad to take to the Emperor to regain his status. Nala Se is shot by Rampart, as the bomb lands near Rampart's feet and goes off, the lab getting blown to bit. Nala Se finally met her end, and so did Rampart.

Like many theories, I was expecting Rampart to potentially do a Kallus and become a Rebel, but guess it was never meant to be lol.

The Batch wake up, attacking the troopers. Hemlock uses binders to keep Omega with him, taking CX-2's ship controls from his arm and his blaster, heading off. I screamed when CX-2 was killed by Hunter in fear that it was Tech because of my delusional self, but turns out it's not. Hunter and Crosshair go off to find Omega.

Hemlock (with Scorch) takes Omega outside to escape, right when it starts pouring rain. CX-2's ship comes over after Hemlock turned it on, but its engines get shot as Crosshair and Hunter make their way onto the runway. Hemlock holds Omega close to him and stands near the railing, holding a blaster at her head to threaten them. Omega isn't afraid; she knows Hemlock won't kill her, and she trusts her brothers.

Hunter tells Crosshair to shoot the binders once the time is right, and Crosshair is scared to accidentally hit Omega. Omega gets the thin sharp tool she used a lot earlier secretly out of her sleeve, ready to make her move. Hunter and Crosshair wait for her, as Omega stabs Hemlock hard in his leg, causing him to break away from his grasp on Omega. Crosshair manages to shoot the binders to free Omega, and Hemlock gets shot a total of six times before falling off the railing, meeting his end.

They had did it. They won. Omega smiles at her brothers, relaxed. She sees Crosshair's missing hands, tears welling up in her eyes. She draws Crosshair in for a hug, as the three share a warm hug in the rain. The three head back, ready to go live freely.

Just as everyone had left, the Empire arrived. Tarkin lands on Mount Tantiss as the troopers examine the mess. Tarkin receives word that Hemlock and several troopers died in the attack, and no data from his project is left. Tarkin couldn't care less; he immediately shuts down Mount Tantiss and moves all of Hemlock's money for Project Necromancer to Project Stardust, funding the Death Star.

Back safely on Pabu, the clones relax, getting to eat many Pabu delicacies. The kids play around with Mox, Stak, and Deke, getting treats and Eva chases the moonyos. Echo and Emerie watch, and I love how pretty Emerie looks as always, especially without her glasses. I'm guessing she can always see without them, they were just glasses that allowed her to see specific things in them like a built-in screen. Emerie is happy the kids are enjoying themselves, and Echo gets ready to head to Pantora to help the other clones. He suggests that Emerie could come and help, and Emerie is willing to do anything to atone for her mistakes.

Hunter and Omega sit with Batcher under the tree, happy that everyone is safe. Omega worries for the kids and the clones, but Hunter tells her that everything will be okay and the kids will be returned safely eventually, and the clones can do whatever they want now. He tells her that they can be whatever they want, and Omega relaxes, falling asleep on Hunter's arm. Crosshair and Wrecker join, their journey of fighting finally over.

Years pass, and an adult Omega heads into the caves of Pabu, reaching her ship. Someone said older Omega looks like Tech, and now I'm crying. An older Hunter sits nearby with Batcher, and Omega smiles, knowing he would be here. Omega wants to join the Rebellion in their growing fight, and Hunter is afraid of letting her go, just wanting to keep her safe. Omega knows, and she's ready to go off on her own. The two share a close hug, and Hunter sends her off.

Omega is ready to set off on her own adventures after living safely on Pabu. She takes Gonky, Lula, and Tech's goggles with her, so that he can always be with her. She salutes to Hunter, flying off into space. Batcher whines, already missing her. Hunter knows she will be okay; she's their strong girl.

I know I've said this so many times in other posts, and I've never been a parent, but Omega is really like the daughter I watched grow up. She was so young and naive in the first season, and now she's grown up and ready to fight on her own. I get teary-eyed every time I look at how big she is now and when she leaves. I hope we can see more of rebel Omega.

I cried numerous times after I saw the finale that day, unable to stop myself from remembering the happy ending we got and my little Omega all grown up, and the fact that my favorite comfort show is really over now. I'm not going to lie, I was writing this and my eyes started balling out tears again, the piano notes in the credits playing in my head. I miss them so much. I really hope we can see Omega and the Batch again in future Star Wars media. For now, the Bad Batch has given us so many treasured memories, and it was really one hell of a ride.

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #the bad batch season 3 #sw tbb #the bad batch spoilers #tbb s3 #the bad batch omega #the bad batch hunter #the bad batch crosshair #the bad batch wrecker #the bad batch echo #emerie karr #royce hemlock #the bad batch eva #the bad batch sami #the bad batch jax #the bad batch baryn #edmon rampart #nala se

[fieldofdaisiies]

gwyn x balthazar | 3,3k words | warnings: none | masterlist

Nearly ten days have passed, and the young priestess now stands in front of the long mirror, her reflection revealing a mix of determination and uncertainty.

But she can see it. In her teal eyes something is glowing. 

Those ten days haven’t been ordinary. They were mostly spent with thinking about a certain male called Balthazar. And with the question whether she should join her best friends in Windhaven or not.

A few days ago, Nesta started to go to Windhaven, alongside Cassian and Azriel, to meet Emerie there and train with the Illyrian females. It is such a great thing, and Gwyn has often debated with herself to join as well, but then always decided against it. She just wasn't ready. 

But things have changed. Confidence has filled her, slowly seeping into every fibre of her body, until she feels ready. 

She is ready now. 

She has Nesta with her. And Emerie. Azriel and Cassian. And maybe, just maybe she will see him again. Him. Balthazar. 

He is Illyrian and will be the new camp lord, so he might be present. It would make a lot of sense if he were. 

Her heart thumps loudly in her chest as she takes in deep breaths, readying herself for the decision she has been mulling over for so long. But it feels so right, and she so ready. She is strong, and won't give up. "I am the rock against which the surf crashes," Gwyn whispers into the silence of the room, her eyes closing. "Nothing can break me."

Today is the day she finally finds the courage to step out of her comfort zone and go on a journey to a place that she won't allow to scare her. It is a place that taught her about strength, about power, and about friendship. And she knows she conquered this place, and will do so again. 

With a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling up inside of her, Gwyn pulls on her Illyrian leathers and puts her hair into a tight braid. She is ready. 

Nesta's face, full of kindness and empathy, appears in her mind, her encouraging words echoing in her ears. 

Nesta and Emerie have never pushed Gwyn to join them, they have always asked her, not wanting her to feel left out, but they would have never forced her to do anything she did not feel ready to do. It is Gwyn's decision, always. If she wants to join she should, and if she does not want, it is also perfectly fine. 

As she looks into the mirror one last time, she takes a deep breath and finds a reassuring smile within herself. The reflection staring back at her carries strength and determination. 

She is strong — Gwyn knows this. She has been through so much, has survived so much, has fought so hard, she knows she can do this. And, in addition, she will be able to help females who live under bad conditions, who this training will help so much. And Gwyn wants to help as well, knowing what it feels like to be helpless. 

She takes one last glance at her reflection, the female ready to face the unknown, ready to confront her fears, a strong, young warrior who has been through so much, but has never lost her will to live, never lost her happiness, her strength. 

"All good?" Nesta asks when the young priestess emerges on the rooftop, Cassian and Azriel also already waiting for her.

"All good, and ready to leave," Gwyn hums, looking at each one of them. 

Azriel carefully extends his arm, waiting for her to take it. He does not rush her, not even when Nesta and Cassian already take off, the general's large wings flapping behind his back as the descend. 

Drawing in a breath, Gwyn lets herself get lifted into the shadowsinger's strong arms — he holds her close but not too close, tight, but not too tight. He keeps her safe, just like he has always done.

"Ready?" he asks, and Gwyn smiles at the softness in his voice. 

Something has shifted in Azriel's demeanour and Gwyn is almost sure that Cassian is right, that it has to do with a secret lover. 

But it is his secret to tell, not hers to force out of him. He can tell her when he is ready, when he wants to. But she is sure, that something has changed, Azriel often seems more at ease, almost a little happier, and yet also nervous, but no longer so cold. It is strange, odd, hard to tell, but something has changed. 

"Gwyn?" Azriel asks, his large wings flared behind his back. He is waiting for an answer he has not yet received. 

Colour rises in her cheeks, and Gwyn dips her chin. "Sorry. Yes, ready." She smiles a little sheepishly, thanking the Mother that Azriel does not possess Daemati powers like she has learned the High Lord does. That would have been weird. 

"Good." He takes off carefully, keeping her safe in his arms as he does so. "If something comes up, or if you simply want to leave, we do so. You come to me, tell me and we leave."

Gwyn's heart swells at the gratefulness she is feeling and she thanks the spymaster of the Night Court, not once but three times, smiling happily.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"Bright side, the females are on the training pitch."

"Downside, they are not training." Nesta's eyes are narrowed on the pitch, glowing with venom as anger boils inside of her. Her hand is still in Cassian's and she squeezes so tightly it almost makes his hand turn white. "I guess we need to change that."

Gwyn only listens with one ear, her mind way to focused on taking in her surroundings. She has to admit she does not remember much from the last time she was here. 

It has all become a big blur, and the Blood Rite definitely robbed her of some of her memory, eliminating other things. 

Now, she is standing here, right next to Azriel, in the middle of the war camp, silently regarding the large tents, the small huts, the bigger huts, the looming forested mountains surrounding the whole area. 

Gwyn has to admit that there lies tension in the eerie atmosphere, heavy and thick, grey clouds draping over the peaks of the mountains. The air is crisp, cool and she is happy she is wearing the Illyrian leathers, they shield her from the cold creeping up her legs.

Gwyn observes, keeping her breathing level and steady. 

A bunch of Illyrian males is gathered around a pit of fire, others carry wood from one side of the camp to the other. Many of the males are gathered on something she believes is a training pitch. And she also sees the females, Cassian and Nesta are talking about. They stand on the pitch, or rather on the side of it, watching. They don't train. 

They are not allowed to. Still not allowed to. 

Gwyn's gut twists a little, taking in their expressions — full of pain and longing. They long to be treated equally, to be treated better. To not get hurt. She knows this. Knows this from her best friend Emerie. 

And this reminds her. Emerie, Gwyn thinks, she must be here somewhere around. Somewhere among the females. Hopefully. 

The young priestess relaxes her jaw, having been grinding her teeth a little to hard, her temple aching slightly. She draws in another deep breath, and the exhales, her gaze momentarily moving to Azriel. Then to Nesta, then to Cassian. She is not alone here, she is with her friends. With her new found family. 

"Let's beat their stupid Illyrian asses." Nesta lifts her chin, striding forward, not caring a single bit about all the glances and glowers she earns herself from the Illyrians scattered around them. A proud rumble leaves the general as he follows after his mate, smirking. 

Azriel follows them as well, one scarred hand on his hunting knife. 

Gwyn hesitates, her feet slower, as she trails a little behind the others. 

She feels a mix of emotions, a blend of curiosity and caution. Her heart races in her chest, nerves getting the best of her as moves. She can't shake the wariness that tugs at her, making her steps a bit slower. 

The wariness is not the only thing tugging at her chest. No. No, there is this other feeling again. This pull, this tug—

Gwyn turns her head to look behind her and she stops dead in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat as she for a moment forgets how to breath. 

Her heart quickens with admiration and awe when she sees him appear from behind one of the large tents. 

There he is, a representation of strength and power. He is dashing towards the training pitch with determination etched upon his features. His every stride displays confidence, his long, strong legs quickly carrying him over the muddy ground. As he runs, Gwyn can't help but notice the way his muscles flex and ripple beneath the fabric of his white shirt, a silent reminder of the power he possesses. 

She can't look away, and that even though she knows the others might have already moved on. But she can't. It is almost like he is a magnet, demanding her attention, her focus. 

And then—

Gwyn's eyes widen, her mouth turning dry as her lips part. 

In one swift, fluid motion, Balthazar shrugs out of the shirt, pulling it over his head with an ease that is beyond her, revealing a chiseled chest that glistens with a thin film of sweat. The sight leaves her momentarily breathless, and she finds herself even more captivated by him.

Balthazar's heart pounds with anticipation, matching the rhythm of his steps on the ground. He is late, sweating profoundly. He has been running for a moment, hoping to make up the time he is late. 

The wind whips through his curls and he brings a hand up to brush them back, before throwing his shirt over his shoulder. 

The scent of grass and mud mingles with the tang of determination in the air. He feels power coursing through his veins, the readiness to push through his limits and confront the Illyrian brutes about why none of the females is training. Haven't they agreed on this just the other day? 

He is not yet declared camp lord, still unsure and nervous, but one thing is sure, they made an agreement — the females are allowed to train. But guess what? None of them is training. 

As he reaches the training pitch, his are steps slowing, allowing him to look at each one of the Illyrian brutes gathered so he can remember their faces for later. 

The cool air kisses his exposed skin, awakening his senses and heightening his focus. With a deep breath, he readies himself, his mind focused. 

"We had an agreement," he growls, claiming the centre of the training pitch. "We agreed on letting females train even when Lord Cassian, Lord Azriel and Lady Nesta are not here."

"Hooh-hooh, he has really grown some balls," Otto says, earning himself some laughter form the males around him, Zave being the one to laugh the loudest. 

"Truly looks like it. Balti, who are you to tell us that. As long as Lord Cassian—"

"As long as Lord Cassian what?" The general's voice rumbles over the whole pitch like a thunder, reaching every little nook and corner, his sheer strength, that of the most powerful Illyrian, stretching out like a dark cloud. Cassian's body is ready for action, every fibre radiating power. 

Zave shivers visible and a smirk graces Cassian's face at that. 

Balthazar watches the scene unfold, hoping Zave will get what he deserves for what he was about to say. 

"Balthazar is right, we had an agreement: The females are allowed to train even when we are not here."

Otto is an idiot because he really dares to step forward, a sneer on his face. "Well, they are on the pitch, their fault if they don't actively train."

"Watch you mouth, or don't you remember what your late camp lord said: I am a witch and I will make you forget your own name." Fury and threat glow vividly in her eyes as Nesta points her index finger at the Illyrian who immediately takes a step backwards, his hands lifting in a defensive manner. 

"Get off the pitch, or stand by and watch. Females, grab a wooden sword, training starts now."

Finally, Emerie appears, clapping her hands. "Come on, training. Let's go!" she cheers as she walks onto the pitch, sword already ready in her hand, determination on her face. 

And so the training truly starts, a wave of relief washing over all the females as smiles spread over the faces and the grab their swords, getting in line to watch Cassian and Azriel's instructions. 

Balthazar steps back, watching in admiration how his sister swings her sword, happiness filling him that she finally actually gets to train. 

But then his gaze strays, moving towards where Nesta Archeron and…Gwyn are. They are warming up at the side of the pitch, chatting while doing so. And his breathing stops, heart skipping one, or two beats. 

Gods, she is just so beautiful!

For a moment the young Illyrian forgets about everything, even how to breathe, his sole focus on her.

And so, he decides to seize the moment and musters the courage to approach her. He weaves through the Illyrians in his way, their focus solely on their training, faces laced in disdain as they watch how females occupy the training pitch. He makes his way towards the two females, his shirt somewhere discarded on the side of the pitch and no longer in his realm of thought. His heart races with anticipation, unsure of how she'll react, but determined to speak with her.

As he gets closer, he notices how focused she is on the task at hand and yet he wants to talk to her. He takes a deep breath, his nerves urging him to turn back, but he fights against them, determined to have another conversation with her. 

Finally standing beside her, Balthazar clears his throat, hoping to catch her attention. 

Slightly startled, Gwyn glances up at him, surprised to see him there. She has not noticed him getting closer, but now he is hear and her heart skips one or the other beat. 

Now she can finally ask for his name! Gwyn thinks, and fights the little giggle about actually knowing his name already. 

In that moment, the noises around them seem to fade, and it's as if they're in their own little bubble. Even Nesta fades away, Gwyn's sole focus on the male in front of her. She straightens up and is reminded of his height once again. He is large, and still there is nothing intimidating about him. 

"May I know your name as well?" she blurts out, her cheeks warming. 

Balthazar tips his head back, laughing lightly. When he lowers his head, he grins. "Of course, Gwyn. 

Balthazar Attas. It is my pleasure." 

It is my pleasure! Gwyn wants to shout, but instead smiles politely. She watches him for a moment. "Gwyneth Berdara. That is my full name. But I prefer Gwyn."

"It is a beautiful name. Suits you perfectly." The grin on Balthazar's lips spreads over his whole face, showing the white of his teeth and making a dimple appear on his right cheek. 

With colour and heat seeping into the skin of her cheeks, Gwyn lowers her chin, mumbling a low thank you.

"I actually got something for you," Balthazar then says. "I wanted to give it to Lady Nesta so she can give it it to you, but since you are here now…" 

Balthazar carefully reaches into the pockets of his pants, his fingers slightly trembling with nervousness. 

From within, he pulls out a tiny, but delicate wood-crafted fish, its details carved with precision. Holding it out to her, he offers a shy smile. "I said your eyes remind me of the ocean and well, it is were fish live, so I made this for you. As a thank you for saving my life." 

Colour blooms high on his defined cheeks and Gwyn is taken aback. 

He made this for her? He made this for her! A little fish. For her.

Gwyn, her hand trembling a little, hesitantly reaches for the fish and takes it into her hands. Balthazar notices that there few freckles on his hands and he when he lifts his gaze, he for the first time is close enough to see that also on her beautiful face there is a scattering of freckles. 

The slight sparkle that breaks erupts when her fingers brush his palm does not go unnoticed by either. "I—Thank—" "Hello, Balthazar," a shorter female with wings and dark hair passes Gwyn, interrupts her, and looks  up at Balthazar with glowing eyes. 

"Thank you for what you do for us, Baz," another one says as she appears behind the first one. And then out of nowhere, a third female joins them, looks at Balthazar and sighs. 

She sighs! She actually sighs! 

Gwyn's brows furrow fully on their own accord and she looks back at the male in front of her, who is obviously flustered by the sudden attention — four females now surrounding him. 

The young Illyrian brings one hand up and scratches the back of his neck, looking at Gwyn, and then at the others. 

"Fila, Natalia, Malisa, I'll join you in a second. Why don't you go over to the obstacle course already and I'll join you in a sec?" Balthazar smiles politely, internally cursing himself for having agreed to train them. It is not about training them, they are lovely females, but he just wants to talk to Gwyn now. It is his only chance to talk to her, it can't end so soon. A little crack appears in his heart. 

"I am sorry, I promised to train them." "Don't apologise, it is good that you do it. You should go over to train them now. And thank you." The words are difficult because Gwyn really wants him to stay a little longer, but she understands that he has things to do — that this is important. And Balthazar, he is happy she thinks it is good what he does, but still, he wants to talk to her and not go over there now… 

"I am so glad that I…found you again. That there was a chance for us to meet again."

Gwyn says nothing, her heart fluttering too vividly inside of her. She just looks at him, cheeks rosy until—

Balthazar touches her upper arm, and it is so unexpected, so overwhelming, so out of the blue that is startles her. 

Colour drains from her face and Gwyn involuntarily takes a step backwards — a self-protecting mechanism. Her eyes are wide open and Balthazar knows he has overstepped a line, quickly pulling back his hand when he sees the hint of shock in Gwyn's eyes.

"Sorry, I apologise, I didn't meant to… I'll see you around." He quickly turns on his heels, knowing that once again he probably messed up everything and that only increases the crack in his hear. 

He does not turn back, not able to stand the look on her face for a moment longer. Someone has hurt her in the past, he knows this, and if he can find those people, he will do unspeakable things to them. And this thought…it both confuses and scares him, has he only met Gwyn three times and he already wants to protect her with his whole life. 

~~~~~~~~~~ tag list: @a-frog-with-a-laptop @brekkershadowsinger @moonlightazriel @callmeblaire @headcanonheadcase @waternymphia @autumndreaming7 @devilsfoodcake22 @readercacau @sv0430 @bubybubsters @cyntia-ktn

#gwyn acosf #gwyn berdara #gwyn x balthazar #acotar #acosf #balthazar acotar #acofah

[stars-n-spice]

Thoughts on s3 ep14!

Woke up at like 12:10 something,, didn't get my usual "waste 2-3 hours to mentally prepare myself" so I jumped right into it once I made my coffee (bad idea)

Once again recorded my reaction so actual screaming will be under the cut!

SERIOUSLY HOW THE FUCK DO WE HAVE ONE FUCKING EPISODE LEFT?! HELLO?!?!

Anyways-

Incoherent screaming and spoilers under the cut!

Why the fuck are they going into this with like no backup and like,, they're just fucking jumping into it. Like I understand because Omega but like CMON guys. This happened before!!

Click here to hear my actual live reaction to the episode

Fuck, this armor is kinda growing on me

seriously what the fuck are they going to do with rampart?? he's literally dead weight

He makes for really good comedic relief though and he had me fucking dying this entire episode

WHO THE FUCK REPORTED THEM?!? DID I MISS SOMETHING?? LIKE I GET THAT THEY KNOCKED PEOPLE OUT AND SHIT BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZED THEM AND DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING UNTIL LATER OR WHAT?!!

Also the fact that they KNOW they're coming. fucking HELL the odds are stacked up against them

THE KIDS :(( Omega having to tell them what "cover me" means and them doing their absolute best to do so

ECHO MY BELOVED <33

Echo in the stormtrooper armor I'm

He has a hand now - "Thanks for the hand" - my comedic genius

IS THAT THE FUCKING ZILLO BEAST!??!?! FUCKING FINALLY!!! NOW WHEN THE FUCK IS IT GOING TO EAT HEMLOCK?!?!?

I miss Batcher :( Where is she? Is she safe? Is she alive?

Crosshair shoving Rampart around <3

"I've changed" - "Sure you have" WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT RAMPART SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH

Rampart acting like he knows Crosshair, fucking no you don't, just because you disrupted his meals like twice a day to call him to the principal's office doesn't mean SHIT

I love Echo so much, he's so cool

ECHO AND EMERIE TEAM UP

THE WAY THAT I SCREAMED BECAUSE AAAAAAAAA

OMEGA TALKED ABOUT THEM :( AND EMERIE LISTENED :( AND EMERIE REMEMBERED ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT WAS ECHO :( RAGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I need to kick Rampart so badly, please, please let me kick him

"we can't use blasters i'll give away our position!" - AND MAKING ALL THAT NOISE WONT?!?!

WRECKER OH MY GOD GOT FUCKING SLASHED HE BETTER BE OKAY WHAT THE FUCK

HELLO?? Rampart getting his fucking ass found. What are they going to do with him now? What can he tell them that they don't already know??? I guess Echo but like-

To anyone who is starting to like Rampart STOP. Because watch him be the Saw Gerrera of this season

Cannot wait to see the kids break out and release the zillo beast <3

Emerie :( "I was doing my job" EMERIE MY LOVE THERE'S MORE THAN THAT

I'm so scared for her now SHE'S REALIZING THERE'S MORE TO LIFE AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF SHE FUCKING DIES-

WHERE THE FUCK IS C-2X OR WHATEVER THE FUCK???? I'M LOSING HOPE FOR A TECH REVEAL. FUCKING HELL I MISS HIM SO MUCH. THIS WHOLE FUCKING SEASON WITHOUT HIM??? RAUUGHHHHHHHH.

This episode was just fucking,,, stakes stakes stakes

Did not get a rest

holy shit

Emerie and Echo are fucking MOTHERS love them

ECHO HAS FUCKING EARS?!?!?!?!?!?!? OK NOW GIVE HIM HIS HAIR AND COLOR BACK!!!!!!

Craziest fucking thing to come out of this season - Echo having ears

LOOK

a lot happened

i'm so scared for next week

this whole episode was fucking action, action, action

WHY DID IT FEEL SO SHORT

SO MUCH HAPPENED BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOTHING HAPPENED????

Ugh

More thoughts are in the audio because I go on like a 13 minute rant but

FUCK <- my final thoughts

#tbb #tbb s3 #tbb spoilers #tbb s3 spoilers #the bad batch #tbb hunter #tbb crosshair #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #tbb omega #emerie karr #admiral rampart #max's musings

[kopfkino-o]

The Seer’s Stone - Chapter Five

Summary: Elain Archeron is tired of being the “lovely, sweet gardener” everyone wants her to be. After losing her beloved, her humanity, her life, she’s ready to claim her own path forward with the help of her friends, Nuala and Cerridwen, as she searches far and wide for the mysterious Seer’s Stone: an ancient artifact of old rumored to once belong to an ancient Oracle. But will fate itself step in to stop her? Or will Elain defy the strings of destiny that bind her and forge her own path forward, choosing her own fate, friendships, future, and love, along the way.

Pairing: Elain x Azriel

Timeline: Post-ACOSF

Wordcount: 3800

Taglist:   @downingg2001   @gracie-rosee   @nivem565 ​ // Let me know if you want on (or off) the tag list for future updates! Thank you all for reading <3

Read:

Chapter One | The Crone’s Trade

Chapter Two | The Oracle of Seraphyros

Chapter Three | Last of Our Kind (Azriel)

Chapter Four | An Empty Seat

THE SMUTTY STUFF - A PREVIEW

Author’s Note: Not saying I’m going to write a Tarqwyn fic, but also not going to say I’m not gonna.  Writing Elain and Azriel together on page was so fun and I can’t wait for where their story here is headed 👀

Thanks for reading, y’all!

- Court

Cassian teased Elain the entire flight up to the House of Wind. He tickled the extra sensitive spot between her collarbone and neck, sought out only the hard updrafts of cold wind that ripped at the skirts of her pale purple dress, and pretended he was about to drop her not once. Not twice. 

But thrice. 

Elain was pale and wobbling by the time he all but dumped her onto the terrace of the House, his laughter so loud and rich it echoed off the red stone walls that made up the private home and stirred a flock of blackbirds perched amongst the rocks to flight. She would have thrown up right then and there on her brother-in-law's shiny leather boots if she wasn't half as much a proper lady.

“Rhys would have never done that to me,” Elain insisted, stumbling as she tried to make for the wide-open terrace doors. 

Cassian’s laughter deepened further. “Well I’m not Rhys, and this is no Riverhouse. Best leave your expectations at the door, sweetheart.” 

“I suppose I should expect nothing less from the couple who allows a magic house to cook and clean for them.” 

“The House is our friend, thank you very much.” 

“My point.” 

Cassian cracked a smile. “Is it just me or have you grown some claws, Lainey?” 

“Always had them," Elain said, throwing a smile at him. "You all just never bothered to notice.” 

With that, she snickered at the look on his face and strode proudly into the House of Wind.  

Elain found Emerie and Gwyn sitting inside, both women were slick with sweat and panting heavily, their Illyrian leathers and sheathed weapons somehow perfectly at home amongst the casual décor and sunny interiors. The former waved weakly at her, clearly exhausted, while the latter sprung up to her feet, teal eyes sparkling and a wide smile spreading across her freckled face.

“Elain! Cauldron spare me, I’ve been waiting to talk to you.” Gwyn grinned, bounding eagerly over to her. “I tried that recipe from baking club, the one with cinnamon and cardamom. I browned the sugar and left the butter out to melt overnight, just like you suggest, and well, the dough looked fine. But then when I put them into the oven, well, things sort of took a turn for the worse—” 

“What she means to say is she almost set our new apartment on fire,” Emerie said plainly, the Illyrian woman's hazel eyes bright and clear.

“Almost, and did, are two very different words. Linguistically speaking.” 

Emerie shrugged. “Schematics.” 

Gwyn stuck her tongue out at the other Valkyrie. “If I wanted a grumpy opinion I would have just marched down to the Library and asked Merrill."

Elain cocked her head at the mention of the High Priestess, the woman and her moods all too familiar to her as of late. 

“I thought you’d finished your last shift at the Library ahead of your trip down to the Summer Court.” She said. 

“Oh, I have, but I still like to visit my friends there to catch up on the drama every now and then. Plus, I just... wanted to spend a little more time there before I depart for Adriata." Gwyn shifted nervously on her feet, her teal eyes flicking toward the wide expanse of widows. “I’ll be away from Velaris for two whole months if you can believe it. Apparently, learning the art of the spear is, apparently, no easy feat.” 

Elain nodded, remembering the priestess's mention of her plans to travel south to the Summer Court to learn the art of the three-pronged spear from the southern court from their time spent working together on the details of Nesta's mating ceremony a few months prior. 

All of the Valkyries who were comfortable with leaving Velaris were soon due to travel far and wide across Prythian to expand their knowledge of different weapons, fighting styles, and battle strategies. Gwyn amongst the ranks of them, and, apparently, the one who came up with the idea for the journeys in the first place.

“I hear Adriata is beautiful, though. Feyre often speaks highly of the city” Elain said. “And the High Lord who rules it." 

Cassin coughed pointedly from where he leaned against the doorway. 

."I've always wanted to travel south and see the white-sand beaches and bright blue water of Summer. And the Spear-Daughters of Summer are amongst the fiercest warriors in all of Prythian. Save for us Valkyrie, of course. But,” Gwyn shook her head, teal eyes dropping down to her feet. “ I mean, Mother bless me, I’ve never even left the Night Court before. The idea of traveling so far is just so... new.”

Elain blinked and a lovely, hope-filled image shimmered in her mind's eye.

Yes, so very new but how very beautiful.

She couldn't stop herself from reaching across the space between them and taking Gwyn's hand in her own, squeezing it once and offering a smile she knew was not her place to explain but one she could not suppress.

"I have a feeling you're going to be happy there, Gwyn. Truly happy." She said.

The priestess quirked a copper brow, her freckled lips parting as if to question the statement further, but then Nesta was sweeping into the room, her beautiful face fixed with a general’s hardness and a goddess’s grace, sword flashing silver at her side.

She paused in the doorway, straightening at the sight of her little sister, and raked Elain over with a critical eye that saw everything and missed nothing. Nesta’s lips twitched at the sight of Elain’s unruly hair, her wrinkled and wind-tousled clothes, the flush of green still on her face. 

Then frowned.

“Why do you look like you’ve just survived a tornado?” Nesta asked. 

Elain threw an accusatory look at where Cassian was leaning in the doorway, smiling smugly as he cleaned his nails with a hunting knife, wings splayed wide and haloed by the sunny terrace beyond.

If Nesta was iron and frozen flames, then he was steel and crackling fire. Two sides to the same coin, honed and tempered by sheer grit and determination. A perfect match.

"Bumpy ride," Elain answered sweetly.

"You're green. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Nesta. Just a touch... flight sick."

Her older sister’s eyes narrowed further. “Well, if you’re going to be sick, try not to lose your lunch on the carpets. The House is willing to do much and more, but cleaning up vomit is not one of them.” 

Cassian barked a laugh. Emerie merely rolled her eyes.

But it was Gwyn who leaned in close and whispered to Elain, “She found that out the hard way.” 

Nesta scowled. "I can hear you, Berdara."

"Perhaps that's the point, Nes," Gwyn said sweetly, tossing a curtain of copper-brown hair over an armored shoulder before turning to Elain and gently patting her arm. "I'll send you those spices you asked for as I find them. But, until then, best of wishes, Elain. The next time you see me, I'll be good and properly trained on how to drive a spear thrown a grown male's gut."

With a wide smile and dramatic flourish, Gwyn scooped up a wooden stave from the corner of the room, brushed past Cassian as if he were nothing more than a mere stalk of wheat, and sauntered out into the blinding light of the terrace and training ring beyond.

"Mother spare me," Nesta rolled her eyes, though even she couldn't hide the smile turning up the corner of her lips. "A few months out of the Library and she's got enough confidence one might think she's the future Princess of Adriata."

Elain only smiled.

A lapse of silence settled between them and Elain used it to glance around the room, noting the changes that had been made to the House since the last time she visited. The once heavy velvet curtains were replaced with light linens that billowed in the wind and light bright, natural light pour into the space. The old, dusty furniture had been replaced with more modern, but still comfortable, outfittings and nearly everywhere she looked a bookshelf lined the wall.

Even the marble of the hearth was new, the stone simple but chic and, above it, hung a portrait of Nesta and Cassian clad in armor and proud atop the high peak of Ramiel, swords raised and heads haloed with writhing crowns of silver flame.

Something in Elain's heart tightened. It felt strange to see this place, this home, filled with so many things that reminded her of her sister. And the new healing and happiness she’d found within it. 

"What?" Nesta asked, the question almost self-conscious.

Elain shrugged. "Nothing. I just like what you've done with the place."

"You came all the way here to assess my interior design tastes, then?"

"No."

Nesta glanced over at Emerie and Cassian and gestured with a slight jerk of her chin toward the open doorway. Leave us, that gesture said. The former groaned as she rose and trudged, albeit slowly, on muscular legs for the door, collecting a longsword and wooden shield as she went. The latter merely winked, blowing Elain a kiss and offering Nesta a look that would have had anyone else blushing red before swaggering out to the training ring.

Finally alone, Nesta let her guard down, the hardened general softening to a concerned older sister. Even the hard glint in her blue eyes seemed to ease up.

"Is everything okay? Your head, the visions?" She asked softly.

"Yes, Nesta. I'm—"

"And Feyre, the babe?"

"Everything is fine, Nesta. I swear it.” Elain assured feverishly. “I've just come to fetch a book, that's all. No need for any worries. Everything is perfectly fine. ” 

Nesta blew out what very well might have been a sigh of relief but then the worry furrowing her brow turned hard one more and the thin line of her lips became a scowl.

"You came all the way here for a bloody book?"

Elain nodded. "I need it for a gardening project. The collection of the local flora and fauna is far more impressive in the library here than in the one Rhys and Feyre keep at the Riverhouse."

The lie came so easily it felt almost as if it were the truth. 

Elain's gut twisted at the realization, twisted and withered at the utter lack of suspicion in Nesta's eyes. Nesta, who she had shared every secret with. Nesta, who had always been there and always understood. Nesta, who was her older sister and closest friend. Elain had never lied to her, never had a reason to, until now.

Until these last few months.

A clash of steel on steel drew Nesta's gaze out towards the veranda. Once that might have hurt her, might have made Elain feel small and overlooked, but she understood more now, could See more now. She and her sister had different purposes now, new lives and relationships that demanded more focus, more attention. Nesta had her Valkyries and her mate. Elain had the twins and her gardens and her ugly little secrets.

"Alright," Nesta said finally, nodding slowly. "Ask the House if you need help. It can find just about anything, anywhere, but only if you're polite. Come find me before you depart. We can take the stairs together if you're feeling up for it."

"I'm not sure my body could physically handle that," Elain chuckled. 

"You'd be surprised what your body can do when you put your mind to it."

Oh, but Elain did know. Perhaps a little too well.

But she merely smiled, grabbing her sister and hugging her tight, before bidding Nesta goodbye and watching, lovingly, almost enviously, as her older sister strode out to the training ring and her new life that waited within.

Alone and unwatched, Elain wasted no time getting down to business, hurrying at once for the stairwell.

The floor above was occupied by House of Wind’s library at the end of the hall with private bedrooms lining the narrow space on either side. Elain moved swiftly past them on silent feet, checking every other heartbeat over her shoulder until she stood before the closed door of the last bedroom on the left. 

She wasn’t sure how she knew this particular one was his, only that she could feel it. Could scent it. She’d never been inside, never even been close, but she knew it in her bones. 

Heart in her throat, she knocked once. 

And waited.

When there was no answer she knocked again, louder now. 

Again, no answer. 

So Elain rallied her spirits, forcing down every worry and fear that warred within her and tried the doorknob. Unlocked. She glanced one last time down the hallway towards the stairwell before slowly pushing the door open. 

The space beyond was well-lit, the linen curtains thrown away from the wide panel of windows that illuminated the meticulously neat and utterly empty room. 

The worn leather couch was unoccupied and the nearby neat column of books was seemingly untouched. No cloak hung from the iron peg in the entryway and her delicate ears caught no whisper of movement within.

“Hello?” Elain called out anyway,  nerves a maelstrom in her stomach.

But, again, no answer came. 

So she gathered her skirts and slipped quietly into the Spymaster’s bedroom.

The scent of mist and cedar and something more floral hit her at once. It was so familiar, yet the space around her so foreign. Elain couldn’t stop herself from taking in her surroundings, feeling as if she'd d stepped into another realm, a world entirely of his own that gave her the chance to steal an intimate look into his personality.

The unlit heart was completely devoid of ash or burned logs as if it’d been a long time since a fire had been lit within it, if ever at all. Nearly every visible surface was lacking even a speck of dust and every single thing within the room seemed to have a methodically dedicated place. 

Artwork hung on the walls, some pieces clearly done by Feyre’s hand, others older, more classic. A long bookshelf occupied the western wall and was stuffed full of books and greenery and trinkets from worlds Elain could only ever dream of visiting. Whirling golden instruments from the Dawn Court, fur-trimmed masks from the Winter Court, and tiny, carved wooden bobbles that could only hail from the Human Lands.

A potted Kingsflame flower bloomed in the corner, healthy and vibrant as if it’d been tended to both night and day, while a collection of seedlings were just now greening on the window sill. A star-sphere and a looking glass sat upon a nearby table, a bushel of carefully dried flowers and a worn hunting tapestry hung carefully above it.

And the books, Mother bless him, there were so many books. Perhaps even enough to rival the collection in the Library just down the hall. They occupied every spare space, all neatly stacked with obvious care.

Elain drifted further into the room, rounding a cutout in the wall and mounting a small set of stairs up to where a large, four-poster bed occupied most the space. It was made, clearly long-since slept in, but the bedding was surprisingly worn, the cobalt and amethyst quilt threadbare and bearing the hallmarks of something obviously handmade.

She found what she was looking for just beyond the bed. 

The large, elegant desk was framed perfectly by a cascading beam of sunlight as if it’d been waiting just for her.

The stacks of papers atop it were neat, the collection of scrolls and tomes in the cubby nearby even neater. A large ale glass that reminded her of the one her father used to drink from held a collection of quills and writing utensils, a fresh pot of ink capped and waiting beside it. Even the small astrolabe resting at the desk’s edge was clean and neat, the interlocking golden spheres polished so thoroughly they shined in the sunlight. 

Elain approached it as if she were in a dream, her attention clouded by her plan.

Find a map of the Prison, commit to memory, and bring it back to Kalla and the Twins so they could help her design a plan for infiltration. Find the fragments of the Stone, find the Staff.

Easy enough, Elain thought sarcastically.

She opened the unlocked center drawer and began to shuffle through the papers inside. Her eyes flew over the papers, drinking in different codenames and dossier titles and reports from spies in any and every court. If there was a secret, it was here. If there was any kernel of hidden knowledge, it was here. None of it mattered to her, though. Her course was set, her mind decided.

The Prison, the Middle, the Autumn Court. The Stone, the Staff, the—

"I never took you for a snoop."

Elain jumped at the low, soft voice and her hand immediately fell away from the map of the Prison she'd wriggled free, flashing instead to the dagger concealed at her side, and whirled.

Only to find Death standing in the doorway.

Azriel was dressed all in black: black knee-high leather boots, black leather breeches, a black tunic with black iron fastenings, black scaled pauldrons with matching black gauntlets, and a black cloak that flowed from his shoulders like smoke, even his hair was fully black in this light, but his eyes were bright gold and his face was flushed with life and color, as if he'd just come off a cold wind. Shadows swarmed around him, snakes twinning and whispering around his hands and shoulders, already murmuring her secrets.

Beautiful. Terrifying. A face she’d seen in countless dreams. 

Elain snapped her hand behind her back, straightening at the sight of him, and forced a demure smile, steeling herself against his assessing gaze until she was nothing more than a trembling fawn. Innocent, unaware, and entirely unassuming.

"Cassian asked me to fetch something," She said sweetly.

Azriel only cocked his head. "Did he?"

"Training plans. For the Valkyrie’s afternoon drills."

Azriel took another step into the room, shadows swirling. One in particular curled around his neck and murmured in his ear, whatever secrets it whispered drawing a small smile across his lips.

“They tell me when you lie, you know.” He said softly.

Cauldron spare me.

Elain swallowed hard, racking her brain for an excuse. “Nesta asked me to help find your travel long. She wanted to know if you'd be back before the Valkyries head out for their trips abroad."

"That's not it either, is it."

He took a step.

"Mor was worried about you."

Another step.

"You lie again."

They were so close now she could smell the wind on him, could see the veins of emerald in his hazel eyes. Could see the pale smattering of freckles that graced his cheeks, tiny constellations dusting his golden skin as if the Mother herself had tossed them there.

“I needed a map.” Elain breathed.

Azriel hummed. “That’s more like it.” 

He reached behind her and gently plucked up the documents she'd discarded between scarred fingers. Elain watched anticipatingly, heart hammering in her chest, as he unfolded them and studied the various maps of the Prison Isle with eyes that gave away nothing. A beautiful, tortuous face that gave away absolutely nothing.

“Why?” He asked after a long moment.

Elain straightened. “It’s none of your business.” 

“Is it not?" Azriel countered. "You are here in my bedroom, uninvited, trying to steal from me after all."

“I wasn’t stealing, merely borrowing. And your door was unlocked besides.”

Azriel leafed through the maps again, hazel eyes churning. Unable to bare the tension between them, Elain eached for the map and tried to snatch it from him, but he was too tall, too fast, for her to even come close. Instead, she found her fingers curling over the strong expanse of his forearm, his burnt skin warm beneath her grip. Their eyes met over the sparse space between them.

This was a mistake.

Elain yanked her hand away, fumbling as she took a step back. The edge of the desk pressed into the column of her spine but the dul pinch was a welcome reprieve from the heat building in her blood. Mother spare her, why did he have to have this effect on her?

"Why?" Azriel asked again, voice softer this time.

Elain sighed. "I just...I need to see if something's there. If something I thought might not be real is, in fact, very real after all."

"You saw something."

I wasn't a question. And Elain certainly wasn't about to answer. She tried to draw further away from him, desperate to put space between them, if only to stop the strange feeling that swirled in her belly whenever he was near, but Azriel only drew nearer.

"The Prison is not to be considered lightly," Azriel said. "The Isle itself is largely uncharted. The land is just as much a monster as the creatures locked away on it. It's law unto itself, unchecked and untamed."

"Right, because I'm utterly incapable of taking care of myself. I suppose you've forgotten it was me who stabbed the King of Hybern just like everyone else."

Elain could see the blow land. Something in Azriel's eyes flickered out at her words, the harshness with which she spoke them, but Elain refused to let herself feel guilt over them.

Desperate to be away from her, from the weight of his sad hazel eyes, Elain moved to shove past him. She didn't need the physical maps to navigate the Prison's vast isle and complex passageways. The mere glimpse of documents was all she needed. Her magic could help her recall them later, and in near-perfect detail too.

Azriel's hand flashed out and caught her wrist. A bolt of static skittered up her skin from where their bodies touched. "I don't doubt you, Elain. I never have." He said gently. "But you just can't wander into the Prison without a plan. There are residents there who scare even Rhysand. Who scare even me. I won't let you go alone."

"I'm not going alone. I do have friends, you know."

“The twins might be privy to a lot of things, but access to the Prison is not one of them. Rhys has only granted myself and a select other few the ability to bypass the wards there. No one else could ever even dream of getting past that sort of magic without his knowledge. Or his approval." Azriel released her wrist. Her skin felt cold without the warmth of his touch. "And something tells me you don't intend to ask Rhysand for that." 

"Rhys would grant me a palace amongst the stars if I asked nicely enough. Feyre too, for that matter." Elain said defiantly. She wasn't going to back down on this, not now that she'd finally spoken her mind. "Besides, I don't need Rhysand's permission. I don't need anyone's."

Azriel chuckled, the sound sending his shadows skittering and warmth radiating through her bones. "I’m not sure I’d call that spelllspinner you’re hiding away in the Library a friend. She’s far from trustworthy from what I’ve gathered.” He said and Elain did not fail to note the sly little smile that curved his lips. He knows about Kalla then. She did her best to master herself, unwilling in letting him know he’d surprised her with that reveal. “It’s not like she’ll do you much good, either way,” He continued. “One mere tug at the threads of those binding the spells to the Prison and your spellspinner will scramble her mind so thoroughly she'll forget her own name.”

Elain had been afraid of that. While Kalla was confident within her own abilities to manipulate and break the threads of magic, the twins hadn’t been so convinced, both Nuala and Cerridwen afraid of something exactly like this. The Prison was old, they’d warned her, and it’s magic older still. Breaking past those wards would be no easy task, especially not without Rhys or someone who carried his expression permission to step foot on the Prison Isle. 

But Elain had hoped, Mother had she hoped… 

Closing her eyes, Elain drew in a long, steadying breath and loosed it on a slow exhale. "Are you going to try and stop me?" She asked him finally. 

“No. Never.” 

“Then what do you want, Azriel?” 

Now it was the shadowsinger who drew in a deep breath of his own. Azriel met her eyes when he finally answered, his voice soft but resolute. “Let me help you, and Nuala and Cerridwen, with… whatever it is you’re trying to do. I won’t ask questions, won’t pass judgment, only lend help where I can.” He said. “You want on the island without Rhys or Feyre knowing? Fine, consider it done. The Prison is no place for recklessness. I won’t stop you, Elain, but I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything in my power to try and keep you safe.” 

Azriel extended the maps he’d caught her with as if he were offering an olive branch. Elain could only stare at him. His words were both hope and heartbreak. 

“You don’t have to face the darkness of that wretched place alone. Let me help you, Elain.” The spy master of the Night Court, the man who they claimed was Death given form, pressed. “Let me face that darkness with you.” 

Elain eased the maps from his burnt fingers and tucked them into the pocket hidden in her cloak lining before meeting Azriel’s hazel eyes. She offered him only one word in answer before brushing past him and striding from the room. 

“Fine.”

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