(no subject)

[dustjackets]

Technically speaking, the Arcadian Archive is an autonomous, neutral entity. It's existed in Wellish territory since before Wellin even existed, and will continue to exist well after Wellin is gone. The Librarian, archivists, and other staff come from all over the world. Any person or organization from any nation may submit a request to access the knowledge stored within, and the power to grant or deny such requests rests solely in the hands of the Librarian.

Practically speaking, the Archive depends a lot on the Wellish government. They need homes to live in. Gardens to grow food in. Markets to purchase the things they can't grow or make themselves. Freedom to travel to and from the Archive. A treaty with an old king of Wellin ensured them all of these things.

But the Archive will exist even when Wellin is gone, and Wellin is gone now.

It's not an immediate disaster. No one can access the Archive without explicit permission from Aspen or his designated proxies, and he's already confiscated and destroyed all the seals granting the staff proxy powers. The chaos that comes with annexing a foreign government has prevented anyone from Caria from immediately descending upon the Archive. The staff has enough stockpiled supplies to last them months.

But Aspen knows it's only a matter of time. He might be all-powerful within the Arcadian Archive, but he and his staff are just people. Humans. They have homes they need to return to, loved ones they want to see, illnesses that must be tended to. Weaknesses that can be exploited. Weaknesses that will be exploited, as soon as their new 'rulers' identify them.

Aspen's status as an omega—an unmarried, unmated omega, at that—will only complicate things. He wouldn't call the treatment of omegas in Wellin perfect, but he knows it's going to get much, much worse once once the laws and cultural norms of their conquerors take root. He needs a solution, and fast.

So he seals the Archive, engaging an old spell that allows anyone to exit, but prevents them from reentering until he deactives the spell. And then he leaves. He only brings Zachariah, an old alpha that's been guarding the Archive since the days of Aspen's master, with him for protection; he's a reliable and loyal man, and the only one Aspen trusts to not try to stop him. Together, they travel to Caria's capital and to the headquarters of the only group more dangerous than Caria's government.

The man Aspen talks to, whom he assumes is one of the higher ups in this syndicate, seems suspicious and wary at first. Aspen can't really blame him. But the explanation he offers ends up being simple:

"I'd rather criminals have more influence over me than your government. Don't you feel the same way?"

He does, especially when all Aspen asks for in return is that the syndicate ensures that the Archive receives the same protections from Caria that they did from Wellin.

Offer accepted, the man starts to immediately babble on about the importance of legitimacy, and how they'll have to do things properly if they want the Carian government to buy it. Aspen tenses. He knows what that means but... he'd been ready for that. So he agrees, and he's immediately whisked away to some small apartment deeper within the synidcate home. There he's invited (or, well, ordered) to make himself comfortable and wait.

And wait he does. Zachariah is allowed to stay nearby, at least, and there's several in the apartment's small sitting room. He's brought lunch and even afternoon tea (but beta servants, he notes, who seem puzzled and even put off by how frankly he directs and thanks them). Still, it makes for a long, slow, and tense period of waiting.

Then, as the sun is starting to set, the door finally opens. Whoever it is doesn't knock like the servants or Zachariah did, which tells Aspen all he needs to know. He takes a deep breath, then climbs to his feet and turns to face whoever has come to greet him.

Comments

[totenklage]

"I... I will try." But he doesn't really know what will happen, really. Not after the infusing drink. He has witnessed a few rituals, he has seen alphas going absolutely feral in front of the omega they were destined to mate. Milo trusted his criteria, his empathy, his good heart despite all the years inside the syndicate, but he didn't know what will happen once the ritual will start. "But..." How sincere he can be, really. How he's supposed to explain someone he's known for less than ten minutes, someone he's supposed to mate, that this favour the syndicate is making them it's just a fucked up test to him. That if he fails, that any little mistake, would be fatal, and what worries Milo the most is that, there's also Aspen to worry about too. If he starts making mistakes, would the omega being used as a warning as well? A phantom pain in the tight scar of his eye seemed to taunt him, it made close his other eye with a sigh. When he opened it again, his whole expression was sombre. "I will make anything that's in my power to make it as quick as I possibly can." That's all he can offer, and he hopes that for now, Aspen will believe him.

"A-Ah." Fuck. He starts fidgeting, the more he's speaking about this, the more the strong alpha façade is breaking. He doesn't know how to explain this without sounding cruel, without sounding like a monster in front of the other. He hates every part of this ritual as much as he could and he hoped Aspen he could at least feel it. "Omegas don't have much of a saying in the ritual, only alphas can witness it. Only alphas can bring guests." Betas could be an exception, too neutral for being a real threat, so he could come sometimes, if they were invited. And that's probably the reason why the details aren't wildly known, omegas only know when they are part of the ritual, after all. "I... T-The person who was here, with you. I will, I will invite him myself." He doesn't know who he is. Too old to be Aspen's actual lover, but who knows? What he's sure about it's that he's not going to leave Aspen alone in the ritual with no real allies with him. "I mean... If you want to."

[dustjackets]

'I will try' is about as much as Aspen can expect. It's not encouraging, though. He's picked up by now that Milo is... a bit unusual for an alpha. His scent, his hesitant way of speaking, the way he stammers, the careful distance he keep between himself and Aspen, all of these set him apart from even the most polite and sedate alphas Aspen knows. Zachariah was more of an implacable wall than a storm, and Ivy had been charismatic rather than forceful. That might bode well for Milo's treatment of Aspen, but he can't imagine that an alpha with this sort of attitude fairs well in Carian society.

Maybe this was a mistake after all—but it's too late to back out now. Aspen listens to Milo's explanation, filing his words away. He wishes he had a pen, but even if he did he's not sure it's worth risking writing anything down. Not where Milo or the rest of the syndicate might see, at least. But later, when he has a chance to spread the news to the Wellish omegas before they're caught off guard by the demands of Carian society...

"His name is Zachariah," Aspen explains. He inclines his head again, as close to a proper bow as he can manage when he's sitting down. "And I would deeply appreciate it if he was invited to the ritual."

Zachariah can't save him from the ritual itself, Aspen is sure, but his presence might be enough to deter anyone from trying anything outside of the bounds of the ritual. Aspen's heard enough horror stories of omegas being 'taken' from weak alphas. He has no idea how true they are, but now's not the time to risk it.

"How soon will they expect us to conduct the ritual? And is there anything expected from me until then?"

[totenklage]

He smiles faintly, and nods. Zachariah, a friend, or at least someone Aspen wants to keep close to him. Milo will try not to make him feel isolated, even if mated omegas aren't supposed to pursue relationships beyond the ones with their mate. "Don't worry, I will make sure he's there."

"I know..." He looks at him again, and bring himself slightly closer. He doesn't know how to be comforting in a situation like this. He doesn't know how he's supposed to balance the image he's supposed to portray while making sure that Aspen understands that if possible he will make anything to keep him safe. "I know this is a lot, and that it sounds unpredictable but the sooner, the better. The process, it's pure bureaucracy, but the syndicate has the means of accelerating the waiting time." As it has with anything else. It's just, if Milo doesn't claim him right away, it will be seen not only as insurgence but as a sign of weakness inside the syndicate. He knows that no alpha could challenge his claim on Aspen since this was a pact with the older and the syndicate, but he doesn't want to risk any chances. The sooner they start the process, the better. "If... If you want more details of the ceremony... Of... Just... Anything that will make you feel more certain, I will answer them to the best of my capabilities."

"Nothing... is really expected from you." There's not a lot that's expected from omegas in the carian society, sadly. "As, as your alpha, I am the one who submits the mating petition and wait for the resolution, the one who just handles the entire process but..." With all the effort he can muster, he closes the distance between them, and grabs Aspen by the back of his neck. It's a typical display on alpha's power and domination, a proper way to treat omegas, but for Milo, it's just an excuse to get closer to him, so he can whisper into his ear. The older can feel how his grip is not even tight, his fingertips shivering. "There's nothing I would do that you don't want to, but it's hard to speak here, in the syndicate. Everything has eyes, and ears. I know... I know it doesn't seem like much, but I am asking you to trust me in the meantime."

[dustjackets]

"Thank you." Zachariah being there won't be much more than a metaphorical security blanket, but Aspen will take what he can get at this point.

Milo moving closer would be expected of any alpha, and in fact most would already be well inside Aspen's physical space at this point. So the fact that he does catches Aspen off guard. Aspen is already sitting up straight, but he manages to go even more tense at the gesture. He stays where he is, though, tipping his head back to maintain eye contact with Milo. He listens, attentive as ever, and finally drops his gaze again. It's a thoughtful gesture, however, his brow furrowed and one hand moving to hold his chin. So they can either rush into it, or they can try to delay it. Neither option seems particularly good, but—

The hand on the back of his neck brings Aspen's thoughts screeching to a halt. Aspen can feel how loose and shivery Milo's grip is. In turn, Milo can certainly feel how stiff Aspen is under his hand. Two different impulses are at war inside him. His training tells him to throw the hand off, stand up, and put distance between himself and Milo. Aspen has spent more than a decade dealing with some of the most powerful people in the world, alphas with enough personal force to bring other alphas to heel. Multiple times he's looked those people in the eye and told them no, their request for access to the Arcadian Archive was denied, and stood firm in the face of their attempts to convince or coerce him to change his mind.

But the simpler, baser instincts him tell him that this is right. That he should yield. That this is supposed to happen, and that having the hand on him like this is what he wants and needs. That impulse has him going still, has his breath catching in a tiny gasp before he forces himself to breath steadily again. He barely manages to process Milo's words.

Trust, huh? There's no way that can exist between them, he thinks. But... perhaps they can have something like it. But Aspen hates that he can't be sure how much of that decision is logic, and how much of that is because the hand on his neck makes him want to agree with Milo.

"... I understand," he finally murmurs, voice soft. "In that case, please submit the request as soon as possible."

He wants to get this over with and return to the Archive as fast as he can.

[totenklage]

When he feels Aspen tense up so much under his hand, he immediately regrets it grabbing him without his permission. He thinks of moving away, but he knows it will just confuse the older further. It was just the only idea he came up with for being able to talk to him with sincerity. It feels like an eternity until Aspen speaks, and when he does, he releases a shaky breath, and some of the intense tension he has been building up has dissipated. He really wants Aspen to trust him, to see him as someone reliable, who will try to protect him as much as he could while the whole situation develops. After they are finally mated, another situations will arise, but their status as a mated couple will ease, at least, the communication with each other, the chances of being alone, the understanding of each other's feelings. "Thank you, Aspen."

He releases his neck, and moves away, and when he stares at the older, there's a faint smile on his lips, visibly less tense. He looks younger when he's smiling and he's relaxed, once you past the half hidden scar under his eyepatch. "If I submit it tomorrow, there are chances there will be a response within a few weeks." He hopes that will give enough time for Aspen to prepare himself, gather his thoughts, sort the relationships will have. But the good thing it's that the moment he submits it, it will become official, the move will be registered by the syndicate, and it will buy Milo his own time too.

"W-We can see each other during that time, if, only if you want." He knows he's supposed to say he wants and will see Aspen whenever and wherever he desires to, but can't even bring himself to think about it. Or say it out loud. "But we cannot see each other the day before the mating ceremony, omegas go through a cleansing ritual. I-I am not... certain about the details about it, it's a private ceremony lead with the high priest and priestess in the obsidian temple... all I know it's that involves water." Because in Caria's belief system alphas are beings of fire and omegas are beings of water, the only subgender who can cancel out and properly control alpha's fiery dispositions are the omegas, with their calming nature. Matings of alphas and betas were discouraged, and two alphas were considered sacrilege, even between male and female couples, most of the bitching horror stories Milo has heard since he was a child has involved alpha couples.

[dustjackets]

First a please, and then a thank you. This meeting is getting more and more confusing with each passing second. Aspen keeps his head bowed for a moment when Milo finally releases him, and when he lifts his gaze again it's only cautiously. But he sees Milo smile, and while Aspen doesn't relax he does at least accept that things are probably fine for now.

He's not exactly thrilled to hear it might take weeks for the request to go through, however, and a faint frown creases his brow. That would give him time to try to look into this 'cleansing ritual', at least, but the idea of being stranded here that whole time is... disquieting.

"Am I—" he begins, and then he cuts himself short. Aspen can see that Milo is at least trying to help him out. Give him space, warn him about what's coming, allow him what little autonomy he can. Aspen can tell just by looking at him that Milo has lived a hard life, and he suspects at least some of that came from the syndicate itself. Milo has asked Aspen to trust him. Aspen figures he can at least show himself as someone who can be trusted in turn.

"That is," he tries again. "Would it be acceptable for me to return to the Archive in the meantime?"

It's not just a question as to whether or not Aspen is allowed. It's a question as to whether or not it's safe for Milo to allow him to leave at all.