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May. 23rd, 2025 08:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dustjackets posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
lexiphanicismTechnically 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.
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.
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Date: 2025-05-25 07:42 pm (UTC)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.
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Date: 2025-05-25 08:52 pm (UTC)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.