#panickfic

Jo you've sealed the deal, I am OBSESSESSED!!!!

I honestly didn't want to give af about orm but ffff this hits many sparks in my brainheart omggggggg

I can't belieeeeeve you're gonna make me rewatch the damn aquam/n movies, but I have to stan Orm now!!!

thank god for specialized aquam*n wiki to say the bone guys are called deserters with their own vampiric blood eating habits , but i didn't even think ofc they would inherit orm features!!!!!

marius hiding himself in the sand, the attack instincts, the injured instincts, the lovable strangeness

Orm's love and anger, the whole base of this, I LOVE it!!!

Arthur just seems like a necessary evil at this point lmao like yeah sure but i kinda don't give af WHERE is the father and other children, I love it so 😭😭😭

u really had god tier vision with one jo

As usual cannot do a good ending to long fics.

Did too much research on ancient swineherd life, ancient Greece food clothing etc, and textile production. Saturnalia is a Roman winter festival but the Greeks had a summer festival. At least the Athenians did not sure about Ithaca. They're the ones with most archaeological remains iirc so they shape a lot of what we picture as ancient Greece

I went through your romuluscaps to see whose costumes had the big fuckoff armholes and it was enslaved Silvia and s1 Enitos + Lausus lol Yemos had closer fitting ones. Also his might be sleeveless unlike Enitos'? Idk it was just quick check

all sent! putting response under cut!

Primo's weight around Yemos' shoulders caused him to stumble. Yemos could feel Primo's braids tickling his shoulder, the rasp of his mustache and the warmth of his breath against Yemos' strong neck. Yemos blamed his blush on the wine. Elephant's finest, for his nephew's birthday.

Elephant was staring

We have slaves for that.

You have slaves, Yemos thought. On paper, Yemos was a freedman, and Enitos freeborn. Elephant didn't want to be known for having to manumit his own son—the shame would follow his heir forever. As if the throne going to a child he'd begotten on Yemos when he was still a war prize, then making him a freedman concubine just months before the baby was born, wouldn't be just as shameful. Of course, Enitos being an omega made all that useless. Elephant acted like Yemos had tricked him somehow. Yemos could hardly control the sex of his baby.

######

You wanted to kill me and the child I was carrying to protect your position.

It wasn't my position I was thinking of, but the thought of another man's child in your belly.

If Enitos were an alpha—

But he's not.

Primo grabbed Yemos' wrists and kissed him.

You're drunk. Is this your plan? Put a cuckoo in the nursery as revenge for your uncle taking me for himself?

You should've been mine, Primo said, cock a hot, hard weight on Yemos' hip. I was the one who took you down. I'm going to kill him, and make you empress.

Yemos clung to Primo's shoulders, panting as Primo rubbed his cock against Yemos' wet cunt.

Maybe this time we'd get twins.

Never. I made sure of it.

Primo made a triumphant sound against Yemos' lips. I knew you were doing something.

If you tell anyone—

Better keep my mouth full to stop me telling tales, hm? Primo dropped to his knees.

i've been on a slow fire ever since you sent this (and the other angelos and yemoss asks), the bit of Primo having been the one to defeat Yemos is so fcking genius I fell down my mental stairs holy FCK!!!!!

Full on blank if i'm the one who concocted yemos's conquerer, I had volodymyr from northman as a separate backburner concept I enjoy (but recently another fav became ralph ineson husband # 1 and I think all andrea characters mainly for primo and idris verses is more solidified lol), and Elephant is kinda a fun placeholder tbh, altho the more I personal spin my mind on it, Don Salvatore from Trust fits the bill to me (I can imagine him a bit more bulky bear bod and wow 2 me), and I wanted to keep an S name for mental practicality, so I checked latin roster and think Silvanus fits the bill imo (something like spurius for the 'illegetimate, out of wedlock etc.' name meaning almost came, but I feel og salvatore deserves better, and spurius kinda a dull name to read for my eyes lol).

I forgot how much I champion jealous obsessive Primo 🙌😩😩😩🙌

Fierce Yemos is how I felt for his character, but still having moments of blushes and down bad for Primo MWUAH

'What do you even get out of this?'

Dharlath said Atlantis promised to send aid, there's an illness and they can't lose more of their population

'And how do you know they'll keep their promises?'

Dharlath tilted his head. 'That's your job.'

Orm laughs.

Also thinking for most Deserters they don't do much for marriage, just move into a new home, but for Orm they pulled out all the stops. Antique wedding goblet they had to hastily clean up, the best animal from their herd slaughtered and the blood poured into the goblet. The couple is meant to bite their fingers and drip their blood into the goblet, then drink, but Orm doesn't have a Deserter's sharp fangs so either ceremonial dagger from Atlantis or Dharlath does it for him 👀 Dharlath is impressed his little bride can keep a straight face drinking the blood. Also Dharlath telling Orm's girls to come over and he holds their hands as he drips the blood from the cup, smtg smtg promise to protect and take care of them and that's the first genuine smile Orm had during the whole ceremony 🥺

Dharlath kept his promise, naming Dag and killing the man who tried to assassinate Orm's girls before kidnapping Orm himself

Soul warmed reading this

Orm looked the picture of a grieving widow, if they wore suits of armor made of black metal. He took off his helmet. His blonde hair was still in the twist, and the look on his face could freeze entire armies.

'I had it all planned out,' Orm said. 'Atla and I, we had our own revenge. Orvax would have died within the year. I would be king, Atla my heir. A peaceful transfer of power—deals struck, agreements made. And then you came along.'

'What did you do?' Vulko demanded.

Orm crossed his arms and tilted his chin up. Whatever I am, I am still a child of Atlanna. Did you really think I would take all that lying down? Don't answer me. Of course you did. You'd have known otherwise, if you'd bothered to ask the people you are supposedly rescuing.

What's happening? Arthur felt quite lost.

Poison. I smeared it on my lips. It's been rotting Orvax away from the inside. He could have stopped at any time, but his greed proved his undoing.

Vulko jerked back, horrified. It would have killed you too.

Yet here we are.

Arthur stared at Orm's plush pink lips. You said Atla and I. What did you mean by that?

Orm gave an elegant shrug. She has Mera's powers and my intelligence. It's a simple thing for her to help extract the poison from me.

You involved your daughter in the plot to assassinate your father?

She insisted on helping.

She is a child! She shouldn't be—

I suppose she saw him hit me one too many times and had enough. Orm turned his back to them and poured himself a drink. Or she didn't want the son Orvax was determined to have usurping her. Who knows?

Or maybe she just doesn't want her mother hurting himself.

Or that. Orm raised his glass. To Atla, may the Xebels never find out, my dear little monster.

Arthur realized as Orm merrily quaffed his drink that his brother was more than a little drunk.

In the end, just as Orm said, deals were made.

'You would be dead if it weren't for the poison. As I see it, you owe me.' Orm observed them over the rim of his wine glass. Arthur had been refilling the thing again and again, partly out of guilt for ruining Orm's plans, partly to trip him up.

Orm was crazy smart. He'd gotten a good number of the most important noble families on his side, and some businessmen with the promise of noble wives or even titles. The military was still negotiating.

How the hell did you manage the military? Vulko demanded as he looked at the list Orm made.

They want me to present Atla as his child and my heir.

Vulko's eyes tightened. He later explained to Arthur that in the court's eyes, Orm would acknowledge the line of inheritance would be from Orvax to his children, and not Atlanna. Which was important somehow but Arthur really wasn't in the mood to hear that.

Arthur was more focused on Orm. Orm demanded a place at court. Vulko pointed out there was no role he could fill. Orm told Arthur he was going to be Arthur's main advisor. No ifs and no buts.

Smtg smtg I wanted to throw in a little lecture from Orm on the nature of power but don't know how to work it in. He shows Arthur the pin from Atlanna and asks him what this is, Arthur answers a hairpin, made of precious metal etc. Orm countered it's only precious to Orm because it was once Atlanna's, and the metal it's made of has no inherent value. It's only valuable because everyone agrees it's valuable. Same with being king—you only stay a king as long as everyone goes along with the system. Right now Arthur is supposed to get on the throne because everyone agrees the ritual battle means something. Orm tells him he's not going to stay on the throne, not without Orm's backroom deals, but Orm wants security in return

well aside from trauma and alcoholism, Orm seems to have thing settled ✅

one snag my brain wants to understand, what's Arthur's motivation? I could see the whole law made him new King from beating Orvax, but what stops him from handing the title to Orm or throwing a public match to Orm claiming the title? Orm was under Orvax's thumb, but he's still male and an heir, capable of managing the kingdom clearly, would've took over when Orvax died anyway, has a whole plan, Arthur doesn't even want to be King, so I'm trying to understand how the laws that would've let Orm take over if his original plan to kill Orvax work, but how the same laws wouldn't let Arthur give the throne to Orm or "lose" in combat with him so Orm could become King that way. Does this make sense?

He says she's dead. We killed her.

Orm said no way. She's Orvax's direct descendant you can't kill the puppet queen you're ruling through

And he just smiles nastily and says we don't need her, we need her bloodline. And leers at Orm.

Orm lets him go like his neck was a hot pan.

You're lying.

Your father always wanted to make a little brother for her, didn't he? And pulls out Atla's hair clip.

Orm backed away, hyperventilating.

Arthur tried to reach out to him. Orm, don't do anything stupid—

Orm wails and jumps straight into the Trench

Orm doesn't let himself think of their relation. How she came to be. Her clean baby scent and the way she kicked and punched when she cried—already a fighter even when hours old. Later, how she felt on his hip, the unwanted weight of her, so small and fragile; little hands reaching up whenever she saw him, trusting that he wouldn't hurt her.

&&&&

Oh, he said.

The girl straightened up. Mother. She had Atlanna's look, which meant she had Orm's, not their—her father. Same blonde hair, Orm's brow, her face shape would hopefully be his, too.

In the end, it seemed rather silly for him to fuss over a little girl.

Come along, Atla.

Orm's father had choked him when he suggested she be named after his mother. He named the child Orva after himself.

She took Orm's offered hand and followed his lead into the lighthouse.

&&&&

Vulko!

My prince, you know we can't.

No. She's—you can't trample on her rights like that!

If shes the heir, that would make her legitimate. Which proves that a marriage between parent and child is valid. Think of what it means for future rulers.

He can't.

Think of what it means for yourself.

He can't.

Would you rather have her a royal bastard, then? Orm demanded.

Provisions can be made, Vulko said. An allowance, her own household. She's a kind girl at her core. She wouldn't have trouble finding a partner when she grows up—no one noble, of course, no matter how low—

Orm slammed his cup down. No. She's his heir. I won't have it any other way. I didn't suffer all that just so the council could throw her away like a worthless fishbone.

Have you asked her what she wants? Arthur barreled through the door.

Fuck off.

Vulko gaped at Orm.

She's six. She doesn't know what she wants.

So why're you fighting over making her queen, then?

It's my duty as her mother to fight for her birthright!

What?

I said—

Orm. You said she's the king's daughter.

Orm sighed.

You're the king's son. Right? Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking.

I need a drink. Orm stalked outside.

&&&&&

Arthur does bring up a good point, Vulko said. My prince, I need you to really think. Are you trying to put her on the throne because you genuinely believe it's the right thing to do, or are you doing this because you feel snubbed?

new context helped me understand this more! (also not being so tired as the last couple days lol)

It's Orm, Atla, and ME IN THE CORNER, against the world 😭

'And how hard does he teach you to blow?'

Too much, Mother had laughed when Atla failed to blow bubbles. Like this, Atla. Mother blew ring-shaped bubbles that the little fish swam through.

Ey, not too hard, Atla. Or your soup goes everywhere. Uncle Arthur showed her how to do it. There you go, gonna look good in the royal feast.

'Gently, Atla said, 'because I'm a lady.'

Everyone fell over in peals of laughter.

A black-robed figure stepped out of the shadows. 'I'm sure your mother would be very interested in this story, young lady.'

Vulko. She wanted him to explain the joke. She wanted him to explain why she felt like everyone was mocking her. She wanted him to help her keep her new friends. She wanted him to take the kids out of the nursery.

One of the boys suddenly blurted out 'We didn't do anything wrong! She's just a bastard!'

What does that mean? Atla knew by the look on Vulko's face and the choked sounds the other kids made that whatever it was, he'd gone too far.

The boy doubled down at their scandalized faces. 'Orm should've kept his bastard somewhere we decent people can't see her!'

Atla threw her shoe at his head. The boy made a ball of water and threw it at her. Vulko pushed her behind him, but not before Atla spat a bubble back. She'd figured out how to make bubbles stronger, keep their shape better, and even go exactly where she wanted it to, but not how to make it into rings.

It hit the boy's head right on the bruise her shoe left earlier. Atla was glad to see him cry.

&&&&

'You drink too much.'

Orm closed his eyes. 'I know.'

Arthur plucked the bottle from Orm's hands and brought it to his lips.

'Damn. This is good wine. One thing you Atlanteans got right, I guess.'

'Say your piece and get out.'

'What was that all about?'

'Which part? How those—' Orm bit back the terrible things he wanted to call the Nereus' relations. 'Brats insulted me? Atla?

Arthur looked at Orm sadly. 'I miss you.'

What the hell.

'The real you. The one who'd call those kids spoiled cunts and would talk about kicking them in the face.'

'We all have a drop or two of Xebel blood,' Orm changed the topic. 'From the intermarrying. We make sure to space it out, so the Atlantean royal family doesn't develop the Xebel's gifts.'

Orm stared off into the distance. 'I suppose the—high degree of consanguinity—gave Atla her power.'

'What does that mean for her?'

'The Xebels will want her married to one of them.'

'Orm, she's eight.'

'Not now, of course. But they would expect an engagement to some minor relation of theirs.'

'And what does that mean for you?'

Orm snatched the bottle back and took a long draught. 'Marriage. I introduced her to court as Orvax's daughter and my heir, more fool me. They'd want my direct descendant, born from a marriage no one could dispute.'

Stupid, stupid. If he'd just claimed her as his daughter, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess. There was only one thing Orm could do.

'We're going to the Deserter kingdom in a week.'

Arthur stared. 'The kingdom of flesh eating monsters?'

'Blood drinkers. They forged Atlan's trident, maybe they would have clues on where it is now.'

'You want it for Atla.'

'I need it,' Orm corrected him. 'It's the only way she won't be fostered off, raised Xebel and made to marry some Xebel boy.'

And it was the only way he wouldn't have another man in his bed. Was Orm being selfish, not wanting to marry a good ally who'd help him keep Atla heir?

Every Atla bit, I go 'that's my girl that's my girl that's my girl 😭😭😭😭' in a proud parent way 😭 I'm love her so much 😭😭😭

Plesantly surprised at this relatively pleasant dynamic with him and Arthur! Détente or otherwise, I enjoy them talking!

I'm soooo 👀👀👀 at Orm's plans for Deserter Kingdom, his knowledge, what might come, omg 👀👀👀 marriage laws about to be shook? 👀👀👀 either way 👀👀👀👀

wait let me cry about the 1 1/2 senences of peace of Orm blowing bubbles with his daughter 😭😭😭

Lapping this up Jo ❤️