#wreckingcrewbash2025

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In Dragonfire Wingstop, a lazy afternoon reigned. The lunch rush hadn’t yet begun, and it was way too early for the evening regulars. The tables were occupied either by tourists lured by the “local flavour” of the cheap eatery, or by those who knew what lay beneath the surface of this place — beyond just beer and hot wings.

Take Elek Tavor, for instance: a black‑hat hacker from Minrathous, one of the big fish in the Thread syndicate. The Venatori had been cracking down hard on smugglers lately, so Elek was laying low at Wingstop, waiting for the dust to settle.

Zea set his order down — vanilla ice cream and fries he liked to combine — and tried to peek over his shoulder at the screen of his smartglass.

“Curiosity killed the cat”, Elek warned her with a scowl.

He was amusing. Zea, of course, had tried to scan him first thing — and DEMON hadn’t detected a single implant in the charming shorty’s body. In these times, he was something of a griffon.

Zea raised her hands — not poking! — and moved to the next table to wipe it down after the morning patrons. Being a waitress had never been on her death‑wish list, but sitting idle was unbearable. Actually, Gladius had noticed her restlessness the very next day and suggested she pick up a few shifts at the bar. 

Zea grabbed a tray loaded with empty mugs and plates, and, swaying to Juanes’ A Dios Le Pido, carried it to the dish window.

“Table four, nine, and eleven — another pair of beers”, she smiled sweetly at Gladius and duplicated the order to the terminal. “And a kiss for a pretty girl.”

The kiss was electrifying: adrenaline from last night’s run still surged through Gladius’s blood. Zea savoured it, licking his lip playfully before letting go.

z34>> hmm, you're hot 5W0RD>> says the hottest one in here

He was funny and easygoing, open without any hidden motives — so different from everything she’d ever known. When he noticed that Zea was listening to the same song on repeat for what felt like the thousandth time, he slipped her his go‑to rock playlists — the ones he really loved. In the evenings, he patiently explained the rules of lacrosse so she could follow the games on the big screen. He even introduced her to the Shadows, giving the rejected cyborg a chance to let off steam and return to work she knew well.

Her tasks were simple: escort duties, small errands, delivering information — unchallenging assignments meant for newcomers, rookies, fledglings. Yet it was far more than Zea could have ever hoped for.

She had finally learned how the bar’s “special” worked. They’d escorted a married couple — a woman in her final month of pregnancy and a nervous guy with wild eyes — and it had been far more exciting than ferrying beer to tables and scanning patrons. Zea hadn’t dug into what exactly those two had managed to pull off, but the tail they’d picked up was nearly as persistent as the one that followed her — and also accompanied by a strange creature DEMON couldn’t identify. That hadn’t stopped them from killing it, though.

z34>> maybe we should break for lunch?

Gladius nodded absently, his gaze fixed past her — toward the door. Zea turned around and arched an eyebrow involuntarily.

In the doorway stood a striking beauty with bright green hair, clad head to toe provocatively in white leather. Tall, curvaceous, and fully aware of the magnetic pull her presence commanded. Her sharp black eyes swept the bar, running a silent threat‑assessment scan on every patron. Just in case, Zea flicked on intrusion countermeasures — lacing the perimeter with a pair of seductive little viruses, nestled like traps at every digital threshold.

The beauty locked onto Gladius’s imposing figure, and gave him a broad smile. “Hey, handsome!”

Z34: Target assessment DEMON: Species: Human Mage DEMON: Specialization: BLIZZARD DEMON: PRIMARY ABILITIES DEMON: Cryokinesis [Innate] DEMON: Blood‑freeze protocol [range: 5 m, latency: 0.3 s] DEMON: Sub‑zero aura [passive, radius: 3 m] DEMON: Temporal Dilation [Implant‑Assisted] DEMON: Local time‑slow field [duration: 10 s, cooldown: 50 s] DEMON: Requires neural sync with cryo‑implants [risk of synaptic frost‑burn] DEMON: PHYSICAL MODIFICATIONS DEMON: Right Tibial Prosthesis DEMON: Integrated coolant reservoir [capacity: 120 units] DEMON: Reinforced alloy frame [resistant to thermal shock] DEMON: Secondary cryo‑emitter at ankle [stealth activation] DEMON: Overall Threat Level: 8.7/10 [High‑Priority Target] DEMON: TAG TARGET Y/N Z34: No Z34: Tag as neutral DEMON: Neutral status confirmed

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Neve’s information flooded his channels a good moment before she stepped into the bar. Her own Shadow Dragon subroutines executed a negotiation with the various systems scattered throughout the bar, fine tuned to her own status and the latest ciphers. Thankfully, Gladius had his HUD set to filter to all but the essentials.

ALERT: Shadow Dragon Protocols updated UPDATE: [SDP] Agent Gallus in proximity STATUS: [SDP] Privacy screening requested. Y/N 5W0RD: yes 5W0RD: active immediately, duration 1 hour

DRGNFRW>> Full Auto-Tender Service Activated for Dragon Fire Wingstop DRGNFRW>> Special! All kiosk orders 15% off for the next hour!STATUS: [SDP] Alert level green. STATUS: [SDP] Privacy screening active. ALERT: [SDP] Unknown Feed [Z34] Detected. Add to SDP? Y/N

Gladius chose yes, and folded Zea’s public feed into the Shadow Dragon protocols, granting her access to whatever information Neve could share openly. The mage would need to allow any more access than that, but he wasn’t too worried on that front. The auto-tender routines for the bar kicked in like they did around this time every day when he took a break, and if it was a little early, there weren’t really enough patrons to complain.

“Neve! Just in time!” Gladius waved, catching Elek’s eye in the background. The Thread gave him a nod and started to move to a table further back. “We were just about to break for lunch anyway. C’mon into the bar.”

Zea sighed — it was definitely not her idea of a break, but she’d already learned Gladius was a friend to literally everyone and shared his time with friends freely. She had to create a subroutine that limited her neurotransmitters — quite frequently, to be honest — as a reaction to his “friendly” status. Very helpful in cases like this one.

Neve gave a quirk of her eyebrow as the Thread rearranged himself elsewhere, but didn’t comment as she approached and sat down at the bar. Gladius already had a cold glass of beer ready as she sat down. The door slid closed between the bar and the rest of the restaurant, clear glass now shaded to a light fog that obscured the room from prying eyes.

“Who’s the new hire?” Neve flicked her eyes to Zea, giving another smile as she took a sip.

“Zea, this is Neve Gallus.”

“Hi,” Zea smiled at Neve, pretty naturally, and gave her a wave of her hand.

Gladius didn’t need to look at his sensor read-outs to know that the two women were sizing each other up, in the flesh and otherwise. He couldn’t even imagine what that looked like between a mage and a cyborg, especially one as complicated as Zea. And her DEMON.

“She’s been picking up a couple of shifts. We’ve been a bit short-handed lately, especially for the overnight prep work.”

“Well, I can’t really help with that, but I think I might have some extra work you’d be interested in anyway,” Neve pulled out a slim datapad from a concealed pocket and placed it on the bar. Immediately, sound dampened from outside the room, and a hologram projected up about a foot above, traced in glowing green, blue, and red. “I heard you’re trying to trace down an old flame. I think I found her.”

[SDP] Z34>> old flame? [SDP] 5W0RD>> zara renata [SDP] 5W0RD>> been seeing if some of my old contacts have anything [SDP] 5W0RD>> if anyone can find some trace of her it’s neve

Gladius divided his feeds, so there was a central chat for this meeting for three of them as they looked at what Neve brought, with some added layers of encryption, and saw Neve and Zea both nod as it kicked in.

Gallus>> you sure about including your friend? Gallus>> her employers must be looking for her Gallus>> not sure if you’re aware of her extra passenger 5W0RD>> she’s solid, it’s fine 5W0RD>> they cut her loose

“ZAZIkel opened up a few months ago, and has been the hottest club on the millionaire mile in Vyrantium ever since,” Neve looked down at the hologram, which was a 3D rendering of a building Gladius recognized from when it used to be Death’s Door, a pretty exclusive Goth Club a few years back.

“Is it a front?” Zea asked, leaning over to tab the projection with her finger, zooming in on the first floor where most people would enter.

“Hard to say,” Neve nodded approvingly. “The rich children of Altus families love the place, and we know some of them are Venatori, so it’s more than possible. It looks like it is a legitimate business to an extent, much like this bar. They’re doing enough business to stay open on their own, so it isn’t just a front, even if it does provide cover for shadier things.”

“So, they offer some additional services,” Gladius stated, wanting to cut to the point. “What do you have?”

[SDP] 5W0RD>> not sure what this has to do with zara [SDP] 5W0RD>> no complaints though [SDP] Gallus>> her old research came up when i was digging [SDP] Gallus>> looks like bataris is giving it new life [SDP] Gallus>> might be nothing, but might lead us to her

“‘Bataris Holdings’ seems to have acquired a few things that don’t belong to them, including the indenture protocols for a large number of the workers at the textile factories in Dock Town,” Neve looked him in the eye, and he could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface. “They have that, some information on the more borderline research Zara Renata was into before she took off, and some sort of incredibly infectious variant of the Red Lyrium virus. The idiots are trying to use the virus as leverage in a power play, not understanding it will eat them alive.”

“Why not let them?” Zea asked, genuinely curious why anyone would want to stop the Venatori from hurting themselves. “They’re just going to do our work for us.”

“They always make sure everyone else gets hurt first,” Neve replied with a sigh of understanding. “If I knew it would only be their problem, I might let them have it, but I know these idiots too well. They don’t test this stuff out on themselves, and I don’t want anyone else to get caught up in their experiments.”

Red Lyrium was a brutal thing. It was nearly impossible to defend against, and within mere days it would destroy or rewrite implants first, then organic tissue. Zea had seen footage of Orlesian templars who’d voluntarily infected themselves with the virus: twisted bodies, uncontrollable bloodlust… Abominations without possession.

The name “Zara Renata” was also fairly well‑known among the Crows. More precisely, she was a pain in the ass and the main rival of House d’Evaliste — hereditary mages and passionate researchers. DEMON was their development, and Zea had no doubt that Renata would eventually come up with something similar — only much worse. The Venatori, after all, didn’t care much about the free will of their test subjects.

But all nasty things aside, Zea clearly remembered having a Venatori named Gallus on her target list — he’d made it there precisely because of repeated data theft incidents.

z34>> she’s on the level? 5W0RD>> yeah z34>> old friend of yours? 5W0RD>> worked together a few times 5W0RD>> always has your back, super deadly z34>> i can see that z34>> slowing time, freezing blood z34>> quite impressive 5W0RD>> here’s the brief stuff we worked on -- Winter_In_Tevinter portfolio added to inventory

Zea smirked grimly, picked a bowl of ice cream for herself and scanned the portfolio. Neve Gallus had been actively involved in the resistance against the Venatori; in that regard, the Crows and the Shadow Dragons were colleagues. She was listed as an analyst, primarily responsible for information gathering — but judging by the archive, she never missed a chance to personally eliminate a dozen or so Venatori. Family issues?

While he wasn’t familiar with most of the Shadow Dragons here, Jerran was never one to pass up a party invitation, even if it meant fighting a few constructs in the Crossroads on the way. Pulling out two slightly squished packages from his pack, he wandered over to a table towered high with presents and deposited one of them there.

The other went to a second similar table, which he assumed was for the second Shadow Dragon. Gladius? he thought. Yeah, that was the name. He recognized the man wandering the room and waved a greeting.

Homemade wooden goblets with the Shadow Dragon insignia carved on them seemed like a good choice, even if a bit plain. Jerran had polished and sanded the wood until it shone; with careful maintenance, the goblets should last a long time.

Grabbing a glass of beer, he wandered over by the wall to observe and sip the liquor discreetly. It was fascinating to watch people – it seemed one couple was arguing about an ex in one corner, while a bare-knuckle – and bare-shirt – fight broke out in another corner. Still, a singing contest started up in another corner.

“Have we any word on that building that collapsed a few weeks ago?” a masked man wearing a Shadow Dragon uniform asked a second man with dark hair and a beard. Jerran estimated that he must be a higher-ranking official.

“None,” the second bearded man said. “They calculate that it was from a cannon aimed at the base, but the Threads and the Venatori don’t seem to have any idea who is responsible.”

Oops. Jerran winced, remembering that he and Isiah had… uh, may have destroyed a building on a dare. Isiah had been banned from using cannons ever since. Or knives. Or matches. 

Thankfully, a lute performance interrupted that conversation, and the two men disappeared into the crowd. Jerran sighed with relief and took another swig of beer. 

The lute player – a tall Qunari that Jerran recognized as one of the guests of honor –  spotted Jerran and waved. “Hey, Jerran. Thanks for stopping by.”

“Good to see you, Riley. Could never miss a party.” Jerran raised his cup up in a mock toast.

Strong muscles rippled beneath the gold accents and green leather, highlighting the richness of his gloriously tanned skin. It made her want to throw herself at his feet and let him step on her, all the while crying, 'I'm not worthy.' He looked like a statue in the Hall of Valor come to life, bronze, regal, and completely capable of killing anyone he wanted. Ooh, that really shouldn't have excited her as much as it did, but she didn't have time to dwell on that thought, Xi calling out to get their ship ready to pull into port. 

Naera spun around with a bright laugh, eager to see her home after so many months spent away. Minrathous was always raining and dark, a stark contrast to sunny and happy Rivain. "Gladdy, come – see?! You can make out the Hall from here! Up there in the mountains!" 

Gladius leaned over the banister, his grin widening as he squinted off into the distance. Naera stretched herself onto the tips of her toes and reached up to form a visor over his eye. Well, she sure tried to; the man still had to hunch down a little for her hands to reach his eyebrows. Holding her wrists steady to his face, he twisted and turned, flailing her smaller form about, looking from one end of the port to the other, the woman giggling at his exaggerated motions. If there was anyone she'd allow to throw her around like a rag doll, it was this giant idiot. 

"I can't believe I've never been to this part of Rivain before," he said, grinning from ear to ear. Twirling her about so she faced the oncoming shore once more, the warrior wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and placed a firm peck on her cheek. "Alright, sailor, tell me, what have you got brewing up your sleeves?" 

Naera huffed out indignantly as she tried to wriggle out of his hold to no avail. "I have no sleeves. Nothing he-ere!" she yelped as his hands tickled at her waist. 

"I don't believe you-" 

"Watch where you put your fingers, Mercar!" 

"Would you two bloody get a room on shore or find a dark corner of my ship?" Xi barked out with a laugh as she carefully steered the ship ever closer to their destination. "Or if you're offering entertainment to the crew, there's a prime spot over there on the forecastle in case anyone's not seen you two." 

Naera lifted her hand up to apologise to her Lord's sister and Captain and took half a step back from Gladius… which only brought him into full view, looking very delicious in her people's armour… a vicious, vicious cycle indeed. Laughing at herself, she petted him on his shoulder and beamed up at him, unwilling to spoil the surprise. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, love. Let's just say, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." 

"… You think I'm pretty?" 

"Oh… I think you're much more than pretty-"

"Nae! No sex allowed on my time, and definitely not on deck!" 

"YOU WERE MUCH COOLER THE LAST TIME WE SAILED TOGETHER, XI!" she called out, pulling a very immature face at her, laughing when the Captain responded with a hard middle finger to her little sister. 

"You can blame Turvi for the new rules!" 

An outraged sound from behind them made them snort. "I will have you know, I did not realise anyone was on board–" 

"Not an excuse, Turvi!" Xi said, with a large smile on her face. "Now hurry up on those sails, man. I taught you better than this!" 

"Aye, Captain," he pouted, scurrying across the deck. "And just tell him, Nae. He's practically about to explode! Lady Nyaera thinks you're being very mean – especially on the man's birthday!" 

"Fine. Fine. You remember what you said to me a couple of months ago?" 

"Nae. I barely remember what we had for breakfast."

"We didn't eat breakfast." 

"You see now how this line of questioning will end." 

Naera held in her laughter and sighed. For someone as bright and perceptive as the massive lug in front of her was, she could not help but be amused at how carefree the man was most of the time. "Fair point. Alright, we were talking about some of the expeditions and jobs the Lords and I have been on, and you had this goofy grin on your face, kinda like the one you have now, and you said that you would love the chance to go with us – do the things that Lords do. So that's what we're doing. You're coming with us, as an honorary Lord of Fortune!" 

Hazel eyes widened as his perfect smile spread from ear to ear, peeling away years from his face to make him resemble a child on Satinalia. "No?! Truly?" he asked, waiting for Naera to nod, before he whooped loudly, the Lords within earshot laughing at his enthusiasm. "I can't wait! What are we doing?" 

Naera hemmed and hawed, weighing whether to let him know or keep him in the dark, but when she saw how excited he was, she couldn't help herself. "The town near the Hall of Valor has recently been besieged by a den of dragonlings recently hatched – their mother must have been killed offshore. Normally, we'd let nature take its course, but the little beasts have taken to attacking the villagers and their livestock. There's no other choice but to get rid of them." 

Gladius' smile wavered slightly at the thought of having to get rid of dragons, but he knew the kind of trouble the people were in if they didn't help. "Sounds like a fine way to spend a birthday, with friends, helping others." 

"That's my Handsome Soldier!"

Once the ship came as close to the wharf as possible, the man was so excited that he threw himself over the railings and landed so heavily on the wood that it creaked angrily under his feet. Naera turned to Turvi and Xi, who grinned back at her, shrugging their shoulders in amusement. 

"Do you even know where you're going, Gladdy?" she asked, leaning on the guardrails, trying her best not to laugh at the way he bounced on the balls of his feet like a puppy straining at his lead. 

The man smiled up at her and laughed, shrugging his shoulders, scanning around the docks to see if there were some magical signs for him to find behind the posts and crates. "Not a damn clue."

Naera snorted and covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from guffawing. "That is… a bold strategy, my darling." 

"Fortune favours the bold, does it not?" he said, setting his fists on his hips. "Besides, I trust you to lead me… especially on my birthday when I'm allowed to be more foolhardy than normal!" 

Ignoring the noise of agreement from Turvi and Xi's laughter behind her, Naera shook her head and leisurely walked down the gangplank, stopping in front of her grinning behemoth of a man. Curling her fingers around the leather straps of his armour, she held him fast before he could try to take off again. "No more running ahead, face first into trouble today, you hear me, Mercar? This isn't Tevinter, and the opponents you fight today aren't your typical fare." 

"I know? Instead of blood thirsty Venatori, I'm fighting blood thirsty little beasties." 

Naera tapped him on the golden ring holding his chest piece in place and nodded. "Exactly. The little beasties are much brighter, so keep your wits about you, love. I'm not going to carry you if you get bitten or set alight." 

"If I get burnt on my birthday, you're gonna have to kiss it better. And tell my sister why I smell like burnt hair." 

She laughed despite herself and shoved him back lightly, the man barely flinching. "You are a menace." 

"Uh uh, your menace," he corrected, one finger waggling at her. He backed away, eyes bright with mischief, crooking that finger towards himself. "Now come on, Little Lord. I was promised this grand adventure, or at least the chance to prove that the Venatori really are the bottom of the food chain – are you going to keep me waiting?" 

"What was that again… about getting bitten or something… remind me, won't you, Nae?" Gladius grinned before taking a swig of his drink. Snorting into her own, Naera playfully kicked at the side of his foot half-heartedly. "Said… you weren't going to carry me, something like that, right?" 

"Shut it, Mercar," she warned, biting the lobe of his ear, earning her nothing but a light hiss and a squeeze around her middle – not too unlike the one she received when he had scooped her up to save her from a dragonling biting her ass. In her defence, she was very distracted by seeing how seamlessly the Shadow Dragon worked with Turvi and Xi to cut through the litter, already vicious after learning that people, as well as sheep and pigs, were easy prey to those with teeth-filled maws and claws. And the ability to breathe fire. She had not realised how captivating it would be to see the man she loved fit in so well with her family and how it would affect her. As well, to a much lesser extent, the effect of his moving like a warrior god in the Lord's armour would do to her. 

They had opened up the kegs, and the crew were readying a fire and grilling some meat and fish they had brought along with them, ready to get the real celebrations up at running for their newest minted honorary Lord. Xi had clapped him on the shoulder, beaming at him with pride, her words barely heard over the others' revelry. 

"You did good, Mercar – not bad for a Shadow, you may cut it on our seas after all," she said, whistling over to Turvi, who muttered some choice words under his breath, heaving the biggest dragonling behind him toward the cart. "If you ever decide to join us, know that you'd be more than welcome on the good ship 'Oar Else'." 

"Yeah! I could use more help taking some of the hits out there – unlike the squishy mages that get to sit back and cast pretty spells!" Turvi teased, biting his tongue between his front teeth to rile up Naera. 

"Squi-squishy!? Excuse you, Turbs! I was right in there with my share of stabbing!" 

"Anyways," he began, clearly ignoring her to infuriate her further. "You, my friend, got your first kill with the Lords. Which means – you get some trophy armour. We'll get you the best pieces these dragons can make. You're so lucky, my first piece was made from gurgut, yours is dragon! If that doesn't get you free drinks at the Hilt for life, nothing bloody will!" 

They watched as the dragonlings were taken away as proof to the villagers so the Lords could get their payment, and so that her siblings could have their hides crafted into some wondrous Rivaini armour for Gladius. She knew one day he'd understand how great an honour it truly was to have something commissioned in your name. Until then, she had him to herself, at least, until the rest of the crew decided to rush them and start regaling each other with stories of their best hunts and jobs, each story growing more magnificent and less believable with every turn. 

Waiting for Gladius to tip the last of his drink into his mouth, Naera leaned closer to press her lips to the shell of his ear, "Is it a good time to give you my gift now?" 

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow in question. "Was… was this not the gift?" he asked quietly. She shook her head from side to side and could practically see the way the cogs in his mind worked. "What did you have in mind?" 

Naera wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders as she shifted her position on his lap. The change in his hazel eyes from curious to rapt was instantaneous, and she couldn't help the surge of pride that coursed through her. "I was hoping to uh… give you the gift in a more, hmm, let's say a more… private area with far fewer spectators." She was unsurprised when Gladius took immediate action, hoisting her up as he stood, then setting her down carefully. Clearing his throat, he said that they'd be back to no one in particular and dragged her to a cave where he knew they'd be undisturbed. 

The moment the sounds of the other Lords could no longer be heard, and he knew that they were completely out of their view, he picked her up and pressed her against the cool rocks, kissing her in excitement, Naera returning it with the enthusiasm he so adored. A breeze from the ocean on the other side of the tunnel swept from one end to the other, tingling against their exposed skin. Gladius did not let up; every time she made a noise, he'd follow up with another dizzying kiss, a firm squeeze of her thigh or the smooth caress across her cheek, and she'd grow lax against him, smaller fingers curled in the straps of his armour to ground her. 

When they finally drew apart to take a breath, Naera had mussed up his hair something terrible, and Gladius had left red indents at her waist and hips from his grip. Pressing his forehead to hers, he began to chuckle at the hazy look in her eye. "Really, this was your idea, Little Lord – as much as I loved the outing and adventure, I would have been thrilled with this as my birthday present even back in our room in Minrathous." 

Naera blinked until she caught on to his meaning. "Sex? You think sex was my gift? Give me a little credit, Gladdy," she snorted, dropping her legs for his waist and standing on her own. "No, my gift is… is this." Loosening the straps of her armour, Gladius was about to say something smart about what he defined as sex, when she pulled out chains tucked beneath her armour. 

Both golden, with something dangling at the ends – the Shadow Dragon was unsure of what he was exactly looking at, until she lifted it closer to him. Rings. Gladius stared at the rings dangling in the air, uncertain if they'd simply disappear if he looked away or perhaps blinked a little too hard. 

"One is for you," she said softly, showing him the ring with an emerald set in between two diamonds, "and one is for me." 

Looking from the jewellery to her face, his eyebrows knitted together in understanding, his lips parting slightly. "Nae…" 

"You're an honorary Lord now," she went on hurriedly, slightly breathless as her nerves finally caught up to her. "And we are an extravagant bunch, as you've seen. We wear jewellery, lots of it… but more than that… I wanted something that matched. Something that meant that we match." With a steadier hand than she thought she'd have, she nudged him to encourage him to take the chain from her. "Yours has two diamonds with the emerald in between, and mine's the inverse – see?" 

He did see. 

"Why?" he asked, quieter than she'd ever heard him speak. 

"Because when you wear yours," she paused and swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, "I'm with you. And when I wear mine, you're with me." Naera's mouth twitched into a crooked smile, and she shrugged, helplessly hoping she looked nonchalant and calm even though her heart was pounding in her ribs. "I just figured that even when we're apart, even when you're off being brave and foolish without me there by your side… a part of me is with you." 

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. 

"I-It took me forever to find those stones from our jobs, to bargain with the other Lords and by bargain, I meant pulverise fair and square. You know how it is. I've been keeping them all close to me these last few months until I got enough to make them." Tapping at her chest piece, knuckles rapping against the leather armour. "Yours sat right here," she said, pressing two fingers over her heart. 

Gladius didn't speak, simply pulling them closer together carefully, scared that even a harsh breath could mean that the moment would pass them by. "You could have just tied a ribbon in your hair with your arms open wide to me and called it a day. That would have been more than enough, more than I deserved." 

She laughed, throwing her head back and shaking it in disbelief. "I will be the judge of what you do and do not deserve. And do not worry, next time I will do just that. Obviously, I have thought a little too hard about all this and–" 

"No," he said immediately, giving her a light shake to snap her out of her negative thoughts. Crouching down so she could reach, he guided her hands over his head to loop his gift around his neck. "Don't you dare think that, Nae. This… this is…" He released a breath and then pulled her into him with a hard embrace. "This means everything to me." 

Linking her arms around him, she allowed herself to melt against him, delighted giggles eking out of her as he continued to hold her close, lifting her clean from the ground. Her laughter alone warmed him better than the sun ever could. 

"Alright, so, even with the rings on… real hugs are still allowed, right?" he asked into her hair, pressing a kiss to her crown. "Even whilst I'm wearing it, it changes nothing, right?" 

"Allowed? Encouraged, mandatory even!" 

Gladius pulled back just enough to really look at her, golden eyes sparkling with devilry once more - her unease fading into obscurity where it belonged. "And sex?" he asked hopefully, the same flirty smirk he always wore with her gracing his lips. "Is that off the table now that I'm properly adorned by you?" 

Naera snorted and swatted his chest playfully. "Gladdy, don't be ridiculous. If sex were ever off the table, I wouldn't be giving you jewellery. In fact, for such a preposterous thought, I might have to take it off the table- o-Oh!" 

He beamed and scooped her up again, thighs clenching at his sides to steady herself as he carried her deeper into the cave with him, the new jewels at his chest glinting perfectly against his armour – two new details which made him look like he had always belonged there with the Lords and with her.