This one was a struggle I brought upon myself lmao
Behold! Moxrider! As inspired by one of those clinch romance novel covers, specifically the one I'll be putting under the cut. I wanted an excuse to draw these two and that was my entire excuse.
You know, I don't draw more realistically-designed characters all that often lol (and I 100% did not want to yassify either of them, they're specifically so attractive because of that realism). Also decided to make my own life easy and run with cell shading instead of a more involved style, because I wanted this done within a human lifetime
I should find more excuses to draw these two honestly
“As you can see, a slight tweak to the process and there is less of a chace of the chip breaking during extraction. An additional bonus is there is less disorientation and nausea during and after the extraction.”
“Heh, I see you and Rojo have been hard at work, Doctor. Less recovery time and gets them ready for ‘Marking’ faster. Betos will be pleased with this.”
- Tygan informing Mox of some new medical advancements for the clan he’s been stationed at for some time.
----
Finally remembering to post this sketch. Something else to add onto that backlog of wanting to color things.
Hope everyone’s week has been swell. Small break from writing but hope to get something done soon.
Pratal Mox looked up with a smile. He recognized that voice, but after all who else would come looking for him when he disappeared from a party?
“I needed some air.”
“Too crowded?”
He grunted. “The Commander loves her...shindigs...a bit too much.”
Elena sat down beside him, pulling down her hood so her short hair could ruffle in the breeze. It was late May, and the evening was warm and smelled of sweetness. It almost calmed his nerves. Almost.
“The view is beautiful.” She said as they stared out over the vacant city, a soft red glow on the skyline where the sun had just set.
“The rooftops give a view nearly unlike any other.” He looked at Elena and she smiled at him. There was no view quite as beautiful as she was.
“Do you know what day it is?” Mox asked her.
Elena’s lip twitched. “Wednesday?”
He sighed.
“Of course I know.” She met his eyes. “Three years ago today, was the day we met face to face.”
“Not as enemies, but…” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “As friends.”
“Feeling sentimental?” Elena asked.
“I often reminisce on that day.” He looked away, avoiding her gaze. “...It was, as of yet, the best I’d had.”
“Except when the Lady Assassin took you captive.”
“Yes well...that was a fluke.”
Elena chuckled and felt Mox shift beside her, letting go of her hand. “Pratal?”
“Elena, after this last mission...I’ve been thinking.”
Oh no. That was never a good sign. “We did well. Hardly any injuries.”
“Yes...But you and I both came close. That blast could have claimed us.”
“And yet it didn’t.” She swallowed in order to steady her voice.
“But it still got me thinking. About us.” He laid his hands in his lap, fiddling with his coat pocket. “I’m afraid that one day, one of us might not come back.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Elena spat. “Nothing will happen to us. I love you, and that should be enough.”
“I love you too, Elena, and the more I think about the idea of us being seperated…” He took a deep breath. “The more I want us to be together. Really, together .”
Elena blinked. “...What are you saying?”
Mox pulled his hand from his coat pocket, and held a glittering ring in his fingers. “Elena, will you be my wife? Will you marry me?”
Elena let loose a sob, clutching a hand over her mouth as she let flow the tears of joy and relief.
“Elena?!”
She grabbed Mox by the lapels and kissed him, and he struggled to keep from dropping the ring off the roof. She pulled away as quickly as she’d come and held out her hand.
“Does this answer your question?”
Mox beamed as he pulled off her glove and slid the ring onto her finger, the interlocking gold bands glittering in the faint streetlights. He kissed her hand and pressed it to his cheek.
“Thank you…”
“Of course! Here you had me worried you were breaking up with me!” Elena laughed and kissed him again. “Married...it feels strange to say.”
“As it will feel strange to call you my fiancée.” Mox smiled. “But it does feel right.”
.
.
“Like hell you are!” Volk threw his mug of ale down. Elena held her ground though, she’d expected this.
“I’m not asking for your blessing, Volk.” She accentuated every word. “I’m telling you what’s happening.”
“It’s not happening, Outrider. Not on my watch.” He picked up his mug. It was empty. “Not with him.”
“I love him.”
“What are you, a fucking teenager?” Volk refilled his mug spilling a bit of the brandy. “He’s one of them. The enemy.”
“He and the Skirmishers have done more than enough to prove themselves.” Elena protested. “He’s as much an ally to you as XCOM is.”
“FUCK XCOM.” Volk stood up on unsteady legs. “Fuck the whole lot of ‘em, they’ve gotten into that head of yours and got you thinking-”
“Ah yes, how dare a woman think in your presence.” Elena snarked.
“That’s not what I meant, Outrider. I knew that Commander lady was batshit when I first saw her, but I went along with her crazy-ass scheme. And I did it for the Reapers, Outrider.”
Elena stayed silent.
“I knew joining up with those hybrids was a bad idea, but I kept my mouth shut. And now look what it’s led to.” He jabbed at her with his pointer finger. “I won’t have you fucking him on my watch.”
“It won’t be on your watch.” Elena smiled, but it looked more like a scowl. “We like our privacy.”
“Outrider!” He grabbed his mug of ale and by the time he looked back, Elena was halfway to the door. “I didn’t dismiss you!”
“I’m not taking orders from you any longer, Volk. Especially when you’re drunk.” She looked back once. “...I was going to invite you to the wedding.”
“There won’t be a wedding, Outrider.”
“Yes, there will.” Then she pulled up her hood, flipped him the bird, and stormed out the door.
.
.
The church was old, half toppled and all but abandoned by ADVENT. Betos and about five or six other Skirmishers were clearing rubble away from the altar, brushing dust and pebbles off the seats. A few of Elena’s Reaper brothers and sisters had arrived, including two volunteered to hunt something for the later wedding feast. Mox looked around at the the chapel and smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
“Huh.” Bradford nodded slightly. “Well it does have a weird charm to it.”
“And no one patrols here.” Mox added. “Now all that’s needed is Elena…”
“The Commander wanted to escort her personally.” Bradford sat down one one of the old pews. “Solid oak. This must’ve been hella expensive pre-ADVENT. And you get the venue for free.”
Mox sat beside Bradford and looked up at the various stained glass windows, all surprisingly still intact, showing the various saints and angels of the old faiths.
“Nervous?”
Mox hesitated. “No. Simply...contemplating.” He smiled. “In ADVENT, I would never have had this chance. They did not allow for such...compassion. For love. Now…” He clasped his hands in his lap. “All I can dream of is my life with her.”
“You’re one lucky guy.” Bradford patted him on the back. “And you’re gonna make her really happy, I can promise you that.”
.
.
When Commander Senuna opened the door, Elena still found herself taken aback by the sight of her, even though it had been nearly three years of seeing her everyday. But with her icy white hair and insistence on dressing in either very light pastels or pure white, the Commander seemed to glow in the dark, even more so now that she was beaming at Elena.
“There’s the blushing bride!” Senuna grabbed Elena by the hand and pulled her into the spacious quarters. “So I got the clothes you requested, and a skirt just in case. Are you sure you want the slacks?”
“I’m sure.” Elena said.
“Well it’s your wedding. I also got permission from the Resistance Council to officiate; they said it’s legal as long as we send them the right paperwork.”
“Good.” Elena grabbed the pile of black clothes from the bed. “Is there a...more private place I can change?”
“Bathroom is over there.” Senuna pointed to it. “Though If you want I can just look away.”
“Thanks but no.” She took her clothes and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
As Elena stripped completely naked, it hit her how...unorthodox this all was. There hadn’t been a wedding in this torn-up facsimile of their society for...a very long time. Romance was short lived here, and people simply fucked and moved on. Even her “friendship” with Mox had surprised her with its longevity. She’d expected them to metaphorically part ways after they’d first slept together but...He stayed. And so did she.
And now she was going to stay with him forever, she thought as she buttoned up her collar. It fit perfectly, which she thanked her lucky stars for. This had been a rushed job after all, but it looked so beautiful. Her top was draped in layers of black cloth with white lace outlining each layer, buttoning at the neck. The sleeves were white, a good contrast to the black blouse and leggings she donned as well. It fit her like a glove.
Elena stepped out and Commander Senuna clasped her hands. “Oh, you look beautiful!” She sniffled. “Now, makeup? Hair?”
“A little.” Elena consented. “Some lipstick and eye shadow would be fine.”
“Oh, that’ll be perfect!” Senuna went to her dresser and grabbed a little clutch-bag, and Elena sat down on the Commander’s large, luxurious bed. She saw the Commander look through the different colors, pulling out two lipsticks. “Which one?”
“...The one in your left hand. The cherry.”
“Oh.” Senuna looked surprised. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. It’s a special occasion.”
Senuna smiled. “It is!” She knelt in front of Elena and began using a small brush to paint the red color onto her lips.
There was a frantic knock at the door. “Busy!” The Commander shouted.
The knocking continued accompanied by the voice of Lily Shen. “It’s urgent!”
Senuna growled. “One moment.” She flung the door open, and Elena looked over at Shen who stood, panting, in the doorway.
“Volk’s here.”
Senuna blinked. “So? He’s always welcome on the Avenger.”
“He’s also drunk. And angry.”
The Commander pursed her lips. “And let me guess.”
“He’s looking for Outrider.” Shen waved at Elena. “Hi. You look really pretty. Congrats on the big day!”
“If Volk doesn’t ruin it…” Elena sighed.
Senuna turned to Shen. “Is he violent?”
“He flipped a table and punched the barman.”
“Hm.” Senuna rubbed her chin. “...Try and distract him as long as you can. Give him more beer if you must.”
“Is that safe?”
“For us, maybe. I’m going to try and sneak our black-veiled bride past you two. I’ll let you know when we’re clear of the area, after that you can drop everything and run. Or call backup.”
“What if he comes at me?”
“Take a weapon. Try and aim for the leg.”
“Gotcha.” Shen nodded and waved at Elena. “Good luck!”
“And you.”
Senuna closed and locked the door, kneeling in front of Elena again and dipping into a soft pink eye shadow with a fluffy brush. “I’m sorry. We won’t let Volk get in the way.”
Elena nodded, but a heavy sorrow sat in the pit of her stomach. She thought back to her years as a teenager when she had looked up to this man, and couldn’t help but feel let down…
Senuna finally took a black lace headband, adorned with black roses, and pressed it into Elena’s hair. “Look at you. You already look like a bride.”
.
.
As they ran from the Avenger, sharp heels clicking against broken cement, Senuna reached down and ran her hand across a field of overgrown flowers, ripping them out as she went. Elena had taken out her earpiece, but she could still practically hear Shen calling for backup when she realized Volk held his liquor better than she thought.
They reached the old Orthodox chapel and finally slowed their pace, panting. Elena turned to Senuna and asked “I think that run smeared the makeup.”
“Actually it’s still perfect!” Senuna winked. “A good primer and some setting spray can really do the trick.” She held out the handful of flowers. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“Your bouquet, silly.” The Commander laughed. “A bride has to have a bouquet.”
Elena took it from her slowly. There was no rhyme or reason to the flowers. A lavender here, a chrysanthemum there, some roses, Queen-Anne’s-Lace, delphinium…
She smiled. “Very diverse.”
“Yes.” Senuna said, a knowing twinkle in her eye. “Fitting.”
“Yes.” Elena pressed the bouquet to her chest and took a breath. “I’m ready.”
“Let’s marry you.” Senuna took Elena by the arm and threw open the chapel doors, which creaked loudly as though to announce their presence.
Elena was...shocked. While not a large crowd, a good dozen of her Reaper brothers and sisters were seated in the pews, waiting for her. Waiting to see her be married to someone they had thought of as an enemy.
And speaking of, Betos was there as well, and about six or so other Skirmishers. And to her shock, and she passed down the aisle, they smiled warmly at her.
She lifted her head, and before she knew it, she was face to face with him.
.
.
Volk was hot on the trail. Outrider was getting sloppy.
He clicked his pistol in his hand, nothing in his mind but bad ideas and liquid courage. A small part of him hoped the little Asian girl was okay, he’d decked her pretty hard after all.
Volk saw a trail of flower petals down the road and scoffed. “I told you, Outrider. Whatever happens next, you deserve it for jumping ship.”
.
.
“We gather today to celebrate something not often remembered in the battlefield.” Senuna said, standing over the couple who held each other’s hands before her. “Today, we remember love, and by the union of two souls, we recognize that their love is eternal.”
Senuna paused for dramatic effect, but really she was craning her ears for any nearby sounds that could indicate Volk’s approach. She heard rustling all around the church, but with a wave of relief, it turned into a light breeze.
She continued. “You are all here today to witness these two pledge themselves in marriage to each other, that they shall stand by each other in good times and in bad, and remain ever faithful to their love and commitment to one another. As partners, on the battlefield and in life.”
Senuna swore she saw Betos wipe a tear away.
“Tonight, you all bear witness to the union of Lieutenant Elena Dragunova, and Sergeant Pratal Mox.”
The whole church was transfixed by the two, but their eyes were on each other alone. Elena met the golden gaze of her lover and felt her eyes grow misty, her cheeks beginning to hurt from how wide she smiled.
Mox lifted a hand to her cheek. “You’re crying.” He whispered.
She nodded. “I’m very, very happy.”
.
.
This was it. This was his shot, pun intended.
Volk peaked around the church door and scanned the room. He cursed under his breath. 12, maybe 13 of his own Reapers were sitting in the audience, watching this happen. This wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought, but with a lucky shot maybe he could still nail the Monster-Groom in the head. And then…
And…
And then Elena would give this up. And things would go...back to normal.
He blinked, his gun arm dangling. Everyone would see him from here. Every one of those Reapers would see him murder Pratal Mox on a day they all seemed to deem sacrosanct.
Maybe he was finally sobering up, but it finally hit him just how bad an idea this was. What did he expect from Elena? To come back to her old post after witnessing the murder of her lover? He wanted things to return to their basal state, with her, his sister, practically his daughter, as his second in command once again.
He bit back bile. This was jealousy, nothing more. And it had nearly cost them everything.
Volk looked back into the church hall. In the dim light of the candles, he saw Elena’s eyes shine as she smiled up at Mox. Not once had he ever seen her smile like that.
.
.
“Sergeant Pratal Mox, do you take Elena to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ‘till death do you part?”
“I do.” Mox said, his voice trembling. Elena could see tears in his eyes.
“Lieutenant Elena Dragunova, do you take Pratal to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ‘till death do you part?”
Elena nodded. “I do.”
“Then under the authority of the Resistance Council, and the blessing of your peers, I declare this couple to be wed!” Senuna clapped. “You may now-”
She didn’t have time to finish. The two collided like magnets, Mox grabbing Elena by the waist and Elena wrapping her arms around his neck. They grasped at each other as though they would be washed away should either let go. The crowd cheered and whistled and there they stayed, lost in their kiss of union.
Volk turned away from the door, taking a deep breath of the warm spring air. He owed Elena an apology tomorrow, and he considered even getting the two a wedding gift. For a moment he thought about sticking around, but the sober part of his brain reminded him that that was a bad idea. He had spent the better part of the evening threatening them, after all.
He began making his way back to the ship, intending to check up on Shen and give her a hearty apology as well.
.
.
Elena had no idea where Misha and Tomas had managed to find a moose, but she welcomed the smell of cooking venison in comparison to the easily burnt Chryssalid she was used to.
The church graveyard was lit up with candles and bonfires in celebration, with the Skirmishers and Reapers dancing and singing side by side, eating at the same table, drinking from the same cups…
“In all my years, I never could have dreamed of such harmony.” Mox said beside her. Elena pressed her hand to his open palm and moved in a circle, mimicking his slow movements. The sound of the flute and drums carried them in dance.
“I could. In a distant dream.” Elena said. “But now, it’s real…”
From ahead of them, she heard her sisters Ludy and Slava sing, strongly, the lyrics of an old folk song she recognized. She smiled and mouthed the words along with them.
Oj, ružice rumena, što si se rano razvila?
Oj, ružice rumena, što si se rano razvila?
Rano si se razvila, što si mi glavu spustila?
Rano si se razvila, što si mi glavu spustila?
The tune sped up, and Elena felt her husband grab her waist and pull her close into a dance more akin to the waltz. She spun away as he lifted his arm over her head, and he took her hand and pulled her back into his embrace.
Dragi mi je otiš'o,
otiš'o mi je daleko.
Dragi mi je otiš'o,
otiš'o mi je daleko.
Mox took Elena by the waist and dipped her, and as she came back up, he kissed her forehead softly. She scoffed playfully and brought his head down towards hers, embracing him in a kiss.
“Pratal.” She whispered. “I want to go somewhere...private.”
“It’s a bit early to leave.” He raised a brow. “People will wonder where we are.”
“It’s no concern of theirs.” She nibbled his ear and whispered “Let us have our wedding night.”
.
.
Za tri gore visoke, za tri vode duboke.
Neće mi se vratiti, za dve, za tri godine.
Elena’s short hair ruffled in the breeze as she laid her head against Mox’s bare chest. He snored quietly, his chest rising and falling in a gentle sway that was beginning to rock her to sleep. They were bare under the trees and the open sky, covered from the waist down only by Mox’s coat. On the falling wind, the music from the party drifted over them, the warm spring air tickling Elena’s naked body. She took a deep breath in.
Oj, ružice rumena, što si se rano razvila?
“‘Till death do us part.” She whispered, but with it she was steadfast in her conviction. There would be no death to part them.
Titles did not matter. Wars did not matter. Human or alien, it somewhere in between, none of it mattered.
He loved her, and she loved him, and that was enough.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(Song: Oj, Ružice Rumena, Serbian Folk Song.
Since Moxrider is basically canon now, I figured it’s time to tie the knot~
Edit: Fixed a bunch of spelling mistakes. Get an editor kids.
