#bronto the bottom

[wondariadreamparade]

didn’t except new return to return to dreamland news when I woke up this morning but I am absolutely not complaining

[Image description: two digital drawings. The first shows Kirby with the new sand copy ability hurling sand at a Bronto Burt’s face, with the text “Pocket sand!” at the bottom, as a redraw of the King of the Hill pocket sand meme. The second shows Magolor squinting while reading a large book while wearing his graduation cap, mustache, and cloak from the tome trackers minigame. The text in the image reads “Me studying all these man-made horrors so they are no longer beyond my comprehension”. End ID.]

#kirby #kirbs #magolor #kirby’s return to dreamland #clover's art

[yirggzmb]

Common Kirby Eyes

Common eyes you see on characters in the Kirby franchise. Obviously other types exist, but odds are high new characters will have one of these three.

KIRBY STYLE - Mostly black oval, large white circle near the top, colored crescent near the bottom. Used by Kirby, Waddle Dees, and a lot of classic enemies like Scarfy or Poppy Bros Jr

SCLERA STYLE - Has a visible white to the eye, generally has an iris designed similarly to the Kirby style eyes above with color as a small crescent and a shine spot. Iris size may vary. Used by King Dedede, classic enemies like Bronto Burt and Burning Leo, as well as both Leon and Carol from Forgotten Land

GLOWING EYES - An oval or circle in one color, often glowing out of a dark space. Used by Meta Knight (older games had it only when masked, modern games do it always), Magolor, Vividria, all of the other Knight characters, and plenty of characters who have their face obstructed such as Hooded Hyness or Jammerjab

#kirby #kirby fanart #Kirby fanart guide #Meta Knight #King Dedede #magolor #waddle dee #bronto burt #Eyes

[makerofmadness]

Kirby: The Great Super Kirby Clash Fight! Chapter ☆11: Dear Friends

Chef Kawasaki’s tavern was absolutely packed in.

For the guests who couldn’t get in, tables were set up around the village square, and food and drinks were carried out to each of them.

In the middle of the tavern, of course, were Team Kirby Z- no, now powered up with everyone’s strength, SUPER TEAM KIRBY!

There, Burning Leo stepped forward before the Kirbys. Burning Leo was usually in high spirits, but now he seemed so disheartened that the flames on his head were fading.

“Sorry for being so harsh on you guys.”

Burning Leo looked downward.

“I shouldn’t have been so mean...”

The other villagers all followed:

“We’re really sorry.”

“Seeing the house I worked so hard to rebuild get destroyed, I just didn’t know what to do...”

“The fear was unbearable, and I ended up taking it out on you guys.”

“I’m so sorry, from the bottom of my heart!”

“Guys, it’s fine, we forgive you,” Doctor said on behalf of the team. “C’mon, we’re supposed to be celebrating the defeat of our toughest foe yet. Now, I propose a toast!”

Everyone held up a glass in their hands.

“Well then, cheers!~”

“Cheers to Super Team Kirby!~”

A fun party had begun.

The first to ask questions was Meta Knight.

“Tell me, who exactly was that swordsman you four defeated?”

“He’s called the Aeon Hero. He’s a legendary swordsman,” Doctor answered. “Parallel Nightmare summoned him to fight us.”

“And what exactly came of that Parallel Nightmare guy? He seems to have disappeared...”

“Get this: he was cut right in half by the hero he summoned!” Hammer answered. Doctor elaborated:

“He didn’t realize that he summoned someone far more fearsome than he is. He was way more powerful than he had expected, he got taken down in seconds.”

Several voices came up from amongst the villagers.

“You guys really managed to fight an enemy that terrifying?....”

“Wow, I knew it. You guy are the bravest heroes ever!”

“We thought we were done for,” Kirby said, “but then everyone cam running in to give us new gear.”

Beam nodded.

“Yeah. If it weren’t for the gear, we’d have had no chance of winning.”

“Don’t forget about Chef Kawasaki’s rice balls!” Hammer added. 

“What about the gear?” Doctor asked. “How did you get such incredible gear-”

“Oh, you can thank Meta Knight for that,” Burning Leo answered.

“Huh??”

“He was the one who told us we could help you guys out.”

With his back turned to everyone, Meta Knight let out a chuckle.

“It was nothing, really. To fight powerful foe, strong equipment is a necessity. I merely stated the obvious.”

“It wasn’t obvious. It was thanks to Meta Knight that we were able to make the Starlight gear!”

“Starlight...”

“Yes.”

Meta Knight nodded his head.

“I’ve been interested in weapons and armor for quite some time. I’ve researched all sorts of things. The strongest gear in the Dream Kingdom- that’s what the Starlight gear is. They hold tremendous power, but they’re quite difficult to craft. That’s why some call them the Phantom Gear.”

The Kirbys took the armor they had been wearing and gazed into them.

“Sparkling like stars... no wonder they’re called Starlight,” Doctor said. “But if this gear is really that hard to get, then how did you...?

“First, I consulted Magolor,” Meta Knight answered. “While he may be a greedy liar who overprices his goods, he certainly knows what he needs to run a Shoppe like his.”

A small sneeze could be heard from somewhere, but Meta Knight paid no mind to it and continued. 

“Magolor’s researched the recipe to craft the Starlight gear. For it, it said we needed to gather many precious, valuable treasures.”

“Valuable treasures...?”

“Yes. Fire Fragments, Water Fragments, Light Fragments... and rarest of all, the Rare Fragments. We couldn’t gather enough of them, however.”

“That’s where we come in,” Burning Leo said. The flames on his head burned proudly. “We all split up to gather the necessary fragments.”

“It was really, really tough!” Bronto Burt said, flying around. “But for those fragments, we went through fire and water!”

“I opted out of the fire, though!” Chilly shouted. “Grasslands, Dunes, Seaside... we searched all over the place, through all of the Regions in the kingdom.”

The villagers were all chatting excitedly.

“Digging up the ground, smashing rocks...”

“Diving under the sea, climbing up the volcano...”

“I got attacked by monsters once. I ended up dropping all the fragments I worked so hard to collect while running away...”

“It took a while, but we all worked our hardest every single day to gather them all up. And eventually, we had gathered just the right amount to make four sets of weapons and armor!” 

“To be completely honest,” Meta Knight said, “I wasn’t entirely convinced that we’d be able to make the Starlight gear. However, they were determined. They were all desperate to help you four.”

Burning Leo laughed.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s our fault you guys left the village in the first place!”

“We all felt really guilty. It was the least we could do to make it up to you.”

“Above all else, we were moved by the words of the Gem Apple guardian. If it weren’t for him, we...”

The villagers, all hit by a realization, looked around the establishment. 

“Huh? Wait a second, where is he right now?” Burning Leo said. 

“That Bandana Waddle Dee guy, where did he go? He was so excited for the party.”

The villagers were all bustling. Kirby laughed with a big smile on his face.

“Oh, I’m sure Waddle Dee’s just guarding the Gem Apples right now!” he said.

“What? He didn’t come to the party?”

Kirby nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, he’s the hardest worker in the whole world! He spends any time he working hard on his job!”

~

It was just as Kirby had said.

Bandana Waddle Dee was sitting underneath the Gem Apple tree. He could hear the happy voices over the wind. He wanted, just a little bit, to go and join in on the Kirbys’ fun, but he was content.

“I can talk to Kirby tomorrow. We’ll toast drinks together, just the two of us...”

Then.

Bandana Waddle Dee noticed a strange sound. 

Mixed in with commotion from the party, a clear sound could be heard.

“Huh?... This is...?”

Bandana Waddle Dee stood up and looked toward the direction of the sound.

“This... this sound-!”

~

The party was finally at its climax. It was time for a wonderful feast.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, here we have Chef Kawasaki’s specialty pizza, fresh out of the oven!~” Chef Kawasaki shouted, carrying many extra-large plates. “Tomato and cheese and bacon and mushrooms and shrimp, anything you could ever ask for, all piled on top! The tastiest pizza you could ask for!~”

Inside the establishment, many cheers rang out.

“Please cut two slices for me, pretty please!” Kirby shouted particularly loudly. “I’ll take one of them to Bandana Waddle Dee!”

-then, just as he said that...

Bandana Waddle Dee burst into the tavern.

“Kirby! Kirby, it’s urgent!”

The villagers, noticing, all greeted Bandana Waddle Dee with a smile.

“Oh, well look who finally showed up!”

“Now aren’t you late, Bandana Waddle Dee. And you’re the one who planned this whole thing.”

“C’mon, sit down, sit down. I propose a toast...”

However, Bandana Waddle Dee ignored the other guests, looking right at Kirby, and shouted:

“The bell just rang!”

“...what?”

Kirby was surprised. 

“The Adventurer Bell has rung!” Bandana Waddle Dee yelled. “The door to another world has opened!”

~

The Kirbys left the tavern and headed straight for the bell.  

A golden bell hung in the village square, overlooking the sea. Up until now, the bell, as if rusted, would not produce any noise. However, now it made  beautiful ringing sound.

Kirby looked up at the bell.

Now that they had defeated those enemies threatening the Dream Kingdom, the Adventurer Bell was suddenly trying to fulfill its final purpose.

Kirby turned to look at his friends.

He had kept this secret for so long, unable to spit it out. Now, he finally had to confess.

“There’s something I really need to tell everyone.”

His three companions all looked at him without a word spoken.

“I... I’m not actually from the Dream Kingdom.”

Bandana Waddle Dee was staring at Kirby anxiously. All the surrounding villagers were shocked.

“When the Adventurer Bell called me, I cane here from my home, Dream Land. Basically... I’m from another world.”

He didn’t know whether they’d believe him or not. He was expected them to pass it off as a joke.

However, his three companions all smiled.

“Yeah,” Doctor said, “we know.”

“...what?”

“We were wondering when to talk about it. Seems you’re finally comfortable enough to spit it out.”

“Wha-?!”

Kirby was so shocked he almost fell over.

“Doctor... Hammer... and you too, Beam?”

“Doctor told us,” Hammer said. Beam nodded.

“At first we couldn’t believe it. We thought Doctor had to have been wrong, but...”

“But after hearing Doctor explain it, it all made too much sense.”

“Doctor... how did you know?”

“Oh, it’s really pretty simple. I mean, the Adventurer Bell is a bell that calls adventurers from other worlds. So when you showed up after the bell called you, obviously that meant you had to have come from another world.”

“...so you really knew all along, huh?...”

“No, I wasn’t convinced. But then you were acting so strangely. At first you said were in a nearby village, then you said you were living in a village far away. You didn’t have any Gem Apples with you, you had no idea about the monster attacks going on everywhere, it was all just too strange.  That’s what made me think it was possible.”

“Oh... oh my gosh!”

Kirby, losing all strength, fell into a sitting position on the ground. 

“Well if that’s the case then you should’ve told me sooner. I was really really anxious about how I was gonna tell you guys!”

“We’re really sorry. But wherever you came from, it didn’t matter to us.”

Doctor took Kirby’s hand.

“I mean, as Super Team Kirby, our bond is stronger than ever! Who cares if you came from another world? That doesn’t change the fact that we’re best friends forever!”

Hammer and Beam nodded.

The villagers, who were watching over the scene intently, each let out their own surprised exclamations:

“Wait, what?! Sword’s the hero of another world!?!”

“I never could’ve imagined. That Sword guy...”

“I never would’ve thought, he seemed just like the other Kirbys.”

Kirby laughed.

“Yeah. That’s because I am Kirby!”

Doctor looked up at the bell.

“I guess it’s time to part ways, Sword,” he said. “C’mon, before the bell stops ringing.”

“Yeah.”

Kirby gripped his friends’ hands.

“Thanks, everyone. I had a lot of fun here.”

“Us too!”

“Really enjoyed fighting by your side.”

“Thank you for saving the Dream Kingdom.”

Kirby approached Bandana Waddle Dee, who was standing with the crowd, hugging him tightly.

“Goodbye, Bandana Waddle Dee.”

“Goodbye, Kirby. Take care!” Bandana Waddle Dee said, giving a smile wider than ever before.

Even more so than when they had last parted.

Not a tear to be seen. Because Kirby needed to leave. Bandana Waddle Dee had decided that.

The sound of the bell rang even louder. Kirby waved to everyone.

“Goodbye, Dream Kingdom!”

Engulfed in everyone’s applause, their sad voices bidding farewell, Kirby was sucked up by the bell.

Just before he lost consciousness.

Kirby realized something awful.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no... wait a second....!”

He had to get back to the Dream Kingdom!

That’s what he thought, panicking, but it was too late.

“I... I.... Noooooooooooooo!!!!”

Kirby screamed as loud as he could:

“CHEF KAWASAKI’S SPECIALTY PIZZA, I FORGOT TO FINISH MY SLIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!!!!!!!”

Previous Chapter

Table of Contents

Next Chapter

#kirby #kirby light novel #kirby light novel translation #Kirby: The Great Super Kirby Clash Fight! #super kirby clash #team kirby #bandana waddle dee #chef kawasaki #meta knight #burning leo #chilly #bronto burt #we are almost at the end of the book literally just one more really short chapter! #will probably finish it later today but my mom wants me to exercise and i have to eat :'3

[zeejeythedoodler]

So, here's something a little different (but that you might see more of).

Introducing Asteropods! A new short story starring dinosaurs in space that's going to be part of a collection of stories which all take place on a cube shaped planet! Yes, you heard me right!

the Bronto 11 Crew:

Commander Nelly Armweak (top)

Command module pilot Nickel Rollins (middle)

Lander module pilot Fizz Alvin (bottom)

Questions are encouraged and appreciated!

#paleoart #dinosaurs #sketch #doodle #artists on tumblr

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Floaty the Cell Core

Debut: Kirby Star Allies

Hiii! I come here on this Funky Friday bearing a very splashy dude, Floaty the Cell Core! From that name alone you can expect great things, it’s such an endearing name, this is not any Cell Core, this is Floaty, everyone loves Floaty!

They are a blob with conjoined eyes for most of its face, and they’re floating in a water bubble! which itself also floats around, I guess this is a “Cell”, Floaty being its core.

So from this name we can assume Floaty is just one from multiple Cell Cores right? Well in-game they are the only one, bur fortunately, HAL Labs released a TON of concept art for this guy! And most of the beta designs are SO drastically different, but they all are creatures inside a bubble of water, so I like to think those are the other non-Floaty Cell Cores! This post will be about this lovely family!

Starting with this guy! A funny octopus with two tiny tentacles, they look crossed, I assume this means they’re constantly moving to keep them afloat, swimming at all times, must get tiresome! They also have a big siphon that looks like a cannon, a classic Funny Octopus Enemy trope! this design is also very reminiscent of Gushen from Super Mario Odyssey! Being another Funny Octopus Enemy inside a water bubble.

This little cutie has a sleepy face, which seems to peek out of the water bubble a bit! and two funny ears

This guy IS the Cell water bubble, they’re shaped like a propeller and have a silly mouth, their Core seems non-sentient, and like some sort of amoeba!

This cutie is one of my faves!! They look so excited to be here! two tiny arms and a tip on the bottom! As for the Cell, the funny ears are back, and it’s shaped like a pacman ghost!

Also there are a lot of these guys, big family of Cell Cores! So the rest will be inside a Read More ==:) Hopefully You’re already convinced they are all so lovely you’ll want to meet them all!

This one has got to be one of the most beloved ones, it’s a little green Blipper that’s controlling the Cell through some funny levers! He looks like he’s doing his best in there, he must’ve trained hard to learn how to control this

This one is very interesting, the Cell is a fishie! and the core is a surprisingly realistic heart! it also kinda looks like a butt hehehe

This guy means BUSINESS, they’re clearly a veteran Cell Pilot, they’ve been doing this for years and they’re very confident, also the Cell looks like a Mamanti which is awesome!

The Cell in this one is another propeller, but it’s the Core that’s an absolute revolution! There’s a silly little bean guy inside! Just smiling! Happy in the knowledge they are floating inside a funny bubble, Kirby is shocked by the incredible energy of their presence.

The Propeller Cell is EVIL now, and the Core is a mischievous spiky little guy to match!

A Blipper inside a Cell shaped like one! and it has some sort of breathing apparatus!

And a matching set for Bronto Burt! This one’s specially funny because Bronto Burts have bug wings, what are you doing underwater! They gave them goggles though and they seem rather content!

This was the first concept art sheet, the next one has a LOT more and with more developed art, which means there really was so much love and effort put into the Cell Core enemy, and I’m glad.

This innocent little guy is peeking from within the Cell, which has little bumps around, I also love the funny dangly bit they have on top of the head, really important feature

Another one of my favorites! Sweet little tadpole friend, they have a cute snout, and a bobbly! Everyone loves bobblys! The bobbly seems to be enveloped in a different kind of water, which is interesting

The Cell shapes are really getting interesting! they got wavy patterns too! and the Core guy here reminds me of Victini, a very compressed Victini

UFO Alert!! UFO Alert! Everyone loves UFO enemies, and one made out of water?! With a little shark-looking guy inside? Delightful!!!

These guys decided the Cell was too big for just one little guy, so they share one! One of them is happy and green, while the other is red and sad, but I’m sure they love each other regardless of their different emotions, look! They’re holding hands!

The Cells kinda became shapeless blobs, but that is ok because the guys inside are still so so delightful! Look!!! This is one of my big big favorites, little dish-shaped fishy with cool-looking long fins! And their colors! So pleasant!

WOW what a cute little guy inside! little ‘w’ face, nubby little arms, and their head has the shape of a fat chocolate chip! They also seem to have some floating limbs in little compartments of the Cell, another one of my fave ones! Such a delight!

This one is very much a Metroid! But shhhh they’re sleepin! They don’t mean any harm they just want to nap inside their Cell

A Puffer Fish! Very reminiscent of Fatty Puffer Jr. from Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, They’re back and they found a cool H2O-shaped Cell to live in!

Another Pufferfish! but this one has 4 stubby little legs which are very adorable! And their Cell is covered in spikes! I doubt spike-shaped water would do anything but it’s the aesthetic that’s important for them

This one is so silly! Look at that jolly smile! This is a fish that would make silly jokes and laugh with a charming chuckle

What’s wrong little guy? Is your mushroom-shaped Cell too tight for your mushroom-shaped body? I’m sure you can get more water in there for a bigger space, I love you, everything’s gonna be ok.

Oh it’s you again! But what’s this! your funny stubby legs got removed! This is so tragic!

ooghooghoghough THIS ONE! Such a good one! They’re a Mola mola! With very charming eyes and expression, their Cell has a hole in it shaped like a pair of goggles for them to see better! So cool!

Look It’s dish-shaped fishie from before! But they’re angry this time! Oh no! Is it because their fins became shorter? Or perhaps they don’t like their new pink stripes, I think they look wonderful on you!

The Core is identical to the Metroid one! But the Cell has the shape of a Clione! a Sea Angel! The color of their core and their horns really make for a good fit!

Oh god Realistic Eye hello there! This guy’s Cell is a blob with cute little ears, they reinvented the basic Slime enemy!

Oooh look at this! Getting closer to the Floaty we got in the final game! Their face is the only thing that’s drastically different

And there’s what we were missing! It’s the same face from the official Floaty! It seems they fused these last two guys to end up with our beloved Floaty!

And finally, to wrap things up, the final member of the Cell Core family, Butt Frog! They’re an angry green dude with 4 stubby limbs, and REALLY big buttcheeks, they’re almost their whole body! The artist really wanted to emphasize this with a very illustrating rear-end view, lovingly shaded to look shiny. Absolutely incredible

And that’s it! Really big family huh! I really wish we had gotten all of them in the final game, maybe randomly picked every time they spawn, they’re all so full of personality and charm! I’m very happy we got to meet them all! Thank you for coming with me in this splashy journey of Cells and Cores! Hope you found some you can dearly cherish!

#Floaty the Cell Core #Kirby #kirby enemies #Kirby Star Allies #Funky Friday #not mario #mario does get mentioned tho #Such an spectacular group of creatures! I really enjoy them a ton ==:) #mod sockop

[theultimateultimateweapon]

What’s the brand / website that’s selling the beady eyed Marx plush (the bottom one in your “don’t look at me with those big ol eyes” post)? It’s terrifying and I have never wanted to purchase anything more, but I haven’t been able to find it online

It’s from a a new collection from Sanei releasing in July! After a little bit of googling I found the links on amazon japan:

The Marx one specifically can be found here - https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08YYHJ7TH/

But they also have four others in this collection...

Kirby - https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08YYKHB7Q/ Bronto Burt - https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08YYKRS6Z/ Ice Dragon - https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08YYH492S/ and Gordo - https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08YYD9R9H/

I’m sure if you copy the name you can find it being sold on other websites but I usually find Amazon the easiest to buy from if you’re worried about overseas shipping and stuff

#tuuw talks #but yeah I agree I almost want the marx one even though it looks... so uncanny... #ditto marx perhaps? #kirby #kirby marx

[blogangels140]

Ark Survival Evolved Unlock Hairstyles

Here are the commands from the wiki (for the hairstyles): And here is a list Press J to jump to the feed. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. After you have unlocked the hair style, you need to craft some scissors, equip them and use them on yourself by right clicking (pc). An UI opens where you can choose your hair style and hair length. When you click on accept, you will cut your hair short, don't worry, it now grows into shape by time.

Ark Survival Evolved Hair

Ark Survival Evolved Hairstyles

Braids Head Hair StyleConsume this to permanently unlock the style!Consumable (values pertain to Humans)TypeHairstyleItemAdded inv257.0

Spawn Command

cheat giveitem 'Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Consumables/BaseBPs/PrimalItemConsumable_UnlockHair_Head_Braids.PrimalItemConsumable_UnlockHair_Head_Braids' 1 0 0

The Braids Head Hair Style is a Hairstyle that can be accessed via Scissors once it is unlocked.

A quick video explaining how to unlock all hairstyles in ARK Survival Evolved.' Perspectives' Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons. Mohawk, Moustache Gamma Ascention - Requires that you beat all three bosses at Gamma Level, go to the volcanos Tek Cave Entrance, and get to the end of the cave to accend to Gamma. You can use the code below to summon all the items you'll need to unlock the ascention.

Obtaining(edit | edit source)

This skin can be unlocked by completing the Maximum Survivor Achievement.

Maximum Survivor

Reach the maximum survivor level.

Gallery(edit | edit source)

100% length, female character

100% length, male character

v·d·eSkinsBase Game

Clothing

Alpha Raptor Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Araneo Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • ARK Tester Hat • Birthday Suit Armor (Pants, Shirt) • Bone Helmets (Rex, Trike) • Bonnet Hat • Bunny Ears • Captain's Hat • Chieftan Hat • Clown Mask • Corrupted Armor (Boots, Chestpiece, Gloves, Helmet, Pants) • Cupid Couture (Bottom, Top) • Dilo Mask • Dino Ornament Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Dodo Pie Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • DodoRex Mask • DodoWyvern Mask • Easter Chick Hat • Easter Egg Hat • Fan Ballcap • Felt Reindeer Antlers • Floral Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Giga Poop Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Halo Headband • Headless Costume • Hockey Mask • Hunter Hat • Jerboa Wreath Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Love Shackles • Marshmallow Hat • Meat Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Nerdry Glasses • Onyc Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Party Hat • Pilgrim Hat • Santa Hat • Scary Pumpkin Helmet • Survivor's Hat • T-Rex Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Top Hat • Turkey Hat • Turkey Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Ugly Sweaters (Bronto, Carno, Chibi) • Uncle Sam Hat • Vampire Dodo Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Vampire Eyes • Werewolf Mask • Winter Beanies (Blue, Gray, Green, Purple, Red) • Witch Hat • Wizard Ballcap

Costumes

Bionic Creatures (Giga, Mosasaurus, Parasaur, Quetzal, Rex, Raptor, Stegosaurus, Triceratops) • Bone Creatures (Bronto, Carno, Giganotosaurus, Jerboa, Quetzalcoatlus, Raptor, Rex, Stego, Trike, Wyvern) • Brachiosaurus • Megaloceros Reindeer • Procoptodon Bunny • Stygimoloch • Styracosaurus

Saddles

Dino Bunny Ears • Dino Easter Chick Hat • Dino Easter Egg Hat • Dino Glasses • Dino Marshmallow Hat • Dino Party Hat • Dino Santa Hat • Dino Uncle Sam Hat • Dino Witch Hat • Parasaur Stylish Saddle • Rex Stomped Glasses Saddle

Weapons

Bow & Eros • Candy Cane Club • Chocolate Rabbit Club • Christmas Bola • Fireworks Flaregun • Fireworks Rocket Launcher • Nutcracker Slingshot • Pitchfork • Teddy Bear Grenades • Torch Sparkler • Turkey Leg

Scorched Earth

Clothing

Manticore Armor (Boots, Chestpiece, Gauntlets, Helmet, Leggings, Shield) • Safari Hat • Wyvern Gloves

Saddles Weapons

Scorched Weapons (Spike, Sword, Torch)

Aberration

Clothing

Aberrant Helmet • Bulbdog Mask • Chili Helmet • Cute Dino Helmet • Otter Mask • Reaper Helmet • Scary Skull Helmet

Saddles Weapons

Extinction

Clothing

HomoDeus Armor (Boots, Gloves, Helmet, Pants, Shirt)

Genesis: Part 1

Clothing

Corrupted Avatar Armor (Boots, Gloves, Helmet, Pants, Shirt) • Master Controller Helmet

Weapons

Genesis: Part 2

Clothing

Federation Exo Armor (Boots, Leggings) • Poglin Mask Skin

ARK 2 Promo

Weapons

Event

Clothing

Crab Fest Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Easter Egghead • Fish Bite Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Hawaiian Shirts (Bulbdog-Print, Gasbags-Print, Ice Pop-Print, Jack-O-Lantern-Print, Reaper-Print, Sea Life-Print) • Ichthy Isles Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Jack-O-Lantern Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Reaper Swimsuits (Bottom, Top) • Sunglasses

Costumes

Ghost Creatures (Basilisk, Bulbdog, Direwolf, Mantis, Reaper, Rex, Snow Owl)

Weapons

E4 Remote Eggsplosives • Flying Disc • Grilling Spatula • Sweet Spear Carrot • Water Soaker

Hairstyles

Head

Afro • Braids • Dreadlocks • Mohawk • Ponytail • Romantic • Viking

Facial

Curly Beard • Dread Beard • Goatee • Moustache • Mutton Chops • Romantic • Viking Beard

Emotes

Unlocks

Air Drums • Air Guitar • Archer Flex • Belly Rub • Bicep Smooch • Bunny Hop Dance • Caroling Emote • Dance • Evil • Flirty • Food Coma • Happy Clap • Heart • Hungry • Knock • Mosh Pit • Nutcracker Dance • Panic • Scare • Snowball • Turkey • Zombie

Retrieved from 'https://ark.gamepedia.com/Braids_Head_Hair_Style?oldid=473905'

Ark: Survival Evolved, developed by Studio Wildcard, is an action-adventure video game. Styling your ark coiffures is not a difficult task in this game. Though there are certain requirements that you need to follow in the game of ark hairstyles.

Being stranded on the island, players must survive in this game along with hostile human players, natural hazards, prehistoric animals, and roaming dinosaurs.

Ark Hairstyles are obtained by searching for Explorer Notes and as rewards for completing achievements.

All the survivors in this game can use scissors to cut other hairs or their own hairs in order to achieve real human hair. You can also color the hairstyle with dye. But remember that facial hair and head hair are dyed separately. You can access this from Scissors UI. With the best ark hairstyles, you can also try popular bandanas to enhance your appearance.

Different Types Of Facial Hair Styles (Male Ark Hairstyles)

There are different types of facial hairstyles that you must know in 2020. All of them are listed below,

Default Facial Hair

By default, this hairstyle is available for all male players. You don’t need to complete any task in order to achieve this hairstyle. This facial ark hairstyle is automatically set as default.

Moustache Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. However, after completing Gamma Ascension Achievement, you can unlock this skin hairstyle.

Goatee Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing Beta Ascension Achievement, you can unlock this hairstyle.

Romantic Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing Map Maker achievement, you can unlock the skin.

Dread Beard Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing one task, you can unlock this hairstyle.

Mutton Chops Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing Artifact Archaeologist Achievement, you can unlock this hairstyle.

Curly Beard Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing Maximum Survivor Achievement, you can unlock the skin.

Viking Beard Facial Hair

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing the Perfect Explorer Achievement, you can unlock the skin.

Ark Survival Evolved Hair

Different Types Of Female Ark Hairstyles

The below listed are the different types of female ark hairstyles that you must know,

Default Hairstyle

By default, this hairstyle is available for all female players. You don’t need to complete any task in order to achieve this hairstyle.

Mohawk Hairstyle

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing one of the tasks, you can unlock this skin.

Afro Hairstyle

Ark Survival Evolved Hairstyles

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing the Beta Ascension Achievement, you can unlock this skin.

Romantic Hairstyle

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing the Map Maker Achievement, you can unlock this skin.

Dreadlocks Hairstyle

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing one task, you can unlock the skin.

Ponytail Hairstyle

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing the Artifact Archaeologist task, thee can unlock this ark hairstyle.

Braids Hairstyle

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing the Maximum Survivor Achievement, you can unlock this skin.

Viking Hairstyle

Once it is unlocked, you can access this hairstyle via scissors. By completing the Perfect Explorer Achievement, you can unlock the skin.

Read Also:

5 Reasons You Should Try Clothing Rental in 2020

The Final Thoughts

You can twist your way in the ark by completing different types of achievements that are required to obtain ark hairstyles. You can get more hairstyles and grow your hair fast in the ark game via scissors.

It usually takes five hours for hair to grow in the ark because your hair grows in real-time. You can cut the survivor’s hair via scissors to make it short and giving different types of ark hairstyles. Besides, you can also have a look at the best peacock dress that will amaze you for sure.

On the other hand, you can also color the survivor’s hair by using dye. Therefore, these are the ways by which you can learn to unlock different hairstyles by completing specific achievements for males and females.

[enasallavellan]

Enasal Lavellan: Pt 27

Leliana did tell them they could lie.

.

.

.

Dorian peeled off when they made contact with one of Leliana's spies. They were greeted by two Tevinter guards who were meant to escort them at once, but Enasal was determined to be as inconvenient as possible.

"I have to write to my advisors." Enasal said, "So they know I've arrived. It would be bad for your Magister if they thought I had been taken prisoner the second I arrived." They attempted to argue, but relented when fed lies of Enasal’s multiple kidnappings.  Th guards stood watch as Enasal dictated to Varric. The two took their time with the letter, questioning every pen stroke and syllable until they finally agreed on a final draft that then needed to be rewritten for handwriting errors.

More time for Leliana's spies.  

Realizing they couldn't push their luck any further, Enasal whistled towards a spatter of crows. With recognition, Enasal scooped up a particular crow, "Hello, Lady Corva." She said, "Leliana told me your name. I like it, friend." 

"Attach the letter, you weirdo." Varric chuckled. 

Enasal touched her forehead to Lady Corva's and whispered something in Dalish before she sent her off. When she turned back to the Tevinter guards, she grinned, "What? They know Dalish."

Varric set his face to support Enasal's lie. "Animals have always watched out for our Herald. Seastorm here was captured once, and I guess they were a little too close to some wild bronto - the whole herd came down on the fortress. By the time we got there, she was just sitting around, surrounded by fires and brontos.

The guards exchanged concerned glances.  

Varric grinned at Enasal.

Finally, in the castle, they were handed off to another set of guards. Enasal stood as tall as she could, "We're here to speak to Alexius. Announce us."

One of the guards shook his head, "Magister Alexius wishes to speak to the Herald and only her."

Enasal frowned, "I don't go anywhere without my friends. Especially Bull." 

Bull cracked his knuckles.

They were quickly brought into the main hall. Alexius sat on the throne, legs lazily stretched out and head leaning on his palm. Felix stood at his side, flickering his eyes at the group before turning to his father. Enasal noticed Fiona at the bottom of the landing, practically hidden by a pillar.

Probably where he had ordered her to stand.

The guard performed a deep bow, "Magister, forgive me, but she refused to come without her companions."

Alexius clapped his hands and stood. "It's so good to see you again, my friend!" He nodded, eyes going from one person to another, "And your associates, of course. Let's sit, I'm sure we can work out something that works for everyone involved."

Fiona moved from her spot and into the light, "Are we mages to have no voice in deciding our fate?"

Alexius walked up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, she flinched.

"Fiona, if you didn't trust me with your associate's lives, you wouldn't have given them to me."

Alexius smiled at Enasal, "Mages are needed to close the Breach, and we have most of the mages left unaffiliated. What will you give us in exchange?"

Enasal shook her head, "You won't have mages to worry about much longer. Right now, however, I'd rather talk about your time magic."

Alexius chuckled, "Time magic? Is that some kind of elf fantasy?"

Felix steeled himself and walked to Alexius, "Father, she knows everything."

 "Felix… "Alexius's joyful facade dropped, and he turned to his son. "What have you done?"

"Your son thinks you're in a dangerous cult." Enasal said.

Alexius's mouth twisted into a scowl, "So speaks the thief!

"I've never stolen anything in my life!" Enasal snapped.

As she spoke, a few guards were silently felled, replaced by Inquisition forces.

"Your mark!" Alexius snapped, "You come in here, trying to turn my son against me and toting a stolen mark. You don't even know the gift that lays in your fingers, and yet you feel that you can control it. You were never meant to have that mark, you're a mistake."

Enasal gave a bitter laugh, "You act as though you're the first to tell me that." She felt an annoying twinge as Bull grabbed her backplate, slowly and covertly, "So tell me, if this mark is stolen, who was supposed to get it?"

"Our Elder One!" Alexius said, arms upwards as though to address a nearby god, "The Breach was meant to be a triumphant victory, to reclaim the world with Tevinter at the head, as intended."

Felix moved between them, "Father, listen to yourself!" He begged, "Do you know what you sound like?"

Leliana's spies had been busy. Enough so that Dorian could make his entrance.

"I know." He said, "He sounds like the sort of villainous cliche that makes the world of Thedas love our homeland so very much."

Alexius sighed, "Dorian. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

Dorian flashed a wry smile, "Alexius, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I gave you a chance to be a part of this." Alexius said, "You turned me down. While you were languishing in whatever cesspool you had found yourself in that particular night, I pledged my service to the Elder One. He is powerful, and has a sword to raise the Imperium from its own ashes."

"You keep saying, Elder One." Enasal said, "Who is that?"

"Soon, he will be a god." Alexius said, "He will remind the world that mages are to be respected on bended knee. From the Boeric Ocean to the Frozen Seas, Tevinter will rule again."

Fiona dared a step forward, "You can't involve my people in this! You promised they would be kept safe!"

Enasal tested Bull's grip on her backplate - she wasn't going anywhere until he let her go.

"Listen to yourself, Alexius," Dorian said, "This is exactly what we talked about never wanting to happen!"

"Please, father, stop this." Felix insisted, "Give up on the Venatori and let's go home. Let the southern mages fight the Breach with this woman."

Alexius grabbed his son, "No! Felix, this is the only way, he said he could save you!"

Behind them, the final guard fell.

Felix shook his head, "I'm going to die, father. You need to accept that."

"Seize them, Venatori!" Alexius began, his face blanching when he noticed a sudden lack of followers.

"It's over, Alexius." Enasal said, "Release the mages-"

Alexius rushed in front of Felix, his hand cupping a whirling mass of fade energy.

"No!" A spell flew past Enasal's ear and collided with the shimmering mass. The spells arched around the other, spinning in tighter and tighter circles until-"

.

.

.

Something was off.

Enasal shivered - had she fallen asleep and the bath gone cold?

No… no, that's not it. She couldn't open her eyes.

A voice warbled in the distance, and she tried to shoo it away.  

A hand slapped her cheek, just hard enough to smart.  

Enasal winced and forced her eyes open.  

A waterlogged basement, sporting the columns and bars of a prison. Enasal's head drifted until she noticed the humming in the air. One by one, things came in to focus. Bits of ash floated upwards, slow and lazy. The whole area was steeped in the familiar scent of rifts - dotted with something sour that set her teeth on edge.

The hand against her cheek again, slightly harder.  

"Enasal!"

Sitting on the ground with water up to her chest, Enasal suddenly came to scrambled up.

"What…?" She stared, "What is-"

"Blood of the Elder one!" 

By sheer reflex, Enasal unsheathed one of her blades and lashed out at the guard. Dorian was hot on her heels with a few choice bursts of fire and ice until the group of soldiers lay dead. Dorian wasted no time in searching the bodies, while Enasal leaned backwards to recover. Everything here seemed vague and wavering.

"Displacement," She heard Dorian exclaim to himself, "Interesting." He prodded at a tiny wisp of ash above his head, "I doubt this is what Alexius intended. The spell must have moved us, yes? But to what?" He picked up a broken orb, cocking his head to the side as he considered it "The closest confluence of arcane energy?"

Enasal pushed herself front the wall, "You're going to have to slow down - my common isn't that colorful."

"Forgive me, I'll start over."

Enasal was irritated at his sincerity.

"Tell me, what do you last remember?"

"Enasal shook her head, "I was… I thought I was in the bath, but… no… no, we were at Redcliffe Castle."

Dorian nodded, "Let's see…. Yes. Yes, we must still be in the castle, mustn't we - oh!" He seemed to be itching to write by the way his fingers twitched, "Of course, it's not simply where - it's when! Alexius used the amulet as a focus."

He had the audacity to smile.

"It moved us through time!"

Enasal wanted to argue, but whatever hellscape they'd landed in seemed to make anything believable. "Time travel?" She asked, "As in, today is yesterday? That can happen?"

Dorian furrowed his brow, "Normally, I would say no.... but with the recent new evidence, I would say it's more than likely." He nodded to her hand, "We all noticed rifts behaving strangely, but instead of closing this one, we simply fell through."

Enasal flexed her fingers, "When I close a rift, it always does pull me towards it."

"I see!" Dorian said, "But never through?"

Enasal nodded.

"Let's take a look around and see where the rift took us. Then we can figure out how to get back."  

"What do you think he was trying to do?"

"Alexius? Probably to remove you completely. That way, his plans at the Conclave could go unspoiled."

"But, something went wrong." Enasal said.

Dorina nodded, "I think we surprised him, and he panicked - tossed us into the rift before he was fully focused. I countered his spell, and the magic went wild. Make sense?"

"Unfortunately," Enasal said. She was utterly soaked through, and the chill had thoroughly sunk to her bones. "Because the Breach wasn't bad enough."

"Oh, this will make things much worse." Dorian assured, "We didn't 'travel' through time so much as punch a hole through it and toss it in the privy. I don't even want to think about what this means for the remaining fabric of the world."

"The others!" Enasal realized, "Varric, Solas, and Bull! All the other soldiers - Alexius?"

Dorian shook his head, "I think it's safe to say we're on our own. He would have kept the spell small so as to avoid pulling anyone else in with you - friend or foe."

Enasal couldn't decide if she felt relieved or not. 

"How do we get out?"

Dorian swept his arm around the room, "We need to find Alexius." He said, "And on our way there, I'm sure we'll figure out the rest."

"That's not very reassuring." 

"I know. I am sorry about that." He nodded, “But don't worry, I’ll do what I can to see us both leave here alive." 

#enasal lavellan #the tiniest elf #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age inquistor #dragon age inquisition #dragon age #dai inquisitor

[allisondraste]

Temperance 41/42

Pairing: Nathaniel Howe/ Female, Non-HoF Cousland

Story Summary: Nathaniel and Elissa were childhood friends, but time and distance tore them apart. In the aftermath of the Fifth Blight, and Ferelden’s Civil War, both Elissa and Nathaniel must attempt reconstruct their tattered lives. As a series of events lead them to be reunited, both are reminded of so many years ago when things were much simpler.

Chapter Summary:   Liss and Nate talk about their past and their future.

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

[AO3 LINK]

Vigil’s Keep, 9:31 Dragon

Liss awoke slowly, stretching and blinking away the remnants of sleep in the corners of her vision.  She had forgotten what it felt like to wake up without her heart pounding against her ribs as if it wished to escape her body and the memories it carried.  Once, she had always felt safe behind the walls of her family’s invulnerable castle, protected by her parents’ strong arms and steady leadership, and secure with her brother by her side.  It had all been torn away from her in an instant, and she had been reeling ever since, attempting to find some semblance of solid ground in which to dig her heels. Now, it seemed that she had.  

Her lips curled up into a smile, warmth pooling in her chest and radiating outward, up into her cheeks as she recalled the night before.  After her Joining, when she sought Nathaniel out, she expected nothing more than an uncomfortable and frank conversation about their relationship as it was.  She did not anticipate that her careful, taciturn friend would return from a completely ridiculous walk in the rain to lay his soul bare to her. She knew him so well, and he still managed to surprise her.

Nate had always been gentler than he looked — considerate, thoughtful—  but Liss would have never ventured to call him reverent. However, when he confessed his feelings in whispers on her lips, it was as sacred as any prayer and far sweeter.  The ache for years lost was immediate and overwhelming and she had succumbed to the wave of emotion that engulfed her. Liss’ face grew warmer as she remembered what happened after their kiss, butterflies dancing about in her stomach. She  was no stranger to physical intimacy, not in the least, but this felt new and special in ways for which she could find no suitable words. It was Nate, and everything was different with him.  

Liss laughed quietly at the thought of the blush spreading across her face as if she were a giddy teenager, and then rolled over as carefully as she could, not wanting to wake Nathaniel.  Some small part of her panicked in the motion, a small twinge of anxiety that their night together had all been an incredibly vivid dream. It wasn’t, though, and as she adjusted onto her side, he was right there beside her, just as he had been all night, just as he promised he would be.

She propped herself up on her elbow and rested her chin in her hand, watching him as his chest rose and fell slowly.  For all that he scowled in the waking world, in unconsciousness, his features settled into a serene expression with nothing more than a subtle twitch of the lips or furrow of eyebrows every now and again. She teetered perilously between wanting to wake him immediately and staying just as they were for forever.

Tears pricked her eyes as she remembered waking in the middle of the night as she always did, panicked and crying from nightmares that refused to let her rest.  It had been the same as before. She had relived the night her home was ambushed again, only to find herself in complete darkness, frightened and alone. This time, however, she’d been pulled from the depths of her despair by the sensation of an arm wrapping around her from behind, and she awoke to Nathaniel holding her snugly, and pulling her as close against him as he could.  His breath was warm as he kissed her shoulder, just near the scar she’d earned in that ambush.

“Shh. It’s okay, Liss. You’re safe,” he soothed her, voice low and steady, “I’ve got you.”

She had woken up completely then, trembling with tears streaming down her face, and rolled over to face him. “Nate,” she asked, disoriented.

“I’m here,” he said, and pulled her close to him again, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Thank you,” she muttered, clinging to him as tightly as she could, and sobbing until she drifted back to sleep.

As she continued to watch the slow rise and fall of his chest, she smiled and an errant tear dropped from her eye, which she quickly scrubbed away.  In his letter, Nathaniel had described his separation from her as feeling like he’d lost a limb, and he had to continue on with life as if a major part of him had never existed.  It was a painfully accurate sentiment. She had not realized how many pieces of her he had touched until he was able to touch them again. She loved him, and now she was free to be honest with herself, with him, and with the world, about just how much.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, because she wanted to, and because she could, Liss leaned forward and examined Nate more closely, the dark wisps of his eyelashes, the sharp lines of his jaw, and the characteristic bump on the bridge of his nose.  Once, when they were younger, she’d asked him if he’d broken it before and he hadn’t spoken to her for an entire afternoon. She had only been so curious because she liked it, thought it was different and beautiful. It was a sore spot when he was ten. Perhaps things had changed. She certainly hoped so as she placed a fingertip between his eyebrows and traced a line down the bridge of his nose, biting her lip and watching his features for a reaction.

At first, it was just a subtle twitch then a wince, and Liss couldn’t stifle the affectionate giggle that bubbled up in her throat.  Frowning, Nate blinked his eyes open and looked up at her. His expression immediately softened at the recognition that she had been the annoying moth-like sensation on his nose.  He huffed out a laugh and let his eyes flutter closed once again.

“Good morning,” he mumbled hoarsely, “Enjoying yourself?”

“Yes,” Liss answered, pressing a kiss to his nose, his chin, and then his lips, “Quite a lot, actually.  The view is nice.”

“I am inclined to agree with you,” he said, smirking and bringing a hand up to cup her cheek.  She kissed him again, more deeply this time, delighting at his sharp inhale and the way he let his hand drop from her cheek to trace down her neck and rest on her shoulder.  She flinched reflexively as his fingers grazed the scar. It seemed the morning brought along with it insecurities she’d forgotten the night before. Nate withdrew his hand quickly, as if he’d touched a hot surface.

“No, no,” she protested, letting her forehead press against his, laughing bitterly, “I’m just…” “Self-conscious?”

“A little.” She frowned and flopped back down on her back beside him. “ I think it’s ugly.”

“It’s a scar,” Nate said matter-of-factly, raising up on his elbow so that he now looked down at her, “It isn’t supposed to be beautiful.  It’s supposed to remind you that you survived.”

“I’d rather it be pretty, or, you know, not exist,”  she replied with a feigned pout, “It’s interfering with my good reputation as a delicate, damsel in distress. However shall I find a valiant knight to take me as his lover with my hideous disfigured body.” “Liss,” Nate said, shaking his head and laughing.

“What? Why are you laughing Nathaniel?  Can’t you see I’m distressed?” Even as she pretended to lecture him, a smile crept out from beneath her scowl.

Rolling his eyes, Nathaniel muttered playfully, “Shut up.”

“Make me.” Liss winked and stuck out her tongue like the mature woman, Grey Warden, and Lady of Highever she was.

“Don’t tempt me,” he warned, leaning down to kiss her once again.  Just as his lips grazed hers there was a knock at the door. He froze and released a frustrated sigh before clearing his throat and addressing the person on the other side. “Who is it?”

“Lucia,” came the muffled reply.

“Shit,” he grumbled under his breath, shooting up out of the bed abruptly and calling to her again, “Give me a moment.”

Nate milled about the room in a hurried attempt to be much less naked when he opened the door to greet the commander.  Liss was completely distracted watching him, eyes making a compulsory, slow sweep from top to bottom, and appreciating every bit of lean musculature in between.  Desire tugged at her abdomen just as she heard him clear his throat with an ahem .  She shot her gaze up to his face immediately, and he raised his eyebrows as if to ask “Seriously?” and Liss could only shrug in response.  She was only slightly embarrassed that she’d been found out. He ignored her and began pulling on his pants, then his shirt shortly after, and headed to answer the door.

“Warden-Commander,” Nate said formally, speaking just loud enough that Liss could still hear it, “Need something?”

Although she couldn’t see Lucia's face, Liss could hear the smile in her voice.  “I came to check in on our newly joined sister.”

“And why would you think she’s in here?”

“Educated guess.”

After that, they spoke more quietly and Liss could not make out what they were saying, which was incredibly frustrating considering that they were speaking about her.  Not wishing to make an obvious attempt at eavesdropping, Liss got out of bed herself, picking up her discarded clothing off the floor and getting dressed. Each article reeked of sweat and darkspawn blood, and she became suddenly aware that she likely smelled that way.  A bath and a change of clothes would be more than welcome. Hunger gnawed at her stomach as well, as if she had not eaten in weeks, so she wouldn’t turn down food either.

Tugging down the hem of her shirt and adjusting the waist of her breeches, Liss approached Nathaniel’s dresser once again, eyes locked on the little bronze bronto she’d seen before.  She’d been so frantic, she had not really considered how it was an unusual item for Nate to have, yet he’d clearly had it for years and used it often considering the chipped paint and dingy surface among other signs of use and age. She picked it up and examined it more closely, turning the cleverly placed tail-handle-thing that resulted in a plucky, cheerful little tune.

The click of the door behind her caused her to jump, and Nathaniel chuckled slightly, and walked up behind her, snaking his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.  It was affectionate and unexpected, but more than welcome. She only hoped he did not hear the way her breath hitched at the gesture, or feel the heat on her skin.

“I see you found my good luck charm,” he said. She flicked her eyes in his direction, catching a glimpse of his profile just at the corner of her vision. “I never took you to be the superstitious sort.”

“I’m not,” he admitted, breath warm on her ear.  “Not really anyway. I saw it at a merchant’s kiosk while I was in Tantervale for the Grand Tourney several years back, and I remembered how you spent a whole summer reading books about Dwarven culture and life beneath the surface.”

Liss smiled and returned her gaze to the music box, nostalgia causing her chest to swell. “I was really fascinated with brontos that year.”

“The whole time I was at the Tourney, I kept  hoping I’d blink my eyes to see you standing at my side pointing at all of the things you wanted me to see.”  Nate paused briefly, and pulled away from her. “Of course that never happened, but I did end up with a music box because it made me think of you.”

She spun to face him, fighting back the tears that burned in her eyes. “I thought you were trying to forget me.”

“I was,” he stated with a laugh, “And doing a piss poor job of it.”

“I just wish—”She ran her thumbs over the surface of the music box, words catching in her throat.

“You just wish that I would have told you?” Nate’s hand moved to her cheek.  “I know.”

“I’m sorry,” Liss shook her head, moving away from him, setting the figurine on the dresser, and returning to sit on the edge of the bed.  Nate followed her, a worried expression on his face as he sat down at her side. She brought her hands up to cover her face. “I shouldn’t keep bringing it up. We’ve already—”

“Liss,” Nate said firmly, warm hand falling on her upper back, “I hurt you.  That’s not something that is going to just disappear overnight.”

“But we—”

“Saw each other naked? ”  The question formed a smile on his lips. “If spending one night together undid years of damage, there would be far fewer hurting people in the world.”

“I am still angry with you when I think about it all.” Her brows pressed together as she stared down at her hands.

“And I am still angry with myself when I think about it all,” he said, offering his hand to her, palm up, and she took it, lacing her fingers through his. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze he continued. “That we’ve chosen to tend our wounds together doesn’t mean they’ll heal faster or hurt less.”

“There’s going to be a big, ugly scar, isn’t there,” Liss asked, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

“I would say so, yes,” he answered somberly, eyes fixed on the floor.

“Hey.” She tugged at his hand until he looked up at her. “It’s like you said, right?  It will remind us that we survived.”

“Exactly.” He nodded and returned his gaze to the floor. “ We just need time.  Both of us.”

Somber silence stretched between them, a moment of acknowledgement for the pain of the past as they looked toward the future.  Liss hated that she could not simply erase the memory of feeling like he’d abandoned her, the years of searching for him in the arms of others.  She knew he was right, that time would mend it all, but damn it if she was not feeling impatient, more than ready for their relationship to be uncomplicated.

“Hey Liss,” Nate spoke up suddenly, breaking both the silence, and the spiraling of her thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

She eyed him curiously. “For what, exactly?”

“For your forgiveness.” He let out a small, embarrassed laugh and looked away from her.  “It might have been easier for you to just walk away from me, from all of this.”

“Easier? You really think that,” she asked,  huffing slightly in disbelief, “I didn’t forgive you out of charity, Nate.  I forgave you because I cannot imagine a world where I didn’t.”

“Oh.” Nate flinched, as if her words had been an absolute surprise.  Did he really think that she was just doing him a favor?

“I love you,” she explained forcefully as if it were an argument, releasing his hand and throwing her arms around his neck in a sudden embrace.  He lost his balance and fell back onto the bed, pulling her down on top of him. She kissed his cheek and continued. “Without condition.”

“I am glad,” he whispered, and smiled even as tears streaked down his cheeks.  Liss’ heart sank and she hurried to wipe them away.  

“You’re going to make me cry,” she said, already sniffing her nose, “Cut it out.”

Nate said nothing in response, and instead reached up and brushed his fingertips across her cheek, wiping away the tears that fell.  A fruitless endeavor, she thought as she closed her eyes and new tears rolled down her face. The warm, gentle pressure of his lips pressed to hers caused her eyes to flutter open again, her pulse jumping as he trailed gentle kisses across her jawline and down the nape of her neck.  He wrapped his arms around her, hands tangling in her hair as he returned his mouth to hers. He kissed her more deeply this time, every inch of his body tense and trembling as he held her. Somehow it felt different, powerful in a way that it had not felt before, and Liss let herself get lost in his arms.

Liss found herself again a bit later, buried beneath blankets with sore lips and a throbbing headache.  Beside her, Nate looked just as rough as she felt, his typically tame hair in complete disarray, eyes slightly red and swollen.  But he was smiling, just a small smirk at the corners of his mouth as he watched her tenderly.  

“What,” she asked, flustered by his gaze.  Heat rushed to her face despite her attempts to remain unfazed.

“Nothing, just—” He laughed and shook his head — “Admiring the view.”

“That’s very sweet, but I’m a disheveled mess,” she remarked, dryly, “I think my hair has been possessed by a demon.”

“Should I find a templar?”

“A templar, a sturdy pair of wool shears. Same difference.” Liss shrugged and sat up scanning the room for her clothing once again.  She spotted her shirt hanging from the bedpost and leaned forward to grab it before standing up and collecting the rest of her clothes from the floor.  Nate stayed where he was, eyes politely averted as if it mattered. She laughed to herself and began getting dressed for the second time in the same morning.

“What did Lucia want,” she asked as she milled about.

“She came to see how you were doing,” Nathaniel explained, “She also told me to take the day off from my Warden duties, make sure that you eat and drink enough, and to tell you that at some point today you will need to see our blacksmith to be fitted for your armor.”

“It sounds like you’ve been assigned to “nanny the new Warden” duty,” Liss teased, adjusting her shirt so that it hung more comfortably.  She turned slightly to make eye contact with him. “I hope you know I do not take well to being nannied.”

“I am not going to ‘nanny’ you.” He smiled and rolled his eyes. “I am simply free to be at your service, whatever you need, but you have to eat and you have to get fitted.  Direct orders.”

Finally dressed, she stepped over to the bed, raking a hand through Nate’s hair. “First, I’d like to go to my room and take a bath.  I have never met a darkspawn before, but I imagine I smell like one of their armpits.”

Nate snorted.  “That’s an image.”

“Maybe after that you can show me to the kitchens and introduce me to the blacksmith?”

“Of course.”

With that, Liss turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her, sighing as a smile spread uncontrollably across her face.  It was the best morning she remembered having in many years. Nothing was perfect, and it never would be again. She could never return to the blissful days of her childhood when the worst tragedy she could imagine was ruining her favorite dress, and she refused to remain chained to a past that haunted her.  The present was hard and unforgiving, but it was not without its bright spots. She had found a home and family with the Wardens. She had a brother who loved her. She had Nathaniel.

Her life had been frozen, halted entirely for the past year, and she had been unable to move forward no matter what she tried.  Now, as she stepped into the hallway and made her way to her new room, she knew she could finally continue living.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #dragon age awakening #nathaniel howe #nathaniel howe x cousland #cousland #temperance #update #my writing #just the epilogue left friends

[tearsofwinter]

Fenris heard Anders before he saw him. For a mage that proclaimed he escaped the Circle tower seven times, he was a man with no subtlety or stealth. Fenris' lips twitched in amusement as Anders made his way upstairs, his footsteps as loud as a bronto's. If he had to use one word to describe his mage, dainty would not be it.

"You're up." The door creaked open as Anders entered their shared room, pleasantly surprised to find Fenris still awake. "I hope you weren't waiting up for me," he said, though his soft smile bespoke a different sentiment. He stood behind where Fenris sat and placed a tender kiss atop of the elf's silver head.

"I was not. Hawke gave me a new book to read. I was hoping to finish a chapter or two before I slept."

"Ouch. Such a romantic, Fenris. And this entire time, I thought you were a man after my own heart." Anders sat in a chair beside his lover, a look of absolute fondness on his face. Despite the exhaustion and utter weariness he felt after a long day at the clinic, every ounce of it evaporated in Fenris' presence. He should sleep, Anders knew. The night was late and he needed an early start tomorrow morning, but sleep could wait if it meant spending one more second with Fenris. For all he knew, tonight could be his last.

"Only if you want me to rip it out and show you your own beating heart."

"Kinky. Don't knock it until you've tried it, I say. Maybe I'll end up liking it."

Fenris snorted, not even deigning to give Anders an answer to his idiotic suggestion. He returned to his book, but not before tilting his cheek into the healer's hand when Anders brushed wayward strands of hair away from his eyes.

For awhile, they remained in companionable silence: Fenris working through his book while Anders played with his hair. The silence only broke when Anders took hold of his lover's hand.

"Let me see how well you've gotten with reading," he said, a mischievous smile on his lips. "Try and guess what I'm writing."

Fenris raised a questioning brow, but said nothing. Quietly, his hand in Anders', he watched as the mage draw a vertical line down the middle of his palm, followed by a horizontal line connected at the bottom.

"L..." Fenris pursed his lips in concentration. "O..." A few times, Fenris had trouble guessing the letters. When that happened, Anders slowed down and repeated the action. "V...E... Love."

The tip of Fenris' ears turned hot pink upon realizing what Anders wrote in the palm of his hand. "Fool mage," he gruffly said, hiding his embarrassment by snatching his hand back and looking away. Even as he did so, his hand closed around the letters, gripping them tight as if afraid they'd fly away.

Ander chuckled. His finger played with the shell of Fenris' ear, enjoying the sight of the reddened tip. "You're utterly adorable when you're shy."

"And you are a fool."

"So you've said. Doesn't make me any less right. Maybe instead of love, I should start calling you cutie? Or maybe honey? You are sweet as one."

"If you dare...," Fenris turned back to glare at the grinning mage, leaving the rest of his threat unsaid. When Anders remained unintimidated, Fenris gave up with a sigh. He held out his hand. "My turn."

"For what?" Anders asked, though he readily placed his hand into Fenris'.

"You wrote something on my hand. Now it's my turn to write on yours. Close your eyes. I don't want you peeking."

Anders hummed at the back of his throat, but closed his eyes nonetheless. He trusted Fenris with his life, so a simple request of closing his eyes was a given. He waited for the elf's first letter, and for awhile, he felt Fenris stroke the palm of his hand with his thumb tenderly, almost reverently.

"Are you going to start?" Anders asked.

"Al..most." Fenris cleared his throat, his voice oddly nervous. He took a steadying breathe, drawing a line down Anders hand, then another.

"M...?" Anders guessed. "A...R...R..." A cold band slipped down his finger just as Fenris finished writing down the last letter. Anders gasped, his eyes fluttering open in surprise.

A ring. The sight of a gold ring on his finger greeted him when he opened his eyes. It was a delicate thing; thin, and tarnished in some areas, but to Anders it was the most beautiful thing in the world. No matter its' monetary value, Anders' heart was breaking at the possible significance. He chest ached with hope and yearning...but surely Fenris couldn't mean it.

"Fenris," Anders said breathlessly, "You can't...Why...? I don't understand..."

Clear, green eyes met gold. For someone that looked away at a playful confession of love, there was no uncertainty, no shyness in Fenris' demeanor now. "Neither you and I give thoughts to our future. We live each day as if it'd be our last because tomorrow is never promised." Gently, he took Anders' hand back in his and rubbed his thumb over the ring. "I never gave a thought about marrying. It's another way to bind myself to another, a weakness for a magister to exploit. But since we've been together, I've...had thoughts. If today is to be our last, I...I would like to spend it with you. It would honor me, Anders, if you could share the rest of your life with me as well."

Inexplicable tears clung to Anders lashes' and soon slipped down his cheeks. Fenris wiped them away with his hands as he waited for the mage's answer, but more fell to stain his skin. Anders opened his mouth to speak, yet only the sound of sobs escaped him. His face became blotchy as he struggled to breathe between his sobbing; his eyes red-rimmed from the tears. Snot threatened to come out his nose from the excessive crying, but much like the tarnished ring Fenris gifted Anders, Fenris smiled, thinking there was nothing more beautiful, more precious than the man sitting in front of him.

"If you can't talk, you can always write yes on my hand," Fenris said with a smug smirk. It earned him a watery laugh from Anders as well as a well deserved smack to the chest.

But it definitely wasn't a no.

 My notes:

Anders calling was near. He could feel it as the song got louder and he was less able to resist it. Anders was going to say goodbye to Fen when Fen proposed to marry him. Fen could tell something was wrong as Anders seemed more listless and lost in daydreams. After talking with his friends, Fen guessed The Calling was coming. Based off a book I read, there's an elven ritual. Most Dalish elves marry under Mythal or Sylaise. Instead Fen asks Anders to marry him under Falon'Din (God of Death and Fortune). Although Fen isn't sure if it'll work, but if it does, it ties his life with Anders. So long as Anders lives, so will he and vice versa.  

Lol bet y’all wasn’t expecting that. Dropped the fic because I realized oh my god, I would have to write so much. 

#mywriting

[haledamage]

Pairing: Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe

Story Summary: Cathain Cousland had been in love with Nathaniel Howe for as long as she can remember. It doesn’t take long after they reunite in Amaranthine to realize she still is.

Chapter Summary: The space between the politics and sturdy walls of the Vigil and the heavy dark of the Deep Roads - that was freedom.

It was nearly a week’s travel to the Knotwood Hills and this supposed chasm. It was the longest Cait had been on the road in months, and she relished the soreness in her legs and the sun on her skin and the dirt on her boots. She knew what she was probably walking toward, but she didn’t let herself dread it. The space between the politics and sturdy walls of the Vigil and the heavy dark of the Deep Roads - that was freedom. That’s where she felt most alive.

They spent most of the first day teaching Justice the names of different birds and plants and trees as they crossed their paths. Nathaniel was by far the most knowledgeable, being the most well-traveled and spending so much of his life outdoors. Cait knew a decent amount, especially about trees and practical applications for plants, and Anders knew a surprising amount about healing properties of herbs and flowers. Oghren, having been on the surface for less than two years, knew less than the rest of them, but if it could be eaten or fermented into some kind of ale, his knowledge surpassed anyone else’s by miles.

On the second day, Cait cut her hair. They were passing through a heavily wooded stretch of road, and after the third time a low branch tangled in her braid, she cut it off cleanly with her knife. It had been getting too long, anyway, and it was only a matter of time before she’d gotten tired of it. She woman she saw in her mirror that night, with her bright storm-colored eyes and her choppy, dark brown hair only barely falling to her chin, was familiar in a way the tired, long-haired Warden-Commander hadn’t been.

The third day, the Joining finally caught up with Anders. He ate three helpings of breakfast and tried to steal Cait’s coffee. He nearly bounced down the road, full of energy and with no outlet for it.

“Is this what the world always feels like for you?” He asked Cait. “The humming?”

She nodded. “I don’t notice it much anymore. You learn to drown it out.”

“And you can tell the difference between Wardens and darkspawn?”

“I can even tell the difference between different Wardens.” She closed her eyes for a moment. She could still see her friends like afterimages from the sun and Justice shining like a beacon, so much brighter than the rest. “How do you feel besides the humming?”

He thought about it for a few minutes in silence. “Hungry? Like I could eat lunch already even though breakfast was only an hour ago.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t really go away.” She threw a pouch of candied almonds his way, one of the snacks she’d picked up in Amaranthine. “You may have trouble sleeping in the next few weeks. Bad dreams. Headaches. It’s different for everyone.”

“At least I have you!” Anders grinned. “Vague expectations are better than none at all. I can’t imagine having to go through this alone.”

“I survived,” Cait said with a shrug. “It’s what I do.”

“That is what I think all of us have in common,” Anders said.

On the fourth day, Cait stopped setting up her tent. The pretense of it was unnecessary. They all knew she was sleeping with Nathaniel, and she was tired of trying to act like it was supposed to be a secret. It felt liberating to acknowledge it publicly, even just among friends.

On the fifth day, Nate tried to teach her how to use a bow.

He had tried in the past, several times. So had Mother. So had Leliana. She understood the mechanics of it, she was theoretically strong enough to hold a full draw, she could throw a dagger so she should be able to sight and fire an arrow.

In practice, she was really bad at it. She was built for speed, not for stamina, and her arms were already shaking after a few failed attempts. On the rare occasion she could get an arrow to go anywhere but directly in the dirt at her feet, it went wildly off mark, sometimes missing the target by yards.

They were camping for the night at the last bit of flat ground before the Knotwood Hills. They had stopped early, not knowing how far they’d have to travel to the gorge they were after, so it was just at sunset when Nathaniel dragged Cait into the woods to help him hunt down something for dinner. She was pretty sure they were going to starve before she ever hit a rabbit. She doubted she could hit a sleeping bronto.

“Here.” He stepped behind her, one hand on her hip and the other on her shoulder to adjust her stance into something a little closer to correct. “Draw as you raise it into position. Try and hit that tree over there, with the white flowers.”

“You know, you don't need to make excuses anymore to take me out in the woods and fondle me,” she teased, but she did as he said, sighting down the arrow to the apple tree he'd pointed to.

“It's always about sex with you,” he chuckled. He adjusted her position again, unlocking her elbow and lifting the arrow fletching up to brush the corner of her mouth. “Don't lower the bow until after the arrow hits its mark. Take a deep breath, release on the exhale.”

Deep breath, release on the exhale. The arrow skipped across the bark on the left side of the tree and disappeared deeper into the forest. Cait lowered the bow with a sigh. “I don't get it.”

Nathaniel took his bow back and nocked, drew, and fired in one smooth motion. The arrow hit the center of the trunk with a solid thunk. Cait pulled one of her daggers from her back and threw it; it hit just to the right of the arrow, sending pieces of feather floating to the ground from where it grazed the fletching. She shrugged. “I don't get it.”

She walked to the tree and gently coaxed her blade free. “It's not always about sex, you know. I'm just… better at that part. I speak better with action than with words.” She turned around and he was right there. “I literally have a knife in my hand, why would you sneak up on me like that?”

He covered her hand with his and lowered the dagger away from his sternum. She let it drop to the ground as she stared up at him, at the earnest affection in his pale eyes and the gentle smile on his face. He reached behind her and pulled his arrow from the tree, smoothing the bark over the hole it left; the whole time, his eyes never left hers.

The arrow and his bow joined her dagger on the ground. He touched her face, fingers light and reverent on her cheek. She knew what he was going to ask before he whispered, “Can I kiss you?”

“You don't need to ask, you know,” she said, already reaching for him. “Consider this explicit permission to kiss me whenever you want to.”

“And miss out on the look you give me when I ask? Never. I’ll still ask when we’re old and grey.” His lips met hers before she could think of a proper response to that. His kiss was slow and sweet and achingly tender and Cait started to suspect she wasn’t the only one who found it easier to communicate like this. They had to break apart eventually, but they stayed close, unwilling to leave the serenity around them.

A thought occurred to Cait and she voiced it against her better judgement, “Aren’t we supposed to be hunting right now?”

“I set snares on our way here,” Nathaniel said quietly, forehead pressed to hers. “Your charming and fumbling attempts at archery probably scared dinner right into them.”

She gasped and pushed him away as he started laughing. “Nathaniel Howe! I can’t believe you used me like that!”

On the sixth day, they finally entered the Knotwood Hills. They were steep and rocky and they spent as much time climbing as they did walking. Within hours, their passage had slowed to a crawl. Cathain, being a consummate climber, and Nathaniel, with his light armor and strong shoulders, didn’t face much trouble, but even they'd been spending too much time sitting around the Vigil instead of training, and started to slow after a few slopes.

The others weren't so lucky. Oghren had the strength and skill for climbing, but he also had 60 pounds of additional armor he had to drag uphill, and while Justice did not feel fatigue, Kristoff’s body was still human and subject to human limitations, and in his heavy armor he started to struggle as the ground got steeper below them. Anders didn’t have the burden of armor, but he was not used to this kind of exertion. Byron didn’t have thumbs, but somehow still outpaced them all, barking encouragement down from the top of steep outcroppings.

Luckily, they didn’t have to go far. They scaled the top of an especially tall outcropping and almost fell right in it.

It was a huge chasm, easily sixty feet deep and wider across, a jagged wound across the hills and completely invisible until you were right above it. It looked natural, likely caused by an earthquake or something, but a rickety set of wooden stairs led down into it, and Cait recognized the laid roads and etched stone at the bottom to be decidedly dwarven in make.

Oghren confirmed it, leaning farther over than Cait was comfortable. “Heh heh, would you look at that. Looks like those bastards back in town weren't just conning you out of money. The sodding Deep Roads.” He cuffed her on the shoulder and she had to adjust her footing to keep from tumbling into the hole in the world. “Just like old times, eh, Commander?”

“I fell down a flight of stairs once,” Nathaniel said quietly, “They looked much like this particular set of stairs.”

“I hope stairs will be the worst of our worries,” Cait replied, but she knew she was wrong.

And so, on the sixth day, they climbed down into the Deep Roads.

-------

They didn’t have to go far before they found their first darkspawn. The cavern was still well lit by sunlight and let them clearly see the small group and the body they were dragging. Cait recognized the armor of the Legion of the Dead, and was moving to intercept when the ‘body’ moved suddenly. A twitch, a roll, and the Legionnaire dragged themselves to their feet, stolen darkspawn blade in hand.

The fight was over quickly. The small band of darkspawn may have been enough to overpower one Legionnaire, but they were outnumbered once the Wardens joined.

Cait turned to the Legionnaire before the last darkspawn had even finished slumping to the ground. “Are you all right?”

They ripped off their helmet to reveal a dirty, panting, bright-eyed dwarven woman. Her face was heavily tattooed, a style that seemed to be popular with the members of the Legion Cathain had met before. She grinned up at her. “I might have cracked a rib, but it’s hard to be sure. Everything hurts.”

“Do you need help? My friend’s a healer.” Anders stepped forward at Cait’s words, but she waved them off.

“I’m fine. I just need to catch my breath.” She sat down with a pained huff and Cait sat down next to her after a second. “I’m Sigrun.”

“I’m Cait.” She offered a hand and Sigrun shook it, grip firm and warm even though she was clearly exhausted.

“Why are a bunch of humans here?” She looked at them each in turn, studying, cataloging, filing away whatever she saw. “It isn’t safe to wander around the Deep Roads.”

“We’re Grey Wardens,” Cait said. She thought the armor made it obvious.

“Ah. My condolences,” Sigrun said, still smiling.

“And why are you here? This is a long way out, even for the Legion.”

That knocked the smile from Sigrun's face. She looked much older without it. “There’s something going on at the old fortress of Kal’Hirol. I think the darkspawn are breeding an army. We went to investigate but… it was a massacre. I’m the only one left.”

“Not anymore.” Cait bit back an automatic offer of sympathy. She had great respect for the Legion, but they'd been dead when she met them and they neither wanted or needed her commiseration.

“What? Really? Did I mention Kal’Hirol was a death trap?” Sigrun looked her over again, then looked past her. Assessing their capability. Cait tried not to take offense.

Cait considered being vague about their purpose here, but if there was anyone who could help her with the puzzle they'd been dropped into, it was the Legion of the Dead. “Did these darkspawn talk to you?”

“I… yes.” And then Sigrun's smile was back. “How did you know?”

“We’ve run into a few of them too,” Cait said, and Sigrun nodded, unsurprised. “We’re trying to find the source. I think your mission and mine coincide.”

“All right. Then let’s not waste time.” Sigrun struggled to her feet. Anders stepped forward to help, but she waved him off again.

Cait stood up too, brushing the stone dust from her armor. “Lead the way.”

-------

It turned out that Sigrun wasn’t the only remaining member of the Legion, but that didn’t last long. Cait tried to give them a moment, but there weren’t many places to go for privacy. She just stood to the side, eyes down, and tried not to think about her own past or future or all the death in both.

Sigrun walked up to her after some time, eyes dry but distant. She nodded and they set off again. After a few minutes of silence, she asked “What are the Children? Jukka mentioned them before he…”

“They’re a new kind of darkspawn,” Nathaniel answered.

“Creepy grub things,” added Anders.

“New darkspawn? After a Blight?” Sigrun’s gaze turned calculating, grief overcome, at least momentarily, by curiosity. “What could that mean?”

“Nothing good,” said Cait sourly.

The deeper underground they got, the darker Cait’s mood got with it. No matter how tall the ceilings were they felt too close; in areas where the caverns were small enough for the stone to brush the top of her head, Cait had to concentrate on remembering to breathe. There was too much earth between her and the sun. Anders tried to spark conversation, but she wasn’t much in the mood for levity and he gave up after a while.

Behind them, Nathaniel was attempting the same with Sigrun. “The Legion of the Dead must train its people well.”

Sigrun heard the compliment in his words, and shrugged it off. If the darkness of the cavern or the deaths of her comrades weighed on her, she hid it well. “Oh, they taught me a few tricks, but I was fighting long before then.”

“Oh?” He asked. “You fought in Orzammar's army?”

Sigrun sneered, but somehow made it seem friendly. “Fighting for scraps of food. For a place to sleep. For survival.”

“Oh, I... I didn't mean…” Nate sounded so dismayed, and Cait cringed inwardly.

“It's all right,” Sigrun said with a grin and another shrug. “You're a noble.”

“So are you,” Cait couldn’t resist adding. “for the record. The Legion is a noble house now.”

“Huh. You know, I never thought of that.” She looked at Cait as if searching for something, thought she had no idea what. “I heard a Warden was responsible for that. Was that you?”

“It was,” she said plainly.

“You know, most of the Legion were born casteless. I bet that really grinds the gears of those Assembly bastards.” Sigrun’s smile turned wistful.

Cait smirked a little at the thought, too. “Probably. If they’re anything like human nobles, it doesn’t take much to piss them off.”

“Are you noble too?”

She shrugged. “My parents were.”

Sigrun laughed, a pleasant and musical sound. “But you don’t think of yourself as one?”

“I… guess not.” Cait didn’t know when she’d stopped thinking of herself that way. What the dividing line between ‘Lady’ and ‘Warden’ had been. The Landsmeet, maybe? As far back as Ostagar? “Not anymore. I hold a title, but it’s just semantics. I’m a soldier with an honorific, not a noble with a sword.” Maker, she sounded like Loghain. When had she gotten so old?

“Wait a minute,” Anders said, holding up a hand. “So you’re a disgraced noble turned Grey Warden.”

“Yes.”

“And so is Nathaniel.”

“Yes…?”

“And Loghain.”

“Right.”

“And technically, Oghren was too. And the king is a Grey Warden turned noble?”

“Is there a point to this, Anders?”

“How do I become a noble too? I feel left out of the club.”

Cait laughed, and the weight in her chest felt a little lighter. “My brother is single. Recently widowed.”

“Is he as pretty as you?” Anders asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Few are,” Nate whispered fondly.

“Braggart.” Anders rolled his eyes. “Andraste’s flaming tits, you two are awful.”

-------

Kal’Hirol was surprisingly well-preserved, all things considered. Huge and solid and likely still functional. Its traps and golems certainly still worked. Almost every tile on the floor of its entrance hall was a pressure plate or snare of one flavor or another, and Cait, Nathaniel, and Sigrun spent nearly an hour disabling them before they could safely move on.

The next room, of course, contained ghosts.

“Someday,” said Cait, staring at the ghostly dwarves locked in eternal combat. “Someday I’m going to be able to walk into some place that isn’t haunted.”

“Attagirl, Cait,” Anders laughed. “Dream big! Arguably the most powerful woman in Ferelden, you could ask for anything you wanted in the world and all you ask for is ‘less ghosts, please!’”

“The Vigil isn’t haunted,” Nathaniel mused quietly. “Is it?”

“We fought undead and ash wraiths in the basement,” Cait deadpanned.

“Oh. Right.”

These, at least, seemed harmless - or at least not actively trying to do them harm - so they kept moving. Not far past the first room full of ghosts they found an empty, unhaunted, and easily barricaded room to rest in. They had no idea how late it was, but the climb down to and fight through Kal’Hirol had been long, and Sigrun was clearly exhausted and still injured, no matter how much she tried to hide both.

“I hate the Deep Roads,” Cait muttered sourly. She stared out over their campsite. Crumbling ruins and endless dark tunnels, dust and blood and darkspawn taint. She could feel the thousand pounds of dirt and stone above their heads pressing down on her. “When I say ‘I've slept in worse’ this is what I mean.”

“You hate the Fade, you hate the Deep Roads, you hate politics and hate that people consider you a hero,” Anders ticked each point off on his fingers as he spoke. “Is there anything you actually like about being a Grey Warden?”

“The company,” Cait said dryly. “The pay isn't bad either.”

Cait dug through her little bag of keepsakes and found a mabari crunch for Byron. She gave him the treat and he lay down next to her. He hated the Deep Roads too, poor thing.

She also found the betrothal ring from Blackmarsh. She'd almost forgotten about it. It glittered dully even in the lightless cave. She felt that same strange twist in her gut as she stared at it - something like longing, maybe, or envy? - but she didn't let herself dwell on it. She shook her head and shoved it back in the bag.

“Why did you become a Grey Warden?” Anders asked, continuing the thread from before. If he'd noticed her momentary lapse in attention, he didn't comment.

“I wasn’t given a choice. Same as you, I guess. I’m sorry about that.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “I had a death sentence either way. At least this way there's more time between sentencing and execution. Less solitary confinement too.”

Cait cringed and brought her knees up to her chest. She hated how defeated he sounded. How could the other generations of Wardens stand this? Building a family and knowing that, best case scenario, you'd all go die horrific deaths together and be forgotten in some dark tunnel? Why did they even need the darkspawn taint when it wasn't a Blight?

Maybe there was another way; the thought appeared in her mind as if planted there by someone else. She thought of Avernus, living 200 years in that tower by himself. The Calling had never come for him. If he could use blood magic to control the taint, could he cure it entirely?

Thoughts for another day. Deal with the present first. The future would be there when she had time to think about it - or it wouldn't, and she wouldn't care either way.

Anders was staring at her. She wondered what he'd said that she'd missed. “Sorry,” she muttered, “Deep Roads make me maudlin, I think.”

“Are you claustrophobic?”

“Yes,” she said emphatically, “I don't like being trapped. Caged. Neither do you, I imagine.”

He just smirked, a humorless tilting of one corner of his mouth.

Nathaniel sat down next to her and she leaned against him. She saw Anders’ smile become something kinder, fonder, before he hid it behind another bite of dinner. “So what was your last trip to the Deep Roads like?” Anders asked.

“Oghren hasn't told you that story yet? He loves to tell that one.”

They turned as one toward Oghren, but all he had to say on the matter was a loud, rasping snore. “At least one of us will get some sleep tonight,” Nathaniel muttered.

Anders pointed toward Cait's bedroll where Sigrun slept, sprawled on her back and silent in her sleep. “Dwarves.”

Sigrun had offered to take a watch tonight, but Cait had shut her down. She'd been awake for three days, fighting darkspawn almost nonstop, and Cait had still almost had to strap her down to get her to rest.

“She'll be dead within the week if we leave her here,” Nate said, keeping his voice low.

“I know. I'm going to offer her the Joining.” She pried her eyes away from the sleeping Legionnaire. “But I believe you were fishing for a story.”

The next day - assuming it was even day - brought with it more talking darkspawn and a confirmation that their theory was true.

“I’ll be a nug’s uncle,” Oghren muttered. “An actual sodding darkspawn civil war.”

There was nothing else it could be. There were two clear sides fighting against each other. The floor was littered with bodies of darkspawn already slain. There must have been a hundred or more here when the fight started, and now the dozen or so remaining stood on top of their dead while still brutally cutting into the others.

“What do we do?” Sigrun asked, shifting restlessly, itching to jump in.

“Pick off the stragglers. Whichever side wins dies here anyway,” Cait said coldly.

“Yes, Commander,” Sigrun grinned and rushed forward, Oghren at her heels.

-------

They left Kal’Hirol with new information and a lot of injuries. But they were all alive, and a side door out of the lower levels led them to a long, steep path with sunlight at the end of it.

“So. The Architect. Doesn’t sound much like the other darkspawn names,” Anders said. He leaned heavily on Cait as they made their way toward the surface. He was completely spent on mana. Another talking darkspawn - The Lost, possibly? He hadn’t been as forthcoming as previous encounters, but she remembered one of the others calling him that - had pitted them against a giant fire golem, and it had broken four of Cait’s ribs and Oghren’s right arm and leg, as well as grabbing Nathaniel by the shoulder and practically branding the shape of its hand into his flesh. Anders was likely the only reason any of them were alive; he was certainly the reason they were able to keep moving now. Cait would make sure to get him something nice next time she was in the city.

“No, it doesn’t,” Cait huffed, trying to breathe as shallowly as possible. “Blight and damnation, every time I learn something new all I end up with are more questions. This Architect and The Mother are not going to like what I have to say to them when I finally catch up to them.”

Anders grinned, too tired to laugh. “Not going to invite the darkspawn to tea at the Vigil, then? I was looking forward to it, too. I love those little fancy cakes.”

“I will get you all the fancy cakes you can eat. Straight from Orlais.” She squeezed his shoulder, the closest thing to a hug she could manage with her mangled ribs. “Even some of those tiny sandwiches.”

Sigrun marched up beside them, half-dragging Oghren behind her. "So you’re going to go after this Architect, the one who’s making all the smart darkspawn?”

Cait nodded. “I am. Want to come?”

Sigrun stopped, startled, then jogged to catch up. “Come with you? As in… be a Grey Warden? Is that allowed? Can you be both part of the Legion and a Grey Warden?”

“You’ll still fight darkspawn, and die doing so.” Cait hoped she didn’t sound too bitter when she added, “Disappear into the deep, unmourned and forgotten, as you said.”

Sigrun laughed. “How can I say no when you put it like that? All right. I’ll follow you, Commander.”

When they stepped back out above ground, Cait fought hard to resist the urge to lay in the grass and stare up at the cloudy sky. She did, however, take several deep, grounding gulps of fresh air, ignoring the creak of her newly repaired ribs.

Anders was right next to her doing the same thing. “Maker, that was awful. Not the worst thing I've ever done, but still just terrible.”

“What was the worst?” She leaned against a rock while they waited for the others. “And don't say solitary confinement, because obviously that was worst.”

“I stowed away on a ship headed for somewhere in the Free Marches once. Ostwick, maybe, or Starkhaven. I don't remember.” He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Regardless, I didn’t realize until I was already on board that the cargo was fish. I spent a week up to my eyeballs in dead fish, and the templars were waiting for me when we hit land. They didn't let me bathe until we got back to the tower.” He shuddered at the memory. “Ugh. What's your worst? And don't say ‘two weeks in the Deep Roads’ you've already played that card.”

“I spent a few days imprisoned in Fort Drakon.” She tried to sound casual about it, moreso when Nathaniel emerged from the tunnel, walking under his own power but holding his left arm stiffly at his side.

“Fort Drakon? Are you serious? What did you do to earn that?” Anders asked.

“I murdered Arl Rendon Howe,” Cait said, very carefully not looking at Nate as she did. He would have probably heard this sooner or later, but she didn’t want to see the moment he started hating her again. “Also I became the political enemy of Ferelden's greatest general, but the official reason was that I broke into the arl's estate and killed him in cold blood.”

“Did you?”

“Oh, yes.” She laughed humorlessly. “I could make a lot of excuses about it. He had kidnapped Queen Anora and I was there on a rescue mission. He attacked me first. But the fact of the matter is, I went to that house to kill him, and I did.”

Nathaniel’s uninjured hand settled between her shoulder blades, a familiar and comforting point of contact, and Cathain released the breath she’d been holding.

“How did you get out of jail?” Anders asked.

“A very, very convoluted break-in by my friends involving impersonating Chantry sisters, if what they say is true. Oghren would know more than I would about that,” she said as the dwarf in question joined them. “I guess it’s important to have perspective.”

“If I didn’t have perspective, I’d still be sitting in a templar dungeon drooling on my smallclothes.” Anders rested his chin on the top of her head and threw an arm around Nate. It was so casual and comfortably familial and Cait was almost too busy musing on that to notice the warm rush of healing magic that coursed through them at the points of contact. She took a deep and barely-painful breath and tried not to be mad at her friend for exhausting himself so much for her sake. It was just another thing she owed him.

"A related question,” Anders said, his pointy chin digging painfully into her head as he spoke, “What do Grey Wardens do when there aren’t darkspawn running amok? I mean, are there parties? Do we travel the world? Take over small kingdoms?”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?” Cait said. She shrugged as much as she could under the combined weight of Anders and Nathaniel. “We can do whatever we want. When we aren’t fighting darkspawn, we’re just… people.”

“That sounds like fun,” he said softly. “I’ve never been just a person before. Neither have you, I bet.”

“We can still have parties, though.” She smiled. “And I’ve always wanted to take up gardening.”

“I think I’ll learn how to knit.”

Now that they were above ground again, Cait felt so tired; it was early afternoon, but she could close her eyes right now and sleep until morning. She groaned and pushed her way out of the pile of exhausted bodies and back onto her feet. “Come on. Let’s try and at least get back to the road before we rest, otherwise we’ll never get home.”

#nathaniel howe #cousland/nathaniel howe #dragon age #dragon age awakening #dragon age fic #cait cousland #cait/nate #rhi writes #something might be found #this may be my favorite so far? #lots of good cait/nate stuff but also cait+anders is a fun combo #I love caitie being really bad at archery when her mom and boyfriend and bff are all archers

[lozthusk]

Some of kirby’s friends!

Pictured Left to Right:

Top Row: Bronto Burt, Chilly, Burning Leo

Bottom Row: Broom Hatter, Poppy Jr., Driblee

#kirby #gijinka #my art #doodles

[thebakerstboyskeeper]

Six on the prompts for cullen and sidni? :)

6. Things You Said Under the Stars and In the Grass

His armor clanks as he settles next to her. She hasn’t so much as flinched, her knives left hidden in her plainclothes. The murmurs of their traveling party fade with the firelight several paces behind him.

You sound like a herd of brontos when you’re in your armor, Cullen.

Starlight illuminates hints of her face; the bottom line of her tattoo, a corner of her lips, the arch of a brow over dark eyes. Her eyes turn to her oldest friends when she’s troubled.

It takes effort, but he manages to carefully pry her fingers from where they’re woven in the blades of grass and hold them between his own.

“But why can’t we let Corypheus have Orlais?”

He huffs the laugh he’s been holding back all night.

“If I had an answer, we’d be on our way back to Skyhold this instant.”

She squeezes his hand.. “Is my commander advising against my plan?”

“You commander sees the value of your plan,” he smiles. “However, we both know–”

“I know,” she sighs. “I know.”

Drabble Prompts

#thank you! #sidni cadash #sidni x cullen #cullen rutherford #cullen x cadash #a-shakespearean-in-paris #my writing

[kaaras-adaar-a]

Run! || closed

@pelle-lavellan || liked for a starter

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Kaaras cursed to himself as he made his way down the hill somehow without completely falling over and rolling down the rest of the way. He’d never been an overly majestic person when it came to running, especially down hill. But right now, it was run or be trampled.

Down the bottom of the hill was their camp. It had been a great spot; there was water, shade from the trees, and it was just a little off the road. Well, that was until there was a wild stampede that had come hurtling his way. A pack of wolves had startled a heard of bronto, and they were right on his arse.

The thundering hooves could be heard from the camp before the Inquisitor came running down the grass.

“Run!” he yelled, getting the attention of their camp who looked like startled halla in lantern-light. 

“RUN!” 

#IC #Run! #Pelle

[nemossubmarine]

DA RP Write-up #16.4

So only 5 days after the session and two days before the next one, I present you the write-up for session 4: We’re finally finally finally at the party. Oh my goodness, it took us only four sessions to get this party started.

But first, as usual, B-team. They have arrived at the bottom of the jail house of the White Spire. There appears to be no way to get to the level above them, so they’ll have to climb.

Merle tries first, but throws poorly. Nadifa throws better, but her climbing is very slow. Charles has no problems. Reta’s problems mostly relate to her not seeing in the dark.

Kanuuna is a bigger problem, as he can’t climb a rope very well, having only one arm. Our heroes try to pull him up first, but it is too noisy of a project so that gets abandoned.

Luckily they find a ladder they can throw down for him. Before leaving, Kanuuna hides the hole they made in the wall with a sheet.

They start ascending the stairs towards the top of the structure, when Nadifa suddenly senses something behind her. Spinning around, she catches a glimpse of a shadow.

She informs the others and they hide in the cells. Unfortunately Nadifa, Kanuuna and Reta also accidentally lock theirs in the process.

Suddenly Kanuuna notices a boy of maybe 14 years in his cells, who whispers to him that they “are looking for something”.

Kanuuna tries to grab the boy to shush him up, but the boy disappears in the puff of smoke.

The boy appears to Reta next, telling that he wants to help. Reta tries to punch him.

Third the boy appears to Nadifa, who doesn’t attack the boy and the boy even waits for her to speak before being all cryptic. 

Nadifa asks if he could help her get out of the jail cell, which he does, walking through the cell door and it swings open behind him, letting her out.

They all gather outside the jail cells to marvel at the boy, who tells that his name is Cole. 

Kanuuna is very adamant that they should not take the boy with him, because clearly he is some sort of demon-ghost-thing.

Merle disagrees, saying that if the boy can walk through walls and stuff, he would be very helpful.

Kanuuna tries to prove that Cole is a ghost by touching him, but he is fleshy at that point.

He also tries to end all magic in the room, but Cole seems unaffected. The magical lights do go out for a bit.

Cole’s not very helpful about explaining his own nature, bursting out in cryptic tangents that seem to be half of the time thoughts of someone else than him.

In the end Cole starts leading them up to the exit of the jail, though Kanuuna and Reta are still going to drop the boy as soon as they can.

On the fourth floor of the jail structure there’s a mage in one of the cells slumped over. One of them notices that the mage is very dead.

They question Cole who says that he was helping the mage.

Reta quite firmly orders him to go away, so he disappears, and...

No one but Charles remembers anything odd happening on the way up the jail.

Charles asks if no one else saw any figure there just now, but Kanuuna orders him to drop it.

They get to the door, Reta engineers the hinges off it and Kanuuna lifts the thing away.

Thus our B-team has made it out of the jails and into the hallway, which is where we’ll pick up with them the next time.

Before we can get to the party with the A-team, we have to sort out their inventories as they are unable to take with them all the things they might need for the mission.

Most of them take pretty understandable stuff, like lockpicks and writing utensils but both Randy and Humbert go the extra mile to take some form of poison with them (for knocking out and hallucinations respectively).

Randy also gets some Stones of Farspeech (those aren’t what they are called in DA, but anyway) from Kivi-Jaakko on loan, they might not work perfectly but will have to do.

Finally, for the last time, it’s the day of the party. Alf spends some time locating the three elves he considers best suspects to be his mothers. 

He finds Rebecca cleaning up the ceremonial armor of her master, Michael Vael. After she is done, he strikes up a conversation, asking about whether she’s ever been to Kirkwall.

She reminiscences about visiting the city once, but it doesn’t seem to Alf that she is lying, so she must not be the one.

Meanwhile, before party has started, Humbert has checked out the arriving mages. Indeed Nesta, Boshara’s mother, is among them, the only elf to attend. There’s also several of Humbert’s templar friends in the group and, to Humbert’s great surprise, Nathaniel Howe, in templar apprentice’s garb.

Now, last time our heroes met Nathaniel (here) he was drugged and sent, uh, erotic dreams about Humbert by Elspet (not that Humbert would know that), so it’s almost certain he would not recognize them. Maybe. Hopefully. Best steer clear anyway.

Boshara arrives with the clan Pomdeter. Hannah instructs her to look after Amanda, so they go together to check out the other people doing their deputs at the party.

Much to Boshara’s chagrin, they are all between 15 and 17, total kids to her.

Amanda however is in the right age range, so Boshara asks what kind of man she would want and then promises her they’ll get her the hottest dude of the group by the end of the evening.

Elspet also arrives with Isabella and her parents. They head to the main dance hall immediately to see as the most important guests are introduced to the party.

Maric and Randy are on the road. They chat about Orlesian politics, and Maric tries to teach Randy the ways of the Game, though he admits not being very good at it.

Randy offers to go ahead so they wouldn’t arrive at the same time, as it would look politically charged. Maric agrees to this, and asks him to spare him a dance.

Before getting to Halamshiral, Randy pulls Carla aside and asks if she could maybe stay in guard at a road. She happily agrees. Too happily, so Randy changes his mind and makes her wait with Darian at the stables. She also agrees to this.

When they arrive to Halamshiral, Randy is greeted by his own personal Orlesian assistant for the evening, by the name of Anton. He arranges someone to take the gift bronto off to the backyard and takes Randy to his introduction.

So it’s introducing time. First up, there’s of course the empress, in her beautiful butterfly dress. After her there’s several Orlesian nobles such as Grandduke Gaspard and Dukes Prosper du Montford and Bastien de Ghislain, latter who is with his mistress, the mage Vivienne de Fer.

Orlesians are followed by Michael Vael, the eldest son of Starkhaven’s prince.

Then introduced are Duke Edmund Pentaghast, Duchess Katerine Holzer and the two Mortalitasi with them Oswald Glas and Salome Holzknecht.

Then there is Randy and his whole shebang of dwarves. Celene welcomes them to her party, expressing her happiness to have them here. Randy gives the jewelry to her as a present and then asks her to go the balcony.

She does and sees the bronto Randy has brought her. Celene expresses gratitude.

Finally, it’s the introduction of Maric. But before he enters, the templars push poor Nathaniel Howe to their frontlines, so when Maric arrives, everyone is looking at the disgraced arl’s son instead of him. Nathaniel Howe is clearly mortified and ashamed.

Maric keeps his composure. Which might be good? Idk, the Game is confusing. 

Once introductions are over and done with, the party can truly begin. Randy has his people go find everyone and report to them.

Elspet wastes no time trying to get to the Empress’ good graces, she gets a servant’s attention and hands to her a perfume bottle as a present to the Empress called the Empress’ Tears. 

The servant can make no promises that the bottle will reach the Empress, but she can certainly try.

Boshara and Amanda go find that hottest boy in the party, and introduce themselves. Well Boshara does most of the talking.

His name is Auguste and he is really quite handsome.

Before they can talk too long, a handsome mysterious dwarf arrives at the scene, posits himself between Auguste and Boshara and introduces himself as Attravius.

Boshara and Attravius start flirting up a storm, exchanging corny lines back and forth like their life depended on it.

Attravius presents Boshara with an enchanted dagger, which confuses Amanda greatly.

Finally these two decide to go for a walk, and thus Boshara leaves Amanda with Auguste.

Humbert keeps an eye on the room where the mages are kept. Bert reports to him, and Humbert totally chews the poor boy out. :(

Alf receives one of the stones of farspeech from Jasinto and instructions to call as soon as he knows something about who the contractor of Edmund’s murder might be. (Jasinto has the other stone, so Randy won’t have to disappear suddenly.

Alf goes off to search for Astrid. He figures she might still be at the room where the Nevarran group is staying, so he sneaks there. Unfortunately the door to the room is locked, so he busies himself with picking the lock.

Elspet leaves Isabella to do some information gathering. She sets her eyes on Michael Vael and manages through a complicated set of eyebrow wiggles to charm him away from his friends.

So he takes her for a walk. Unfortunately for poor lil’ lesbian Elspet, Vael is a rather boring fellow. She does however determine he is probably not the one who ordered Edmund’s killing.

She asks him about rumors relating to some Orlesian lady marrying Edmund’s son, and Vael confirms that an Orlesian chevalier by the name of Estelle Perrault had indeed tried to get Kasimir Pentaghast-Holzer’s hand in marriage, which Edmund had stopped.

Elspet gives this information to one of Randy’s dwarves, perhaps Estelle might be in the party as well.

Elspet asks Vael, if he might be able to arrange a meeting with the Empress for her. Vael says he was about to give Empress her birthday gift anyway, so they might as well go together.

Meanwhile, Randy decides that best way to get information on Estelle might be to talk with the commander of the chevalier, Grandduke Gaspard.

He finds Gaspard alone leaning on a wall, drinking straight whiskey and strikes up a conversation.

Gaspard pretty quickly makes known his disdain for the Game, so at least for that part he is easier to deal with than many, but he does seem a bit of a douche really.

They discuss some cultural differences and Gaspard notes that he appreciates both Randy’s and Marjaleena’s outfit, which are armor. 

Randy asks if there might be some lady warriors in the chevaliers, as female warriors are uncommon in Orzammar.

Instead of answering that particular question, Gaspard catches sight of Katerine Holzer and says that if Randy so wishes, he could meet Katerine and join in on a little bet they are having.

Randy agrees.

Boshara and Attravius have located Salome, one of the Mortalitasi. Boshara strikes up a conversation with the woman, mentioning that she hasn’t heard much good about the Mortalitasi, but she is interested in finding out more.

Salome is very brief in her answers, never giving more than exactly what was asked for.

Unfortunately for Boshara, Humbert joins the conversation, and starts being snide and rude at Salome, who seems rather unfazed, though she does say she shall report on the guard’s behavior, which Boshara tries to discourage.

Boshara asks about the incident with the Holzer family crypt, the one where Konstantine supposedly called a demon into the body of his late father Nicholas.

Salome tells the story, saying that weak families have weak crypts.

It’s clear she holds no torch to the Holzer family, but towards the Pentaghasts she seems respectful.

She finally has had enough of Humbert’s comments and leaves the conversation.

Boshara berates Humbert on acting out and Humbert berates Boshara on having time to neck with a dwarf.

Alf cracks open the lock to the door of the guest room. Inside there is Astrid, who comments that Alf has strayed really far.

Alf claims that he got distracted by a crow who let him here.

Fed up with word games and asking in a roundabout manner, Alf pulls out the necklace Sen left him, that he had said belonged to his mother.

Astrid asks where he got the necklace, Alf says that he got it from Sen.

There is a long silence. And then Astrid says: “Alf?” and Alf says “Mom.”

DUNDUNDUU! There has been an established contact to one of the moms. But will Alf be able to pull out of his Crow mother who wants Edmund Pentaghast dead? Will our heroes be able to stop the assassination? And most importantly, will Elspet meet the Empress?? All this and more next episode, which is day after tomorrow!

#nemo roleplays #da rp writeup #long post #campaign tag: mothers' day #so happy that at least someone was impressed by me setting up maric + nathaniel #and that someone was humbert's player #i feel v bad about half of the things i do to the npcs in this campaign #bc orlesian ballroom politics fucking suck #and my babies never did nothing wrong hashtag ever #also assassinations arent generally nice either #3 more in canon characters played in longer form this sesh #finally finished this after i saw the last session's writeup reblogged on my dash :P #hopefully i got all the major points right #anyway it's late and its hot in here and im not at all tired so im gonna go back to drawing #i started a drawing on wednesday when we had no internet #maybe finish it this weekend idk #enjoy this rambly mess

[wootensmith]

Icon

He was uncertain what he’d expected. A room frozen in time, unchanged by the two years he’d been absent from it? An entirely different room, devoid of anything he’d recognize? The Inquisitor to be seated at her desk or leaning on the balcony suddenly turning to smile at him? There was nothing shocking in her quarters. Perhaps that was what wounded him so. Her life went on. She grew and changed at the same rate without him. There was no sad gathering of the items he had left, no uncomfortable shrine or object placed just exactly where he had dropped it. Nor was all evidence of him erased. He could see the book he had been reading neatly shelved beside others, though there was a thin ribbon marking the place he’d left off. One of his patched cloaks hung near the hearth, beside her own. The translations he’d written were stacked neatly on the corner of her desk. She’d just— moved him gently aside and kept going. As if she knew he’d return, but not expecting him soon.

There were pieces of her, too. The pebble that held the translations down, she’d picked it up on the Storm Coast, smooth and rounded and blackened with dragonfire. A small thing that had pleased her, nothing more. The half finished staff she’d been working on in the Emerald Graves after her own had splintered. Dorian had become tired with the near-constant breakage and had given her a staff of Bronto bone before she’d finished it. It hung in the rafters above the desk, forgotten. The large map she’d been drawing hanging on the wall. There were more details now, the undefined edges pushed farther back than he had expected. She’d traveled much more than she ought to have. It troubled him. The anchor’s spread would be much worse outside of Skyhold. He had expected her to slow now that Corypheus was gone, but it seemed she’d traveled more in the past few years than when he’d been with her. He sat at her desk, depressed by the many scrolls that lay open, all describing the Blight. Notes from Dagna about the red lyrium and tired scrawls of her own. Lists and recipes and theories each seeming more desperate than the last. If she’d been there when he arrived— he tried to reason with himself. This wasn’t something he could keep her from. The Blight would come no matter where he kept her. And yet— if she had been there, he might have drawn her back to Arlathan anyway. <I>If she’d go,</I> he reminded himself. The door creaked and he tensed. But Jana crept in and he sank back in his seat. “I thought you might be hungry,” she offered holding out a plate toward him. “The kitchen is serving. It’ll be empty in a few hours, everyone has to get up early to see the Dalish off.” “Thank you,” he said, taking it from her. She nodded. “I’ll— I’ll come back when it’s time,” she said, turning to go. “Jana—” She turned back. “The Inquisitor,” he waved at the papers on the desk. “Does she do this often, this research?” Jana rubbed an arm nervously. “Some. She’s been busy with the refugees lately. It was hard to get the clans to agree to take them. She hasn’t had much time. But— it’s like an undercurrent. Always there. I think she worries over it more than we know. Since Dagna and Dorian left, she hasn’t really talked about it. But who is there to speak to anymore?” “And the anchor? Is it worse?” “She’s kept it covered since she returned from Tevinter. I don’t think anyone’s seen it. Gloves all the time, long sleeves. She doesn’t act as if it’s paining her though. She’s not sharp or short with anyone. Doesn’t favor it or wince when someone touches her.” He nodded and she left the room. The room darkened around him as the sun sank behind the Frostbacks. He knew better than to light up the tower and sat beneath the wide windows watching until the light was gone. The door creaked and Jana called up to him. He met her on the stairs. “The guards are light with no one here, but we’ll still need to watch for patrols,” she said. “If we’re stopped, just let me do the talking. Almost no one here will recognize you and there are so many elves here, most will assume you are with one of the groups already here.” She led him down the stairs, peeking around the edge of the door for a long moment. He followed her across the long throne room. The empty spot in front of the hearth where Varric’s chair had sat struck an unexpected blow and he stopped to stare at it a long moment. He regretted Varric’s anger with him. But he could see no other outcome for what he’d done. “Are you well?” asked Jana. “Yes,” he said, turning back to the door. They made their way down to the kitchens. The fires were banked and the slow, sweet fragrance of baked bread rose from the cooling ovens. “Most of it is in the pantries. I found the loading list from yesterday.” “Good, we’ll go through it as quickly as possible.”

They were about halfway down the list and his hands were dusty with a combination of flour and ground spice and tea from plunging his hands into sacks to check them, when they reached the wines. He followed Jana into the cellar, wiping his hands and stopped on the bottom step. There, gleaming in the corner beside the large barrels of mead, were three round metal urns. He’d seen all sorts of different casks in his time, even the poisonous mosswine the Carta used to assassinate their foes. None of them were ever stored in these. “These are the casks from Orzammar?” he asked as she moved toward them. “Yes. Three of them. More on the wagon, but they were meant for Val Royeaux and Halamshiral. The dwarven delegation has been invited to the Exalted Council as guests.” Solas pulled a barrier around them. He gingerly shifted one of the casks. A shifting rattle, like sand. “But when I lifted it, it sounded like—” He pushed one of the other casks. It sloshed. “A decoy. Did the merchants help you unload?” “Yes,” she said miserably, “And one of the kitchen hands. Bran. But he never said anything—” “They had to have an ally in Skyhold. Perhaps Bran was—” “No! He’s devoted to the Inquisition, he’d never do that!” Solas looked at her for a long moment. “Just as you would never join another force, Jana?” he asked. “That’s different, you’d never ask me to hurt them…” she faltered at his expression. “It is a matter for another day. I do not wish them hurt, that much is true. We will watch and hopefully catch the spy. But for now—” he pushed her behind him carefully and pried off the cover of one of the casks. The acrid smell of deathroot was immediate and overpowering. He peered into the dark cask. It was almost full with a silver-green sand, he pulled a handful from the cask and inspected it. He could not tell much, but poured the handful carefully into an empty wine bottle that sat nearby to take with him. He pulled one more pinch from the cask and put it carefully onto the empty stone floor across the cellar. “Stay back,” he told Jana, already recasting the barrier. He flicked a spark at it and the dust sizzled and banged with a bright flash and intense heat. Too small an amount to harm them or the stone, but he could tell it would be devastating in large amounts. Jana stared at the still sputtering sparks, but he just calmly recapped the cask. It was far too heavy for him to get up the stairs alone. “We’ll need help,” he said, “and a way out of the keep without being seen. It’s got to be removed or it could tear Skyhold to rubble. I don’t want to expose ourselves to the spy if we can help it. This can’t be the only place they’ve targeted.” “Farrow should be back by now. I’ll find him. The midden chute is the only way out of the keep except for the gates that I know of. But it’s close and I know the cooks ordered it cleaned a few weeks back.” “Yes, that will work.” He didn’t relish the idea of dragging the casks through a filthy midden chute but it would not be the worst place he’d been and the work would go quickly with three. She ran off to find Farrow. He tried to examine the casks, hoping for some clue in their shape or symbols. The geometric embossings would suggest that they had some kinship with dwarven design, but the rounded shape did not. He could find no maker’s mark, no stamp or label at all. Except for the word of the merchants, it might have been anything at all. The Inquisition was slipping. A few years before, every sack was opened, every meal tested for poison before being served. Were they down to so few people or had those that remained simply forgotten the threat? <I>Jana didn’t know either,</I> he reminded himself. A clatter of footsteps made him look up. Farrow and Jana hurried down to him. “I tried to reach you—” Farrow began. “About Loranil and Sevren, I know. They are both safe.” “Jana said they were explosives,” he said pointing to the casks. “Yes. I need your aid to get them out.” “Of course. But what will we do with them then?” It was not something he’d considered yet. “Could we dump them in the river? The current would wash it away,” offered Jana. “No. It’s laced with deathroot extract,” said Solas. “It would flow down into the local fields and taint them.” “Anywhere we dump it will do that after the first good fall rain,” said Farrow. “We’ll need to burn it, then. Somewhere safe, away from any villages.” They thought for a moment. Jana’s face broke into a slow smile. She glanced sideways at Farrow. “There’s the statue,” she said. “The ambassador would kill us,” he answered, though he began to grin as well. “She’d assume it was Sera.” “What statue?” asked Solas. “In the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes,” said Farrow. “They built a massive statue of the Inquisitor. She tried to stop it, but it happened anyway.” “Almost didn’t,” laughed Jana. “Sera kept stealing the requisitions for the marble. It was stalled just at the waist for months. Kept calling it the ‘Ass-quisitor.’ They finally finished it after she left. Had a big ceremony to unveil it. The Inquisitor was polite and thanked the sculptor, but—” “She hates it. The idea of it, the ceremony, even the actual statue itself. I watched her. She stared at the face a long time while the sculptor went on and on about artistic vision and how a ‘softer’ look would make her seem more approachable. He meant ‘human.’ Looks nothing like her. But that might be a relief. Anyhow, it’d be no great loss. And the ruins are still empty. Another explosion can hardly do more damage. It’s far enough that no one at Skyhold should see it, even a large explosion.” “Very well. If there are no settlers nearby—” Jana shook her head. “No, the Commander was nervous about the remaining red lyrium. It’s still under quarantine.”

The midden chute was still filthy and smelled rotten and sour, but he hardly noticed. He could only think of that night on the balcony. How he’d promised to remember her as she was when the humans changed her face, her words, her deeds. The metal cask was heavy even between two of them and it was an effort not to slip in the decaying vegetable peels and old ale. Still, he kept wandering back to the idea of the statue. To how much she had longed to be more than an icon to them. How could they not see? Sera had known. For that, he was grateful. But Sera had still gone, just like all the others. Back to their own lives. Why was clan Lavellan not in the courtyard? “Farrow,” he whispered, “Did the Inquisitor not ask her own clan to take some of the refugees?” Farrow grunted out a labored breath. “Months ago. They’ve taken more than they are likely to be able to support. It’s only because they remain in Wycome that it was possible. She only called upon the other clans when Deshanna finally admitted they could help no more.” They heaved the cask over the lip of the chute and settled it carefully into the wagon Jana kept waiting. Solas climbed back up into the chute. One more. “She would have kept them in Skyhold if she could,” said Farrow, “but she’s been warned. The Inquisition will not survive the Council. One way or another, she will have to give it up. Skyhold may not be hers in a few months time. Or if it is, it might not be safe for them to stay. It’s by no means certain that Orlais would not return the escaped slaves to their masters if it kept the peace with Tevinter.” They picked up the other cask. “Don’t think she means to try to hang on to the Inquisition anyway,” said Farrow, adjusting his grip. “She’s been selling off assets and using them to pay out retirements to the soldiers. Skyhold’s not just empty because everyone’s away. Almost half have already gone home. Cullen insists on an honor guard and the ambassador keeps a small staff on hand in case of visiting delegations, but this is the most crowded the keep has been in months. After tomorrow— it’ll be silent again until the Council.” They struggled to the end of the chute and lowered the second cask into the wagon.

It was late morning by the time they reached the temple, rumbling over a makeshift wooden bridge, the planks still bright and splintery where they had replaced the broken stone. He watched the enormous statue from the edge of the valley until he stood at its foot, half fearing the sight of her face would drive him to do something foolish. Like find her in the Deep Roads. Like letting Cole help him steal her from an uncaring world. It was hard to tell whether he were relieved or saddened to see the statue held nothing of her. Still and stiff and dead. A blank stone with someone else’s features staring from it. He felt no guilt as they poured large heaps of the explosive powder at its feet. “Go back to Skyhold,” he told them, “fill the casks with sand before you return them. We don’t want the spy to know we’ve removed it. Watch, but don’t interfere. I will return on foot.” “We can wait at Haven—” protested Jana. “No, I don’t know how bad the damage will be. It will require all my concentration to hold the Veil closed in this place. I would not risk you being harmed by being too close.”

He waited until the wagon was a glint upon the mountain pass before he began. Barriers and wards rose around him, around the powder, around the temple. He could not strengthen the Veil as the Inquisitor could, not without an intricate system of spells and amplifiers, but he could prevent it from tearing again. The temple ruins hummed with power, echoing from the remaining lyrium, pulsing and pressing. He held his breath and cast a flame onto the powder. A hiss that strengthened and heat flickering up the barriers. A massive crack that shook the valley and startled birds sending them in great clouds toward the sky. The statue cracked and slid, shoulder to hip, tumbling to the ground. Pockets of the powder scattered in small silver arcs. A low rumble he could feel in the balls of his feet grew until the lyrium around him began shattering. He pressed all his power into the barriers. Still, when the blast came in a wave of red light, he felt the Veil unraveling and thinning. It cost more than he had expected to contain it. The plume of fire roiled against the ceiling of his ward and then shriveled and was gone so quickly, he might have questioned it happening at all. But he was exhausted and the stone hand of the statue rolled toward him, charred and cracked as his barrier fell. He sidestepped it easily. An ember still glowed in its palm. He crushed the coal with the sole of his foot and walked slowly away. The explosive would have leveled Skyhold. And it would not be the only time the Qunari attempted this. He needed rest. And then, he’d wait. Watch. Track them down, one by one if he had to. He found one of the draft horses that had been hitched to the wagon waiting for him in Haven. It had been tied to the far edge of the palisade. The idea that it had been so close to the edges of his wards— he was uncertain whether to feel uneasy or grateful for his agents’ trust in his abilities. He hadn’t been entirely certain of himself. He climbed up and let the horse wander slowly toward home. He made it shortly before the gates closed for the night, shadowing his face again with his cloak. Farrow was waiting for him in the guard house. A simple gesture to signal that all was well, and Solas passed on to the stables unnoticed. Master Dennet was long gone, returned to his farm months before. The stablehands already gone to their meal. Fewer eyes to see him. Half a dozen fires dotted the courtyard and the tavern and keep blazed with light and sound. For a moment he ached again to be among them. To belong to this place as he once had. To stay. It was easy enough to pretend. No one stopped him as he climbed the stairs to the keep, nor even glanced his way as he crossed the throne room and climbed the stairs to the Inquisitor’s room as if it were normal. As if he were meant to be there. He pulled the cloak from his shoulders as he entered the room. He told himself it was irrational to be grieved that it was dark, that he did not find her sitting at her desk, the candlelight amber on her face, her hands. He pulled a blanket from her bed and stretched out on the floor. It was so simple to slip into the Fade here, where he most wanted to be. <I>Come home, my love,</I> he thought, <i>find me. Keep me.</I> And then he drifted into a happier memory.

#Solas #lavellan #solas x lavellan #dragon age inquisition #gaatlok