#and I think I might need to work on companion banters and such for this quest

[kirkwallsbane]

that one post the other day asked about Lavellan's family members and reminded me that I had concepts of rewriting the 'Protect Clan Lavellan' war table missions as an actual playable quest, especially one in my world where my companion OC Enasel'an Lavellan is involved

Anyway i've since written 6 pages of notes on how the quest would work and how Enasel'an specifically as a companion ties into it

[oddballwriter]

Could we possibly get some BBQ!ENA Headcanons or a one shot were the reader is lesbian but is still shy/nervous about expressing it and has a massive crush on ENA that they try to hide from her? Either SFW or NSFW works, whichever you prefer! I love ENA sm and would love to see more content of her if you’re willing! Thank you! 🙇🏻‍♀️

BBQ ENA w/ a lesbian reader who has a crush on her and tries to hide it

Warnings: pining like a bunch of idiots, the mention that you and ENA make out sometimes at the end. Nothing here is actually specifically explicit, there’s just the mention of ENA flirting with you and then yall kissing

Author’s Snip: IT BEGINS

Notes: I’m so excited to have a new babygirl. I love Marc, Steven, and Jake but they need to share the podium.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

You liking women isn’t a big deal to her. But when she finds out about your very obvious crush on her, she’s a bit of a menace

I’m gonna admit, it originally flew a bit over her head a bit. Her salesperson side saw you as a great “work companion” already and Meanie could tolerate having you around. It was actually Froggy who noticed it first. The fact that you get all giddy and excited when you talk to ENA compared to everyone else. He asked ENA about it because he was curious. Saying “Yo, ENA. What is it between you and them? No judgement or nothing. It’s all cool. But you guys got some weird chemistry and I can’t tell what exactly it is.”

When ENA appeared to be clueless, Froggy spelled it out for her in a way that she could understand, ENA’s face buffed for a brief moment like she was actually thinking about everything for the first time before she puts her usual grin back on and says “Well, I never thought of a it as them offering a free of charge complimentary intimate duo bonding and workplace romance. But to be considered a highly valued work target and customer of their affection does sound like an interesting and unique personal business offer.” “HOW DISGUSTINGLY MUSHY. FILLS MY STOMACHS WITH ANNOYING BUGS!”

She likes you back lol

Well, more like she entertains the idea in her head and when she looks at you after this is unveiled to her, she finds that she also might be interested in you too

THAT’S when she becomes a menace to you

She just straight up starts flirting with you every now and again in her own ways

Her sales side starts subtly flirting with you in her business lingo. Calling you “A marvelous specimen of workplace smarts and generous assets.” and her “lovely assistant” and watches you get all red in the face and trying to pretend like it doesn’t do anything to you. She finds it both entertaining and amusing.

And her Meanie said starts talking to you in a way that feels a little less mean-spirited and a little more teasing and bantering. Maybe even a bit of some light-hearted name calling that’s just her using petnames

“Come on, sweetheart. We don’t got all day.” “Get your head out of the clouds, sunshine.” “Hurry up, don’t make me have to pick you up and carry like some type of princess.”

She knows what she’s doing. She knows.

At this rate it’s not even like it’s one-sided pinning. You’re not fooling anyone, not even ENA, but you’re just there still trying to hide it meanwhile you’re giving her goo-goo eyes when you think no one’s looking. At this rate everyone in the whole plain of existence knows that you like ENA and you still think your ‘secret’ is hidden

Babe the closet is made of fucking glass and the door is wide open. Just get out.

Once your little one-sided will-they-won’t-they thing is over and you two become a couple, or as salesperson puts it, “partners who privately and personally make deals of intimacy and romance” it’s just the same as it was before except you two kiss now

Froggy tries to tell you “no canoodling on work hours” but you’d by lying if you and ENA said that you haven’t shared a particularly intense moments of romantic tension and smooched it out somewhere private

You guys still subtly flirt with each other and Meanie still makes little remarks towards you with the names

Honestly, when Froggy says “no canoodling on the job” he sort of just means “no canoodling in front of him and other people” because he knows that when he dents you two off, alone, together, you’ll probably get distracted a bit and he’s just decided “whatever”

[cawyden-gaming]

I keep thinking about how lonely Heinrix must feel.

It basically is enough to tell him if he feels lonely he can come to RT to have a conversation and it starts the romance path. Just a bit of kindness and he starts to fall.

He tells us he was working alone in the Expanse - and while we do not get a clear answer in game, it seems to have been a couple of years at least, traveling through the expanse in the hunt for the cult, setting up his agents and spy network.

As Interrogator and Psyker he isn't going to win popularity contests. You have people afraid of him, maybe hating and dispising him for his job and what he is and what he stands for. He can't really trust anyone, enemies could be everywhere. If someone is nice to him, it could just be a ploy to get close to him to hurt him or to use him.

He uses different approaches to get people to work with him - torture or gifts. People are a resource he has to work with. I think if a gift would work for everyone he would prefer it but some people require other incentives. It is another part of his duty and there is no other way for him - this is why he is still alive (allowed to live as psyker). There is only duty for him.

I can imagine after all these years / decades as Interrogator he automatically analyzes people he meet. We see it in his banter with the companions, how observant he is. He might also categorize them as how useful they are (look at his banter / comments regarding Kibellah who he would like to recruit for the Ordo).

He also has the burden of secrets he has to carry - we see it in game how he is reluctant to share information. He scolds himself when he hesitates in act 4 to talk about Emelina for example.

Keeping people at distance is to keep himself and the other safe - he says himself in act 4, it isn't the first and likely not the last time he gets someone killed who was close to him. And in Commorragh he says that dealings with agents of the golden throne bring people in danger.

I know some people think he also used seduction but for me this does not fit to him at all - I would expect him to be smoother in this case and not as he said himself - not used to courteous small talk. He has noble origin, he knows the rituals, can dance... (unofficial information from his writer) but he is not used to talk nice apparently. Not to mention the way he invites RT to the date. And the way he is longing for even simple touches.

While RT can be a friend or even romanced, he only really has Cassia as friend and to some part perhaps, Argenta.

He doesn't seem to have much friendly interaction with the other acolytes as well - Tanakia and Aishara mock and insult him and while he seems to value Achilleas, Marazhai comments that Achilleas feared him "...so much".

This leaves only mostly Emelina (as far as we know) who was kind and good to him, being a mentor, playing regicide with him and teaching him the skills he needed to survive (and likely that he used to help RT as well). And we know how this ends...

[galesdevoteewife]

Gale may not be so typical squishy wizard/scholar?

-My Galeology study note-

Looking at his character sheet in the Deluxe pack gets me thinking, maybe our wizard is not exactly designed to be the typical squishy one...?

[Act2 spoiler warning]

2 things caught my eyes:

1) Great physical fitness, and good reflexes. (For your reference, Gale & Wyll are the two companions who have the highest Con: 15. I put everyone's sheets at the bottom of the post.)

His Con and Dex are... very high?? I mean, higher than Karlach and Lae'zel...????

Note 1: I suspect it could have something to do with his background as Mystra's chosen, as they are somewhat "transformed" when they agree to become the goddess's chosen. A topic for another day since I haven't quite figured it out yet, for anyone who is interested there's a chapter about it in The Seven Sisters. Also, I have little clues on how much chosen lore credit Larian was taking into account while designing him, or how Mystra's "taking back the given ability" works. Note 2: Again, Mystra's chosen are often sent on missions that involve a lot of traveling according to Elminster's series. Mystra also mentioned that Gale and she used to have adventures together, which leads to an assumption: despite his preference he might be traveling quite a lot until he was cast aside and quarantined himself in his tower. Might be the type of scholar who is very keen on field studies?

Note 3: Can someone undress Elminster to exam my theory please??xD Neh won't work I think all human might share same body model in game

Come to think of it, there was a party banter between Karlach & Gale that went like :

Karlach: Whoa! Almost slipped there. Gale: You wouldn't be the first, I'd wager. It's been some time since these walkways felt the carpenter's hammer. Karlach: You gonna catch me if I eat a brick? Gale: With my reflexes? I'd catch you before you so much as stubbed a toe.

At first I thought that was a sarcastic joke but, seems like it wasn't? Also this:

Karlach: Ready to enter the belly of the beast? Gale: It's the stairs I'm dreading. I shall close my eyes, and pretend I'm climbing my own, far superior tower in Waterdeep. Karlach: In that case, welcome home.

...So it seems when I pictured him as a homebody, I should reimagine the concept of home... His has...lots of stairs? Just walking around in the tower could be counted as a workout, sort of thing? Note: I don't think the place he shows in the Act 2 cutscene is his tower. Otherwise, aren't these neighbors pretty much doomed?

2) Not THAT smart. Well, I love him, so I will speak in his defence: [1] He has a warm(s) digging holes in his brain. [2] Poisonous magical bile running in his blood. Maybe he's just not at his best, makes sense, eh? Wyll mentioned he is nerfed after tadpole too. After all, this man obviously memorized a DICTIONARY:

Gale: You promised to stay in Waterdeep. 'Promise,' verb, meaning to swear something will or will not be done. Tara the Tressym: And I decided 'will not'. And a good thing, too. You look like you haven't had a good meal in days

Player: When I said we could be more than friends, you answered 'perhaps'. What does that really mean? Gale: If I recall correctly, the Waterdhavian Dictionary of the Common Tongue of Faerûn defines it as an adverb that conveys the meaning of 'it may be that', or 'possibly'. Gale: Sorry, sometimes I just can't help being quite insufferable. In seriousness, I'm glad you asked that question.

Along with a bunch of you-may-never-need information:

Everything about ceremorphosis? Myconid? Why in the world have him read about Cazador??? And how can he not know the distance between Waterdeep & Baldur's Gate, even Karlach ―who spent a decade, which is likely half of her life in hell― knows better geography than him. Gale either totally ignored the subject or portaled everywhere; distance meant nothing to him?? Uh, but you can't take party banters too seriously; it's buggy. How could a bug bit Karlach in the swamp? It should've been burned into ashes before it even reached her, no?

Anyway, just rambling some thoughts <3 I would have gone to Harvard if there was a major in Gale...

-DISCLAIMER- Brought to you by a brainrot wife, Galerian missionary. Be warned the article might has (strong) bias because the writer is braindead and she thinks Gale is the most awesome character in the world.

[nessieart]

The Way Back. V

WC: 7.5k (its super long im so sorry!)

eventual bucky x reader. maybe steve x reader. im still deciding dontshootme

Summary: These powers were meant to help people. Help The Avengers, your family. It felt like every time you used them, something bad always happened. Maybe someone has the answers, somewhere.

An: I've had half of this done already, and wasn't sure where to put it. So here we are! Enjoy!

Masterlist

Previously:

"I bet you say that to all the girls, Bucky," you tease, placing a hand on his chest. You push him away slightly so you can order a drink for yourself, but Bucky steps back into your space, holding your hand to his chest.

He looks over your shoulder for a moment, then down at you as he lowers his face next to your ear.

"Maybe, but I'm here with the prettiest dame in Brooklyn tonight. And there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Oh, he's good. You bring a hand over your mouth to stifle the laugh that wants to bubble out.

"Alright, soldier, buy a gal a drink first," you chuckle. It earns you a bright smile, and Bucky turns to get the bartenders attention.

As you gaze around the bar, you see a familiar head of blonde hair, then realize he's leaving. You turn to Bucky, "why is Steve leaving?" Bucky stiffens next to you. He looks at you from the corner of his eye.

2011

New Mexico was oddly cold this time of year. You still haven't gotten used to it after moving back here for 3 years. After leaving California, packing up your whole life from your small apartment, you decided going home might do you some good. Helping out the family business wasn't what you had in mind, but you had no other options. It wasn't permanent, that's what you kept telling yourself. Your mom just needed a little help, that's all.

Dr. Jane Foster sat in your section of the tourist-fueled diner in the middle of Roswell. Small green alien decor with a retro ‘50s vibe was all the rage - at least it was in the ‘90s.

“Look, I get it, sure,” you shrugged, placing the plates of toast and waffles (in the shape of little green men) on the table, “it's all hilarious to poke fun at the failed Astrophysics major - in green antenna - but I left all those theories back west. Sorry, Doc.”

“I read your graduating thesis,” she bursts out, hands clamped tight around the coffee mug on the table. “Your theory on Parallel Existences and Space-Time Resonance was,” she huffed out a breath of disbelief, “was truly amazing! It was inspiring! I want you to come work with me, er us. With us. please?” The sentence was rushed, and she hardly took a moment to breathe, but you understood.

There was another huff across from her, the girl in glasses and a beanie rolling her eyes and putting more waffles in her mouth than she should.

“Lay off, Jane,” Darcy, you think her name is, says around a mouthful of waffles and syrup, “she obviously would rather work her minimum wage, shit job, where she has to dress like that,” she points her fork up and down at your outfit, “-than see the hunky space dude you hit with the van.” 

Your eye twitches, and you place your hands on your hips. Dr Foster shoots her companion a glare and mutters something about it was an accident, and you're too focused on their banter to hear the bell above the door, and the man approaching the table of your current customers.

“Well, what's the verdict, my dear?” An accented voice pulls your thoughts away.  And you're looking at one of your idols.

“D-Doctor Sel- Selvig,” it's a whisper, and you're staring wide-eyed at the man, mouth gaping like a fish as you fumble about what to say. It's all stuttered syllables, and you promise you're more verbally inclined than this very moment. You have a PhD for crying out loud. Well, almost a PhD, but who's keeping track?

Dr Selvig chuckles, placing a hand on your shoulder, “I'm assuming that's a ‘yes'?” Your frantic nodding is all you could muster.

Your brows are furrowed, arms crossed at your chest and head tilted to the side. Surely, this space hunk, that Darcy calls him (probably derogatory, not affectionate), can't be from, well, space. Could he?

You read Jane's readings she gathered from the other night as she drove back to her ‘lab’. She talked a mile a minute and hardly paid attention to the road as she pointed out certain scans and readings on the paper in your hands. Her hands articulated wildly, and your hand on the wheel of the van to keep it between the lines on the road.

The blond Adonis in a too tight shirt smirks down at you, mimicking your stance with a twinkle in his electric blue eyes.

You narrow your eyes at him, “you're from space.” It's not a question, and the man - a God he had said - nods once.

“From a planet called-”

“Realm,” he corrects.

“Uh huh,” your head tilts the other way.  “Asgard.” He grins, big and bright, and then claps his hands together so loud it sounds like thunder. 

“You were far easier to convince than the rest of your friends,” he claps a hand on your shoulder, and you're sure the force of it sends you into the floor beneath you. A quiet ow leaving your lips.

His voice is accented and deep, and dare you say…old timey? Like going to Medieval Times or something.

He puts on a show, voice loud and booming with purpose as he describes his home. There's a fond smile on his lips and a far-off look in his eyes. 

You roll your shoulder to ease the sting, “With Dr Fosters findings on the Einstein-Rosen-”

“Bifrost,” Thor corrects you again.

“Uh huh, bifrost. With her data on the Bifrost, it would only conclude to lead somewhere else. Somewhere far away that we could never hope to discover in our lifetime. Multiple lifetimes.” You've paced away from Thor's grip and around the room. “Imagine if you could travel anywhere, any place conceivable to the known universe…it’s. It’s extraordinary.”

There was a repetitive loud banging on the glass door behind you. It made you squeak in surprise. Four large people stood on the other side, all wearing…well, odd clothing. Three men and a woman.

“My friends!” Thor’s thundering voice shouted.

—

It was still hard to believe, even though you watched them all disappear. 

A beam of bright, radiant rainbow light appeared from the heavens, engulfed Thor and his friends, and then they were gone. A large glyph seared into the desert sands was the only thing left of their time on earth. 

After that, things happened so fast. Working with Dr. Selvig, being recruited by SHIELD. Doing something you loved and missed.

And then the explosion happened. 

Everything was fine one minute, and then the next, the readings were off the charts. SHIELD started evacuating all personnel on the upper floors. You insisted on staying with Selvig to try and tame the Tesseract, but it’s been hours, and you have nothing to show for progress.

Nick Fury is an intimidating man. You've  only been in his vicinity a handful of times. You're pretty positive he only has one emotion; serious.

It all happened so fast. Fury was shouting, and so was Selvig. The only thing you could hear was the ringing in your ears, then a pain so searing hot and ice cold, shot through your chest it almost made you pass out. It felt like you were on fire. Every breath and subtle movement was painful. A groan leaves your lips, and it takes considerable effort to open your eyes.

You could hear voices call your name. Maybe it was your name. Who were you? 

How did you end up on the floor? It was all a blur.

“Now then, who are you?” A lilting accented voice above you asked. When your eyes meet the striking bright blues of the stranger - or did you know him - he smirks at you.

“I- I don't-” was that your voice? It sounds so far away. 

There’s a lot of loud noises across the open room - guns, yeah, probably guns - the ringing is slowly subsiding as you sit up. The burning sensation is all but gone now. There's a man knelt down beside you, a hand gripping your bicep and tugging you up to your feet.

“C’mon, kid, we gotta go,” he says in your ear. It feels like eternity as you drag your eyes from your hands to his face. 

“You - you have an eyepatch. Are you a pirate?” 

The man shakes you a little, “Snap out of it, Agent. Get that brain goin’,” he - Fury! How could you forget - pulls you along with him, a briefcase in his other hand.

“Please don’t,” the quiet voice seems to carry far in the wide open space. “I still need that.”

“This doesn’t have to get any messier,” Fury says, slightly turning back to the mystery man clad in green.

Fury slowly steps in front of you, shielding your body with his. You’re vaguely aware of more conversation being had in the room, but the ringing is slowly taking over again the longer you stare at the scepter in the stranger's white knuckled grip.

There’s a loud shot that rings out, and Fury is at your feet with a bullet hole in his shoulder. You yelp in surprise and kneel down next to him.  There’s a rush of footsteps toward you, and when a pair of hands try to pull you along, they phase right through you.

You stare up at the stranger, both of your eyes wide in surprise. His eyes were eerily blue.

“What in the Nine Realms are you?” There’s wonder in his voice, and then he doubles over in pain, a bodyguard, and Agent Barton pull him along in a hurry, along with the large silver briefcase.

There’s a groan below you, and Nick Fury is sitting up, yanking the bullet from his vest.

Everything goes blurry and dark around the edges of your vision as Fury all but drags you out of the building and into a helicopter.

—

It was hard to remember how you got here, in a bed, in an off-white room with monitors and an IV connected to your hand.

Your mind is still trying to catch up. The events of the last day and a half are still fuzzy and catching up with your sluggish brain. The hiss of the door opening pulls your eyes up from your lap, Agent Coulson stands in the doorway.

“How - ?” 

He raises a hand as he steps closer, “you've been out for most of the day. I was starting to worry.  We brought you on the helicarrier,” someone is there to remove your IV, and Coulson helps you out into the hallway.

He places a comforting hand on your shoulder, waiting for you to get your bearings.

“I remember-,” your eyebrows scrunch up, and you shake your head, “I remember the Tesseract acting up. Dr Selvig was trying to stabilize her, but she wouldn't respond.”

Coulson led you down the hall and onto the bridge. Director Fury and Agent Hill were conversing when they noticed you entered.

“The energy release opened a portal,” your hand comes up to your chest (whether you realize it or not). There's a slight burning sensation when you do. “It went right through me.  Didn't it?”

You peer around the room, Coulson and Hill look worried, and Fury is as serious as ever. His large footfalls echo in the open space. You feel like Fury is stalking towards his prey, and you're it.

“That beam went right through you, Agent,” he stops a few inches from you, single eye peering down his nose at you. “Saw it myself. Are there any side effects I need to know about?” You shake your head.

Fury tugs on the black tank top resting on your collarbone. When you look down, there's a very noticeable bright blue glow coming from your chest.

Pulling it down just far enough to not flash the whole room, there's a palm sized blue crystal seared to the flesh of your chest. 6 inches long, below your clavicle and ending between your breasts.

The skin around it is scared and puckered with healed over burn marks. You touch it, and it's solid, glowing brighter when your finger runs along the edge.

“What the hell?” You look up at Fury with wide eyes, tears gathering and blurring the edge of your vision. “Can it come off? How did it - what - ? Take it off-” 

Your mind is running a mile a minute, heart rate also kicking up. You're pretty sure your breathing is ragged and sporadic. 

Oh, so it's definitely a panic attack. 

You're gasping for breath when a comforting hand runs up your back, Coulson is talking softly in your ear to bring you back down.

Am I on the floor?

“Yes, it's ok. Breathe, follow along. Do what I do,” a soft voice says to you. Your hand is placed on their chest, and you can feel the beat of their heart and the rise and fall of a chest. The purple cotton shirt is soft under your fingertips.

In, out. Breathe. In, and out.

“You're doing great,” the man says. You look up to his face. He's quietly calm. The uptick of a smile pulls at his lips when you mimic his breathing again.

“Great,” you exhale a long breath. “I just had a panic attack in front of Dr Banner. Good going, y/n. Smooth.”

Banner chuckles, squeezing your hand he still holds to his chest, “don't worry about it,” his smile is polite, and he helps you stand.

Behind you, Fury calls your name, “Agent, why don’t you help Dr. Banner with locating the Tesseract? I’m sure your…abilities could prove useful.”

“Um, sure.”

--

Bruce (he’s asked you on multiple occasions in the last half hour to call him Bruce) removes his glasses from his face. There’s a slight flush on his face after he examines the crystalline scar on your chest. It sits flush against your skin, but hard has a rock when touched.

You sat on top of the table, and the black sports bra didn't cover any of the crystalline on your sternum. It was easier for Bruce to examine it this way.

“So, what's the verdict?” You put the tank top back on. At least it covered a majority of the blue glowing rock.

Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did. “I'd need to x-ray the area, just to be 100% sure, but I think it might be fused with you. Your sternum, maybe a few ribs.”

“So in other words, it's a part of me,” you slid off the table and stood, “whatever this is, it's not going anywhere.”

Bruce gives you a sullen look, shaking his head a little. There was a commotion outside the lab, a bunch of armed SHIELD agents filling the hallway. They were escorting a prisoner. The man from New Mexico is tall, pale, and mysterious.

“What's going on?” You edge closer to the window as they pass, the mystery man staring at Bruce and giving him an all-knowing smirk. Then his eyes shift to you, and the smirk drops, his brows furrow, and the same look of awe crosses his features that he gave you back in the basement of Project PEGASUS. And then he's out of sight.

“C'mon, they should be back by now,” Bruce says. You follow him out of the room and down a different hallway when you enter the bridge.

“Who should be back? Bruce-” 

The monitors flick on around the room, projecting a live feed from a chamber. The green clad man is encased in a large glass prison. Your eyes scan the room, finding Natasha Romanoff seated at the large table in the middle of the room.

There's also a video playing in front of her, too. You come up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and she turns to you to give you a hug.

You met Nat after you joined SHIELD, being assigned to the New Mexico base along with Clint Barton. Nat had come and gone a few times, and you two got along well enough that you considered her a friend.

“I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help Clint,” you whisper to her. She pulls back from the hug and gives you a serious look.

Nat looks down at your chest briefly, “don't be, I saw the footage.” She squeezes your bicep and returns to her chair. A sigh leaves you, letting go of some of the stress on your shoulders.

Looking up when you hear a few pairs of boots enter, you jolt in surprise. 

“Thor?” You're already making your way towards him. He has a huge grin on his face as his arms open wide. He lifts you into a crushing hug, a big deep chuckle of your name rumbling in his chest as your arms wind around his neck.

“What are you doing here? I never thought I'd see you again,” you pull back to look at him, and he sets you down.

“Truth be told, I never thought I would be back on Midgard so soon,” his face somber, and he leaves a hand on your shoulder. “Not after the Bifrost was destroyed. This disastrous mess with Loki, I fear, is all my fault.”

You tilt your head, “Loki, your brother?”

As if on queue, the TV screens and monitors around the room pick up sound, Fury's and the stranger's voice echoing around the room.

You walk closer to Natasha, peering over her shoulder at the video that plays.

“In case it's unclear. You try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass,” Fury turns and presses a button. It opens a large hatch door on the floor below the glass chamber Loki stands in. “Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?” 

The hatch doors close a second later, and Fury points towards the man in the cell, “Ant,” then points to the control panel, “Boot.” 

More words are exchanged between them, and then you're suddenly aware of someone staring a hole into the side of your head.  When you look, there's a man in a red white and blue leotard all but glaring a hole through you. 

You go to open your mouth, but he quickly snaps out of it and focuses back on the monitor in front of him. You look around to see if anyone notices, but everyone else is focused on other things. 

“-to have the Tesseract, to have power. Unlimited power. And for what?” Loki stares at the camera with a mischievous grin, “A warm light for all mankind to share. And then be reminded what real power is.” 

“He really grows on you, doesn't he?” Bruce jokes.

“Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?” The man in blue speaks up. He briefly makes eye contact with you and then turns his gaze to Thor.

Thor shakes his head like he zoned out a little, “he has an army called the Chitauri. They are not of Asgard or any known world. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract.”

Every time someone has mentioned that glowing blue cube, the crystal scar on your chest pulses a little. Maybe from phantom pain from a few days ago, but it burns again when you bring your hand to it. 

“Selvig?” Thor's question of your mentor's name snaps you out of the pain in your chest. 

“He's an astrophysicist,” Bruce says.

“He's a friend,” you and Thor share a concerned look for Erik. You pace back towards Thor and put a hand on his overly large forearm, trying to comfort him. His hand dwarfs yours when he covers it.

“I don't think we should be focusing on Loki,” Bruce says. He begins to pace around, his eyes seeking a solution to a problem. “that guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him.”

You stifle a snort when Thor goes rigid, “Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother.” You give a gentle squeeze of your hand, and Thor gives you a small nod.

“He killed 80 people in two days,” Nat simpers.

“He's adopted,” Thor supplies quietly. 

“I think it's about the mechanics.  Iridium, what did they need the iridium for?”

“It's a stabilizing agent,” you say. Another voice behind you also saying it at the same time.

“Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD.” Tony Stark. Of course. You met him once before, for the internship at Stark Industries, years ago, another lifetime ago.

Stark walks along the room, patting Thor on his bicep as he walks by, “no hard feelings, Point Break, you gotta mean swing.” He notices you, a stutter in his step and the brief furrow of his brow, then continues walking.

“The only major component he still needs is a power source,” Stark continues.

“Something of high energy density,” you cross your arms, nodding.

“Something to kick start the cube,” Stark finishes.

“When did you become an expert in thermonuclear Astrophysics?” Agent Hill asks Stark.

“Last night. The packet. Selvig’s notes-”

“the extraction theory papers?” you asked. “I - I uh, helped him with those,” you say quieter, a heat rising to your cheeks when the eyes around the table turn to you.

“Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?” You can see the star on his chest now. How could you miss it? Phil hasn't stopped talking about him for almost a year. Captain America himself. You blame the slip in memory due to the accident. You're sure no one else notices your memory slip.

“He's got to heat the cube to-” 

“-to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin-,” you cut off Bruce.

And in turn he finishes your sentence,“-to break through the Coulomb barrier.”

Stark continues both your train of thought, “unless, Selvig figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect.” 

“Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet,” Bruce surmises. It's a lot to take in. 

“Finally, people that speak English,” Stark says, he walks up to Bruce and shakes his hand, complimenting him on his research and how he turns into the Hulk.

Bruce gives a shy smile and thanks him. Bruce beckons you over as they turn to leave the room, and you follow behind, sharing one last glance at Thor. You give him a small wave when he nods at you.

-+

Steve never considered himself a jealous person. Bucky had always made sure to include him in everything he did. Steve never felt left out with Bucky around.

So he wasn't sure what this feeling was, deep in his chest. It ached, it felt heavy, and it made his heart thud painfully behind his rib cage. He subconsciously wasn’t sure if it had to do with his heart murmur or the bruises on his sternum from the fight he got in the other day.

Steve had met you a few days ago. It was like you fell out of the sky, quite literally, in front of him. You gave him the most dazzling smile. He thought he was going blind. He had enough medical problems, and going blind wouldn't have surprised him.

So why were you here now? Talking and flirting with Bucky, of all people. Steve thought you liked him. You even said as much.

I like you like this, Steve. You even placed your hand on his cheek. His face turned hot under your touch.

Bucky caught Steve's eye over your shoulder and gave Steve a wink. He leaned in real close to your ear and said something. The breath from Bucky's lips fanning across your cheek and moving your hair.

Your hand came up to your mouth, and you laughed. Steve could see your shoulders shake, and then your hand landed on Bucky's chest.

Steve's nostrils flared, and he balled his fists so tight he thought the skin would split. And when he met Bucky's eyes again, his chest went warm. He turned on his heels and walked out of that bar so fast the soles of his shoes could catch fire.

=

“You ok, Cap?” Fury's voice snaps Steve out of his memory, eyes refocusing in the room. He had watched you follow Bruce and Tony down the hall to the lab, he assumes.

He was so surprised to see you standing there, embracing Thor like you were old friends. Hell, maybe you were. But then your eyes found his, and for a brief moment, hope flickered to life in Steve for the first time since coming out of the ice. But the light of recognition never triggered in your eyes, and they just continued to scan the room and back to Thor.

As you left, you tossed another glance behind you, small recognition in your eyes when you looked at him. Maybe you did remember. And then your gaze shifted to Thor again and gave a small reassuring wave.

Maybe it wasn't you he met 70 odd years ago. Maybe it was a relative. That's what he likes to think, anyway. That's what he keeps telling himself. 

Steve stands, hands spread wide on the table in front of him as he looks at Director Fury. “Why is Charlie here?”

Fury looks confused for a brief moment, single eye squinting in question. “Who the hell is Charlie?”

==

Bruce tried and failed to hide the smile on his face, “and all I packed was a toothbrush.”

A small chuckle left your lips from the other side of the lab. You were trying to focus on the readings on the tablet in your hands and also adjusting the parameters of the search for the tesseract on the monitor in front of you. Display readings fluctuate as you expand the search to South America.

Bruce lets out a sharp ow when you hear the small spark of an electrical prod go off. you squeak in surprise as Captain America comes barging in at the same time.

“Hey!” His broad frame appears in front of you, blocking your other companions from view. “Are you nuts?”

“Jury's still out,” you can hear the shrug and smug smirk in Tony’s voice. “You're tiptoeing big man, you need to strut!”

“And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark,” the Captain argues back. 

There's a ringing in your ears the longer they disagree and argue. A blue light flashes in your periphery, a sharp pain in your chest. You're vaguely aware of something shattering at your feet as you hunch in on yourself. The pain in your chest is unbearable, and the tearing at your throat is getting harsher by the second; pain in your vocal chords like you've been screaming for hours.

The searing pain suddenly stops, and when you can feel other sensations other than the agony in your chest, you open your eyes.

There's audible sighs of relief when your vision focuses after a few rapid blinks. Above you stand Tony, Bruce, and one very concerned Steve Rogers.

“Wha-” your throat was hoarse and dry, and you cough a few times to try and clear it. A gentle hand on your back tries to soothe away the ache.

“You ok, kid?” 

“Give her some space.”

“Charlie, you with us?”

Your brow scrunch tight as your eyes cut to Captain America, “who the hell is Charlie?” He helps you stand and takes a step back, his hand coming up to run through his golden hair and then rub at the back of his neck.

Tony eyes the Star-Spangled man, eyes squinting in curiosity. 

“I'm sorry, you look like someone I used to know. You know, before,” Rogers shrugs sheepishly. “Maybe a relativ-”

There's a beep from across the lab, and Tony perks up, an audible ah ha! as he makes his way to the monitor. He deflates when it was just a false alarm. Mumbling something about JARVIS taking his sweet old time.

Steve lets out a loud huff, turning to leave but stopping in the doorway, “just hurry and find the cube,” and then he swiftly exits.

Bruce is still crowded in your space, trying to make sure you're ok, a tentative hand on your shoulder to ground you.

“You alright over there, Nightlight?” Tony asks.

You snort softly,”Y-you're one to talk. I don-don’t know what happened,” you put your head in your hands. “At least the pain is gone.”

Bruce makes a startled noise, and when you look up, Tony is in your face, and you try not to jump in surprise.

Tony taps your chest with the end of the small prod, it clinks on contact, and he hums. “I'm sure it's fine,” he shrugs.

“Tony I don't-” Bruce starts but cuts himself off when you turn and leave.

Answers. You need answers, and the only one who you think might have them is currently locked up in a cell made for the Hulk.

--

You peered through the glass window just to make sure no one else was in the room. Natasha was exiting, and as her door closed with a woosh, yours opened.

Loki had his back to you, hands clasped behind his back. When he sensed another entering the large empty space, he turned his head to glare over his shoulder.

His back straightened when he caught sight of you, though. Turning to face you head on and stalk to the glass as you took hesitant steps forward.

“Well, well,” his voice echoed in the room, a smirk pulling up one side of his lips, “ if it isn't the little mortal. Tell me, do the others know about what the Tesseract has done to you? Your little magic trick?”

You shake your head. The phantom pain from earlier was crawling up your body, and you brought a hand to your chest as a shudder went through you. Loki arched an eyebrow at you when you stepped closer.

“I don't know what's happening to me,” Your throat felt tight, and you pulled the shirt collar down to show him the crystalline scar on your chest. 

“My, you are full of surprises, little mortal,” his smirk was anything but teasing. Glittering blue eyes stared down his nose in condescending fashion.

“Can you remove it?” You gave a hopeful look, “you can do magic, right?  Please.” You stepped closer to the glass, breath fogging up the outside of it as you stared up at Loki. 

A sneer pulled at his lips as his shoulders squared tight, “I am not a magician.” 

You both studied each other for a moment, and then a sly grin spread across his face.

An explosion rocked the helicarrier so hard you lost your footing and stumbled back, grabbing onto a railing. Just as you're about to get your bearings and stand, another explosion goes off, and you fall, hitting your head on the railing as you go down.

“ow,” you mumble, rolling over on your side. “Phil…” Looking up, you see a very large gun in his hands.

He spares you a small glance, then focuses in front of him, “Move away, please.” 

You use the railing to sit up, kneeling on your knees as you wait for your head to stop spinning.

Loki has his hands up as he moves away from the control panel. A voice calls your name, and you see Thor in the glass case.

“Thor,” you rasp, and grasp along the railing as you make your way to him.  “Are you ok?” You ask when you get close. He nods, and he looks over your shoulder at Loki and Coulson. 

“Even I don't know what it does. Wanna find out?” Phil smirks.

One minute, you're looking at Loki near the console, and then there's another behind Coulson. Spear in hand.

Time seems to slow as Loki double pierces Phil in the back and sticks out his chest. The audible gasp that leaves his lips seems to echo in your mind.

You hear Thor yell, and you scramble forward to get to Coulson as he collapses to the ground.

“Phil, no. No, no, look at me. Hey,” your hands are frantic as you press them to the wound, pouring blood into his white shirt. 

He says your name, coughing a little, and blood leaks from his lips to spill down his chin.

“I-its's - it's ok. Do-don’t worry,” there's a thumb pressed to your cheek to wipe the tears from your face. You didn't even realize you started crying. 

You feel the sudden onslaught of wind as the hatch opens behind you, but you can't bring yourself to look away from Coulson. The release of hydraulics is loud in your ears and then the release of locks. And you know Thor is gone.

The hatch closes, and it's quiet again. Only your sniffles and the ragged breathing of Phil can be heard.

He turns his head to the side, “you're gonna lose,” his voice is weak, and you look behind you to Loki. His face is impassive as he looks down at you and Phil.

“Am I?”

Phil takes a labored deep breath, “it's in your nature.” his hand grabs yours and holds on loosely.

Loki scoffs, “your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?”

“you lack conviction,” you say, and you and Phil fire the massive weapon at Loki. He goes flying back through a window as debris falls on him.

“so, that's what it does.” his eyes come back to you, and he blinks slowly.

You take the earpiece from his ear and put it in your own, “Agent Coulson is down, I need medical assistance in detention bay 2. Repeat Agen-”

“I'm on my way,” you hear Fury grunt. 

“Sir,” you choke out, trying to keep Phil awake. He smiles weakly up at you.

“Nightlight, you alright up there?” Tony's voice comes through the comm in your ear.

“Yeah, just. I'm fine,” you give Coulson a light slap on the cheek. “Stay with me, don't close those eyes, mister.” 

Coulson gives you an affirming hum.

There's a rush of footfalls coming behind you, and you turn with a relieved sigh, hoping it's Fury and the medics.

“Hey! Get off me! No!” Rough hands grip your arms and haul you up and away from Phil, and all he can do is plead with silent eyes. “Phil!” 

“What's happening, Agent?”

“Nightlight! Talk to us!”

“Get off m- ah!” There's a sharp pain to the back of your head, and your vision starts to go black. The last thing you see is Phil as you pass out.

**

It's opening night at the Stark Expo, and you can't stop fidgeting nervously backstage. Howard notices and places a comforting hand on your shoulder. He had asked you for help in the 'secret SSR lab', your powers made the heavy lifting easy, your knowledge of 'future tech' - Howard likes to call it - helped him finalize the last few projects before the Expo takes off.

Howard managed to convince you to wear a dress tonight. At least it was practical, it has pockets. The blouse was green plaid, and the skirt was a pale beige. He wanted you both to match, but he'd take it. Before you could change your mind, Howard had rushed you out of the house at record speed.

"Relax, kid," he fixes his tie a little, "everything's gonna be fine. You're gonna do great. I'll be there the whole time."

You fidget again, running your hands down the front of your dress, then the bracelet around your wrist Howard gave you before arriving at the Expo. The single jewel adorning it was the same color as the crystal scar on your chest. You nearly broke down into tears when he presented it to you.

"You're the sister I never knew I wanted - or needed - it's just a small thanks," he said it so nonchalantly, like it was an everyday thing. You shoved him and then pulled him in for a bone crushing hug. Howard was definitely the brother you never knew you needed as well. And you hope he knew that, too.

"Why can't you just get one of the girls to introduce you? Isn't that what they're getting paid for?" You gripe. Crowds were not your thing. Public speaking was certainly not your thing.

"I feel like I'm gonna pass out."

Howard rolled his eyes, grumbling about you being overly dramatic. He shoved the speech in your hands for last-minute prep.

You can feel your palms begin to sweat just thinking about giving the opening speech for the Stark Expo. A few hundred people would be out there. Watching you.

"Oh, God." You can't do this. What were you thinking? You didn't thrive in the limelight like Howard. You didn't have Tony's charisma with the media. You can't go out there and talk about the Expo and the things Howard and the other brilliant minds of this age hope to achieve by being here.

Howard knocked your chin with his knuckles, placing his top hat on his head, "Don't stress about it, kid. Just let me do all the talking," he gave you a wink.

You could hear the music flare off and end, the girls on stage finishing their routine, one calling and introducing Howard.

He raised his eyebrow at you in a 'See? I took care of it' kind of way. You let out a huge sigh of relief. The weight of the last few hours stress falling away and off your shoulders. There were cheers and applause so loud you could barely hear anything else from backstage, so you pear out the curtain just in time for Howard to smooch one of the girls on stage.

When he pulls away, he give her a sly wink, then sees you roll your eyes at him on the side stage. He was a natural on stage, he speaks about the flying car Stark Industries was hoping to manufacture for the future. You had some input, having worked with Tony on his Iron Man repulsors, but left out some core details about it.

Howard may have grumbled about you withholding information, but eventually let it go.

There definitely weren't any flying cars in your future. Just as fast as the car on stage started hovering, and gasps of awe could be heard in the crowd, the repulsors short circuited, and it came crashing down.

"Well, I did say a few years, didn't I?" Howard tries laughing it off, but you see the tick in his jaw. There was still applause and cheers, Howard smiled and waved.

"Before we move on and you fine folks get to see the rest of the Expo," he continued, he glanced your way, giving you a soft smile. "I'd love to introduce you to the other brains in the family. The woman who is responsible for over half the things you'll see here."

Your heart leaps, hands wringing together as Howard looks back at you again, hand held out and arm stretched toward you.

"Please give a wonderful welcome to my baby sister. You might know her, God knows I love her: Charlotte Stark!" There were more cheers and whistles, Howard's bright pleading eyes begged you on stage. And how could you say no now?

With one deep breath, you walked on stage, the bright lights not as blinding as you thought they might be. You focus on Howard, his smile wide as you make your way over to him. He takes your hand, and as soon as he has a grip on you, he twirls you around. And when you stop on the other side of him, laughter bubbles up before you can stop it. Howard laughs with you, and for a moment, you forget about the crowd of people and why you were terrified to begin with. He squeezes your fingers before letting go and resting his elbow on your shoulder. His other hand holding the microphone between you both.

"Charlie, say something nice to the people of New York," the mic points at you, and you gaze out into the crowd. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so wide.

You laugh lightly, head titling to the side, "Somethin' nice," Howard groans, a quiet 'smart ass', you elbow him in the ribs. "Hello, everyone. I'm not very good at public speaking. Howie got all the charm and charisma in the family. But I did get the good looks, so I suppose I won in that deal."

Howard lets out an offended 'Hey!' and you giggle. It wasn't so bad, not with Howard by your side. The two of you work well together on stage. Playing off small banter and getting hollers from the crowd of people felt good. Natural.

After explaining a short summary of what people could expect from the Expo, you and HOward took your leave of the stage, whistles, catcalls, and applause following your exit.

"That was -" grinning ear to ear, slightly breathless.

"Pretty amazing, right? You're a natural kid."

Howard wrapped his arm around your shoulders, and the two of you walked around the surrounding vendors for a few minutes.

"-While men are layin' down their lives? I can do as well as them, and I got no right to do any less." Your heart does a leap against your ribs. That sounded like Steve. Your Steve. As you pull away from Howard to get closer, you see him and Bucky. Disagreeing, or arguing, either one most likely.

"that's the thing you don't get, Bucky. It's not about me."

"Right, 'cause you have nothing to prove," Bucky doesn't miss a beat.

Howard nudges you. You followed his line of sight to see Dr. Erskine a few feet from Steve and Bucky. This must be it, you think. The tipping point. The deciding factor that changes Steves life forever.

"Charlie?" A surprise call of your name flows from Steve. You give him a smile and wave, making your way over to the pair.

"Steve, James," you greet them. "staying out of trouble, I hope?" You eye them.

"'Course, dollface," Bucky says. The hat on top of his head is lopsided, his flirty smirk he gives you go well together. "Can't say the same about Steve, thought," he cuts Steve a glare.

You hum, "I gathered as much." You motion to the faint bruise on Steve's cheek. Poorly covered up with makeup.

He shrugs in response, "He had it coming," you hum again.

"You both look dashing," you say, Steve's clothes are a little too big for him, but they still look nice. Bucky's wearing his army greens. He's very handsome, you have to admit. "Sergeant, huh?" You flick the medals adorning his breast pocket.

"My last night, doll," he responds. There's a flash of something behind his eyes. "You should come out dancin' with us."

"Hey, Sarge! We gettin' sodas or what?" you all turn to see two girls waving at BUcky. His cheeks turn red.

He clears his throat, "Yeah, we are," he begins to walk away. Before he gets too far, he turns back to Steve, "Promise me you won't do anything stupid before i get back?"

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

Bucky signs and closes the distance between them, They hug each other tight. "You're a punk."

"You're a jerk."

It seems too intimate for you, not meant for your eyes. But they part. Bucky looks to your arms spread wide. You step up into his embrace, arms wrapping around his neck as his circle your waist.

"Thanks for that dance, Sarge," you whisper in his ear. When he pulls away, you kiss his cheek. "Be safe over there, y'hear me?" You try not to choke on the words, knowing his future and what's in store for James Buchanan Barnes, almost makes you want to tell him.

Tell him it only gets worse from here. War changes people. This war changes two best friends for the foreseeable future. Fate twists and takes them and makes these two best friends completely different people on the other side of the century.

"Anything for you, dollface," Bucky says in the space between you.

"Don't win the war until i get there," Steve tells him. You loop your arm with Steve's as Bucky backs away. His hand comes up to his hat, and he gives a flirty salute. Then he's turning and joining the girls that were waiting for him. You think one asks if he was really friends with Howard Stark's sister.

"So, what now, Tough Guy?" You ask Steve, the both of you still staring off at Bucky's retreating form.

"I've got something I need to do first," he begins to walk further into the recruitment office.

"I'll wait for you out here, okay?"

Steve shakes his head, "You don't have to do that, Charlie, really. I'm sure you have better things to do than spend your time with me."

You scoff, "No offense, Steve, but shut up." His eyes go wide. "I like hangin' out with you, dummy. We may not have known each other very long, but you're my friend. Whether you like it or not. Got it?"

Steve stares at you for a good minute, blinking slowly. He smiles small and then nods. "Yeah, okay." As soon as Steve is out of sight, you search for Dr. Erskine. You find him around the corner.

"Doctor," you greet him, he turns to you, surprised, "I know about your plan. Let me join the SSR. Please. I feel like I need to do this."

"My dear," he gives you a knowing smile, "It's not up to me. Why not talk to your brother about this? Surely, he could just bring you along like before. Mr. Stark hardly takes no for an answer. Which I'm sure you are well aware of, yes?"

You laugh, "Of course. I'll uh - leave you to it, then."

**

Next>>

[arrowfortea]

i really think sera is simultaneously fantastic and also a missed opportunity. solas in DA:I took ~7 rewrites, which is understandable since he's set up for like, Big Things. but i think about that a lot when i'm ~*~musing~*~ on what sera could've been.

sera is far and away the only character by bioware i'm similar to as a person IRL, her voice actress is FANTASTIC, i almost always have her in my party bc i love her, (my url is a sera quote!!), and still!!! she feels SO FLAT TO ME!!! and i CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT!!!! this is going to be a very Vibes Based critique and i might pull up quotes etc for a post in future but i just need to. get it Out

maybe it's a "woman written by a man" issue. she feel so close to being Real and Relatable and then swings wide, it's so weird. i do think a deep part of it stems from the writers/narrative going "yeah she can really get on your nerves lol!" — for the most blatant example of this, see: the fact she's the only party member with a constant "get out of the inquisition" button on her dialogue wheel. i also feel this in how hard-line her opinions are, while at the same time she argues them, for the most part, from a place of vibes (like moi Right Now lmao) or shuts down the other side.

it reminds me of da2 where fenris is given time to Discourse with hawke about mages in the gallows, and mage companions in attendance will interject with like "yeah but. locking people up is bad" which YES! IT IS!!! 100% I AM ON YOUR SIDE but the writing gives fenris way more time to Outline his Facts and Logic so the mage companions look like they're just shutting him down in bad-faith.

and there's no real arc for her! her personal quest is about red jenny stuff and maybe working with a guy for the inquisition but then Not. (there is a point to be made about vivienne's personal quest similarly being Lacking in many people's opinion, but as this isn't a post abt her i'm not going to Delve, but i would be remiss not to mention it) yes we HEAR about her backstory but. then that's doneskies.

the romance is just having a good time (unless you're an elf who drank from the well in which case she dumps you which.. i both do and don't take issue with? it makes sense for her as a static character, but i don't WANT her to be static) — again this is where i start to chafe at my own rationale because.. do i want there to be more drama/conflict? yes. do i trust the existing writers to make the lesbian couple's drama not something trite or offensive? mmmmmm. mmmmm.

she has so many interesting aspects but they all feel like they got tacked on and then chucked out the window! the clearest "hey.. what's this meant to be" is how she seems fade-sensitive in banter with solas. i know this is used as evidence for "does she have some andruil in her", which i'm onboard with, but INGAME i'm sad the fade sensitivity seems solely relegated to the solas banters. like? did they just run out of stuff for them to talk about? 💀

her existentialism makes me WANT TO GNAW MY KEYBOARD it's SO EXCITING to see a character touch on existentialism the way she does; "The Nothing" WAS INSANE to see on her tombstone the first time round when i was expecting something juvenile. i knew what it meant immediately and i think it's so interesting; i'm really glad we get a talk with her afterwards abt it. do i also wish this existentialism more clearly permeated her characterisation ahhehehwhehahhe Yes

as for the Elfy issue: i'm not from any of the minorities that the writing for elves draws coding from, so. grain, salt. i don't think "i don't want to be seen as An Elf(TM)", or being not big on the dalish, needed to be handled in such a blatant "this is internalised racism i cannot talk you out of" way. again, fenris in da2 is a dick about the dalish, but he does have a personal relationship with his identity as an elf which feels authentic.

i also hate how shafted city elves got in DA:I so sera being from an alienage (when she was very young) but then that being breezed past makes me. sad whatever I KNOW SHE DOESN'T EVEN REMEMBER IT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A THING I JUST WANTED CITY ELVES SOMEWHEREEEE

i do love her journal though. that is top tier and i love it and 5 stars and whoever thought of that is amazing (probably her writer. sigh. credit sadly is due where credit is due /j)

anyway i should probably compile this into a better argued and evidenced post i just !!!!!

[jukkaricity]

Companion banter with Alectris - Lucanis Dellamorte edition vol. 2

I forgot I had more of these, they were loads of fun to write, so I might get back to it. <3

Alectris: So that whole “mage-killer’ thing. 

Lucanis: Are you worried about it being a personal preference?

A: I am not sure? Seems like a poor choice of career specialization if most of your mages are either Crows or live in a Circle?

L: You’re worried I may be out of work? 

A: I guess that’s how this sounds.

L: I would like to remind you that we share a border with Tevinter. 

***

Lucanis: It was Caterina’s idea actually. 

L: It’s a prestigious thing and Tevinter contracts have always brought in good coin. 

A: Ah, beloved Imperium ensuring you never run out of contracts.

A: You need to tell me about your jobs some time. Maybe I can put the paper headlines on some of them. 

***

Alectris: Heir mentioned that they never trained you. 

Lucanis: That’s true. Both me and Illario got our lessons straight from Caterina. 

A: So, if she’s not a mage killer, how did you learn? 

A: I feel like learning how to kill a mage on the job is not the best idea. 

L: Oh, no. We had to kidnap a mage from the Circle for that. 

A: You’re joking. Right? 

A: Right!?

***

Alectris: I got that vintage you’ve been asking about. Anything special about it? 

Lucanis: Not really no, it actually tastes terrible. You wouldn’t catch a Crow drinking it. 

L: But it’s really good in Braciole. 

***

Lucanis: That tune you’ve been humming sounds familiar. 

Alectris: Last time we were in Treviso and we passed by that puppet show in the market? I can’t get it out of my head. Shame we couldn’t stay and watch the whole play. 

L: I remember now. A very loose interpretation of “The Barber of Salle” if I recall. 

A: Well, it’s no Imperial Theater but they got the singing better than I expected. 

***

Alectris: So, Lucanis. How much do you think I would be worth in a contract? 

Lucanis: I… excuse me? 

A: What? Is it too vain for you that I’m curious how much my life could be worth? 

A: And don’t worry, I don’t think anyone would bother with me if it’s more than 10 andris. 

L: You’re a mage. You’d be worth at least 500 for that alone. 

***

Alectris: Lucanis? Do you think you could teach me to throw knives? 

L: Throw knives? Are the elements not enough for you now? 

A: It’s always good to expand one’s range, don’t you agree? 

***

Lucanis: So that crate of fruits in the kitchen. 

Alectris: I’m sorry. Couldn’t find a basket. 

A: I thought it might be silly to wait with those figs I promised. Seems like I’m racking up favors with you anyway. 

L: I’m not keeping a ledger yet. But if you’d like to help out with the cebollas… we could call it even. 

[deadlysoupy]

DATV banter if my Rook (Urchin) was a companion 1 / >> 2 << / ?

Neve: You’re jittery in Dock Town. What’s got you worried?

Rook: Isn’t everyone jittery in Dock Town? I’m surprised no one stole your leg while you were walking.

Neve: You’re dodging my question.

Rook: If I said it was the smell, would you accept that?

Neve: Hm. All right, good enough.

Rook: Oh, no. I told you too much, didn’t I? You’re already theorising.

Neve: (laughs) Perhaps.

~~

Neve: Rook, I beg of you, please stop poking fun at our enemies. One insult can cost you your life, some day.

Rook: Hey, they already hate us. What’s the point in holding back?

Neve: The point is that you infuriate them even more. You’re drawing attention to yourself.

Rook: I think that’s the idea.

Neve: Just… (sighs) Be careful, okay? Step on the wrong people’s toes…

Rook: Don’t worry. If I do step on their toes, they’ll know not to mess with someone who has this many friends.

Neve: I’m amazed and scared of your confidence.

~~

Lucanis: You would have been a good assassin, Rook.

Rook: Eh, too much work. And the blood is so difficult to wash off.

Lucanis: That’s why we wear leather.

Rook: The leather is nice. You look incredible in it.

Lucanis: I… appreciate the compliment. But is style really the only thing stopping you from being an assassin? You’re already an honorary Crow.

Rook: It’s good money, that’s for sure. But… I don’t like killing. Not by choice. I kill for survival, not greed.

Lucanis: I don’t kill for money, either.

Rook: I know.

Lucanis: But I understand. If you need work, or a place to sleep…

Rook: I know who to ask.

~~

Rook: Lucanis, I’ve noticed you hold your daggers more upwards. Is that comfortable?

Lucanis: The tilt makes it easier for me to slice. Why?

Rook: It’s not how I do it. Maybe you could show me? I always plunge the dagger in too deep. Ends up a mess.

Lucanis: Sure. What brought this on?

Rook: I don’t know… the Crows are so elegant at killing. It’s mesmerising.

Lucanis: I’ll make sure to tell the other Crows that Rook likes them. But yes, we certainly are taught style fairly early on. How is it with the Lords?

Rook: It’s… different. Okay, fine, I don’t really know.

Lucanis: How come?

Rook: Isabela taught me, no one else bothered to… or could get close to me. I guess I’ve simply developed her techniques.

Lucanis: All right. We can train together and exchange skills. Might be good practice.

~~

Taash: So. You and Isabela.

Rook: Uh-oh.

Taash: What?

Rook: Who told you? How did you find out?

Taash: Woah, slow down. I don’t know anything. But I do want to know now. Are you doing it?

Rook: What! Taash!

Taash: Ugh, what! Isn’t that what you were afraid of?

Rook: (sighs) No. I’m… Isabela practically raised me, Taash. Get your head out of the gutter.

Taash: O-oh. Sorry. Why didn’t you tell me in the first place, then? I thought we trusted each other. You met my mom. Holy shit, I met your mom!

Rook: (laughs) Well, I didn’t tell you because we’re not really official or anything. You know how she is. No touchy-feely stuff.

Taash: Yeah. I get it.

~~

Taash: Why do you wear Tevinter clothes? I thought you were a Lord.

Rook: Tevinter has style. Good colours, comfortable. Lets me appear like a normal citizen.

Taash: But you’re not Tevinter. Why hide where you really come from?

Rook: Taash, it’s Tevinter. I’m an elf. You really find nothing wrong with me wearing flashy Rivain clothes in gloomy, dark Dock Town? Without anyone bothering me?

Taash: (grunts) I guess that’s true. You ever tried, though? What if they’re cool?

Rook: I don’t want to risk it. Not hearing “knife-ear” every minute and just pretending I belong to someone is better.

Taash: Oh. That’s vashedan. I’m sorry they treat your people like that.

Rook: It gets worse, but thanks.

~~

Rook: Bel, did you adjust the rope yesterday?

Bellara: Oh, no, sorry. I didn’t have the time. The Nadas Dirthallen was acting up again. Sorry.

Rook: Hey, it’s okay! Take your time.

Bellara: We can do it together after we get back! What do you need the targets for, anyway?

Rook: I want to try throwing knives. No one’s ever taught me, and I saw a few Crows practising. If I could toss the bomb and then follow up with a knife throw, it would be much more effective than a timed bomb!

Bellara: Oh. Wait, hold on! That’s dangerous! What about collateral damage or friendly fire?

Rook: Eh. I’ll work those out on the fly. Don’t have much time to practice, anyway. But I’ll warn you if it helps?

Bellara: Uh… okay. I’ll tell the others to watch out for “sky bombs”.

Rook: O-o-oh, good name!

~~

Bellara: Rook, how are your burns? Do you need more healing salves? Should I bring some to your room?

Rook: (laughs) Bel, you’re fine. I’m fine! I’ve dealt with worse when I was just starting out. Messing with all this magic is new, but we’ll get there.

Bellara: I still feel bad. I asked you for help.

Rook: And I agreed! So no hard feelings. It’s not like you wanted for the core to explode. Unless…

Bellara: Rook! Of course I didn’t!

Rook: I was just messing with you. But there you go, then.

~~

Rook: Hey. What has an eye, but can’t see?

Davrin: Oh, please don’t.

Rook: Come o-on.

Davrin: Ugh. Fine. What?

Rook: A fsh!

Davrin: (sighs) I hate you, you know that? I already feel new wrinkles forming on my face!

Assan: (laughing squawk)

Rook: Aw, thanks, Assan! At least someone appreciates me around here.

Davrin: I can’t tell who’s worse: you or Assan.

~~

Davrin: Hey, Rook…

Rook: If it’s about your bed, it was Assan!

Davrin: I… what?

Rook: (laughs) Sorry, what were you gonna say?

Davrin: No. Please, do go on. What was that about my bed?

Rook: I’ll never tell.

Davrin: Fine. Then I’ll look the other way when Assan tries to play with your jewelry next time.

Rook: He’s been doing that?

Davrin: Among other things. Talk.

Rook: (sighs) I’ve been… napping on your bed when you’re gone.

Davrin: You what?

Rook: It’s really soft! And dark. It’s like I’m in a cave. Reminds me of the ruins.

Davrin: Hm. Well. If you ask, I might let you switch with me sometimes. I have always wondered what sleeping in your room is like.

Rook: I’ll let you see for yourself. And… thanks, Davrin.

Davrin: Just don’t go around mentioning this to anyone, got it?

Rook: My lips are sealed.

[thebookworm0001]

Fun Sized - Banter Update

Rating: T for innuendo

Summary: Ellana is short. Really short. So of course her companions have to tease her about it.

Link: AO3

Sera: You’re short. Like. Really short.

Ellana: What? I had no idea. I’d spent this whole time thinking everyone else was just exceptionally tall. 

Sera: [Giggles] That would be a trip, wouldn’t it. Wonder if that’s why dwarves are all… like that.

Ellana: The taller the ladder you need to reach your own cabinets, the grumpier you are. It’s just a fact.

(cont. under the cut)

Sera: But you’re not grumpy. Most of the times, at least. 

[if The Iron Bull is in the party]

Bull: That’s because she’s got a good view.

Ellana: I can promise you, that has nothing to do with it. 

Bull: Hey, you can enjoy the painting without wanting to eat the bowl of fruit.

Ellana: Funny, I don’t see any works of art around here. 

Bull: There’s some kitchen servants who might disagree with you. 

[Otherwise]

Ellana: [Laughs] You should say that to my sister. I’m sure she’d have some stories to tell that say otherwise.

Varric: Anyone ever ask you if one of your parents was a dwarf?

Ellana: Oh, very original. Never heard that one before. Are you going to ask if I stunted my growth by sitting in my aravel for too long next? Got kicked in the head by a Halla?

Varric: It’s a serious question. Usually the people I see eye-to-eye with have more than a passing affiliation with the Merchants Guild. 

Varric: With the right contacts and some clever paperwork, you could make some serious coin.

Ellana: Are you… asking if I want to con the Merchant’s Guild?

Varric: No, no, not at all.

Varric: Just saying, when all this is over, you have options.

Ellana: I’m sure my vallaslin won’t cause any problems in this plan of yours.

Varric: Evidence of a forbidden romance. People love a good tragedy - even better if you can scrape out a happy end despite it. 

Varric: They’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand.

Vivienne: I was speaking with our Lady Ambassador earlier, and she informed me you had rather firmly rejected her suggestion of incorporating heels into your ensemble.

Ellana: I did. 

Vivienne: Might I inquire as to why?

Ellana: Is it not enough that I simply do not want to wear heels?

Vivienne: Desire is reason enough to do anything, my dear. That does not make it wise.

Vivienne: You are an image for all of Thedas to aspire too, and your battle for legitimacy is not one that will be easily won.

Vivienne: It might help ease the process if those you wish to impress do not have to literally look down their noses at you. 

Ellana: Perhaps. Though I doubt anyone who already dislikes me will have their minds changed by a pair of fancy footwear.

Ellana: Anyway, any respect I gained would be quickly lost the minute I tripped and fell on my ass in front of a room full of dignitaries. 

Ellana: Or even better, I caught my new armor on fire. That would give everyone something to talk about.

Vivienne: Yes, well. Perhaps you are right. Some clever tailoring, then. And posture lessons.

Vivienne: One does not need to be imposing to command a room. 

Bull: Hey Kitten, you ever get lost, just look for the horns. Can’t miss ‘em.

Ellana: And where do you think I’ll be getting so lost that I’ll need to use you as a landmark?

Bull: Oh I don’t know. The crowds in Val Royeaux can get pretty nasty. Then there’s the ramparts, wrecked towns, corn mazes, overgrown fields. Really, just about anywhere.

Ellana: I- I’m not going to disappear into the grass like a lost girl in a child’s story. 

Ellana: What, should I leave a trail of bread behind me? Find a dog to guard me from the Dread Wolf?

Bull: I hear those Ferelden dogs come in pretty handy, actually. But no.

Bull: We might want to put a bell on you though, just in case.

Ellana: Think it’ll rain today?

Bull: Depends.

Ellana: On?

Bull: If you’re aiming at my height or my bad ankle.

Ellana: I could just be making small talk. Plenty of people talk about the weather.

Bull: Yeah, but most people aren’t wringing their fingers for an hour trying to come up with a clever way to ask about it. 

Ellana: My sister was always better at jokes than I was. 

Bull: That’s alright. You’ve got your own strengths.

Bull: For example, I think you’d make a very talented armrest.

Ellana: You know I can set you on fire, right?

Bull: Don’t worry, Kitten, you’re very scary.  

Inspired by @shift-shaping 

Bull: Solas, did you hurt yourself in our last fight?

Solas: I do not believe so. Why?

Bull: You’ve been rubbing at your neck more than usual. Thought you might’ve tweaked it after that one move. I’ve got some tips that could help if it’s sore.

Solas: I thank you for the concern. Your advice would be appreciated. 

Bull: Well, first off, you’ve got to start lifting with your knees. The Inquisitor’s tiny, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hurt yourself picking her up. 

Solas: Excuse me?

Bull: Oh, and you should probably invest in some cushions, maybe those feathery ones the Orlesians have. It’ll help you stay on your knees longer.

Solas: That is none of your concern.

Bull: It is when I get between you and the next templar that takes advantage of your stiff back. 

Bull: Those charging bastards hurt, you know.

Ellana: What information do I have to pass along to the Qun to get you to stop?

Bull: What? It’s friendly advice. If he keeps bending over, he’s going to get stuck that way. 

Bull: I’m just saying, It’s easier if he comes down to your level. 

Ellana: Please just tell me who Josephine needs to blackmail for this to end.

Bull: [Laughs] Now where’s the fun in that?    

    

Blackwall: So, you and the Lady Inquisitor, how does that work?

Solas: Much like any other relationship, presumably. 

Blackwall: Most relationships don’t have one party towering over the other. 

Solas: Really? That is your concern?

Blackwall: Not a concern. Just curious, is all. 

Blackwall: I mean, it can’t be easy. It looks like she’d need to climb scaffolding for anything to line up properly.

[If Cole is in the party] 

Cole: She is precious, held wholly in the palm of my hands. Sweet, small like the frilly cakes she brings me from the kitchens. 

Cole: He likes how small she is. He thinks it’s cute.

Blackwall: Well wasn’t that just adorable.

[Otherwise]

Ellana: Oh is that a dragon I see overhead? No? Pity. I would have appreciated being eaten right about now.

Blackwall: I’m sure Solas would be happy to oblige, my Lady.

Ellana: [Groans] Kill me now.

[gwynethshadowsinger]

Gwyn and Azriel Connections Pt. 2

Continuation of my last post, and this will be long as well due to me including text from the book itself and my thoughts I jotted down as I was reading.

Ch. 59 of ACOSF - I loved this part with the Valkyries. The friendship bracelets were a good bonding moment between them, and I love how each picked out colors that suited the others spirits. Nesta, in particular, picking out the colors that she did for Gwyn stood out to me.

What do these colors signify? Do they signify anything at all? Colors in question: Blue, White, and Teal.

My thoughts? Blue could be for Azriel and/or her Invoking Stone. White could be for the healing/protection aspect of said stone, or maybe Gwyn has some unknown power that still needs to be revealed. Teal, I could see Nesta picking for the color of Gwyn's eyes 🥹🥰

Ch. 60 of ACOSF - Gwyn cutting the ribbon was a BIG deal. Cassian looking over to notice Azriel attention fixated on Gwyn with "admiration and quiet encouragement shining from his face." How Azriel goes wholly still as if aware of larger forces. The particular wording Sarah uses to describes Gwyn's movements "swift as the winds off the Illyrian mountains, her entire body working in singing harmony." Gwyn becoming the 1st Valkyrie.

Has Azriel attention shifted towards Gwyn? I love the way he is looking at her in this scene and how he went wholly still.

Does he sense a potential threat to Gwyn?

Has his fixation on Elain finally started to wane, and he's realizing Gwyn might become more important to him, but not sure why exactly?

Ch. 60 (still) of ACOSF - The competitive banter between Gwyn and Azriel is 😘. I LOVE that the shadows are dancing around Azriel during this scene & Gwyn lifted her chin in challenge with "we look forward to proving you wrong."

The shadows dancing has to mean something here. They haven't danced around Azriel while he's conversed, joked, or bantered around with anyone else. Maybe they sense Gwyn would be good for Azriel and like her themselves? Instead of appearing to react to Azriel emotions like in other scenes they've appeared in.

This scene also reminds me of Sarah's endgame couples. I think she's planting evidence for a Gwyn and Azriel endgame.

Ch. 60 (still) - The "See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger" toss over Gwyn's shoulder. AZRIEL STARING AFTER WITH AMUSEMENT & NESTA SAYING HE'S THE NEW RIBBON!!!!

AHHHH!!!!! If this whole scene isn't endgame foreshadowing, I don't want it. There is no way Sarah laid this down and wasn't kicking her feet with glee.

Ch. 60 (still 😅🤣) - She wanted to be the first. Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel's and Cassians faces. Especially Azriel's....

Why does this read as if it's from Gwyn's POV specifically?!? Did Sarah unintentionally, or intentionally, give us a little excerpt from Gwyn POV because she already has plans to write Gwyn's story and wanted to give us a little something beforehand?

Ch. 60 - Gwyn was grinning so wildly that her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea, and she extended her battered hand to Azriel. And Azriel alone.

I wonder what Azriel was thinking at that moment of Gwyn's teal eyes glowing like that and her reaching out her hand to him 👀

What's also interesting is the theme of the book seems to be "keep reaching out your hand," and we have Gwyn reaching out hers to Azriel specifically 😉

Also, sheesh. In ONE CHAPTER ALONE, Sarah has put a lot of meaningful Gwyn and Azriel content.

Ch. 67 of ACOSF - The Blood Rite. Gwyn kept to the trees for two nights and watched the beasts. She learned where the beasts slept during the day and that they got angry when awoken. She used that knowledge to then lead one of the beasts to the male and his companions camp just in time to help save Nesta and Emerie.

That sounds like spy work.

Gwyn is cunning and great at biding her time for the right moment.

Ch. 68 of ACOSF - Near the beginning of this chapter, we get this scene from Cassian and Azriel in which Azriel talks about spying and Cassian mentions how unspeakable things could be happening to Emerie and Gwyn as well as Nesta. Azriels shadows appear to deepen around him, and his Siphons are said to have even gleam like cobalt fire.

It's nice to have confirmation Gwyn was indeed doing spy work like I had thought while she was waiting and watching those beasts. Maybe she'll become a spy as well and go on missions wit Azriel? They'd be one dynamic duo.

Azriel's shadows deepening and his Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire.. could that be a hint somehow? Because I don't remember his Siphons ever gleaming like cobalt fire in the series when anyone else is in danger of "unspeakable things" happening to them...

Trusting in the training they gave them? Sounds like mate behavior. Endgame couples tend to trust each other to make it out alive, even in dangerous situations where they are separated. I like this new side of Azriel trusting in the girls, maybe even Gwyn specifically.

Ch. 68 of ACOSF - Gwyn is talking to Nesta and Emerie. She mentions how she is tired of being in the library and wants to take a new road. A road that will forge them into something new. And after Gwyn's done speaking, "A cold wind blew off Ramiel's side. Whispering. Murmuring." Gwyn goes on to relay her side of the story of what happened to her and how Azriel saved her by slaughtering all the soldiers within moments & went on to give her his cloak as well as wrapped her in it.

Yessss Gwyn!!! I'm so proud of how far Gwyn has come. She is truly a warrior, a survivor, a woman to look up to. I can't wait to read about her own journey because there is NO WAY we won't get her story told after this.

Um... Azriel didn't hesitate? AND HE GAVE HER HIS CLOAK AND WRAPPED HER IN IT?!?

ISN'T THAT ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE WHAT LUCIEN DID FOR ELAIN (minus Lucien killing anyone given that circumstance)?!?!? And Elain and Lucien are mates soo....

The rest of the story.. I was a blubbering mess.

But Gwyn became Carynthian. Just like how Azriel is Carynthian. Which is just another point that led me to think Sarah is going to have Gwyn and Azriel as endgame. Mates are equal after all.

And while Gwyn might have went back to the library, I just feel and know her story is far from over. Her journey is coming, and Azriel will more than likely be her endgame.

[ghostinyrmachine]

chapter 3 of what fresh hells

part 3 of my raphaelxtav fic! hope you like banter bc i sure do :)

AO3

With Raphael back in the House of Hope, Tav learns about the deal her friends have made in her absence.

________

Raphael x F!Tav

word count: 1560

sfw (for now👀)

Draped in perhaps the softest towel that had ever graced your skin, you perched uneasily on the velvet couch before Raphael. Despite his injuries, he was giving you quite the monologue, as usual.

“I have been utterly gracious to you and your companions thus far, wouldn’t you say? I have guided you since your little journey began. Shepherded you towards your destiny with only the most minimal interference. This latest betrayal of my faith in your character is vexing, to say the least. I have been far more courteous than you deserve, little mouse, even—”

“Enough with the theatrics, devil. Just tell me what you did with my party.”

He beamed back at you, savoring your mounting impatience with his pleasantries. You suspected he’d come to enjoy your rapport. Not many people seemed willing to defy him as openly and sharply as you had been. But he’d always struck you as the kind of predator that liked to play with its meal before devouring it whole. He probably reveled in your defiance, a battle of wits his game of choice

“Always so demanding, Tav. A poor quality in a leader, don’t you think? As for your devoted followers, it is less what I have done with them but what they have done for me,” he purred.

You hadn’t spent much time with Raphael when he wasn’t in his humanoid form, but the way his tail twitched behind him made this slick gloating more suspect than usual.

“While you have been indulging in my woefully unearned hospitality, your friends have been hard at work. And I, being the forgiving benefactor that I am, have generously offered them what it is they now desire most.”

Raising your eyebrow, you decided to play his game a little longer. As much as you yearned to wipe the gratified look from his face, letting him lose his cool might get you something better. How much information could he be duped into revealing?

“I can’t imagine what that could be. They already have the Orphic Hammer, the Netherstones. I think they’re in much better shape than you are at the moment,” you taunted. “What else could they possibly need? You don’t seem to be holding any more cards, Raphael. You’ve played them all so poorly.”

This last jab, calculated deliberately to send your enemy into a tailspin, instead elicited what almost appeared to be a genuine smile from the cambion. He let out a delighted chuckle.

“Very clever, little mouse. Always attempting to match wits with those you are woefully at the mercy of. Your sharp tongue has gotten you this far. If only your friends had your tact, perhaps their negotiations would have went in their favor,” he teased.  

Gods damn it.

“I don’t suppose you offered them a deal, hmm? Never thought you’d be so desperate as to enlist a group of altruistic thieves,” you said, suppressing your anxiety over whatever bargain they may have reached.

Raphael’s face betrayed no sign of concern, something that frightened you greatly. “Desperate? Oh no, Tav, it wasn’t I who proposed a deal this time. Your friends, helpless as they are without your fearless leadership, were tripping over themselves to make me an offer.”

No, no, they couldn’t have. They’d never be so foolish. Gods, why couldn’t I have been there? Why couldn’t I stop them?

The disappointment, mingled with fear, stung like a slap in the face. You may have the cunning to elude Raphael, but without you as a mediator, the party didn’t stand a chance. Still, you attempted to hide the guilt from your expression as you pressured Raphael for more.

“Oh? And what kind of offer would that be?”

His eyes narrowing, a predatory energy emanating from his infernal presence, the cambion savored your poorly hidden anguish. Injured as he was, his confidence was unshaken.

“Well, little mouse, it was a fair bargain. One you were too impudent to make yourself back at Sharess’s Caress.”

Fuck.

“The Crown?” you asked, more a statement than a question.

“That’s correct.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it, little mouse? It was about time your merry band of heroes came to their senses. Without your pitiable influence, they finally recognized what is rightfully mine.”

“But they have the hammer. They’ll have Orpheus. We don’t need anything from you. They’d never agree to hand it over,” you insisted, dropping the calm façade.

He tutted in mock disagreement, “Tsk, it’s not about what they need, Tav. I have the one and only thing that they want. The only thing they’d be willing to trade the Crown for.”

He paused, soaking in the tension of the moment. You could feel a pit growing in your stomach as you realized what they’d done. With a satisfied purr escaping his lips, Raphael stalked toward you and drank in the energy of your grief like a vintage red. He gestured to your presence with his hand out, as if asking you to dance.

“I have you,” he hissed, practically licking his lips as he gazed at you hungrily.

You recoiled from his approach, backing up to put distance between you.

“Bullshit. They’d never.”

“Oh, but they did.”

“You probably didn’t even speak to them. You just licked your wounds in some corner, coming up with a good story,” you spat at him. “Quite the scene you’ve set here. But you’re bluffing. And even if you did make them a deal, they’ll never go through with it. Either way, you’ve wasted what precious little time you still have on this plane.”

Your fists balled at your sides, the urge to hurl a spell at him pushing any sensible or tactical thought from your mind.

Pouncing on your moment of weakness, just as you did his, Raphael snapped, conjuring a parchment glowing with infernal runes. Waving his hand, the page floated before your face, revealing the signatures of each of your companions at the bottom. Granted, most of them looked rushed or frantic, obviously done in a trembling hand. And yet, there they were.

“As you can see, I’ve told you nothing but the unfortunate truth, as I always have and always will.”

You let out a single, strained breath. So, your friends signed a contract. What remained to be seen was what exactly they’d agreed to.

“Hmm.”

“Have I rendered you speechless, little mouse? I do suppose it must be quite a shock, seeing how quickly your lackeys have traded such a powerful relic for a mere mortal such as yourself. Though, I must say, I’m surprised as well. I knew you had a part to play in the story so far, but this is a rather unexpected role in which you’ve been cast. A pawn.”

Your mind wandered to the Last Light Inn, Raphael and Mol playing lanceboard. You’d urged her to play aggressively and helped her win. The memory centered you. Mol had signed a contract too, but she was still a player. All was not lost.

The board just needs a jostle.

“A pawn, perhaps. But the pieces haven’t been cleared just yet. You’ve made a deal on an unstable precedent, Raphael. The Crown is still atop the Elder Brain, where it will most likely remain for the foreseeable future. As powerful as my friends are, as you have witnessed,” you said, pointedly eying his wounds, “They may not even secure the Crown for you.”

“Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Tav. There are more moves to be made, more gambits to play, I grant you that. But until the Crown rest upon my head, I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere.” Raphael purred, the scroll disappearing in a puff of red smoke. “As per the terms of this deal, you will remain within the walls of the House of Hope as collateral. And before you consider making an ill-advised escape, know that, according to the stipulations made by your allies, no harm—physical, psychic, or spiritual—will befall you. If, and only if, you remain as peaceful and docile as yours truly.”

“So I’m what? A hostage or a house guest?” you asked, not sure which answer you’d prefer.

“Ha! That will be up to you, little mouse. Though, there have been arrangements made to ensure you hold up your end of the bargain.”

Snapping once more, Raphael conjured a single sussur blossom in your clenched fist. Running your fingertips over the achingly soft petals, you felt the magic within you be sapped away. The arcane force that surged through your veins vanished, leaving you utterly defenseless.

“The blooms were your wizard companion’s idea. Apparently, your friends may have been harboring a contingency plan on their own,” he said, much more at ease now that your powers had been removed from the equation.

The sadness that had seeped in over the hours of waiting returned, a heavy weight on your chest that rendered any restorative bath useless.

“Now, as much as I adore our lively conversations, I must retire for the evening, as should you. A guest room has been prepared for your accommodation, another condition I am generously upholding at your allies’ request. Any further discussion will have to be postponed until later,” Raphael said, slowly returning to the water’s edge. “But I—,” you stammered, unable to get out another word before the fiend dismissed you with a clap.

[moved-to-thanatologie]

yeah okay, but i wanna talk a minute about how lichdom is actually the bad ending for emmrich a second, because i just played through the last part of his personal quest agaiin, and i've been chewing on it for the last, like, week.

so, you can romanticize it all you want, but emmrich changes after lichdom, which...you know, can be expected, but it's not in a good way. in a shallow sense he has more of a temper, he's more...i'm sorry, i don't think the overprotectiveness of rook is exactly ~so romantic~, i think it's...not great, to put it lightly. it's a little guilt-trippy about how he'll have to mourn them forever if they die, which...newsflash, he's gonna be doing that anyway. and on that shallow level there's just a layer of ickiness to it that i think some people just are...overlooking.

the fact that it's his life's work notwithstanding, like...this isn't the same healing and head on confrontation other companions get for what's eating at them, it's enabling emmrich's aversion to looking the facts dead (no pun intended) in the face: people die. he'll die one day, too, and literally nothing is forever, no matter what promise lichdom makes. like there's some banter with lucanis that i don't have exact quotes for at the moment, but it basically boils down to the fact that if you spend all your time reaching for undeath and hoping to return one day, you're ignoring and wasting the life you can have in the here and now and it's passing you by, which is...i mean, is that not it? is that not exactly what emmrich's doing? and i mean, if there's anyone to point that out, it's probably lucanis.

then there's hezenkoss, who has absolutely fed his fears, and if you search your heart you'll know it to be true. like @ofeluvians and i were talking about, i don't think it was ever a real, true friendship, i think it was almost entirely one-sded (boy, is that ever a character quirk i'm familiar with, i say, looking pointedly at 616 tony stark - ask me how!), and his insecurities were exacerbated to at least some degree. emmrich says himself that johanna never had an easy time of making friends, and if you read the flame eternal you can see she was acerbic even then, and not exactly what i would call compassionate to either emmrich or the spirits they were dealing with.

there's the fact that he was taken into a place that terrified him after his parents died, and i don't think it's necessarily some lofty, grand, scholarly thing that makes the memorial gardens his favorite place in the grand necropolis, i think it's because - out of all of it that we at least get to see - it's actually the most peaceful and least scary. just like i don't think it's hugely a shocker that his favorite spirits are definitely the wisps, which, by and large are manifestations of curiosity and by and large harmless.

i think, instead of a paralyzing fear of death, it's anxiety. like...big anxiety resulting from trauma that's never been addressed (his parents' deaths) and loneliness to a degree (manfred). he's so eager to share things with people, there's a recipe from his mother he passes on to lucanis (which i'm sure was a what's your favorite food conversation), or his books with taash and bellara. his skills to help neve solve a murder. going camping with harding. even the dad talks with davrin have shades of this, funny as it is. he...speaks to people on their level, i think, to a degree, once he knows what their level and their comfort level is (taash). he can empathize with situations he'll never actually experience himself. and it's like he says, a good instructor never makes a student feel inferior.

it's the loneliness thing i wanna circle back to a second, though, because it's my ultimate point: for all of this, for all of his flaws and his fears and his kindness, what the heart of his actual issue that needs addressing is is that loneliness. if you bring manfred back, he'll tell rook, you know, that he has pangs for what might have been, but seeing manfred grow and his excitement for his new magic and getting to be an apprentice mage is something he wouldn't change for the world. if unromanced he stumbles into one, anyway, full of adventure that wouldn't necessarily be the kind he'd find himself in, in his daily, normal life. his genuine distress toward the beginning, after he's recruited, when he feels like he's being judged and shut out (his commentary on other people's commentary on his skulls and manfred, his and taash's issues finally coming to a head).

like this man is lonely, y'all, and looking for human connection, and i don't think he entirely realizes it as the core of that overwhelming sense of dread. thinking about all his little notes in the codices, like...outside of lecture notes there's always some mention of someone from the veilguard in them, davrin and silly questions, or harding and burning the dead, or how davrin showed him flowers he's only seen in herbalism books and how excited he is for that. and if he turns to lichdom, he loses all of that. he loses manfred, and he does not get over it. instead he gets, like, five minutes of euphoria and then it's people finding him crying over manfred in his room and the deep regret when even spite confronts him about how manfred should be there.

so...yeah. that's a lot of words to say i don't think lichdom solves anything, and in fact actually probably makes things worse, because sure, he gets to live forever. with everyone around him that he loves dying, no manfred, and in the end he'll still end up alone, which is the core of the issue, i think.

[seaglassmelody]

I think Veilguard is a game that gains more and more layers as you play it again

Not necessarily the main plotline- the baseline story of “stop the end of the world” is (necessarily) straightforward. Which is actually great because it allows for the examination of the characters- why they want to save the world (lampshaded with one of Bellara’s conversations about the “why” of the hero in her story), what they think a better world looks like, their goals and aspirations, and how they work with others.

Veilguard allows the companions to shine and that shine gets brighter on subsequent playthroughs. You get to see Taash’s straight-line thinking and how it helps the other companions with their emotions (they have a banter with Harding where they basically tell her to name her anger and let her feel it and that REALLY resonated with me)

It lets you see little details like how Bellara will never say aloud that she knows she might need to kill Cyrian. She’s always caught up in how emotionally hard everything is- finding out real history of the elves, facing the Evanuris, facing her BROTHER- and she’s very honest about her feelings. EXCEPT when it comes to the reality of the action she may have to take. Speaking it makes it real and she will not do that until she has no other choice.

Meanwhile Davrin gets to show off his caring side- on subsequent playthroughs you start to peek beneath his confidence, his monster hunter warrior side. You start to see how he’s actually good at keeping morale up, keeping people focused and helping control emotions. He’s always, ALWAYS looking after Rook especially, helping keep the Boss in the game while giving them a break to breathe.

One of the most impactful replay moments for me was choosing to save Manfred, when on my first run I told Emmrich to become a lich. The emotion in Emmrich’s voice when he says he “wouldn’t trade this for anything”, watching Manfred with pride? That whole conversation highlights that one of Emmrich’s great fears of death is no longer being there to help and influence the things and people he cares about. But he never SAYS that. He just says he fears death. And it’s up to you hearing the deeper parts of that fear to get it.

I’ve said before that Veilguard is about Solas, and thematically it is, but it’s also called The Veilguard because that’s where the story is. It’s about your little team and their friendships and rivalries and fears and desires. And so much of that you miss if you only play the game once.

[bettydice]

I have finished Veilguard. A bunch of thoughts under the cut!

The Companions: Loved all of them and all the banter and their interactions. I thought the companion quests were fantastic and there was a lot of content there and I enjoyed it all. Voice acting was fantastic and some line deliveries made me tear up. And while it was honestly nice to have everyone get along well and be respectful with each other, I did miss some... bite and conflict. Like you get all those delicious conversations with Solas and questioning of motives and I wanted more of that sort of thing. Also I'd die for Assan and Manfred. The Environments: This is definitely one of the strongest parts of the game for me. Everything is gorgeous and I loved just walking around, exploring. I thought they found a great balance of streamlined and exploration! Puzzles were at a difficulty that I can still enjoy (thus very simple, I'm sure other people are annoyed by that) and it made exploring satisfying and relaxing instead of a chore. And I loved seeing changes in the environments after certain events or NPCs moving into places that I'd cleared. I rarely fast travelled because I loved walking through the Crossroads so much.

Rook: Overall, I enjoyed Rook. I chose Erika Ishii's voice for my first playthrough and thought it was fantastic. Also loved every Mourn Watch dialogue option. However... Rook has a loooot of auto dialogue and the dialogue options feel quite limited, so I'm worried about replays and being able to make different Rooks actually feel different. Also hate to say this, but Rook could smile a little less in cutscenes... I also don't think you can play a Rook that antagonizes any companions or is just plain shit at conflict resolution.

Combat: Even though I never felt like I fully mastered it, I enjoyed it. And especially after recently replaying all the other games - the dragon fights were so much cooler (though as a mage, they were also 80% running around screaming). I didn't miss being able to control my companions, except for taking screenshots. Romance: I romanced Bellara and I love her, she is my beautiful wife. I do wish there'd been more romance specific content, especially because you get to see soo much of your companions getting together and being together and you're just there like... what about me? Spare romance banter for Rook pls? I didn't even get a romance specific greeting! Though ultimately, I'm really happy with the romance and the ending added some welcome drama, because Bellara was the one that got abducted by the blight/Elgarnan and yesss! The drama! The fade statues guilt trip! She's so smart and fierce when she returns! And the last scene was super sweet. <3

Story: Overall I'd say... Yay? Loved all the Lore drops and actual answers. Thought the side quests were well done and interesting. Another shout out to the companion quests! All in all, I'm satisfied with the ending, I think. HOWEVER! You can feel the Things We Didn't Import all over the game. There were so many moments where I was like, okay they COULD have mentioned xyz here easily, but no, they have to go out of their way to be vague or not let you talk to this character much. I don't need actual cameos (Isabela you deserve better) but there's so many missed opportunities for simple mentions or codex entries and it's such a shame. Because this IS the culmination of the story and why can't we see that reflected in little moments, so that we can truly feel the depth of the story once more? But I do love the Codex! There's so much good stuff in there! I might even go back and read all the Codex entries I haven't yet. Oh, why do we see no Elves working for Solas? Did he manage to get his entire spy network killed before the game? Classic Solas. Music: Soundtrack was fine, better than I expected tbh though a few scenes had some really awkward whimsical music that made me go ?????????? The Varric thing is dumb. The 'twist' only works because I guess nobody ever mentioned his death ever again. I hate sacrificing character development or People Behaving Normally for twists.

Why is the Inquisitor still wearing FUCKING PYJAMAS. Really wish there was an option to dye armour. The decision between Minrathous and Treviso is a cool concept and loved (though hated) seeing the fallout but what.... Rook and their two buddies are the only thing standing between a city and complete ruin???? I do not think so.

That's all for now.

[zoniteillusion-pyritedreams]

hiii can you do an ideal type reading for boynextdoor taesan when you have time and energy 🫶🫶

also if you are comfortable, can you tell more about your path/relationship with aphrodite over a blog or something? i thing is so endering and beautiful the way you work with her on reading and the way that reflects on the way you write so poetically, romantically and artsy but the way you reference things, total love witch/venus ruled vibes <3

taesan of BOYNEXTDOOR "his ideal type?” aphrodite whispered in my ear, and oh babe… it’s specific.

or: a spicy lil reading ft. Blackpink, tarot drama, & why this man may or may not fall for a civilian with a backbone and a secret soft spot.

Song on shuffle: Love to Hate Me by Blackpink

Aphrodite’s smirk? Immediate.

You want to know Taesan’s ideal type? Buckle up because this boy wants someone who can handle the fire and match the intensity, but also bring that grounded, healing mama-bear energy. Basically? He wants a feral therapist in a hot outfit.

Let’s break it down:

Astro energy check: Capricorn, Scorpio, Pluto (reversed), Jupiter (reversed).

Translation? He’s drawn to power. Depth. Still waters that run dangerously deep. He wants someone who seems composed but has a wild streak behind closed doors. Think cool girl who reads Nietzsche and has her exes crying in her DMs but she's unbothered.

He doesn’t just want pretty. He wants Presence. Someone with bite. Someone who doesn't fall for him just because he's an idol. In fact… he might like it if you’re a little unimpressed by him at first.

Oracle vibes: oof. It's giving "only the real ones need apply."

The Liberator, The Warrior, The Ruler, The Companion — YES. He’s into someone strong-willed, passionate, loyal, and emotionally intelligent. He lives for banter, but only if it’s smart. He’s turned on by someone who has opinions, doesn’t sugarcoat, and will call him out but still makes him feel safe and deeply loved when it’s just the two of you.

The Reversals (Explorer, Alchemist, Self, Mother, etc.):

This boy is lowkey scared of being emotionally smothered or controlled. He wants connection but freedom too. So clingy, overly-sacrificing types? Next.

He loves a little mystery. Someone who’s curious, evolving, creative but not trying to fix or be fixed.

Now tarot? Babe… it spilled.

He’s physically into someone with a natural confidence (King of Wands), who may not even know they’re attractive. Not the showy kind, but the “I know my worth” kind.

Think: oversized hoodie, messy hair, killer smirk energy.

(Low key someone kinda like him. From what I've seen cuz again this group isn't that old I think they're only on what their third year this year. He wants someone who kind of mirrors himself to a certain extent he kind of gives off the fact that he is confident in his looks but also he lowkey isn't as aware of how attractive he comes off as and is is one of the reasons why I feel like whenever you see the members or other people comment his looks he gets a bit flustered because like he's aware that he's good looking but just not how good-looking he is and he runs a partner who's kind of the same way. Also very much so giving one of the guys type of girls like you most likely find her not wearing makeup and sweatpants oversized hoodie most likely his and just chilling with the dudes rather than trying to look all nice and dressed up etc. Basically off-duty model meets tomboy.)

He's not looking for perfection. He’s looking for a partner, not a fan (Three of Pentacles reversed).

He wants playful, flirty energy (Knight of Wands + Eight of Wands), but also depth (Hanged Man + Queen of Pentacles). Someone who knows how to give him space when he needs to go full introvert (Hermit reversed) but is there when it matters most.

He may wrestle with his own emotions sometimes (Nine of Swords, Strength, Five of Wands), so a calm, emotionally mature partner who can help him unravel and ground himself is chef’s kiss.

That said he’s not easy to get. This man will test you (Seven of Wands) before letting you in. And if you pass? Ace of Pentacles. You’re it. Loyal, devoted, ride-or-die type of love. He doesn’t fall often but when he does? He’s all in.

Would he date a fellow idol or civilian?

Civilians have a serious chance here.

Why? Because he wants authenticity, and fame doesn’t impress him. In fact, he might find it harder to truly open up to another celeb because he craves raw, private, unfiltered connections.

But… if an idol is humble, grounded, and not about clout? It could work. Still he’s more likely to fall for the girl in the bookstore café who didn’t know his stage name.

Overview:

Taesan’s ideal type?

She’s a mystery wrapped in softness, coated in sarcasm, and armed with a playlist that would destroy him emotionally.

She’s not here for his fame she’s here for HIM.

She lets him chase a little, makes him think a lot, and somehow feels like home and a challenge all at once.

Are you?

Are you confident, grounded, lowkey spicy with emotional depth and a bit of chaotic good energy…

Baby, you might just be his type.

Tag yourself: are you the Queen of Swords in his love story or just another reversed Companion?

[mournmage]

fir protags as companions, all that apply for merrick?

Okay so originally I was gonna do the Inquisition questions for him too (because I've been working on an au with Hawke as a proper full Inquisition companion anyways) but I realized I don't have answers for half of those cause I haven't finished Inquisition yet lol. So we're just gonna do the general questions ~

(How he looks in game vs how he actually looks when I draw him at the time of Inquisition btw)

Putting the rest under a cut cause it got a little long lol

How would you recruit them?

You'd find him lost out in the Hinterlands at some point after protecting a group of younger mages from some rogue templars. He was originally on his way to Skyhold after answering Varric's letter, but when he takes too long to show up Varric prompts the Inquisitor to go out looking for him and sure enough, he got sidetracked on the way. The Inquisitor can either help him take out the rogue templar camp or tell him to take care of it himself, and depending on what they do and who the Inquisition is allied with will determine approval with him as well. If the Inquisitor helps him, he'll thank them and join the party from there on out. If the Inquisitor doesn't help him, he'll go finish the task for himself and show up at Skyhold sometime later on his own, though he won't be happy about it.

What would their personal quest look like?

Merrick's personal quest is a conditional one: You have to have him in party with Varric enough to trigger their banter about Merrick's journal (it's one of their earliest banters so not hard to get) and you have to have medium approval with him to trigger it.

If those conditions are met, the Inquisitor will find him at some point on the battlements looking for his journal, which he seems to have lost. After checking a few different spots within Skyhold, it's eventually revealed that Cole found it, and he finds the two of them when they come to the tavern to give it back. The Inquisitor can either leave the conversation there, or they can ask Cole why he had it, to which Merrick will respond that he was most likely drawn to something in it. Cole agrees, mentioning that he was curious about "the other spirit" Merrick knows/seems to be thinking about often, and thought Merrick might have written about him. Merrick will then thank the Inquisitor for their help, and tell Cole that if he wishes to ask about Justice to just do so directly the next time.

How would their approval raise? What would make it drop?

Raises approval: Siding with mages, disagreeing with Cullen specifically, small gestures of kindness (think that one quest to put flowers on the widower's wife's grave in Redcliff, things like that.)

Lowers approval: Siding with templars, asking too many questions about Kirkwall in personal conversations, degrading Anders if brought up when he's around, being dismissive/rude about the Dalish if he's in the party, agreeing with using blood magic.

Generally it's way easier to lose his approval than gain it, he's not exactly hard to please but he's Very easy to piss off.

Approval greeting: Low/Medium/High

Low approval: (stares blankly) , "What?"

Medium Approval: "I assume you need me for something." "Make this quick."

High approval: "I can spare a moment if you need me." "Something wrong?"

(You can't romance him so no romance greeting.)

What would their iconic lines be?

"More blood to wash out of my clothes. Fantastic." "Smells like somethings burning!" (<- primarily a fire mage and loves to be a shit about it)

Do they have location specific dialogue?

Emprise du Lion: (grunts) This makes Fereldan feel warm in comparison.

What would their party banters look like?

I've written a bunch actually! Here's some of them between Sera, Varric and Cassandra ~