catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

These districts certainly didn't sounds like the nicest of places. Whilst he never expected accommodation of the highest standard, it was unnerving. After spending his life on the run, stuck in places that weren't always favorable, he was growing rather weary of having to keep one eye open all of the time.

Heaving a gentle sigh, the mage nodded at the other's words. 

"That sounds wonderful. Honestly." Raising a hand to rub at his temple he added "Is it really that bad? More danger... great. Please tell me that at least there won't be any darkspawn. Or templars. I've had more than my fill of both." It barely even crossed his mind that the other may have no clue about what he was speaking of, still unused to that fact that people were from many unusual places in this city.

Shaking his head to try and dispel some of his apprehension, he offered the other a small smile as he shared his name. Cloud. Well, it wasn't exactly a name he was expecting from this fellow. Cloud seemed to be a little... soft for a man who carried a weapon like that.

"Mine? You can call me Anders."

Confusion ~ {Closed for formersoldiercloud}

"In my experience, in the Sectors, worry about the people. In the Districts, worry about the people and the environment."

Lets you get gobbled by plants and spiders. or possible Ghosts, if you were in the wrong area. Cloud hadn’t seen any ghosts - yet - but he wouldn’t put it past the Scientists.

At least this guy’s questions were starting to run down, though. For all that Cloud did this kind of meet and explain a lot, he’d never really enjoyed it. Just walking off would by a bit too rude, so…

"Name’s Cloud. And yours is?"

He should probably start compiling a list of all the people he knew. Could come in handy.

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

After he'd been out walking for some time, something, or rather someone, caught Anders' eye. Someone he'd heard about walking these streets, and someone he was definitely tentative about meeting once more.

Varric.

Freezing in his tracks, head inclined over his shoulder, he watched in silence as the other gave him a nod. Worry was coursing through his veins, burning anxiety into his every breath. What could that possibly mean...? In the least it wasn't a hostile action... and that meant a chance of reconciliation. Maybe. After all, the two had been friends once.

Hesitantly, the mage turned on his heels, approaching the dwarf with visible caution. Even as he drew near, he kept a fair distance. Just enough so that he could be heard, but enough to make a quick escape, or even prepare for combat if the need arises.

"Varric... well you're a familiar face..."

He didn’t believe it at first, but there was no mistaking that strawberry blond hair or that walk, even from behind.

He didn’t know how to feel, or if he should shout anything.

He followed Anders for about a block, even though he should have known better, hoping that the opportunity for Anders to happen to catch Varric out of the corner of his eye.  Then they’d have both seen each other and if Anders decided to walk away, that would be it.

The opportunity finally came; Anders glanced backwards.  Varric gave him a little half-nod.  Whether anything would come of it remained to be seen.

catsandfeatherpauldrons

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

Snorting with laughter as Hawke spoke upon his approach, Anders feigned a hurt expression for a moment. "Hawke, did you really think I'd leave you here alone? I'm offended." He let out a small sigh, before falling quiet.

Ah. So it appeared that he'd completely misread parts of this holiday. If only he'd explored more about it before the two of them met up- at least then he might not have looked like such a fool turning up in his usual outfit. But as he was going to raise a point, maybe even apologise for his lack of knowledge, Hawke held out a small bag before him. Quizzically, Anders eyed it for a moment, his mind taking its precious time in processing that the bag was in fact for him.

"Is that... a gift? For me?"

Raising an eyebrow he hesitantly reached out to take the bag, taking the utmost care to not drop it or something ridiculous like that. With the furrowing of his brow, perplexed as to what could be inside, the mage pried apart the bag. Immediately his expression brightened up upon seeing what was inside. No matter how childish it seemed, he really couldn't help but smile.

Sitting there was a stuffed cat, and a stuffed cat that reminded him somewhat of his old friend Ser Pounce-a-lot. Reaching in to lift up the toy, he turned it around carefully in his hands, making no effort to hide the grin stretching across his features. Really, he couldn't help but appreciate it- and the thought behind it.

"Hawke... this is... And there was me thinking you never listened to me whenever I mentioned something like this. You know, fluffy kittens might ruin your strong reputation, or something along those lines." Letting out a small chuckle, he shook his head. "I wouldn't call it stupid. I... appreciate it. Really."

With a wry smile tugging at his lips he quickly added  "And well, we better make that reservation. Or otherwise we might just have to stand out here with you embarrassed over all this."

my completely awkward valentine [closed]

Hawke felt completely and utterly ridiculous when Anders showed up, looking just like he always did, and he was standing here in this stupid ‘modern day’ outfit. He felt like he was trying to make too much of an effort, even though this was supposed to be a part of the holiday itself. He probably should have told Anders that.

"I’m a bit surprised you decided to show up at all," he said with a wry grin, trying to made it sound far more sarcastic than he actually felt it was. At least he didn’t have to keep standing outside with the stupid bag he ended up having to go to four different stores across two districts to find.

"Apparently there’s a few things you need to celebrate this holiday. One is dressing in traditional garb, imbibing wine or champagne and the person who asks the other one out has to give them…" he held out bag then, two by one foot. When the blond opened it the present would be welcomed to the sight of a somewhat familiar face - a stuffed cat.

"It’s… stupid, I know. We should um, go inside. We have a reservation in ten minutes."

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

{{Just wanted to drop another apology for my lack of responses this week, long story short, things have been kind of bad, but I will be trying to get back on track again soon.}}

{{Putting the rest of this under a read more for my own sake. Again, sorry to anyone who's awaiting a response from me but things really, really haven't been great to me lately. I received some bad news about a family member earlier this week, and its thrown me totally out of sync. It's not something I want to get into too much, but it's contributed to my motivation/mood plummeting at the moment. And on that note, I'm just generally in a not so good way at the moment, and I've hit a real slump. A lot of things are kind of difficult at the moment. I won't bore you with that but it just seems like one thing after another after another... I thought about a hiatus but I don't want to lose my muse, or the threads I'm in now, if anything I might consider a semi-hiatus if this all keeps on, just as a warning, and so people are notified. Anyway. I know I'm not the quickest roleplayer as it is, and I'm really sorry... I'm going to attempt to sit down and do at least a couple of replies tomorrow. But... I don't know, there's a good chance I might be a little slow for a bit. I'm trying to pick things up. Again, I'm sorry all. And sorry if this feels like I'm just dropping stuff on everyone, I just.... didn't want to leave people hanging too much without at least a little explanation. Sorry.}}

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

✎

send me a “✎” and ill draw your muse

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

30 Uncommon Character Development Questions ( send me a number )

What position does your character sleep in? ( i.e; stomach, side, back, etc. ) Describe why they do this — optional.

Does your character have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual? etc.

Does your character have an accent? What does it sound like?

Do they have any verbal tics? Do they have trouble pronouncing certain words or getting their thoughts across clearly?

What are their chief tension areas? 

If you were to pick one song — and only one song — to describe your character, what would it be and why?

How does your character perceive themselves? Positive? Negative? Neutral?

Are they a quick thinker or do they need time to sort through their thoughts?

Does your character dream or are their nights filled with an empty blackness? Describe a dream they’ve had or a night they couldn’t sleep and what they did to preoccupy their time.

If they had a choice, would they prefer a subway or a bus for public transportation?

What do they think of creation? Do they believe in evolution or do they believe in God? What is their religion like?

Describe 5 unusual characteristics your muse has.

Have they ever been so overwhelmed they had to stop and take a break from something? 

Are they a team player or do they prefer to be solo?

Can they multi-task or must they focus on one subject at a time?

What are their best school subjects? What are their worst? List five of each.

Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? How do they handle big crowds of people?

Are they a leader, do they prefer to follow, or would they rather just stay on the sidelines altogether?

If your character was suddenly challenged, would they rather run away or stay and fight?

If your character was allowed to murder one person without any consequences, who would that person be and why?

Your character has been granted 3 wishes; what would they wish for and why?

Does your character trust people right off the bat or does it take them some time to warm up to someone?

Do they prefer romance or affection? What is the quickest way to your character’s heart?

Does your character have any enemies? If so, who and why?

Do they have any weird bedroom habits? Any unusual kinks?

How does your character prepare for bed? Do they sleep at all or can they stay awake for days on end without trouble?

If your character had one thing to say to their parents before they died, what would it be?

Are they afraid of death? Do they have any regrets?

Does your character get restless when things are too quiet or do they favour solitude and silence? Why?

Finally; if your character was forced to eat one thing for the rest of their life, what would they choose and why?

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

send me a "✎" and ill draw your muse

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

{{Just a note to people awaiting replies, I managed to become sick again last weekend and I'm still pretty sick. I'm working my way through stuff, albeit slowly. Should hopefully be back up to speed in a couple of days!}}

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

As the day of this supposed holiday finally came around, Anders found himself eagerly getting ready, looking forward to the first time he'd get to relax in a while. Yet whilst he was excited, there was something else too. A niggling feeling of worry... He didn't want to mess up this day, but what was there that he could possibly mess up here..? Shaking his head, he finally ventured out.

Thus clad in his usual feathers and robes, he quickly navigated the streets of the city, making his way to their allocated meeting spot. From what they had discussed, they were to have a meal, and simply enjoy one another's company.

Which was nothing strange when between friends.

Finally reaching his destination, Anders paused outside, brown eyes scanning the people outside for the one he knew. Yet where-ever he looked, he seemed to find the unfamiliar. People clad in clothes he still couldn't quite grasp as being real. Shaking his head he looked over the crowds once more, no Hawke to be seen- Wait. Flicking his gaze back to a suited man, he moved so he could see more of his face and confirm what he thought.

That was Hawke. He couldn't mistake that face for any other. But the clothes, they were so different to what he'd expected to find. Taken aback, the mage paused for a moment, before finally approaching the other with a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Well, that's hardly what I expected to find you wearing Hawke, but it's fetching never the less." Nodding his head softly, he brushed a hand over one of his pauldrons, albeit somewhat tentatively. Should he have made more of an effort? Shrugging to himself, he found himself looking to a small bag in the other's hands with mild interest. He wasn't entirely sure why he would have such a thing.

"Either way, it's nice to see you." Casting his sights to the bistro, he raised an eyebrow, realising that the place looked rather fancy. "Now, this isn't really a place I expected to have dinner at. Seems a bit more... high class than what we're used to."

my completely awkward valentine [closed]

His beard had been trimmed up and he was wearing what they considered more modern clothing. Hawke felt ridiculous, dark wash jeans feeling infinitely tighter than any mage robe he had ever worn. They weren’t even tight, just fit enough that he could feel the fabric on his legs. Combined with a button up shirt and something called a sports coat which was not nearly as warm as a coat nor good for doing sports in he would imagine. Still, that combined with the nagging feeling he was doing something wrong by going out for this dinner and made him feel even weirder about it. There was no reason to feel that way, he knew that. They were friends, and friends went out for meals. It was a way to make sure they weren’t alone on some sort of stupid holiday when they both were, up until a few days ago, extremely lonely. And why should Hawke feel awkward when he was the one that asked in the first place. That being said, the small present he held in a small plain brown gift bag made him wince to think about. What sort of custom had you give the person you spent the day with a gift like… this. He should have just bought a bottle of wine, he knew it as soon as he ordered the damn thing. Maybe they could have wine at dinner. That would make the night feel a hell of a lot less awkward, he’d bet. At least, it might alleviate some of this weird tightness in his chest. He fiddled with the bag’s strings as he waited outside of the small bistro. It looked dark from out here, was it even open? Oh come on, he was being ridiculous. Worried about nothing. Maybe.

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

Letting out a sigh as Dorian spoke, Anders kept his gaze on him for a few moments before gazing at the wall as he processed things. Now he seemed to have an idea that people had things against Cullen, yet what did that mean exactly?

"Now that's hardly surprising..."

But as he was going to continue, the other's words stopped him dead in his tracks.

Mages weren't prosecuted in this city.

It was a strange notion, an idea he never expected to come across. Especially after years of fighting a system which basically bred it into people that mages should be persecuted. For a few moments, he genuinely had no idea how to respond.

"We're...not?" He mused, leaning over the counter closer to the other, disbelief written across his face. "I cannot say that I've conversed with many here... but surely... You're really telling me that these people see little to fear from mages?"

Just the thought of that stirred up conflicting thoughts. Hope at the idea that somewhere, they didn't face the same troubles. Yet also anger, that whilst things were alright here, back in Thedas mages that he could no longer aid would be facing all the more troubles. Then there was something else

Fear.

What would he be without the mage's plight? Something he'd spent his life trying to correct? It felt like too much of a major part of him, and that was part of what stopped him from accepting what the stranger had said.

"This isn't some lie, is it?"

Familiar Surroundings ~

The way the man withdrew into himself piqued Dorian’s interest. Clearly he wasn’t going about this the right way and any further pursuit would simply cause his audience to scatter. Rather than make a guess at what sort of expression to wear, he cast his gaze off to the side. Whatever happened in Kirkwall was not his matter to pry at.

"Not surprising…" He would have gone for a joke, but the somber reception held him back. A delicate matter like this would only be upset by his whimsy. "You’re certainly not the first to complain about him." And that wasn’t necessarily a lie.

He eyed the grain of the countertop. He was no spymaster. What would Leliana do in a situation like this?

"Mages aren’t prosecuted in this city, you know. In fact, the practice seems practically unheard of. There are a lot of people to envy in these parts." Perhaps that would put this Anders at ease.

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

"Masculine wiles? I'd never use such a thing." Smiling to himself, Anders snorted in amusement, focusing his gaze on Hawke. "Surely that should be something I'm accusing you of?"

With a small yelp of surprise as the other clapped his shoulder, he allowed himself to be led to whatever hell-hole of a tavern Hawke was directing him to. Yet just as he was about to make a comment on the entire thing, he was quickly stopped by the comment about buying the drinks.

"Hawke. How do you expect me to cover such a thing?" Letting out a gentle sigh, he continued on, eyes trailing over the bar as he approached.

Well. It wasn't the worst place he'd ever been.

Before he knew it, they'd sat down, the other placing a glass down in front of him. The liquid before him looked different to what he knew, and he found himself sniffing it before taking a cautious sip.

But as he went to throw a questioning glance to Hawke about the drink, the other began to speak. A supposed holiday? That piqued his interest. It had been a while since he was graced with the time to do anything outside of the important, and a while since he'd really celebrated anything. So intently he listened, arching his head slightly at offer of spending it with Hawke. 

"There is no one else you would rather spend it with?" He was tentative with his question, worry punctuating his tone. Surely he couldn't be his first option? "Not that I'm denying the offer, I'd very much like to spend the day with you regardless."

The mage allowed a small smile to cast itself across his features, trying to not seem too overjoyed at the prospect of this upcoming holiday. He felt as though he'd lacked true companionship for some time now. Perhaps it was unfair of him to yearn for the company of another, given what he'd done, but it wasn't something that he'd pass up.

"But what is this supposed holiday? I've not heard a word about such a thing."

Was his Anders always this sappy? It was hard to recall. He also had to stop doing that, labelling people “his” or “theirs”. This was Anders. The Anders. No point in worrying about how he remembered things back home. They weren’t in Kirkwall any more. Still…

"Don’t think you can use your masculine wiles on me," he replied with a sarcastic tone, gently shoving Anders but not so hard as to actually move the man should he not want to move. Instead then, he clapped the blond on the shoulder and used it to lead him in the direction of a bar he had seen at some point. At least, he thought he had. "You’re still buying the first round, delightfully charming smile or no."

As it turned out the bar was almost a literal hole in the wall. It was no Hanged Man, but at least there seemed to be a plethora of libations at their disposal. Hawke wrinkled his nose slightly but found a seat at a rickety table out of the way of the entry and bar. Unlike what he had told Anders, he bought the first round, setting two large glasses of “beer, we don’t got ALE here” down before taking a seat on an even more rickety looking chair. And about halfway through his, drunken way too quickly, he was trying to think about how best to phrase this without sounding quite so… awkward.

"So… there is this supposed holiday and while I know almost nothing about it I do know that like Feastday people are supposed to spend it together. And well, I’m sure you’d have something better to do but if you find yourself in need of entertainment… maybe you’d like to spend Saturday with me?"

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

As the conversation progressed, Anders was becoming all the more cautious over what he was saying. This man, who had seemed to speak more freely at the start of the conversation, was becoming more blunt, and that in no way could be a good sign.

"Having history is one way of putting it." He could feel anger bristling up within him, especially at the mention of having a shepherd. For a second he could even feel Justice's burn, the plight of the mages flaring up, especially after those ideals had been suppressed after being thrown into his new city. 

"Is that a wise question to ask? Just allow me to say that I don't appreciate the way he's handled a few things."

He let out a sigh, making an effort to focus in his breathing as so to not seem too frustrated by the topic. It'd do him no good to start off about mages in this new city, and it would be even worse to mark himself out as an apostate, especially when he still couldn't read the other's stance on all this. From what he could tell, Dorian seemed a tad impartial, perhaps due to his already knowing Cullen. Or it could be down to a number of other things, things he may need to figure out.

It seemed as though he was going to have to be rather guarded with his words until he knew more...

Familiar Surroundings ~

Being the black sheep of the Inquisition, Dorian was far from privy to all of his colleagues’ backgrounds and pasts. What little he knew and cared to remember had been obtained secondhand, and he was mindful about what he dared to repeat. Yet he couldn’t let this man know that. Thus, in answering his question, Dorian gave a half-hearted shrug and an even less committal reply: “Your guess is as good as mine.”

As nosy as he could be, there were certain topics he knew not to breach. Cullen’s business with the templars and all that Fereldan nonsense was better left unsaid. 

"You make it sound as if the two of you have a history. He wasn’t one of your shepherds, was he?" he wondered, careful not to let slip how little he knew about southern prosecution of mages.

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

Realising that he'd spoken quite a lot, Anders bowed his head and patiently awaited the other's responses. Never did he expect that someone would take the time to help a wandering soul like him. Not that he could complain about that. Who knew what sort of hopeless situation he would have ended up in otherwise?

Nodding to himself, he quickly worked out the rough time it took to get around, making a mental note of it for future reference. 

But the way the trains were run caused him to pause in thought once more. They were mechanical. Coal-driven. Whilst he wasn't especially sure how that worked, he didn't want to look like an idiot more than he already did. So with another nod he kept quiet, deciding that this was something he'd look into in his own time.

"Right, well I think I understand these trains a little better... Uh..." The mage stopped in his tracks, noting that he didn't even know this man's name. "Sorry, I don't think I ever caught a name from you. Although I will say your patience here is appreciated."

Yet just as he offered up a small smile in thanks, he stopped once again.

District?

At the sound of that, Anders perked up for a moment. Wasn't his allocated housing in one of those districts? Frowning as the other continued speaking, indicating that they weren't pleasant places, he let out a small sigh.  

"Well I'm not sure if that's going to bode well for me. Are these districts that awful?" 

Snorting in vague amusement to himself, the mage ran a hand over his hair. It really didn't seem surprising to him that he'd end up lumbered with the less wonderful accommodation in the city.

"It's not like this city in itself seems too pleasant."

Confusion ~ {Closed for formersoldiercloud}

As usual, the swarm of questions and comments. People just couldn’t keep to one problem at a time, could they? Cloud waited it out patiently.  He’d had to go through this a lot since he’d arrived in Hive City.

Once he was fairly sure the man was done talking, he offered up solutions to the last two. “Takes about three and a half hours to wind all the way to where they first started.”

Half an hour per Sector, six Sectors in total. Basic math, to to be fair, the guy didn’t know how long it took. Now he could work backwards, and figure that out.

"They’re mechanical, I’d guess coal-driven." He couldn’t actually say for certain what powered the trains, though he was quite certain it wasn’t Mako. He’d rather believe they ran on electricity or solar panels, but given what the Scientists had done to Sector 02, he doubted it.

He felt he ought to mention something else, too. “Beneath each Sector is a District. The trains don’t go there. i don’t reccomend them. They’re… unpleasant at best.”

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

Amused by the other's discontent, Anders worked to stifle another small laugh, locking his eyes on the other. "There's no need to worry. I think I'd prefer this Hawke anyway. Far more charming." He tried to keep a softer edge to his voice, as so to not sound mocking. There was truth to his words, and he wanted the other to know that.

Yet as things grew more serious, Anders fell silent, listening in wonder to Hawke's words. The sentiment there... it wasn't anything he'd ever expected. Everything he said, as well as his gentle tone, was calming to him. Before he knew it, a genuine smile had spread across his face. Despite that being so sentimental wasn't really something Hawke often did, it was nice to hear. Incredibly nice to hear even. Maybe those words could start to give him the power to overcome the pain he was feeling.

"You honestly think so?" The mage tilted his head, thoughtfully taking in the statements. "Those are good points Hawke. This is the path we have to follow, and even if there are those differences, perhaps we are the same. It's best that we make the most of this."

Giving Hawke a small smile, he let out a laugh. "A drink? I think that sounds perfect. Where would you suggest going though? I can't say I've been here long enough to know the prime drinking spots, and you seem to have an eye for that." He didn't want Hawke to have to keep up this heartfelt atmosphere for too much longer, evidently having such a deep conversation upon a first meeting would be quite taxing. So having a drink together seemed like the perfect alternative. Maybe... just maybe now he'd feel a little more at peace with himself.

Even if it was just for the time being.

Seeing the other man smile, hearing him laugh, put Hawke at ease. Somehow, he knew it would be all right, even if no one else remembered him or believed he was the actual Champion of Kirkwall, he could handle all that. It wasn’t something he got to hear often even back in Kirkwall, there was rarely anything to laugh about in the Free Marches. It was, apparently, a very special laugh in that way.

"Don’t sound so intrigued about the idea of me as a woman, you might accidentally start drooling," Hawke replied in a snide grumble, feigning annoyance. Maybe there was a tiny bit of actual annoyance. The thought that he might never be good enough, that there is someone exactly like him but better, nagging at the back of his mind.

"Let’s just… hypothetically say you aren’t the Anders I know… knew. You’re so similar to him, I’m not sure I know the difference. And if I remind you of the Hawke you knew," he speaks softly, uncharacteristically serious in his tone. "Does it even matter, at this point, since we seem to be stuck here, if we’re a little different from the person the other knew? At the core we’re still the same, right? So… " this much honest emotional talking was awkward and unlike Hawke. He knew that. But it was also important that he felt as though he had some sort of lifeline to his old world and his identity.

"We should drink, don’t you think?" It wasn’t the heartfelt sentiment he knew he was trying to convey, but it was too soon - too awkward feeling to try and get sentimental so soon after they reconnected in this place. At least he could wait until he got some ale in him where there would at least be a good excuse for it.

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

What do you think of my characterisation?

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

☭

Battle Theme: Fatalize (Remix)~ Tales of Symphonia OST

Battle intro: "I will fight if there’s no other choice."

Victory: "That’s another win for this mage." 

Defeat: "No…! This will not halt my cause!"

Assist: "Looks like you could do with some healing."

Taunt: "The only effective horror in this battle is the state of your spells!"

Reacting to Taunt: "Please, don’t put me through this any more."

Tie: "At least this wasn’t the worst outcome."

Perfect Victory: "Vengeance is mine."

[catsandfeatherpauldrons-blog]

{{Okay on a serious note amid all these memes, I get the horrible feeling that I might have missed someone's reply to Anders where I've been catching up on things? 

I know I owe sassmasterhawke, former-soldier-cloud and unheiring a reply right now, and I'm working on those! If I'm being silly and I've overlooked something I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know. Otherwise I'm working my way through these responses!}}