minwrathus

[minwrathus]

hi 🤓 (say it back)

[minwrathus]

while he enjoys giving and receiving in penetrative s.ex, there's something special about the intimacy one can have with a partner without needing penetration. exploring each other's bodies using hands and mouths, paying attention to the smallest changes, a hitch in their breathing, a shiver under their skin. an exercise in being laid bare together, raw, and without pretence.

[minwrathus]

i'll make a better post once i've ironed out the details, but for now, i want to put out a brief outline for nik as a companion npc.

he's still a shadow dragon agent, although instead of succeeding in taking down the slaver ring in nessus, he botches it and is captured by the venatori. he remains a captive for months, tortured for information, until he's freed by rook, who'd been following a lead from the shadow dragons.

it's important to note that as nik hadn't travelled with varric, and his experiences at the mercy of the venatori, he's much more unpredictable, vengeful, and resentful of the shadows for not rescuing him sooner. these feelings shape how nik sees the shadow dragons and his city going forward. he's still available to help rook, but perhaps he's more focused on smaller scale missions within minrathous, in particular, hunting down venatori or chasing leads on missing people. regardless, during the endgame, he supports the veilguard and fights on the front line.

[minwrathus]

nikolaos mercar, rook.

[minwrathus]

handwriting style.

choose a font from here which closest resembles your character's handwriting, and write their name.

tagged by: stole from the lovely @ymirgel >:)

tagged: @satellitewar @saavedrook @ahrebours @mournmento @chanticle @drekr @2vinters @d3mon1o @spihte @alveyiat @gal1us @thiedas @lastburden + you!

[minwrathus]

both of his parents survive the dragon attack. afterwards, hadriana flees the city for ventus where she stays with family, while legatus mercar is called up to the imperial army. he's posted to the lower wards with his unit to quell dissent and maintain the status quo for the new venatori leadership.

[minwrathus]

fat clouds weep like andraste's tears cast down from the heavens,   soaking deep into the cracks of docktown's cold,   grey streets.   weaving through the last dregs of stragglers and unfortunates,   head bent low under the weight of his hood, nikolaos ducks into the shelter of the pawn shop.   above, the sky rumbles, unabetting.

he'd been on the coattails of an aspiring slaver with ties to the magesterium for weeks. the plan to apprehend them had been without faults, up until the moment they had slipped through his fingers like smoke. unwilling to return to the viper's nest empty-handed, nikolaos had made for his apartment across town until he'd been caught in the downpour.

the candles on lorelai's counter had been blown out some time ago,   the streaks of wax already hardened on the sticks.   he's careful not to disturb the display items arranged on either side of the walkway as he moves deeper into the shop. when he reaches the false wall, he fingers the pressure point under the tapestry and slips into the den.

it was quieter at this hour; several shadows had been called out to assist the viper uptown. nikolaos had caught wind of the chatter earlier. as he shrugs out of his cloak and overcoat and hangs them up to dry,   he overhears voices from the kitchen, although they're muffled behind the thick brick. nikolaos climbs the stairs to the upper chambers,   searching out a dark corner where he won't be disturbed until the sun rises over the spires in the morning. as he walks down the hallway, his eye catches on a door left ajar. warm light streams out, inticing him closer; a crooked finger in the dark. through the gap in the door he sees the magister curled over the desk,   his handsome profile illuminated by conjured flame.   he watches the man work,   quill hand flourishing across the papers with expected poise and flair.

when nikolaos speaks,   magister pavus answers,   wit-sharp as ever,   with a read on him that would have offended had it come from anyone else.   the man's silver tongue had a talent for sweetening the sourest words.   nikolaos' eyes flicker to the half-drunk wine bottle stood precariously on the edge of the desk. the tattered label reads a common malt;   any one of the bottles collecting dust and cobwebs down in his family's cellar would have it beat in flavour,   origin, and cost. the shadows cannot afford to pick and choose.

“   i think i'll spare myself the horror of my reflection tonight,   magister pavus,   ” he replies dryly,   scratching across the days-old stubble grown along his cut of his jaw,   a reminder of the wasted hours.   nikolaos finds now he's lost his appetite for sleep, or fears his sleep would slip away from him as well. instead, he leans against the doorframe and uses the tip of his boot to push the door open a little more. “   is there anything i can help you with?   ”

the  magister  ,  despite  the  current  hubbub  ,  was  currently  nose  deep  in  paperwork  given  by  the  viper  to  the  one  man  who  seemed  to  keep  his  cool  .  proverbial  ;  as  the  mage  was  laying  waste  to  many  of  small  bureaucratic  errors  in  these  contracts  ,  writs  and  papers  .  such  was  the  burden  as  being  the  only  acting  magister  who  was  not  too  afraid  of  scrutiny  to  present  himself  to  the  den  of  shadows  .

                             𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐋'𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒                        @minwrathus : " i'm surprised you're still here. "

(  only  acknowledging  the  man  through  voice  ,  the  mage  continued  to  change  wordings  here  and  there  .  )      ❝  as  am  i  -----  the  wine  is  foul  .  ❞      (  but  the  work  ;  rewarding  when  its  not  tedious  scrawling  .  )      ❝  i  could  point  to  the  kettle  and  call  it  a  hypocrite  ;  maybe  you  should  look  to  a  mirror  ;  give  it  a  nice  tortured  smile  .  ❞

(  he  lifted  from  his  inky  martyrdom  ;  the  pot  stared  into  the  soul  of  the  kettle  .  )      ❝  its  better  to  help  in  person  ;  you  agree  enough  to  be  here  in  this  moment  to  judge  ;  some  things  can  only  be  done  by  those  who  are  least  expected  to  gets  their  hands  dirty  .  ❞

[minwrathus]

What’s the first thing people notice when Rook enters a room? @2vinters

character development questions: always accepting.

his vitiligo is distinctive, and while he does use head coverings depending on the situation and degree of anonymity he needs, most of the time, it's visible and generally the first thing that people notice when they meet him.

the majority of depigmentation is concentrated on his face; on and around his nose, his left eye and temple, and the palms and backs of his hands. the contrast between the vitiligo and his unaffected skin is more noticeable in the hotter months when his skin has tanned and his vitiligo has turned pink under the sun. it flares up during cold temperatures and periods of high stress, which causes the depigmentation to spread.

his vitiligo also triggered the development of poliosis, a condition causing white lashes on his left eye and several premature white hairs clustered in his left brow.

nik uses creams and magic-assisted light therapy to reduce the appearance of the depigmentation. however, as vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, there is no cure.

although this is difficult for him to admit, he is ashamed that his skin is seen as his defining feature by others. growing up, it was another weakness of character that could be weaponised against him by those who could not accept nik as the mercar heir. he'd say he got used to the stares, the subtle remarks and insinuations that he was unclean or marked as punishment by some higher power, but it still affects him as an adult.

[minwrathus]

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty, dir. Jonas Mekas, 2000.

[minwrathus]

nik has his own apartment in the midtown district of minrathous. it's quite basic, with most of the furnishings secondhand from the previous owner. there's nothing particularly grand about it, but he prefers this space to his room in the lighthouse. i haven't yet decided if his apartment is destroyed during the dragon attack, or later when the entire city is blighted by the gods. perhaps the building is damaged, but the structural integrity is sound enough for nik to return briefly to retrieve some personal effects.

[minwrathus]

although varric refers to nik fondly as rook or kid, he didn't actually coin the nickname this time. in fact, rook was an alias given to him by the shadow dragons, in reference to the vitiligo concentrated around his nose and mouth resembling a rook's beak. only those he's worked closely with in the shadows know his real name. anonymity is important.

[minwrathus]

just a heads-up for my rook mutuals, i have no problem writing nikolaos as a companion or shadow dragon npc if you're interested in interacting and that suits you, or vice versa.

[minwrathus]

𝐓𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬.

PART TWO. A collection of dialogue from Tevinter Nights: Hunger, Murder by Death Mages, The Streets of Minrathous, The Wigmaker Job, and Genitivi Dies in the End. To be used as sentence starters… or whatever. As per usual, feel free to change pronouns or whatever you see fit. Mentions of death & violence.

“ We’re outnumbered. And surrounded. ”

“ That’s bad, no? ”

“ Have you ever heard of a warning? ”

“ Does it hurt? ”

“ That’s our whole plan. It’s not very good, is it? ”

“ Wardens don’t save everyone. ”

“ I don’t want you to die. ”

“ I should have died. ”

“ That doesn’t sound simple to me. ”

“ Still silent as the grave. That hasn’t changed. ”

“ I speak when it’s necessary. ”

“ I have no interest in trading petty barbs with you. ”

“ Would you like to come to a party? ”

“ I told you, I don’t like parties, and I’m not here for fun. ”

“ At least try to look like you belong here. ”

“ Forgive me if I cannot manage to harbor any kindness for him. ”

“ Are you all right, mage? ”

“ You don’t think I’ll help? ”

“ It’s not against the law to be a cultist. ”

“ It’s very polite, but you don’t need to walk me out every time. ”

“ Someone’s put a contract on your head. ”

“ You’re not wearing that, are you? ”

“ I wouldn’t complain, if you filled me in. ”

“ Oh, good. More stairs. ”

“ You’re not the least bit curious? ”

“ To be fair, you never told me the plan. ”

“ Never known you to have a soft heart. ”

“ That cavalier attitude’s going to get you killed. ”

“ He doesn’t deserve a quick death. ”

“ I thought the plan was to have a few laughs, slit some throats— ”

“ Is this your handiwork? ”

“ You upset my delicate sensibilities. ”

“ Morality is not static. Right and wrong are a matter of perspective. ”

“ You don’t get to do that—you don’t get to quit. ”

“ Andraste’s holy cabbage, you look like shit. ”

“ I did my good deed for the year. ”

“ Well, that does free me from promises I didn’t intend to keep. ”

“ Do you need a healer? ”

“ Old man, will you let me work? ”

“ You’re asking me to go where? ”

“ There’s nothing for miles. ”

“ I didn’t find it as impressive as you did. ”

“ If I were forced to choose between eating that rat over there and being considerate of _____’s feelings, I would eat the rat. ”

“ Here’s what I know about being a Grey Warden: You fight the worst monsters in Thedas, most people don’t notice, and then you do it again. ”

[minwrathus]

THE WIGMAKER JOB sentences from the short story by courtney woods change pronouns as needed!

i'll return soon.

you need to cancel the event.

someone's put a contract on your head.

the crows are coming.

the dragon does not fear the crow.

the show will go on.

you're not wearing that, are you?

at least i don't look like a tourist.

you look like you're attending a funeral.

it's a job. not a party.

any excuse to primp.

your time will come.

you've always been her favorite.

my talents lie elsewhere.

you're the one with the silver tongue.

sit down. enjoy a little hospitality.

i won't talk, even if you torture me.

i'm too busy to torture you.

you're not a true believe - except when it comes to coin.

i always assume the mark knows i'm coming.

it was a rush order.

we were at the tailor for hours.

i know how much you enjoy dressing up.

you're not the least bit curious?

i gave you a dossier.

to be fair, you never told me the plan.

this job is looking better all the time.

your wish is my command.

guess i'll have to buy you another

do you still recite that old nursery rhyme?

what can i say? it's catchy.

your tunic's rumpled.

you bring a mop?

i'll grow a beard.

they'll never see me coming.

that cavalier attitude's going to get you killed.

that's not the job.

fuck the job.

have you lost your mind?

he doesn't deserve a quick death.

i want him scared.

he'll die. but in the right way.

we can't help these people.

we can give them vengeance.

i thought the plan was to have a few laughs, slit some throats!

it's about to become very dangerous.

nothing a little soap can't fix.

is this your handiwork?

right and wrong are a matter of perspective.

you have your vengeance.

i know trouble when i see it.

you look like shit.

get that man to stop yelling at me.

some say a bribe spoils the vintage, but i think it tastes all the sweeter.

that does free me from promises i didn't intend to keep.

what do you want me to say?

death is my calling.

it's impossible to refuse her.

how many dead?

never underestimate the power of observation.

[minwrathus]

The ceasefire agreement was reached and joy is floating among the Palestinian people

[minwrathus]

the dispossessed, ursula k. le guin // how albert camus faced history, adam gopnik // angela davis, graphic by do.like.that on instagram // paul goodman

[minwrathus]

while i mentioned that nik's relationship with his father is almost non-existent after he joins the shadow dragons, he still benefits from his name. it carries weight, whispered into the ear of a templar or city guardsman willing to look the other way at nik's unlawful activities. legatus mercar allows this to maintain the family's image, however, and this is not a measure of his affection for his son.