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[sorceressofsass]

atonings‌

—✕ █ ▌He can’t say that he’s a STRANGER to being approached out of the ether. Loghain being Loghain is well accustomed to the city, the island, the other citizens wandering about. He’s a talent for picking out the new arrivals at just a glance. Oftentimes, it’s others who do the noticing, for Loghain was quite simply hoping to stroll amongst the trees and perhaps hone his skills with the sword. Thoughts of training leave his head upon hearing familiar words from an UNFAMILIAR voice — —

There are many things that he recognised, and just as many that he didn’t. The mabari and the style of armour were familiar, if … off, as if he’s looking at her through a smoky MIRROR. Everything else, however, is completely and utterly different.

A first for everything, as the saying goes, and evidently, meeting a stranger who is happy to meet HIM is one such thing. Certainly, he just met Sera in the city, but theirs is a misunderstanding he’s not certain he’ll RECOVER from any time soon.

❝Hawke?❞ He questions, wagering an educated guess. She’s lighter in form than the Hawke he remembers, brighter in the eye, hair styled differently, but the armour’s mostly the same, and that’s what gives him pause, what raises a dark eyebrow.

This isn’t new, but her joy is.

❝How … long have you BEEN here?❞

Shadow knows, but Kaitlyn doesn’t. She’s too caught up in relief to notice the minor details, the confusion, the question hanging on her name. 

“Not long,” she replied. “But I suppose this means I’m not really dead if you’re here.” Last she had known, anyway, he was not dead. He better not be dead. She couldn’t tell if she should feel disappointed or relieved.

But then, she had to wonder... “How long have you been here?” Surely it couldn’t have been long since she had seen him before being left in the Fade. 

At her feet, Shadow sat watching Loghain silently. That would have been Kaitlyn’s biggest clue of Loghain’s true identity, as the mabari hadn’t jumped on the man yet, but she wasn’t paying attention to that. 

[sorceressofsass]

apologies for the extended absence, a lot of work stuff was draining my energy to be in several places at once

[sorceressofsass]

midvalley-the-hornfreak‌

The distance from the restaurant patio to the small stretch of brick wall wasn’t a big one, just a few quick feet, but it was far enough for him to be surprised to hear the clank, the vibrating roll from the metal can from where he was sitting. He looked over his shoulder to find the lady responsible for the noise. 

Obviously she was new; he could tell by the distressed look on her face, the unconventional way she was dressed. Most of her trappings were conceivable to him-she wore a rustic getup of mostly leather and fur. But then she also had these strange, intricately shaped plates of metal strewn about here and there. It looked as if she had taken scrap from some weathered cars and strapped them to her attire. While he’d seen stranger ensembles from newcomers (and even the old-timers) in the city, it was still noteworthy enough to tip him off as to what her status most likely was.

Also noteworthy was the fact that he found her pretty enough to be willing to put out a little charity this evening. She looked as if she could use some cheering up. He was willing to give it a shot.

After paying the bill that was set out for him a minute ago and leaving a prudent tip, he left his seat and walked casually over to where the woman was brooding. Mindful of the dog at her heels, he approached quietly, then leaned beside her on the wall. 

“Correct me if I’m mistaken, darling, but you aren’t trying to start a fight with that garbage bin there, are you?” he gave her a light smile. “I don’t think he’s necessarily in the mood for one, by the looks of it.” 

Kaitlyn looked up. Garbage bin? Was that what she kicked? “Probably not,” she agreed halfheartedly. “It’d probably win if it came down to a fight, though.” Knees down, she was covered in plated boots, but she was hardly in a state to being fighting anyone, inanimate or otherwise. 

This guy was dressed strange. They weren’t really mage clothes or anything an Orlesian noble might wear, but they looked fancy somehow, if very strange. And he looked much more well-kept than herself, but then that wasn’t hard. “Uhh... Can I help you?” Bold of herself to assume she could help anyone when all she could think about was having a drink.

[sorceressofsass]

@midvalley-the-hornfreak;

She had no money. No money meant no alcohol. No alcohol meant an unhappy Kaitlyn. She paced restlessly down the sidewalk, wondering at her chances of begging for a drop, and simultaneously ashamed of herself for thinking it. As always, Shadow trailed her heels.

The one thing she never thought she would miss was her title. Here, Champion of Kirkwall meant nothing. In Thedas (and how far was Thedas? Was it beyond this city? Or was she in a different plane? Or was she really dead?), her name would at least earn her a round of drinks regardless of how empty her purse was. 

Frustrated, she kicked a metal bin and leaned against the wall. The metal of her armor scraped uncomfortably against its surface. Maker, she just wanted a drink!

[sorceressofsass]

rexerrat‌

@sorceressofsass // s.c.

{ 👑 } SHE’S LOOKING AT THE PUMPKINS AS if they might just jump out at her. An amusing sight, for they are not even terrifying gourds. Happy faces grinning at the party goers as they walk by, mischief laced faces that seem to know much. Merry little things, and so very common as the holiday approaches. He stretches, striding into the fresh air to stand at her shoulders. ❝They’re JUST pumpkins, you know,❞ he grins. ❝A part of the holiday spirit.❞

HE SLIDES UPON THE WALL BETWEEN a pair of pumpkins, lifting one up and putting it on his lap. The woman is garnered a better view; her eyes are hard and tired with age, her armour scoured with nicks and cuts. EITHER someone attempted a murder on her recently, or she happened to arrive in the city a short time ago. Or maybe — — ❝That your normal attire? Or is armour your idea of a good costume?❞

Why were there pumpkins here? Why were they carved? If she stared at them long enough, would they reveal their secrets? Everywhere she looked, more these decorations were appearing. Not only carved pumpkins, but skeletons and graves and sheets hanging from trees, the wind making the fabric billow. It was obviously a kind of celebration, a holiday, but... Maker, she had no idea. The dead theme reminded her of All Soul’s Day but it was nothing like this.

Someone joined her and she turned to watch him. At her feet, Shadow’s eyes followed their owners.

“No, this is just what I wear. Are costumes part of,” she waved her hand vaguely in the air, “whatever this holiday is?”

[sorceressofsass]

scirephysica‌

∃【☝✌💧❄☜☼】─ The stick soared through the air, and Gaster had to stave the small panic that rose in his chest. Peering at the pair from over a grassy crest, his empty shoulder socket moved in the fabric of his coat, a twinge creeping through bone where his arm once was. Was, of course, having been lost on a walk while his mind had been taking a daydream.

“Excuse me there!” He calls out, taking long strides towards the stranger and their dog. They appeared friendly enough, but an approaching skeleton always alarmed humans. Ones missing an arm and shaking with frantic nerves, even more so. “If it is not any trouble, can you please, ah, not throw sticks?”

He points to the flopping fabric at his side where an arm should be. “I have lost my arm, and dogs often find them before I do. They mistake them for sticks their owners have thrown, and well…” He shrugs, hardly elaborating on the obvious. “At least, until my am is found, is it possible t-to leave stick throwing for the time being?”

At the sound of a voice, Hawke started and turned. The sight that greets her isn’t what she expects. For a moment it’s like being back on Sundermount, but this... being? isn’t completely skeletal at second glance. They were tall, however. Very tall. It took a moment for the words to register.

Finally, she pulled herself together enough to respond. “I... I can see how that would be a problem.” Shadow returned to her side with the stick she’d thrown, a quick glancing confirming it really was the stick, and she looked back up.

“Do you...want help finding it,” Hawke found herself offering. “He’s very smart, he wouldn’t chew on your arm, I promise.” Shadow’s intelligent eyes swept toward the tall, gangly, arm-less figure.

[sorceressofsass]

rakeinthelake‌

HONK!

silly dog, you can’t chase the goose, THE GOOSE CHASES YOU!

Shadow would like to say that he faced the goose. That the goose did not compare to darkspawn and the undead and stone golemns. But there was something in the goose’s eyes that was to be feared, something beyond the mortal and immortal alike. 

So Shadow hid behind Hawke.

[sorceressofsass]

The dog sees the goose and it can’t help but stare. Shadow is too well trained to go running after it on his own, but the desire is there in his eyes. Hawke, of course, sees this. Feels it almost as if Shadow is an extension of herself. He practically is.

“No,” she warns him. Do not chase the goose.

[sorceressofsass]

@atonings;

This whole city is incomprehensible beyond measure. The Fade was its own kind of different, with spirits trying to confuse you and twist your thoughts, the landscape strange enough in its own right, but even it made mild sense to her. This place was just giving her a headache. The lights, the sounds, the very strangeness of it all, it made her head reel. Golden ward, where she’d been unceremoniously dropped off and told she lived there, was the most surreal place. So she ventured out, Shadow at her side, to the other areas, if only to have something to do that wasn’t going in circles in her mind.

Upon arriving here, Hawke had made the assumption that she would never see a familiar face ever again in her life (if this was life). So halfway across Cotes Ward, heading toward a giant tree, she came to a dead stop when she saw a very familiar face: Loghain.

There were minor differences to him, things she didn’t quite notice as she hurried toward him in relief. Shadow could smell a difference on him but followed all the same, barking as he did so.

“Loghain! Maker, I never thought I’d see anyone ever again. I—” The sudden relief of seeing anything vaguely familiar almost made her want to cry, but she held it back. “It’s so good to see you.” 

[sorceressofsass]

Even if she wasn’t keen on this place, Shadow still needed his walks and had been pawing restlessly at her for a few hours now. Tired of fiddling with the weird device she’d been given, a change of pace seemed like a good idea. So they left, out into Golden ward, and she tried to not think about how absolutely nothing made sense anymore.

Then again, when had her life ever made sense? This was just another day in her life.

The pair walked through the ward, the concept of a leash never even crossing her mind as Shadow had always been a well-behaved dog who was smarter than most people. He trotted ahead of her, stopping to sniff the new and different scents, and Hawke was happy enough to follow along. Who was walking who it seemed.

Likely sensing her unease, Shadow led them toward a quieter area with less foot traffic and more greenery. When he brought her a stick, she couldn’t help but oblige in throwing it for him. At least some things never changed.

[sorceressofsass]

Kaitlyn Marian Hawke  Dragon Age

a disaster in progress at 35

do you like puns? do you like dogs? do you, too, have a deep sense of personal failure and hating yourself? 

the humor and sass is to cover up the lack of feelings

when she’s not destroying her life, she drinks — wait that’s destroying it

what are hobbies outside of fighting and surviving ?

don’t be mean to her dog

her dog has more sense than her so he’s necessary to her not doing stupid shit

is from a world where the things resembling current tech are all magic-based

really doesn’t know where to go from here if we’re being honest, because the last thing she was prepared to do in her world was die and someone fucked that up and it wasn’t her for once (she thinks)

[sorceressofsass]

The Fade was Hawke’s last memory. Magic hanging thick in the air, a green haze coating the landscape, the taste of blood on her tongue. The demon spider laid dead, or at least without the use of its limbs, and if the amount of blood she was losing was any indication, she would soon join it. Which had really been the point of this whole endeavor. Stay behind in the Fade, where there was no easy escape without someone who could tear through the Veil, use her powers to save someone for once rather than bring destruction, and then die. It was a pretty simple plan so she was surprised to find that she hadn’t fucked it up yet.

Her father, her mother, Bethany: she would see them all soon. Carver would be alone, but had he ever wanted her around? He had made it quite clear she was overbearing, and he was coming into his own as Grey Warden. The world only needed one Hawke.

It was only too bad that Shadow, true to his name, had refused to leave her side. She wanted better for him than an end in the Fade. He deserved treats and belly rubs and a warm spot to nap. She supposed this was just another black mark against her name.

When the darkness claimed her, it was a sweet relief. 

But where here she expected her consciousness to end, it instead continued. Words filtered through her mind — Isola Radiale — a sense of peace and comfort clinging to them. It almost felt like a spell, the pull strong that was lulled into a sense of security. 

The realization that she could think was disconcerting, as she would not have expected the dead to be able to do that, and if they could then death wasn’t going to be all that she hoped for.

Slowly, more senses dawned on her. Strange, harsh sounds rumbling in the distance, a thick scent pressing against her nostrils, and then suddenly hot breath fanning across her face. She knew that breath anywhere.

Her eyes opened (the second thing dead people shouldn’t be able to do) to Shadow first, who licked her — Are you alright? Get up — and then focused on the giant, seemingly bottomless hole she was laid precariously next to and that Shadow seemed intent on saving her from. For a woman both literally and emotionally on the edge of death, she wasn’t that concerned, but picked herself up and stepped away if only to calm Shadow’s insistent tugging. 

There were many things to take stock of. Her surroundings for one, which were foreign. This didn’t seem like it’d be the Maker’s side, but she hadn’t expected to end up there. Which meant this could be the Void, where sinners were sent to wander, lost forever, but it wasn’t really what she pictured for the Void either. And if it was the Void, then why was Shadow here? All dogs went to the Maker’s Side.

In the end, it didn’t matter. They were both here. Her bow was gone, a lamentable loss considering its importance to her, but she still wore her Champion’s armor, blood crusted as it was. Material items didn’t make sense to have in death, she supposed, but it was sad to think of some Fade spirit gnawing on her custom made bow.

More pressing than that were the strange metal beasts that rumbled along in the area. None had attacked, and she could even see others in the area willingly getting inside them. They reminded her of metal carriages, now that she took a closer look, ones without horses. So how did they move?

One pulled up beside her and she turned with a wary eye toward it. Its side door opened. 

“The city of Spirale welcomes you.” The man inside said with a smile, then flickered, but just for a moment. Like her eyes were playing tricks on her. “Let me take you to your accommodations.“ 

There seemed to be little choice. Shadow wasn’t barking at him, so she would have to trust her dog’s judgement. She stepped inside and Shadow followed.

Once inside, she realized it really was more a carriage than a beast, and in the space next to her was a small device and a pamphlet. She picked up both, assuming after a questioning glance at the man that they were for her. Kaitlyn watched, fascinated, as he directed the metal carriage with little more than the turn of the wheel.

Finally, with Shadow half in her lap, she read the pamphlet. She could read the words, but not all of them were understandable. But there was one sentence that chilled her.

Welcome to reality.

[sorceressofsass]

isola! like this and kait & I will come invade your IM to plot

[sorceressofsass]

sterrenlied replied to your post: Hello Isola! I go by Lailah & she/they pronouns...

You forgot to bring up the fact that you’re a giant nerd

oh, yes, you’re right! 

I’M A GIANT NERD FOR YOU!!

[sorceressofsass]

Hello Isola! I go by Lailah & she/they pronouns are perfectly fine with me. I’m in the PST timezone & I’m 29. I’ve been writing Kaitlyn here for almost five of those years. I very much adore her and the dragon age series in general. 

I work during the weekdays so I’m not as available but I absolutely adore chatting on discord and will not mind sharing it with anyone. Please feel free to ask me as I don’t like to leave my discord handle just hanging out in the open. I also have an indie blog if my plethora of muses interests you. Otherwise, I’m very excited to be writing with Kaitlyn here at Isola!

[sorceressofsass]

This is one of the most Kaitlyn songs I’ve ever come across on so many levels

[sorceressofsass]

@higheverbled​;

“When I asked my brother to get me in contact with a fellow Warden, I didn’t think he would get the Hero of Ferelden.” Go little brother. Maybe she hadn’t completely burned the bridge between them, or maybe he was trying to show off. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot to offer you after such a long trip. Unless you’re recharged by petting dogs.” She gestured toward her mabari, who barked and wagged his tail. He may notice she smelled faintly of dog, but living on the road offered little choice but bunking with her mabari.