#Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts

[theluckywizard]

In the Shattering of Things, Ch. 71: Carnage

Summary: Rose's investigation at the Winter Palace leads her to the servant's quarters and grand apartments where she uncovers a rather full scale Venatori incursion. Fic Summary: Lady Rose Trevelyan's idle, aristocratic life blinks out in a haze of irrelevance when the breach destroys the Conclave. She may be soft and coddled when she joins the Inquisition, but there's a fierceness inside her she's yet to fully recognize. Armed with only a few relevant skills and the mark that makes her a legend, she is thrust onto a path delivering hope where it’s long been scorched away and finds comfort in the grumpy, handsome stick in the mud charged with her protection and training. As she stumbles her way across southern Thedas, she begins to realize she's tangled at the center of machinations she barely understands, and she's not alone in that. Enter Hawke. Excerpt below the cut 👇

Vivienne squares me to her, fussing with my hair, repinning the disheveled strands that have broken free. I’m damp around the edges of my face and my upper lip, a sheen of sweat reflecting the light no doubt. I draw my skirt around me and fasten it under the edges of my bodice. Dorian and Blackwall guard the back entry while we pull ourselves together for the ball once again.

“Leave it to Briala to make such a brazen offer,” Vivienne spits, dabbing a perfume of vanilla and ambrette on one side of my neck.

“Well it’s not as though she offered nothing,” I counter. “We could use elven spies.” And whatever that weapon is.

“Don’t trust a word that crosses that woman’s lips,” she continues. “If instability is what Corypheus seeks then Briala and her elven revolution would certainly fit the bill.”

“Perhaps you resent her because she’s a little bit right,” I remark, with a careful look up at her. “Elves have been denied rights and representation just as often as mages.”

Vivienne’s dark eyes challenge mine, formidable in their intensity, but I don’t back down either. I know I’m right.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” I whisper. “We have leverage. What if I showed them both the locket— What if I could soften their positions toward one another? Wouldn’t they be stronger united?”

Vivienne sidesteps my point with a shake of her head, dabbing the edges of my face with a handkerchief. “This will not do. Not when you haven’t been seen inside for a spell.” She manifests a palm full of ice and blows across it at my face, cooling me. She stands back to inspect me, smoothing a wrinkle in my gown and then begins tying my mask back on. With no further discussion, she opens the door and shoves me out alongside her. The others remain to pack up and stow our gear discreetly.

I fold my hands behind my back and find an elegant, leisurely pace like I’ve just come out of the guest garden and stroll toward back toward the ballroom.

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DAFF Tag List: @warpedlegacy | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren | @breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @plisuu | @ir0n-angel | @inquisimer | @crackinglamb | @nirikeehan | @oxygenforthewicked | @about2dance | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @melisusthewee | @blarrghe | @agentkatie | @delicatefade | @leggywillow

[dreamthiefx]

If wicked eyes and wicked hearts was a mission in bg3 I’d take wyll, astarion, and gale. Maybe even shadowheart.

[hexxalite-hecate]

playing WEWH again

[cairaleighexe]

🗡️ who in the court can be trusted? 👁️

[dalekinapaintedparadise]

JOHN WICK (2014) dir. Chad Stahelski

[wikitpowers]

he is the moment 😩

artists: @cassandrajean, @parcai and @aliceduke

[thecrownedmage]

THE GRAND MASQUERADE

[nucuk]

Halamshiral ball extra scene 🕺💃🧝🤵🪩

--------------------

Cullen Rutherford & Dalish | Dragon Age Inquisition

[gelphiegifs]

"Come with me!"

[dragonageconfessions]

CONFESSION:

I really, really hate the Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts quest. I hate how much of the lore and set up for it is in a novel, with pretty much no infodump before hand, even though you have Leliana and Josephine who are both well versed and immersed in Orlesian politics. I hate the court approval mechanic, and how it forces you to play a certain kind of character, if you don’t want to lose all your approval and get a non-standard game over. I hate Leliana criticising ‘so many fashion disasters’ pretty much every character has the same body type and outfit, barring the plot relevant characters. I hate how you have to keep returning to the ballroom, and get penalised for lateness, even though it’s never explained why you need to keep returning to the ballroom, it’s just there to further the plot and never even gets handwaved. I hate that you can’t pull Cullen away from his ‘admirers’, when he’s obviously seriously uncomfortable. Least favourite quest in any DA game, by far. Would rather replay the Circle Fade quest from Origins again than WE&WH.

[theluckywizard]

In the Shattering of Things, Ch. 70: Chasing Shadows

Summary: Rose continues to uncover the chaos behind the scenes at the Winter Palace and alerts her advisors to her discoveries.

Fic Summary: Lady Rose Trevelyan's idle, aristocratic life blinks out in a haze of irrelevance when the breach destroys the Conclave. She may be soft and coddled when she joins the Inquisition, but there's a fierceness inside her she's yet to fully recognize. Armed with only a few relevant skills and the mark that makes her a legend, she is thrust onto a path delivering hope where it’s long been scorched away and finds comfort in the grumpy, handsome stick in the mud charged with her protection and training. As she stumbles her way across southern Thedas, she begins to realize she's tangled at the center of machinations she barely understands, and she's not alone in that. Enter Hawke.

Excerpt below the cut 👇

“We found more evidence of foul play— a lot more. Which may or may not be related to the Tevinters.”

“Then perhaps we should warn the empress now,” he says, leaning to peer through the door back into the ballroom.

“Aside from Josephine skinning us alive for being too obvious, Celene’s advisor Morrigan said she’d be by her side,” I explain.

“Did her advisor even make it that far?” he asks.

“I’m not sure.”

“We should check,” he insists and moves to stride back inside. 

I catch Cullen by his hand before he draws too much attention looking eagle eyed and overly alert at someone else’s party.

“Not like that,” I scold him. “Here— give me your arm. We have to act casual.”

“Andraste have mercy,” he mutters, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. “What does that even mean?” 

Apparently he used up all his patience for playing it cool earlier. He holds out his elbow stiffly. I tuck my hand into it.

“Smile,” I instruct. I pretend to delight in my surroundings before glancing at him. “Act like you’re having a good time.”

Cullen stares at me blankly, addled by how far outside his skill my directive falls.

“Well— just, try not to look so antsy,” I say. “Talk to me.”

“About what?”

“Explain to me— the finer points of our latest siege capabilities.”

Cullen’s gold embroidered epaulets fall an inch. “The ballistas or the mangonels?”

I grumble softly, waffling my head around in frustration. “Take your pick.”

We move back into the ballroom and Cullen begins explaining the rationale behind our array of mangonels and the benefits of single projectiles versus scattershot. I nod and smile, and snatch us two glasses of punch from a passing tray, offering one to Cullen.

“I’m not drinking tonight,” he argues, baffled once again.

My eyes do a somersault. “It’s for show. Just— pretend to take a sip.”

Apparently incapable of pretending to drink, Cullen dribbles a splotch of punch on his uniform. He curses under his breath and I stifle an unruly laugh.

“At least it’s red,” I note in a whisper. “I see part of Celene’s dress around that corner. Keep going. Mangonels.”

Cullen continues, discussing a few options for setting payloads ablaze and which are the most cost effective. Celene comes fully into view, clearly in discussion with someone I can’t yet see.

“She’s talking to someone— don’t look.”

“I’m not,” he protests. Cullen cranes his head and looks.

I poke him sharply. “Tell me about the tar.”

He scowls at me momentarily before continuing. “The tar pits of Edgehall are rather close, fortunately. Geologists believe—”

Morrigan’s raven black and wine-colored form appears from around the corner as she emerges to sweep her eyes over the room. A young heavily armored man stands vigilant beyond Celene. Morrigan nods to me subtly.

“She’s there. Along with Celene’s champion I believe,” I remark, allowing the breath I’d been partially holding to leave me fully.

Read the rest here

Start the fic here!

DAFF Tag List:

@warpedlegacy | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren | @breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @ir0n-angel | @inquisimer | @crackinglamb | @nirikeehan | @oxygenforthewicked | @about2dance | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @melisusthewee | @blarrghe | @agentkatie | @delicatefade | @leggywillow

[theophagie]

Five stages of grief speedrun

[julescarstairs]

Given that all the stories are true in the TSC universe, it implies that Cupid exists somewhere??? And honestly my take on Cupid in this universe is that he is most definitely NOT an Angel or a god, but a Faerie who uses his bow to trick people into falling in love with each other. He’s probably incapable of falling in love himself?? But has a certain charm about him that magically compels anyone who gets too close to him to fall in love with him??

All I’m saying is the guy is an absolute menace. An absolutely stunning yet menacing slice of faerie nobility

[crunchbuttsteak]

This outfit was ugly in Dragon Age: Inquisition and it’s ugly here.

[cairaleighexe]

a dalish elf and an antivan walk into an assassination attempt on the empress

[archivistprotocol]

this is an alice dyer appreciation blog. my girl might be suspicious sometimes, but goddamn, what a woman.