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monstersdownthepath · 5 years

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Spiritual Spotlight: Cayden Cailean, the Drunken Hero

Chaotic Good God of Ale, Freedom, and Wine

Domains: Chaos, Charm, Good, Strength, Travel Subdomains: Azata, Competition, Exploration, Ferocity, Love, Lust, Resolve

Inner Sea Gods, pg. 36~43

Obedience: Sing a song in praise of freedom, bravery, and your god’s glory (and good looks). The song must be audible to those nearby—friend or foe. Between stanzas, you must pause to drink from a full mug of ale, wine, or other spirits. When the song is done, drink the remaining alcohol while mentally composing the song you will sing on the morrow. If a creature is attracted by your song, do your best to engage it in conversation about the merits of Cayden Cailean. If hostilities become inevitable, leap boldly into the fight without hesitation. Benefit: Get a +4 sacred bonus to saving throws versus poison effects.

Discussing one of Pathfinder’s more well-known Good Guys has been a long time coming! I just had to get all of the Evil gods out of my system first (which is a lie, there’s still 80+ more pages of Evil to discuss), and what better way to wash them all out than with a pint?

The Drunken Hero’s Obedience prevents you from being subtle about who you’re working for. It MUST be audible to anyone nearby, even party members you want to keep it a secret from, and it MUST be about Cayden Cailean. There’s also the fact you have to start your day with a hearty drink (the mug must be full, and you must finish it), which could prove disadvantageous if you have anywhere to be early in the morning. Alternately, you could drink just before going to bed; I make most of the Obediences sound like they’re something to be done right as the day starts, but that’s only true for casters, who are basically encouraged to do their Obediences at the crack of dawn as they prepare their spells (Obediences can be done alongside preparations, no matter how wild they are).

A martial character can have a nice tall nightcap and sing everyone to sleep--the song has to be audible, not ‘ear-cracking’--and enjoy their benefit and Boons for 24 hours, waking up with a mild hangover (easily cured) rather than going about the first few hours of their day like a drunken fool. If you ARE a caster, however, I hope you didn’t dump Constitution, because you’ll need it! Especially if a baddie does overhear your singing and come investigating, because Cayden requires you to leap into the fray no matter what.

Benefit is nothing we haven’t seen before. Ironically, since alcohol itself is considered a poison for the purpose of game mechanics, this benefit actually helps keep you from getting too sloshed. I just hope you remember not to drink your strongest stuff in your first mug, because the bonus won’t apply then!

Boons are gathered slowly, typically obtained when a given character has 12, 16, and 20 hit dice. Unlike fiend-worshipers, servants of the Eldest, and devoted of the Empyreal Lords, characters worshiping Good gods do not seem to have catch-all classes (though I could very well have just missed it)… but Good-aligned characters can enter the Evangelist, Sentinel, and Exalted Prestige Classes earlier than Evil characters, classing in as early as level 6 (they need +5 BAB, 5 ranks in a single skill, or the ability to cast lvl 3 spells); entered ASAP, one can gain the Boons at levels 8, 11, and 14.

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EVANGELIST

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Boon 1: Liberation. Liberating Command 3/day, Knock 2/day, or Dispel Magic 1/day.

You all should know by now how useful Dispel Magic can be, even at 1/day. It shatters more or less any magical effect that doesn’t require another specific spell to undo, and can shave buffs off enemies and debuffs off allies in the middle of combat.

So lets look at the other two! Knock, in particular, seems pretty fun. It can open just about any locked object you can think of and can even go so far as to loosen welds, knock nail-studded boards away, and undo bars and chains holding something shut. You use your caster level +10 versus the DC of a locked object, and since your caster level is equal to your HD for spell-like abilities, you can only fail on a 1 when opening simple locks and have a pretty good chance of unhinging more complex locks as well. It takes SERIOUS effort to keep someone with Knock out of a particular door, because most means of shutting someone out count as ‘simple locks’ unless you invest hundreds of gold into it.

Liberating Command is a pretty nice spell, really. You can target any creature in Close range (25ft + 5ft/lvl) to grant them an immediate attempt to escape a grapple, binding, or restraint with an Escape Artist check... Which get get a bonus to equal to twice your caster level (+18, when you first get this Boon, but it only goes up to +20). One thing I missed on my first pass over it was that it was an immediate action, allowing you to use it in response to someone near you getting grappled, or if you yourself get snared.

Liberating Command is a pretty terrible spell to prepare, but it’s an amazing spell-like to just have at 3/day. The number of critters with Grab in the game is worrying, and many scrawnier players more or less become dead weight the moment they’re grappled, so giving them an instant chance to escape with an enormous boost to their attempt can let them wiggle right out of the grip of a troll/octopus/worm monster.

Boon 2: Drinking Buddy. 1/day as a standard action, you can create an illusory duplicate of yourself in an adjacent square next to you. The duplicate moves on your initiative count and has your movement speed. It automatically moves to try and flank enemies you designate, avoiding Attacks of Opportunity using your Acrobatics bonus if needed. Anyone interacting with the double can attempt a Will save (DC 25) to see through it, and anyone who realizes it’s an illusion cannot be flanked with it. It has your AC, but vanishes instantly if it successfully struck. Otherwise, it lasts 1 round per HD you possess.

Ugh. Cayden, what are you doing? What is this? This is just awful!! I mean, if you’re a class with Sneak Attack or someone who’s built to flank others, this is passable, but at 1/day? Instantly vanishing if damaged? Granting a flat Will save to disbelieve (it does not rise as you level)?

I suppose it makes for a decent distraction, if nothing else. Boosting your own AC before sending in the clones works fairly well, possibly drawing numerous enemy attacks in, and the ability does note that the double only vanishes if hit with an attack, meaning AoE won’t clear it out, and many spells which don’t rely on an attack roll simply fail as well. That gives this ability a bit more utility than it otherwise would have.

But it’s a standard action to perform, at 1/day, and you can’t even send the double into a room alone, since it only exists to try and flank enemies and the description doesn’t mention if it’s usable for anything else. For characters who don’t want to be flanking enemies, this ability is essentially useless.

Boon 3: Intoxicating Strike. 1/day, you may declare one of your attacks to be an Intoxicating Strike. You must declare this before the attack rolls is made. If the attack is successful and deals damage, the victim becomes supernaturally soused for 1 round per HD you possess; a soused creature takes a -4 penalty to AC, attack rolls, and skill checks, and their movement speeds are all reduced by 10ft.

Honestly, this one is kind of pathetic as well. You all probably know that I don’t like 1/day things negated by a successful save unless they change the course of a battle, and this is one of those things and it sets my teeth on edge. I do, however, admit that the fact you can use it on ranged attacks gives this a bit more reach than it otherwise would. A -4 penalty to attacks and skill checks usually won’t matter at such a high level, though there’s always the cases where they turn a certain blow into a near miss, so I won’t talk down too hard on this. A -4 to AC, however? Now THAT’S something special! Especially since there’s a good chance it’ll last the entirety of the fight!

This intoxication, by the way, is entirely supernatural in its intensity. It affects ALL creatures, even ones that can’t get drunk, such as Constructs, Undead, and most Outsiders. And it’s not technically a Save-or-Suck since there’s no save! All you have to do is get past someone’s AC! Which, eehhhhhh, can be just as iffy as firing it at their saves... Unless you’re using a firearm, of course, which hits touch AC from certain ranges.

All in all, Evangelists of Cayden don’t really win this round.

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EXALTED

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Boon 1: Libations. Gain Bless Water 3/day, Delay Poison 2/day, or Create Food And Water 1/day.

And Exalted is already off to a bad start, too! Yeesh! Holy Water stops being useful roughly around level 3 except as components for beefier Divine spells and certain rituals, and Delay Poison is a niche pick rendered useless by the fact Neutralize Poison exists and is within a level 9 party’s reach.

That being said, because spell-likes don’t require components, you don’t need the ridiculous five pounds of silver to transmute a singular pint of water into Holy Water via Bless Water. Holy Water doesn’t fade from day to day, either, so you can just slowly rack up an entire lakes-worth of the stuff over time to dunk Undead and Evil Outsiders in, or sell it by the bottle to churches or other adventuring parties for a tidy profit.

I would still just take Create Food And Water and never have to worry about rations or using resources to bribe hungry enemies again, though. Hell, at level 9, CFAW creates so much stuff that you could reasonably carry it to the next day and just alternate between CFAW and Bless Water (you can even bless the water you create!!!!) to keep everyone fed and armed. You won’t make much money by selling the excess food, but feeding the hungry without expecting profit is something a goody-good person like you should be doing anyway. Just uh, make sure at least one person on your team knows Prestidigitation, because I can speak from experience that a party will quickly grow tired of CFAW’s bland food.

Boon 2: Freedom’s Ally. 1/day as a standard action, you can call a pair of Bralani Azatas to your side. You have telepathy out to 100ft when communicating with them, and they serve you perfectly for 1 minute per HD you possess. They will not fulfill any orders which would cause them to commit evil acts or restrict the freedom of another purely for the sake of law, and asking them to do so may draw their ire. They may attack if your commands are especially vile.

Oops, nevermind, Exalted is Good, Actually. Bralani Azata are CR 6 creatures from the realm of Elysium armed with +1 scimitars and +1 composite longbows that they get two attacks with each round, and have such interesting spell-likes as Mirror Image, Wind Wall, and Charm Person at will, as well as Lightning Bolt and Cure Serious Wounds 2/day each. Against an army of foes, the Bralani can assume Wind Form to grant themselves an enormous 100ft fly speed and the power to deal 3d6 bludgeoning damage in a 20ft line with their Whirlwind Blast ability.

VERY powerful critters to have on your side, even if you’re twice their level! The defensive options they have via Mirror Image and Wind Wall alone make them tenacious even against enemies of higher CR, and their Wind Form turns them from gorgeous humanoids into nondescript clouds of fog, letting them run stealth missions if needed... Or use their massive movespeed to deliver curative spells to far-off allies.

I’m not sure how far away they’re summoned, since this ability doesn’t use any preexisting Summon Monster spell and doesn’t say where they pop up. I assume they appear adjacent to you, which limits the shenanigans you can pull with them, but not enough that I’d consider it worth worrying about.

Boon 3: Wine to Water. As a full-round action, you may transform a single serving of an alcoholic beverage into either potent Holy Water or a potion of Cure Serious Wounds. The potion option cures 3d8 HP, +1 HP per HD you possess (max +15). The Holy Water you create deals 4d4 damage to the Undead or to Evil Outsiders, and 2d4 to such creatures within 5ft of the initial target. Both the potion and water last for an hour. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (min 1).

Ohoho now this is something special... Provided you have a Charisma modifier of 3 or more, because at 1 or 2 a day? This ability’s kinda pitiful. The maximum healing it can do is 39, which is GOOD, but you’re likely never going to roll maximum healing.

Yes, the emergency healing is nice. You can turn even common 1-copper swill into an emergency healing potion, and “a serving” can be as small as a shot glass (which potions are traditionally served in), but it’s a full-round action to do, which means you can’t actually use this ability and then hand it to an ally in the same round. They’d have to use some actions on their turn to take it and drink it. After-combat healing is usually the way to go unless desperate, pouring a quick shot into an unconscious ally’s throat to get them back on their feet. If you know combat is coming you can make the potions ahead of time since they last an hour, but know that if the potion ‘expires,’ the ability is wasted. The use is limited, but it helps your healer’s spell slots stretch just a bit further.

4d4 damage to an undead or fiendish enemy is also pretty lackluster at level 15, the earliest you can get this ability. The best trick you can pull with it is to trick such a creature into drinking it, burning them inside and out and likely preventing them from speaking from the searing their throat just took. This ability is even more hilarious than typical Holy Water in that regard; you can instantly detect shapeshifting Evil beasts by spritzing them with a bit of the stuff, but that likely won’t work against more cunning monsters. This ability, though? It makes suggesting a drink for your friend MUCH less suspicious than handing them a vial of water. You’re just pouring them a cold one to enjoy!

It’s like you’re testing your party for The Thing, only instead of them exploding into a tentacle monster and killing everyone in the room, it’s a secret mystery test that’ll expose them while also debilitating them! That’s about the only use it has at high levels, aside from being used as material components for spells that actually matter.

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SENTINEL

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Boon 1: Devastating Duelist. Bless Weapon 3/day, Brow Gasher 2/day, or Greater Magic Weapon 1/day.

By level 9, most people in the party should have magic weapons anyway. Not always, but usually you’ve got enough of a mystic arsenal to make Bless Weapon redundant. The fact it overrides magical enchantments already on a weapon also means that it becomes weaker as you level up and gain access to better equipment, putting it firmly in the Niche of this list.

Greater Magic Weapon is almost always the better choice when choosing to buff a weapon, though I will admit that Bless Weapons’ ability to auto-crit against Evil creatures is pretty nice. GMW, however, makes any weapon hit harder and hit more easily. The fact it also lasts for 1 hour/level means it’ll likely last your entire adventuring day.

Brow Gasher is also an interesting choice. It forces you to use a slashing weapon (which you already likely do, if you’re a Sentinel of Cayden) but heavily rewards you for doing so; discharging the spell as part of a successful attack slashes the poor fool across the forehead, bleeding them for half your caster level (4 damage a round, which rises as you level) and potentially blinding them if they can’t get it cured in time. The list of creatures who are immune to resistant to this ability is long, but it’s certainly worth taking anyway on the occasion you find yourself against targets capable of bleeding.

Boon 2: Light Weapon Master. Whenever you battle with a light bladed weapon, if you have the Weapon Training (Light Weapon) ability, you get a +2 deflection bonus to AC. If you do not have Weapon Training, instead you get a +1 sacred bonus to attack rolls with light bladed weapons.

Here I thought Evangelists were hogging all the bad Boons this time, but it turns out Sentinel is the one who got shot in the leg here.

This ability basically reads “unless you’re a Fighter, get a lame benefit.” Don’t get me wrong, on an actual Fighter (or a Swashbuckler, if your DM is nice enough)? This ability is amazing. +2 extra AC for a character already loaded with AC makes them that much better at tanking, and it’s a DEFLECTION bonus to it even applies to touch attacks!

But if you’re not a Fighter, this ability is basically worthless. I know I’m being a little harsh here, but a Boon should be ABOVE the power level of a feat, not on part with a feat you can take as early as level 1 (Weapon Focus). Even Drinking Buddy is better than this.

Boon 3: Critical Luck. Each time you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll, keep a tally, up to a maximum of your Charisma modifier. Whenever you threaten a critical hit with an attack roll, you can ‘trade’ one of your tallies to automatically confirm the critical hit. Your tally empties out every 24 hours.

If you roll enough natural 1s to make this ability useful, you’re likely either dead or dead weight. Seriously, you may need to exorcise your dice if you roll three or more 1s in a single day of combat. I think the first thing that would need to go is the Charisma mod limitation, followed by the fact it empties out every 24 hours. Unless you have a weapon with a high critical range, you might not even get to use this ability at all, let alone in the same combat.

I know a lot of abilities rely on luck, but this is one of the only Boons I’ve seen that specifically relies on YOU, personally, having absolutely terrible luck, followed by absolutely fantastic luck. It’s just... not good. I would go as far as saying that this ability could realistically be a simple feat anyone could take, and not even one locked behind particularly terrible prerequisites.

Exalted of Cayden win this round by a long shot.

You can read more about him here.

#Spiritual Spotlight #Saintly Spotlight #alcoholism//#alcohol #Pathfinder #Dungeons and Dragons

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trivolous · 3 years

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21 'Retail-Ways' to Fail in the Market.

Honestly, as a retail investor & trader I don’t know how to succeed in the share market, yet. However, after 10+ years of trading the market (not in a row) I certainly know how to fail in the market. So I thought to summarize the same in this post. Again, these are strictly my personal views and do not claim to be an account of facts.

1. Fall in love with the Market.

It attracts you. It scares you. Slowly, it casts a spell on you first. And then...you fall for it. The scrolling stock ticker, the green, the red, the bull, the bear beckon to you. Something inside you tells you that you can solve the mystery of the market. So, allow the uncertainty of the market makes you day dream. It's captivating after all. Go ahead, take the plunge and your passion for the market will take care of everything else. Be the true lover of the market. Allow the movements of a Stock or Index to keep you excited, engaged & entertained.

2. Search for Trading & Investment Tips.

'A friend in need is a friend indeed'

Don't do your own research before investing or trading. Ask your friends or broker for trading & investment tips. They are happy to do the heavy liftings for you. Blindly follow their guidance.

3. Be addicted to the Market & Trading.

Never miss a single opportunity. Always trade the market. Either over or under estimate your actual need. Forget your personal life. Work hard. Always consume market updates, news, Youtube videos, blogs intravenously, including this one :) Judge the market. Measure the market. Gather all the necessary data. Don't ever worry about knowledge or understanding for that matter. Glue yourself to the screen all the time.

4. Ignore your Weaknesses.

'Ignorance is bliss'

Ignore your trading weaknesses. Focus on your profits and go with the flow. Don't carry the world upon your shoulder. Take it easy. Be aware of your weakness but don’t do anything about it. Only think and talk about the profits you already made and ignore your losses.

5. Be obsessed with your Market view.

Spend long hours in post & pre-market analysis to form your view for tomorrow. Trust your view. You have taken all the factors into consideration to form this view along with critical support and resistances. Work hard, either over analyse or under analyse the market. Don't trouble yourself to analyse in a balanced manner. Tomorrow, come what may, confidently depend on your speculation and neglect all the indications that are against your speculation and sit tight. Just imagine how much you can make once your view is right. No need to think the opposite situation. Never exit the trade or change your view until you see a big loss.

6. Be obsessed with your Chart patterns, Indicators, Data Points, Tools etc.

Solve the puzzle, solve the reasoning. Find patterns in everything around you. Find that lovely candlestick pattern in your chart. Let your favorite indicators, real-time data analysis & tools confirm your view and tell you the next price movement. Believe in that pattern because it is tried and tested over a long period of time to render a specific result and nothing else. Hence, stay in the trade until you see a big loss.

7. Marry your ‘Trade’.

Do not panic. Show some commitment. Be loyal to your trade. Be with your trade in difficult times and it’ll reap more than your expectations in the end. Take an oath, sign an agreement not to break up with your losing trade. Just continue to pray and your prayers will be answered soon... very soon.

8. Develop some bad Trading Habits.

'Old habits die hard. Bad habits die even harder'

Trade with an unwell body, mind & environment: Don't take care of yourself when you are sick (mentally/physically/both). And also when you are not sick. Don't dare to take rest, break, medicine etc. Over-eat, under-eat, over-sleep, under-sleep. Never take a shower, never exercise, never meditate. Allow your personal life’s situations to dictate your trading decisions. Avoid trading in a clean & conductive environment. When the market opens forget all your previous learning and act like a possessed man.

Trade under the influence of drugs: Drink and trade. Why so serious? Muster the courage, increase that position size. Be brave, modify that stop-loss with 10 more points, be stronger, and 10 more points after a while! Fortune favors the brave, you know?

All or nothing: Refuse to book small loss, small profit & big profit. Always accept either bigger profit or big losses.

Big Action: Don't try to understand realistic return capability of each trade. Always expect explosive price action in every single trade. Strongly hold your positions until you see a big loss.

Regret: Always regret for booking small loss, small profit, big profit & missing bigger profit. Never regret for big loss, bigger loss, account blowups.

Hope for Miracles:

'Never lose hope. Just when you think it is over, God sends you a miracle.'

Hope, good things happen to a bad trade and don’t exit. When price moves into a negative territory, don't cut your losses quickly, average down as per your capacity and then wait for a miracle.

9. Be desperate to Win.

Success at any cost. You are here to win. Do whatever it takes to win. Make huge profit in a single trade. Go out and fight with the market. Be aggressive, increase position size. Take back from the market what was originally yours.

10. Be obsessed with a Specific Strategy.

You can peacefully rely on this strategy. Have faith in your well researched strategy. It is very popular, back-tested, has a high profit-probability... and what not? It's a rock-star strategy. It can’t fail. Deploy bigger funds with this strategy. You can thank it later.

11. Trade with your Emergency/Savings/Backup fund.

Why not? It's your money. You are not answerable to anyone. There is no upper limit of ROI in trading. Furthermore, you know your risk tolerance and can mange risk like a pro. So go ahead.

12. Don’t solve your Lifestyle Problems.

Your life is your life. We all have ups and downs in our lives. The market doesn't know you as an individual, so it doesn't care about your lifestyle problems. So, don't get organized. You can remain the mess you are and go on like this. Don't waste time fixing your personal issues. Forget your previous liabilities, debts & failures for now. Don't think too much about the risk. Depend on your trading profits to meet your obligations. Try again, think this time it’d be different, this time you’ll win.

13. Never set clear Financial Goals.

Life is short. Enjoy it. Setting any kind of goal is a boring and lengthy process. Live on the edge. Just go with the flow. Setting goals does not guarantee anything!

14. Never write a Trading Journal.

Do not register your daily trading experiences in a journal. Do not write down answers of the following questions: What went right today? What went wrong today? Did I break any of my trading rules? Did I repeat any of my old mistakes? How many times? Why did I repeat my old mistakes? When did I repeat my old mistakes? Is there a specific pattern in my mistakes? Did I make any new mistakes today? Use your brain and depend on your sharp memory instead.

15. Don't ask these Questions.

Why am I entering into this trade?

What is the life expectancy of this trade?

What is the profit & loss probability of this trade?

What is the profit & loss potential of this trade?

16. Tell Yourself.

When you are winning tell yourself:

A) Now it is going to move explosively in my favor. So, I’ll book bigger profits and not exit at my predefined target levels.

B) Along with the profit of this trade I need to recover previous losses.

C) I need to trail my stop loss (and trail it mentally)

When you are losing tell yourself:

A) I still have enough time, let's be patient and wait.

B) As per my analysis it has to move towards my predicted direction any time by today.

c) It is foolish to book loss at this level. I’ll exit after retracement at some decent levels.

D) Let this candle close, then I’ll place a stop loss order.

17. Never write Daily Trading Plans.

'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.'

Whatever is going to happen tomorrow, will happen anyway. Chances are always high that you won't be able to execute tomorrow exactly as planned today. Refrain from this tedious activity.

18. Never write your own Trading Rules.

There are no rules. There is no holy grail. Besides, the market changes every moment. So, there is no point writing your own trading rules.

19. Never bother about Trading Psychology.

No need to believe in any kind of psycho mumbo-jumbo. Just believe in your mental toughness. Let your mind play with you. Believe in your gut feeling to make day to day trading decisions.

20. Break your own Trading Rules & Plans.

Be flexible. After a few defeats, if you’ve accidentally written down a set of trading rules & plans of your own, don't hesitate to break those rules whenever you feel.

21. Never bother to know yourself.

Never enquire about yourself, your true self. Don't waste your valuable time for self improvement or to learn self-management. Knowing yourself doesn't help in trading the market in any way. Never ask the right question(s). Get busy only finding correct answers.

#share market #stock trading

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trulycertain · 6 years

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Reprise (10/10)

This is by far the sappiest thing I’ve written, but after nearly 40k of angst, I figured anyone reading this deserved some balance. It’s been quite a ride.

x. the bravest thing

In the space between one moment and another, Dorian realises he’s awake, and… Ah.

He swiftly changes his mind as he feels the warmth next to him, glances at the scarred hand resting on his chest. He’s had this dream before.

He gives a mental sigh and wonders whether to try to shake it off, but… just a few moments more. It’ll hurt more, in the end, but the end is later, and for now he shuts his eyes, fuzzily shifts towards that warmth and tucks his face against a broad shoulder, next to a stubbled cheek. He’d be embarrassed if he were truly awake, but he’s still on the edge of the Fade and Gal really is warm. Halfway to a beard, he thinks, and wonders if there’s been no-one to tell Gal to shave since the debacle of the last beard-attempt.

He realises after a moment that he’s stuck in a bedroll on rough ground, and that all the hair on Gal’s chin seems to have been stolen from the man’s head. He opens his eyes and thinks that he doesn’t usually dream of being in a damp cave with a short-haired Gal -

Ah, he thinks again.

He shifts backwards as quietly as he can, and takes another look. Then he reaches out in the half-light, making sure his mind’s not deceiving him.

He runs a hand over one of those too-gaunt cheeks, over skin so warm it feels hot in comparison to his half-frozen hands, and follows the tattoos. He touches his thumb to that soft, ink-lined lower lip – remembers kissing it and saying he’d take Gal with him to the Imperium, saying I love you as if he hadn’t been holding the words back for days, years – before tracing over Gal’s jaw. It certainly feels real enough, but he’s… just checking. Mages have very strong dreams. Of course. He remembers doing the same years ago, when this was new and fragile and they hadn’t told the others, and managing to wake Gal up with his sentimental stupidity -

Gal grins without opening his eyes, and mumbles, “Promise I will.”

“I’m sorry?” he says before he can stop himself, fingers pausing. Before, he would have snatched his hand away, doubtful such unnecessary lingering would be appreciated. Ashamed, perhaps, of behaving like some lovesick apprentice.

“Shave. When we get back. Know your feelings on beards.”

To his credit, he recovers fast. “Less beards in general, more yours. Not that you have to, if you think it would make you look more Inquisitorial. I’m sure Skyhold could do with some entertainment.”

“From you.” Gal says it pointedly, even when it’s a half-asleep grumble.

“What’s that meant to mean?” He should be offended, but he’s fighting a smile.

“Look like some Tevinter villain from the books.”

He definitely shouldn’t be grinning at that, but he suspects... “I do, do I?”

Gal turns his head and mumbles irritatedly into the blankets, “Sexy… villain.” And there it is.

He’s always liked Gal half-asleep. Oddly talkative and honest, and… softer around the edges. Gentler, more real. Also rather complimentary, it seems.

“You’re pretending not to laugh at me. Can tell.”

“Oh no, there’s no pretending. It’s more outright mockery.”

Gal cracks an eye open and then reaches for him.

He’s considering whether to play at resistance, but then there’s laughter against his throat and Gal’s pressing scratchy kisses there, pulling him closer. He manages, “There will be questions if I come back with beard burn.”

Gal barely pauses. “Fuck questions. They know the answers. Had to put up with us for years.”

“True,” he laughs, and it comes out slightly rougher and more distracted than he intended. “But even – ah – even so… Damn.” Outside, there’s a sound of falling water. “There goes the rain ward,” he sighs. “You’ve probably just soaked the horses.”

Gal stops and looks towards the entrance. “I got your focus that badly?” he asks in surprise, even as he unwinds himself and lets Dorian go.

“It’s been some time,” is all Dorian says, and then he ducks out to check the damage and relay the ward in just breeches, wincing at cold rock on his feet. Still better than the Mire, and the ground isn’t too bad here. He isn’t going to hop undignifiedly, not when he can feel Gal watching him.

“Well,” he says afterwards, returning and dusting off his hands, “the good news is that only part of the spell failed, so most of the water went on a few trees, and Eustace isn’t going to spend all morning trying to kick me.”

“Good,” Gal says from where he’s sitting by the fire, stirring…. what looks like some sort of broth. It might be edible, at least. He looks up, and one of those quiet, surprised smiles steals across his face. “I was wondering,” Gal says softly.

Dorian squints at him, still trying to think through the remains of sleep and the warm contentment in his chest. Casting has woken him up a bit, but not entirely. “Hm?”

“When you came back, I wondered if your hair still looked lightning-struck in the mornings, now it was longer. Got an answer.”

Dorian snorts. “Oddly, after that night I ambushed you, one of my first thoughts was that I’d… really missed your sex hair.”

With a sly, sidethrown grin, Gal says, “You can see it any time you like.”

Dorian swallows. “And if we didn’t have a journey ahead of us, I might take you up on that.”

Gal raises a brow. “Not that long.”

“Come now, if there’s that much of a delay they’ll all wonder if the dread magister’s kidnapped you.”

“No they won’t.”

Dorian sits next to Gal, thinks of the all the salutes and the kitchen-boy. “No,” he sighs, “perhaps they won’t. Gal - “

Suddenly those very blue, unlined eyes are on him, bright and curious under a mop of terribly-cut hair. The weight of such focus is startling.

“It meant something to me too, that night.” He looks to the fire, his heart in his throat. “It wasn’t just the sex I missed. That would have been too easy.” He snorts humourlessly. “But as I said... I thought you might feel differently.” His words fail him, and he grits his teeth.

“You thought that little of me?” Gal’s voice isn’t angry, but there’s more than a little hurt there.

“And you thought I’d used and discarded you like some sort of rag. No. I lied. I wanted to be with you, for however long I could. Even if that wasn’t long at all. I wanted to remember. And if nothing else, at least you’d get some pleasure out of my idiocy. I thought that if I kept my… little problem to myself, things would be simpler. I thought it was just me, you see.”

“Why did you run?”

“Fear. Don’t you remember that?” He laughs, and it’s far too bitter. “Or have you forgotten the idiot Vint who thought he’d be a quick fuck and then it would be over?”

Gal swallows. “But that was years ago. We hadn’t – after, you knew we were - “

Dorian scrapes his hand through his hair. “I didn’t know what we were. I ceased to know when the man who’d said he loved me left me.” He sees Gal look away at that. “And you were still… you. Kaffas, that was the worst part. I knew almost the moment I arrived that this thing between us was still there. And I’d let myself slip, I’d gone and called you my bloody...”

“Beloved,” Gal finishes, softly.

“Yes. That.”

Dorian feels a hand slip into his. Gal squeezes gently before letting go, attending to what might be soup but stands an equal chance of being stew, down here.

“Because I did,” he says quietly before his nerve deserts him, not intending for Gal to hear it. Somehow these things are harder in the morning light. “I do.”

“Same,” Gal says, surprising him into looking up.

He loses his nerve, and looks to their packs. “Please tell me there’s something more than oats in that bag. I’m not sure I can stand another night of Fereldan porridge. You haven’t already managed to eat those pies?”

“Only the one he threw at us,” Gal says, looking back to the... stewp with a smile on his face.

The ride seems both faster and slower than yesterday’s. The time passes quickly with fewer awkward silences and no anger between them, but more slowly when Gal keeps glancing at him and barely pretending not to, and he wants to stop and have this, truly have this, and bask in it being returned to him. While he still can.

Somewhere along the way – possibly when they hit the outskirts – Dorian realises they’re making good time. No, better than good.

Gal must have reached the same conclusion. He pulls closer and says, “I think we might get to Skyhold today. If we do it in one?”

Dorian raises a brow, even with something uncomfortably like fear rising in his chest. “Excepting calls of nature.”

With a shake of his head and a half-grin, Gal says, “We can stop for those.”

Dorian makes a decent attempt at smiling back, and then they keep moving. But over the hours, especially as the Hinterlands give way to the Frostbacks and the temperature drops sharply, it feels like something has reached his heart and is squeezing it tightly. He thinks of returning to Skyhold and explaining… this, and he thinks of his words in the cave, hasty and… honest. Perhaps too honest, expecting too much. They’ve spent nearly two years apart, after all. It might be that they’re out of practise at this relationship thing. Too much to get it back.

He says he loves you, a blunt voice in the back of his mind says. It sounds a lot like Gal.

He’d nearly died, he retorts.

Some time after Skyhold comes over the horizon, he realises that Gal is watching him. He wonders if he can get away with saying it’s just boredom, and then Gal speaks. “You’ve been quiet.”

“It happens. Frightening, I know.”

Gal looks at him quizzically, and then follows his gaze to where Skyhold looms large ahead of them. He looks back to Dorian, still frowning, but the truth seems to be dawning on him.

Dorian steels himself. “We need to talk.”

Gal raises a brow, but they’re soon stopping the ride and dismounting.

Dorian says bluntly, “I won’t hold you to it. You’d just been kidnapped, and I’d ridden for nearly three days without sleep. What happened in those caves, the things we said… I’m perfectly willing to forget about them, but you need to tell me now. So we can get this over with.”

Gal just stares at him. “Is that what you want? To forget?”

Dorian sighs. “I’m evidently not making myself clear. No, I don’t want to, but I can’t do this again, and I’m not going to stand here and try and read your mind, because look where it got us last time.”

“You don’t have to,” Gal says.

“Then what are you thinking?“

He’s answered by the kiss, and then all thoughts except yes have fled his head. Somehow, he doubts what he was going to say was all that important anyway. He falls into it, sighing against Gal’s mouth and ignoring the stubble from a few days of riding, tilting his head to deepen it. Gal’s hand creeps to his collar to pull him closer, and it’s… pointed, a promise. Gal presses long, slow kisses to his mouth, not quite bruising but on the edge of it, and clings to him. He forgets the snow and the coldness of their skin under the searing heat of it.

Gal breaks away with a gasp for breath. Dorian allows it, tries to breathe himself, and then pulls Gal back to respond properly.

“Amatus,” he murmurs against that familiar mouth, and wonders why it feels so much like a claim. Wonders why he feels Gal smile and then kiss him harder. (He knows.)

Gal’s panting and flushed by the time he pulls away. “I don’t want to forget. I told you. For as long as you want me, you have me.”

“Unless something goes and kills you.” His wryness is undercut by the slight hint of breathlessness. “Or me.”

“True. But until then, you have me.” That calloused, gauntleted hand folds around his, and then Gal kisses his knuckles, unbothered by cold leather. By Gal’s standards, it’s almost done with a flourish. “And I’ll tell anyone you want. They’ll laugh at me for being a bloody idiot until now, but I’ll tell them. I love you. I really, really love you.”

Dorian stares at the darkness of Gal’s eyes and the disbelieving, wonderstruck look on his face, and believes it. “I know.” He shivers. “And I’d like to discuss that further, but we should really get moving before we freeze.”

Gal half-smiles. “Least you’ve got the hair now. Better for your ears.”

He shakes his head and casts the simplest warmth spell on himself and on Gal, and if he spends a little too long with his hands on Gal’s cheeks, channeling the spell… well, he’s always been a thorough caster. It makes Gal laugh and duck his head, anyway, and that alone renders the expenditure of mana worth it.

They end up walking back to the horses hand-in-hand like foolish teenagers, and Gal seems reluctant to let him go.

He knows the feeling.

They hear the call go up as they’re entering the gates, and somewhere, a horn is blown. Not two minutes later, Cullen and Josephine are interrupting them in the stables. He half-expects to see the new Divine with them, too, just like the old days. Instead, they’re followed by Mae, who watches them with curiosity and more than a little shrewdness.

“You’ve survived,” Cullen says, with the hint of a smile.

He just grins, not even trying for subtlety. “Yes. Bad habit of ours.”

Cullen’s gaze shifts to Gal; he straightens slightly, looking like he wants to salute. “Herald.”

Gal must be in a good mood, because that doesn’t even get a wince from him. He steps back from Chev and says with a tone of pleasant surprise, “Cullen. Who called you here?”

Josephine clears her throat.

Gal beams at the sight of her, and then she’s making a small, surprised noise at the hug she receives – surprised, but not displeased. After the second of surprise, she appears to squeeze back just as enthusiastically. She’s deceptively strong, for a diplomat. She steps back with another clearing of her throat, flushing slightly, and says, “It is… very good to see you.”

Gal just keeps beaming ridiculously. “And you.” His eyes stray to Mae, then, and he offers a stiff nod, probably due to the sharp, sceptical look he’s receiving. “Magister Tilani.”

“Ser Trevelyan.” Mae’s face becomes considerably less… magister-y as she looks to Dorian; it’s astonishing how quickly it becomes cold when she looks to Gal. “Lucia told me everything. The talk of a second base was to mislead us?”

Gal nods. “It was bait. I’d say still worth checking, but… suspect we won’t find much.”

Mae pauses, and then says, “I’m glad you’re alive, by the way.” Then she looks straight into Dorian’s eyes, adds, “And I’m glad you didn’t get yourself killed looking for him.”

“I am too,” Gal says, very quietly.

Mae gives him a brief, appraising look, and then those sharp eyes are trained on Dorian again. “I’m told the return journey took some time.” She tilts her head expectantly.

“Fereldan weather,” Dorian says, the words carefully smooth. “You know how it is.”

Mae narrows her perfectly-lined eyes. Shrewdness becomes her – makes her look more like the magister she is – even if it’s rather inconvenient. “Yes,” she says, and the word’s too long, too pointed. “I do.”

“As said, long journey. I should at least get out of these leathers. And our dear not-Inquisitor probably needs has things he needs to resolve, too.” He starts to walk past them, then – always keep moving, it means they can’t snare you, something he’s learned all too well from the Senate - and feels Gal fall into step with him. Gal’s carefully not looking at him.

He feels it again, that pull; the way it would be so easy to just slip closer, to bump shoulders with Gal, to lean into his space with that old, easy intimacy. Maker, only days, and it’s already like they’re -

There’s a low mutter behind them, and then: “In the war room, in half an hour?” Cullen calls.

Gal turns and calls back, “I’ll be there.”

Dorian throws over his shoulder, with a sigh, “If I must.”

Gal breaks, and glances at him, finally. Even with that careful Chantry control and that unreadable expression, Gal’s eyes can’t lie. They feel like brands on his skin: too honest, and too affectionate, and there’s the weight of enough emotion in them that it renders him speechless.

He just smiles. There’s a shake in it, but not through lack of honesty. He is. Happy, that is. In fact, there are so many things he wants to say he thinks he might burst with them. That’s the problem. The words and deeds are in the air, waiting.

They part when they reach Skyhold’s all-but-deserted main hall – or start to. He reaches out, unable to help himself, and takes Gal’s hand. Perhaps to check it’s real; that any of this is. He does it gently, thinking that Gal might not notice, and he’s uncertain he’ll be brave enough to make a point of anything.

But Gal pauses, and looks at him with that pleased, curious warmth.

He raises Gal’s hand and presses a kiss to it where the leather ends, quick but gentle, returning the gesture from the cave. A dose of Gal’s own medicine.

Gal’s face lights up, and that smile… Dorian thinks again of a Chantry, and those first uncertain days in Haven. Remembers waking up with a wild-haired, affectionate man who seemed too fascinated by him to even notice the rising sun. Yes, he remembers this.

It feels almost like he never left.

Parting is an ache, but they really do have things to do. And it’s far less painful when he knows he’ll be returning, this time, and soon.

After a bath and sorting out his equipment, Gal heads to the debriefing. He ends up trudging away, exhausted – but he’s trying not to smile. They didn’t lose anyone, and he spent most of the meeting trying not to grin like an idiot. He detached the metal arm the minute he ended up at his quarters, but on his flesh-and-blood hand, he can still feel the faded echo of a kiss.

He wants to touch Dorian so much it hurts. He wants to remember what it feels like to have fascinated words in his ear and an arm round his waist, or socked feet in his lap and the sound of turning pages. He wants… Fuck, he wants everything. He hears the sweep of robes and smells the hint of hair-oil, some way behind him, and he thinks of turning and taking Dorian aside -

“Galahad!”

He turns to his left, and the harried look on Josephine’s face as she catches up to him makes his heart sink. She says, “There’s the matter of Emerius. You may judge him later, if you like, but he has been locked in the cells for two days. Perhaps...”

There’s a sigh, and then Dorian’s next to them, too. “Much as I’d like to kill him for what he did to you… The man’s lost enough. Does it have to be his life as well?”

Gal frowns. “You know I don’t do that unless I have to.”

“Exactly. I hoped you might have a better thought.”

Gal considers it. “I do.” He looks to Josephine. “Prepare him for judgement?”

She smiles slightly, and bows her head. “Of course, Inq – Lord Trevelyan.”

“Thank you.”

She knows the routine. So does he. He ends up going back to his quarters, pulling on the old uniform, only leaving off the old Inquisitor’s sash. He touches it briefly, remembering the first time he wore it; remembering terror and a hole in the sky but a castle full of his old friends. It’s been a long time since he’s done it. He smears war paint across the bridge of his nose, and feels his fingers shake. He clears his mind, remembering Knight-Lieutenant Hayden’s instruction, until all that fills it is a bright light and… clarity.

Behind him the door closes, and a low, warm voice says, “Ah, I’ve missed that.”

With that, the clarity’s gone, but he doesn’t miss it much.

“I think it’s the epaulettes. They do good things for your shoulders.” A pause. “But now I think about it, those don’t need much by way of ornamentation. They should probably be illegal.”

“Dorian...” he says, turning.

For a second, Dorian just… looks at him, with that sharp focus. Like he’s trying to memorise this, or spot the differences. Then he speaks. “Welcome back, Inquisitor.”

“Retired,” Gal says, but it doesn’t come out strong or convincing.

Dorian reaches up and hesitates, but only for half a moment, before he touches Gal’s brow. Smears the paint a little further. “No, I think you’ll always be that. Much like I’ll always be a Pavus. Titles, they… cling. No matter how much we try to make things otherwise. But it suits you. Always has.”

Gal doesn’t quite know how to answer that. “Think I prefer it to Trevelyan.” He swallows. “Why are you here?”

“I came to ask what your thought was.”

“I wondered if you could use an informant.”

Dorian grins, and it’s all teeth and the brightness of Magisterium daggers. “Always. Particularly one who’s studied time magic.”

Gal smiles back. “Hoped you might say that.”

“Good luck, amatus.” Dorian looks a little surprised in the second before he hides it, like the word just slipped out. “Find me afterwards, if you’ve a mind. Unless you need to collapse and catch up on your sleep.”

“Always got time for you,” Gal says.

He watches it dawn on Dorian’s face. Dorian’s eyes are bright, and he smiles without that bitter edge to it, and without the fear. “Stop that. The Inquisitor can’t be sentimental.” The words are belied by the way he leans forwards and takes a kiss, with a sigh. “Go on.”

They leave together, and Dorian heads to the undercroft while Gal takes to the great hall.

Gal sits on the throne, and then Emerius is hauled out in front of him, and Gal remembers again why he hated this job.

Emerius is dull-eyed and exhausted, and looks like a man who’s lost everything. When he’s elbowed by the guards, he finally speaks. “Whatever it is, just… get it over with.”

Gal says, “I will. You need to serve the country you wronged. Maron Flavius Emerius… When the Lucerni leave, you’re leaving with them. As one of their informants.”

Emerius just looks at him, with that same hollow-eyedness. “With the vulgati pretenders. I suppose it’s what I deserve.” His voice is flat, too. He sounds like a man with one foot in the grave. It’s as Emerius is being hauled away that he says, “There’s… there’s something...”

Gal signals to the guards to stop, and they do.

Emerius looks back. “My son’s other killer… does he love you? Truly love you? Was it worth saving him from me?”

Gal blinks at that, and says the only truth that comes into his head. “Always.”

He watches as Emerius is led off, and tries not to think of the man’s eyes.

Afterwards, he stumbles off the throne and out of the hall, wondering why that answer was so easy. He tries not to yawn, and runs his hand through his hair. It catches on the band. He unties it frustratedly, then keeps walking, knowing he looks like he’s just come from a fight.

He only knows where he’s going when he’s climbing the library steps.

In a less embellished armchair than the old one, leaning slightly against the Tevinter History section with a book in his lap, is a familiar figure. The long hair is different, and so is seeing him here in simple clothes rather than leathers, but it’s all becoming familiar. Only a few days and that’s already setting in.

Dorian looks up instantly at the sound of his steps, and smiles. “A sight for sore eyes. But a tired one, I think.”

Gal opens his mouth. Closes it again. Tries to think through the tightness in his chest and the words he should be saying and the wanting this every day.

Dorian raises a brow. “The goldfish impression should detract from the handsomeness, but really...”

Swallowing, Gal says, “Come to bed with me.”

Dorian smirks. “As if you have to ask.”

Gal sighs. “I didn’t mean it like…”

“I know,” Dorian says, the smirk softening into something truer, “and my answer’s unchanged.” He closes the book with a final snap, tucking it under his arm, and then they take the stairs together, smiling. Dorian’s arm touches his now and again, and then they try not to grin at each other.

When they get to Gal’s quarters, they shove their boots off. Gal only gets as far as splashing some water on his face, and Dorian throws his boots across the room and shrugs off his shirt, then they crawl under the sheets. Gal knows Dorian’s tired; his hair’s sticking in every direction even while it’s this long, and he hasn’t bothered to correct it.

They end up facing each other, and Gal puts a hand on Dorian’s arm and mumbles, half-asleep, “You’re still here.” He didn’t mean to say it.

“So I am.” Dorian’s voice is soft and certain, and there’s a smile in it.

Gal falls asleep with his fingers on brown skin and a gentle, magic-warmed hand touching his back, steady and pulling him closer.

Dorian makes it a day: a day spent dragging himself away instead of wrapping his arms round Gal and enjoying a lazy morning, grumbling his way to his quarters while ignoring Gal’s grin, and letting the no-longer Inquisitor go about his business instead of sticking to the man like a well-dressed limpet. He thinks that’s pretty good, all things considered. Gal tends to make him painfully obvious about his affections. It’s probably a naive-southerner thing.

Gal’s somewhere across the fortress, wandering about, catching up with Josephine and Cullen and trying to tell them about the Venatori’s setup, or lack of it.

Dorian, meanwhile... He stands in the infirmary, bowl of peeled grapes in hand, peers at Marius and says, “Well, you don’t look dead.”

That gets a laugh from the young magister, even if it’s faint and slightly raw-sounding. “You and Lucia don’t either.” Marius sits in a chair, the head wound no more than a scar that will be magically faded too, in time. The broken ankle that was discovered during his treatment may be more of a bother. He’s returned for a further examination of that mess.

Dorian arrived, got a glimpse of blotchy purple-yellow skin and a truly immense amount of swelling and made impressed noises. Apparently “it’s a fascinating colour” was not useful commentary, or so the healers told him severely before leaving him to it.

“Are those - ?” Marius says, reaching out hopefully.

“No, these are for me. I’ve already graced you with my company.” He pauses. “All right, you can have a few.” He puts them on the table next to Marius’s chair, showing the lie in his words. “I wasn’t here when you were truly recuperating, so I thought I’d...”

“You were with the Inquisitor.” Marius says that while munching on a grape, and Dorian wonders if the preoccupation of food has brought on this sudden frightening confidence.

“I… Yes.”

Marius seems to realise what he’s just said, and looks like he’s trying not to freeze. “He’s… all right?”

“In fine demon-killing fettle, I’d say. He was frightening villagers again by the second day, which I’ll take as a good sign.”

Marius squints. “And you?”

“I’m fine, Marius.” He sighs, and tries not to allow too much of a smile into his voice. “Better than.”

Even under all that hair, Marius’ surprise and suspicion are obvious. He’s prudent enough not to say anything, but…

For once in his life, Dorian thinks his words through. “Some of the things you heard from the Inquisition rumour mill… might have been true.”

“Lucia thought you were...” Marius considers the grapes, brow furrowing, and waves a hand vaguely. “She wasn’t sure it was… a good idea.”

His voice is heavy and cold as stone, even while he’s resigned. “Of course she wasn’t.”

“I think she’s wrong.”

Dorian raises an eyebrow.

“He’s… He loves you. It might be the… He’s from the Marches, things are different there? I don’t… He never hid it. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t… hide it. When we were travelling, he said – said you’d got better things to do than run after him. That he was glad you had the party.”

At that, Dorian… blinks, and tries not to stare. “He did?”

Marius looks surprised, too. “He said what we were doing was amazing, but… he meant you. He wasn’t even trying to lie about– Is it like that, here? In the south?”

“It’s like that with him.” He doesn’t mean it to sound so quiet, or so horribly earnest.

Marius goes for a grape. “The rumours made it sound… different.”

Dorian sniffs, and curls his lip. “Tawdry.”

Marius shakes his head. “Simple.”

“Knew you’d heard some. The innocent act didn’t fool me for a moment.”

Another shake of that curly head. “Not until after…” Marius scratches at his bandages.

“Stop that, you’ll make me cluck like a Circle healer. Until after what?”

“I shouldn’t have...”

“Marius.”

“I saw a letter you were writing, the first month after we’d held a conference. I didn’t mean to, but I... I wondered who you were calling amatus.”

Kaffas, he remembers that. He remembers trying to squirrel time away to write, remembers feeling like someone was attempting to tear his heart out with every word. He didn’t think anyone had noticed. And he remembers, too, the gentle letter that had apologised, briefly – not saying what for, but they both knew - before wishing him the best with his party. The last he’d received. He kept that for far longer than he wants to admit, until it was crumpled and just starting to yellow, and he could only sometimes bring himself to look at it; usually he’d done that with a glass of wine in hand, spreading the letter on his desk and taking a moment to touch his fingers to that beautifully-rendered Chantry-taught script. It’s still in his luggage, somewhere, beneath the last letter from his father and the sending crystal.

“Well,” he says softly, “now you know.”

After that, the conversation drifts to easier things – Venatori, and annihilating them, so on – but he can tell that Marius is watching him with some curiosity. And smiling slightly, perhaps.

He’ll allow Marius this and not throw night terrors at him. This time.

He spends the rest of the morning reading, and trying to make himself move, so he can pack to go back to the Imperium.

No. Go home. That’s what he meant.

He wants the sound of shifting pages and steady breathing next to him; soft linen over hard muscle, without armour, and Gal catching his eye accidentally and smiling at him. No, in fact he sort of wants to sequester their dear not-Inquisitor away and just… enjoy being not dead for a while. Perhaps - dare he say it – some cuddling. They could pack books, the new Taverner’s out -

He looks up at the sound of Mae’s voice.

“Not that I’m suggesting that you don’t know what you’re doing...” Mae sighs, and runs a gloved hand over her face. “All right, I am. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

He narrows his eyes. “Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?”

“Dabbling with the man who broke your heart? Yes. We are.”

Attempting to keep his voice light, he starts, “Interesting idea you have there. What makes you think...?”

She snorts. “Don’t even try. You light up like a Magisterium chandelier when the two of you are in the same room. I thought you were better-trained than that, but as you said… he isn’t just another noble’s son to you, is he?”

He considers the Imperial History section, and doesn’t look at her. “He never has been.”

“You saw how he handled you leaving last time.”

Dorian tilts his head, conceding that. “That should be less of a problem this time round.”

She just gives him a questioning look.

“He’s coming with me.”

Her eyebrows threaten to leave her forehead. “I take it you’ll enjoy having him assassinated?”

“He can look after himself, Mae. Besides, I’ll enchant all his armour. Five times over. Get him some good anti-stabbing leathers.” He grins, briefly. “And he… wanted to come.” He glances back to his book, then, still not quite sure he can meet her eye. He’s too afraid it’ll give away the longing. Part of him is still uncertain it’s possible, waiting for Gal to change his mind. A larger part is… He thinks he’s excited. Excited to drag his lover back to a land of corruption and slavers and unnecessarily hot nights? How naive.

“Didn’t he want to last time?”

“I was afraid last time. And my father had just - “ He inhales, but he’s never seen any point in dancing around the word. Death is his profession. “ - died. I might not have been altogether reasonable, Mae. And he was out of his mind with pain while the bloody Orlesians were trying to put a leash round his neck. I told you how he feels about the Chantry, the bastard’s intractable when he starts on a course of - ”

“Yes, I care about how he feels.” She looks at him levelly. “Do you want him with us, Dorian?”

“More than anything.”He hears the words, quiet and frighteningly earnest, and it takes him a moment to realise they belonged to him. “If he can stand all the silks and lack of punching things, that is.”

Her eyes soften. “You’re a sap, Pavus.”

“Don’t let it get out. I’ll never save my reputation.”

She shakes her head, her mouth twitching. Then she reaches into her robes �� he’s honestly sure how there are pockets without ruining the line of them, but Mae’s tailors have always been frighteningly good - and passes him a piece of parchment. “He asked me to give you this.”

He frowns down at it, and when he glances upwards, she’s already leaving. “Yes, it’s good to see you again too,” he calls after her.

She looks over her shoulder and smiles at him. “We have the whole trip back to catch up.”

He unfolds the note, and sees in familiar, Chantry-neat handwriting, Quarters, tenth bell? Gal doesn’t have to specify whose. Theirs, really.

He allows himself a moment to simply enjoy it, having this, the ease of passing notes.

“Oh, by the way,” Mae starts, “speaking of the trip back...”

He knocks on the door twice, and leaves the slightest of magical flourishes – enough to change the air, to make it clear to anyone who can sense the Veil who he is.

Gal opens it a moment later, smiling at him like this is a welcome, surprising visit, and then goes back to what he was doing, as if waiting for Dorian to fill the silence. Which is… spreading belongings everywhere, from the look of it. There’s armour carefully stacked in a corner, and books, even more carefully. It isn’t many things – it looks as if Gal’s only just begun. Gal piles things carefully, with that quiet, intent focus, almost meditative. Perhaps it’s a Chantry thing.

Gal wanders back to the great wooden chest in the corner of the room, rummages through it, and then… pauses, stiffening.

Dorian takes a couple of steps forwards, on instinct. “Has Sera put sprouts in there again?” he tries.

Gal looks into the chest, and his shoulders sag as he exhales. “There was… something I meant to give to you, before Halamshiral.” Gal turns, comes back with something wound round his fingers, and almost seems like he’s considering hiding it.

Oh.

“Royale sea silk,” Dorian says, before Gal can shove it back in the chest and possibly wander off somewhere to die, judging from the worry on his face. “I approve.” He smooths over the scarf until he reaches Gal’s hand, holds white silk and sword-roughened, warm skin between his palms. “Serpent embroidery? This may even be better than ten.”

Gal shrugs, still not looking at him. “There’s not going to be much use for it, where we’re going.”

Dorian pauses, and focuses on those downturned eyes, determined to make Gal look at him. “I take it you’re certain, then?” He doesn’t mean to allow the shake in his voice.

Gal finally raises his head. “If you are.”

With a snort, Dorian says, “I’ll stow you away in my luggage if I have to.” At the amusement that crosses Gal’s face, he adds, “Or I’ll tell them you’re my strapping manservant. Whatever works.” He says quietly, “I think we’ve missed enough chances.” With that, he gently takes the scarf, sliding it out from Gal’s fingers and slipping it over his own shoulders. “Besides, there are plenty of cooler parts of the Imperium. Some of them even have proper seasons. And I doubt this is the last time we’ll be seeing this place.”

Gal smiles, truly smiles, at that.

“But I meant what I said. It’s not a small change. I was already persona non grata, but I’ll have to find you some clothes that are more… murderproof.”

“I’m good at not dying.” Gal shrugs. “And you stayed here for me.”

“That was different.”

“I was keeping you from your home.”

Dorian sighs. “Never that. You’ve been my home as much as the Imperium ever was.” He winces. “That was frightfully sappy, I know. I’m beginning to think I should just stop talking.” He sways towards Gal and kisses him slowly, gently.

“You look good in white.”

“So do you.” Dorian winds a little of the scarf around Gal’s waist, gathers him closer. “I… thank you, amatus.” He pauses at a magical hum, the slight purr of enchantment, and… he knows what that is. He reaches into Gal’s pocket, ignoring Gal’s raised brow, and extracts the sending crystal, turning it over in his fingers. “So you retrieved it.”

“Couple of hours after we got back.”

“Hopefully we shouldn’t need it so much.” He weighs it in his palm.

Gal shrugs. “I like listening to you.”

“Oh, you’ve made that very obvious. I always treasured the chance to get started on some obscure piece of magical lore without having stones thrown at me by unwashed paeons. Or worse, having their eyes glaze over. That’s the only reason we started...” He searches for the word for their whatever that was.

“Courting?” Gal suggests, after the silence grows.

“Is that what it was? I thought you were silently judging me on my impractical attire, and I was judging you on your impractical book choices. Less silently.”

With that quiet half-smile that started the problem back in Haven, Gal says, “I liked the attire.”

Dorian can’t help himself. He tries not to beam back. “And I liked your books.”

“That all you’re here for?”

He allows himself a thoughtful pause. “Not all,” he says, afterwards, and kisses Gal again, sliding the crystal back into Gal’s pocket and only letting his hand linger slightly on the Inquisitorial backside before he withdraws; he’s a man of will and discipline, and besides, he can feel Gal’s amusement. “I’ve missed your wine cellar.”

He feels the exhaled breath, the half-laugh against his skin, and then Gal says, “Am I a decent vintage?”

Again, Dorian makes a point of musing on it. “Thirty-three years. Not bad.” He grins. “How would you like to turn thirty-four in Minrathous?”

“Love to,” is the instant answer. And then Gal looks thoughtful, and glances back to his things. “I came to ask when you and the others want to leave.”

“Mae and I were just discussing that, actually. She wants to make it four days. That’s when the next ship to Kirkwall comes in. And from there, onwards. All right with you?”

Gal nods. “I need to tell what’s left of us.”

“Yes, do that. They might notice if you disappear overnight.”

“There goes that plan.” There’s a dash of rogueishness in Gal’s face, just for a moment – then it’s replaced by that quiet, easy contentment again. He sighs, and there, right then, he is the Inquisitor again. “I need to go and find the others.”

The word gets out quickly enough, after that – in the main courtyard, first bell of the afternoon, the (retired) Inquisitor has an announcement.

Soldiers and mages gather slowly, sometimes with half-eaten sandwiches or drinking from canteens, and some of them sit on the steps. There are far from enough people to fill the courtyard, these days. Dorian ends up waiting there, and when Cullen joins them and looks at him, he just raises an eyebrow in an I don’t know either sort of way.

The rest of the Lucerni appear quickly enough, Lucia partially supporting a limping Marius, who’s already starting to look much better.

At Mae’s amused look, Dorian shrugs. “For once, I haven’t interfered. Or created a publicity stunt.”

Mae replies easily, “Oh, I know. I just liked the scarf.”

Dorian absentmindedly touches a hand to it, and tries to think of something that won’t end with him being mocked for his sentimentality.

“Yeah, right,” a voice says from behind him, and then Sera’s next to him, looking up the steps, too. “We all know this is your fault.”

“That’s - “ He pauses. “Am I taking credit or blame?” She tilts her head, thinking it over. “You got his head out of his arse.” She smirks and opens her mouth again, and he’s just waiting for the inevitable crude innuendo when Gal emerges, Josephine at his side.

Gal’s back in the kohl and uniform, looking every inch the Inquisitor that used to roam Skyhold, closing rifts and utterly baffling Dorian – apart from the short hair and the pinned sleeve, and the calm on his face. Not the Chantry facsimile that fooled enough people they never saw the anger and terror behind it; there’s simply a steadiness there, the sort that held Dorian up on the worst days and gave them all something to lean on.

The murmur grows, and then rises further, and then… abruptly silences as Gal sits on the steps. That he definitely didn’t do before.

“What does he - “ Cullen mutters. “He’s making a point, isn’t he?”

“He’s Gal,” Dorian replies from under his breath. “When isn’t he?”

Gal starts, voice loud to still carry, “When I disbanded the Inquisition, it was meant to be an ending. You’ve all stayed here, kept doing good work. So have I. But I think we’re all needed elsewhere.” Josephine leans over to him, says something in his ear, and he nods. “I wanted to thank you all for your service. And for your loyalty. It’s been an honour to serve with you.”

And from there, Gal talks about leaving. Four days’ time, he says, and the murmur returns in force.

There’s a noise, and then someone calls up, “But where are you going, Inq – Lord Trevelyan?”

“Kirkwall,” Gal replies, a careful non-answer. Maker, the man’s being… politically astute. “I have duties there. And personal ties.” His eyes meet Dorian’s, then, and he smiles. It’s bright and relieved, and it hides nothing. Gal might as well have kissed him in front of the entire courtyard. Which is suddenly a rather tempting thought, actually – it’s not as if there’s anyone left who doesn’t know.

Dorian resists the urge to interrupt the speech, and smiles back.

Another mention of everyone’s service and sacrifice – Gal makes it sound as if he simply tagged along and made the tea - and then Gal stands and clasps his remaining hand to his chest, bowing at the waist. The old acknowledgement for Inquisition agents. A salute, and a thank you.

As one, the crowd does the same. Dorian feels himself bow too, and wonders if he ever did this, back when he was recruited as some loose-cannon altus who was probably going to murder the Inquisition in its sleep.

He looks back up, into those bright eyes, into that smile, soft despite stubble and tattoos, as always.

The murmur rises to a roar, and there are cheers as Gal moves to go. It’s all louder than he’d thought possible, considering this is at best a quarter-crowd, compared to the old ones.

He feels a hand on his shoulder, and Cullen says, “Maker’s breath. Just go to him.”

There’s a poke in the small of his back, and Sera adds, “What he said.”

He tries not to be too much of a sap, especially in front of his party, who are watching and still seeming more than a little surprised. He hadn’t thought he’d been that miserable in the Imperium. But it has to be said, and so he looks to Cullen and Sera and says airily, with little of the earnestness the sentiment deserves, “Have I mentioned I’ve missed you both?” Then he jogs up the steps to catch his beloved.

Gal grimaces.

“What?” Dorian prods, dipping the cloth again.

Gal shifts backwards on the bed, eyes opening, and just… watches him, silently, eyes flitting about his face, his shoulders, with that quiet surprise that he’s still here. Dorian catches him, their eyes meet, and Gal ducks his head.

“Come on, hold still,” Dorian sighs. “Where’s all your focus gone?”

“It always goes around you,” Gal replies, with a lopsided smile. “Think this is your revenge.”

Dorian snorts. “Is that the best you can do? You’ve had over a year to gather better lines.” Then he raises the cloth threateningly, and when Gal complies, eyes closing, he wipes away smeared paint and kohl. “I knew you were under there somewhere,” he murmurs, attempting to get the last of it. He rinses the cloth and then wrings it, wondering why he doesn’t just use magic to do this – but he remembers running his fingers over Gal’s evening stubble and thinks he might have an idea.

He puts aside the cloth and most pretence, simply takes Gal’s face between damp hands and rests there, exhaling. He’s still trying to make sure this isn’t all a dream and that he isn’t about to wake up on the first boat back to Minrathous. Now he thinks about it, he’s been trying to do that for quite some time now. Since the first time he saw Gal’s face again, perhaps. He says quietly, “You know when I said it wasn’t just about the sex?”

Even without opening his eyes, Gal seems to bite back a grin. “I remember.”

“But the sex is still an option, yes?”

Now the laugh breaks free, quiet as it is. “Definitely.”

He says airily, “Good. Just checking. All hypothetical, of course -”

One moment, he’s leaning over Gal, checking his work and making a thoughtful noise – the next, Gal has pulled him down and is pressing a slow kiss to his mouth, grinning into it. He pretends to think it over, and then lets himself be eased down until he’s all but straddling Gal, little space between them.

Then that space is gone, and Gal mutters, “Maybe this isn’t dignified enough for a magister.”

“Bloody barbarians,” Dorian retorts, but there’s no bite to the words when he follows them with a kiss. “And this is far from the most undignified position I’ve been in.”

“I see.” Gal grins. “Got any better suggestions?”

And that’s the thing: many would have said – Maevaris certainly would have said – that he could have had his pick of men in the Imperium, if he’d cared to.

But it wouldn’t have been this. Wouldn’t have been all the years of pain and care, or the way Gal looks at him, like the world declared the wrong one of them holy.

He says quietly, while Gal is making short work of his shirt, “I honestly thought I��d never see you again.” He didn’t mean to let the words out; they were far less troublesome in his head.

Gal pauses, and looks up, into his eyes. “I thought you’d forget me. Hoped you would, if it’d be easier for you.”

“I’ve never been much good at easier,” Dorian murmurs, impatiently throwing aside Gal’s leathers while Gal presses a kiss to his shoulder and then gets rid of his robes and undershirt. There’s tenderness in the touch, the way there was that first night he returned here, that first night years ago; the kind that would almost frighten him, if he didn’t long for it quite so much. They’ve had quick, silly fucks before, and slightly savage encounters in cupboards, but this… isn’t that. Far from it.

He feels Gal’s hand pause just under his ribs, and then Gal says, “I meant to ask. What’s this from?” Gal’s hand traces the lightning burn, and Dorian inhales sharply.

“Hm?” He pretends to be casual, even as he’s wondering how many of these scars Gal won’t recognise. “That’s from a Senate debate that span into a duel. It happens, sometimes.”

Worry crosses Gal’s face, briefly. “You...”

“Showed him the error of his ways, yes. By setting him on fire.”

Gal grins, and then…

Dorian makes a slightly undignified noise as he’s rolled over and then Gal’s kissing the scar, grinning up at him.

Yes, he could have had men in the Imperium. But it wouldn’t have been a pale, calloused hand taking his and gripping white-knuckled, like he’s the last anchor to sanity. Wouldn’t have been Gal’s exhaled I love you, quiet and painfully honest, accidental without being unwilling.

(“Again,” Dorian breathes, before he can help himself. At least all the times before, he could make some excuse for the request, could laugh it off...

“I love you,” Gal repeats, properly this time, with that steady certainty, even distracted as he is.

And Dorian grins fiercely, triumphant, and pulls him even closer, does his best to kiss him until it’s impossible and they’re both gasping for air.)

It wouldn’t have been the low laughter, or all the startled joy neither of them can quite contain. They’ve had silly rolls in the hay before, but this is less staving off boredom and more clinging to each other and making sure any of this is real.

All right, the throwing water at each other some time afterwards, and Gal mocking his most-of-a-beard before distracting him with wandering hands? Less the thing of epics, perhaps. But he’d rather have that than all the romantic tales in the world, even if he’s almost worried they’ll never find their way out of these quarters, at this rate. It took two attempts just to bathe. Surely they’re too old for this sort of thing – they’re meant to be respectable.

He snorts at that thought while using a spell to try and dry his damp hair. As if they’ve ever been that.

He hears quiet footsteps, and then the unlocking of the door. There’s a long pause, and then Gal clears his throat. “It… looks like they noticed our absence.”

Dorian frowns, and then Gal walks back across the room with, of all things, a… plate of sandwiches. One which must have been left outside.

Dorian tries to keep somewhat of a straight face. “They obviously thought we needed the energy.”

Underneath the tattoos, Gal has become rather pinker.

“We’ll have to come out of here at some point, you know.”

“Why?” Gal mumbles indignantly, through half a sandwich.

“We can’t just stay here forever...“ Dorian starts, and then he pauses, trying not to laugh at the look he receives in return. “You were going to suggest exactly that, weren’t you?”

"No," Gal mutters, entirely unconvincingly. Then: "Yes."'

They do end up leaving Gal’s quarters, in the end, though it takes nearly two days. Night’s beginning to fall when there’s a knock on the door and a call of, “Oi, if you two aren’t busy shagging each other’s brains out, drink, right?”

Dorian lifts his head from a half-doze on Gal’s shoulder. “We are not, in fact, shagging each other’s brains out. At least, not currently.”

“Yes,” is all Gal says, looking amused and raising his voice to carry through the door. “Drink.”

The Herald’s Rest – which, in fact, disturbed the actual Herald’s rest – is bustling when they arrive.

Sera is instantly beside Gal and saying, “So he’s finally stopped being an eejit, right?”

“Think the eejit was me,” Gal replies.

“Nah, you would’ve gone with him the first time. It was just the rest that was all… eejit-y.”

Dorian can’t help but chip in, then. “Beautifully put.”

“Galahad!”

They turn to see Josephine, her hair beginning to loosen from its bun and the hint of a flush on her cheeks. “I must say, Lord Dorian’s friends have… impressive tolerances.”

At another table, Mae raises a glass, as if summoned by the mere mention of her name.

Dorian laughs at that. “We invented wine. What did you expect?”

“I think you will find that was the Antivans,” she chides him. Then her eyes turn to Gal. “I am… very proud of you. Of you both. I will miss you. But I am happy for you. Which is why the first round… is mine.”

“I knew there was a reason I was so fond of our lady ambassador,” Dorian says to Gal, who grins.

If Gal is surprised by the hug Josephine gives him, Dorian is even more so when he receives one, too.

She moves to order their drinks, and for a moment, Dorian almost closes his eyes and tries to breathe it all in. Lets himself be home, truly. Beside him, he can feel Gal doing the same.

The ceiling of his quarters – his, not Gal’s – glows softly with the constellations he drew, years ago now. They lie there, and Gal says, “You taking them with you when we leave?”

Dorian grins. “Might as well. I’m taking the south for all it’s got.” He says it while looking at Gal’s writing, the little reminders of a life together, the way the spell wraps around them both. He thinks. “You know how I told you once of the temple in Minrathous? I’m going to show it to you.”

Gal swallows, turns onto his side to meet Dorian’s eyes. “The fountains in Qarinus?”

“I’m sure I can justify some sort of business trip. I’ll find something. I’ll… all of it. I’ll give you everything. Anything.”

“Same,” Gal says, instantly.

“We leave tomorrow, you know. I’m sure you’ll have all your things packed into ordered rows and alphabetised, but... nervous?”

“I probably should be. I just...Looking forward to being with you.”

“I... I feel the same. I want to show you all I can. There’s a room in the estate, it has a mahogany writing-desk, and the library... It's yours. All of it. Anything you’d like.” Dorian pauses. “No, this is getting positively sugar-coated, forget I said anything. I should have just mocked your luggage habits instead.”

“I don’t know. I liked it.”

“You would. You’ve always had bad taste in men, amatus.” The word feels like relief, like truth, like it always has. He exhales with it. “Maker, I’ve missed saying that.”

“Missed hearing it,” Gal says. “Te amo, Dorian.”

And in the darkness, Gal’s hand wraps around his, and stays there.

#my fic #reprise #dorian x inquisitor #post-trespasser #the big finale!#shield raised #aus #gal trevelyan #dorian pavus

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hayleymarshalldaily · 7 years

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Gigi / other admins what are your predictions for TO season five, like honest predicitions not unrealistic ones? also why do you carry on the blog when you say you no longer like the show?

My (Gigi) honest opinions are here:

First and foremost I predict this is the last. I don’t think they’ll have another season, and I think the writers will be aware they’re writing their last.

Unnecessary teen drama fuelled by daddy issues with Hope because her father never picked up the phone despite breaking the rules and visiting Elijah (lord don’t get me started) and first love boyfriend drama with Roman. First two/three episodes will jump around with different locations including the school but i think by episode four they’ll all be home in new orleans (I’m predicting now Roman will die, probably similarly to Jackson in that he died because he was too close to a member of the family.)

I suspect they’ll have Hayley either go with “I never stopped loving you Elijah” or ‘learn’ to love the new Elijah, or just be plain over the battery, I’m a bit 50/50 on how quickly they’ll get his memories back. I have a feeling Elijah will have a new love interest who will fail to hold his attention once Hayley is back in his life or he gets his memories back, I suspect Hayley may also have a new LI who will have 30 seconds screentime total and will also be ditched in favour of H/E. We’ll probably learn little about what Hayley’s been doing in the past decade or so, she prolly wont have a job or have picked up a new hobby and they’ll once again make out like every waking moment was spent trying to get the mikaelsons together again and she just didn’t have timeeee for herself (or they’ll make out like she aint even bothered because that wouldn’t surprise me either with the way nobody including hayley fought to keep them all together at the end of last season)

I suspect we’ll have minimal Rebekah as per season 2/3 due to the fact Claire’s new series got picked up to order, I think we might have Kol/Davina drop in together every now and then, depending on when Danielle wants to film. (Though even if she was completely free I dont think they’d ever bring them both to mains)

I’m monumentally disappointed with the lack of flashbacks this season, I really am, but with the cut down time I suspect there’ll be the same amount in s5, then again if Klaus really does return back to how he used to be due to losing Hope (literally and figuratively), maybe we’ll get some more so they can draw comparison. Josh will probably be the same as he was this season as well, they’ll make a reminder that he has a boyfriend or something and then never show the guy again, then he’ll be used randomly as/when to fit plans. We’ll prolly have a couple of shots of Cami’s grave again so I suspect that’ll remain the same.

I predict that Rebel will have broken up by the first episode and Marcel will be back in New Orleans. (small chance they’ll break up in the first episode after realising that it just isn’t working out and they’ll make a show of Rebekah staying wherever they are at that moment and Marcel going home. I suspect Rebekah/Marcel will have been in a very tumultuous on/off again for the past 7/8 years) Rebekah will drop in when the drama starts and they need her for something, her and Marcel will gaze longingly and may have gotten it on again by the end of the season.

I suspect that Freya/Keelin will be ridiculously happy and soppy though Freya will feel guilty over how long her family have been separated. Keelin will comfort her and that will lead to more soppy stuff. The writers have made it v clear they’re all in for this relationship to be happy and not end so there’s really not that much to ‘predict’ with this one.

Hope will probably have Bonnie/Davina level powers that she’s still not got amazing amounts of control over due to the sheer level of power she has. Will probably lose control a lot.

Vincent... idk about Vincent, he’ll prolly have his own sideplot that’ll link into the main somehow. Same goes for Marcel, I dont really know where they’d go with him.

I think The Hollow plot will be solved by episode 2 and then the s5 villain will problem will take root in episode 3, like in this season just passed, where season 3′s problem was solved at the end of episode 2 and then the hollow came in and messed it up for them when they finally thought they were gonna be okay.

Klaus... I’m with everyone else they’ll probably have Klaus with an old edge to him because he’s feeling bitter that once again he’s had to give up his child in order for his family to be okay, and for all he has had growth in the past couple of years, this is klaus we’re talking about, it *will* get to him deep down that his family get to go off and basically be perfectly happy with their partners and elijah gets to unburden himself of them all but he gets jack shit and cant be with Hope once again. But then again we were told to expect Klaus with PTSD from the dungeon and he had a total of one scene where we saw the effects of that so whoooo knows if they’ll make it effect him.

Depending on what capacity they get Candice I suspect they’ll have Caroline be the light in his life again or whatever when he can finally go near Hope again and he don’t know how to act they’ll have Caroline act like she knows her better than anyone else since she’s been her teacher (yeah the vampire teaching the witch, okay, whatever, moving on) and will help Klaus with Hope.

Ric will probably make a cameo in either the first episode or an episode later down the season.

There’ll probably be a K/D, H/E, R/M & K/C endgame. But i wouldn’t be surprised if they had it so R/M weren’t actually endgame and have them accept that they’re always gonna love each other but it’s never gonna work out.

I’ve heard talks of a Hope spinoff, and maybe there is an actual plan in JP’s head for this or maybe there isn’t, But I guarantee you that if they do a backdoor pilot (prolly where Alaric will actually enter) then it’ll flop. Theres no longer a market for that kinda show. Not a TVD meets Harry Potter meets Buffy which is how I expect they’ll try play it off. I think Hope was aged up because they had no idea what to do with a seven year old tbh, and this is the CW, so there *must* be some sort of romance with a central character. Hence Roman. I suspect Hope will be bratty and have an attitude and wont be the shy completely selfless kid we met in s4, and they’ll probably either try saying it’s her genetics or because Klaus wasn’t around enough.

(my unrealistic hopes though are hayley having an actual job and maybe going back to the pack since it was confirmed she was still living in new orleans and being an alpha and liaising with Vincent to be the head of the wolf faction again, having more flashbacks, minimal daddy issue drama with hope, more haycel/hopecel, little interference from TVD including MF, and not stringing out the elijah drama, if you’re gonna give him back his memories just doooo it don’t make it last all season, also freya getting a job might be cool, and learning vincents actual job when he’s not casting spells... you know... just saying)

I still run this blog because I’ve invested a fuckton of time into it, this blog is like my baby tbh, and I still love Hayley as a character even though I’m not okay with the show rn or tbh a lot of the way Hayley is written, she’s still a character that I very much so cannot let go of just yet. Also I found out that Carina will be a producer this year which I let fill me with a tiny bit of Hope because whilst she may not have ultimate power on the actual plot like Julie does, she’s very much so always been very pro Hayley and has always written incredible scenes for her, and has also written some very decent K/H/ scenes (whether or not she or anyone else ships them romantically, some of the best K/H scenes where they talk about Hope have been written by her)

Royal I’m assuming doesn’t care enough to give a prediction for s5 because she’s over the show, I know from speaking to her though that she’s still part of the blog because she enjoys the company (ayyyy) and has also been here from the very start and has invested a lot into it. Royal’s done a lot for the blog BTS.

And this is Sarah’s response:

My predictions for the show are pretty bleak (for me). I don't like this time jump. At all. Literally, there is not a single thing I like about it. I think they built the show on Klaus' redemption being through being a father to Hope, and yet he's spent literally less than two years actually raising her. So, what's the point of him being a father if he's not actually being a father? You providing biological material and/or money and possessions does not make you a father. He got what - two months with her where she could actually form memories and half the time he was fighting a big bad. Yes, his sacrifice was noble...I guess.

So, we're gonna get Hope with daddy issues. Which is very valid for her to have because she can't actually spend quality time with her father. And she apparently doesn't get to be raised by her mother. But that's all good because saint Caroline has a school she can attend and that's super more important than her being raised by her mother. Obviously, there's no witches in NOLA who could teach her. No witch children she could make friends with (or werewolf children for that matter). Nope. None. Not a single one. Certainly none with the last name Mikaelson. Noooooope. Can't think of a single witch who could teach her.

Also, add in the fact that the sides that were released (which I doubt will make it onto the show) have Hope completely isolated and has no friends because everyone is scared of her. But totally worth not being raised for extended amounts of time by either of her parents for her to not have friends...she gets a boyfriend though!!!!!!! And that's all that matters, right?

Basically, I think they aged up Hope because now they can push the magic school spin-off with Hope as the lead once the Originals ends. They're baiting other fans in with talk of Caroline and KC and whether they actually go through and produce either - who knows.

I think eventually they'll get back to NOLA. Hope will leave the school (since apparently she has no friends there in the first place). Her boyfriend will follow and be creepy like all the male vampires on this show. But she'll ignore it because he's dreamy and dangerous and blah blah blah. The show will continue reusing plot lines and nothing will actually ever happen or be accomplished. Somehow the Mikaelsons will put the Hollow down for good and we'll see Klaus again not knowing how to be a father/trying to make up for lost time because that's all the writers apparently know how to write. Maybe we'll get big bad Klaus again, and when he's finally reunited with Hope, he'll start his redemption arc again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

#ask #anonymous #mod post #gigi #sarah #if y'all want to discuss any of our answers feel free to come to our personal asks about this #especially if it's concerning predictions for anything other than hayley lmao #thanks guys #Anonymous

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housebeleren · 5 years

Text

Throne of Eldraine Limited - Bomb Rares

Alright. Last but definitely not least, we have the Rares & Mythics of Throne of Eldraine. Let’s see which ones are going to dominate the battlefield during prerelease and which ones are ... less exciting.

White

I may be very wrong, but I have this pegged as not only the best White card, but also the best Rare in the set overall, at least as far as limited is concerned. In White, it shouldn’t be difficult at all to get this to cost 4 mana, and if you untap with it, it will take over the game in short order. The Legendary text is mostly fluff, but you don’t need it for this to be incredible. 4.5/5

Cheap tappers are always good, and adding a kill spell to it pushes this into the great category. If you can take out a big monster first, then this will allow you to control the board pretty easily. I’m erring on the side of always running this. 4.0/5

A 7/7 Vigilance for 7 isn’t great on its own, but this Giant comes with a board wipe attached to break parity. There’s basically no way this card isn’t going to provide advantage, and it shouldn’t be hard to make it work out even more in your favor. 4.0/5

Blue

Blue really doesn’t have any bonkers Rares, but its lower rarities are solid enough that it should still be a good color. Brazen Borrower is an efficient trick tacked on to an efficient flier, and it will always be good, even if you just cast the creature half. But it’s definitely not broken. 3.5/5

Gadwick definitely has more potential in formats like Commander, where you can draw piles of cards off him. In Limited, you should probably be content to cast him for 4 or 5 mana, and draw a couple cards off him. The good news is he scales well into the late game, and if you untap with him in a heavy Blue deck, he can completely dominate the board. 3.5/5

Black

This seems pretty nuts. If they can’t deal with it immediately, they’re almost certainly going to pay the toll, at which point you’ll be drawing cards and keeping your life total healthy. Even if they kill it after they untap, you’ve successfully 2-for-1d them, and if they don’t have an answer for this, it’ll completely run away with the game. Pretty solid bomb. 4.5/5

Hero’s Downfall would already be a top pick, but attaching that to a solid creature is just nuts. Definitely first pick material. 4.0/5

Wow, this also seems super good. If you can keep this around for a while, you’ll create a rat swarm, and once you get 3 of them, you can just start taking over your opponent’s board. This also combos nicely with Mad Ratter. 4.0/5

Black does have some bonkers Rares, doesn’t it? Rankle would be playable on base stats alone, but the ability is crazy. Sure, they’re all symmetrical, but you only have to choose those ones that are more advantageous to you at the time. It takes some smart usage, but a savvy player can build this to be totally busted. 4.0/5

Red

You’ve heard of Flametongue Kavu, right? Well, this is pretty damn close to that, just with the effect and the creature split up over 2 casts. It’s completely reasonable to torch your opponent to the face or whatever creature they drop turn 2, then just immediately play this turn 3, at which point you’ve swapped the tempo entirely. If you draw it late game, you can do it all at once, which is a pretty big hit to the board. this will be good any way you slice it. 4.0/5

On attack, assuming you’re swinging with more than one creature, Embercleave acts a lot like Uncaged Fury, a totally solid trick, but with the upside that you get to keep the benefit around for later turns. That’s pretty bonkers, and I’d always run this. 4.0/5

Okay, there is a condition on here which a lot of people will forget, which is that it can only hit Humans or Artifacts. That said, most decks will have some targets, and if they do, this is basically Dungeon Geists with an extra point of power, and that’s crazy good. But the failsafe is it’s a 4/3 flier for 4, which is already a strong card. 4.0/5

This is effectively a 4/4 for 4, which is some decent stats to begin with, but it immediately buffs all your Red creatures for +2/+0, and that will lead to some big swings very quickly. This even scales up your burn spells, allowing you to take down big creatures or realistically taking down your opponent with them. You want to be heavy Red to maximize this, for sure, but it’s an incredible playoff if you are. 4.0/5

Green

It’s a hefty mana requirement, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve in this format. Once it’s out, it’s going to be the biggest thing on the board, and it can come back over and over with some good Food support. 4.0/5

There’s no way this isn’t going to be insane. It’s a pile of stats and abilities, with evasion, and it even gets through any protection your opponent may have. The Planeswalker text will rarely come up, but that’s more for constructed. In limited, the rest of the stats already push this over the top. 4.0/5

I mean... this seems good. If you have a Food when this comes down, you can immediately sacrifice it to win any fight it gets into. Either way, it’s going to take something out, and it threatens to become an impossible to remove, massive threat with just a little bit of support. 4.0/5

Multicolored & Colorless

Planeswalkers are typically great, and Garruk seems like no exception. For the most part, you’ll just pump out Wolves one turn after another, and occasionally you’ll use his minus to clean up the board. Seems good. 4.0/5

This seems... really good. It’s your top end for sure, but it ambushes attackers and eats basically anything when it does so. Not only that, but once you untap with it, it becomes a hard to block, card-drawing threat that can come back from the dead. So um yeah... Seems really fucking good. 4.5/5

Oko is a little less certain than Garruk, but I suspect he’ll be good. He comes in with a pile of loyalty, and can swap the Food he makes for their creatures, including the ones he transforms. My guess is that he’ll play better than he looks (and he looks damn fine.) 4.0/5

Assuming you’re not literally about to die, this seems completely insane. A free creature every turn is big game, and after only a few turns, this will very quickly overwhelm your opponent. I suspect this will be awesome. 4.5/5

So that’s it for the crazy bombs. Let’s quickly run down the other Rares and see how they stack up.

Acclaimed Contender - Solid stats and will often find a friend when it comes in. Seems good. 3.0

Charming Prince - Most of the time, this will be a bear that Scries when it comes in, which is pretty good. Once in a while, it’ll flicker a creature that’s under a debilitating Aura, in which case it will be great. 2.5

Happily Ever After - Alternate win cons are usually more for constructed than limited, and this is no exception. Don’t play this. 0.0

Hushbringer - For the most part, this is a Healer’s Hawk, but without all the synergies that made that card work. I’m not expecting this to be great. 1.5

Linden, the Steadfast Queen - Triple White on turn three isn’t easy to achieve, but Linden will be a solid play through most of the game. You really want to be heavy White so you can cast this on curve. 2.5

Worthy Knight - This is a solid turn 2 play, and with enough Knights in your deck it’s going to churn out dorks, which can rapidly get out of hand. Definitely prioritize Knights when you get this early. 3.0

Emry, Lurker of the Loch - I mean, I supposed there’s an Artifact deck around this somewhere, but mostly it just seems underwhelming. Save this for breaking in Commander. 1.5

Fae of Wishes - Wish cards are much better in constructed, since in limited you’ll usually have all your playables in your deck. But, the fail case as a 1/4 flying isn’t awful, and once in a while you’ll be able to get some extra value out of it. 2.5

Folio of Fancies - This is the most likely way you’ll get a milling win out of this set, but for the most part, it’s a card that does a lot of nothing. 1.5

The Magic Mirror - You’re rarely going to be able to cast this for less than 6 or 7, and that’s way too much to do nothing for a full turn. You really want 3 turns off of this for it to be at all worth it, and I don’t see that happening often. 0.5

Midnight Clock - If you need a mana rock for Blue, knock your socks off. But the rest of the text on this card is meaningless. 1.0

Mirrormade - Clones are usually decent, but this one only hitting Artifacts & Enchantments is a major drawback. I’d pass. 1.0

Stolen by the Fae - Sorcery-speed bounce is not usually where I’d like to be, but this one mitigates it by making a flood of flying tokens. 3.5

Vantress Gargoyle - Obviously, it’s efficiently costed, but it’s unclear how easy it will be to overcome either drawback. I’ll start by saying I think this card will be good, provided you put a little work into the build. 3.0

Ayara, First of Locthwain - Ayara is certainly a good deal for 3 CMC, but triple Black is no joke, and she becomes a lot less potent the later the game goes. Try to have plenty of Black sources to run this. 2.5

Blacklance Paragon - Most of the time, this is going to be an ambush blocker, or a way to trade a cheaper Knight for a big threat your opponent throws down. A lot of action for 2 mana. 3.0

The Cauldron of Eternity - I think a lot of people will run this in decks that shouldn’t. Most of the time, by the time you are able to cast this, the game will be almost over. 1.0

Oathsworn Knight - I like this guy a lot. He is efficiently costed and hard to take down. The only thing I don’t love is his must attack trigger, which keeps him from being incredible. But still good. 3.5

Wishclaw Talisman - Save the tutors for constructed, especially ones that come with a downside. At least if your opponent does use it, I guess you get to use it one last time? 1.0

Witch’s Vengeance - Most of the time, this will kill a few things, but it may be hard to line it up to kill what you want, since chances are your creature types will overlap with your opponent’s. 2.0

Fervent Champion - This feels much more like a constructed plant for the Knights deck, since a 1/1 gets outclassed so fast in limited. 2.0

Fires of Invention - I don’t get this card, since it doesn’t even help you draw into cards to play with its ability. Seems like a great wast of a card slot. 0.0

Irencrag Feat - This is a bunch of ramp, but the restriction means you really need something huge to cast for it to be worth anything. My hunch is you won’t have that card often enough for this to work. 1.0

Irencrag Pyromancer - You really want to get a couple triggers off this, but as soon as you get one, you’re in business. Chucking bolts at things is no joke, and with a solid enabler like Loch Dragon, this could win you the game. 3.5

Robber of the Rich - 2/2 with Haste for 2 mana is a decent start, but this guy will get blanked fairly quickly, which means you’ll often have to sacrifice him to get to cast anything he steals. Which seems... eh? And what if you hit lands? Play this mainly for the base stats, which are solid. 3.0

Sundering Stroke - Okay, of course the dream is to cast this off Irencrag Feat, which I totally get. As-is, it’s a good effect, but the mana cost is intense. If this format ends up being slower than I expect, I could see it being playable, but for now I imagine it languishing in hands. 1.5

Gilded Goose - An unexciting card on its own, the real power here is the ability to generate Food on demand. In decks with good payoffs, this can be a powerful enabler. 2.5

The Great Henge - This definitely requires the right buildaround, as it is definitely not for weenie decks. In decks with lots of 4-5 power Creatures, I could see it happening, especially if you can immediately follow it up with a 2 drop to get value right away. 2.5

Lovestruck Beast - This is really more of a 4 drop, but you can split it up over two turns, and that’s super solid. From there, it’s crazy stats, and all you need to do is make sure you keep your 1/1 safe. Or, y’know, make new ones if they die. 3.5

Once Upon a Time - Without the “first spell” text, this would be a Common we see every set, and it’s about that good here. 1.5

Return of the Wildspeaker - Most of the time, you’ll cast the trick half of this for some combat blowout, and that’s pretty solid in the right deck. Once in a while, the card draw will be the choice. 2.5

Wildborn Preserver - 2/2 with Reach & Flash is great to begin with, but being able to make this bigger as the game goes on seems great. 3.5

Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig - Yorvo is super potent, if you can get him out on-curve, which is no easy feat. Trample would’ve been nice. 3.5

Dance of the Manse - In the deck, this might get you back a few useful pieces, even if you never get the second bit of text. 2.0

Doom Foretold - Normally, attrition effects like this are not very good in limited, but the fact that this rewards you once they can’t pay anymore makes this better than it would be otherwise. But it is possible to hurt yourself more than your opponent with this, so I’d mostly leave it for constructed. 1.5

Escape to the Wilds - This is some potent card draw & ramp, bundled into one, and I suspect it’s worth trying out. 2.5

Faeburrow Elder - This guy goes against everything else in the set and wants you to play lots of colors. That makes me think it will be worse than it would be in a normal set, despite it being pretty solid on base. 3.0

The Royal Scions - There’s a lot of hating on these two, but I think they’ll play decently. They come in with tons of loyalty, trigger any of your “draw two” triggers every turn, and can make some of your threats impossible to block effectively. Not the best ‘Walker, but seems good. 3.5

Stormfist Crusader - The card draw bit is a wash, so mostly I’m evaluating this on the stats, Menace, and relevant creature types. S’aright. 2.5

Sorcerous Spyglass - Nope. Leave it for constructed. 0.0

Stonecoil Serpent - Jesus, remember when Endless One seemed like it was ridiculous? Just add Reach, Trample, and Protection onto that. No biggie. 3.5

Castles - These all seem decent, and are mostly free to include in your deck. 3.0 for Castles Ardenvale, Locthwain, and Vantress. 2.5 for Castle Embereth. 2.0 for Castle Garenbrig.

So that’s it. Good luck at prerelease!

#mtg eldraine

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