#he may try to fight them a bit as his demony side takes over and tries to avoid ingesting literal angel tears

[mudskip-muses]

@escapedartgeek remember how i said short- (X)

There were a million different things Gundham could have done instead of taking the hit for Zora made by one of his overzealous demon kin, the brute attempting to cut them down while the pair was distracted with investigating an old warehouse after rumors of magical happenings within it had reached the halfblood. He had only seconds to react, the demi-demon once again finding himself between one he cared for deemed worthy of his protection and a threat, though this time it was himself that threatened to burst into hellfire along with the assailant. 

The fellow demon’s claws sunk into his chest just as his knife embedded in their own, the poor fool giving a hellish scream before they burst into flames in Gundham’s grasp, the exposed skin of his hands sizzling as it reacted with his angelic half. It wasn't as bad as if he were a full blooded “pure” being, but the fire left behind reddened skin in it’s wake and the smell of burning in the air as the bandages on his left hand began to smolder. 

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment after that, Gundham stuck standing there in wide-eyed shock before his body seemed to catch up with him, the halfblood falling to his knees, and then forwards to his hands a moment later. With a wet cough, blood spattered out of his mouth to the floor below, everything smelling so very much like sulfur that it was making him feel sick. “I b-believe we...have- h-have found our source-” There was more to that thought, but it couldn’t be spoken, the halfblood teetering before fully crashing to the floor in a heap, trying so very hard to hang on to his last thread of consciousness. 

“My...my in...inner p-pocket, there is...a vial of-” Another cough, this one worse than the last. “It glows. I need- I-I need...you...to...” Was...the world supposed to turn like this? And...had it always been this cold? “To...”

[itsthesinbin]

My Only Desire Is To Kick Your Ass (Chapter 5)

YEAH I KNOW IT AIN’T SATURDAY but it’s been so long without an update I can break the rules.

I finally forced myself to sit down and at least finish chapter 5. Not as long as some previous chapters, but I was getting sick of looking at it and wanted to do it before I DELETED IT like I was tempted to.

Read on Ao3!

Going straight from a Mage’s Gala to a dark back alley is a big step, and not one Wysira intended to take tonight. This mysterious “Red Jenny” left messages, telling her to be here tonight after “Fancy Pants’” party. Wysira still did not appreciate arrows shot at her, and having to hunt all over the shopping area of Orlais to find these messages. Whoever this Jenny was, she certainly wasn’t one for making things easy.

The fireball that was fired at her face REALLY made her regret coming out here.

“Herald of Andraste! How much did you expend to discover me, I wonder? The Inquisition must be weakened from this,” a man laughed, a cocky grin partially hidden by his mask. Wysira stared at the man dumbly, ears twitching in thought. She glanced at Cassandra, who just… shrugged. Thank the Creator- Wysira wasn’t left out of any loop. This man was just stupid.

“And you are…?” The man laughed, making Wysira rub her forehead. What was it about these people that just… made them so stupid? Was all of Orlais like this? If so, Wysira really wants to go back to Ferelden. At least people there weren’t complete morons.

Oh… he was STILL talking. Great.

Her ears twitched as she caught the quiet sound of footsteps- not of this buffoon’s guards, but of someone lurking in the shadows. Solas heard it as well, as she caught him glancing towards where the footsteps were coming from. Mr. Asshole turned his head, the group spotting a small elf with a bow.

“Just say ‘what’,” she grinned. The man uttered a “what-”, then an arrow pierced through his skull. He was dead before he hit the ground. The new woman let out a disgusted noise, before coming over to the dead body.

“Squishy one, but you heard me, right,” she asked, prodding the corpse with her foot. “Just say ‘what’- rich tits always try for more than they deserve”. She reached down, grasping the shaft of the arrow.

“Blah, blah, blah,” she said, grunting out the last word as she yanked the arrow out. “Obey me! Arrow in my face!” She stowed the arrow back in her quiver. “So, you followed the notes well enough. Glad to see you’re…” She trailed off, eyes raking up the nearly seven foot tall woman in front of her. The elf felt her cheeks darken, and her ears perked up.

“You’re well fit,” she sighed dreamingly. Wysira let out a small chuckle, making Sera clear her throat and shake her head a bit. Focus, Sera, you got an Inquisitor to recruit.

“Eh… heard about ya being all… demony- expected more… purple fire and less clothes”. “You’re honest, at least. I like that,” Wysira laughed. Sera waved her hands around slightly, as if clearing the conversation.

“I mean, it’s all good- I think. The important thing is: you glow? You’re the Herald thingy, right?” Oh… this woman was adorable. Wysira’s definitely going to have fun with her. She smiled.

“I do “glow”, I suppose- and yes, people assume I’m the Herald of Andraste”. She REALLY hopes she remembers the name, this time. Last time, she accidentally said “Anstarta” and people got very angry.

Cassandra didn’t correct her, or scoff, so she assumes she got it right.

“The question of who you are, and what all this is, still stands,” The Succubus crossed her arms as Sera looked down at the dead body. The elf shrugged, bringing her hands up as she did so.

“No idea- don’t know this idiot from manners. My people just said the Inquisition should look into it”. Wysira rose a brow. She asked if Sera meant other Elves. Sera shook her head. Ears twitching, she heard the asshole’s guards running in. She pulled her bow back out.

“Name’s Sera,” she laughed, pointing to a large crate. “This is cover. Get ‘round it. Don’t worry- someone tipped me of the reinforcements’ shipment”. She grinned wide as half naked guards ran into the area. Sera cackled.

“THEY’VE GOT NO BREECHES!”

“Why didn’t you take their weapons,” Wysira yelled, pulling out her own sword. Sera shrieked with laughter, asking where the fun was in that. Wysira looked at the tiny elf from across the impromptu battlefield, seeing her grin and cackle as she kicked some poor man in the dick. The moonlight made her blonde hair shine just as brightly as her eyes. Wysira couldn’t help but smirk to herself. Oh, she had to have this little cutie at her side.

“You’re hired, Sera! I want you in Haven after this is over!” The elf let out a whooping “WOO-HOO”, shooting a perfectly-aimed arrow through a man’s eye socket.

“Are you sure that’s wise, Herald,” Cassandra asked quietly. Wysira shot her a smug grin.

“Let me have a chance at SOME fun, Cassandra. I’d like some women around that aren’t complete prudes,” she laughed, missing Cassandra's offended look as she stabbed a man through the gut. Varric barked out a laugh, only to grunt as the Seeker elbowed him out of the way of an arrow. He continued to snicker, knowing he’d hear it from miss Pentaghast, later.

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

Sera met them back at Haven, as promised. Wysira managed to greet her on the way to the Chantry, promising to talk to her properly after her meeting.

Josephine caught her and Cassandra on the way through the doors, expressing her relief that they returned quickly- and safely. Leliana and Cullen made their way over, as well. Cullen let out an angry huff.

“It’s a shame the Templars have abandoned their senses, as well as the Capital”. Wysira snorted slightly, pulling her hair back out of her face as she began to talk.

“At least we did something,” she grumbled, pulling her hair into a ponytail. “Now we have opportunities”. She began towards the War Room, the humans following after her. Josephine hummed in agreement, writing something on her clipboard.

“Yes, and we have openings to meet with both the Templars and Mages”. “Do we,” Cassandra asked bitterly. “Lord Seeker Lucius is not the man I remember”. Leliana agreed.

“He has taken the Order somewhere, but I am not sure for what- my reports have been… odd”. As Wysira predicted, Cullen still pushed towards the Templars with the idea of “not everyone supports the Lord Seeker”. Josephine opted for the Mages. Cullen barked out a cynical laugh.

“You think the Mage Rebellion is more united? It could be ten times worse”. Before anyone could begin to argue, Wysira let out a low growl. Her “don’t even think about fighting” growl. Many of the soldiers, mages, and templars have heard it often.

“I do not want to hear ANOTHER argument on who we should go to,” Wysira huffed, glaring at Cullen and Leliana in particular, knowing they’ll be most likely to start up. Cullen’s jaw clenched, and he averted his eyes. Wysira let out a quiet “mhm” in response, turning back to Josephine.

“We’ll see what the mages want, at least”. Cassandra let out a “hmph”, putting her hands on her hips. Wysira raised a brow, silently asking her to voice her reservations. Not that Cassandra needed any prompting to do so.

“No doubt it’s the same thing they always want: support for their cause”. “We shouldn’t discount Redcliffe,” Josephine argued. “The Mages may be worth the risk, in the end”.

“They are powerful, Ambassador, but more desperate than you seem to realize”. Wysira scoffed, a dramatic roll of her eyes accompanying the sound. Cassandra sneered at her, but the succubus paid it no mind.

“So, it’ll be dangerous. I’ve been in danger since I arrived in this backwater universe”. Cassandra sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“If some of the rebel Mages were responsible for what happened at the Conclave-”. “The same could be said for the Templars,” Josephine countered, quick to shut the Seeker down. Wysira waved all of them off, silencing them.

“Look, we just got back. Give us a day to relax, and we’ll talk about this tomorrow”. Josephine agreed, much to Cassandra’s, and Cullen’s, dismay. The small group finally disbanded, but Leliana kept Wysira back.

“There is one other matter”. “Of course there is”. Leliana let out a small smile at Wysira’s tired tone. Leliana continued, face stoic once again.

“Several months ago, the Grey Wardens of Ferelden vanished. I sent word to those in Orlais, but they are also missing”. She waited for Wysira to gain a look of recognition. She does remember the stories of the Wardens, and their importance. It just took her a minute.

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even consider the idea they’re involved in this, but the timing is… curious”. Wysira nodded, prompting her to continue.

“The others have brushed off my suspicions, but I cannot ignore this”. She gave information on a Warden by the name of Blackwall, living in the Hinterlands. Wysira agreed to search for him, on their way to Redcliffe. The two parted ways once business was done. Wysira was stopped outside by an armored man- clearly not one of her own soldiers.

“Ex… cuse me, miss,” he seemed to realize who he was talking to, but wasn’t deterred. “I’ve got a message for the Inquisition, but no one will deliver it”. She smiled, a small, threatening look that has him standing stranger.

“Who are you, soldier,” she asked, authority laced in her polite tone. He saluted, pressing his fist and forearm against his chest.

“Cremisius Aclassi, with the Bull’s Chargers Mercenary Company- we mainly work out of Orlais and Nevarra”. She nodded, motioning for him to relax his posture and give her the message.

“We’ve gotten word of some Tevinter mercenaries gathering out on the Storm Coast”. She’s going to pretend she understood that entire sentence until she’s done talking to him.

“My company Commander, Iron Bull, offers the information; free of charge. If you’d like to see what the Bull’s Chargers can do for the Inquisition, meet us there and watch us work”. Wysira motioned for him to follow her, leading him to a fire pit.

“What can your Chargers offer the Inquisition?” “We’re loyal, tough, and respect our contracts. If you need references, we’ve got several in Val Royeaux”. She nodded, sitting down near the fire. He sat across from her.

“What can you tell me about your Commander?” “Iron Bull? He’s one of your kind- Qunari-”. “I’ll stop you there, my dear. Despite my appearances, I am no Qunari”. He hesitated, before nodding slowly. He continued, going on to say he leads the fights, pays well, and is “a helluva lot smarter than my last employer”. She smiled at his phrasing, leaning back a bit.

“Alright, mister Aclassi, the Inquisition will consider your offer”. He stood, expressing his appreciation. She stood after him, the two shaking hands. She watched him go, then went to Leliana’s tent.

“Leliana, dear, I have a question,” she asked. Leliana looked up from her work, silently asking the Harold to continue.

“Where’s the Storm Coast and what’s a Tevinter?” Leliana couldn’t help laughing at the way the question was phrased.

“Let’s start with why you want to know, and the Storm Coast. Tevinter is… a longer explanation”.

[thanatophania]

Sera, Cass, Lottie? :3c

WOW this got very long.

Full name: Seraphina Lucia Rosenvinge

Gender/orientation: Female, bi. All hail the heartbreaker, she’s been through her share of beaus and likes to change things up.

Pronouns:She/herEthnicity/species: Lalaland European; her family background is primarily Norwegian and they’re a small, pureblooded family of swan witches.Birthplace/birthdate: January 21, somewhere in Svalbard.Guilty pleasures: Going on extravagant shopping sprees. Back when she used to flirt a lot more and be a lot more casual with her affections, it was nice to have people buy gifts for her. She certainly knew how to get things she wanted, one way or the other. Sometimes she gets guilty enough to return the stuff she buys, but most of the time she doesn’t. Hey, it’s not like she just leaves them to gather dust; unlike some people, she actually uses them! It’s not a hoarding problem, what are you talking about.Phobias: A bit of a Rich Person First World Problem in some aspects, but she’s afraid of having … nothing. No assets, no ties/bonds to people, being completely cut off and isolated. That’s kinda why she did that to other people before they could do it to her. :’)What they would be famous for: If she had her way and wasn’t stopped by the likes of Ali or Cass, she might’ve gotten famous for having a lot of spouses that died mysteriously. :| Maybe gained a reputation as a black widow or some shit. Not very flattering …What they would get arrested for: Casual property destruction. Assault and battery. She’s got a rather short fuse and some pretty bloodthirsty tendencies if provoked. She tends to get pretty angry on behalf of other people, and her first solution to their problems is usually to beat the problem until it repents.Ship them with: Sho. It’s somewhat complicated, because it seems she might have to gear up to fight Cass for the rights to Sho’s hand in … er, not marriage, but. Certainly something. Neither of them are particularly pleased about sharing. She saw him first, damn it! That said, she still likes to flirt, and totally used to flirt with Alistair’s illegitimate half-sister. Mostly to piss him off. Which is succeeding, to absolutely nobody’s surprise.Most likely to murder them: The Bureau, anyone who hates Alistair enough to want to kill him – and it’s her job to get in their way, alas. Closer to home, Mei has threatened to kill her if she breaks Sho’s heart. Sera thinks it’s kinda cute, that her boyfriend’s old childhood girl/friend is protective enough over him to threaten grievous bodily harm to whoever messes with his feelings, even if she was the one that broke things off first. It’s cute. Mei’s also cute.Favourite movie/book genre: Romances and chick lit/flicks. Whether it’s ironic or not, nobody knows. She seems especially fond of trashy romance paperbacks, a la Chuck Tingle or Danielle Steel. And hey, Bridget Jones’ Diary and The Notebook are all hilarious, don’t judge.Least favourite movie/book genre: Action. She can get pretty critical about things like historical and biological accuracy, and commentates all through it. Do not bring her for action movies or superhero flicks. Just don’t.Talents/powers: Ruthless Monopoly king. She’s not here to make friends, she’s here to win. She’s also got a pretty good singing voice, and gets pretty competitive during karaoke nights, sometimes breaking out the operatic contralto if she’s had enough to drink. That aside, Sera’s also pretty handy with polearms and thunder magic, and has a better handle on casting offensively than her brother.Why someone might love them: Protective as all hell to whoever she likes enough. Never mind the fact that they might be able to do it themselves. Even if she gives Ali a lot of shit and doesn’t seem to respect him, she can and will kill for him. It goes without question she’ll do the same for Sho. Ride or die, my man. She’s all about that life.How they change: Uh, well, she genuinely cares for Sho and he’s the biggest catalyst to her settling down and being? A better person? Maybe? She also eventually becomes more honest with herself and with other people.Why you love them: She’s a vicious blood knight (and sometimes gold digger) dressed up as a fragile blushing rose maiden. What’s not to love. She’s awful and I love her.

Full name: Cassius Isak RosenvingeGender/orientation: Male, bi. If his previous interests are any indication, his preferences lean towards men.Pronouns: He/himEthnicity/species: Lalaland European; he comes from a family of Norwegian swan witches.Birthplace/birthdate: January 21, somewhere in Svalbard.Guilty pleasures: Cass is the type of person who feels obligated to be doing something 24/7, so just. Unwinding and Not Doing Anything is something he considers to be a guilty pleasure. Napping, sitting in the park watching people pass by, going to the local pool/lake/miscellaneous water body and just floating aimlessly watching the clouds drift past … yeah, that’s the life.Phobias: It’s not all that uncommon a fear, but Cass hates the Naraka more than anything else because he’s had some experience with getting too close to it. He doesn’t like the cold, or still waters – together, they remind him far too much of the Sea of Samsara. One of his worst nightmares usually entails drowning, the open sea, deep waters, burial at sea, and shipwrecks.What they would be famous for: Very few people use blood magic, especially in conjunction with healing, and Cass is one of them. He may or may not have gotten a few lessons in between from a certain blood mage snake witch, long before her fall from grace. Take that how you will. :^)What they would get arrested for: Robbery. Mostly by virtue of wandering off without realising he hasn’t paid for something, only to set off the alarms as he leaves. Or can you also get arrested for being too smug, and being snide to whoever arrests you? Cass would probably always be held in contempt of the court, no matter what the original charges.Ship them with: … Sho. Remember when I said it’s complicated. His first love was Alistair but it was rather one-sided and never really got anywhere, and Cass knows he’d be lying if he said he didn’t still kinda hold a torch for everyone’s favourite resident jerk stag. And … re: Sho, he was supposed to be playing wingman (ha) or something for Sera but look what happened. Oh no. Oh no, he’s cute. Most likely to murder them: Anybody who has beef against Alistair, naturally. The Bureau – and the most likely candidate may well be Ren. Hell, let’s not even go that far and think about the Bureau – he’d let Alistair murder him. Wait, come back, he didn’t say that out loud, did he.Favourite movie/book genre:… he likes documentaries and educational videos. They’re good to have as background noise while he’s doing something else, though he always changes the channel if it’s one of those deep-sea specials. He’s also got a National Geographic subscription, and likes the photography spreads.Least favourite movie/book genre: Crime and horror. He’s seen enough shit to last a lifetime, thanks, and his normal life has quite a few dead person horrormonsters in it; he’s not a fan of his entertainment having them too. Nor does he want to be reminded of the depths of depravity the human condition is capable of sinking to.Talents/powers: He’s a good artist, particularly with inks and watercolours! One of his favourite hobbies as a kid used to be sitting at the lake on his family’s estate, painting the scenery. Good eye for detail and figure/gestures, and a pretty dab hand at landscapes. Also an accomplished blood mage/cleric, though that doesn’t come into play quite as much.Why someone might love them: All things considered, he’s pretty honest and to the point, and can be rather direct – he’s just not very good at being subtle. Also has a pretty wry sense of humour, even if it takes a while to show through.How they change: He gets a haircut. HAHAHA. Okay, I’m joking. Gets over his reservations re: demons and demony bullshit, stops being so gung-ho about the blood magic business, stuff like that.

Why you love them: I’m a fan of characters who look serious and foreboding and are actually pretty chill. I am also a fan of those that look deadly serious but have a weird streak. Hypercompetent in some areas, utter dorks in others. :’)Full name: Tilottama KulkarniGender/orientation: Female, bi.Pronouns: She/herEthnicity/species: Lalaland Indian, from a family of snake witches.Birthplace/birthdate: March 6, in Maharashtra. Guilty pleasures: It’s a well-established fact that she likes people-watching, and sometimes making up stories about their lives when she’s bored or surveilling/staking out a mark. It goes without saying that the wilder and more sordid, the more fun. She’s not against sharing said stories, either, especially if the listening party is also involved in said story. The more horrified their reactions, the more fun!Phobias: Going insane and demoning out. Her family has quite the history of demoning out – almost a 100% rate, which is high even for witches. She tries to rein in the Sway from the Spine and mostly succeeds, but fears it getting to her; it’s a big part of why she ignored Eri’s offers of joining her grand demony agendas. She doesn’t need help in that, thanks.What they would be famous for: Setting a new world record for lowest limbo? Don’t look at her like that, it’s a perfectly valid claim to fame. Maybe in another life, she’d have become famous as a traditional dancer (and she used to try teaching Sav a bit too, but their styles are very different), but this is not that life, alas.What they would get arrested for: Cheerful obstruction of justice. She can be frustratingly obfuscating when she wants to be and knows it. I guess technically everyone here would get arrested for murder at some point or another, because, y’know. That’s just the way things are in Quell’s Wonderful Lalaland.Ship them with: Kinda had a casual thing with Millie when they were trainees, though she currently prefers making up her wild and sordid stories to actually being involved in them. At some point, everyone expected her and HP to be a thing since they were childhood friends but they never really got into that; both of them mutually agreed they weren’t each other’s type, and left it at that – though she did admit taming HP would’ve been a fun challenge, had he not eventually tamed himself. Haha.Most likely to murder them: Again, the Bureau is the most likely candidate – and for extra irony or whatever, it could well be Eri. For Science. You know, kill a witch whose family is known for demoning out, demon out yourself, eat the other. She’s also informed the likes of Ming, Lin and Yong to put her down in a worst case scenario, because she trusts in their abilities to put aside personal feelings and end things.Favourite movie/book genre: Historical fantasy dramas, and over-the-top theatrics with terrible effects. Sometimes they intersect and that’s TWICE THE FUN. Sure, serious historical dramas are great and all, don’t get her wrong (and she can get pretty emotional in them HAHA she’s the type of person to connect to the characters and resonate with the storyline or whatever) but she has a huge soft spot for the ones that take their unironic corniness up to eleven.Least favourite movie/book genre: Anything that should, by premise, be ridiculous as fuck, but takes itself too seriously. C’mon, man, where’s the fun in that? There’s way too much media that takes itself too seriously. You gotta be able to laugha t yourself and relish and revel in your cheesiness sometimes.Talents/powers: Can chug a litre of liquid in under twenty seconds. It made for a neat party trick and still kinda does! Just, y’know. Not that often. And uhh I guess even as an archer and a generally ranged caster she’s very good with melee and hand-to-hand and her favourite approach to solving closer-ranged problems is to punch it right in the face. Even amongst water-root witches she’s a very fast and fluid caster, and can use minimal movement and gesture to great effect.Why someone might love them: She’s chill, she’s fun, she’s a good listener. A good budget therapist, in a pinch! She’s pretty perceptive and good at picking up on subtle cues or subconscious hints even if the other person may not even know about them. Guess there’s a good reason she’s trusted with a lot of negotiation stuff and/or recon.How they change: She’ll eventually accept that demoning out isn’t really in her power and she probably won’t get a lot of say in it, and to stop being so paranoid about it happening. It’s okay, carpe diem and all that, and she learns to embrace that fully, and practise what she preaches.

Why you love them: I like characters that stay idealistic and true to themselves despite the world being crapsack. She’s not quite on the level of Yuna or Nagi, but she’s also not as jaded as some her age are.