#the reign

[warpedlegacy]

The Reign, ch12: Nobody's Fool

Theresa is brought in to settle a heated dispute.

Varric was waiting by the hearth in the main hall of the keep, leaning over the table on his forearms, watching the flames, unaware of just how closely his pose mirrored Cassandra’s.  “Cassandra’s calmed down,” I said as I approached.  “Define ‘calmed down’ for me in terms of who or what she’s punching right now?” He was going for flippant, but the slight tremor in his voice betrayed how shaken he really was.  I said nothing, waiting him out as I’d done with Cassandra, knowing neither of them could stand silence for long when something was on their minds.  It took him far less time than it’d taken her.  “I wasn’t trying to keep secrets. I told the Inquisition everything that seemed important at the time.”  I raised one eyebrow. “Corypheus?”  “I found out he was involved at exactly the same time you did,” he said defensively. “Until he showed up at Haven, I thought he was dead. Nothing we saw at the summit made me think he’d been there.”  “Varric, you seem to be under the misunderstanding that I’m cross with you for keeping secrets.”  That brought him up short. “Er, yes? I mean… aren’t you?”  I gave a rueful grin, and answered bitterly, “I’d be quite the hypocrite if that were the case.” 

DAFF tag list: @rakshadow, @rosella-writes, @effelants, @bluewren, @breninarthur,

@ar-lath-ma-cully, @dreadfutures, @ir0n-angel, @inquisimer, @crackinglamb,

@theluckywizard, @oxygenforthewicked, @exalted-dawn-drabbles, @melisusthewee, @blarrghe,

@agentkatie, @delicatefade, @leggywillow, @about2dance, @plisuu

[warpedlegacywrites]

The Reign, ch16: Preparations and Recriminations

Theresa meets her new arcanist, and learns some troubling news.

Preparations were soon underway for my trip to Val Royeaux. I spent much of that time in conference with Leliana, learning the delicate intricacies of interrogating a target while keeping them blissfully unaware. The art of the Bard. Most of it was about non-verbal cues. Body language. Tone of voice. Eye contact. Putting the target at ease, until honesty poured from them like a fountain. It was a lot to remember, but despite my discomfort, Leliana assured me I had a natural talent for it.  “We simply need to hone your skill down to a fine point,” she said, with careful tact. “Starting with your face.”  “My face?”  “Specifically, your gaze. Many find it to be a bit… disconcerting. It puts people on the defensive, makes them uneasy. Not a very good first impression when you’re trying to make friends.”  So much for tact. “I’m not sure how else to look. Should I avoid eye contact?”  “No. That will make you seem duplicitous. It will make others suspicious you’re hiding something.”  “Well, I am.”  “Naturally. But we don’t want to advertise that fact, do we? Try a more demure look with Vicinius. From what my agents have told me, he is a man who craves approval. Make him want yours. Make him work for it. Try tilting the corners of your mouth up, just slightly. Not enough for a full smile… perfect!”  I glanced at myself in the mirror we were sitting in front of, memorising how my face sat, which muscles I was engaging. So much to remember… But she was right—that small change was enough to soften my stare, make me appear more engaged, interested. Amiable.  “You would have made an excellent Bard,” Leliana declared. “Now then, we should practise your posture.” 

DAFF Tag List: @rakshadow, @rosella-writes, @effelants, @bluewren, @breninarthur,

@ar-lath-ma-cully, @dreadfutures, @ir0n-angel, @inquisimer, @crackinglamb,

@theluckywizard, @oxygenforthewicked, @exalted-dawn-drabbles, @melisusthewee, @blarrghe,

@agentkatie, @delicatefade, @leggywillow, @about2dance, @plisuu

[daenerysbooks]

[cooperhoward]

[fricktic]

[charleshuettner]

Our show is coming to NETFLIX on the 31st of May! Please give it a watch if you've been interested. If it does well then we get to make more of it.

[kkshowtunes]

google citing ao3 as a source is so unhinged

[cacturnia]

shout out to the silly creatures from scavengers reign‼️‼️

[harriorrihar]

#scavengersreign is a rare bird, a shooting star. I was lucky enough to see it inside, work on it. Now it's re-released, let's keep this anomaly shining.

[mogai-sunflowers]

this will be a bit of a long post but i ask that you please please read the full thing if you want to know more about Sudan- i feel like not enough people ACTUALLY know what's going on in Sudan. a lot of people have a vague idea that a 'war' and genocide is going on, but it's important to know the specifics as well.

there is extremely little coverage of Sudan from non-Sudanese sources, and even those that DO cover it often paint it as a war between two different generals for power over a country- and to a certain extent, without context, that IS what's happening. for those unaware, the two 'warring factions' in Sudan are the official Sudanese military- the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces).

in April 2019, during the Sudanese Revolution, Islamist dictator Omar al-Bashir was deposed by the SAF in response to a mass wave of revolutionary organizing, protests, and sit-ins. Immediately after, the TMC (Transitionary Military Council) was established, with SAF general inspector Abdel Fattah al-Burhan being appointed as the chairman. for a brief time, protestors engaged in negotiations with Burhan, and many believed that he was being ernest in his promises of a true civilian democratic government- but it soon became clear to protestors that he was not actually taking their demands seriously, so demonstrations once again intensified. on June 3, 2019, it was under Burhan's command that the Khartoum Massacre was committed, killing 118 protestors while they were participating in a sit-in at the military headquarters in Khartoum.

as the next few months went by, agreements came about to dissolve the TMC and form a Transitional Sovereignty Council based on a draft of a constitutional declaration. it was supposed to be that a military official would be the chairman for 21 months, then transitioning to a civilian chairman for the next 18 months- but Burhan staged a coup in October of 2021, and dissolved the council and effectively turned the Sudanese government back into a military junta, which was the cause of further protesting.

i want to emphasize the crimes and horrors of the SAF because they are often forgotten in these discussions due to the absolute atrocities committed by the RSF. there is no good guy here- both the SAF and the RSF are vying for dictatorial power. so let's talk about the RSF.

headed by genocidal war criminal Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known more widely as "Hemedti", the RSF formed around 2014 due to reorginization of the Janjaweed militias- which were the militias that formed across the Darfuri regions of southwestern Sudan to suppress demonstrations against Bashir's oppressive and racist regime which carried out the first genocide of Massalit and other ethnically non-Arab peoples across Darfur in the early 2000s. so to be succinct- the RSF has direct roots in dictatorial suppression of Sudanis protesting against ethnic cleansing, genocide, and oppression.

for around a decade, the RSF and SAF were different factions of the Sudanese military- both have their roots and a pattern of supporting dictatorial violence and anti-Black genocide. and, on April 15, 2023, these two dictatorial Arab-colonialist powers began fighting out of the blue. fighting has been most intense around Khartoum, the central state and capital city of Sudan, where now an estimated 35% of its residents have been forced to flee, with the rest trapped in the middle of an active war zone.

the RSF has been actively continuing the genocide of non-Arab Darfuri Sudanis that its predecessor the Janjaweed committed 20 years prior. they have been consistently launching attacks against Massalit villages in Darfur and El Geneina. Recently, they have completely ethnically cleansed several Massalit villages, killing hundreds in each one of them. in addition, they are committing so many other war crimes, like sexual violence, blocking access to humanitarian aid, occupying civilian homes and kicking the residents out, along with blatant ethnic cleansing campaigns, mass murder, and targeting of civilians.

but don't think that this is a 'civil war' as many are calling it. a civil war is an internal dispute, but this is far from that. both the SAF and the RSF are supported by external powers, namely the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, who all provide funding to these groups IN EXCHANGE FOR SUDANESE RESOURCES LIKE GOLD AND OIL. this is, ultimately, not just some random war between two different military groups- it is a war funded by and for foreign colonial powers who have a vested interest in colonizing Sudan for its resources. as an example- the UAE's- and especially Dubai's- infamous gold and jewelry industry, is only made possible by the fact that the UAE illegally smuggles 80% of Sudan's gold- they fund this by sending weapons AND SOLDIERS to the RSF. Several of the gold mines in Sudan are owned and operated by the Russian government.

all of this, both the 'internal' AND the external, colonial aspects of this war and genocide, has led to the world's current WORST humanitarian crisis. not only do LOW estimates place the total murdered in the past year at 150,000, but out of Sudan's population of nearly 47 million, over half (25 million) are in severe need of humanitarian aid, and of those 25 million, over half are children. fighting between the RSF and SAF has lead to severe blockage of aid, and the UN's initial proposed budget of $1.5 billion in April of 2023 has not only not increased to accommodate the severe worsening of the crisis, but ALSO has not even been funded 20%.

2.5 MILLION PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO STARVE TO DEATH IN SUDAN BY THIS FUCKING SEPTEMBER. THAT IS LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AWAY.

additionally, due to both western colonization and the Sudanese governments' deliberate cutting of internet access across the entirety of Sudan, there is a huge lack of the proper infrastructure for generating awareness and spreading videos and info from on the ground in Sudan. this means that not only are people unable to effectively crowdfund support to leave, but they are also barred from accessing social media to spread awareness, and they're unable to contact loved ones outside of Sudan most of the time.

also, Sudan is HUGE- in order for displaced people to escape fighting, they usually have to walk, on foot, for hundreds of miles, often across literal deserts, with extremely little access to water. there has also been a surge of internally displaced people dying due to illness and scorpion stings in displacement camps. 70% of Sudan's hospitals have stopped functioning entirely. and even if they DO make it to a neighboring country, most of the options there are just as bad, if not worse- Egypt is extremely anti-Black, and doesn't allow work permits to most Black refugees, meaning they are relegated to being houseless and jobless if they go to Egypt- and westward in Chad, there is also crisis with food and resources, so the government of Chad quite literally can not materially support anymore Sudanese refugees. In South Sudan, there is also conflict, war, and crisis, and in Ethiopia, where the genocide is taking place in Tigray, the government is extremely hostile to Sudanese refugees. there are currently more than 6,000 Sudanese refugees stranded in the forests because of the hostilities they faced while in UNHCR camps.

and everyday that we're not doing something, this genocide, war, and humanitarian crisis is getting worse. doing something starts with being educated. i urge y'all to look more into this, don't just take what i'm saying and roll with it- truly learn and listen to Sudanese activists on this. i highly recommend following these accounts on Instagram:

@/red_maat , @/bsonblast , @/sudansolidaritycollective, @/forsudaneseliberation, @/darfurwomenaction, @/liberatesudan, @/zzeirra, @/yousraelbagir, @/modathirzainalabdeen, @/sdn.world, @/nasalsudan, @/sudanuntold, @/kandakamagazine, and @/almigdadhassan0

IF ANYTHING I'VE SAID IS INACCURATE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

i'd like to spread this post for some education. could you reblog this @decolonize-the-left @incorrectmadrigalfamilyquotes @homoidiotic @heritageposts @el-shab-hussein

@fairuzfan @palipunk @silicacid @sissa-arrows @apollos-olives @

@northgazaupdates @our-queer-experience @intersexfairy @genderqueerdykes

[greentrickster]

Daughter of fantasy villains decides to rebel against her parents by actually going through with her arranged marriage to a local golden retriever of a prince instead of running off with some local villain-to-be or conquering said golden retriever’s kingdom and ruling it solo like her parents expect her to. Plus, sue her, she’s into the clean-cut earnest look.

At the same time, local prince charming discovers that he’s actually very into the gothic fiance his parents have landed him with in order to try and establish peace with the local evil lair down the lane, he would never have guessed a spiderweb pattern could look so fetching on a ball gown...?

Meanwhile, two pairs of parents in a tizzy because they both expected their offspring to whole-heartedly reject this union and give them an excuse to conquer their goody-two-shoes/evil neighbours, they’re not supposed to actually like each other-!

[warpedlegacy]

Zero Context WIP Tag Game

If you’re tagged, make a new post and share 1-2 (a few) sentences from your most recent unposted WIP(s) with zero context – Let your followers guess!

Tagged by @dreadfutures. Here is a bit from some upcoming chapters of The Reign, my DAI-timeline WIP of Theresa's time as Inquisitor:

“Sing” wasn’t the right word. Skyhold was the song and the voice, it was the melody and the harmony. [...] For just a moment, I could almost grasp it, and it sounded like… time. Time, and space.

Tagging @rosella-writes and @inquisimer. Sorry if you get tagged more than once!

[warpedlegacywrites]

The Reign, ch13: Growing Like Weeds

Theresa contends with her advisors' ire, and finally has her meeting with the Champion of Kirkwall.

The woman with the discarded title swaggered down the tower steps with the setting sun at her back, making my first impression of her little more than a hulking, jagged silhouette. Like the shadow of her namesake swooping down upon unsuspecting prey. The magic aura I sensed within her only further solidified this impression. Wild, watchful, and well-guarded against outsiders. Mesmerising and dangerous.  “Just Hawke will do,” she said as she approached and extended her hand. “Nice view.”  I noted that she was not looking out onto the horizon, or to the wards below, but at me, with a coquettish smirk and a clear expectation of an answer. Well, that much was accurate from Varric’s stories, at least.  “Is it much like your views of Kirkwall?” I asked lightly, letting her take whatever meaning from that she chose.  She gave a low, rumbling laugh that reminded me of Bull’s, and it occurred to me the two of them would get on well. “Yes and no. The view from a balcony isn’t quite the same as from a battlement.”  To put it mildly. Up close, she was both like and unlike Varric’s many descriptives. Tall and broad-shouldered – and not just thanks to her infamous Champion’s armour. There was an edge to her movements, an intensity to her gaze as she scanned her surroundings. When we clasped forearms, it was in the controlled strength of her grip.  Here was a woman sharp as flint, and worn just as smooth. Carved into a fearsome weapon by the circumstances of her life.  “I hear you fought a dragon.” And with a tongue to match. 

DAFF Tag List: @rakshadow, @rosella-writes, @effelants, @bluewren, @breninarthur,

@ar-lath-ma-cully, @dreadfutures, @ir0n-angel, @inquisimer, @crackinglamb,

@theluckywizard, @oxygenforthewicked, @exalted-dawn-drabbles, @melisusthewee, @blarrghe,

@agentkatie, @delicatefade, @leggywillow, @about2dance, @plisuu

[ostensiblynone]

rosecutclothing • Café Brauer Floral Suit for shanemadej and saraerubin's wedding 🌼 They came to me with the idea of incorporating stars, rain and the state flowers of where they were from and met, so we have the California poppy, Connecticut mountain-laurel and Illinois violet. Thanks SO much for trusting me to make this, it was an absolute honor ! All chainstitch embroidery on deep blue wool. Wedding photos by erinhoytphotography 🌼 #rosecutclothing #chainstitchemboridery #californiapoppy #altwedding

source: [rosecutclothing] posted Nov 30, 2023

[rrover]

people who haven't watched scavengers reign don't even know about the psychic divorce frog

[brucebocchi]

this would destroy me