teamtakagi

[teamtakagi]

true 2000′s nonsense was finding an amv with a cool song and revisiting the amv for the song instead of actually looking it up

[teamtakagi]

So cute!

Kiss Roulette #1

Finished some of the prompts from the kiss meme 1. A kiss on the cheek w/ Shirevas & Zephyr @larknnightingale 21. Wildcard/dealer's choice w/ Shirevas & Aria @bubblecat-co 38. A kiss while one party is being carried w/ Shirevas & Jerran @teamtakagi

Thank you for letting me steal borrow your rooks, hope I did them justice!

[teamtakagi]

"If you use em dash in your works, it makes them look AI generated. No real human uses em dash."

Imaging thinking actual human writers are Not Real because they use... professional writing in their works.

Imagine thinking millions of people who have been using em dash way before AI becomes a thing are all robots.

REBLOG IF YOU'RE A HUMAN AND YOU USE EM DASH

[teamtakagi]

Accidently posted this on the roost first my bad!😂

[teamtakagi]

I just choked on my spit laughing so much 🤣🤣🤣💀

I have more guys.... I can't stop making them it's a problem

@a-mumbling-nerd @ennayeliah @i-creatied-au @alliminoobers @teamtakagi @wickedadaar @wardentabriis @so--whoonos @larknnightingale @madrabbit014 @booksncatsworld @knowlsey @seizethemage-main @alystrin03 @sleepingtodream

[teamtakagi]

Kiss Roulette #7

Final Kisses!

8. Platonic Kiss with @knowlsey 's Ambrose.

Inspired by @knowlsey's Kiss Roulette blurb for Jerran. Yay for surviving getting thrown off a cliff and nearly drowning!

______

3. "Kiss on the forehead" with @elfmaid's Kalais.

I wish I'd gotten smooches on the forehead when struggling through English grammar conjugation classes. Kalais is proud that Jerran is trying.

Thank you for allowing me to borrow your Rooks!

Original prompt here

Art Sources:

[teamtakagi]

Identity crisis

Nyx learns important information about themself. 💚

Featuring: Zephyr @larknnightingale Ezra: @lunammoon Rowena: @booksncatsworld Hol: @i-creatied-au Jerran: @teamtakagi and caspian: @seizethemage-main Eleanor: @a-mumbling-nerd

The day had been pretty quiet. Nyx had been out with Caspian and Jerran practicing archery. Falon and Bug were ahead of them as they made their way back to the lighthouse.

“Why did you learn to shoot hanging upside down?” Nyx asked.

“Surprise attacks are better from above” Jerran answered “your opponent won’t see you.”

“Trees are great for hiding and hunting.” Caspian added, plucking a leaf from his hair.

“There aren’t trees in the Necropolis. Mostly just tall walls and cliffs, and spirits don’t sense the same way as other beings.”

“I don't think were in the Necropolis anymore, Nyx.” Jerran laughed at his own joke.

Nyx’s brow furrowed, “Jerran you’ve never been to the necropolis, unless Eleanor has taken you?”

“Ah, what I ment by that was that we’re out of our normal, here in the Veilguard.” Jerran gave a smile.

“We have to adapt” Caspian said just as they reached the lighthouse.

It was late afternoon and the common area was busy. A group of the louder crows and shadow dragons were in the main room, a bit too loud for Nyx. They instead returned to the Watchers room, saying goodbye to Caspian and Jerran.

A few of the Watchers were gathered together in discussion. Nyx walked over to where Erza, Hol, Rowena, and Zephyr were sitting and talkingquietly. Nyx leaned over to Zephyr “What’s happening?” They asked quietly as the others continued to discuss. “Elves are spirits.”

“Really? Wait how did we learn this?”

“Ezra.”

“Ezra?”

They turned at the sound of their name. “Yes?”

“Elves are spirits?”

“Yes and no, we learned that the original elves were spirits. They used lyrium, titan blood, to create their bodies.” They stated somberly.

“Oh that’s not good. The implications are concerning.”

“Yes, that’s what we’ve been discussing.” Rowena quietly adds.

“But not all elves are spirits?” Nyx clarified.

“No, modern elves aren’t spirits anymore, well, except for you, but you’re a special case.” Ezra said with a small smile.

"Oh, well that makes..." Nyx’s words trailed off as their brain stopped working, as the others continued talking. Their face must have given away their shock, because the others tried to reassure them.

“Your existence is different than the original elves, you aren’t caught up in the implications of the ancient elves.” Ezra said quickly.

“You haven’t explained how you manifested, but it doesn’t seem to involve lyrium.” Rowena agreed.

“You’re upset.” Hol noticed.

Zephyr put their hand on Nyx’s shoulder “Nyx, what’s the matter?”

Nyx looks to Zephyr, and then the others. “I’m a spirit?” they say in disbelief. Then they look directly at Ezra “You knew the whole time and never told me?” their voice strained.

“How was I supposed to know? I have a body, I age.” They looked at their hands as if they had been betrayed by them.

“Why would I have to tell you you’re a spirit?" they sounded genuinely concerned. "How did you not know?”

“You fade speak like a spirit, without spirit parents.” Ezra points out.

“Your dog is a wisp.” said Hol.

“The other spirits in the Necropolis seem to know you.” added Rowena.

“You can navigate the Necropolis without any help.” Ezra continues “and Manfred has a body. Theat not a hard and fast rule.”

“A skeleton! He has a skeleton!” Nyx raised their voce. Bug came over and rested his head in Nyx’s lap, concerned by his friend’s distress. Nyx cradled Bug's head in their hands.

“And you do have a skeleton, it just also has flesh and blood covering it.” Ezra tried to reassure them.

Nyx stared into Bug’s glowing eye sockets. Maybe they were more alike than they first thought. “I may have missed a few signs.” They paused to think “what kind of spirit am I?”

“Protection” they all say together.

“I think I need to lie down and process this.”

[teamtakagi]

OMG 🤣🤣🤣

What it's like watching Warden training

Jin: @wickedadaar

Jerran: @teamtakagi

Lin: @wardentabriis

[teamtakagi]

Ruskin Ingellvar ⤷ characterization cheat sheet

original idea from  @seizethemage-main template borrowed from @tiravi

Ruskin Ingellvar

(Ruskin van Wicklen in RRAU)

Age: 29 Gender: Masc non-binary (primarily he/him, but uses they/them too) Race: Elf Spirit Faction: The Mourn Watch

Skills: Necromancy, Fade knowledge ( in-depth, more emotion based than practicality/fact-based ), Orb manifestation, Spirit knowledge, Photographic memory Languages: Nevarran, Trade, Elven

Body Language/Physicality

General Behavior: Hands in pockets or crossed (anything other than in a place where he could accidentally touch someone), unintentionally cold presence but startlingly warm eyes, secretive, the type to help behind the scenes rather than directly (someone complains about being out of something ; will replace it without saying anything), dry sense of humor, tense brow, loves to learn new things, overall comes across at first as standoffish / distant with a lopsided smirk (closer inspection may reveal him to be lonely and desperate for connection)

Flirting: Slow to realize, easily flustered, soft words, closer physical proximity, barely restrained desire to touch

With Established Romantic Partner: Very intimate, constantly needing to be in contact with them in some way (holding hands, arms wrapped around the waist, head on shoulder, etc.), acts of service, words of affirmation, aggressively protective, always aware of their presence no matter where in the vicinity they are

With Friends: Standoffish illusion falls away, relaxed shoulders, platonic touches, enjoys listening to them talk about their interests, just enjoys being in their presence (definitely the "I'll come over and nap on your couch while you do your homework in the same room" type friend)

In Combat: Death Caller specialization (necrotic spells / life siphoning spells), exclusively an orb / dagger user (does not use a staff), signature combo of frozen ground with necrotic ground to keep enemies trapped atop noxious footing, fights up close with enemies but far away from allies to make sure they don't accidentally get caught up in his spells or his ultimate, instinct vs set plans (cooking instead of baking)

Dialogue/Speaking

Voice: Almost exactly the male British VA from the game defaults but tends to speak a bit slower, gentle tones, a rasp that gets more and more pronounced the louder he gets / shouts, an almost poetic lilt to the way he talks (think Cole in DA:I)

Humor: Dry, playful, un-personal

With friends: Tends to let them do the talking and just listens, playful banter, light teasing, inside jokes

Romance: Words of affirmation, direct with his feelings, sometimes falls into a stutter when he gets flustered, husky whispers when he gets more confident / when speaking more intimately

Anger: Slow to true fury but volatile, shouting instead of words, hoarse voice when he does speak, more likely to get angry when friends or allies are in danger / disrespected versus himself

Cursing: Swears in Trade when used in sentences and general conversation, swears in Elven when truly frustrated / angry / caught off-guard

Combat: Quick shouts of "Back!" or "Away!" when he's about to use spells to make sure allies don't get caught up in them, calls out enemy locations by clockwise ("Mage, 2 o'clock!" etc.), vocal in terms of sounds of effort but gets quieter and quieter the more injured he is so as to not draw attention to himself

[teamtakagi]

Characterization Cheat Sheet—Portia de Riva

Again, credit to @seizethemage-main for the idea! This post focuses on my wild child Portia and can be found on my Rook Masterpost. Also don’t feel the need to follow this completely!

Body Language/ Physicality

General Behavior: her lips are always pulled into a light smirk, leaning against walls, hands on hips, nose in the air, back straight from years of training, never idle always bouncing her leg or when standing just shifting her weight from foot to foot, always wearing a mask that never shows what she’s thinking or feeling, walks around on light feet like a cat

With Friends: teasing nudges, more genuine grins that usually appear when making mischief, loud laughter that causes her entire body to shake, a mischievous twinkle in her eye

Flirting: coy smiles, sultry looks, playfully pinning them to a wall, leaning a bit too close, if she actually has a crush then she begins carrying out small acts of service, lingering touches on the shoulder or hip as she passes by, her flirting happens more often to a singular person if she likes them a lot

With Established Romantic Partner: attached to their hip, her eyes soften when she looks at them, romantic displays of affection, more PDA like kisses to the cheek or full on kisses to the mouth, will randomly spin her partner around like they’re dancing and bring them into a dip then kiss them passionately, cuddling

In Combat: Duelist, poison-tipped blades, quiet steps, agile and athletic movement, likes to occasionally chop off a head or two

Dialogue/Speaking

Voice: sort of raspy, sensual, pretty much Sabrina Carpenter’s voice with a little more grit to it

General: Will say what’s on her mind but otherwise is very much careful with her words, teases everyone, can sound cold towards those she distrusts, around strangers she is always thinking about what words to choose and what to say, can be a bit bitchy, is able to turn on the charm like a switch

With Friends: her calculated tone becomes more genuine as she loosens up, continues to tease, much more playful, still tries to mask her care but it still comes through, those closest to her even get the honor of a nickname

Romance: pet names that change every day, whispers naughty things in their ear, flirting gets even more egregious, in private she’ll give a dramatic declaration of love, will compliment them all the time

Humor: Dirty jokes, sarcasm, and even puns are her bread and butter, snorts and giggles most of the time, when something truly makes her laugh it is more of a guffaw

Anger: Disgust dripping from her words, will ignore the anger until she explodes, will be very petty

Cursing: When she’s not on the job she’ll curse frequently, but on the job she keeps it professional, does know a few Antivan cuss words/insults

Combat: Kind of like Davrin and will give undermining compliments like “Not bad for Mourn Watcher” or “Wow I’m surprised a Grey Warden could pull that off” They get more genuine if she trusts whoever’s with her more, especially with her romantic partner

[teamtakagi]

Characterization Cheat Sheet: Jerran Thorne

Following @seizethemage-main and @booksncatsworld ‘s lead. This is meant to only be a guide, not a rule, so don’t feel pressured to follow this to a T!

General:

Full name: Jerran Thorne

Gender: Cis Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Race: City Elf

Age: 20

Nationality: Northern Thedas (Doesn't claim a country since he's traveled all over)

Faction: Grey Wardens

Skills: Archery, Sword fighting, whittling small figurines, being a pain.

Languages: Common/Trade, Elven (learned in childhood, a bit rusty).

______

Body Language/Physicality

General Behavior:  Jerran is outgoing, fun-loving, and full of energy. Basically channel your inner Sokka from Avatar: the Last Airbender.  He often plays up the “dumbass” role to keep people at a distance and throw them off balance, but he observes more than you would think. A lot of the pushing buttons is deliberate to either make a point, or test someone so that he can make a judgement call. 

He votes with his feet. If he thinks the idea is stupid or doesn't respect you, he just leaves.

With Friends: Generally Golden Retriever puppy or cat on zoomies. He has no problem running up to friends and flinging an arm over their shoulder if they’re comfortable with it. With others who need a less-energetic approach, he’ll try to tailor it to their preferences. 

Flirting: Absolutely awkward. Scratching the back of his head, shifting his weight, tongue-tied. “Girls are hard to talk to” attitude. 

With an Established Romantic Partner: (Eleanor Ingellvar**) His demeanor relaxes and his eyes soften. He doesn’t feel like he needs to play a role, so everything is genuine. Softer voice, bigger grins. Acts protective if his partner is on the smaller side. He wants to try hard to please his partner, so he’ll try to learn everything that she likes, even if he’s terrible at it. 

He is also cross-dominant, meaning that he switches sides depending on the task. His right side is reserved for fine motor skills (writing, picking things up, eating, whittling) while his left side does the more physical aspects (shooting his arrows, sword fighting, kicking, throwing). This often gives him an advantage because most enemies don’t expect him to be left-handed. He can switch to his right side in combat, but it’s not pretty.

In Combat: His eyes sharpen and he becomes more focused on his objective. His movements become more deliberate. He makes split-second decisions and acts decisively. If he sees what he thinks is a better opinion, he will disregard orders and do it instead. He’s actually quite capable at combat, but is more comfortable using his bow and arrows and grenades. He was often sent out as a scout in the mercenary band and in his previous Grey Warden squad.

He fights dirty in battle-- he will absolutely target an enemy's weakest points, stab them in the back, or slit their throat if it means he and his team will come home.

_________

Dialogue/Speaking

Voice: His voice is in the tenor range (think Jeremy Jordan, most of the Disney Aladdin actors, or Jeff Berg - Rook’s American Male option, medium).  A casual, playful tone that can be snarky. 

General: His vocabulary tends to be simpler, with maybe an out-of-place phrase that he heard someplace and is repeating. He goes straight to the point, no dancing around the subject. He tends to do really bad puns as well.

With Friends: His speech will be sprinkled with swearing and creative euphemisms for the Maker’s various body parts. 

Superiors/Leaders: He’ll be slightly more professional than with friends if he respects you.

Romance: He uses a more gentle and genuine tone; he’s not playing the dumbass role with his partner. There may be casual swearing, but it’s less prominent. He’s earnest, wanting to try hard to please his partner.

Humor: Channel your inner Sokka: the more serious the situation, the more blasé he gets. It’s when he drops the humor that it’s an Oh Shit moment.  

Anger: He drops the act and becomes aggressive. He flattens his tone and clips his words. The sentences are shorter and harder with no banter. When he gets to this point, he is going to burn bridges and raze the land. 

If he doesn’t respect someone, he doesn’t bother to pretend to hide it. He deliberately mispronounces the gods’ names as an insult; he won’t waste the brainpower to remember them properly. 

Cursing: Swears in casual speaking, often with just a single “Fuck.”  “Shit, goddamn” are also favorites. He also casually uses the Maker and Andraste’s name in vain: “Andraste’s tits,” “Maker’s balls,” “Maker’s little toe.” 

Combat: He doesn’t have time to be funny; it’s all clipped words and “get the job done” attitude. Much like Anger, but without the “burning the land” aspect.

_____

** Eleanor belongs to @a-mumbling-nerd

[teamtakagi]

Pre-Veilguard Writing Prompts

List of posts featuring Jerran and his Grey Warden squad pre-Veilguard: Kyra, Moss, and Renny

[teamtakagi]

Response to Lisel's Pyromancy - Jin's Perspective

Based on @teamtakagi’s post in response to @antivan-sprig’s post. 

Antivan-sprig’s: https://www.tumblr.com/antivan-sprig/782541051155103744/a-little-pyromancy-on-this-fine-spring-night

Teamtakagi’s: https://www.tumblr.com/teamtakagi/782566631254736896?source=share

Go read both parts before proceeding!

[author’s note: Jin’s and Jerran’s dialogue when they are both on the training grounds is pulled from @teamtakagi’s piece. I wanted the overlap there to be seamless.

Jin paced the training yard for several minutes, tapping her foot impatiently. Kalais and Lin were both on time, but where was Jerran? He was never late for training. “Kalais, Lin, have either of you seen Jerran recently?” she asked, her voice laced with concern for her missing charge. They shook their heads no. A few more minutes passed. He was officially ten minutes late. What was going on? Just as she was about to set out in search of him, Jerran haphazardly cut across the training grounds. “Junior Warden Thorne. You were to report to the Training Grounds ten minutes ago,” she shouted at him as she followed him across the field. She could tell he was trying to avoid something. “Turn and face me. Or have you forgotten your training?” Her temper was beginning to outweigh her concern. How dare he not even acknowledge that I’m trying to speak with him?!

“I’m out for today,” he said without even bothering to face her. “Excuse me?!” He was a little shit on every day that ended in y but this was something new. He was never blatantly disrespectful. This was when she knew something was wrong. “Give me latrine duty. I don’t give a damn. But I'm out for the day.” “Warden Thorne!” she shouted as she began to climb the stairs after him. He was not going to get out of this. If something was wrong with one of her charges, she would find out. These young Wardens too often try to run from their problems, and, as she knew too well, that only made them worse. “Kalais, Lin, I’m going to check on Jerran. You can keep training. No need to worry,” she reassured them as she finished ascending the stairs. When she got into the Warden's common room, she saw Jerran had barricaded himself into his room.

She paused for a minute, debating with herself how to handle this. Then, she heard footsteps behind her. Kalais and Lin had followed her, knowing there was indeed something to worry about, despite her reassurance. “What’s going on, Sarge?” Lin questioned quietly, eyeing Jerran’s closed door with concern that mirrored her own. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “I don’t know, but I’m worried about him. He’s not himself,” she explained as she sat on one of the couches. “You two know him well. How do you think he would want us to handle this?” Kalais and Lin exchanged glances. “He wouldn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” Lin admitted. “Well, that’s too bad,” Jin said as she stood and approached his door. She knocked loudly, three raps to let him know it was. “Go ahead,” Jerran slurred. Jin turned to exchange concerned looks with the other two Wardens. Putting on her commander voice, Jin told him firmly, “Warden Thorne, you will open this door right now.” To her relief, he actually listened. The door swung open slowly, revealing a drunk and disheveled Jerran. 

“Put the bottle down, Jerran. Come out here with us,” Jin said, softening her tone to let him know she was acting in the capacity of a friend, not a commanding officer. This is one of the traits that made her such a good commanding officer. She knew when to be harsh and when to be kind. She took his arm in hers and led him into the common room. He sat down beside Lin, who wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders. Jin and Kalais sat across from them. “I know that look, Jerran. What’s going on?” she asked him gently. He gave them the highlights of his excursion with Lis. That clearly hit a nerve for him. “Jerran, look at me,” Jin told him kindly but firmly. He raised his gaze to meet hers. “If you let every fallen friend haunt you, you will never be able to move passed it,” she said calmly, a note of sadness in her voice. “If you keep chasing ghosts, there is only one place that leads, and it’s dead at the end of a darkspawn claw.” She pursed her lips. She had seen this many times. Too many young Wardens who didn’t know how to deal with loss would let their vices overwhelm them, and they would ultimately fall in the field. Jerran clenched his jaw and snapped at her, “Then how do we do it?! How do we bury our friends and just move on?!” A single tear rolled down his cheek.

Jin stood and approached Jerran. She cupped his cheek with her hand and angled his face up so their eyes met. “You honor them. You honor them by keeping up the fight. You honor them by remembering the good parts. Come, there’s something I want all of you to see,” she turned back toward her quarters. She opened her door and led them inside. In the corner of the room was a small shrine with assorted, seemingly useless/valueless knick-knacks adorning it. The three men looked at her with questioning eyes. “What is this, Sarge?” Kalais asked as he moved to examine the items more carefully. “One for every friend I’ve lost in battle. I couldn’t keep one for every Warden. I wouldn’t ever have the space, but I did keep one for each dear friend I lost,” Jin said sadly. She pulled out the matches from her pocket and lit the candles adorning the shrine as well. She turned to face them, “Like I said, we honor them. What honoring them looks like, well, that depends on you. This is how I choose to do it,” she said solemnly. 

“Now, out with you two. I need a moment with Jerran,” Jin instructed Kalais and Lin. As the two exited, she turned to face the young elf. “You can’t go through this alone. You don’t have to talk to me about it, you don’t have to talk to them about it, but you need to talk to someone about it. Even if it’s just you journaling to yourself. It’s not healthy to keep those emotions bottled up.” She clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. “Thanks, Sarge. This meant a lot,” Jerran said with a sad smile. “Of course. What else is a ‘wise and wissened senior Warden’ good for?” she teased, throwing his words back at him from the other day. He chuckled at the sentiment. “Goodnight, Sarge,” he said as he departed to his room. “Goodnight, Jerran,” she said as she closed the door behind him. Jin sighed deeply, hoping desperately he would be okay. She knew what the consequences might be otherwise.

[teamtakagi]

UPDATE!

Now with 40+ new names since first posting, Elvhen Names of Thedas has over 100 unique, canon-compliant names, and more than 450 variations too! Still more to come 💫

Elvhen Names of Thedas is a project I've been working on for over two years with the intention of creating a naming resource for the fandom. I hope you like it!

[teamtakagi]

The Warden shennanigans continue

Warden Training - Part 2

Based on my other snippet, Warden Training, but I love Elysia and her dynamic with Jin so this is for them. Your honor, I’m obsessed

Featuring: Elysia belongs to @bubblecat-co Jerran belongs to @teamtakagi Lin belongs to @wardentabriis and Kalais belongs to @sleepingtodream 

Also, thank you @teamtakagi for coming up with the idea that Jerran was afraid Jin would put him on latrine duty. It cracks me up every time I think about it

It was still Beck’s first week in the Lighthouse, and she was still getting the lay of the land. However, it had been a few days since she had trained, and she wanted to maintain her routine. As she entered the Watcher common room, she saw Hol chatting with another Watcher with strikingly blue hair. “Well, hello, beautiful,” Beck greeted her with her crooked smile. She turned toward Hol, “Who is your lovely friend?” Hol rolled her eyes, “Beck, this is Elysia. Elysia, this is Beck. She joined us recently.” Beck bowed as she offered her hand out, palm up. Elysia took her hand, and Beck gently kissed her knuckles, making Elysia blush fiercely. “Keep it in your pants, Beck,” Hol scolded her mockingly. Beck rolled her eyes, “Alright, alright. Say, you two wouldn’t happen to know where the training yard is, would you?” “Sure thing, I’ll show you where it is,” Elysia offered as she stood, looking up at the Qunari towering over her. “It’s this way,” she said cooly as the pair made their way through the Lighthouse.

Before long, they reached the landing that overlooked the training yards. “Here we are,” Elysia said smoothly before realising Jin was one of the ones training. Her words caught in her throat as she was frozen in her tracks. As she watched Jin knock Jerran to the ground over and over, she could only imagine that strength turned on her. Her heart fluttered, and a blush quickly spread across her cheeks. Beck could feel the shift in Elysia. “You okay?” she asked as she noticed the redness in her cheeks. All Elysia could do was nod. Beck chuckled, “So which one is it?” she teased. Elysia could barely utter her rebuttal, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her voice cracked on the last word, revealing to Beck that she knew exactly what she was talking about. “Mmm. Sure,” Beck teased. Beck was determined to figure out who had her fellow Watcher weak in the knees. The two stood at the landing for a while, watching the Wardens training. “Oof,” Beck chuckled as she watched the female Warden lay out the younger elf with particular force. At the sight, Elysia let out the tiniest squeak. “Ahh, so it’s the senior Warden that has your attention. Good to know,” Beck teased, causing Elysia to jokingly backhand her arm. Beck couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” Beck said as she turned to join the Wardens in the training yard, “For now.” That last part sent Elysia into a spiral. She lunged forward, grabbing Beck’s elbow. “You can’t tell her!” she whispered harshly. “Relax, I won’t,” Beck reassured her, condescendingly patting her on the head. Elysia grimaced but released her arm.

Beck sauntered down the steps as she watched the senior Warden continue to knock her charge into the dirt. “He just won’t quit, will he?” Beck teased, getting a laugh from Kalais, Lin, and Jin, but a death glare from Jerran. “Think you can do better?” Jerran taunted as he stood, dusting himself off. Beck guffawed, “Nope! That’s why I won’t be challenging her,” she said smugly before approaching one of the training dummies. Kalais and Lin couldn’t help but laugh even harder at this. Jin just looked at Jerran smugly, “You can quit whenever you want.” “Fine, I yield, but this isn’t over!” Jerran taunted, much to Jin’s enjoyment. She laughed and shook her head as he left the training yard. Jin could feel eyes on her once more now that she wasn’t so engrossed in sparring. She looked up to the landing and saw Elysia, the Watcher she had met on her first night in the Lighthouse. Jin waved at her with a gentle smile. Elysia mustered all of her strength to return the wave, making Jin smile even wider. Feeling confident, Jin headed her way. As she climbed the stairs, she felt Elysia’s eyes watching her every step. When Jin reached the landing, her gaze met Elysia’s, giving both of them pause. 

“You know, it’s not every day I meet someone with the same hair color,” Jin said, leaning against the railing that overlooked the training yard. “Yeah, it’s not exactly common,” she chuckled, running her fingers along one strand. “Hang on, you’ve got an eyelash,” Jin gestured and paused before reaching out, “May I?” “Sure,” Elysia said nervously as her heart drummed in her chest and her breath caught in her throat. Gently, Jin ran her finger across the corner of Elysia’s cheek, brushing away the stray eyelash. “There we go,” Jin said, unaware of the effect she was having on Elysia until their eyes met once more. Jin could see the longing gaze Elysia gave her. Just as she was going to say something, Kalais and Lin called up to her. They needed her advice on something. Jin chuckled, “Duty calls. I’ll be seeing you around.” She turned and descended back down the stairs with Elysia watching her every move yet again. Beck noticed this out of the corner of her eye and decided that if Elysia couldn’t help herself, Beck could at least give Jin a little nudge in the right direction. 

Jin was watching the boys intently, giving advice where applicable, when Beck approached her. “So, you and Elysia,” Beck started cheekily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jin rolled her eyes at the notion. “You’re joking, right?” Beck couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could she not notice?! Elysia was smitten, and it was written plainly across her face. Jin turned to face Beck with a serious expression, “No, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” She was confused about what the Qunari was implying. Beck was gobsmacked. There was no way she was that oblivious to how Elysia was clearly attracted to her. “If you have something to say, Qunari, just say it. I don’t have the patience for mind games,” Jin told her firmly. She did not get where she was by being gentle or indirect. Jin believed it was best to say what you mean and mean what you say. Beck sighed defeatedly. She didn’t want to violate Elysia’s trust, but something needed to be done. Then she had an idea. It wouldn’t be violating Elysia’s trust if Beck weren’t the one who told Jin. 

She decided to wait until one of the Wardens left before making her move. The first to leave was Kalais. This was her chance. She casually gathered her things a minute or so after he left, so as not to raise any suspicion. Once they were both safely within the Lighthouse, Beck called out to him, “Hey! Wait up, I need to talk to you!” Kalais stopped and turned toward her as she jogged to catch up to him. “What’s going on? Is Jin okay?” he asked, concerned. “She’s fine. Well, physically, she’s fine. No, I know someone who has a thing for her and she’s completely oblivious, but I promised that person I wouldn’t say anything,” Beck explained, trailing off, hoping he would catch her drift. “So you want my help in getting her to see this?” Kalais wasn’t entirely sure what his role here was. “I want you to help me set them up. Because at this rate, one’s too scared to say anything, and the other is clueless,” Beck explained. “I’m still not sure how I can help here,” Kalais explained. Beck sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I swear, you Wardens are all muscle. Just get her to the Mourn Watch common room tonight at 1800. Can you do that?” She asked sternly as her eye threatened to twitch. “What do I say, how do I convince her?” Kalais’s mind was racing, trying to figure this out. “I don’t know. You and the elves seem to know her better than anyone else. Maybe they can help you figure it out,” she pointed out before turning to leave. “Wait! I don’t even know your name,” Kalais said, catching her arm before she could leave. Beck sighed dramatically, “I’m Beck, and you are?” “Kalais-” before he could say anything else, she cut him off. “Great, now that we’ve exchanged pleasantries, get her to the common room at 1800. Got it?” Beck asked again, her tone harsher this time. “We’ll be there,” he assured her.

*****

Kalais, Lin, and Jerran were huddled together in the Warden's common room, conspiring on how exactly to get Jin to her date without tipping her off. They were exchanging tense whispers, and occasionally looking around to make sure she hadn’t snuck up on them. “If she figures this out, she’ll kill us,” Lin reminded them. “Worse, she’ll make us do chores. I’d rather be dead than be subjected to what I went through at Weisshaupt,” Jerran retorted. “She’s been a senior Warden longer than some of the ones at Weisshaupt. I don’t want to imagine what kind of torture she could dream up,” Lin admitted. “Enough! If this goes well, we’ll have bought ourselves enough good will that maybe she’ll ease up on the training regimen,” Kalais suggested. Lin and Jerran both scoffed. “We all know that will never happen,” Lin objected. “Okay, if it goes well, then maybe her mood will improve and our lives will get a little better because of it,” Kalais offered. Jerran and Lin exchanged looks before nodding. They were in.

*****

It was nearly 1800. It was now or never. They had decided Kalais would be the best to approach her because he seemed to be her favorite of the three of them. Kalais approached Jin as she lounged on one of the couches in the common room, nose buried in another book. They were surprised how much she enjoyed reading. “Hey, Boss, I found something really cool in the Lighthouse. I think you should see it,” he suggested, crossing his fingers that this would actually work. They had three tries, maybe two before she got suspicious. Thankfully, Lin suggested a backup plan just in case. She looked at him and arched her eyebrow, “Oh? What is it?” She seemed intrigued. By the Maker, they just might pull this off. “It’s hard to explain, you just have to see it,” he was hoping desperately she wouldn’t see through the charade. She set her book on the end table and rose to meet him, “Lead the way.”

When they arrived at the Mourn Watch’s common room, Jin knew something was up, but before she could say anything, Kalais had already disappeared. “I’m going to kill him,” she mumbled to herself. She was about to leave when she spotted Elysia sitting by herself. Jin approached her, “Hey, mind if I join you?” she asked, gesturing to the open seat across from Elysia. Once more, Elysia’s heart was in her chest. “Sure,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t give away her feelings. “You want anything to drink?” Elysia offered as she got up and approached the wine cabinet. “Of course,” she jokingly scoffed, “Anything red is fine.” Elysia grabbed a bottle of Tevinter red and two glasses and rejoined Jin. She set the two glasses on the table between them. She did her best to steady her hand as she poured the drinks. Their hands grazed against each other as Elysia handed Jin the glass. “Thanks,” she said smoothly with her signature lopsided smile. Elysia was captivated by how her smile always arched on the left. Oh, how Elysia wanted to kiss that smile. 

Beck had given her a pep talk earlier in the evening, hyping her up to make a move or at least say something about her feelings because Jin was not picking up on what she was putting down. Elysia was much more nervous than she thought she’d be with Jin sitting so close to her. She took a large swig of her wine, hoping for the assistance of some liquid courage. “So,” she started nervously, “What’s it like being a Warden?” Smart, get her talking about work, Elysia told herself. As Jin began to regale her with tales from Weisshaupt, her travels, and her time in Dock Town, Elysia realized she could listen to Jin talk forever. Her voice was a melody Elysia would never tire of hearing. Jin asked her what it was like being a Watcher, and then two of them began comparing the worst of most ridiculous jobs they’ve been on. As time wore on, they drank and laughed for hours. Eventually, the two agreed it would be best to call it a night after they both tried and failed to stifle their yawns. Jin stood, getting ready to leave, “This was a lot of fun. Thanks for hanging out with me.” As she turned to leave, Elysia was on her feet in a flash and caught Jin’s arm. She spun Jin to face her, cupping Jin’s cheeks with both hands as she kissed her. 

Like a nug caught in the sunlight, Jin froze in place. It had been so long since she had been physically intimate with anyone in any degree. She wasn’t sure how to react, so, naturally, she panicked. She pulled away, eyes wide, and swallowed hard. “I, uh, I should go,” she awkwardly excused herself. She couldn’t stop the blush quickly rising in her cheeks as she hurried back to her room, feeling terrible for running away like a coward. Maybe the boys had some advice? She buried her face in her hands as the embarrassment sank into her bones. Poor Elysia was so confused. She’s going to think it’s because of her. No, I can’t let her think that. I have to make this right, but how?!

When she arrived back in the Warden’s common room, Lin, Jerran, and Kalais were all waiting for her. She should have known they set this up. She collapsed onto one of the couches, her face in her hands. “How did it go?” Kalais asked hesitantly. “I made a bloody fool of myself is how it went,” she admitted defeatedly as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. The three men exchanged worried glances before offering to help her brainstorm a way to make this right.

[teamtakagi]

Response to Lisel's Pyromancy

@antivan-sprig's post for Jerran was so good that I wanted to do a response. There was so much opportunity to traumatize my Idiot Warden further.

Trigger Warning: Alcohol Abuse

Rooks mentioned:

Lisel - @antivan-sprig

Jin - @wickedadaar

Nheil - @so--whoonos

Eleanor - @a-mumbling-nerd

______________

Please read @antivan-sprig's post first

This was supposed to be fun. An "oooh, haha, boy did she get it wrong" experience. 

Fuck.

As Lisel’s words hang between them, Jerran stares at the spot where he’s last seen the curling smoke, feeling his hands shake. He manages to scrape up enough rough Elven to thank her, “Ma serannas, Lisel,” before stumbling in the direction of the balcony stairs. 

A dull ache throbs in the temples of his forehead; he grits his teeth, rubbing at the spot. Several Veilguard members pass him and their laughter scrapes inside his head. 

He quickens his steps, ignoring several voices calling out to him. Cutting across the Training Grounds, he dodges Nheil’s thrown dagger and half-heartedly throws it back, missing the straw dummy.

Just get to the room.  He’s only a few steps away from the Grey Warden quarters when Sergeant Jin’s stern voice echoes behind him. “Junior Warden Thorne. You were to report to the Training Grounds ten minutes ago.”

He pauses, but doesn’t turn around. The pounding in his head increases with every word.

“Turn and face me. Or have you forgotten your training?” 

The words come out harsher than he intended, but he can’t muster up the usual drawl. “I’m out for today.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Give me latrine duty. I don’t give a damn. But I'm out for the day.” He strides down the hall and enters his room to lock the door behind him, ignoring Sergeant Jin’s shouts.

A half-finished carving sits on a table overlooking the Fade. He sweeps it to the floor – the crash is somehow satisfying – and sets a whiskey bottle that he’s retrieved from a hidden stash in its place. Unscrewing the top, he gulps the liquor, coughing slightly as the harsh liquid hits the back of his throat. 

Lisel's words curl around him like the smoke from that damn fire: Poor thing. Even a Crow would have turned back for her.

He sets the bottle down abruptly and reaches for a small chest sitting on a nearby shelf. His thumb wipes away thick dust that collected on the smooth lacquer as he sets it down on the table next to the bottle. He sits down and stares at the box.

I can’t believe a Warden didn’t. 

Bracing himself, he opens the lid where a small Antivan comb lies nestled next to a folded letter and a once- cobalt blue Grey Warden pendant on a chain. The white griffon emblem is barely visible beneath layers of dried blood. He takes another swig from the bottle and picks up the necklace.

You didn't even know her. 

The worst part? 

Lisel’s right. 

It’s been niggling at him for a while now after dating Eleanor: he hadn’t really known Kyra outside of battle. Who’s her best friend? What was the name of her childhood pet? What’s her favorite shirt? Little details, but they all added up. 

Jerran glances over at a dried flower crown hanging over a chair and smiles bitterly. His and Kyra's relationship had been as short as the life of those wildflowers.

For Eleanor, he could answer those questions in his sleep. Kyra? Fuck if I know. It never came up.

He takes another swig of whiskey and tries to remember Kyra’s face and voice. 

Nothing.

He desperately tries to reclaim her memory, but like ash, the fragments seem to crumble when he tries to grasp them. He's left with just the faintest impression of reddish hair and eyes the same color as the pendant. 

His head throbs. Guilt claws at his churning stomach and he pours himself another drink. Anything to make the pain stop. 

_____

Continuation here by @wickedadaar

[teamtakagi]

A Little Pyromancy on this Fine Spring Night 🔥

@teamtakagi : Jerran tilts his head to one side, studying her for a moment. Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a broken griffon carving that he’d meant to add to the woodpile and tossed it into the flames.

The carving hits the wood pile and a cloud of embers flash upward, hovering just a bit longer than normal before falling back in a sprinkle of ash.

Liselath looks at the carving with surprise.

“Bold choice.” She briefly casts her eyes to his and holds his gaze searchingly. “To pick something you’ve invested so much time in.”

A loud pop punctuates the gentle crackling of wood as a steady plume of thick smoke begins to collect above their heads. It’s fragrant and heavy but lacks the familiar scent of smoke. Instead it smells of roses and rain. Soft but melancholy.

Lisel leaned forward to duck under the smoke, turning her head slightly as she stared at the glowing ember of wood.

“Well you’re certainly a bit more nuanced than you like to seem.” She gives a perplexed look to Jerran across the fire before returning to the half burning griffon.

“I’m surprised you agreed to this if I’m honest. With a Crow of all people…” Her voice trails off as her eyes begin to focus on the shifting flames.

As if noting the pair's interest in it, the fire arcs three times, each rising higher than the last.

“You’ve a strong connection to three women in your past. One, the first one, was your mother… Don’t worry, it usually is.” She assured, doing her best to sound impartial, “The third… a lover.”

Her face contorts in confusion, unable to place the deep feelings of guilt which now permeated her. “But the second…I don’t know why she’s so important to you. You didn’t know her.” Lisel shifts her eyes back up to Jerran. As he shifts his gaze away Lisel gives a gentle shrug.

The ambient heat which the fire had previously produced began to scale back. Despite its size, the air around them felt cool, if not cold. As Liselath noted the change, the wood carving began to darken with heat. A shrill whistling echoed through the space, almost akin to screaming.

Lisel casts her head down towards the fire abruptly, a slight hint of panic and disbelief on her face.

“Poor thing.” She remarks as she stares into the flames, a furrow appearing between her eyebrows, “Even a Crow would have turned back for her, I can’t believe a warden wouldn’t.”

They both stare at the shrieking object for a few tense moments, Lisel shakes her head back and forth with a look of disbelief. The shrieking noise continues and the pair grows more uncomfortable, eventually rising in pitch and intensity. Lisel cups her hands over her ears and shakes her head with irritation, “Sylaise’s breath… that’s enough.”

As if blowing out a birthday cake, Lisel takes a deep breath, exhales, and the fire goes out. The pair is blanketed by total darkness. Jerran can hear Lisel shifting before finally saying, “Sorry, a bit more than you probably wanted to share huh?”

After another tense moment, Liselath offers a small condolence, knowing that nothing could ever really console what he’d experienced,

“Ir abelas na Vhenan, Jerran.”