#(usually just called wynn)

[sylvrndoodles]

the characters in vesper's party ( ˙꒳​˙ )

[theonlyonesora]

The Third Rule

Lily x Oscar Piastri x You (Reader)

Chapter 5 - Viva Las Vegas

A few monhs had passed. The intensity of that weekend faded into something softer, easier to live with. Things between Lily and me had returned to their usual rhythm—jokes over iced coffees, late-night walks, stealing each other’s clothes, and laughing until our stomachs hurt.

But there was something else now. Something unspoken. A third pulse in the room.

Oscar had started calling more. Not just to talk to Lily—but sometimes to ask me how I was, what I was up to, if I’d watched the latest F1 drama unfold on social media. And when Lily visited him on weekends, I started receiving photos from both of them—funny selfies, inside jokes, stupid TikToks. Their "we miss you" energy had begun to feel... different.

It was like they wanted me closer. Like they didn’t know how to ask.

Then one afternoon, in the middle of folding laundry and blasting ABBA, Lily walked into the living room with a grin that was dangerous.

“You’re going to Vegas.”

I blinked. “Come again?”

“Oscar has a race there next month. He said you should come with me.”

I dropped a towel. “Are you serious?”

“He already bought the ticket,” she said, sitting beside me on the floor, all breezy and casual, as if she didn’t just casually rearrange my whole life.

“You’re joking.”

“Nope. Flight, hotel, paddock access. All of it.”

I stared at her. “He’s paying for everything?”

“He insists. He says it’ll be fun. I say it’ll be chaotic.”

I swallowed. “And you?”

Lily just smiled. “I think it’s time.”

Las Vegas.

I’d never seen so many lights at once. Neon and noise. Glitter and gasoline. It felt like someone took adrenaline and poured it into the shape of a city.

Oscar picked us up at the airport himself, wearing a hoodie and cap like it could possibly hide who he was. He looked tired, but his smile when he saw us was real.

And he hugged me.

Not like a friend-of-my-girlfriend hug. Not awkward. But not too much either. Just… warm. Familiar.

Like we’d done this a thousand times before. Even though it was our first.

“This is going to be a fun weekend,” he said into my ear.

I shivered.

Dinner was at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Strip. Lily wore red. I wore black. Oscar sat between us, spinning his wine glass and smiling like he had a secret.

The conversation was light. Easy. Full of inside jokes and playful teasing. Lily flirted with him like no one was watching. I flirted with her just to make him laugh. And Oscar—well, he watched us both like he couldn’t decide which fire to get closer to.

At one point, Lily leaned toward me, voice low: “You look good tonight.”

“So do you.”

Oscar, catching the whisper, grinned. “Should I be worried?”

“No,” I said, sipping my wine, locking eyes with him. “Unless you’re into that.”

Lily choked on her drink.

And that was when I knew.

Something was going to happen in Las Vegas.

Maybe not tonight.

But soon.

And no one would be able to pretend after that.

.

Qualifying had been electric.

Oscar had finished second, the kind of lap that left the entire paddock buzzing. Vegas was alive—hot, loud, glowing like it never slept—and we walked through it like it was ours.

Lily and I had been by the garage, watching from behind the scenes with team radios pressed to our ears. She knew exactly what to listen for. I was just pretending to be calm.

Oscar waved the moment he saw us, peeling off his helmet, sweat-dampened curls a mess, grin wide and shining. He looked at Lily, then at me, and I swear the flicker in his eyes was the same for both of us.

After the press, the meetings, and the debriefs, we found ourselves in the elevator of the Wynn, 32 floors up, still humming from the rush. The hallway to the suite was silent, plush, golden. Oscar held a bottle of team champagne under one arm, Lily walked barefoot because her heels had murdered her feet, and I was texting our group chat to let them know we were alive.

The suite was too nice. A skyline view, glass walls, velvet everything. And one massive king-sized bed.

“Wait,” I said, pausing. “Only one bed?”

Oscar set the champagne on the table with a smirk. “They must’ve assumed.”

Lily turned to me, unbothered. “You’re the little spoon.”

“I always get elbowed when I’m the little spoon,” I complained.

Oscar opened the champagne with a soft pop. “We can alternate shifts.”

“Hot,” I said dryly, snatching a glass. “Very poly of us.”

One bottle in.

We were on the floor, backs against the bed, laughing over a stupid TikTok Oscar had filmed of Lily trying to sneak into the paddock disguised as a staff intern. She almost got away with it.

Lily was lying across both our laps, head on my thigh, feet in Oscar’s hands. She was tipsy. Glowy. Beautiful.

I looked at her. “You’re going to be so hungover tomorrow.”

“I’m always hungover around you,” she mumbled. “Emotionally and otherwise.”

Oscar brushed his thumb along her ankle. “You're both a menace.”

I raised my glass. “To menacing.”

He clinked his against mine. “To danger.”

Lily didn’t move, but her voice softened: “To us.”

There was a pause.

Us.

I felt it. Oscar felt it.

The wine, the heat, the way she was draped across us like she belonged there.

Maybe she did.

Later, when we curled into the bed—all three of us Lily between us — limbs tangling, warmth and skin and unspoken questions pressing into the dark—Oscar whispered something against my neck:

“You feel like home already.”

I didn’t answer.

Because I was afraid of what I might say back.

The Next Morning, we woke to Oscar’s name trending and not just Oscar Piastri P2 Las Vegas.

No. This was different.

Someone had caught a photo—maybe from the hotel lobby, maybe at dinner the night before. The three of us, laughing. Too close. Too much eye contact. Someone had zoomed in on Lily’s hand on Oscar’s shoulder, and mine on Lily’s thigh.

It wasn’t proof.

But the internet didn’t care about proof.

“Oscar Piastri’s girlfriend and her hot friend—what’s going on?” “Throuple energy. I’m calling it now.” “Why do I want to be the fourth?”

Lily rolled over in bed and groaned into the pillow. “We’re going to be memes.”

Oscar was already scrolling. “Well… at least we’re attractive memes.”

I took the phone from him and threw it on the floor. “No phones before breakfast. New throuple rule.”

They laughed. But no one disagreed.

Tag List:

@freyathehuntress, @mimisweetz, @aleatorio1234, @totallynotluluu, @rorabelle15, @prongslena, @linnygirl09, @mangotaitai, @forensicheart, @devilacot, @lilorose25, @landofotographyy

[vigilskeep]

@lavelland @cicide76536

it’s really me pulling a lot out of something very minor—like i say, pretty much nothing can keep zevran down for long—but i was talking about this banter

it doesn’t stand out at all if you just listen to it by itself, but as someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in game with zevran and listening to zevran’s dialogue, the tone with which zevran says “what is your point, dwarf?” and “that must be it, exactly” really jump out. i actually heard this one for the first time in game and it genuinely startled me

the way he says “what is your point, dwarf?” is... totally antithetical to everything about his usual style of speech. it not only abandons the light, playful tone he never drops, it’s short, blunt, and tells his conversation partner to get to their point already. a far cry from his usual long-winded style of evasion, dancing around the topic at hand, right? and calling oghren just “dwarf” is actually him picking up oghren’s style of speech. under normal circumstances, zevran refers to oghren by name or, on multiple occasions, “my fine dwarven friend”. he even calls him “my friend” in this banter before oghren gets too far. it’s oghren who addresses zevran simply as “elf”. it’s really odd that on one particular occasion zev abandons his cheerful facade and, for lack of a better turn of phrase, descends to oghren’s level. his charm and friendliness are a survival tactic. if he abandons that, even briefly, that’s notable!

he does try to recover it with a cheap shot like “that’s big talk for a man who lives in a tunnel”, but he lets it slip again with the dry, dark tone of “that must be it, exactly” (which is odd again when overly enthusiastically agreeing with something he clearly disagrees with is his usual method of escaping a conversation; see wynne)

i don’t have entirely solid analysis on why this of all places is where zevran loses his cool but like... i think it’s hard to treat as an analysis when it’s such an obviously understandable thing to get angry over! compare to his response if you allow or take part in anti-elven atrocities in the game. but i think it’s notable as a point of characterisation for zevran, who is so in control of himself usually, that even in conversation this can be made to get to him. it matters, and he responds to it, whether he wants to or not

[percyweasleyapologist]

Hii!! Do you have any fic recs for Percy x Oliver? I’m not usually a golden trio era fan but I’m intrigued :)

(Ideally not too long and not too angsty)

YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PERSON

I gotchu

Okay so I had to include these two because even though they're long, i love them too much not to put them in:

good old-fashioned lover boy- @aeoneskova (I LOVED this one. It's definitely my all time favorite and you should totally read it! It's basically a fic through all 7 years of his time at hogwarts and it has amazing writing, fun original characters, and soooo much more!)

More than Alright - Always_Coffee (This one completes my top 3 list, it's AMAZING) It's a longer one that goes throughout the hogwarts years and after. It has lots of Penelope and Percy's friendship, angst, fluff, literally everything you should definitely read it!)

It's the truth- SquaresAreNotCircles (this account is great, check them out for more perciver stuff!)

Burn Across the Sky-MoonyTheMarauder1(beforethemoon) (This is a short one and it was one of my first perciver fics and although it doesn't have much, it made me go down a rabbit hole which ended with me being obsessed)

7 times Molly tried to set Percy up and 1 time it worked- wynniwirt (This is in my top  3 Percy fics. It's not too long but it's funny and makes me smile! Also i love @winn-wynn, she's the author)

Percy and the Weasleys and Oliver Wood- EvanescentLife (another fun fic that covers their hogwarts years)

The Oliver Fiasco- audrxyweasley (This is part of a series called 'A Series of Fiascos' by audrxyweasley, it starts with this fic and then continues from there. It's absolutley amazing with angst and fluff and i'd totally recommend that you read all of them :) and this is also in my top three, it's tied bc i couldn't choose)

Still think he's the weakest- Hhhhhheeeeeelloo1 (this is a cute little on shot that i loved)

Home for the Holidays- EvanescentLife (a muggle college au where percy and oliver go on a holiday road trip, it has so much fluff and it's just great)

Strangers- Jade33 (this is a series but it's so good!! it's still pretty short though.)

This one doesn't have a title but here's the link- Thewolfprincess (@guess1mjustheren0w is the author and she's one of my fav people on tumblr and she's such a good writer, I think she has one or two other percy fics that you can check out!!! It only has one chapter so far- but i'm excited for the rest :)

Also @elisedonut, @armadilloradio, and @sarkylittlemonster are some great writers that you can check out!! They have a bunch of wonderful perciver/ percy centric fics!

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Reese as a Sea Bunny faunus?

~At a Certain Kind of Establishment

Reese: *Sees jaune* Oh, you're-

Velvet: Hello Sir! Are you having a good time?

Jaune: Uh, Pardon? Well .. Yeah!

Reese: Heh ...

Reese: *Walking over to Jaune and Velvet* Leave this to me! you can help someone else!

Velvet: Huh? But ...

Reese: It's alright!

Velvet: Oh- okay ... alright then ...

*Velvet leaves*

Reese: *Turns to Jaune* Are you having a good time

Reese: With another "Bunny" Girl?

Jaune: *Thoroughly intimidated* No! I mean- I- I'm sorry?

Fun Fact! Zelda Wynn Valdes and Latvian émigrée designed/tailored the bunny suit to help enhance and show off the figure for the playboy bunny waitresses in the penthouse! However, they didn't take into account that the guest would be in leather armchairs which is lower than a a regular chair that sit at tables which lead to spillage (and not from the drinks) so the bunny dip was a technique to help by leaning back a little slightly bending the knees and serving drinks and/or food behind them.

~Later~

Jaune: I don't understand how people can have preferences between Humans and Faunus ... We're all pretty much the same.

Neptune: ha! you say things like that, people are gonna think you're picking a fight!

Reese: *Going to serve another customer* Oh hey!

Jaune: *Blushing*

Reese: You're back again! Good to see you! Have fun!

Jaune: Y-Yeah! haha ...

Jaune: *Ahem* L-like I was saying I don't understand why people have preferences ...

Neptune: ... Face the facts man.

Sea Bunnies, or Jorunna Parva, have a set of organs resembling Lagomorphic ears near their 'face.' However, they are not hearing organs, but more akin to Scent organs. Their "tails" are external gills.

~~~~~

Jaune: Hey! Excuse me, are you Miss bunnygirl?

Reese: *beginning to run away* Sorry! You've mistaken me for someone else!

Jaune: Wait! !ou might fall if you suddenly-

Reese: *thud* Ouch!

Jaune: ... Run.

Jaune: *Helping her up* Hey, are you alright? Why did you start running?

Reese: Well, i'm ... not used to getting recognized in casual clothes ...

Jaune: ...? But I usually see you in a bunny suit though?

Reese: There's a separation between work and normal life.

Jaune: ... I'm Jaune by the way. It's nice to officially meet you.

Reese: ... you can call me Reese.

Sea Bunnies come in many colors, but all of them are covered in dark-tipped papillae.

~~~~~

Reese: Hey, how about a game? Whoever loses has to grant the other persona wish!

Jaune: Uh, Okay!

Reese: Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!

Jaune: *Throws paper* ...

Jaune: Reese? Why didn't you extend your hand?

Reese: *Slowly raises her fist* Oh No~ I lost. It seems I'll have to grant you a wish~

Jaune: ... Did you lose on pur-

Reese: NO! Of course not!

Sea bunnies prey on Toxic Sponges. Some of these Toxins are used in Cancer Treatments.

~~~~~

Jaune: *carrying groceries for Reese* You're cute when you're not working Reese!

Reese: Ah ... Really?

~At her apartment~

Jaune: So do I just set these here, or- WHEN DID YOU CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES?

Reese: *in her bunny suit* You said I was cute? *Slams apartment door shut* Right?

Reese: As of right now, I will be working~

Jaune: W-WaiT!

Sea Bunnies are hermaphrodites. when mating, the pair will interlock their genitalia and exchange sperm.

~~~~~

Reese: *Serving Jaune a Drink*

*CLICK*

Reese: Huh?

Jaune: Ah! Aw, the power went out! Hang on, Ill get the

Announcement: Attention dear Customers, there seems to be an issue with the electricity. Please be patient while we fix it.

Jaune: ... I'll ... Turn the flashlight on on my phone- I left it on the table somewhere ...

Reese: Here, let me help look for it to-

*Gentle Squish*

Reese: Uwah!

Jaune: Ah! What happened?

*CLICK*

Jaune: Oh! The lights are back!

Reese: *Holding her hands to her chest*

Jaune: Huh? What's wrong?

Reese: *Blushing against her anger* Patrons Are not allowed to touch the girls at the bar!

Jaune: What Happened?!?

[awardenandacrow]

FANFIC SNIPPET 23

NOTE: this snippet DIRECTLY follows snippet 21. Additionally, this is hot off the press and so I apologize if it feels a little half baked I’m ✨tired✨

[Lucanis learns about Naimeryn & Spite]

CW/TW: fear of death/harm, vague suggestion of child abuse

——————————————————————————

WAKE UP.

Lucanis jolted as Spite relinquished control so violently it startled him awake and set his head throbbing. Spite never gave control back willingly.

“What —?” He began, putting a hand to his head but jumping to his feet nevertheless. He sensed rather than was told that Spite needed him to go somewhere. Why not just sleepwalk him there?

ROOK. NEED TO GO TO ROOK. NOW.

“Why —?”

But Spite was incourrigible. He repeated himself over and over and was talking so fast Lucanis couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He gritted his teeth against the mounting headache and left the pantry, picking up his pace as Spite urged him on.

ROOK IS SPECIAL. He made out amidst the ceaseless babble. MY ROOK. NOT ROOK. NOT DEAD.

This repeated incessantly as Lucanis exited into the courtyard and headed towards the library. He felt his speed increase instinctually at the panic in the phrase “not dead.” What *was* he on about?

Lucanis was almost to the top of the stairs when the library door opened and Rook came flying out of it. She ran to the edge, gripping the railing of the stairs heading up, leaned over, and vomited.

THAT’S WHY YOU SHOULDN’T MESS. Spite sad sheepishly.

“Rook!” He called to her, so she would know he was coming. She turned to look at him, and the breath caught in his throat. Even at this distance her eyes were big, and red, and *wet*, and she looked so distraught he wanted to punch Spite for whatever it was he had done. He started quickly down the stairs.

“Spite said —“

She started talking, almost as though she hadn’t heard him. “Lucanis! There’s something I need to tell you. About —“

She cut herself off to spin back to the abyss and wretch again. Without a second thought he gathered her hair in his hands. It was wet — but then, he’d had worse things on his hands. He was irritated with Spite. What had he done to her?

NOT ME! Spite insisted. ZARA DID. TO ALL OF US.

“Spite isn’t making any sense,” Lucanis shook his head. “Is it about him?”

Rook nodded, gasping and shaking beneath his hands. She swallowed thickly. When she spoke, her voice trembled with rage.

“And about *Zara.*”

Lucanis released her hair in surprise. He wiped his hands against his thighs.

“Spite said something about Zara. I don’t understand.”

Rook nodded. “I need to sit.”

“Of course,” Lucanis stepped aside and moved to her right. She sat with her legs hanging off the edge, at the edge of the courtyard, which made him queasy. He sat cross-legged next to her, a little back from the expanse of nothingness that awaited a fall.

“I… I’m not sure how to begin, now,” Rook said, rubbing her forehead. Spite sat on her other side and… laid his head on her shoulder? At least he was finally quiet, but it was such an odd action for him it sent Lucanis’s head spinning. “Do you know… *anything* about the Hero of Ferelden? Or her companions?”

“One is rather famously a black mark on the Crows’ reputation,” Lucanis pointed out drily.

Rook laughed — not her usual, carefree giggle. This was strained, marred by whatever it was she had to tell him. “How could I forget Zev was a Crow?”

She sighed, a dreamy sort of a thing. “The Warden and the Crow who was sent to kill her, madly in love instead.”

She blushed, then. “Oh, uh, sorry. Side tracked. Uhm, so not him. Have you heard of Wynne?”

Lucanis shook his head.

Rook sighed again, kicking her feet. “She was an abomination. Sort of? Technically. A Circle Mage, possessed by what she believed was a Spirit of Faith, which prevented her from dying when Uldred tried to take over the Tower.”

“I met her once. She… was a huge part in helping me overcome *my* fear of becoming one.”

She shifted uncomfortably, peeking at him out of the corner of her eye nervously. Was she afraid she’d offended him? He’d thought such a fear was exclusive to southern mages, but he supposed it wasn’t irrational.

“You were afraid of possession?” He asked carefully.

“I’m… *from* Ferelden. My mother was an apostate who fled the Circle when she found out she was pregnant, rather than be forced to give me up. When *I* started showing signs…” Rook hugged herself tightly. “It’s hard enough for one apostate to hide in plain sight, but two? I couldn’t learn. I could only hide. My mother made it very clear that my options were hide it, or be taken away or just killed by the Templars, and suppress it, because if I became too powerful, I’d attract the attention of demons in the Fade while I slept, and if I became an abomination, I would hurt anyone and everyone I loved, and be killed for sure.”

Lucanis felt a pang in his chest. “How old were you?”

Rook sniffed, and he realized belatedly she was still crying. What in Thedas could this have to do with Spite?

“I don’t know… five? Six? And it wasn’t long after that I started to sense… something. First only in my dreams, then whenever I had to try especially hard to keep my magic from bubbling over, then a few times when a demon actually did come calling. At first I thought it *was* a demon, and I would become *terrified* any time I sensed it.”

“What was it?” He asked, suspecting he already had an idea.

“Eventually I told Saimaeria about it. She knew. But she just said, ‘there’s someone you should talk to’ and wrote a letter. About a year later, Wynne showed up at Weisshaupt. She confirmed what Saimaeria knew. It was a spirit.”

Rook held up a finger to him and buried her face in her hands. She shook, and Spite put his arm around her. Lucanis didn’t know what to do. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how. And Spite’s behavior was…. Unfathomable. How could a demon of spite be… caring? Compassionate?

Finally, Rook took a shuddering breath and looked him in the face. “A Spirit of Determination. A spirit who protected and sheltered me my entire life. A spirit who kept me strong.”

SURVIVED… OUT OF *SPITE.* Spite growled.

Rook jumped and spun towards the demon, then her hands fell into her lap. “Did I just… *hear* him?”

Pieces began to fall into place, and Lucanis’s stomach churned. “You’ve been talking about the spirit in past tense. Do spirits of determination become…”

Rook nodded and turned back to him. “A little over a year ago now, I almost died. I disobeyed a direct order from Weisshaupt and charged into a Darkspawn horde to save the town it threatened. I crawled out of harm’s way, and just before I passed out, the spirit…. Disappeared. I thought saving me destroyed it.”

“A little over a year ago,” Lucanis repeated hollowly.

ZARA. Spite snarled. Rook had no reaction. Lucanis thought she might have had the right idea throwing up. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Is this why you’re always pestering me to talk to Rook?” He asked.

ROOK IS FAMILIAR. DIDN’T KNOW WHY.

Rook watched him carefully, waiting.

“He says he didn’t know until tonight,” he told her. “He was trying to figure out why you felt… familiar.”

SMELLS DIFFERENT. TOO MUCH BLIGHT.

He was *not* going to repeat that. He wondered how long she’d been a Warden, how long she had left. She probably didn’t even know someone like him knew about the Calling.

“I *hate* her,” Rook said, closing her eyes against the spark of magic that appeared there. “I already hated her for what she did to *you*.”

This statement stirred something in Lucanis he knew he should quiet. But hearing her admit that she cared enough about him, already, to hate someone on his behalf… he swallowed thickly. This new information only complicated things *more*.

“Now… now I feel like she personally slighted *me*! And *Spite*…”

She tugged her hands through her hair roughly.

“Has anyone ever told you, you care *too* much?” It was out before Lucanis had even considered the repercussions of saying it out loud. He leaned forward slightly, his knee dangerously close to touching her leg. She turned to look at him, chin jutted out, her hands still wrapped around her neck. The strange not-quite-sunlight of the Fade glowed against her bare cheekbones.

“No,” she chuckled. “Do you not think Spite deserves my care?”

Lucanis shook his head. “What I think about Spite is… complicated.”

*Much like how I’m starting to feel about you.*

WHY DIDN’T YOU ACTUALLY SAY THAT?

“I just meant… you’ve got yourself tied into knots over what Zara did to us. Only Zara can take responsibility for that.” He flicked his eyes from his hands where he’d been staring back to her face, to discover she’d turned her upper body towards him as well, and her eyes up close were more purple than he’d realized. Like a Treviso sunrise, just before the sun broke the horizon, where the sky met the canals. *Mierda,* this woman.

“We’ll make sure she does,” Rook promised him, her low volume doing nothing to soften the conviction of her words. “Together.”

“Together,” he repeated, his mouth dry.

KISS MAYBE — OH.

As Spite started to taunt him, Rook seemed to remember herself, and sat up straight. Lucanis cleared his throat and also straightened his posture. What was he thinking?

“Our Warden contacts got back to me. Us,” Rook said after a moment. “You haven’t left the Lighthouse since Caterina’s funeral… could I interest you in a trip to the Anderfels to stretch your legs? The monster Hunter we’re supposed to meet, Davrin? He’s kind of a legend around Weisshaupt. Should be… interesting.”

“You want to take me in the field? Don’t you think you should check with Lace first?” He snorted.

“She’s not my *mom*,” Rook rolled her eyes, but the little pout that accompanied it did not help her cause.

Well, Spite *had* been restless of late. And perhaps showing him somewhere new, somewhere he hadn’t been, would make him more manageable, at least for a time. Plus… annoying Lace might be kind of fun.

“If you’d like me to go, I’d be happy to accompany you,” he told her. The smile she gave in return was warm enough to melt winter. She suppressed it quickly, but the damage was done. Thankfully, she’d already asked of him what she wanted, for if she’d asked for anything else in that moment, it would have been hers.

“Great!” She said. “We’ll leave after breakfast. I think we could maybe get another couple hours’ sleep first, though. Uh. I mean —“

Her face and ears turned red, and he suppressed a smile of his own.

“I just meant I’m still… tired. So I’m gonna… try to get some more rest. Alone.”

“Of course,” Lucanis said calmly, trying to beat any thoughts about how cute she was when flustered into submission. He stood, holding his hand down to help her up as well. Her hand was like ice, and he fought the urge to cup it in both of his to warm it up.

“Good night, again,” he said stiffly.

“Good night, Lucanis,” she said softly. Maybe he imagined it, but it felt as though she hesitated to pull her hand away. When she did, it was quick, and she smiled at him again before ducking her head to walk past him and back into the library.

Lucanis watched her go before heading back to the dining hall.

Pancakes, he decided. It would be a perfect morning for pancakes.

[theinquisitxor]

October Reading Wrap Up

October was a great reading month and I got through ten(!) books in the month. That's more than I've read in a while, so it felt good to be able to know I can still read that many. I read some spooky/halloweenish books, as well as continued a few series, and finished a series.

1.Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters 2) by Juliet Marillier, 5/5 stars. I started the month with reading the second Sevenwaters book. Just like with book 1, I enjoyed this immensely, and I found the characters and storyline to be strong and engaging. This one is even more romance heavy than the first books. Adult historical fantasy

2.Paladin's Hope (Saint of Steel 3) by T. Kingfisher, 4.5/5 stars. Another good installment in this series and new mystery that our characters are faced with. This one was a bit shorter than the first two books, and I wish this was a little longer, but otherwise it was great as always! Adult fantasy romance

3.The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way by Bill Bryson This was my nonfiction book for the month, and I read this on audio. Enjoyable, but I felt like it was a little dated. I've read other more recent books on linguistics, and enjoyed them more. Nonfiction.

4.Echo North by Joanna Ruth Mayer, 4/5 stars. This was an enjoyable YA fantasy, and a good blend of fairytales I really enjoy. I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but this reminded me of some of the 'older' YA that is really good. East of the Sun West of the Moon, batb, cupid & psyche retellings all blended together. The author also credits Robin McKinley, DWJ, and Edith Pattou as big inspirations, and I could tell. YA fantasy

5.Last Argument of Kings (First Law 3) by Joe Abercrombie, ?/5 stars. I honestly was so done reading this trilogy, and just wanted to know how it ended so I could just finish it. I skimmed most of it, and only read the Glokta chapters and the ending. This type of fantasy is 100% not for me. I only finished the series because my brother gifted me the boxed set (and he read them). Adult fantasy

6.I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacquline Harpman, 5/5 stars. This is a lesser known classic that's gotten some popularity recently. It's part dystopian, part science fiction, and reminded me a little of The Wall which I read earlier this year. Very poignant, dark, but an exploration of self and a woman on her own. This is translated from French!

7.A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher, 4/5 stars. Another good T Kingfisher fairy tale retelling (however this was quite loose on the retelling), but also dark, featuring child abuse and animal horror. But there is humor, and a good cast of adult characters trying to fix the situation, and I like how T Kingfisher writes competent adults.

8.Witch Week (Chrestomanci 3) by Diana Wynne Jones, 3/5 stars. I started this on audio, but finished with the physical book. Can't say I enjoyed this one as much as the first two. This just reminded me of how horrible middle school was! A good halloween time read though. Middle grade fantasy.

9.The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky, 4/5 stars. This is a historical fantasy that has been on my tbr since 2019. This is light on the fantasy elements, and about first contact between Inuit and Vikings in present-day Canada about 1000 years ago. Our main character is an Inuit shaman, and they and a viking have to team up to save the land and their peoples. Super detail rich and well written.

10. Graveyard Shift by ML Rio, 4/5 stars. A good read for Halloween, and excited to see that ML Rio is publishing again! A thriller about 5 people trying to discover who made a new grave in an abandoned graveyard. As someone who works in academia, I liked the academia element in this story, I only wish it was longer!

I'm on track to finish my Goodreads Reading Challenge this year, which is 80 books. Usually I get somewhere in the 90s, but not this year I guess. For Nov and December, I'm planning on finishing the Sevenwaters series, and Chrestomanci, so I'll be prioritizing those books.

November tbr:

The Scorpio Races (reread on audio)

Child of the Prophecy (Sevenwaters 3)

Heir to Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters 4)

Chrestomanci: The Magicians of Caprona (book 4)

Paladin's Fate (Saint of Steel 4)

Nonfiction

The Word for Woman is Wilderness

Cape Cod (on audio?)

The Virgin in the Garden

[glitteringpriime]

who: open! where: wynn pixie

Cashing people out was Kiera’s usual role – the part she was good at. Though it was a lot of the same things over and over again, the monotony was almost a comfort. Save excitement for the night life. Putting out produce wasn’t exactly what people would call excitement – but it was forcing Kiera out of her routine.

Was quality control part of the job? From the way she lingered on the piece of fruit in her hand, it was clear that she had interpreted it that way. “Does this look right to you?” She finally caved and asked the figure next to her, no doubt just trying to do their shopping in peace.

[pisscrossiant]

Dragon Age: Origins headcanons because It's my current hyperfixation 😋

Leliana and Zevran hang out the most out of the party, if they are left back at camp while the warden is off with the others they are constantly talking to each other about anything. If they are left in denerim they will go a pick rich people's pockets and laugh about it the whole time.

Morrigan is in love with the Female warden, she knows that in the end the Warden might die however so she does not pursue any kind of relationship with her. When she sees the Warden with another lover she gets upset so she isolated herself from the rest of the tents to try to avoid seeing them.

Wynne constantly teases Zevran/Alistair/Leliana if they are in a relationship with the warden to the point Zevran and Alistair will actively avoid her when they can due to the embarrassment.

Alistair questions his sexuality alot when Zevran flirts with him.

Oghren has gotten into multiple bar fights with multiple people all because he hears them talking bad about the Grey Wardens, he gets into those fights just because his favorite person is a Grey Warden.

Sten is actually very fond of the Warden (even if he doesn't show it) and enjoys their company.

Zevran flirts with Sten the most out of anyone in the party (besides the Warden) because he loves tall men

Morrigan actually gets along pretty well with Zevran, while his advances towards her do annoy her she does enjoy his company.

When bathing Leliana will wash Morrigan 's hair for her since Morrigan didn't learn how to wash her hair properly in the wilds.

After the Goldanna incident when in Denerim Alistair will look towards Goldanna's house alot, wondering what it would be like if she had accepted him rather then casting him out.

After the encounter with Talisan Zevran will be increasingly paranoid that the crows will find the Warden and the party and kill them while they sleep.

Leliana sings songs at camp and Zevran will dance to them.

Zevran has Acid reflux really bad and even though he complains about Fereldon's food being bland he's glad that it doesn't make his Acid reflux flare up.

Shale comforts the party as best as she can when they're upset.

(my canon warden) after the encounter with Tamlen in the party camp the Warden has a breakdown realizing that if Duncan didn't find her when he did she would've turned out like Tamlen.

Zevran asks the Warden how life was when being with the Dalish, he likes to know what life could've been like if his mother hadn't left her clan and had Zevran with the Dalish rather then him being born in a Brothel.

Morrigan doesn't get much sleep, nor does she need to. She usually gets about two-three hours of sleep then stays up either reading or talking with Leliana.

Zevran has constant nightmares from his time with the crows, when he wakes up from them he is happy to be out of that situation. After this he usually stays up and just lays there staring at the stars or he'll talk to Leliana by the fire.

Leliana will have Nightmares as well from the time she was tortured in Orlais after Marjoline framed her. When this happens she'll sit with Morrigan by the fire and talk to her until sunrise, or she'll sit and talk to Zevran if he had a nightmare too.

Sten will pick up the warden and put them on his shoulders if they start getting tired from walking, this often makes the other party members jealous since they still have to walk, but Shale usually puts them on her shoulders if she notices them getting tired too.

Alistair has a irrational fear of birds, when living in the Arl's castle birds would attack him out of the blue for no reason. This happened a lot especially when the Arl married Isolde, as she came with a pet peacock that would attack him if Alistair even looked at the damn thing.

Morrigan will turn into a bird and attack Alistair because of his fear. Over time it actually helped him overcome this fear.

Zevran speaks Spanish and calls the Warden "Mi Amor" and Wynne constantly teases him about it.

That's all for now I don't want to overfill it or anything, I might make a part two if I'm up for it 😋

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #8

"The Wellsington Hotellsington"

I'm glad Hazel's parents seem chill. They're not strict about "No sleepovers" or anything. They seem more involved than Timmy's (and holy cow, they're better at interactions with their daughter than Chloe's were with her).

Yeah, it's not like I ever doubted (because I loved Chloe's mental breakdown drama), but this and the dino episode are really cementing just how bad Clark and Connie were with parenting, sdkfj.

If Chloe tried to play with her parents at the museum, they'd totally shut down her giddiness and drag her into a lesson on naming or drawing dinosaurs. She'd seem hyped, but... Timmy would know. Timmy always knew.

I miss Timmy "will stay with you for an hour while you have a total breakdown" Turner... I miss the fairy step-siblings. Where's my boy?

... That is actually really interesting that I can't give Hazel a 50-years-of-frozen-time backstory. With Chloe, she blatantly raised herself on Fair Bears and I had a lot of other characters who got their lives screwed up by failing to emotionally mature or physically progress... but Hazel missed all that, so she's got Regular Childhood. And barring what I just said, I'm usually writing Fae in 'fics that span hundreds of thousands of years. Having such a limited timeframe to work with is... a new experience for me here.

Whyyyyy did Hazel and Jasmine not know who Wynn (sp?) is if they've been in the same class for weeks? (Hazel's over 100 wishes and mentioned weeks had passed during "Teacher's Pal"). Does this kid not talk to them? I thought they sat near Hazel, by the door? I'm pretty sure if I go back and look, this kid is 1 or 2 desks to her right.

Dev, don't you have better things to do than stalk Hazel and eavesdrop? This kid has issues. Tell me more.

I'm really glad we have a Dimmadome bully and not a Buxaplenty bully. Fingers crossed that Remy broke the abuse cycle, and also... the Dimmadomes are 100% known for butting into everything. I complained that he shouldn't stalk, but... he's a Dimmadome. Of course he's wandering around waiting for his chance to jump in for a line and brag about stuff.

"Hazard" is a very funny nickname for Hazel. Dev should keep calling her that.

This kid has insecurity issues about... his house? And/or being outclassed, but it's the house that seems to ruffle his feathers. The one thing Dimmadomes are known for is their big buildings. Hmm. Something's going on here...

I was going to make a joke about how Jasmine apparently didn't come over to Hazel's house despite their plans to play together, but Jasmine made it for me. Apparently she HAS been over and is sus. sdflkj.

Wynn is super nice. Hazel is being a creep sdkf.

Whoops, so much for the roof garden. Also, I like how the founder picture for the hotel is just Hazel in disguise.

His parents aren't at his party, huh? I see where this is going...

Either this kid's got a fairy - but he doesn't have brightly colored items or pets we've seen - or something is keeping him riding the border without tipping into miserable. We never got a canon reason why Tootie didn't have a fairy, though it's implied she can't keep her mouth shut and would endanger Fairy World. I wonder if those recording devices following him around are getting in the way, although that's probably not likely.

OR he's lost a fairy (similar to Remy gambling Juandissimo away), which would be hilarious. Imagine him getting a fairy and he's like "I don't want this. I have money."

I'm thinking he's got enough of his heart set in his pride and his things that he's finding enough joy to keep afloat, but I'm keeping an eye on him. Now that I'm thinking about it, Kevin Crocker with a fairy would've been funny. Then again, I kind of gave him Foop as a buddy... and even though he's the deadest kid inside, he was still pretty cheery.

Dev, however, does NOT give me cheery vibes. I'm sus.

Actually, I do not trust Fairy World to be functioning the same way it did in the old days, considering that enough time has passed for Cosmo and Wanda to retire and Jorgen to notably age. There WAS a fairy shortage in Season 10 - and so few Fairies left by Season 7 that they couldn't even fill the stadium when Timmy summoned them - so... hmm. Is he getting Cookie, who was actively looking for a godkid a few episodes ago?

If Fairy World's still under the same protocol it used to be, Jorgen's the only Temporary Fairy on-call, and we HAVE seen him introduced. Hmm...

I'm wondering if this is gonna be a Juandissimo comeback? He's got experience with rich kids, he IS a notable fairy from the early seasons (all the seasons), and he even loves bratty kids who don't listen to him to the point that he couldn't hold a job after losing Remy (because he was crying too much) and ended up defying Da Rules to return Remy's memories. Now that Wanda and Cosmo are so friendly in this portrayal, it could be really interesting to throw him in the mix again.

I liked when Cosmo showed him the "guest room" in "Jerk of All Trades" and then threw him in the freezer. Give me more of that.

This would be very unlikely since it's literally a deleted part of an early script, but... do I dare dream we see the return of "Juandissimo is terrified of only one person and it's Cosmo, whom he refers to as Wanda's cunning and calculating warrior husband?" That would be great! My dream. :)

I like how Cosmo in the OG series tolerated Juandissimo, claiming that he would tell him to stop flirting with Wanda, but he won't because he likes eating Juandissimo's food too much. 10/10 dynamic. It's so underrated; Cosmo's hilarious.

I'm loving early-vibe Cosmo and Wanda... do I DARE dream of a return with early-vibe Juandissimo? My super kind and polite boy who gets invited to at least 4 parties at Timmy's house, makes a point of letting Wanda talk to Cosmo before she makes decisions involving them alone in a room, and runs away at top speed when he clocks Wanda as not being able to consent to hanging out with him (because Cupid's love arrow?) Seasons 1-7 Juandissimo, my beloved... :')

I miss him.

My vague understanding is that this show is ongoing, probably multiple seasons if it does well, so I don't think they're wrapping it up at the end of Season 1... but if they did, I could definitely see a "Hazel gives her blessing for Cosmo and Wanda to go to Dev" plot, which would be an interesting direction (since we never got that kind of closure with Timmy and I doubt they'd do a share program plot twice).

It's kind of a shame we didn't get a separate reboot with the share program- That might've been better received than Season 10. Sparky could've been a shared fairy. Alas.

Okay, the chandelier in the helicopter being an inconvenience is a nice touch.

I'm dead (So are the animals).

Mmmm, the classmates are dunking on Dev for being "not cool." He's not even liked? Seriously, someone call Juandissimo- This kid is catnip for him.

[kurczeno]

there is a funny drama on twt, which my friend sent me and I want to talk about it, but im deadly scared of twt so i will do it here

so the thing is - someone said Zev is a rapist and other people got mad that they call him that, while also defending Oghren.

And honestly? Zev is one of my favourite characters from the entire series - probably second only to Isabela. I'm not sure if calling him a rapist is entirely right? He definitely used his targets and I think he always said that both of them (him and the other person) had the intention of killing the other, so it's difficult to talk about consent here. But you can't say he did not use his targets - he says it outright, multiple times. There is no denial here, as Zev rarely denies that what he does is messed up.

It's not there to show you, idk, that he is horny and hot (?). It's there to show you how Crows ruined this man, that his morals are absolutely twisted. He's not even defending it. He knows it was wrong, he just can't exactly care about that atp.

Oghren on the other hand? Without getting into details about his past, probably one of the most tragic in all the games - I want to remind you, that he goes on this expedition with you, still hoping that his beloved wife might be alive - just to see her commit the worst attrocities. He's already a broken man, when you take him to the deep roads and while you are there he slowly sees the only person he cared about for what she really is. Or what she has become. His world is literally falling apart as you go. Or the remains of his world. And pair all that with where he's coming from, the Orzammar that we know of.

You can argue, that Branka was the only way he could get his honor back, but he does love her. And later he says many awful things about her, but I'd say it's mostly a coping mechanism to deal with whatever the fuck happened. Because holy shit. Peak DA writing btw.

And now to Oghren as a companion - yes, he is a disgusting pervert. Things he says are often just sickening and tasteless and I can see how they might make you uncomfortable. But that's really... all he does. Almost every single one of your companion, besides Wynne and Alistair does horrible things - Zevran is literally an assassin and he used his targets in more than one way, Sten murdered a family that saved him, Morrigan is sort a sadist. All of those are incredibly written flaws and the characters do it for a reason. But it is there. All Oghren does is talk, really. There is also the part in which Oghren leaves Felsi. It's an awful thing to do (again, it's due to his insecurities, but it doesn't make it right), but it happens, eventually. And yes, it's disappointing that you, as a Warden, can change most of your companions for the better and Oghren still does the shitty thing. But the Origins companions, as I said, are supposed to be flawed and flawed in an unforgivable way. He's not worse than other companions. I can see how he is less likeable than the others, since they usually make up for these flaws with their personality and for Oghren it's the personality that is the problem, but saying that he is the worst companion, as in actually the most "evil" is just so... bizarre. And despite being less likeable he is well-written - although whether including a character like this as a companion is right, since he can make many people uncomfortable, is certainly debatable

[fish-be-fishing]

Did the Oc ask thingy for my Oc Callum!! Really like the questions;!!! Thanks to @holsten-from-hasa for making it!

What's your name? Does it have any special meaning?

These days I just go Soldier, It's easier really. But I liked to go by Callum when I was with friends, mostly Lari but i used it with others too.

There's no special meaning to it, I just took the first name I heard in Ragni.

Everyone assumes you're human, but are you really?

I mean, I guess?

I don't remember anything before waking when the caravan arrived in Wynn with Tasim and... Anyway, I don't remember anything before that, so I can't really be sure I'm human.

I look human though, and I feel human, I live like a human, I bleed like a human and others think I'm a human.

So I'm 99% sure I'm human.

What weapon do you use? Do you wish it was something else?

I don't think my staffs count as weapons? I certainly don't hit anyone with them. But my usual staff is called Morrowind and its thrice infused with air powder, costed me quite a fortune.

I could count Ophanim as my weapon, I think? Those are the orbs I summon to attack enemies so that's probably my weapon.

I don't think I would change it, mostly because i changed to it already. In my early days, before my grimoire showed this spell to me, I used to conjure meteors, mark my enemies and then absorb all those marks to become invincible for a couple seconds.

I'm past that phase though, that amount of power isn't made for humans. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, after all.

How does your magic work? Did anybody teach you, or did you come up with it yourself?

I don't think anybody teached me? As I said, don't really remember anything from before, but I do know that frumans are really anti magic.

As for how it works, my grimoire does most of the work, to be fair. It had a bunch of spells in it since the beginning but I could only read a few. However, as I casted more spells and meditated I began to understand what the sigils and symbols meant, so I was able to cast more spells.

What do you wear when you're not wearing armour, if there's ever such a time for you?

Well, I do have some clothes under the armor, or else I fear it would chafe terribly, but nothing remarkable, really. I mostly keep my clothes in the bank, and since I don't have a house I usually change and clean them when I spend the night on an Inn, or if there's a river nearby.

I'm told it's unusual for mages to wear armor, they normally use robes or something. I find it quite stupid frankly, why would you not wear armor if it's literally made to protect you, even light armor would be better than nothing.

What do you know about your time before becoming a Wynn soldier, if anything?

Nope, my memory was clean as a slate, sometimes I feel that should worry me but it goes away quickly enough.

Not even that mage was able to channel my past in the orb, either it was super fucked up or literal nothing. Not that it matters really, can't see myself going to fruma anytime soon, not that they would open the gates anyway.

You've been around many places, do you have a favourite food from any of them?

I don't have any, I just eat anything that sounds good and leave for my next assignment .

Don't think I ever stayed long enough to taste the local cuisine, sadly.

Olon made me food one day though, it was very good! Lari's food was good too, now that I'm thinking about it, but it was mostly a joint effort between us,so she can't take all the credit.

Do you prefer warmer climates to colder ones?

Oh, that's a good one. I would say colder is better by a large margin.

You see, the thing about warmer climates, like Almuj for example, is that they're absolute hell to go through. You're constantly dehidrated, you can't wear armor unless you want to die boiled in your own sweat. Sand gets evrywhere.

Now, in the cold. It's cold, of course, but nothing some padding inside the armor can't fix. Also it's easier to be warm than to cool off. Snow is a pain though.

In your opinion, where has the best view out of all the places you've been?

Oh wow, I don't know about best ones. But nothing beats seeing the sky islands for the first time.

What's your favourite memory of your travels?

Befriending Lari. We lived together for a while in her camp, trying to cure rhe decay in some way. It was definitely awkward, but I think I hadn't been happy like that for a very long while.

Knowing Ava was nice too, she's a sweetheart.

Which is your favourite province? Wynn, Gavel, or Corkus?

Gavel, I think. I made a lot of friends here and Wynn is just too much, sometimes.

When did you realise that there's no going back to how things were?

I think I could pretend and lie to myself hard enough that things were the same and they wre fine. But I think when Lari tried to kill me any chance of that fell apart.

That was the moment I realized my life would be struggling for the rest of the war, and that the war would last forever.

Who would you consider your best friend?

I mean, if we exclude the dead. I guess it only leaves me with Ava and Olon, since Maxie has his husband. And Ava is never home enough time, so by process of elimination it would be Olon.

I really wish I could say Lari, though.

If you had the ability to change one minor thing about yourself or your journey, what would it be?

I wish Orphion hadn't chose me.

Which loss hurt the most?

This one's hard.

Lari definitely hurt the most though, her final message and saving Orphion without her were like rubbing salt in the wound. I spent days on her camp, not quite living I think.

Aledar was a close second though, but that was more compound hurt and anger than hurt for the betrayal.

What or who are you most scared to lose next?

No one. I know for a fact that Olon is safe, and that Ava can take care of herself.

Maybe I should be afraid of losing myself, but I think the Silent Expanse already did that.

Who do you blame for everything?

Bob. Like dude was an all powerful hero, there was no way he didn't know about all this shit, and he still choose to sacrifice himself instead of staying to help or training people. Of course he's not to be blamed for the war itself, but everything I had to deal with is fair game.

Orphion too, this motherfucker only needed to guide Lari, To make her understand why ruthlessness is important, but noo let's make everything cryptic and let Lari reach that conclusion on her own after He abandoned her for a thousand years. Gets on my nerves sometimes.

The most common religion in Wynn is Bovemism, do you believe in a god?

Nah, if there's a God above the entities, then it fucking hates us.

How do you feel know that everyone's hopes are riding on you?

Tired, frustrated, angry, resigned. There's nothing I can do really, this is my burden and I'll carry it until I die.

What's your biggest regret that you can never hope to fix?

Well.

I said it a lot on this interview but being forced to bring Lari over the edge by making her feel useless, unwanted and abandoned by the only thing that mattered for her.

But every friend that died is a regret that I can't fix, so there's that.

Why do you keep going?

What a silly question, because I i have to.

How do you think this will end?

Will it?

If you could say one last thing to the person you miss most, what would it be?

I'm sorry

Do you remember what happiness feels like?

I know what it feels like, I think. It's everything I don't have time to do.

I think happiness is taking walks in the city, smelling the flowers, lying down in a tree's shade, getting drunk with a friend. But alas, duty calls and it falls on me to answer it.

The gates of Fruma will be opening to you by the end of the year, do you think you're ready for what comes next?

God I hope they stay in their lane, really don't need yet another place to save.

[cursedthing]

I would like you to answer every single question about Ferry please. (I tried copy pasting all the questions here and it's just. It's so long. Sorry.)

.ON IT BOSS o7 .this goes under the cut since it will get long most likely! (hi. future us. it's long but not as long as it could have been <3)

.[1.] What's your name? Does it have any special meaning? Ferry. It's a type of boat. I think? It's my name.

.[2.] Everyone assumes you're human, but are you really? ...

.[3.] What weapon do you use? Do you wish it was something else? Dagger, mainly. Honestly anything will do, merchants only give me "assasin choices" however. Not much room to experiment with. When the tool completes it's use we repurpose it, keep a little of it with me.

.[4.] How does your magic work? Did anybody teach you, or did you come up with it yourself? Not really sure. 'know what was.. "advertised" to me (plus we did go to a school for that momentarily, with the kid not wanting to go). I did notice that other magic users, or whatever you call them don't have little... tablets? At the back of their necks. We fiddle with it sometimes and different spells are easier then.

.[5.] What do you wear when you're not wearing armour, if there's ever such a time for you? The usual getup. The clothes that were given to me for wear under the armour. Not much else. Olon and Maxie did try to introduce us to different clothes, on separate occasions.

.[6.] What do you know about your time before becoming a Wynn soldier, if anything? Nothing.

.[7.] You've been around many places, do you have a favourite food from any of them? We can't? Really eat most of the food. We do like the warm broths from Nesak.

.[8.] Do you prefer warmer climates to colder ones? Anything goes, in the case of the right equipment.

.[9.] In your opinion, where has the best view out of all the places you've been? Outer void.

.[10.] What's your favourite memory of your travels? Don't have favorites. Olon tripping on a slippery stone and falling into the river was pretty funny. Especially as he turned out okay afterwards.

.[11.] Which is your favourite province? Wynn, Gavel, or Corkus? Don't ask me that.

.[12.] When did you realise that there's no going back to how things were? There's never going back, only forwards, one step at a time.

.[13.] Who would you consider your best friend? All of our friends are the best.

.[14.] If you had the ability to change one minor thing about yourself or your journey, what would it be? No point in thinking about this.

.[15.] Which loss hurt the most? Nice question you have.

.[16.] What or who are you most scared to lose next? What's your next move.

.[17.] Who do you blame for everything? Used to blame the elven council or whatever the hell they're calling themselves. There's no single point of origin for everything that's wrong.

.[18.] The most common religion in Wynn is Bovemism, do you believe in a god? If I got this right I'm sort of an extension of a light god at this point. Would be funny if I didn't.

.[19.] How do you feel know that everyone's hopes are riding on you? Tired.

.[20.] What's your biggest regret that you can never hope to fix? I don't think about that.

.[21.] Why do you keep going? Why don't you?

.[22.] How do you think this will end? No one can tell. We'll die at some point, Death will greet us. We'll play games for eternity I think. That sounds nice.

.[23.] If you could say one last thing to the person you miss most, what would it be? Why did you go?

.[24.] Do you remember what happiness feels like? Why are all of the questions so bleak, of course we know what that feels like. Go look at a kantyr.

.[25.] The gates of Fruma will be opening to you by the end of the year, do you think you're ready for what comes next? We have to be.

[her-gracious-lady-herald-bits1]

Prompt: bows

Pairing: Leliana x female Tabris

Words: around 1500

Edit: corrected grammar mistakes and shifts from present sense,

---

The arrow sails past the makeshift target and misses by a wide margin. Leliana tracks its flight until it thuds into the tree trunk behind it, startling a raven perched in the sunlight. The bird squawks, feathers flaring, before dissolving into a swirl of dark magic that reforms into Morrigan.

Morrigan folds her arms, her narrowed eyes sharp beneath her dark hood. "I don't suppose," she drawls, brushing at her robes, "that you might practice your spectacular failures in a direction that isn't quite so near to where I was attempting to rest."

By the cooking fire, Alistair smirks, barely bothering to hide it. Leliana doesn't have to look at him to hear the grin in his voice. "That's another point for the tree, Kallian! Though I think you might have ruffled more than just feathers this time."

Kallian doesn't turn, but Leliana notices the tips of her ears darken, the flush creeping down toward her neck. "Oh, piss off," Kallian snaps, her voice louder than it needs to be. "Unless you want to try your sodding luck with a bow instead of hiding behind that shield?"

(And wouldn't that be a sight?)

"Oh yes, do encourage him," Morrigan says sharply, sweeping back to her corner of camp with exaggerated care, her movements almost regal. "I've not yet had the pleasure of two incompetents today."

Leliana suppresses a smile, her gaze lingering on Kallian's taut shoulders. The Warden is trying too hard to mask her frustration (though the flush along her neck gives her away). Leliana steps forward, folding her arms. "Enough distractions," she says gently, though her voice leaves little room for argument. "Kallian, let's adjust your stance before you bring the whole camp into danger."

(She's adorable when she's flustered.) The thought slips through before Leliana can catch it.

"Your blades won't help if the enemy is beyond your reach," she says gently. She reaches out to correct Kallian's stance, letting her fingers find the curve of her hips. "Here, your stance is all wrong."

Kallian stiffens but doesn’t pull away. "Ain't nothing wrong with my stance," she snaps, though the defensive edge in her voice doesn’t hide the way her breath catches as Leliana’s hands adjust her position.

"Your feet should be here." Leliana taps Kallian's boot with her own, ignoring Zevran's exaggerated wink as he sharpens his daggers nearby. "And your hips—" her hands slide over the firm line of Kallian's waist, brushing against sun-warmed skin where her tunic shifts. A slight flush darkens the rich bronze of Kallian's back, the change visible even in the camp's dappled light. "—need to be square to the target."

"Square to the target, eyes on the prize, yes?" Zevran calls out helpfully. "Much like other pursuits, no?"

(And there it is. He can't resist.)

Wynne's disapproving "Zevran!" only makes Kallian's shoulders shake with suppressed laughter.

"Focus," Leliana murmurs near Kallian's ear, though she can't quite keep the amusement from her voice. "Unless you'd prefer to hit the target by accident."

"Right then." Kallian's voice comes out rougher than usual. She clears her throat. "You gonna be this hands-on with all your students?"

"Only the particularly hopeless ones." (The tease slips out naturally, and Leliana feels Kallian's silent laugh.)

"Oi! I ain't hopeless." But there's a smile in Kallian's voice now. "Just 'cause I didn't spend years prancing about in some fancy Orlesian court—"

"No prancing required for archery, I assure you." Leliana's hands rest lightly on Kallian's hips. (She knows she should step back, put some distance between them, but she stays.) "Though I must say," she murmurs, her lips twitching into a faint smile, "the way you're glaring at the target might frighten it into staying still."

Kallian huffs, dragging a hand over the back of her neck. The movement draws Leliana's attention to the slight sheen of sweat on her skin, glistening in the dappled light. "Better than missing it and hitting someone's camp bed, innit?"

Leliana lets her smile linger, her voice warm as she teases, "Perhaps. Though I can't help but notice how determined you look when you're flustered."

Kallian's head snaps around, golden-brown eyes narrowing as they meet Leliana's. "Flustered?" The word comes out sharp, defensive, and yet Leliana notices the faint color blooming along her cheekbones. "I ain't flustered," Kallian adds quickly, her voice low and rough.

"No?" Leliana tilts her head, her expression one of serene amusement. "Your shoulders are tense, your grip on the bow is uneven, and you keep rubbing your neck like you're trying to wipe the nerves away." Her voice dips, warm and teasing. "But I suppose I could be mistaken."

"Yeah? Notice anything else interesting while you're at it?"

(The challenge in Kallian's tone makes Leliana's pulse jump. She forces her voice to stay light.)

"I notice you're still holding the bow wrong."

"Pfft." Kallian adjusts her grip, her movements sharper now. "Better?"

"Almost," Leliana says, stepping closer once more. Her hands find Kallian's again, steadying her fingers along the bowstring. Her touch lingers, despite herself. (There's a tremor in Kallian's hands—or perhaps it's Leliana's—and she almost says something before the clash of metal shatters the moment.)

The bow creaks as Kallian draws the string, her muscles tight with effort. Leliana leans in unconsciously, close enough to catch the slight scent of pine and leather that clings to Kallian.

"Good," she murmurs, voice soft and low. "Now relax your shoulders. Breathe with me."

Kallian's breath stutters, then hitches altogether. "Bit hard to breathe with you this close," she mutters, almost too quiet to hear.

Leliana's lips twitch into a smile she can't quite suppress. (The words linger between them, heavier than either probably intended.) Her breath brushes against Kallian's ear as she teases, "Close? Am I distracting you?"

The silence stretches between them, tight as the drawn bowstring. Kallian shifts, her jaw tightening, and Leliana's eyes linger on the way her hands grip the string with too much force. (There's a flush high on Kallian's cheekbones now, faint but impossible to miss. Leliana wonders, briefly, if it’s from effort—or something else entirely.)

"You... ain't making this easy," Kallian mutters, her voice rough.

Leliana's pulse stumbles. (She’s never been one to lose her composure, but Maker help her, the way Kallian says that sends something warm and dangerous racing through her.) Her hands remain on Kallian's, and for a moment, she simply holds still, caught between moving away and leaning closer.

"Focus, Kallian," she says softly, though her voice betrays her unsteadiness. "If you can't aim with me, how will you manage when the enemy is closer?"

The words land heavier than she intends. Kallian swallows hard, her knuckles whitening on the bowstring. When she releases, the arrow goes wide.

"Shite," Kallian growls, lowering the bow and stepping out of Leliana's grasp. She rubs the back of her neck, her laugh brittle—a hollow sound meant to fill the space between them. "Guess I'm hopeless after all."

Leliana steps back, giving them both space to breathe. (Her hands feel oddly empty now, as though something important is missing.) "Perhaps we should take a break?"

"Yeah." Kallian turns, and there's color to her cheeks that has nothing to do with exertion. "This was your idea anyway. Telling me I need to 'diversify my skills' or whatever fancy way you put it."

"And I stand by that." Leliana collects the scattered arrows, buying time to steady her voice. "Though I admit, watching you struggle has its entertainment value."

"Oh aye, so that's how it is, yeah?" Kallian's grin turns sharp. "You just wanted to get me all worked up?"

(Yes. No. Maker help me.)

"I would never be so devious."

"Course not." Kallian steps closer, into Leliana's space now. "You're just being helpful. All proper and professional-like."

"Exactly." Leliana meets those golden-brown eyes. (Holds the gaze overlong. Too long.) "Though if you prefer a different teacher—"

"Don't you bloody dare." The words come fast, almost angry. Then softer: "I mean... you're doing fine. Teaching, that is."

Something warm unfurls in Leliana's chest. "Just 'fine'?"

"Don't push your luck." But Kallian's smile is real now, soft around the edges. "Same time tomorrow then?"

"If you wish." (Please wish it.)

"Right." Kallian hesitates, then snatches up the bow again. "Might as well get a few more shots in."

Leliana takes her position behind her, gaze trailing over familiar curves.

(Tomorrow, she thinks, they will really focus on archery.)

(She doesn't believe it for a second.)

---

[brb-on-a-quest]

The November Novel Denouement (November reading wrap-up) inspired by @ramblings-of-lola

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (finished 11/7). Rating: EEEEEEEEEEE. Thoughts: KOS is def my favorite of the duology/series; overall more plot based and really well done characters and I like the semiredemption arc for the main villain

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynn Jones (11/9). Rating: Fun time tbh, cute. Thoughts: Plot was very much contrived but it was really fun; fantastic atmosphere, kind of like a Shakespeare comedy romance. Wish we had more "page time" of original characters but Sophie's my queen and I love her relationship with Howl. Abdullah is lovely and has a lovely plot.

Bruce Wayne Writes Fanfic by @quotidian-oblivion (11/15): Rating: SHAKING CRYING THROWING UP ITS SO GOOOODD. More thougths: filled with really good crack plots, and snippets and it was so fun being able to see everything unfold- adored the comment section and bruce being a real one s;dlkfs;dlfklsdkjfsldkfj cant wait to reread and come back and i need to read so much more fanfic

The Lost Art of Listening by Michael Nichols and Martha Strauss (11/16). Rating: It was for school. I learned things, I think. Thoughts: I need a physical copy to annotate I think. Reading online was good and I felt really really seen and called out at some parts. Has practical steps to improve. informal writing style that made it a lil interesting but kind of detracted overall. Honestly probably a lot of good journaling prompts that i want to go through

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (11/19). Rating: hehehehehehe. Thoughts: Very sweet (Howl is a menace i adore him so much) poor sophie being a single mom of two. charmain reminds me of Mary from The secret garden and Peter was *a character* the reveals were very fun like the usually were, although I did guess (it wasn't hard, it was a children's book.

The Complete tales of The Hundred Acre Wood by A.A. Milne (11/24). Rating: Ah, nostalgia for books I didn't read as a kid (saw the movie tho). I liked the informal wirting style that A.A milne has, kind reminds me of Internet with Random Capitalization To Emphasize Important things. Very cute, very fun time for me. Using it as a prepatory text for Anna Karenina (A friend made a powerpoint comparing the two worlds and it was hilarious enough to make me read both).

What I am in the middle of:

Technically still in the middle of Death Note Vol. 4 and I've just started reading Anna Karenina. I hope to finish Vol 4 by the end of the month (actually I hope to finish whole series end of year, but we'll see). I think the reason it is a slower start/stop is that it's easier for me to read ebooks on my phone than carry very hefty physical manga and then have to justify my reading tastes to the schoolmates.

Goals: honestly my goal was to read more. And I did read more, even if it is technically mostly stuff below my reading level. I have left out other school readings that were not as lengthy that I did keep track of. I think challenges for next month might be to read things more outside of the fantasy genre (and also more fanfic). Also most important goal is to me is to stop buying books in favor of using library or books I've already have, no matter how pretty covers are :D

[dalishious]

hihi i was wondering how vesta gets along with the other companions??

Morrigan mentioned here.

Alistair and Vesta do not get along. Vesta initially distrusts him because of his past as a templar, though as he reveals he didn't actually want that life and is (for the most part) not like the templars she knows, this lessens. But Alistair's dislike of Morrigan starts to flood into Vesta too, since the two become so close, so fast. Then Vesta agrees to Jowan's ritual sacrifice of Isolde to save Connor, followed by becoming a blood mage herself, and this severely sours their relationship. Alistair is disgusted these choices, but there is a part of him that wonders if maybe he will be able to keep her from becoming an abomination, if he can only lead her away from what he considers a dark path. Because the thing is, Vesta has goodness in her, and that's something he didn't think blood mages were capable of having. Vesta, in turn, finds Alistair's fears annoying, but is too considerate to actually voice it (most of the time). So, they have this really unspoken unease, masked by polite banter.

Vesta enjoys Leliana's company, especially hearing her stories. Leliana finds Vesta to be a curious case; she's so used to being able to read everything about a person, but because Vesta had personhood denied from her so long, there's not much to read about her when they first meet. Like Alistair, she doesn't approve of a lot of the choices Vesta makes, but unlike Alistair, she is far more forgiving of these choices, believing that the good in Vesta outweighs the bad. And also unlike Alistair, she is far more gentle with voicing her opinions, so Vesta is a lot less annoyed.

Zevran and Vesta are best friends. She observes fairly early on that their upbringings had quite a lot in common, the only major difference being she was owned by the Chantry, and he the Crows. So, she sees a kindred spirit in him, someone to vent to, and listen to when he does the same. When Zevran talks about the nasty aspects of his time as an Antivan Crow, he is surprised with how compassionate Vesta remains, rather than either looking down at him. Zevran has always been dismissive of the tragedy he's experienced, but with Vesta, he slowly starts to allow himself to feel grief, especially for Rinna. She also helps him come to terms with having a future he can decide, seeing Vesta confronted with the same question for the first time, just like him. Zevran is one of the few in the party to always support Vesta's decisions, believing she has the right to live her own life. This kind of support means the world to Vesta. To sum it up, they help each other realize they deserve and want to live.

Wynne is a horrible reminder to Vesta of the life she wants to leave behind. She sees Wynne as someone she would have grown up into, had she not been recruited into the Grey Wardens, and that horrifies her. When Wynne tries to offer advice, Vesta usually does the exact opposite of whatever it is she says, and this frustrates Wynne greatly. When Wynne learns that Vesta has become a blood mage not long after joining the party, she is horrified. They fight about it constantly, because Wynne never quits bringing it up. And when Wynne eventually shares that she is hosting a spirit inside her, Vesta laughs in her face and calls her the biggest hypocrite she's ever known. They are bitter and hostile towards each other right to the end, only travelling together because Wynne refuses to see the warden's plight go unaided when she sees herself as a necessary part of stopping it.

Vesta pities Oghren, but every time she questions if there's more to him than she sees, he reminds her of what an inappropriate gross bastard he is.

Sten was not recruited. (Sorry, Sten fans - I usually do recruit him, but I didn't feel like it was in Vesta's character at the point of Lothering to go against the Chantry's wishes yet.)

I haven't really given thought to Shale, yet. It'll emerge when I recruit her, I guess.