#Kate Maeng

[onesparrow]

Kate Maeng: The Inquisition’s Doctor

(Other People’s) OC Aesthetic

Kate Maeng is the Inquisition’s doctor as well as Ariadne’s best friend and lover. She cusses a lot and ends up napping whenever and wherever she has the chance to. Much to both Ari and Cullen’s dismay, she refuses to use any mount except for the old dapple gray charger that putters along at an incredibly slow pace.

Kate belongs to @faslaidir and is my favourite.

[faslaidir]

"I woke up & you were gone" for Kate and Cullen

He does not trust the world when he sleeps. Dreams are fickle, wisps of trickery snatched from the Fade and played out behind his eyes, a cage of dancing light amidst darkness, taunting him with laughing faces which should be rotting beneath the earth, supple bodies which should be deformed and demonic, free flowing rivers of blue that ought to be encased in tiny philters and Maker, why is he so thirsty?

To awake in the morning to shivering temperatures and biting sunlight and a thousand things to do; that is a relief. All these things are frustrating and mundane enough to be real.

To awake in the morning, to roll over and glimpse the lines of her naked back, and her hair slipping over her skin to rest upon the pillow, that is a joy. She is somehow frustrating and extraordinary enough to be real. And to be here, in his own bed.

But the Fade means to destroy him, one way or another.

He drags himself out of the depths of sleep that satisfies none of his exhaustion, rubbing at his eyes as he does every morning. A strange sounding bird squalls from the roof, its shrill voice permeating the room as sunlight pierces through the windows to leave jagged marks on all the corners of the room. He sighs, squints his eyes against the light, and rolls over to see her.

Except she’s not there. Her side of the bed is still made and untouched, the only wrinkles in the blankets the ones caused by him. Even her pillow is missing, as though there is no place for it anymore beside his.

He sits up in a rush and looks around the room for any sign of her; clothes that she leaves in heaps on the ground, shoes that she kicks clumsily into a corner, books filled with haphazard notes that stack the night stands – but there is nothing, nothing but his clothes and his shoes and his books all tucked into soldierly lines in corners of the room and filling up with sunshine that’s too bright to bear.

It’s not right. It’s not how it’s supposed to be.

It’s wrong, and he fights it. He closes his eyes and doesn’t believe it.

He opens them again with a start and this time he’s really awake. There’s no more unnaturally bright light, no more sinking feeling in his gut, no more signs that everything is wrong. It’s still dark and the only light in the room is a bluish tint from the moon. His heart is thumping away in his neck and his breath feels shaky in his gut. He can feel the night chill in the air around him, scraping the skin of his nose and his cheeks.

He rolls over with a start, eyes wide, and catches sight of her, tucked up to her pillow, the covers slipping down about her shoulders and exposing her bare skin to the air. She breathes deep and heavy, her body pressed deep into the mattress as if she has not moved.

He relaxes into the bed, anxious tension still crawling through his shoulders, but at least he can breathe. He can sigh audibly and feel the air leaving his lungs. It feels real. It is real.

She’s here. He’s awake.

Dreams are false and sleep a minefield of tricks and fears, a place of vulnerability and defenselessness where even the most mundane of things can be a weapon against him. Sometimes even the waking world is full of the same. But the chance to tangle his fingers in her hair and count the seconds between her breaths, the opportunity to convince himself that this is real and he does not have to face the darkness alone, that is enough for now. So he tethers the fingers of his hands into her hair, an anchor to keep him steadily fixed to the waking world, and he shuts his eyes, drifting off again to the sound of her breath.

[intanptw]

Ramadhan ini

Teruntuk seseorang maha baik dalam hidupku. Aku sangat rindu. Dengarkah engkau saat aku menyebutmu dalam “Allahummaghfirli waliwalidayya warkhamhuma kamaa rabbayani saghira”. Ramadhan kali ini terasa sangat berbeda. Tahun lalu walau hanya berbuka dengan sambal terasi dan tahu yang di goreng rasanya hambar, tentu saja masih terasa nikmat karena kita memakannya bersama-sama.

Seperti biasa kita berbuka dengan terburu. Aku, adek, dan Almarhum mbah. Ibuk dan bapak sholatnya lama, jadi kita bertiga selalu buka duluan. Aku dan adek duduk di kursi meja makan. Seseorang maha baik itu duduk nikmat di kursi menjalin kuno yang konon beliau sendiri yang membelinya. Aku menyebutnya kursinya Mbah. Karena saat sedang santai sering kali aku melihatnya duduk di kursi itu, dengan memejamkan mata lelahnya, kemudian samar-samar aku mendengar meluncur begitu saja kalimat-kalimat indah Allah.

Kurang lebih 4 hari raya sebelum beliau di panggil sang Maha Esa gejala itu mulai nampak. Kita sekeluarga mulai percaya kata orang “orang yang sudah tua akan kembali mejadi anak-anak”. Ibuku yang hari-hari bersama mbah tentu saja paling mengerti. Sudah makan, bilangnya belum makan; sudah sholat, bilangnya belum sholat, bahkan sholat 2x itu sering. Tapi biarlah kata bapak gak usah di omelin terus Allah itu Maha Tahu. Ada sedikit kekaguman atas kuasa Allah yang di berikan pada Mbahku. Beliau yang sudah bisa di bilang pikun, bahkan dengan aku sendiri yang tinggal serumah kadang tidak mengenali aku ini siapa. “Intan maeng nandi se ? (Intan tadi kemana se ?)” padahal Aku (Intan) yang sedang di tanya. Tapi Subhanallah di saat kondisinya yang begitu memprihatinkan Mbah tidak pernah lupa kewajibannya pada Sholat lima waktu :’)

Kepikunan itupun tiap hari kian memarah. Mbahku yang di karuniai sifat yang sabaaaaaaaar sekali tidak pernah marah kalau ibuku terus mengomel, maklum orang yang sudah tua punya kebiasaan “ngletes” (gak bisa diem, ada aja yang dilakukan). Bagiku Mbah adalah sosok wanita terkuat di dunia yang aku kenal 20 tahun ini. Bagaimana tidak saat aku mendengar cerita dari ibuku sesaat setelah Mbahku meninggal, topik pembicaraan setiap hari hanya ranah dari kebaikan yang terkenang dimasa hidupnya. Dulu kata ibuk, 40 hari Mbahku kehilangan 2 orang terkasih dalam hidupnya. Orang itu adalah suami dan anak keempatnya. Bude Sol adalah panggilan yang diajarkan ibuku untuk Almarhum anak keempat dari Mbahku. Beliau meninggal karena sakit tipus. Aku tidak banyak tau tentang cerita sakitnya bude, yang aku tau Mbah kakungku meninggal sebelum 40 hari meninggalnya Bude Sol. Aku juga kurang tau dan tidak bertanya memang kenapa seperti itu. Tapi kata ibuku Mbah kakung meninggal karena susah, sedih, merasa kehilangan sekali dengan kepergian anaknya.

Allah tidak pernah memberi cobaan melebihi batas kemampuan hambanya. Mungkin kalimat itulah yang mampu menjawab betapa kuatnya hatimu Mbah. Dengan posisi yang masih memiliki 2 anak mentah, masih bersekolah di sekolah menengah atas, beliau harus menjadi tulang punggung keluarga. Sudah menjadi tradisi disini bahwa keluarga yang sedang berduka dilarang keluar rumah sebelum 100 hari. Tapi sebelum 40 hari menurut cerita ibuku (lagi) Mbah sudah pergi ke pasar. Pernah suatu hari seseorang berkata pada Mbahku “Mak yah ojo nang pasar, pak kamit durung 100 dinone (Mak Yah jangan kepasar, Pak Kamit belum 100 harinya)”. Dengan sabar mbahku menjawab “Gusti Allah luweh ngerti, kewajibanku nyambut gawe luweh penting, arek-arek nang omah kate mangan opo lek aku gak nang pasar (Gusti Allah lebih tau, kewajibanku bekerja lebih penting, anak-anak di rumah mau makan apa kalau aku gak ke pasar)”.

Begitulah seseorang Maha Baik yang selalu aku rindukan. Wanita sederhana yang membekali dirinya dengan ilmu berserah. Membuat kenangan yang tersisa terasa begitu indah. Tepat di hari Jum'at 9 September 2016 seseorang Maha Baik itu berpulang ke rumah abadinya. Beristirahat tanpa merasakan sakit, karena jelas sebelum meninggal pada malam hari aku masih di beri kesempatan untuk mengingatkannya sholat isya’. Sampai saat sholat subuh keesokan harinya tubuhnya sudah tidak sadar dalam keadaan masih bermukena dan suci karena air wudhu.

Selamat beristirahat di Surgamu Mbah. Terimakasih dengan segala pintu nurani. Hanya doa, doa, dan doa yang mampu aku beri atas budi baikmu selama ini.

Salam dari cucumu Salam rindu Malang, 14 Juni 2017 Di tengah malam bersama hujan

[crowdbutuseless]

Oke sesi high kali ini imulai oleh saua sendiri. Minum sendiri pale herset sendiri. Untuk peryama kali minum tanpa unsur paksaan itu rasanya sangat berdosa yapi apa bolej buat sudah masuk ke kapuler2 dan siap mengganggu metabolisme sampai pagi. Senin kemarin sangat menyesakkan dibohongi sebegitunya dengan banyak orang jelas3 mereka cuma amvil untung dariku diperas isi otakku gak diberi waktu memanfaatkan aku yang gak tegaan dan rela gaenak demi oranv lain. Yoo sering sekali mereka menyebutku seperti itu. Sakit cok rasanya gaada yang membela atau menyabar2kan lantaran posisi ini entah dianggap bijak atau emang dianggap sudah ga butuh sentuhan2 personal. Yoo, profesional, yoo. Tapi pembohkbgan sepetti ini belim pernah terjadi di sini cok. Terus tadi dipermalukan depan holongan2nya yang lain sebagai demisioner yang tentunya ngefek ke banyak hal termasuk mental anak buah. Yoo, ga boleh terlihat lemah depan anak huah biar ttp pervaya. Yoo. Atiku loro nemen cook. Ga didukung alibi kritik, gak masuk akal kritik2mu iku. Durung maneh ganok sing mbelo mek wani kroar2 di belakang cok. Alasane onok ae. Yo berarti aku sing paling rasiknal karo iso ngomong nang kene kam? Buktine ganok sing wani. Nek maju sik noleh2 aku? Akui laah koen gak iso, gausah kritik2 dengan tujuan memjaga nama baikmu seakan2 kon lebib biso. Kon ngono ngatheli kabeh nang ngarep motoku. Goroh tok. Gak suwun gak opo mbok peres kabeh sing onok nang aku. Sampek ganok sisane cok njero utekku. Kon ngerti aku maeng mangan opo? Bensinku yoopo? Kuota? Nek bengi kerjoku yopo oleh mbagi waktu? Ngamen nandi? Ngumbah mobil sampek tangan ireng2 mbok sindiri iku? Gak ngarah oaham koen cok masio gelek mbok sedot kabeh hak2ku gae awakku dewe? Perkoro abot2 imbal kabeh preian gak tau jangkep dulin2 ga dijak. Salah pisan dihoblok2 pinteran aku asline masalah penurunan nilai karo literatika, maeng terbukti kan? Yoi akui ae sakjng akeh koncomu mbok gae sok diplomasi diwalik pertanyaan. Emabg tau akj gaiso jawab pertanayaan2 koyok ngono? Aku mek gak due bolo ae soale gak kuat cangkruk karo rai2mu.

Yoo maeng oleh setengah botol tak gae moco bukune farag fouda. Koyokntaek rasane akhire muter2 lagu opo mang. Sejam moro2 muyer ipang lagu sing tau direq pavarku sik durung dadi pacarky sma bien. Asu nemen rasane tambahan cuk karo iling ebesku loro nang omah ga arep mangan ibukju sisan bb ne mudun 15 kilo gusti oengeran. Mbuh yopo crotane aku stalking aku bukak2 ig ne ganom fotne. Gak paham bien tau onok. Fb ne yo kosong. Twittere ngono2 jku. Trus iling bien pacarku due akun medium tapi lalu. Eh nemu. Onom nyritakno aku bien pas ketemuan nang kene. Kecewa isine iyo se vanfkemku rusak. Moro iling areke yo due tumblr tapi ga update mulainjaman sma tapi onok siji tulisane crito moveon2 ngkno kouoke iku onon sangkut paute karo aku tapi mboooo aku gr bee tapi iyo bee. Yo ero dewe rasan stalking iku yoopi pomaneh nang wong misterous koyok. Gak paham tulisan e maneh aku ganok blog e opo aku kursang serius stalking tapi tai lah enak difakoni langsung ae. Mari ketemuan wingi coooooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk abstrak atikuuuuuuuu. Pas tengah2 hektik moro2 biru mak bluuum rasane waras coook nek iling2 yo iling2 nek aku due sing mesti tak niati gae urip. Yo tak enakno lah jange. Gak sembarangan koyok taek ngene oki. Iyo aku kalah aku gak tau move on teko awakmu. Aku tau dihebet arek ayuuu sumpah. Gaiso blas cok bagiku ganok maneh arek ayu anggun manis cocok parah nang utekku nek gak awakmu. Koen tok isine liver iki gaiso sopo2 maneh cok. Yo enak yo gaenak. Gak enake nem koyom bien ngkno iko sayang korbane onom ae gae pelarian. Gak 0aham gak paham. Gam kuat ndelok awakmh sue2 aku sumpah. Kepingiiin ngono ero kontur wajahe utopiaku lebih dari 5 detik secsra langsung. Pesonamu mesti mateni logikaku muali kelas 9999. Ganok maneh m. Aku seneng awakmu sak kabehane cok. Mbuh gak logis tapi gak isooo aku gak seneng awakmu ikuu. Koyoke dikongkon lahir ancen diplot senenge nang awakmy e.

Trus aku stalking masalalu2 cok. Parahe koncoku sd seneng mulai kelas 6 dan sampe saiki. Aku wis mengatakan berulangkali nek wis mandeko berpikir sehat dan bertualang cari lelaki di sana. Gaiso. Onok adik kelas yopodo ae luwih kendel nek ngomong njuk balik balik koyok bien maengm. Tdus kkncokne adik kelas ikh mang yo tambah jancon pisan gak peduli aku die pacar. Sik sangeeee ae raine. Wis tah gak iso aku. Akh sibuk noto uri0 gak onom waktj gae menye2 cok. Wayae serius ws gak drama2 an l. Tapi lucu ae ga noranl dunyo iki.

Trus omben2ku emtek iky aku delok2 rego bass soale efeke koyom omben2 cok nang aku nek kadung kerasukan highpass. Moro delok sepatu gjnung kkncoku kepingin jare karo tendo. Trus delok2 taman kembang2 karo kisaran biaya sak embarange jarene si puan kepingin due taman bunga dewe trsu dikembanhkan dewe. Entahlah areke yo hobi rangkai2 bunga ngono. Sangar kaaan. Trus delok2 rego knalpot apik2 coook. Karo spion sangar. Satrugna kudu pretamax terus dan kudu sangar rek. Kenenk gae tualang mana2. Iling konco altipis yoan. Sik mabuk rasane loro ati ws lumayan reda. 20 persen duek desain polo lgsg t tukuno anggru karo jarum super. Sesek cuk nek sembarang tanggung dewe iki. Yopo ndase presiden talah. Gaido moco buku sek an hetsetku sejam menit terakhir muter2 ipank ada yang hklang dari perasaanku. Wong2 sekitar iku yo asu yo jancok yo nggatjheli tapi mereka iku sing garai urip urup. Lak jancuk a ngene iki. Kate tego2an gak nulung.

[flytotherainbow]

When our eyes and hands met... When i said "annyeong" and then you replied with "annyeong, gomapda"... Mentolo tak ajari syahadat kamu om, maringono tak gowo nang KUA 😂😂😂 Well, he isn't human. He's so tall. His skin is so white. His smile can save the world wkwkwk. And he's the most handsome man i've ever seen 😍😍😍 Tak pikir aku maeng salaman karo boneka barbie om. Loalah emane tanganku wes tak gawe wudhu, sakjane kate tak laminating 😂😂😂 See you when i see you @leedongwook_official oppa ❤❤❤ (di The Kasablanka Hall)

[faslaidir]

25 for Kate!

25: Their face when someone says "I love you" for the first time to them.

The moonlight dripped through the hole in his ceiling, thick and bright, collecting on the floor like snowdrifts in the corners of his room. He watched it from his bed for a long while, studying the way it moved across the walls as the seconds, the minutes, and the hours crawled by. 

Cullen sighed, a noise that quickly turned into a frustrated growl, and he threw himself back against his pillow. He turned onto his side, searching for some comfort, but it felt too flat and lumpy. He tried his stomach, but he felt cramped and hot with half his face pushed into his pillow. Irritated and tense, he rolled onto his back and let out an angry huff towards the splintered rafters. His eyes burned, and his body was exhausted, and yet his mind refused to settle. 

He made a feeble attempt at using his breathing exercises. Breathe in deep through the nose, let the stomach rise like a bowl filling with the air, hold it gently in place, then exhale... but he soon gave up as his mind wandered to other trivial matters. Really must fix the roof. Did I send the missive from Rylen to the clerk for copying? Need to stop by the smithy for a new sword. Wonder if she’ll have new models ready. 

A noise startled him, a sound of jangling keys being tried in a lock. He listened intently, a soft laugh escaping him as he caught the muffled sounds of swearing. It was a few more moments before the sound of the door creaking open on its hinges floated up to him, quickly followed by the sound of someone thumping their way up the ladder to his room. A shadowy silhouette emerged through the hole in the floor, stretching out long arms above their head and letting out a cramped sigh. 

“Oh hey,” Kate murmured, the scent of her black lotus soap filling the room. “Are you still up?” The moonlight caught in the edges of her dark hair and gleamed about the lines of her skin, tracing her outline in pearly light, all messy hair and rumpled clothes. 

Cullen hummed softly in response. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh yeah?” She said gently, crossing to the wardrobe and yanking out a nightshirt, stripping off her trousers and tunic and changing into the sleeping gown. “Dreams again?”

“No, just...can’t seem to settle.”

“Mmm. Sorry.” She slipped under the covers on the opposite side of the bed, lifting them a little and shaking them to let a quick, refreshing draft flow through. “Do you need anything?”

The question drew a laugh out of him. “No, no...you just got back from your shift. You must be exhausted.” 

Kate rolled a little closer to him, then leaned forward and gave him a hesitant kiss in the darkness. She missed his lips, but her cool lips met his chin and brushed against his stubble. The touch was gentle and fond, and he closed his eyes briefly, breathing in her scent and luxuriating her in presence. 

She missed his reaction in the darkness, and rolled over onto her other side, facing away from him. “Yeah and I...” she paused to yawn, then continued, “I have to go back in this afternoon so I’m going to try and sleep a little. You try too, okay? Goodnight.”

The bed felt softer with her weighing down the other side of it, the moonlight seemed less distracting when there was her rhythmic breathing to focus on. Cullen could feel his eyelids starting to close. Impulsively, he reached out and wrapped one arm around her, tucking her into the crook of his elbow, his fingers splaying out comfortably over her stomach. She offered no protest, only made a sleepy noise and wriggled back closer to him, the soft slope of her backside pressing into his abdomen. 

It felt right. She felt right, lying there in his bed, tucked in within his grasp. His mind stilled, settling into a peaceful quiet, and his eyes closed.

Sleepily, he mumbled, “I love you.”

For a moment, she was still. Then she rolled over in his grasp to face him. Cullen opened his eyes slightly and saw her smiling faintly in the darkness, moonlight shining in her eyes. Her hand, warm and rough, stroked his cheek.

“Go to sleep, sweet thing,” she whispered, as she cuddled up close and pressed her forehead against his chest. 

[faslaidir]

Do you know what you've done? For Kate

Dear

My

Inquis

Ari, 

Where I come from, letters are practically obsolete. You’ll only find them in stories now, or couples people who are trying to be really romantic with each other. Here, this is my only recourse for communication, and it feels daft to me, but I can’t tell you this to your face seem to figure out an alternative, so.

The first day I was cognitive enough to accept what was going on and where I was, I decided not to make any attachments. “Bad idea”, I thought, “you’ll just hurt yourself when you leave.” So, no friends. That was what I decided. 

Obviously, that failed.

“Alright, you’ve got friends, and you’ll have to say goodbye, but it’s just like moving. It’s just how it works. You’ll be fine.”

But there’s fucking you

Do you know what you’ve done

I can’t pack up and just say goodbye to you

fuck you Ari

I’m not fine

I think I was trying to protect myself and it got a little selfish, because saying goodbye to you and everyone else is impossible. Or maybe it’s not, because I’m writing you a fucking letter.

Shit this is a goodbye letter

Is it a love letter?

Damn you, you fucking ginger

Dareth shiral, Ari, wherever it takes us.

~ Kate

[onesparrow]

Patio Pianos & Musical Bees

A quick drabble for @faslaidir, who I hope has a better day today. :) Based on this amazing video she sent me. 

Modern AU, Kate/Ari with roommate Cullen. PG for people being in their underwear.

Finally, her shift is over. Kate sits down in the locker room, tempted to take a quick nap on the bench before heading home, but is distracted by her phone going off in her locker. She fishes it out, and finds a text from Ari; I’d know if I were allergic to bees by this point, right?

Kate looks up from her phone and straight at the wall, weighing her options. One, she ignores Ari’s cryptic text, goes home to sleep, and hope she doesn’t get a frantic call from Attis because it turns out that yes, she is allergic to bees afterall. Two, she goes to Ari’s place, gets her away from the bees, and goes to sleep. She really doesn’t want to have to go deal with bees after a fucking 18 hour shift, but she also hasn’t gone grocery shopping in over a week and Ari at the very least will make her a sandwich when she wakes up.

Kate sighs, rubs her face, and severely questions her life choices as she gathers up her things.

Out of all the things she was expecting to see when she opened the front door, it was definitely not this. Cullen, who looks like he’s been awake for roughly ten minutes, is standing in the middle of the living room in his underwear, a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, loudly arguing with Ari, who is holding an armful of weapons. Kate drops her keys in the bowl, unnoticed by the pair, and wonders if she fell asleep on the bus again.

“How did this happen?!” Ari parrots back, shoving another sword at Cullen, “Oh you know, life is normal, I just wake up and have to move your many swords because there are bees coming out of the patio piano on which you store them!!”

Cullen looks affronted, and is about to protest when he gets a third sword shoved into his grip. He frowns down at it, forgetting whatever he was about to say.

“These swords and the shield is mine, but this one isn’t.”

Ari looks at the sword she’s just pushed into his hands, and Kate decides that she is not awake enough for whatever is happening and slowly makes her way around the edge of the room.

“Okay, that sword is mine and so are all the daggers that were taped to the bottom so I guess I have to take some fault here,” Kate notices that Ari does, in fact, have several daggers shoved down the sides of her shorts, and does not question how the pants are staying up and how Ari isn’t bleeding yet.

“Why did you have daggers taped to the bottom of the patio piano?!” Cullen asks, looking vaguely horrified. Kate shares his sentiment, but is fairly certain he can’t judge, considering he was storing swords on the top of it.

Ari ignores him, and continues speaking. Kate turns the corner, heading straight for the bathroom where she can take a hot shower and ignore whatever the fuck those two are shouting about. She doesn’t even want to start with the bees.

“This staff is also mine but I’m not taking credit for whatever the fuck this is,” she hears Ari say as she shuts the door.

She’s curled up in Ari’s bed, showered and moments from falling asleep, when the bed moves and Ari curls up around her.

“…bees?” Kate asks sleepily, vaguely wanting to know if she should be concerned about a swarm of them suddenly showing up.

“You know, just the piano bees. It’s not a big deal. We’re not worried about it,” Ari says. “We’ll teach them Chopin. What good is a piano full of actual bees if they don’t even know how to play?”

Kate cracks open an eye so she can glower at Ari. If she doesn’t get a sandwich when she wakes up, she’s going to be pissed.

“What the fuck kind of roommate did you even get?” Kate grumbles into her collarbone before she falls asleep, “Fucking swords and piano bees.”

[faslaidir]

10 Kate

10: The way they look in the morning after a rough night

I stole Ari from @onesparrow because I love her and she needs to be in more fics.

Ari stirred, inhaling sharply through her nose as a noise roused her from her sleep. She blinked, squinting eyes that were still blurry with sleep around the room. The light was still dim and grey, too early for even the sun to have risen, much less so for Ari. Rationally, she trusted the security at Skyhold enough not to be immediately concerned, but she was still waking up, and someone was definitely rummaging through her closet. 

Blearily, she hauled herself up into a seated position on the mattress and blinked at the person. “Who’s that? Sera? Is that you?”

“Oh, god, sorry.”

Ari blinked in surprise as she recognized the voice. “Kate?”

Kate leaned out of the closet and looked questioningly at Ari, her face screwed up in an exhausted scowl. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up, but I left my really comfy night shirt in here somewhere and I have had an absolute shithole of a night shift and I need it.”

Ari lowered her face into her hands, pressing her fingertips against her eyes in an effort to wake herself a little more. “Which one, the dark blue one?” she mumbled.

“No, the grey one. That...you’re apparently wearing.”

“Oh.” Ari fell back against her pillow and snuggled back into the blankets. “It was in my closet.”

The bed quivered, and there was a muffled thump as Kate threw herself down on the mattress next to Ari. “I hate people,” she announced, snatching the edge of one of Ari’s blankets and tugging it closer. “I hate people and I hate medicine and I fucking hate being awake.”

“Then shut up and go to sleep.”

“You stole my good night shirt!”

“You’re being a bitch.”

“Your fucking hand is glowing in my face.”

“You have your own apartments! Go sleep there if you’re going to be rude!”

“You stole my shirt.”

“You left it.”

Kate wanted the last word, but the only sound that managed to find its way out was a disgruntled growl before her eyes closed and she dozed off. Ari huffed a breathy laugh and shifted around a few times, trying to find a comfortable position. After a few minutes, she cracked open an eye and glanced over to examine her surprise bed mate. 

Kate’s mouth was open as she slept, her face uncomfortably squished into the pillow. Her hair was still thrown up in a messy ponytail and braids, but pieces of it were escaping from all directions and falling down to her face, only to be scattered every time she breathed. Dark bags hung under her eyelids, and there was a red scratch on her cheek. 

Ari regarded the other woman for a few moments with a strange fondness. Impulsively, she reached out a hand and smoothed back the hair from Kate’s face, earning her a sleepy groan and nothing more. Ari bit back a grin. 

“Good morning Madame Doctor,” she murmured sarcastically, rolling over and settling back to sleep for a few more hours.

[faslaidir]

Twenty: After smooshing Kate's cheeks, Cyrlen kisses her forehead.

Cyrlen rapped his knuckles against the thick wooden door, kicking his foot against the floor as he settled in to wait. The door refused to budge, and he heard no noise from inside, so he tried again, knocking louder. Again, there was no reply.

He chuckled, imagining her face down on the rug, happily snoring away, or curled up in a chair with a cup of tea in one hand, so deeply engrossed in the drink that she failed to notice his pounding on the door. But she wasn’t getting away that easily. He had a free evening, there was an extraordinary pink sunset covering the horizon, and he had an overwhelming desire to share both of those things. With a burst of enthusiasm, he grabbed at the handle and threw the door open, swinging into the apartment with happy abandon.

“Kate?” He called, glancing around at the sparsely yet carefully decorated room for any sign of her. There was a blanket tossed haphazardly across the sofa, and two tea mugs lying discarded on the table, alongside a pile of neatly stacked papers. A vase of flowers cast a shadow from where it sat on the window sill, filling the room with the mild scent of dawn lotus. The fireplace was empty, though warm, and the kettle that hung above it was full of water, as though it were being kept there on reserve. A tin of cocoa sat on top of the mantle, the lid slightly open.

Cyrlen frowned pensively, wondering for a moment if perhaps she had decided to spend her evening elsewhere. But Cullen would not be finished with his meetings until well after 7, and she only visited the Herald’s Rest when everyone else went. That left one other place where she would spend her leisure time.

He crossed the room to the thin stairwell that lay nestled by the bedchamber. Taking the stairs two at a time, he made his way up to the roof of the tower. The door to the outside required a little shoving, but he managed to move it after a good strong push. It creaked nostalgically as it opened, and he was greeted with a face full of the evening breeze and the light of the sunset that peaked through the mountains, bathing the world in a juicy pink that breathed a quiet life into everything it touched. And there, stretched out on a velveteen blanket, one arm crossed over her eyes as she soaked up the sunset rays, was Kate, dark hair spilling out over the ground in a soft mass of waves.

Cyrlen hung in the doorway for a moment, considering his options as he watched her. Finally, no closer to making a decision, he called out softly, “Is this...a good time? Or would you prefer I came back later?”

She shifted, pulling her arm away from her face and rolling over to blink at him. “I’m like 99 percent sure you were going to yell at me about the sunset anyway, so now is fine.”

“You know me too well.”

“Please, you were never an enigma.” She slowly pulled herself upright and spread the blanket out a little more, inviting him to sit down as he approached. He did so, crossing his legs and resting his palms on his knees in a comfortable position. For a while, they sat there in silence, content to only breathe and watch the slowly fading light. Cyrlen was just starting to feel the chill of the wind beneath his skin and considering creating a warming spell for the two of them when Kate spoke.

“Looks a bit like ice lollies.”

Cyrlen scrunched up his face, searching for the word in his catalogue of memories she had shared with him. “Ice lollies are the...frozen juice treats, right?”

“Mhmmmm.”

“So, what here looks like ice lollies?”

“The mountain caps,” she replied, pointing at the snow covered peaks that were drenched in sun rays.

Cyrlen studied the scene in front of them, then turned to her, narrowing his eyes with a smirk. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

Kate growled goodnaturedly, and blew a hair out of her face with a short gust of air. “I can say something nice without it meaning that I’m hungry, you know.”

“Can you?” Cyrlen questioned dubiously, earning him a swift punch in the arm. “Ow.”

Kate snickered, then leaned back where she sat with a contented sigh. “Did you hear? Your Inquisition increased by three today. Yours truly delivered triplets via a successful cesarean.”

“It’s not my Inquisition, but I happily accept the babies.”

He bit back laughter, his face growing red as he tried to maintain a straight, neutral expression. Kate blinked at him, surprise emanating from her gaze as she waited expectantly, all while clearly trying very hard to pretend that she was not waiting expectantly for anything.

“I...yeah. They’re all a little small, none of them over 3 kilos...” she glanced over at him, and he nodded with interest, still holding his neutral expression in place. She smiled half-heartedly and kept talking. “I thought we would have more complications, and it didn’t go completely smoothly, but we handled everything really well...”

Cyrlen kept nodding. Kate’s words trailed off. She blinked out at the sunset, practically radiating confusion.

Cyrlen cracked, almost spitting out his laughter. “Kate! Kate, I’m just teasing!” He exclaimed, leaning in closer to her, then immediately leaning away as she turned on him with a glare, her hair flinging in all directions. “Seriously, Kate,” he said, holding up his hands in surrender, though he kept giggling. “I’m very proud of you. Surgery is hard enough but three babies? You never cease to amaze me. The Inquisition relies on you.”

She smiled rather smugly, crossing her arms against her chest. “Well...you’d better, I guess.” She snorted at herself. “But I really am happy to do it, and I’m glad you approve.”

“‘Approve’,” Cyrlen mimicked with a snicker. “You just live for the applause.” He stretched out his hands and pressed them to her cheeks, smooshing the soft skin there teasingly as she laughed. He paused, suddenly, and looked intently into her eyes. “You know I’m proud of you, right?”

Kate nodded, as best as she could with his hands still resting on her face. “Yeah, and I’m proud of you.”

“I’m being serious, Kate.”

“Oh and I’m not?”

“Ugh, Creators, just shut up,” he exclaimed, darting forward and pressing a long kiss to her brow. “Now...” he said slowly, leaning back and lowering his hands from her cheeks. “I’m freezing, and you’re hungry. Shall we go see if we can find some hot soup?”

“As ever, oh mage, you have read my mind.” 

[faslaidir]

11: How they feel kissing their partner. - for Kate? ♥

He sat across from her at the table, rubbing his fingertips together to brush off the crumbs from the toast he had made in her fireplace with her bread. He quirked his mouth from side to side as he cleared his teeth, then took a long sip of the coffee she had made in one of her mugs, his eyes never straying from the book he had taken off of one of her shelves.

She watched him for a long while, letting her own toast and coffee go cold, studying every facet of him. The unkempt golden curls that covered his head and occasionally bobbed in the draft from the open window, the two-day stubble that textured his chin, the one bare foot that he planted on the rung of the chair while he stretched the other out beneath the table, the way he slouched ever so slightly in his chair.

Cullen looked up presently and caught her stare and the perplexed wrinkle of her brow. He swallowed, setting down his coffee and raising his eyebrows questioningly. “Is...is there something wrong?”

Kate took a moment to consider. “I don’t know,” she replied slowly. “I don’t think so.”

“Then what?” he asked with a chuckle, which turned into a cough and a blush. “Why are you...what are you staring at?”

“Well it’s just...” she cleared her throat awkwardly, fumbling for words and growling in frustration. “It’s just...you’re in my apartment, and you’re...eating toast and drinking coffee and reading a book ...I have to go to work in half an hour, and you do too, but I just...I just want to sit here and eat breakfast with you all day.” A rush of pink flooded her cheeks, and she grimaced, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.  

A slow smile began to spread over Cullen’s face, and his eyes lit up with delight. “Kate,” he said softly, leaning forward as if to share a secret. “I don’t think I could do all day, but...maybe another half hour? If...if you like.”

Kate slowly unscrewed her face and swallowed very deliberately. She scanned Cullen’s features yet again, centering on his mouth, with the warm, delighted grin that tugged at the scar he bore on his upper lip. Focusing her eyes on it, she reached out a hand and stroked it against the edge of his jaw, tracing the rough stubble with her fingertips and realizing she knew every whorl and patch of it from memory. Her thumb moved to trace the edges of his scar, following the lightning line of it downwards until she touched his lip, warm and soft. She lowered her hand, tilted her head, and moved forward to press her lips against his.

It was a strange sort of kiss for her. There was no expectation of a more or an escalation. Her tongue remained in its place and though her teeth caught at the corner of his lower lip, it was only in a gentle and teasing nip. She kissed him slowly, exaggerating the movements in an effort to prolong it. He tasted of coffee and buttered toast, and right then and there, at their breakfast table, soaking in the morning light streaming through their window as their coffee grew cold in their mugs, there was nothing more she wanted than the touch of his lips against hers. He made a small noise of contentment or pleasure in the back of his throat and it drew a breathy laugh out of her. She felt his hand squeeze against her side, as if to lock himself in place. She kissed him again, not so slow this time.

“You know I can’t be late, right?” she mumbled.

He groaned softly. “Neither can I.”

She brushed her lips over his once more, running her hand over his curls, before reluctantly pulling away. “I need to finish my coffee.”

Cullen sighed with clear disappointment, and reached for his own mug, taking a long sip of the bitter drink. For a moment, they sat in silence, trying to regain the gentle peace of only a few minutes before.

Kate coughed suddenly, and rose from the table, scooping up her plate. “Well, I hope you know what this means.”

Cullen looked up and blinked in surprise. “W-what?”

“Dinner,” she said casually, reaching across and grabbing his plate as well. “I’m off at 7.”

“I have a meeting until 8.”

“Hmm.” She pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully. “Don’t think I can wait that long.” With a swift motion, she discarded the plates back on the table and leaned forward to give him another kiss.

“8:30 tonight,” she told him, as sternly as she could while feeling wildly giddy. “Don’t you dare be late.”

[faslaidir]

The beautiful and remarkable and marvelously talented @quizzikemen drew my OC Kate Maeng and I'm just weeping a whole lot right now.

[onesparrow]

“i feel like everyone’s miles away from me.” For Ari

Ari/Kate, set before the mages have been recruited. 

After tossing and turning for hours, it was becoming abundantly clear that sleep wasn’t coming to her any time soon. With a sigh, Ari sat up, rubbing a hand over her face. She got up quietly, careful not to jostle Kate enough to wake her, but ended up kicking the nightstand and hissing loudly.

“Ari…?” Kate said, voice thick with sleep, and she winced. “The fuck was that?”

“Yeah, kicked the nightstand. Go back to sleep.”

Kate rolled over, and rubbed her eyes. “It’s still fucking dark out. Why are you awake?”

“Can’t sleep,” Ari said quietly, sitting down on the edge of the bed and brushing a loose lock of hair out of Kate’s face. “It’s nothing, just a lot of thoughts.”

Kate yawned and moved backwards, making space for her again. “Doesn’t sound like nothing if it’s keeping you up. Tell me about it. I’m awake anyways.”

She sighed and sat with her head in her hands until Kate poked her in the back, prompting her to lay back down. She got back under the blankets, curling up close to her and putting her head on her chest so she didn’t have to look her in the eye. They lay in silence for a few moments, Kate running her hand over her hair.

“It’s just that,” Ari said, hesitating, “Just sometimes-“

She stopped herself again, clenching her fists, frustrated, glad that Kate stayed silent as she sorted out her thoughts.

“I feel like everyone’s miles away from me,” she finally confessed into the darkness, voice barely above a whisper. “It feels like no one will let me near them, even when I try,” she let out a shaky breath, drawing shaky circles on Kate’s arm. “I’m just not used to being alone.”

“Well I’m right here,” she murmured. “And your companions seem to like you just fine.”

Ari laughed. “Cassandra just stopped glowering at me last week, Sera still thinks I’m ’too elfy’, and Dorian and I banter but haven’t had a proper conversation. I don’t think any of them would consider me a friend.”

“And what about the Commander? He seems to be fond of you.” Ari groaned in response, hiding her face.

“Each time I try to talk to him I seem to embarrass him horribly in the process,” she grumbled into Kate’s collarbone. “He probably thinks I’m teasing him.”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“…just sometimes. You’ve seen him when he blushes, it’s adorable. But I don’t mean to scare him off entirely!”

“And what about me? Hell, we’re naked together on a regular basis. I’d say we’re pretty bloody familiar with one another by this point.”

Ari crossed her arm across Kate’s chest so she could prop her chin up on it and make eye contact.

“We may be naked, but this is also the most personal conversation we’ve had outside of our doctors appointments, if not more so.” Ari pointed out and Kate laughed.

“You’ve got me there. But what about it? Would you like to be friends?” Kate wrinkled her nose after she asked the question. “Ugh, that makes it sound like we’re in fucking primary school.”

Ari laughed, mood lightened, and leaned up for a quick kiss. “As long as I still get to see you naked.”

“What, just see me naked? That’s not very exciting,” Kate said skeptically, which earned her a glare. “Alright, friends with benefits it is. Now go the fuck to sleep, you angsty bastard. We can talk at a more reasonable time. Like when it’s fucking light out.”

“So charming,” Ari laughed, settling back down.

“I’m a fucking delight. Now sleep.”

[faslaidir]

I was tagged by @ellstersmash and @quizzikemen , (thank you darlings), to do the OC wardrobe meme. I picked my Modern Girl In Thedas OC, who is not an Inquisitor but needs a lot of clothes anyway. There are captions with explanations for a few of the outfits if you click on the photos themselves.

Dr. Kate Maeng: Wardrobe

From left to right:

Lingerie // Nightclothes // Riding // Skyhold // Combat (medic wear) // Halamshiral // Post Corypheus // Trespasser // Post Trespasser

OC Wardrobe Meme

Rules: Always remember to post the rules.

1. Pick an OC and pick nine outfits from the list below, or add your own:

General: Lingerie, Underclothes, Nightclothes, Field, Riding, Travel, Combat, [Class] Outfit, Daily, Wedding

DA Various Location-Specific: Ostagar, Lothering, Redcliffe, Brecilian Forest, Orzammar, [Season] Kirkwall, Sundermount, Deep Roads, Hanged Man, [Season] Haven, Hinterlands, Val Royeaux, Skyhold Formal, Skyhold Casual, Skyhold Judgement, Winter Palace, Adamant, Well of Sorrows

DA Moments in Story: Pre-Joining, Post-Joining, The Landsmeet, Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Post-Kirkwall Chantry, Pre-Conclave, Post-Well of Sorrows, Trespasser, Post-Trespasser

2. Build outfits in Azalea’s Dress Up Dolls (Viking Woman) and when you finish each look, save it and add to a 9-grid image post. (make sure you include which outfit is which in the text below)

3. Tag nine people to do the same!

Tagging: @gruzinkerlady @onesparrow @queerdva @cully-wully-doodah @little-dina-saur @sadelvenmage @izzzle @zaevran

[faslaidir]

"You know, scars are fairly rare back on Earth." "Are they?" Ari commented rolling over and tracing a hand down the bare skin of Kate's thigh. "And why is that? Are you all wrapped in fine silks and far too pampered to go outdoors?" Kate hummed a laugh in the back of her throat. "No. But some of us are privileged enough that whatever cuts we do get are minimal at best and don't leave scar tissue." Ari sat up slowly, shrugging the blanket back to expose more of her skin. A teasing light appeared in her eyes. "So are my scars...exotic to you? Would you care to explore?" She took Kate's warm hands in hers and pressed them to her neck. "Tell me doctor. Where do you think I got this one?" Kate shook her head with a grin, stroking her fingers over the jagged rise of scar tissue that marked Ari's throat. "I'm a surgeon, not a forensic anthropologist. All I know is that this was caused by an edge that was thick and not very sharp." "Very good. I wanted Attis to cut my hair and his hands slipped." Kate started. "I've been letting him learn how to do sutures..." "Relax. We were kids." Ari smiled as Kate's hand drifted down her body, exploring the scars that crisscrossed her skin. Kate's fingers were rough to the touch but they skimmed over the surfaces of Ari's skin with practiced deftness, until they reached Ari's abdomen and hovered over the scar that lay there. Ari gave a small smirk. "What about that one in particular is of interest to you?" "A lot." Kate replied, with a furrowed brow. "It's very...the placement of it is one I recognize, but the main scar here is too thick for surgery. Knife, then? There has to be a story there." "There is." Ari said slowly. "One day, maybe I'll tell it. For now...tell me what you think of this." She pressed her lips into Kate's throat and traced the unblemished skin with the tip of her tongue.

[faslaidir]

23) things you said on the streetcar at 1am for a pairing of your choice ;D ❤

She put out her arms to steady herself and began walking along the edge of the curb, swaying and laughing as she moved, but somehow keeping her balance. He reached his arms out as if to steady her, but he was almost as drunk as she was, and thus completely useless to her. Between breathless laughter, he tried to gather his thoughts.

“Shouldn’t we…shouldn’t we get you home?” His gasping breath exited his mouth in wisps of mist, born upwards by the cold January wind.

“Oh fuck you,” was her giggling reply, as she grabbed for a street lamp and swung around it, the palm of her hand creating an awful screeching noise from the metal as she moved. “You’re as pissed as I am.”

He moved towards her, stamping his feet against the sidewalk in an effort to warm them. “Kate,” he pleaded, desperately trying to fend off his own fit of giggles. He reached for her hand, waggling his fingers in his freezing fingerless gloves at her. “Come on, let’s…let’s call a cab. Ahhhh, Maker’s breath…I can’t feel my nose.”

This prompted Kate to start very loudly singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Cullen practically staggered into her so that he could cover her mouth with his hand. “Shhh, shhh, Andraste’s bloody mabari, you’ll get us arrested!”

Kate wrenched his hand away from her mouth, then held it in her clutches beneath her chin, resting his freezing fingers against her skin until her warmth began to sneak into his hand. “What time is it?”

“It’s…” Cullen fumbled for his phone with his free hand, hauling it out and pounding against the home button until the screen blinked on. He squinted, not willing to produce his glasses, and fought the glare of the street lamp. “It’s 12:47.”

“Oh!” She flung his hand down away from her and took off at an awkward, unsteady run. “Come on! The streetcar leaves at 1!”

“Streetcar?!” Cullen spluttered, already missing the warmth of her chin against his fingers. “Can’t we just call a cab–”

“Come on you knob!”

He groaned, but took off after her, spitting out silly giggles as he watched her do her damnedest to keep running in a straight line. Her long coat kept flapping behind her at awkward angles, and he felt the strangest desire to reach out and give it a good yank. He resisted (he was drunk but not that drunk), and they were able to round another corner with Cullen hard on her heels before Kate finally slowed, leaning over as though she were sick.

“Kate?” He called, jogging up to her side and bending over to check on her.

She shook her head with a pinched expression. “I’m fine, I’m fine, I just…whoo I should not run so soon after drinking.”

Cullen bit back a smile, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I did suggest a cab.”

“I am aware.” She straightened and flashed him a grin. “It’s just down the block now. We can walk.”

“Alright.” He turned towards the direction she pointed, then started as he felt her arms wrapping around one of his. He glanced down at her embrace, catching her eye as he did, and offering her a surprised, warm smile. She smiled back, a little ruefully, and tugged him forward.

The neon lights of the shops and bars (most of which were closed already) shone from their posts high above the street and glowed in the reflection of the puddles on the sidewalk. A rainbow of lights lit their faces as they walked; vivid blues, greens, and reds, that cast marked shadows across their skin and played tricks with their hair. Kate watched Cullen’s curls with an amused smirk on her face, enjoying how his golden hair soaked up the colors of every light and changed its hue every few seconds. Cullen, meanwhile, could feel himself glowing with warmth at the touch of her arms about his, and kept his eyes forward so he wouldn’t somehow cock it all up.

There were only a few people waiting for the streetcar at the little station, so Kate and Cullen were easily able to find seats on the car’s bench. Kate hissed as the exposed wood, which had soaked up the cold air like a sponge, touched against her legs. Cullen huffed a sympathetic breath, watching as it spiraled away from him into the night.

“A cab,” he insisted again.

“Shut it,” Kate murmured, as the driver rang the streetcar’s bell and they pulled forward with a slight lurch.

She hadn’t let go of his arm. He gloried in that as he settled back against the achingly cold back of the seat and tried to find a comfortable position. A weight on his shoulder and the scent of tropical fruit surprised him, and he glanced down. She had leaned her head against him, her eyes closed as though she intended to doze off in comfort against his jacket.

His heart beat faster in his chest. Too fast. She lifted her head off his shoulder and glanced up at him searchingly. “Is this…not okay?”

“No!” He replied, much faster than he meant to. He tried again with more composure. “No, I…it’s fine. Go ahead.”

She leaned against him again, and he breathed out a contented sigh. The feeling of her pressed against him in a soft, possibly romantic touch filled him with warmth, enough to drive away all chill from the little streetcar bench or the surrounding air of early morning. He eyed the brown hair at the top of her head for a long moment, considering pressing a kiss to it or running a reverent hand over it, but decided to let the moment be. This was enough for now.

She exhaled, a strangled sound that tried to drag words out after it. “I…”

He looked down, but she stared off into the distance, shifting her fingers about his arm, finding a more comfortable position.

“My parents,” she said, in a steady but far away voice. “My parents died. In a car accident. So I don’t ride in cars anymore.”

“I…oh.”

“No, I…I just mean…” she breathed, and nuzzled her cheek closer to him, closing her eyes. “Thanks. I know streetcars are a pain, but…thanks.”

“Of course,” he replied, his voice low.

He watched her for a moment, noting the way her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath she drew. He breathed his own sigh, then leaned his cheek against the top of her head, settling into her as she settled into him, and closed his eyes. She made no protest, and he smiled.