#aisling writings

[sherlockgracie]

Tusk by Fleetwood Mac is uhhhh way too much for my tiny lil brain to handle. I do not understand why I have grown so attached to this tune. The Hyperfixation songs my brain chooses are always so fucking strange. I was just listening to some of Fleetwood Mac's Discography bc my partner loves them and I listened to Tusk and it just clicked my head into gear. I don't even like matching tunes or songs of that vibe, there is a reason I did concert band and not marching.

Tusk!

Just how they say it. Like a hushed whisper scream

Tusk!

I really feel like the force of thousands of spirits is coming for me. Like the image of a mass murderer or serial killer, or even like a powerful political person being ushered into the center of a stadium, full of people with this song playing as their being walked, the crowd screaming tusk as they're about to be publicly brutalized and killed.

TUSK!

It just has the building aspect to it where instruments get added, and it just has such a heavy and dark feel with that energetic vibe. Ugh it just feels so emotionally charged and brutal. It's almost like the antithesis of the other Fleetwood Mac song I've been listening to, Silver Springs. Where Silver Springs is the emotional turmoil and vitriol of the aftermath, while being mellow and powerful. Tusk is in your face about it, it's the before. I know shit is happening and I'm going to be spiteful about it.

Idk they feel like lyrical and musical parallels to me, but I could just be feeling high emotions around these songs because that's what I do with music

That being said

TUSK!!!!

[starrystevie]

steve's desperate, okay?

he's officially running late for his first date with linda because he couldn't find his car keys and the shirt he wanted to wear just wasn't working so he had to grab something out of his hamper and throw it on blindly which then messed up his hair and he almost forgot to brush his teeth again but remembered as he opened the front door and-

he only realizes he forgot to put on cologne once he makes it halfway to her house and smells himself. the shirt from the hamper smells stale, not bad, just stale. and steve in his normal, non-rushed state wouldn't have noticed because his trusty calvin klein would have covered it up but today is apparently not a day for things to go right.

with a sigh of frustration, steve pulls into the hook's drugstore a little too quickly and it makes his stomach lurch the tiniest bit before sliding into an open parking sport at the front door. he rushes in, pushing the door open with too much force and books it to the fragrance aisle.

"this is so fucking stupid," he mutters to himself, unable to be heard by any surrounding shoppers over the annoyingly loud jingle playing through the speakers.

steve skids to halt in front of the cologne section, crouching down and scanning quickly over the tester bottles for obsession. once he spots the amber bottle, he yanks it towards himself, spraying as much as he can onto his chest given the awkward angle he's at. as he stands back up, steve pulls his shirt collar up towards his nose and the ball of nerves in his stomach loosens at the familiar smell. he may be late but he feels like he's back in the game.

checking his watch, he sees just how late he is and makes a beeline for the door, nearly running into an older lady with far too many rolls of toilet paper in her tiny arms. as he dodges around her and extends his arm to push open the door, he hears a loud voice over the intercom.

"you're not going to buy anything after stealing cologne?"

steve stops, freezes where he is and frantically turns his head around to spot the cashier grinning at him. he has long hair and a bright red hook's drugstore vest over a denim vest which doesn't look very comfortable. he has chains in his jeans and handcuffs holding his belt closed and a smirk that is trying to kill him and oh-

"wait, stealing cologne?" steve shakes himself back into existence as the old lady pushes by him without dropping a single roll on the way back to her car. "you're going to call me putting on a few sprays stealing?"

the cashier's smile just gets bigger, like a cat hunting down a canary. steve's never felt like a canary before but can't deny that it's an exciting feeling.

"well, on a good day i wouldn't. but i'm bored and you didn't buy a single thing so technically, yes. you're stealing, pretty boy."

steve fights the urge to roll his eyes and put his hands on his hips, so instead he crosses them over his chest, cologne wafting up from the movement and reminding him that he doesn't have time for this no matter how cute the cashier may be.

he makes his way over to the counter, grabs a pack of gum and slams it on the counter. without breaking eye contact with eddie, as his nametag suggests, he throws him a salty smile of his own and pulls his wallet out from his back pocket.

eddie's eyes are a deep brown with a glimmer of something behind them and his hands are covered in rings making his fingers look long and strong. the jeans he has on are ripped on one of the the thighs, showing a hint of a tattoo to match the ones crawling up his arms. steve's no stranger to thinking men are attractive but this guy? he's on a new level. his heart thumps painfully in his chest when eddie's grin grows larger as he watches steve give him a once over. it thumps even harder when eddie gives him a once over of his own.

the clock above the register shows that he's officially 20 minutes late to picking up... laura? lisa?

no, linda. damnit.

eddie looks down at the gum and then back up at steve, quirking up an eyebrow. "i hardly think this monetarily equates to a bottle of cologne but-"

"oh come on!" steve huffs. eddie laughs and it's clear and bright, ringing off the cinderblock walls louder than the annoying jingle that's still playing. whatever fight steve may have had left in him drains away at the sound and suddenly he isn't thinking about the clock anymore. he feels his shoulders fall down to a more relaxed state, feels himself shift his weight on his feet to look more natural than ready to run at a moments notice.

"just kidding, man." eddie rings up the gum quickly and hands it back to steve. "sorry, you looked like you were in a rush. i shouldn't have created a scene just because i'm bored."

steve chuckles. "i'm already supremely late for my date so what's another five minutes. especially if it gets me..." he looks at the gum packet to look at what he even picked up in the first place. "... spearmint freshen-up gum."

"well there you go," eddie says, grin smaller than before, "a perfect thing to get for a date. everyone likes their date to be minty fresh for that first kiss."

it strikes somewhere in steve that he isn't expecting. the beemer is still out in the parking lot running so he didn't have to waste time, his watch on his wrist feels heavy, the scent of obsession overpowering. but he can't make himself move. he wants to stay and talk to eddie, wants to learn about what makes him tick.

"can i borrow your phone?" steve asks. eddie's eyebrows furrow but he reaches for the store phone and places the console on top of the counter.

"for what?"

steve look through his wallet, finding the piece of paper with linda's number on it. holding the receiver between his shoulder and ear, he dials in her number and holds his pointer finger up at eddie, signaling that he'll need a second. steve then brings the finger to his lips and shushes with his cheek pulling up in a smirk. eddie's eyes zero in on the motion and it feels like steve's gone from being the canary back to the cat.

"linda? hey it's steve."

he watches as eddie mouths steve back at him and then nods to himself when he gets the confirmation that it is indeed his name. steve throws him a wink for good measure.

"i know i'm late and i'm really really sorry to cancel last minute but-. oh. yeah, sure. have a good time. okay bye li-."

on the other end of the line, linda slams down the phone without waiting for steve to finish talking and it makes him wince with how loud it is in his ear. he gives eddie a sheepish smile, all toothy and guilt-ridden, and gently puts the receiver back down.

"what was that?" eddie asks with a disbelieving look on his face. steve shrugs.

"she got tired of waiting so she already had another guy lined up to come pick her up."

eddie sucks in air through his teeth and mimes getting shot in the heart. it has steve laughing as he falls over on the counter, hair covering his face. he turns his head to peer up at steve through the curtain of curls, the one brown eye that's visible twinkling in the harsh overhead light.

"was it true love? are you just absolutely heartbroken?"

steve thinks about it for less than a second. watches how eddie curls back up one vertebrae at a time before placing his elbows on the counter and leaning over. watches how eddie's eyes flit between his own and his lips. watches how he focuses on the latter for a little while too long.

"why would i be heartbroken," steve starts. he's being too forward, too brash, but with eddie looking at him that way, he knows he can be. "when you'll probably be on break soon and can make it up to me? you know, for making me even more late and all."

eddie's grin grows wide again. "oh really?"

steve shrugs once more with a playful look of consideration on his face, resting on his elbows to match eddie on the counter. "yes, really. this is your payback for being bored and taking it out on me."

it's later when eddie's on break and steve hasn't left the drugstore in over an hour and they're sitting in his car with bowie playing through the speakers that eddie looks up at him with a look steve knows well.

"you do smell really good, y'know." his voice is softer than steve's heard it all day.

"so are you glad i came in to steal cologne?" steve leans closer over the center console to get into eddie's personal space. there's a hand curling over his bicep and pulling him even closer, their faces only centimeters apart.

"i guess i'll let it slide this time, thief."

and when they kiss for the first time, it tastes like the freshen-up gum they both had been nonstop chewing ever since steve paid for it.

[ariadnes-elixirs]

thinking of an isekaied reader and a yandere noble boy...

(gn reader x male yandere)

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6

tw: manipulative behavior

about a day has passed since your conversation with oliver in the garden. you recall his face, gentle and kind. you recall his words, soft and sweet. your parents love him, apparently you love him, so you might as well just go with it.

in the garden when he presented you with the two flowers, you remember how his face lit up with joy and warmth once you accepted his confession and decided to "continue" seeing him. his dark brown eyes looked at you so softly, and his smile was so wide and bright. it was hard to not trust him, especially when he was "your" lover.

you still didn't know him that well, and you were still unable to identify which world you were "isekaied" into, but it hasn't been unbearable so far. even still, you determined that oliver seemed trustworthy enough to honestly answer some questions to soothe any concerns you had about this world.

your questions about this world led to you having another meeting with oliver, this time at your request. after yesterday's walk in the garden, you asked if he would be able to come again soon since there were just a couple things your bout of amnesia seemed to make you forget.

immediately after you stated your request, he smiled and replied "of course, love! i'll come back tomorrow!"

thus, bringing you to your third meeting with oliver since you have arrived in this body. now that you two are officially lovers, he seems much more open about his concern, but also his affection.

he did respect your request to "start over," but he still looked like a dejected puppy whenever he held out his hand and was met with a confused stare. after realizing that he was just trying to hold your hand, you apprehensively reached out towards him.

he immediately snatched your hand and his demeanor swapped from a kicked puppy back to just a cheerful young man.

the two of you walked a ways into the garden, finding a bench near some rhododendrons that oliver said would probably bloom soon. the bench itself was in the middle of three bushes of rhododendrons, one to each side and one behind. the bench happened to be distant enough from the entrance of the garden and covered by enough foliage to make it impossible to spot from the estate.

oliver sat down on the bench and gently patted the space next to him, letting go of you hand in the process. "so, you mentioned your amnesia made it difficult to recall certain things about this... world?"

you quickly took the spot on the bench, now sitting side by side with oliver but avoiding his gaze by staring at the foliage in front of you. "i... remember bits and pieces..." which was technically a lie, considering you don't remember anything, but he didn't need to know that, "but mainly things like our country's... monarchy? have escaped me, i guess..." you were unsure if you even lived in a monarchy, but with the presence of nobility in this country it was your best guess.

"yes, we do, in fact, live in a monarchy," he giggled, "but honestly, there's not really a point to learning much about the state of it."

you paused at his sudden statement, "can you elaborate?"

"well..." he thought for a moment, shifting his gaze up to the sky, "there's a lot of infighting going on in the royal family, so the current 'crown prince' may not be the crown prince for much longer."

he continued, now looking at you, "my family works closely as advisors to the royal family, so i'm aware of the... instability... within their palace walls."

you finally shifted your gaze to meet his, "this seems like something i should know, so why wouldn't i need to know this?"

his expression appeared a bit colder after asking that, "well, anything i tell you is probably going to be untrue in a couple of weeks or months." his face shifted back into a happier expression, "so maybe let's talk about something else?"

you decided to push the issue one more time to see if you could glean anything else about the topic. usually in these types of stories the "crown prince" is a major character, and any infighting within the royal family would likely become a major plot point. this could finally be the piece of information you need to determine where you are.

you smiled back at him, "even still, do you mind telling me who the current crown prince is? or just listing a couple names? maybe it could help jog my memory."

he sighs softly before looking away, "why do you want to know so badly? the crown prince is an... interesting... person, but i have a strong feeling that he is going to lose his head soon."

"why? just who is he?"

he slumps over onto your side, catching you off guard "can we please talk about something else?" he wraps one of his hands around your hand, still halfway slumped onto you, "i've been worried sick about you," he reaches up to touch your face with his other hand, "and i just want to spend time with my lover, preferably while not talking about another man."

"...did you actually plan on answering any of my questions today?"

he shifts to lay his head down on your lap, "mmmm... maybe, but i would be lying if i said i didn't want to focus on us today instead of royal politics."

he looks comfortable and content resting his head on your thighs, but you're unsure where to put your unoccupied hand, eventually deciding to just rest it in his fluffy hair, "so... what else was i supposed to ask?"

he looks up at you, once again taking on an expression comparable to a kicked puppy, "ask about me, ask about us, just..." he pauses, "you wanted to start our relationship from the beginning, so let's do that,"

"just focus on me, darling, not them, and i'll answer any questions you have~"

a/n: oliver is a sweet yet manipulative boy. there is crown prince lore but i'm probably not going to make him a love interest in this unless its requested. and if i do it'll probably be a separate story. unless we want to see oliver kill a man, i guess.

[the-palelady]

could you mayhaps perhaps potentially elaborate on simon meeting the love of his life????

this made me giggle

but absolutely

because when i tell you he is down bad…he is down bad bad.

the tickets were soap’s, but he couldn’t possibly go alone. kyle might have been down to attend, but in johnny’s eyes asking simon, a quiet man who you wouldn’t catch dead in a crowded place like this, sounded much more interesting.

of course, simon was reluctant, saying no a million times before he finally gave in. which took some bribing on soap’s end (listen, free beer is free beer).

the show was packed. shoulders touching shoulders, people practically climbing over one another as the stadium’s energy became more intense. but simon had to admit to himself that he was enjoying it, tapping his foot to the beat of the music, a beer in one hand and his free hand shoved into his pants pockets. the colorful lights reflected off his amber eyes until the shine of your own eyes caught his attention.

you were so bright eyed and full of energy. you sang each song, word for word, with the people around you, uncaring of what was going on beyond the walls of the stadium. it was just you and the music. simon almost felt like he was intruding on the peaceful moment you were having (even though ride the lightning is hardly a peaceful song).

it took until almost the end of the show for him to finally work up the courage to speak to you, pushing through the crowd of people as he followed you out to the lobby.

once the concert was over, johnny turned to simon only to find a group of teenagers standing in his place. soap didn’t expect to lose his lieutenant in a place like this. but after almost 30 minutes of searching, he really didn’t expect to find simon leaning against a wall, hands once again nestled into the pockets of his jeans and his hooded head tilted downwards, seemingly looking at something.

“there ya fuckin’ are, lt. been lookin’ for ya fo-”

johnny’s mouth locks itself shut when you come into view, his words not even reaching simon’s ears, too fixated on you.

tiny little thing you are in comparison to simon, monster of a man he is. you have a band shirt on, makeup done although your eyeliner is a bit smudged, and hair jostled about, sticking up in some places. your fingers fiddle with one another, clasped together as you rambled on about something to romeo in front of you.

a sea of people has to step around johnny, his jaw practically touching the floor as he watches simon’s usually disinterested expression stay locked onto you, eating up every word that slips from your mouth. he can see the fireworks going off in simon’s eyes, the subtle nod of his head, urging you to keep speaking. his mouth moves under the black mask that obscures the lower half of his face, but johnny’s not close enough to hear what he’s saying.

even sees his shoulders shake, laughing at something you had said, to which you join in with your own giggles.

after some time, someone shouts, and from the way you perk up, johnny assumes it’s the group you came to the concert with. when you turn back, he utters something before his hand slips out of his pocket, holding his phone out to you.

you take the device with a smile, tapping something in before handing it back and leaving with a big grin spreading across your face, cheeks rosy red and eyes just as sparkly as simon’s.

johnny’s voice doesn’t even break simon from his thoughts when he finally approaches him, still watching you scurry away with your friends.

“thought i was ‘ere to see metallica?! no’ fuckin’ romeo and juliet.”

[pequins]

thinking many thoughts about in this vid

schlatt is so pathetic when he cant see, the little “i cant” whine has me bricked. (around 9:15) i just keep imagining blindfolding this 6’3 behemoth of a man and turning him into a subby mess <3

the way ted whispers and asks if he’s a “nice boy” while holding his chin (at 9:30) is so ughhgh. soft dom ted supremacy.

[gaylienz]

i just keep thinking about zim (whose attention has since diverted from claiming earth to claiming dib bc they are intrinsically connected in his mind and he cant have one without the other) discovering the original point of weddings/marriage which was about like -property- and -ownership- and learning about such phrases like -til death do us part- and seeing all the stupid heterosexual imagery of like balls-n-chains and just kind of like......becoming obsessed with the idea of marrying dib.

he does all the -research- of course and learns that the concept of marriage and weddings have changed quite a bit but not the CORE of it which is two people being tied together (which appeals to him....dib stuck with him, forced to be his servant, forced to care for him in 'sickness and in health', dib unable to escape their rivalry, the dib HIS FOREVER). he sees pictures of all the big pretty gowns and the attention that the newly wed get and the big CAKES ofc and says....i would have the best, the biggest, most impressive, most expensive wedding ever. in fact....-rubs hands together menacingly-

and so his next evil plan is to drain the dib of all his fiances and trap the hero of earth at the altar in a loveless marriage for all eternity hahahahaha! (meanwhile he doesnt know anything about like bureaucracy so it wouldnt be legally binding but the two of them would treat it like it was, with all the seriousness and drama that it entailed.)

[greypetrel]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @pickelda, thank you so much! I have only one thing I'm working on, I don't know if I'll be able to post it today. I tried to take a pic at my sketchbook for a study page I'm happy about but eh, it's evening and the light is bad. So, just one picture and some DadWolf writing after the cut.

tagging: @salsedinepicta @ndostairlyrium @shivunin @inquisimer @star--nymph @shivunin @saltyowlets @idolsgf @pinayelf @chanafehs @elfroot-and-laurels @raflesia65 @rosieofcorona @schwarznummer1 @hollytree33 and YOU!

Aisling had, successfully, contributed into developing a spell that with the right source of energy would have allowed the caster to travel in space and time. She got in so much trouble for it that she had to throw six years of work and studies in the gutter, start fresh, account her movements and time to the Right Hand of the Divine for protection.

And yet, that still wasn’t the weirdest thing she ever did, in the end.

Cullen was the weirdest, by all.

If anyone would have asked her, but a month and a half prior, she would have said that yes. They’ve been very close in childhood, he’d been her dearest friend, but they took different paths in life, and he didn’t like her at all anymore. It happens.

Now?

They started writing.

He did, indeed, came to say hello to Felix, the next Wednesday -he was always in the hospital on Wednesday, Aisling was dying to know why, but she was afraid he would have closed off like a hedgehog again. Some weeks he looked fine, others he seemed spooked. So, she didn’t, and enjoyed what she had.

Still undecided what to do with… Whatever they had. Friendship? She wanted at least a couple of excuses, it wasn’t asking much, was it?

“Sure it’s not asking much.” Grumbled Dorian, at dinner when she told him. “Should I recover all your messages from Kirkwall and show you how stressed you were? You got back that you were almost as bald as Solas.”

“It wasn’t all his fault, honestly.” Aisling rebuked.

“Maybe, but he didn’t help, did he?”

“Well…”

“Do I have to remind you what happened when we tried to reach him in Denerim?”

“What happened?” Asked Sera, little interest to the whole topic, truth to be told. She slurped her instant ramen aloud.

“We showed up at the academy, asked about him, the thugs at the entrance returned five minutes later and tried to arrest Aisling for magical aggression.”

“Wooooh, Wiseshit, you’ve been to jail?” The elf perked up, recovering all her interest. “I thought all people in Physics were hopeless, boring nerds, but you’re more interesting than I thought.”

“Hey! We’re rock stars.”

“Sure.” Sera snorted. “And I’m the princess of Orlais.”

“Your majesty, I pay my humblest homage to your magnificence.” Dorian bowed with a flourish.

“Eeeeew.” Sera laughed, nevertheless. “Stop it!”

“Of course, whatever your excellences bids, I am a worthless subject to her radiance, and I will of course obey.”

“I have never been to jail, they just told me to shoo off and lay low from then on.” Aisling pointed out, pouting down at her ramen. Indeed it was musky and not so inviting. She missed Felix’s cooking, he always either stopped at their place to have dinner all together, or invited them at his place, but she kept that thought for herself.

“Pfffft, bummer.”

Aisling got to bed without a clear answer. Just a lot of grumbling and complaining from Dorian, and an unanswered message on her phone.

Truth to be told, she had no idea about what to do and what to think of it, whether to trust the process and lean in the nostalgy, or be wary and remember that in both instances when they saw each other as adults, she ended up in tears, and she had heard people in the Gallows speaking of Cullen and saying he thought mages weren’t human.

When she read the message again, asking her to pass him one, and he said one pop song that was better when in a metal cover, and she couldn’t exactly believe them.

A minute to find the link she sought on YouTube, and she tapped a quick answer. They way she would have done fifteen years before.

Aisling, 22:39 [  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHhWelSBppY Try not to dance, come on. And find me one popstar that covered a metal song with the same level of hype, come on. I admit that Lord Huron has a nice voice, but he could never. ]

There was something that scared her, and scared her a lot, but she fought it. It was nice, even for some minute, to pretend everything was back to normal.

[exhaustedpirate]

a kept promise

day 17 of @bucktommyfluffebruary (i'm catching up!) wanted a redo of the hospital kiss and it ended up having a lot of buckley siblings love and buckley parents hate so you've been warned! also, interrupted homophobia? i guess?

rated G | 1673 words also on AO3

He is late.

He is the man of honor and he is late.

Buck is pacing on the hotel lobby, fingers running through his hair, ruining the perfectly gelled hairstyle he had spent an hour fixing. He is late.

“Buck, the ceremony is starting in five minutes,” Hen reminds him, looking exasperated but understanding. “He’ll meet you inside.” 

It’s not the first time Hen has told him that, not even the second or third, but he still waves her away. Tommy promised. He promised he would do his damnedest to make it to the wedding.

But it had been 10 hours since the last text message Tommy sent him. He had a break and wanted to message Buck to say he was okay and attached a picture of a granola bar and bottle of water in his dirty hand - but he had been busy dealing with the missing veil and trying to stop his sister’s spiral. 

Tommy isn’t late, not yet anyway. And for all Buck knows, he won’t even be able to show up. It’s not like a wildfire is gonna stop just so he can be Buck’s plus one. He wishes it would though. Besides, they’ve been on one date, it’s new. Tommy would probably prefer to go home and rest rather than be at a wedding he was invited to last minute.

He opens their text message for the 50th time in the past hour. After he had missed Tommy’s last message, he sent him a picture of his suit, knowing that the blue of his tie matched his eyes. Buck’s next messages were a mix of ceremony schedule reminders and reassuring Tommy that it’d be okay if he couldn’t come.

Buck really wants Tommy there.

“Three minute warning, Buckaroo,” Hen calls out, not really having left. “Get your ass in gear or I’m sending Maddie to get you next.” 

Buck winces, touching his ears. “He’ll be here.” He says with a determination he doesn’t feel, before waving Hen away once more.

Two minutes later, Buck sighs defeated. He can’t ruin his sister’s wedding, not when she waited so long to find someone like Chimney, someone that makes her so happy, that is perfect for her.

He drags his feet on the way to the room beside the garden entrance. He can see the altar and the crowd filling the chairs lined up on the grass, can hear the enthusiastic whispering of family and friends. Notices Chim’s nervous jittering and Hen’s fondly exasperated expression. Sees Jee in an intense conversation with the Lees in the front row. Sees the three empty chairs right next to them and his chest feels tight.

His parents are currently in the room with Maddie, making sure she’s ready and calm while Buck has been stressfully pacing in the lobby. And the third chair is for Tommy, not that his parents know about it. He feels a little bad forcing Tommy into the same space as them but he knows how much the Buckleys despise a scene.

He wants to look out into the crowd and see Tommy there, wants to see that scrunchy smile on his face, the way his eyes get so bright when he does. 

The door to his right opens suddenly and both he and Philip Buckley startle. “E-Buck, what are you doing out here? Your sister has been waiting for you forever!”

His tone is exasperated but Buck can hear the bitterness in his voice too. Their father hadn’t been all too pleased when he found out Buck was going to be walking Maddie down the aisle.

“Is that Evan?” His mom’s voice approaches as she finishes opening the door. “You are making Maddie late.” She accuses and he sighs.

His eyes find his sister and he feels his lips stretch in a small smile. Maddie looks beautiful, the dress is perfect on her and he sees the way she relaxes when their eyes meet. She is still nervous, of course she is, but she knows she can count on him. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head at her. Her head tilts in disappointment. 

Maddie knows. Of course Maddie knows.

She gave him permission to invite Tommy, with Chimney’s complete support. She’s the one who rearranged the whole sitting area so that Tommy could sit in the front row. She’s the one who asked him to walk her down the aisle, who told their parents without a shadow of a doubt that it was her wedding and her decision.

He loves her.

“Let’s go, Evan,” His father puts a hand on his shoulder pulling him into the room. “They are all waiting.”

Buck takes a step forward before he feels his phone vibrate in his hand. 

I’m here.

Tommy. His heart pounds against his chest and he raises wide pleading eyes towards Maddie who smiles and nods. He loves her.

Wrenching away from his father’s hold and ignoring their calls of his name, Buck rushes back towards the lobby and watches as Tommy walks through the hotel doors still in his turnouts, soot covering his face and a tired smile on his face.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Tommy says as they approach one another. His heart is fit to burst in his chest. “My phone died just as I was goi-” 

Buck interrupts him by taking hold of the back of his neck pulling him into a hard kiss, swallowing the surprised moan he lets out. He ignores everything around him as he focuses on the feel of Tommy’s lips on his, on the tight hold his hands have on Buck’s waist. On the fact that Tommy showed up. On the fact that Tommy is there.

They break apart but Buck refuses to let go of him, to get out of this bubble they’ve created just for them. “You’re here,” He whispers. “You’re really here.”

“I told you I’d try,” Tommy whispers back, hands caressing his sides under his suit jacket. “I wanted to be here for you.”

Buck shakes his head slowly, their foreheads rubbing together before he pulls away. He opens his eyes to see Tommy’s already looking back at him, that soft look on his face.

“Come with me,” Buck says, taking hold of Tommy’s hand to pull him towards the bride’s room. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Evan Buckley!” His mom whisper-shouts, her mouth in a tight grimace. Tommy’s hand on his tenses but Buck keeps a tight hold on it.

“Just a minute.” Buck holds out a finger towards his gawking parents.

He walks through the door followed by Tommy who tries to hide a laugh with a cough, not successfully - it only makes Buck like him more. Maddie is still where she had been, standing in front of the mirror, nervous excitement in all her limbs. Her eyes widen as she meets Buck’s eyes in the mirror and she turns with a wide grin.

“'Hot pilot doesn’t do him justice, Buck.” She comments and he feels his face flush.

“Maddie,” Buck starts as they stand inside the room. Tommy is looking at her with a grin, despite his obvious blush and he forces himself to focus. “This is Tommy. Tommy, this is my sister, Maddie.”

The older man turns to the bride and holds out a hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you, I feel like I know you already.”

“Oh, me too.” 

Buck groans, in faux disgruntlement, as they turn knowing smiles towards him. “Alright, alright, we’ll have time for this later,” He approaches Maddie, letting go of Tommy’s hand to hold hers. “I’m sorry that I delayed your wedding.”

“I want my man of honor happy,” Maddie cups his cheek with her free hand and they share a laugh. “You don’t need to apologise.”

“Thank you.” His voice comes out as a whisper, his chest tight with love.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring a suit,” Tommy interrupts after a moment, a sheepish smile on his sooty face. “I can stand in the back row.”

That summoned Phillip Buckley. “Well, that is probably-”

“Nonsense,” Maddie interrupts in a louder tone. “We saved you a seat on the front row,” Her smile widens at the wide eyed expression on Tommy's face and how it reflected on their parent’s faces, with very different meanings. “There’s a bathroom behind you if you wanna wash up, we’ll wait.” 

Tommy stumbles as he takes a step back towards the door, looking overwhelmed but happy. Buck gives him an encouraging smile. “We’ll wait.” He repeats and Tommy nods, finally walking through the door behind him.

“Maddie-” 

“Mom, Dad,” His sister interrupts their mother this time. “Why don’t you go ahead and find your seats, let them know we’ll be out in a couple of minutes?”

“Maddie, you can’t possibly expect to sit-”

“Please, Mom?” Maybe he isn’t the only one with extraordinary pouting abilities.

They wait until their parents stumble out of the room to giggle together. 

“Thank you, Maddie, for everything.” 

She kisses his forehead and he feels complete. “You’re welcome,” She taps his cheek with a knowing smirk. “Go wash up too, you have soot all over your face.”

“Oh,” He feels bright red but unashamed. “I-I’ll do that.”

Her giggles follow him into the bathroom where he laughs alongside Tommy. 

And that’s how, among suits and dresses of multiple colours, an LAFD t-shirt and sooty trousers-wearing happily-tired firefighter sits on the front row. 

Buck finds himself looking out into the crowd every second, ignoring his parent’s secretly displeased expressions to find Tommy’s bright smile directed at him. Tommy came for him.

And as they dance in the decorated ballroom, Buck’s head laying on Tommy’s shoulder, the smell of smoke, ash and forest seeping into his nose, feels Tommy’s arms wrapped around him, a strong, steady hold, he feels at ease. It might be too soon but, as they share a soft kiss under the colourful lights, swaying to the tune of a slow song, he feels like Tommy might be the one.

[ahecen]

short something on annabeth telling her father that she and percy are engaged

“Don’t you think you should tell him?”

“It would probably be the least surprising news to him.”

Percy smiles, however small. “Won’t we want our kids to tell us when they’re engaged?”

“We’ll actually have good relationships with our kids.”

“Just think about it, okay?”

This feels an awful lot like being twelve, the same boy encouraging her to try again with her father. If Annabeth’s fatal flaw wasn’t hubris, she thinks it might be giving too many chances to people who have hurt her too many times.

Fatal for a reason.

So she calls him. It only takes three weeks, which Annabeth considers to be a feat.

“Percy and I are getting married.” She’s so focused on the lack of sound coming from the other end that she doesn’t involuntarily smile at the statement, in the way she grins ridiculously when she looks at the pearl on her ring or talks to Sally about dresses.

“Oh,” he says warmly. “Good for you, honey. When’s the ceremony?”

Her heart beats frantically in her chest, though logically it shouldn’t. “Next week. It’s just the courthouse, no frills or anything.”

“Oh,” he says, a little devoid of that warmth, replaced with confusion. “When you were little, you always wanted one of those big Disney princess weddings.”

Did she? “Percy and I are so busy all the time, and we didn’t want to spend months waiting. We’ve never really wanted something big anyway.”

“Your stepmother and I were the same. Always busy.”

“You had a wedding though.”

“Helen hired a wedding planner to sort through everything.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Annabeth’s too much of a control freak to let someone take over such a monumental event. Because the thing is — marrying Percy is monumental, even if all that really happens is signing a few pieces of paper. It’s more of a feeling than anything.

Percy and Annabeth have never done well in the patience department. She’s working her ass off so she can hopefully get a raise and they can hopefully be comfortable in their financial situation before having kids. Percy’s knees deep in research at all times, trying to get his grant approved. So yeah, even though there’s a lot going on, they still really want to get married. It’s a feeling that outweighs logic, but they can afford it.

Not to mention, weddings are expensive. Annabeth neglects to mention who will be at their low-key ceremony, because it’ll be further reason as to why her father should be there.

That monumental feeling is why she doesn’t want him there. He shouldn’t get to be there, even if Annabeth is the age he was when she was forced into his life. She understands why her father acted the way he did, what led to him acting that way, what made him keep acting that way, but it doesn’t change what happened. Annabeth can sympathize with him and still stick by the little girl who had no one.

It’s just not something he needs to be there for. It was different when Annabeth graduated high school and college, where academia was one of the few things father and daughter connected over. She wanted him there. She was overjoyed when he was there.

Marriage is different. It’s difficult to explain. She’s grateful that the people in her life don’t try and pry it out of her. They get it because they get her. Frederick doesn’t get her, even if Annabeth has come to realize that parent/child relationships are more 50/50 than her teenage self previously thought.

(Maybe Annabeth still holds a little bit of a grudge for her five-year-old self who wasn’t allowed at the “no kids” Chase wedding. Just partially.)

And so when he tells her that he’ll try to work something out to come to New York, she blurts out, “Please don’t.”

A pause. Then, “It’s not a problem, honey, I’m happy to fly out.”

“No, I… it’s not like that. It’s not a wedding, we’re just signing papers. Seriously.”

Obviously he wants to be there for his daughter’s wedding. Unless he feels obligated to? In the same way his apologies over the years have mostly been of monetary value.

A longer pause. He’s thinking. “Annabeth, why don’t you want me to see you? I assume Percy’s family will be there.”

“I don’t know,” she tries to say, but her voice comes out hoarse. How quickly Frederick Chase can make her cry, and how often it is of her own doing. An odd weight churns in her chest every time he proves that she isn’t a stranger. “I’m sorry. I just thought I should let you know.”

She can never get it right with him. Somehow, Annabeth’s able to write speeches in her head addressed to him, but all previous plans escape her mind when the opportunity is presented on a silver platter.

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m not.” It isn’t crying if the tears are simply pooling in her eyes. “I just feel bad.”

“Don’t-don’t feel bad. It’s your life. I’m grateful to be a part of it in any way.”

Annabeth swallows, but the lump in her throat stays. One after the other, treacherous tears fall down her skin. She wipes them away, but they smear uncomfortably. She wants to crawl out of her body. “But you’re not a part of my life.”

“Do you even want me to be?”

No. Yes. Why is she at such a loss? It’s been so long, she should be able to handle this by now. “It’s hard. You… never have been. So it’s hard to do that now, even if I want it.”

“It’s hard for me too.”

Why is that okay? He should know by now. He’s twice her age, but they see the same. None of that is right. “I’m sorry,” Annabeth tells him. And she hangs up.

There isn’t anything more to say. For years, they’ve had an understanding that they don’t understand each other. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. It’s just the way things are, even if it makes Annabeth feel like a terrible daughter. A part of her doesn’t want that chasm between them to close. Always on the edge of reconciliation, understanding.

[xenolinguistics-department]

gideon the ninth but instead of lyctoral trials they are competing in four weddings, and Ortus cancels last minute so Gideon has to stand in for the groom. does anyone see my vision...

[sherlockgracie]

Today! Is my birthday.

8th of December

I drank today for the first time

It was bad. I don't think I like drinking.

I hate how I feel.

I'm lying of course.

But it did feel like I was putting on even more of a front for my friends than usual.

I don't think I like drinking.

I felt like an even more exaggerated version of myself. I wanted to hurt someone again.

I don't think I like drinking.

I know that if I let someone touch me, they'd do the same. I'm just waiting for them to kill me too. Oh god, they're going to fucking get me.

I don't think I like drinking.

I wish I could've torn them open. I need to hold their bones and muscle in my fingers.

I don't think I like Drinking.

I wanted them to scream and squeal, just for me and me alone. Terrified and filled with despair. Hehehehe

I don't think I like Drinking.

End log.

Now Playing: Never Going To Drink Again, by The Planet Smashers

[starrystevie]

it was all supposed to be a joke. they were supposed to be in steve’s backyard with all their friends and family in shitty lawn chairs, holding cans of budweiser and jamming to whatever song eddie was in the mood for that day blasting through the speakers. steve was supposed to be in front of them all in a tuxedo t-shirt and powder blue dress pants, flowers in his hair that had been teased to high heaven and dark black sunglasses to keep out the bright sun. that’s how they had planned it all those years ago when they’d been high and drunk and young and in love.

but somehow instead, the yard is full of flowers and benches that hopper and wayne put together with spare wood for everyone to sit on and there’s an archway at the end of the aisle and soft acoustic songs spilling gently out of the speakers. steve’s still at the front, that was always supposed to happen, but this time he’s wearing an actual tux, light cream with a boutonnière and everything, and his hair is pushed back just so. there’s no flowers in his hair and no sunglasses but it’s cloudy enough of a day where he doesn’t really need them anyway.

they weren't even supposed to do this. there wasn't supposed to be a grand entrance and a walk down the aisle, no flower girls or ring bearers or anything remotely traditional. but what started off as, "well, i wouldn't mind walking down the aisle," and "i think exchanging rings would be cool," and "who cares if it isn't legal, i'm going to marry you anyway damnit," turned into this beautiful day of friends and family and love.

robin’s standing beside him in a tux of her own, pinstripe grey donning a pocket boutonnière that matches nancy’s bouquet, with a few notecards in her hands. and speaking of nancy, she’s heading down the aisle in a flowing dress, and when her eyes catch robin’s, she crinkles her nose before blowing her a kiss. she stands opposite of steve as eddie's not-quite-bridesmaid and grips her bouquet tightly, her eyes never leaving robin's.

and then there's dustin. he's in a tux that matches steve's and he has his curls pushed back with probably too much gel and a tie that suzie got him for their 3rd anniversary. the best thing he's sporting, though, is the smile on his face and the ring box in his hand and the joy in his eyes as he looks out at the crowd. having him there as best man and smelling the cheap cologne he wears so he seems more grown up calms steve's ever beating heart enough to where he doesn't think he'll throw up from nerves anymore.

all of their loved ones are surrounding them in clothes steve’s never seen before but he couldn’t care at all what they’re wearing because they’re all smiling wide and bright at him. he catches himself rocking back and forth on his feet so he shakes out his hands and holds them behind his back to distract himself. his stomach is rolling with waves or butterflies and when he catches joyce's eye in the front row, she mimes taking in a deep breath which he instantly copies. the soft grin she sends in return tells him that he thinks it could actually work to settle him. mothers have that healing way about them.

he’s never been good with weddings, always fidgeting in a too tight suit his mom picked out, but he never thought he’d be this antsy at his own.

steve's just about to give up and sprint down the aisle to get eddie so they can run away together and leave nerves and or butterflies behind him, but then the music stops. he sees lucas changing out the tapes quickly, giving a thumbs up to mike who throws one to will who runs back behind the shed to where he knows eddie is waiting and when will pops his head back out to run back to his seat, it hits him.

he's getting married.

steve doesn't have time to think about it anymore than he already has been for the last 8 years because eddie's coming around the corner of the shed.

'here comes the sun' is playing out over the speakers, soft and perfect, and eddie's smiling, wide and beautiful, and steve can't help but mirror it back to him. the clouds overhead seem to hear them, hear the song and hear their hearts beating in time with each other, because as soon as eddie gets to the aisle, bright warm rays of sunlight peak out and make the rhinestones he demanded line the lapels of his own black tux shine like real diamonds.

steve stops breathing. he swears he does, and he knows his family are all feeling the same way. he can hear a few gasps, hears joyce muttering what she thinks is a silent, "oh my god," in hop's ear, and watches how wayne stands up just a bit straighter from his front row seat.

eddie glides down the aisle like the drama king he is, soaking in the looks from everyone they care about and soaking in the sun that seems to come out only for him. it's like the sun knows he's a star, too, and wants to come out to be with one of it's own. eddie's always been sunshine and starlight and a blinding thing to look at and take in. he's the light, steve's the moth, and a few clouds on their wedding day could never change it.

"well, that was insanely good timing," eddie whispers to steve once he reaches him. his grin softens and he brings up a hand to wipe gently at the tear tracks on steve's cheeks. "hi, baby."

and steve can do nothing but choke out a laugh, catching eddie's hand in his own so he press a kiss to his palm. he thinks he can feel eddie's heartbeat against his lips and, even if it's his brain playing tricks on him, he likes the sentiment that it brings. "i love you so fucking much."

it's eddie's turn to get teary-eyed and the sun glints off the tears that fall down his cheek before heading back behind the clouds, dotting quick-to-fade sparkles on his face like a wedding present.

steve kisses him. he can't help it. it's nothing but a fast press of lips, watery smile to watery smile, and everyone is cheering except for robin.

"hey! it's not time for that yet," she says with a pretend scowl, arms pressing to each of their chests to keep them apart. it's enough to leave nancy giggling where she stands behind eddie, her laugh like bells bouncing off of the trees surrounding them. "just give me like ten minutes and we'll have you married and you can kiss all you want then."

steve swears he can hear mike groan at that which cause him to grin which cause eddie to grin back and then they're holding hands like it's the only way to get through the next ten minutes. and it might just be the only way to get through it. knowing them, if they didn't hold on tight, one of them would make a move first and there'd be hands around waists and fingers tangled in hair and robin would hate them forever because she wouldn't get to do her speech.

it's after vows are shared, after rings are on fingers, after kisses are pressed to lips and cheeks and temples and hands and everything else they can quickly reach, that the two of them get some peace. everyone is inside eating snacks and drinking cheap champagne, and it goes unspoken that they're going to take some time for themselves. take some time to bask in their new maybe not-so-legally real but as real as could ever be in their hearts marriage.

they make their way, hand in hand like they've always been meant to do, to a table set up for them. eddie pops a bottle of champagne that they pass back and forth between themselves as they share cheesy smiles and champagne-laced kisses. and it's as they look into each other's eyes, fingers lacing so their rings clink softly against each other, that the sun peaks out to say hello once more.

[solomams]

Random Mammon x Solomon Headcanons

Because I am insane about them <3 I wrote most of these down on a piece of paper at work the other day

✧✧✧

Mammon who won’t ask Solomon for help with debts because he doesn’t want Solomon to think that’s all he wants from him

Mammon who notices the witches call for him less and/or are nicer to him after he gets together with Solomon (and if it happened after the night he came home in near tears and exhausted? Well that’s just a coincidence.)

Solomon who won’t give Mammon money to pay back his debts, but instead gives him opportunities to earn it

-Helping out with experiments

-Ritual calculations

-Accompanying him to the human world/running errands

-Playing cards together (their favorite)

They get together at least every other week to play cards together, even before they started dating. It’s usually money on the line, though sometimes it’s favors or help with studies

The first round will almost always end in a tie, and their games can go for hours because they both have so much fun and find the challenge enjoyable

When Mammon is losing, he likes to pull a “winner takes all” for the final round. This only works half the time

They both know each other so well that they will change the rules, or alter the deck to make it more interesting. Like removing a certain shape or adding another deck entirely

The first time Solomon and Mammon teamed up together during a game night, everyone was shocked at how well they worked together

Solomon proposed during Demonopoly once and Mammon almost passed out. His face was red the rest of the round- But they won by a landslide together

Date nights for them are usually dinner together

-Mammon has a fund set aside specifically for date nights so they can eat out

-Some nights when they’re both either busy or exhausted, they’ll heat up cup noodles and stay in together to watch a movie. Mammon says he’s the only one allowed to cook the noodles on these nights because he makes them best. No other reason...

-Usually these date nights are held at the HOL because Mammon has that projector in his room. They take turns picking movies

-And if Solomon chooses a horror movie so Mammon clings to him? Who’s to blame him?

-Sometimes when they want a little more privacy, they’ll order take out or pack a picnic and Mammon will drive up to a cliff side so they can look at the stars together

-They sit on the hood of the car to eat. Mammon has taken to keeping a spare blanket in his trunk so they can lay down and star gaze together

-Mammon will point at a random spot in the sky and ask if there’s a constellation there. Solomon will nudge his hand in the correct direction if needed, and explain the constellation. Mammon finds it endearing to listen to

Solomon is usually the big spoon when they cuddle or sleep together

If Mammon falls asleep around Solomon while he’s busy, Solomon will use his cape/cloak as a blanket to cover Mammon

When Mammon is the big spoon, he will partially shift into his demon form to wrap his wings around Solomon

They each have a photo of each other in their wallets

-Polaroid cameras blew up in the Devildom shortly after they made a comeback in the human world. Asmo joined in on this trend, and took photos of his brothers and friends

-He gave Solomon and Mammon photos of each other respectively

-Solomon’s is one of him laughing after an experiment went wrong

-Mammon’s is one of him crouching and doting on a crow

If Mammon is really busy with working shifts, Solomon will visit him at work

-Solomon will pretend to be a stranger sometimes and flirts with Mammon (as if they aren’t already together)

-This makes Mammon flustered, but after the first few times, he starts to flirt back to see how far he can push it

-Solomon almost always stays until the end of Mammon’s shift to walk him home, even if it’s hours long

Solomon has also tagged along to Mammon’s modeling gigs. These are the shoots where Mammon seems to be the most confident once the photos are published

Solomon always buys a copy if Mammon is featured, keeping them tucked in a corner of his bookshelf

Mammon has snuck over to Purgatory Hall when he misses Solomon. He’ll fly up to Solomon’s balcony and knock until he’s let in. He tried to pick the lock the first time he did this, and was met with a very powerful ward. So he doesn’t do that anymore

Little D. No 2 once reffered to Solomon as “Step Papa” and Mammon lost his shit

Solomon, red-faced and laughing, had to hold Mammon back

✧✧✧

Okay this became longer than I intended. HAHA SORRY THEY'RE JUST ALWAYS ON MY MIND. Feel free to yap about them to me. Maybe then I'll finally finish my solomams songfic.

[austin-friars]

'poem about bishop getting railed' OH MY GOD I LOVE IT SO MUCH. YOUR WORDS. YOUR WORDS. I love religious guilt and religion-influenced poems so much....PSOJDGPDOSJGHXSD thank you so much for answering my prompt❤️ You fed me enough for 100 years, but let's see:...'Deicide' maybe?

Thank you so much <3. Yes, I have such a thing for catholic religious imagery/religious figures in my works. Especially dripping an extra level of queerness and erotica; that adds to the guilt and confusion, but eventually an interesting type of love. it's why im really into catholic priests/protestants during like...the reformation or whatever or even before with the lollards. drama ensues. And you are so welcome, thank you for sending it. That said, I hope you don't mind if I make this one a prose - it's actually taken from one of my works! This is a little nsfw. But not too much.

Decide - come to a resolution in the mind as a result of consideration.

Hope you enjoyed! And I am always open to make more poetry based off of a one word prompt <3.

[aislingsurrow]

The Night After Ravana’s Defeat…

“Never did I doubt you, Warrior of Light.”

Aisling turned over in her bedroll- Estinien’s earlier words still tickling at the back of her mind. Spoken after she returned from the hive.

“Never did I doubt you…”

Instead of that Someone whispering what the next day would bring, what pains would come and what the weather would be and who she’d meet, she could only hear him.

“Warrior of Light…”

She turned on her back and her eyes burst open to stare at a wide open sky, blistered with bright stars.

“Warrior…”

His lips had turned up when he said it. Just the corners of them, a slight little smile and from her low angle she could see up into his helmet. See that the smile, however small, reached his eyes.

“Fretting like a maid for her sweetheart, he was.”

And in that moment their eyes had met.

“Sweetheart…”

The way his lips formed the words was stuck in her skull. The look in his eyes. And when something passed between them, unspoken, she was glad Alphinaud was jostled enough to protest the teasing. It gave her a moment to steady her wildly beating heart. Of course, thinking about it again now only made her heart go so wild again she had to sit up- stand up- and wander from the dying embers of their fire and the two sleeping Elezen.

They were within the walls of Anyx Trine, tucked in a corner by the gate with a watchful company of dragons nearby- meant to keep an eye on Estinien. He was gone, though; in the few nights they’d enjoyed the hospitality of the dragons, Estinien had not slept within the walls. Still, he never went far- which is why Aisling slipped out of the gate, feet bare, cool wind tickling her shoulders in her nightgown.

She didn’t have to search far at all- there he was, just outside the main gate, leaned back against the stone in a devilishly cool way. As ever, he was in his armor- a mask she saw beneath in brief flashes.

“I had a feeling you’d be up,” he said as a greeting.

“Oh? Yer having visions now?”

“You’re predictable. You found me, somehow, after the boy’s trial. And then once more when you freed the Bull. I figured I’d make myself easy to find this time.” The twitch of his lips again- her heart rushed. “Make it easy on you.”

“Y’need never go easy on me, Estinien. I can handle it.” She lifted an arm and slapped her bicep- certainly not bulging with lean, lithe strength like him, but solid all the same.

“I see you can.” He pushed himself off the wall. “Shall we walk?”

“Aye!” Aisling beamed and hopped beside him, her feet buoyed just above the ground by a cushion of Air aether placed with each footfall.

They took a turn around the walls of Anyx Trine. Above them, dragons flew past- entering and exiting their home. Some landing on the wall and lingering. Some watching the two wander by, made curious by the continued presence of men.

“It is nice y’waited fer me, though,” she said a few minutes in.

She could feel him roll his eyes. See a hint beneath the helm from her angle. “Must you say it aloud?”

“Are yeh embarrassed?” Her lips split into a sly grin. “Will y’blush if I call ya kind? What of handsome?”

The sound that came from him was somewhere between a scoff, a gasp, and a bark of a laugh. “You make your opinion so readily known!”

She glanced sidelong at him, raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s got to. You won’t say what y’want.”

“Oh?” He shook his head. “You know what I want, eh? Have you Seen it?”

“Of a sort.”

She paced ahead of him with a quickness that surprised the Azure Dragoon. For once, he sped to catch up with her.

“Is this another vision to solve?”

She walked a bit faster again and he was answered by her back. Her hair was unbraided, casting her curls down behind her shoulders. The moon and starlight caught in the blonde- the soft pink- and seemed to glow.

This time, Estinien didn’t catch up to her and trailed behind.

“... Well?” he prompted, after a moment of her silence.

“Why do y’look at me the way you do?”

“And how do I look at you?” He was about to laugh, but her sudden stop and turn stole it from his lungs. He paused mid-step and her eyes caught under his helm. He didn’t have time to school his expression.

“Like tha’.”

His jaw clenched up. “... It’s no particular way,” he protested, rather ineffectively for him. Which is why her answer was only silence- a brow raised in question. And his jaw tightened again- fists joining in an angry curl.

“Such wants are distractions,” he snapped and brushed past her. “Should I falter from my task? Just for a want?”

She didn’t follow him, and when he realized a few yalms away he slowed to a stop, anger flattening slower than it came.

“... You said before you saw my death,” he said, his back to her.

“I seen yer agony,” Aisling replied. The memory of the vision summoned small motes of light to her eyes, Someone laughing in her ear. “Seen a monster wear your skin. Seen ya struck through. But I seen ya smilin’ too. Freer than ever I’ve seen a man.”

A laugh like a scoff. A sigh. “You think I can escape?”

Aisling couldn’t quite answer that. “... I seen us, hand in hand,” she said instead, and twisted her fingers in her nightgown.

“You think you can be my escape?” He finally faced her.

Her hands firmed into fists around the fabric. “Ain’t it what ya want?”

The quiet that settled between them vibrated. Aisling felt it rumble through her whole body- anxiety leaving her hands shaking in their nervous, white-knuckled grip. For all her Seeing, these moments were uncharted territory.

He moved first- raised his hands to his helm and- for the first time in her sights- removed it. His pale hair tumbled down over his shoulders and instead of having to peek and search for his eyes they were right there- his gaze heavy on her- heavier than Aisling had ever felt before.

Estinien closed the gap between them with slow steps.

“... If we do as I want,” he muttered, “I won’t be going easy on you.”

Her breath caught.

“Y’need never go easy on me,” she said in a whisper. All inside of her trembled with excitement. “I can handle it.”

“... I see you can.”

He dropped his helmet to the side and they came together like a dance. He lifted her in the next step and found something- a wall- to press her against as his lips found her neck, exposed and chilled from the night air.

Any dragons still lingering on the nearby parapets roused themselves and, for a blessing, gave the pair some privacy. And with Estinien’s heart so sweetly consumed, for a restful moment their only companions were the stars.

[greypetrel]

Inquisitor as Companion Tag Game

Rules: For the categories below, describe or list the greetings your Inquisitor (as a companion) would say when approached by the PC

Thank you so much for the tag, @shivunin @star--nymph and @idolsgf! <3 Just back home and quite tired, so it's one for both... I may do Radha (or anyone else in other games, tell me) as well, but if it'll strike my fancy I'll tag you both again.

I swear the idea of companion!Aisling moving through Skyhold was something I was caressing before, I'm writing her companion piece since forever ahahahahahah but I join the trend gladly, it's such a fun idea. :3 All under cut because... It long.

Tagging: @inanshalla @noobsydraws @ndostairlyrium @inquisimer @chanafehs @dreadfutures @dungeons-and-dragon-age @cao-the-dreamer @rowanisawriter @saltyowlets @diesvitae @hollytree33 and YOU READING

Aisling Lavellan

Cold/Hostile (-75 to -5):

At low approval, she’ll be mainly found in the Gardens, Solas’ rotunda either perched on top of the scaffolding, or sitting in a corner as Solas is painting, or the Herald’s Rest close to Cole. Depending on the advancement of the game, she’ll be conversing with Solas or Cole always in elvish. In the Garden, she’s either chatting with Elan Ve’mal about gardening, about how many of the vases to dedicate to Elfroot if the garden was upgraded as a Herb garden, or complaining that the statue of Andraste “makes the elfroot and the embrium gloomy” otherwise. Later on, she’ll also be found chatting with Morrigan about history and lore, asking her to tell her stories about the Blight or what ruins she found in her travels – very eagerly, or teaching Kieran some magic. If you interact with her, there’ll be an extra dialogue line in which the Inquisitor will ask her what she was talking about. If cold or hostile, she’ll always dismiss the question, perfectly politely, saying it’s something too trivial to concern such an important figure, she’s sure. In greetings and goodbyes and conversations, she keeps polite and gentle, but terribly cold. If you ask her anything personal, she’ll deflect every single question by making another. Insisting on asking leads to disapproval.

Greetings:

Andaran atish’an, lord/lady Inquisitor (-25 to -5)/Herald (-75 to -26).

It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?

Oh? What brings you here?

What would his/her lordship/ladyship wish from me?

Whatever may a humble elf help you with?

Farewells:

Dareth shiral, my lord/lady.

May the Creators bless you.

I hope you found what you were looking for.

May Mythal bless you with a clear mind in judgement.

Thank you for your time.

May the Dread Wolf never catch your scent.

Note: she’ll call you Inquisitor above -25 of approval. Under that, it will always be Herald, and the references and casual naming of her gods will happen more often.

Neutral/Warm (-5 to 74):

At this point, other than the places above, she can be found also in the library, in Dorian’s nook discussing with him of magic, planning something… Unorthodox on a various degree of concerning (from making rain in the rotunda, to evaporate Solas’ colours in a puff of smoke to see if it still stains, to revive dead horses, to see after What Pride Has Wrought if they can build an eluvian on their own), or teaching each other their own language. The advisors will express concerns about their experiments at the War Table (Josie will be worried about the opinion of Orlais, Leliana will be amused by it, Cullen will begrudgingly say that they can’t be contained, but don’t seem to have any evil intention. All will agree that they contributed in making the life in the Keep better, anyway). Or at the stables, petting the horses and cooing at them. She named them all with names of food, Master Dennet and her keep bickering about how to name horses, and that “Chicken Nugget” isn’t really a name, even if her horse has a spot of that exact shape. Any question concerning her feelings or personal history beside “I am the First of Clan Lavellan” will see her changing the topic after giving the very minimum of an answer.

Greetings:

Andaran atish’an.

It’s a lovely day, isn’t it? The flowers are in bloom, and the garden smells so nice. - If the Herb Garden upgrade was chosen: The *name of the plant you planted* you potted is ready to be picked. You should hurry, wouldn’t want to be left with no potions on the field, right? - If the Chantry Garden upgrade was chosen: All those statues make the elfroot gloomy. But the blooming Crystal Grace is so delightful it makes even Andraste look happier, have you seen it? - Both options ends up with a: Oh, I’m sorry if I digress so! What is it?

What may I help you with?

Fancy seeing you here! Tell me everything.

Did you know that horses- Oh, it matters not, I’m sure.

Farewells:

Dareth shiral.

May you find what you’re looking for.

Have the nicest of days.

Take care.

Don’t forget to eat!

Friendly (75 to 125):

She’ll add the Herald’s Rest, in Sera’s nook with biscuits, tea and a full lemon custard pie the cook may or may not have been lamenting the mysterious disappearance of. They’re giggling together. If found with Cole, she’ll openly be sad about the discussion she was having with him. Or she can be found between the Iron Bull and Krem, discussing about today’s sparring round with the Chargers – The Iron Bull will comment that it’s weird for a mage to learn swordsmanship, but that she’s not a lost cause. Personal questions will be answered with shy but finally true answers, no deflection, no turning the topic on something else.

Greetings:

Oh, it’s you! Hi! *hugs the Inquisitor*

Aneth ara, lethallin/lethallan! (if elf)

Aneth ara! It’s a more friendly greeting, I hope you don’t mind. (if not elf)

I was just wondering whether we can- Oh, forgive me, I digress. Hello!

Have you read Varric’s latest book? The magic made no sense, I loved it. You should read it, it was so fun!

Is everything all right? It doesn’t look all right. What happened? Do you want to talk? Do you want a hug? I can hug you if you’d like. You look like you need it. Or I can listen, if you want to talk.

I was just hoping you stopped by!

Hello! Care for a snack? Have you eaten today? You should eat some more, too many worries make you famished, and you sure are worried a lot. Here, take a biscuit, I swear the baker made it, not me.

What did you dream of, last night? I had the weirdest dream, there were a talking lightning bolt, an octopus who loved to dance the tango, and a carnivore elfroot. But it couldn’t be, carnivore elfroot? No way. Oh, I’m sorry, were you saying…?

Farewells:

Oh, already? But sure you must be busy, I’m sorry if I bothered you.

Stop by any time!

Dareth shiral, lethallin/lethallan

I hope the day will be lovely and with the least amount of world-ending emergencies.

Take care, ok? I’m here for you if you need anything. Really. I know leading it’s difficult, if in such a smaller scale.

See you later, alligator! / Bye bye, crocodile! *and SO many variants*

Bye! *hugs the Inquisitor*

If flirted with, before romance is locked in:

Any race or gender can start a romance with her. Male Inquisitors tho won’t have any different greeting or farewell than the Friendly one. You’ll still be able to choose flirty options, but she’ll never get it. After three flirty dialogue options, you’ll get the cutscene to lock her romance, same as Female Inquisitors, and greetings and farewells will change accordingly. For Female Inquisitors, she’ll notice the flirting after the second flirty option, and change the greetings accordingly.

Greetings:

Oh! Oh it’s you! How lovely to see you! I was just- But surely you’re not interested. Or maybe you are? Are you? If you are we could- I’m sorry. Let me start again. Good morning. How are you? Did you sleep well and enjoy your breakfast? There, all better.

*giggles*

I was just thinking about you! Tell me everything and then some, please, you have such a lovely voice.

Do you want to pet my horse? I just washed him and he’s all clean and soft. If he didn’t roll in mud again, which- Uh, that didn’t came out the way I wanted. Let me start- You sure are busy. I’m sorry. Tell me everything.

I was just hoping you’d stop by! Here, I kept this pastry just for you. I know it’s your favourite and it was the last one, I took it before that silly Comte could eat it. Don’t worry, I used a tiny spell to keep it fresh, you can also eat it later.

Farewells:

Dareth shiral, lethallin/lethallan. *in a softer, sweeter voice*

Already? Aaw. I wish you had more free time, but thank you for spending the little you have with me, it really makes me glad.

I hope I’ll see you soon. This evening at the tavern, maybe?

I- Uh- Bye, sure, but… Uhm. Can I… Can I hug you? A dialogue wheel opens, where you can say yes or no. If you agree, she’ll hug you, and drag it further than necessary, with a deep sigh. Thank you.

After romance is locked in:

You’ll find her in your quarters, humming between herself.

Greetings:

Oh it’s you! I just made this flower crown for you! Here, take it! Please! I used your favourite flowers, I remember you told me. And… Yeah, well, I put something else too, so it reminds you of me as well. I enchanted it so it won’t wither and… Well, it’ll protect you, I hope you don’t mind. Inquisitor gains Elfroot Blessing, equip in helmet slot. It appears like a crown of elfroot leaves, tiny blue forget-me-nots and the flower you chose as your favourite in a precedent dialogue wheel (pre-romance). All healing poultices are more effective by the 25%, and you gather +1 in automatic when picking elfroot.

Venhan! *she pounces at you in a hug* Mwah! *a distinct noise of a real kiss after the fake one*

Hello, gorgeous!

You’re even prettier than a horse, has anyone ever told you?

Hello, ma venhan. How are you? Are you feeling well? Do you need a pause? We can take a pause, come one, sit with me.

I was just about to come and drag you away for lunch!

At last you’re here, I’ve missed you so!

I was thinking… No, I’m not planning of turning your windows in prisms so your room is filled with rainbows again, don’t worry. Even if it was such a nice idea, Dorian and I could have done it in- Ok, ok, no. You’re so cute when you’re grumpy! *giggles*

Oh! Just in time: they’re starting this little thing at the Herald’s Rest and I was just thinking that it would be lovely to go together! We could dance, maybe? What about it? It will be fun! I can teach you if you don’t know how to, don’t worry, it’s easy as breathing.

Farewells:

Take care, venhan, really. I know you’re about to complain but… Let me worry about you, ok?

I’m so proud of you and all you’re doing.

Ar lath ma, venhan.

First time, if Inquisitor is an elf: … Too soon? It’s too soon, isn’t it? Well…

First time, if Inquisitor isn’t an elf: I’ll tell you what it means the next time.

*kisses the Inquisitor* I’ll miss you.

Don’t let those silly Comtes and Dukes get to your head, ok?

I’m here when you need me. Always.

Go get them, tiger.