#and then he explains all of that TO A RABBIT

[graceisinthelibrary]

This drabble is for @sunsetinyork and a @the-grain-of-salt who both asked for prompt 15 "There's a leaf in your hair."

I hope I'll do your expectations justice! Enjoy :-)

“There’s a leaf in your hair.” The meaning message only settled in when he touched her. His fingers, tentatively pointed, picked the single leaf from her hairdo that wasn’t as neat as it was supposed to be. 

“Elm,” he said, turning the multi-coloured leftover from the Yorkshire summer. 

Siegfried handed her the leaf and returned his attention to her twisted ankle that rested in his lap. At first she had felt a bit embarrassed to take off her thighs, but they were ruined anyway. It helped that he was most professional about his dealing with her little injury. He treated her like he treated one of his furry or four-legged patients. With care and disgnity.

“I feel so blooming stupid,” Audrey moaned and placed the leaf on her skirt. “I should have paid more attention.” 

Dash was sitting next to her armchair and she kept stroking the poor spaniel who was wailing, distraught, because he had been the cause of her injury. After he had sniffed out the rabbit he had torn at the leash, and Audrey, surprised his hunting instinct had taken over, had stumbled over him. Before she had known it she had found herself in a big pile of elm leaves and Dash had been on the run. His return to her side, guilt-stricken and panting as if he was in need of oxygen and a cuddle, had followed a minute after. The result of the ordeal was a twisted ankle and some minor bruises. 

Thankfully the next phone booth hadn’t been too far away. Siegfried had picked them up and now he was sitting on the ottoman in front of her, applying ointment to her ankle and a bandage. By now the foot was swollen and had bruised up considerably. She wouldn’t be able to walk for days to come, a prospect that pre-annoyed her immensely. 

Helen had brought them a pot full of tea and Siegfried had added a splash of whiskey for Audrey, before he had started to examine her foot. 

“It’s not broken, but you’ll have to take it easy for a couple of days.” His smirk told her that he wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea. “Mr Bosworth will have to cope without his champion warden for a while.” 

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” She asked a bit sharply, because she hated to be confined to the house, unable to do her work the way she pleased.  

“On the contrary, Mrs Hall. I shall be dreading your dark mood.” The sparkle in his eyes gave away just the opposite. He liked their natter, their banter, and most of all he simply liked having her around. After one brandy too many Gerald had once asked why she always had to be at Mr Farnon’s disposal, because ‘she were a housekeeper, not a factotum’, a notion she had utterly denied - not without feeling guilty. 

She knew Mr Farnon just liked having her around - just like she liked being around him. To explain that to someone who didn’t belong to their household had been not just hard, it had proven to be impossible. 

While his fingers gently rubbed in the tincture, made of arnica and comfrey, she closed her eyes and took a sip from her tea. Although Helen had draped a blanket over her shoulders, she felt still frozen to the bone. The weather outside had been horrendous. Fall in the Dales wasn’t always pretty. On some days, like today, it was wet and slippery. 

As soon as Siegfried had applied the bandage, he gently lifted her other foot and gently squeezed a certain spot on her foot sole. At first she was a little surprised, but she quickly found she liked it. She wasn’t exactly used to someone touching her, especially not her feet, but it seemed to be what she needed. 

“That’s good,” she mumbled, feeling how the strained muscles relaxed a bit. Only now she realised how tense her body had been, how much she was hurting after her tumble into the leaves. Perhaps the effect could be traced back to the alcohol that was now flowing through her veins instead of his massage, but she didn’t want to think about it now. It actually felt too good to be cared for in this way. 

The silence they lapsed into was therapeutic and within a couple of minutes she dozed off, feeling strangely calm. In her dream Dash was chasing leaves and tried to climb up an elm. By the time she woke up the house was dark. It took her a minute before she realised where she was. Reaching out to touch her bedside table she instinctively found the switch of her lamp. The light blinded her and she blinked. She was lying in her own bed, her duvet spread over her. Her ankle was still hurting, but the throbbing had calmed down. As she pushed herself up her eyes came to rest on the one elm leaf that was now lying on her dressing table. 

She had fallen asleep in the armchair, but why was she lying in her own bed now? How had she gotten here? With a hectic motion she looked beneath her blanket and found she was still dressed. 

Was it Helen? But how? 

Tristan? No, he was in Doncaster. 

James? Would he dare? 

Mr Farnon? She didn’t dare to think about it… Her cheeks flushed as she imagined him carrying her up the long staircase. Asleep, her cheek resting against his chest, close to his heart… 

Determined not to think about it, she shook her head and sat on the edge of her bed. She snatched her nightgown from the end of the bed and began to undress, her eyes fixed on the lonely little leaf on her dresser… 

[velvet-apricots]

A series of Codexs i wrote about my Rook. Taken from this post.

Note found in Rook’s pocket

A note of poetry with deep creases indicating its been folded and unfolded many times. The lettering is written in a neat, loopy cursive in emerald green ink

Eyes of spring beheld by my eyes of winter

Hair of autumn betwixt my weathered fingers

Lips like berries and all for me to devour

My clever bird, my darling Rook

May your hands forever more hold my heart

For as long as it remains beating

E.V

An entry from Rook’s journal

I dreamed about Weisshaupt the other night. All those Wardens we couldn’t help. Davrin said there were a thousand of them. Now there are only a quarter of that. Solas said it was a victory. I don’t know what to think.

Varric said it helps to say or write out what did go right so-

I got to punch the First Warden in the face

An Archdemon is dead. 

Davrin is alive. 

Ghilan’nain is mortal. 

That's four good things. I am particularly glad that Davrin is alright. 

Solas also said that I may have to sacrifice someone to win. I said that I was ready… But I am not. I refuse to let that happen. No one in my team will die. Call it childish, but I won’t be like him. I am already on the right track, given Davrin somehow got out not dead. No idea why, but Bellara says it probably has to do with Ghilan’nain being out of the fade and back in the real world. Something about the soul and stuff.

I don’t remember. I’m not smart like her.

Rook's Shopping List

A list written in a messy scrawl that drifts downward across the page.

Lucanis, please buy these for me. I have to go somewhere with Bellara. No time to get it myself. I left some money to pay for it.

Lipstick. Cherry red. (For me. Last pot was dropped into blighted water. Davrin said I should throw it away.)

Pistachios. Roasted and salted (for me to snack on)

Chocolate (also for me. I need it)

Honey (to make honey roasted almonds as we have way to many of them now)

Beans (for Emmrich. He can't just eat yams and fruit)

Several sacks of Flour (also for Emmrich. Needed for Seitan)

Jam, preferably cherry or apple (for Harding, wants me to try her ham and jam slams again with “proper jam”. Pray for me.)

Spicy Peppers (For Taash to add to their food)

A message between two companions about Rook

A series of messages written in Davrin and Neve’s handwriting.

Should we be worried about Rook? She keeps talking about Varric like he’s still around. - Davrin

What do you mean by “like he’s still around”? - Neve

I mean she’s saying stuff like “I am going to go talk to Varric” then she goes and talks at his stuff like he's actually there. But he's not. He’s dead. Doesn’t that bother you? - Davrin

I have seen people react to loss in similar ways in my work. They talk to the person they lost like there are there. To help them sort their thoughts. It’s a form of coping with grief. I am sure Emmrich would be able to explain it better than I can. - Neve

And watch him fuss over her like a mother hen at dinner? Not a chance. - Davrin

Letter from Rook to their love interest

Emmrich,

Amatus. That's all I want to call you. It's all I chant in my head (along with your name). I feel like a little girl gushing over a boy who shoved mud in her face (not that you ever would).

I can’t write poetry but I can tell you that I want to call you Amatus. Do you know what that means? It means beloved. That is what you are to me.

When we next meet in private. I want you to leave with my name chanting in your head too. Not Rook. But my real name. I think you will like my name. It’s a flower, and you like flowers. 

- The letter is signed with a lipstick mark.

A letter to Rook from a family member or close friend

A letter lost in the chaos of Elgar’nan’s attack on Minrathous. Stained with blood and blight, sealed with the wax seal of Legatus Charon Mercar

My Sweet Rabbit,

Never apologize. You did what you had to.

I will be waiting for you in Ventus. Do not die. You are not allowed to. Not until I see you again.

Love, 

Papa

A note/letter that Rook never sent

An unsent, unfinished letter. Crumpled up and left near the fireplace.

Dear Hawke,

I hope this letter finds you well. You do not know me, but I knew Varric, and you through him. I am Rook, and I traveled with him to stop Solas. I knew him for only six months, but I considered him a wonderful friend and a great mentor.

I send you this letter to tell you that 

I regret to inform you 

I am grieved to say 

Harding probably already told you that

He meant a lot to me

 I have his belongings still and 

The remainder of the letter carries on the same way until there is no more room to write.

[sourdough-seal]

everyone assuming that Ed's leather glove is some sort of babygirl asymmetrical fashion statement when actually Ed tattooed a spider on his hand to try to get over his fear of spiders but now he wears a glove because he's too afraid of the spider on his hand

[couch-house]

wanted to play with how blaze would fit into stc, so I finally got around to watching a longplay of sonic rush. i hated it. the writing made me so mad. so here's a couple fleetway blaze doodles and a LOT of "here's how i would fix this story" doodles

[angermango]

"Oh, I know very well. How the puzzles beckon so sweetly...

As expected of you, Layton.

Only an honest death will cure you now."

...

expanding on that Lady Maria vibe for Descole from the first Laytonborne post, and that famous boss intro.

Descole would make a hellish boss fight, i know it. i mean have you SEEN how he moved during Eternal Diva and with that big ass sword? now imagine that with Soulsborne-scale strength and possible other additional powers.

plus his theme could be pretty easily adapted into a Bloodborne boss style piece I think, just add more orchestra heavy brass and cellos and some ominous Latin chanting choir and presto. that organ goes so hard too.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

thinkin bout magneto's lil list of aliases from that One Shot of his government file or w/e in 97 and how it lists the three main men who've played him (David Hemblen, Ian McKellen, Michael Fassbender) and kinda cackling at the idea 1.) if they included All his names 2.) having 'michael' on that list twice

[kirumiri]

these are a month old but i had a dream that kazuki and rei were turned into rabbits somehow, and miri was the only one who could understand them

[callmegaith]

Down the Rabbit Hole pt.4

LOOP CONCLUDED

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

comic/David playlist

thank u everyone so much for joining me and David on this small trip. Hopefully there will be more to come in the future :D

And again, thank u for encouraging me and supporting me to create something so special about a character that I love so deeply 🥰

[frnkiebby]

29

more cardigan frank 😭😭 i love him sm~🎃

(the game)

[wildsaltair]

UNMATCHED

[quatregats]

Hornblower but I make him talk like this

[maladaptivedaydreamsx]

the lnds audios just shook me to my core... and i'm not even an asmr girlie (like really not) but damn. got a bitch out here barking FR 🐕

[hirazuki]

Okay, see, the thing about your story ending on a negative/dystopian/'despite everything that's happened nothing has changed in society' note and doing so successfully? It needs to have been set up for that in the first place, and it needs to be done in an intentional manner.

I have nothing against works that reinforce how cruel/meaningless/pointless/etc. the world is -- I enjoy a fair few! -- but the works themselves need to be some sort of commentary about it; the plot might be demonstrative of the futility of everything, but the story never should. It should take that and build on it and use it to make a statement, underscore a point, etc. to its readers. Having everything carry on business-as-usual without acknowledging it, especially in a genre that's generally meant to conclude on optimistic, uplifting, and hopeful notes, comes off as callous and in direct opposition with the values it extols.

Plus, the story itself should never be futile because, then, well, it never mattered as a work and it makes no difference if you've read it or not. Which... that's just a badly written story lmao.

[kimmkitsuragi]

most embarrassing thing abt my obsession with astarion has been that he sometimes gives me cute aggression.. why am i even confessing this

[rubberduckyrye]

I like using Occam's Razor when I theory-craft, because often the simplest answer is the best solution.

But man does it sometimes lead to the most BORING answer known to man.

[n9ph]

debated posting this to my other blog cause i am a little embarrassed to publically talk about how i have an insane intrest in anything beginners bible related due to mandela but at some point i will definitely make a larger post relating to intresting things i have found