#anyway my choice is green before being blinded and blue afterwards

[bestworstcase]

tired of ‘it doesn’t make sense for cass to trust zhan tiri’ takes 

cass is a cautious person with a good instinct for danger which yes means that for most of the show she is indeed the ignored voice of reason saying ‘hey this OBVIOUSLY SKETCHY situation is sketch’ YES

but

in the latter half of 2 she is mutilated by her friend, blamed for it, made to apologize for her own injury, denied any space to feel hurt or upset or angry about this, and literally told ‘you should know we never listen to you!’ when she gets mad about yet another instance of her saying ‘this seems sus’ only for them to literally walk out on her mid-sentence without even acknowledging that she’s speaking. 

cass tries again and again to communicate her feelings and every single time she’s brushed off or scolded or belittled by her friends. her friends have so little respect for her that by the time they hit the hoyt the aren’t even pretending anymore. this hurts her, terribly

then - ok listen. take off the ‘zhan tiri is a horrible evil monster’ goggles put aside your entrenched preconceived biases against this character for a minute. 

what is the first thing zhan tiri does when cassandra meets her?

cassandra hears a voice calling her name. following it leads her here, to a disembodied (disemwalled?) door in some sort of enchanted forest. this is one of those obviously sketchy situations that instantly puts cassandra on her guard: she draws her sword while getting her bearings. 

[sidebar: those light-and-dark green swirls on the forest floor look an awful lot like the clouds in the lost realm, don’t they?]

then: 

ZHAN TIRI: There you are, Cassandra!

[Cassandra looks around, sees Blue, and lowers her sword slightly in confusion. Blue approaches her.]

ZHAN TIRI: I’d nearly given up on you.

CASSANDRA: [shaken] Who- who are you?

ZHAN TIRI: A friend. Or, at least��I’d like to be.

cass at this point is baffled but still on her guard - she holds her sword in a low guard and she’s physically leaning away from the unsettling ghost child. 

more important here is zhan tiri’s opening gambit. ‘a friend, or at least i’d like to be.’ she’s dodging the question of what her name is, yes. but also the second part of that statement implies a correction of the first, an acknowledgement that they are not friends and becoming friends is contingent on whether cassandra accepts her overtures of friendship; there is, in saying ‘at least i’d like to be,’ an implication of acknowledgement of and respect for cassandra’s personal boundaries. this is not something cassandra has ever experienced before. contrast it with rapunzel’s aggressive, domineering pursuit of cassandra’s friendship in beginnings.

continuing: 

ZHAN TIRI: Come.

[She leads Cassandra away from the door, deeper into the enchanted forest. Though hesitant, Cassandra sheathes her sword and follows.]

CASSANDRA: Wherever you’re taking me had better have a blonde princess.

note how the blank confusion on cassandra’s face hardens into a glare the instant zhan tiri says something that could be construed as a command. cassandra has two years worth of experience in the minefield that is friendship with someone in a position of authority and power over her so of course she bristles at this. i think it is also not coincidental that she refers to rapunzel in response.

but there is also a second dynamic at work here. for two years cassandra’s whole life has been locked into orbit around the blinding sun of rapunzel, and even before then by nature of her existence in the palace as a young girl only a little older than the lost princess she would have spent her childhood in the shadow of a child who wasn’t even present. zhan tiri is the first person cassandra has ever met who is flat out indifferent to rapunzel’s existence. even in vardaros, where cass was better liked by the populace than rapunzel, the people still focused on rapunzel - they disliked her, and they cared enough to make sure she knew it. 

but zhan tiri does not give a single fuck about rapunzel. she ignores cassandra’s attempt to make rapunzel relevant to this conversation. she called out for cassandra. she has been waiting for cassandra. she has something she wants to show cassandra. she wants to be cassandra’s friend. rapunzel just...doesn’t matter to her, but cassandra does. and that is disarming, both in the figurative and literal sense. so cass puts her sword away and goes to see whatever it is that this strange child wants to share with her. 

[They reach the forest’s edge and enter the memory. Cassandra is startled, struck by the familiarity of this new setting.]

CASSANDRA: This place... feels familiar?

[Blue takes her by the hand and leads her into the cottage. She remains silent, allowing Cassandra to take it all in, until Baby Cass enters with her music box.]

ZHAN TIRI: Do you recognize that child?

[Her prompting makes it click for Cass that she’s watching herself as a child.]

again, set aside your knowledge that zhan tiri is an evil villain and your instinctive distrust of everything she says and just... take a look at this screenshot. what does it look like if you take what zhan tiri says in this sequence at face value? 

this is a horrible memory. zhan tiri knows precisely what it entails, because she is the one who dredged it out of cassandra’s mind and set it up for her to experience again. cassandra, however, has only just recognized her younger self and has no idea what’s coming. it’s going to hurt her so badly when she remembers everything—but this is an experience she needs to confront in order to heal from the damage it did to her. so much of her suffering can be traced back to this defining, forgotten moment of her childhood.

we the audience know that zhan tiri doesn’t care, doesn’t have any real interest in genuinely helping cassandra, isn’t revealing this memory to her out of the goodness of her heart - but all cassandra knows is that this is a strange ghost who expressed a desire to be friends and has brought her here to, apparently, show her a childhood memory she forgot. so erase your audience knowledge from your brain for a second and look at zhan tiri’s expression here.

she looks weary. sad, even. she looks like someone who truly values cassandra’s wellbeing, who knows that reliving this memory is going to hurt, who’s showing it to cassandra anyway because she thinks cassandra deserves to know and she understands that this is the root cause of cassandra’s pain and that in order to grow and heal it must be seen, it must be acknowledged, it must be examined.

and that is the impression of zhan tiri’s character that cassandra walks away from this experience with. someone who saw her, and saw her pain, and saw the deep festering forgotten wound of this memory buried under layers of repression and denial, and gently unpeeled those layers and brought that wound to light, because she knew cass couldn’t heal from it if she didn’t know it was there.

moving on: 

[Baby Cass approaches Gothel with the music box, only to be coldly brushed off.]

CASSANDRA: ...That’s my...

ZHAN TIRI: Mother, yes. It is.

[Skipping transcription of the remainder of the flashback; what matters is that Blue exists the scene at this point. She isn’t just standing quietly in the corner; she is fully gone, leaving Cassandra by herself to experience the rest of the memory.]

again - obviously zhan tiri knows what happens in this memory, but that isn’t the point. by staying just long enough to help cassandra put this memory into context and then leaving, she gives cassandra complete privacy to process what she is seeing and feel whatever emotional reactions she has to it and express those feelings openly, without any of the reservations she might have about having a breakdown in front of a ghost she met a few minutes ago.

again, contrast this to the way rapunzel treats cass. in under raps, when cassandra tells rapunzel that she’s dealing with ‘some stuff’ and asks rapunzel to wait until she’s ready to share, rapunzel’s response is to stalk her. in RATGT, cass tells rapunzel that she feels disrespected and unwanted and rapunzel brushes her off. in RDO, when cass is mad because rapunzel’s reckless choices resulted in cassandra’s hand being mutilated, rapunzel is furious and backs cassandra into a corner in an attempt to force her to share her feelings and then get over it so things can go back to normal.

how soothing, then, must zhan tiri’s quiet departure must be for cass? how comforting, how much of a relief must it be to have this new person recognize by herself that cassandra needs a moment alone and give that to her without cass even needing to ask?  

there is, i think, a direct line of causation between zhan tiri exiting this scene and cassandra crying for the first time in the entire series afterwards while zhan tiri comforts her. cass doesn’t cry, right? even when she thinks rapunzel is going to be trapped as a bird forever, she stops herself from crying. she doesn’t cry when her hand is burnt in the great tree, not even from physical pain. she doesn’t cry in RDO. 

but zhan tiri is the only person in the whole series who shows consideration for cassandra’s emotional boundaries, so when cassandra is upset after reliving this memory, she freely allows herself to cry, and she lets zhan tiri comfort her. 

because it’s safe. so much blame is heaped upon cass for not being more open with rapunzel, but the thing is - a) cassandra is a lot more open with rapunzel than most of the fandom gives her credit for, and b) rapunzel is not a safe person for cassandra to be emotionally open with because she tramples boundaries, doesn’t listen, routinely chooses to hear only what she wants to hear, and never acknowledges or apologizes for any of the hurt this causes cass. 

which segues us into this:

ZHAN TIRI: I’m sorry that happened to you, Cassandra. Sometimes the most painful truths are the most difficult to remember. You’ve always felt outshined by Rapunzel, haven’t you? And you always will, unless...

in this statement, zhan tiri: 

1 - expresses sympathy for the trauma cass suffered

2 - empathizes with the pain she feels right now

3 - connects the dots between her past trauma and present angst

4 - verbalizes her fear that this pattern will never change

and

5 - offers to help.

zhan tiri is, once again, the only character in the whole series who does these things. in s1, rapunzel does occasionally try to be emotionally supportive of cassandra - under raps and big brothers of corona are the big examples here - but the way she goes about it tends to do more harm than good. in UR she runs roughshod over cassandra’s clearly stated boundaries and continually escalates to the point of actual literal stalking; in BBoC she utterly disregards cassandra’s statements vis a vis how rapunzel can help in favor of doing a bunch of other things that rapunzel thinks cass should want, and in the process she actively interferes with cassandra’s rest and makes her recovery experience worse.

in contrast, zhan tiri gets it. she is absolutely correct in her perception of the situation: cassandra has been trapped in this pattern of inferiority to rapunzel her whole life. her mother abandoned her for rapunzel, and everyone in her life now is willing to sacrifice cassandra’s needs, her feelings, her physical health on the altar of Rapunzel’s Destiny, and that will never change if she continues on as she has been. and... if cass tried to simply leave, by herself, do you really, truly, honestly think rapunzel would let her go?

she feels trapped because she is trapped, and she’s desperate for a way out, and zhan tiri sees that, understands that, and most important of all, shows her a way out.

so like

when she walked through that door in the house of yesterday’s tomorrow cassandra was a heap of emotional pain and unfulfilled emotional needs—for respect, for compassion, for basic consideration of her boundaries, for someone to see how much she’s hurting, for space to feel things without being asked to sacrifice more of herself for somebody else, for someone to care about her and what she needs and thinks and feels and wants, for an escape from the toxic inescapable dumpster fire of her life—and in the space of maybe a couple hours zhan tiri answered every. single. one. 

cassandra entered this situation expecting trouble, and instead she got someone treating her with dignity and compassion for the first time ever sO OF COURSE CASSANDRA TRUSTS HER!!

it beggars belief that the show expects me to believe she never bothered to ask what her new friend’s name was between this point and OAH, and yes, if cass were in a healthier place or surrounded by less toxic people then i’m sure she’d be more inclined to be suspicious of the weird little ghost child who reached into her head and pulled out a suppressed memory. but nevertheless it does, in fact, make sense for cass to conclude after this experience that blue is trustworthy and really does care about her and is a better friend to her than rapunzel. 

tts was allergic to acknowledging the legitimacy of cassandra’s grievances in any way after s2 and refused to allow zhan tiri even a modicum of depth as a character so the vast majority of their relationship exists off-screen, which is, yes, deeply frustrating and does a huge disservice to both characters and to the overarching plot of the season. but “why would cass trust her?” is a question the series answers, on screen, in spades. 

[katymacsupernatural]

Camp Counselor

Misha x Reader 

2000 Words

Written For: @spnfluffbingo2019, @spnaubingo

Squares Filled: Summer Camp AU(Fluff), Art Teacher Misha(AU)

Warnings: NSFW, smut, at the end. age difference

The bench under your butt was hard and unyielding, but you didn’t notice. Your oatmeal was congealing on your spoon, your coffee growing cold. But none of that caught your attention. It was a certain blue-eyed older man that had you caught under a spell, and he had no idea.

“Earth to Y/N,” your bunk buddy Tricia exclaimed as she sat down next to you. “What’s got your attention?”

Shaking your head, you turned to face her, blushing slightly. “Nothing, just daydreaming.” 

She smiled knowingly. “Sure. It has nothing to do with the blue-eyed camp leader of ours. Nothing at all.”

You glanced around, checking to make sure no one heard her. “Tricia! What if he heard you?” 

Tricia took a bite of her oatmeal, wincing at the blandness. “Then maybe you and he can head back to that cabin of his and get this infatuation out of your mind. You’re going to college in a week Y/N! He’s going to be long gone by then.” 

“I know,” you sighed. “But he’s just so dreamy.” 

You gave up on your food. Taking your tray to the kitchen, you rinsed it off before deciding to head out for the day. It was the last day of camp. Tomorrow all the little kids under your care would be heading back to their parents, and you would be heading home to pack for your sophomore year at college.

“Morning Y/N,” Misha, the camp leader spoke up as you rounded the corner. The man you had been staring at for the past ten minutes. 

“M...morning,” you stuttered, turning bright red as he patted the bench beside them. He was handsome, in a rugged way. With his plump, cracked lips, and his strong chin. He was at least five years older than you, but you weren’t exactly sure how old he was. 

“Y/N, I wanted to talk with you,” he started once you sat down. “How did you think this summer went?” 

“I think it went well,” you mumbled, glancing at him quickly before glancing down again. 

“I think it did too,” he agreed. “Especially because you were here. Y/N, don’t think I didn’t notice how much you did for this camp. You were amazing.”

You blushed. “Thanks, but I just did my job.” 

He stood up, patting you on your back. “Y/N, you did much more than your job. And I hope that you felt comfortable coming to me for anything. Anything at all.” 

You looked into his blue eyes, wondering if you were just imagining things. Or maybe your camp leader was just as into you as you were into him. “Thanks, Misha.”

“No problem. And Y/N, come find me at the bonfire tonight.” With those words, he headed out to the door, ringing the bell to announce the start of the day. It was going to be a busy day. A hike, then packing before a bonfire with hot dogs and smores. The campers would head to bed, leaving the counselours with another hour or two to hang out before the bonfire would be extinguished, signaling the end of the camp. 

The day passed as quickly as you had imagined. You and Tricia led your age group of kids on a hike to the nearby waterfall, enjoying the cool water as you splashed around in the shallows. Afterward, you had helped the campers back up their belongings, making sure they didn’t forget any of their artwork or the socks that seemed to be scattered around everywhere.

As the sun started to settle, you could feel your nerves rise. The bonfire was being built as you spoke, and you were anxious about seeing Misha again.

“Y/N, once again, you seem lost in thought. Is it our blue-eyed leader again,” Tricia teased as she carried a tray full of hotdogs to the picnic tables. Your hands were full of graham crackers and marshmallows. 

“Tricia, if I tell you something, you can’t make a big deal out of it,” you whispered. “But Misha, he seemed to want to meet up during the bonfire tonight.”

She squealed, almost dropping her tray. “Y/N, I knew he had a thing for you! That’s why he always gave you jobs close to him.” 

You shook your head. “No, it’s because I’m one of the senior counselors,” you argued, but she just chuckled. 

The bonfire started, and all thoughts of Misha were pushed from your mind as you fed all the hungry campers. He was on the other side of the bonfire, joking with some of the counselors, looking over at you every now and then.

It was almost ten o’clock by the time you had all your campers back in the cabin and tucked into their beds. After making them promise to stay in bed, you headed back out, Tricia by your side. “Y/N, go get him,” Tricia teased before heading over to Taylor, the counselor she had been eyeing all summer. 

You saw Misha standing by himself, away from the rest of the group, almost completely swallowed by shadows. “Hey Misha,” you spoke awkwardly, your boots making no sound in the soft dirt.

“I was wondering when you would show back up,” he turned to face you, blocking your view of the bonfire. “I couldn’t help but wonder if I scared you off.” 

Your mouth suddenly dry, you shook your head. “No, just unruly campers.” 

“Good, good,” he answered, his eyes searching your face, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. “And did you enjoy the bonfire?” 

Instead of answering, you nodded. “Y/N, I…, I hope you had fun this summer.”

You nodded again, wondering if he was just as nervous as you were. “Good. And did you get everything done that you wanted to?” 

“Misha, I don’t know how to answer that.” 

He ran his finger down his mouth, taking in a deep breath. “Sorry, I’ve just..I’ve been trying to get up the nerve for days, and now that the camp is almost over, I keep kicking myself.” 

He took a step closer. “Misha…,”

“Y/N, before I take this any farther, how old are you?” 

“20,” you answered, butterflies swarming your stomach. “But Misha, what does that have to do with anything?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead closed the distance between you, his hand reaching out to cup the back of your neck, gently pressing his lips to yours. You hadn’t expected the move, and you stood there stiffly, your lips unmoving beneath his. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered when he pulled back. “I know I shouldn’t have done that, but I’ve wanted to for so long.” 

You were trying to find the words to say when someone called Misha’s name. He smiled apologetically before jogging back to the bonfire, leaving you in the dark, your mind swirling. Misha liked you, as much as you liked him, and you had a choice to make. You could pretend the kiss never happened. You were leaving in the morning anyway. Or you could give in to your desires, and make this camp one you would never forget. 

You found yourself moving towards Misha’s cabin, your legs making the decision for you. He was still talking to his friends, but you knew his cabin would probably be unlocked. Stepping inside, you found the light switch, turning the lights on. 

Misha’s cabin was much cleaner than you had expected. His suitcases were all packed, sitting on the dresser. His bed was made, everything put in its rightful place. 

You could feel the nerves starting to get the better of you, and you turned back to the door when it opened and Misha stepped inside. “Y/N. I was hoping you would be here.” 

“I wasn’t sure, but I..,” you stuttered, before Misha’s body was pressed against your own, his hands tangled in your hair as his lips moved against yours. Your hands slid down, grasping at the waistband of his jeans, pulling him closer. 

When your lungs felt like they would burst, Misha pulled away, both of your breathing heavily. “Clothes off,” he ordered, his shirt already flying over his head, showing off his toned upper body as he closed the blinds. “On the bed.” 

You were grateful that he had taken over, and you hurried to comply. You were dressed simply in your camp shirt and knit shorts, and they landed in a pile by the bed, leaving you in your sports bra and panties. Nervously, you pulled the bra over your head, but you were too unsure to slip out of your panties. 

“Everything,” he ordered, already down to his boxers, his erection outlined in the lime green fabric. Seeing the crazy boxer took away some of your anxiety, and you slipped out of your panties before climbing on the bed. 

While you decided whether you should sit or lay down, Misha had moved over, pushing against your shoulder until you laid down. “Beautiful. You are just stunning Y/N.” Misha exclaimed, making you blush. You had never really considered yourself beautiful, being what your grandmother loved to call plump. 

Misha ran his hand along your skin, bringing goosebumps to the surface. You watched as his callused fingers trailed against your hip bone before moving back up to brush against your lip. “I want to taste you. All of you.”

Gulping, you gripped the quilt as his head moved down, his dry lips rough against your breast. His free hand kneaded your other breast, tugging at your nipple until it pebbled. 

You squirmed against the quilt as Misha paid homage to your body, fulfilling his promise to taste every part of you. His lips slid across your skin, his thumbs circling your nipples as he settled in between your legs, his shaggy hair brushing against your inner thighs. He smiled up at you before he dipped his head, tasting your very corse.

When you couldn’t handle his attention anymore, you tugged at his hair, moving him up until his hips were pressed against yours. “Please Misha,” you begged, tugging at the waistband of his boxers. Grunting, he slipped them down, barely getting them down over his cheeks before he was settling back between your thighs. His thick head lined up against your entrance. Reaching out, he grasped your hand before he eased his hips forward, slowly sinking into your heat. 

Biting your bottom lip, your hips rose to meet his, moaning when he was fully sheathed inside you. His head was thrown back, his hip bones more prominent than before he began moving his hips slowly. Your instinct took over, your hips moving to meet his, your breaths coming short and fast. He was heavy and thick inside you, stretching your walls as he set up a rhythm. 

Grabbing your hips, he pulled you to the end of the bed, planting his feet on the floor, giving himself more leverage as his movements became faster, more erratic. His grip was bruising as his lips crushed against yours. All the sensations were too much, and you came with a cry into his mouth. 

As you slowly came down, Misha snapped his hips faster, before he came with a grunt, his hipbones pressed tight against you. 

Once both of you could finally breathe, Misha slipped into the bathroom, taking a washcloth and gently wiping you clean before pulling you under the comforters. “Why didn’t we do that sooner?” He asked, holding you tight against his bare chest, running his hand up and down your arm. 

“I wish we had,” you sighed. “I wish we had more time. But you’re going back to your Art Teaching job, and I’ve got college to think about.”

Misha pushed you down onto your back, smiling wickedly. “Well, at least we have all night.”

Misha/Cas Tags: @abtmnt  @a-girl-who-loves-disney @castiel-savvy18 @jeepangel @mysteriously-lost @pastapizzacheesedragon @randomstuff-idontwannatalkboutit @shadowhunter7 @sortaathief @tacklesackles @trixie537 @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @unabashedsoul97

Forever Tags: @aditimukul @alexwinchester23 @algud @amanda-teaches @andreaaalove   @artisticpoet @atc74 @be-amaziing @camelotandastronauts @caswinchester2000 @chelsea072498  @closetspngirl   @docharleythegeekqueen @emoryhemsworth @ericaprice2008  @esoltis280   @gh0stgurl @goldenolaf25 @growningupgeek  @heyitscam99 @hobby27 @horsegirly99 @internationalmusicteacher @iwriteaboutdean  @jayankles @jensen-gal @just-another-busyfangirl @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son @lifelovelaughangell123 @li-ssu @linki-locks11 @littleblue5mcdork  @lowlyapprentice   @maui137 @mogaruke @monkeymcpoopoo @musiclovinchic93  @nanie5   @percussiongirl2017 @plaid-lover-bay25   @roonyxx @ronja-uebrick @roxyspearing @samanthaharper2018 @samanddeanmyheroes @sandlee44 @shamelesslydean @simonsbluee @sillesworldofwriting @sgarrett49 @spnbaby-67 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @spnwoman   @superbadassnatural @thatcrazybookwormgeek   @thewinchesterchronicles @vvinch3st3r @wecantgiggleitsafandom @whimsicalrobots @winchester-writes @zombiewerewolfqueen

[ramblinganthropologist]

“Do you need a hand?” AVERY MEETING KAAS

Ok, so... have some really bad pep talks.

Morning. At least, he thought it wasmorning. With the heavy curtains drawn over the window, it wasdifficult to know what time of day it was. He was certain he heardbirds chirping, but that didn't really mean anything. It would havebeen sensible to look, but every fiber of his being kept him in bed,staring up at the ceiling.

His arm throbbed. It was doing thatless and less as the days wore on, but it still hurt. The healer whohad stood over him once he had stopped screaming warned him he mightfeel some phantom pain in what used to be his wrist. They had beenwiping off their bloody hands when they had informed him of this, asif they weren't the reason he was in so much pain.

No, that wasn't fair. Kaaras shookhis head weakly. Solas was the cause of this. The others, as much ashe hated them at the moment, had only tried to help him. Of course,when help is holding him down when someone sawed through his dyingarm, it's hard to see things clearly. He would eventually have toapologize for half the things he said, but that wasn't for today.

Sighing, the qunari closed his heavyeyelids. Sleep was getting more natural. He was weaning himself offthe potion they had given him for pain, and soon he might not need itat all. What he would do afterwards, he had no idea.

Off to the side, beyond the heavydoor that had been slammed shut a day prior, he heard footsteps. Oneof them was rather heavy, while the other practically skipped. Bothstopped before his door, and began to speak in low tones.

“How's he doing, Varric?”

“It's not good. He cursed hisbrother out yesterday. Healer says he should be up by now.”

The other voice snorted. “Healerssay a lot of things. Only ones I trust wear feathers. Just give mesome  time with him. I think I can help.”

There was a pause, and then the knobjiggled uselessly. “Just uh... can you pick the lock? All thumbs.”

Had he the strength, Kaaras wouldhave laughed. Instead, he just stared over to the door. Varric'stools were making short work of the lock, large fingers somewhatclumsy. That used to be his job, way back before any of this hadhappened.

The door swung open anyway, and afigure stepped inside. It took him a few moments, but he recognizedthe large pair of blue eyes glowing faintly in the half gloom. Hehadn't had much time with Varric's friend, but she was alright.

Avery Hawke crossed the room withouta sound, hopping onto the chair next to the bed like the little birdsthat hopped across Skyhold's garden. She gave him a toothy grin,crossing her legs in an altogether unladylike fashion. Of course,when one wears armor, that tends to be a little hard.

“So, can I give you a hand withanything?”

That might be a little difficult,considering she herself was also disarmed at the moment. This wasprobably the first time Kaaras had seen her without the prostheticthat connected to her right shoulder. Someone had folded up thesleeve so it didn't get in her way, someone with quicker fingers thanthe dwarf standing in the door frame.

Those blue eyes glanced over to hisleft side, and Avery let out a low whistle that was still pretty highcompared to most of Skyhold. “Damn, they did a number on you. Ithought you would at least get to keep the elbow.”

So had he. The qunari glanced over tohis arm, or what was left of it. Apparently, the green glow hadspread farther than his elbow. The thin scars that remained almosttouched his shoulder in places. If anything, he seemed to be lucky tohave kept what he did.

“Guess that's what happens whensomebody else deals with it.” She tapped her own shoulder. “I didthis myself.”

When he gave her a rather incredulouslook “Well... Anders finished it off. Apparently, a bloody sword isa really poor choice of bone saw. Who knew?”

That time, Kaaras did chuckle. It wasa rough sound, probably because he hadn't really spoken much. He satup a little straighter, wincing as he felt nothing but air when hetried to use his left arm to prop himself up. It was kind offrustrating, being without his dominant arm.

“I'm never going to get used tothat.”

The small warrior at his side shookher head. “You mostly will. Sometimes you'll forget and fall flaton your face. I've done it twice, and nobody's let me live it down.Hopefully, you do it less than me. There's a lot more air betweenyour face and the ground.”

That there was.

Kaaras made sure to use his right armon his next attempt to sit up. He dwarfed Avery when he did, and hisneck throbbed from the awkward positioning. In response, she stoodand sat on the back of her chair, never even rocking it once.

“Anyway, Varric wanted me to talkto you to make you feel better. I don't know what I could do, I'm notexactly known for my bedside manner.” She shrugged. “So, getbetter and get your ass back in the field. I bet that big qunari guya sovereign that you could beat your brother in hand to hand.”

He had to snort at that. “Really,hand to hand?”

“What, your brother's a mage. Ifyou can't beat him in good old fashioned ass kicking, we have biggerproblems.”

Somewhere, he was pretty sure Akriwas sneezing. It would be easy to spot, since a building might move alittle bit.

Kaaras shook his head in response.“You'd be surprised what he can do with that mace.”

“Yeah, but mages are squishy, evenif they are 7 feet tall with horns.” She grinned. “It's like alaw of the universe. Qunari are big, the chantry sucks ass, and magesare squishy.”

No doubt the newly Divine would havea problem with some of those proclamations, but he couldn't see muchwrong with them. Others might, particularly those in the 'squishy'category, but they weren't in the room so they had no vote at themoment.

At least, that was what he would tellthem later. Much later.

One thing did cross his mind as hestared over at his impromptu pep party. He looked down at his own armfor a brief moment, and then back to hers. Their eyes met in themiddle, and she cocked her eyebrow in response.

“What, got a question?”

Kaaras felt his face heat up alittle. “No, I was just wondering about your prosthetic. I've neverseen one work like that.”

Indeed, it had been something of amarvel when they had fought together in the Fade. Most fake limbs hehad seen were somewhat clumsy, but hers moved as if it was actuallyattached to her. Since she currently was a little underhanded at themoment, that wasn't the case. Magic came to mind.

Not surprisingly, she grinned. “Ah,I was wondering when you'd ask. My friends made it for me after mylittle chat with the Arishok. It's enchanted, or so they told me. Idon't understand much besides the little bit of lyrium helps it moveand the rest I do with this.”

At this, she pointed at her ear. Asmall earring sat there, a dull purple at the moment. “This doessome weird magic shit as far as I know. Makes it move. If you wantone, talk to Varric about it. He's the one who set me up. Bit of awarning though, it wears you out like nothing else. I'd advise it forass kicking only.”

Well, maybe he would have to talk tothe dwarf about that once he felt a little more up to it. His armwould probably have to heal up completely first. Since it still hadsome bandages on, the qunari figured he wasn't quite there. Still, itwas better than when he had been brought in. He didn't remember much,but there was the memory of his entire arm pulsing a sickly green.What had happened to it after it was removed, he didn't know andfrankly didn't care to find out.

The further away it was from him thebetter.

“I'll ask Varric later onceeverything's healed up.” Kaaras paused, looking to the side as hedid. “It might come in handy.”

What could he say? He was a suckerfor dumb puns.

Outside the room, he heard a groan.Apparently, they were being watched. Still, it didn't matter. Hechuckled at his own bad joke, and his guest joined him in it. It feltgood to laugh, though it still scraped a little bit. He'd have towork on that.

Avery flashed him another grin as shestood at last, barely coming up to his shoulder when seated. “Anyway,I have to go. Keep this between you and me, but I kind of didn't tellanyone in Starkhaven I was leaving. We've been kind of busy since,you know... the defenestration and accidental takeover. If you needto talk or whatever, send me a bird. I have plenty of bad puns foramputation. Though I gotta say, it seems like you have that undercontrol.”

With a small bow that was not in theleast bit sincere, the small woman left, closing the door behind her.Kaaras was left in the quiet room, listening to her footsteps.Varric's heavier boots followed behind her at a steady pace, but hecould still listen.

“Thanks, Hawke.”

“Hey, you got me out of Starkhavenfor a couple days; we're even.” There was a pause. “I think thebig guy's gonna be ok. He's tough.”

Tough; well, he would have to takeher word for it. Right then, Kaaras really didn't feel much ofanything but bored. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch, right inthat spot between his shoulder blades where his horns kept him fromreaching.

It had been a while since his feethad touched the ground, and they felt rather heavy when he did.Still, once he started, walking wasn't a problem. He still reachedfor the heavy drape with his left hand, though, and frowned when allhe saw was air.

“That's going to get annoying.”

Shaking his head, Kaaras finallyopened the window to peer out. The sunlight nearly blinded him;apparently, it was the middle of the afternoon. Blinking hard, he satback down in bed. What he was going to do next, he had no idea.

But, it sounded like he had sometraining to do. After all, he was never one to help Iron Bull win abet. Just, probably not that day. He had other things to relearn,such as the lost art of shirt buttons. Those kind of came first.

Training was a high third, though.