#teagan; disappointment free

[letsbenditlikebennett]

[pm] I like you, too, Teagan. And I won't say the T word, but I appreciate it. And damn, this is a new life goal I never expected. Being liked by a lake is way cooler than being liked by a person. I'd say no offense, but I feel like you get it.

I'm sure I can make up some reason for a sign to go up. Can't promise people will listen to it. People like to ignore the signs a lot.

Well, it'd be an honor to see it one day. I imagine it's kinda when you feel most at one with the water too?

[...]

I don't usually tell people this, but I feel like you should know since you're offering to show me the lake you're dedicated to protecting and I get the impression that's not something you share with just anyone. I understand if this changes your mind about letting me visit the lake, considering everything. But the rest of my family doesn't accept me because they're rangers and think I should be dead. I get if that changes things. [...] But either way, it has been really nice talking to you and I hope that no matter what you make of that information, the world shows you and your lake more kindness than it has in the past.

[pm] Ah, I like you more and more. The lake will probably take a liking to you too. She's rather sweet.

Really? Can we keep people away from the lake? That would be most helpful.

My true form is beautiful. I feel most like myself when I let my glamour off. How come she's the only one who accepts? Looks like you'll be able to have the hair of the dog soon then. Perhaps I'll buy you a drink to celebrate.

[snuggerudism]

not home anymore

teagan x jimmy

the words on her phone stare back at her, as if they are taunting her.

we’d love it if you'd come to colorado and visit. we miss you, and want to meet your daughter.

sure, she still talked to her cousins and aunt on her moms side. unlike her own mother, they didn’t not shut her out after finding out she was pregnant. they sent gifts to her from her baby registry, and she was extremely grateful for that.

but going back to colorado was different. her parents were there, a mere three miles from where her aunt lived. it would bring back the memories of a life she left behind nearly two years ago. the one she was just starting to heal from.

she wasn’t sure if she could handle going back, but her cousin asked her again.

so she packed her suitcase, along with one for her daughter. jimmy was tagging along on the mini trip as well, insisting on doing so.

“i want to be there for you teegs,” he had put his hand on her cheek, making her look at him. “plus, a vacation with my two favorite girls is something i really want.”

when he says that, she can’t bring herself to say no. not with the way he’s looking at her, so much love and adoration in his eyes for the girl he loves.

they touch down in colorado, and teagan is anxious. being back here wasn’t ideal, but she didn’t want to let her parents control her and live in fear for the rest of her life.

even if she knows the area the best, jimmy insists on driving and having her tell him how to get there.

his hand is resting on her thigh the entire ride on their way to the hotel, tapping his fingers against it.

“i’m here for you, you know that right?” his voice is so gentle, and it makes her heart melt.

“i-“ her voice cracks. she looks back at her daughter who’s fast asleep, the jet lag making her extremely tired. “i knew being back here, even for a couple of days, was going to be tough. but, i didn’t expect it to be this difficult.” teagan's voice falters, thick with sadness.

his hand leaves her thigh, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

she’s so grateful for him.

not wanting to talk about this anymore, she changes the subject. “we should go to the grocery store to get food for the next few days. hallie’s going to need snacks. there’s a place about a mile away. just continue going straight, i’ll tell you when to turn.” she plays with his fingers on his free hand.

the buildings she looks at as they pass by are so familiar, and it brings her back to her life before hallie, and before jimmy.

she takes hallie out of her car seat, placing her in the shopping cart. the scowl on her face from being rudely woken up by jimmy is replaced with a toothy smile. for the one year old, the shopping cart rides were second to none.

“oh yes hallie bug! look at how cute you are!�� jimmy coos, the smile on his face reaching his eyes. “we’re going to go get you some blueberries and peaches, yes we are!”

at the mention of her two favorite fruits, she claps her hands together in excitement. tiny legs kick against the cart, letting out a mix of incoherent and coherent baby babbles.

the smile on teagan’s face is pure joy. all of the feelings she had held previously wash away at the excitement of her daughter.

nothing has changed about this place. she used to work here, knowing the owners fairly well.

hallie is up to her usual grocery store shenanigans, waving at every single person who passes by and giggling when they wave back.

it all happens very fast. she makes eye contact with someone in the middle of the aisle, does a double take, and then freezes in fear.

no. this is the exact reason why she didn’t want to come here in the first place. that reason was standing right in front of her, a look of pure disappointment and disgust on her parent’s faces.

their eyes trail down to her daughter, and then back up at her. she wants to scream at them, tell them they don’t get to look at her daughter. but the words get lodged in her throat, and she stands there in a daze.

“teegs? teagan?” jimmy snaps her out of her daze, a look of confusion and concern written on his face. “babe, what’s wrong?” he cup’s her cheek.

“we need to go,” it’s a whisper, and she’s incredibly shaken. “i can’t be here anymore.”

he’s still confused, but he listens to his girlfriend and they checkout. she won’t stop looking behind her, scared her parents might follow her.

it’s not until she’s in the car that she lets out a gasp.

“please talk to me teegs.” jimmy gets in the driver's seat after strapping hallie into her car seat.

“my parents.” she lets out a sob she didn’t know she was holding in.

his face softens, sadness filling him. “oh babe.” he pulls her in, holding her so tight.

“they were looking at hallie with such disgust. she doesn’t deserve that.” another sob escapes her, and her boyfriend rubs her back.

she forgets her one year old daughter can see her cry, until she calls out for her. “mama?” her eyes widen, and she moves to the backseat to see her daughter. “no sad.” her daughter wipes her tears away, and looks at her with a pout.

“no, i’m okay bug, i promise,” she lies, letting out a wavering smile. jimmy joints them and sits with them in the back, wrapping his arm around teagan and squeezing her tight. “i love you hallie bug.” she smiles.

“wuv mama.” she babbles, clapping her hands together.

“i love you too hallie,” he squeezes his daughters hand gently, and presses a kiss to his girlfriend's cheek. “i love you so much teegs.”

“i love you jimmy.” she smiles.

and in that moment, she realizes that yeah, colorado may not be her home anymore. but she’s never felt more at home than she does in this moment, because the two people sitting next to her are home to her.

[greatwargospel]

My thoughts on the commonwealth BOS

I think the brotherhood of steel is really interesting and is kind of ignored in a lot of ways past the gung-ho militancy, so im posting abou it :). inspired by recently doing blind betrayal and my sister having an oc of a brotherhood member who gets maxson court martialed by the other elders. A lot of this is my interpretation and what ive read on the wiki. Essentially, the brotherhood as it stands in the commonwealth is bad, not only by normal means but by brotherhood means in some regards.

Outsider Recruits & The Codex

The codex, much to my disappointment, is not completely written out rulebook for the player to read in any of the fallout games, so we must take what is given to us. There are two or so different instances where the codex is quoted to reaffirm the isolationist polices of the brotherhood, in both FNV and FO3.

"We do not help them, or let them in. We keep knowledge they must never have" - Elder McNamara (FNV)

Despite it being ruled that outsiders are only allowed to join under very specfic circumstances, the Maxson allows for multiple unimpressive wastelanders to join the faction, following the precedent set forth by Elder Lyons in DC (Despite their iteration looking down on Lyons' leadership as a whole). The reason Lyons had to recruit wastelanders was due to Lyons not recieving as much support from Lost Hills council and other western chapters.

The Chain That Binds

I am really surprised that no one brings up the chain that binds in discussion about the commonwealth brotherhood, especially in reference to blind betrayal.

"Orders are to observe the flow and not skip ranks. A superior may only give orders to his direct subordinates, and not to those beneath them..." - Hidden Valley Terminal Entries (FNV)

As a knight, you are sent to answer to Maxson about Paladin Danse's synthhood, after convincing him you were none the wiser, Maxson gives you a direct order as elder to execute danse. This order skips roughly 12 different ranks that couldve given the order. The issue is that danse is your sponsor and direct commanding officer. The immediate and emergency gap in chain of command causes an issue but i do feel like there were either senior/head knights or paladins that you could be placed in their charge to give you the execution order.

[EDIT: Danse only gives you one mission during the entire BOS questline. Maxson mightve broken the chain the moment he asks you to Fort Strong. The other quests given by the Proctors and Lancer-Captain Kells are more iffy due to them not being your commanding officer but being roughly above rank but in different fields]

Requisitions

Upon meeting Proctor Teagan for the first time in the Prydwen he informs you that you will have to purchase your own...everything from him, rather than it being assigned to you like a regular military. This in itself is not a big issue like breaking a codex rule but more on the difference the commonwealth order between western branches as members traditionally do not have to pay for the services within the brotherhood unless you are an outsider recruit.

"I'm sorry, but you are an outsider. After you're in the Brotherhood for ten years or so I'll be able to do the operation for free." - Dr. Lorri (Fallout)

This can be bypassed once again by extenuating circumstances and the outsider member being a higher ranking member, but due to the BOS allowing more outsiders to join up.

So What?

I am a fan of fallout and the writing and worldbuilding of the brotherhood, so i want to take ceratain aspects and not change them but enhance them, allow maxsons chapter to be fucked. There are certain things that the BOS participates in like harrasing/threatening settlements into giving over crops and looking down upon Lyons attempts at altruism that could be really interestingly handeled, thats just kind swept under the rug. This is just a list of like codex and brotherhood rules that the commonwealth chapter doesnt really abideby though.

[williamsmaddie]

[ greta onieogou, female, she/her ] — whoa! MADDISON “MADDIE” WILLIAMS just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for TWO YEARS, working as a FASHION MAGAZINE ASSISTANT. that can’t be easy, especially at only 30 YEARS OLD. some people say they can be a little bit STUBBORN and DEFENSIVE , but i know them to be COMPASSIONATE and GENEROUS. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to BROOKLYN!

B A S I C   I N F O R M A T I O N

full name: maddison avery williams.

nickname(s): maddie

age: thirty (30)

date of birth: june 21st, 1994

hometown: san diego, california

current location: brooklyn, new york

ethnicity: half black, half white

nationality: american

gender: cis female

pronouns: she/her

religion: not religious

political affiliation: left wing

occupation: fashion magazine assistant

living arrangements: living with teagan wilds

language(s) spoken: english and spanish

F A M I L Y

parents: clayton williams, 68, psychologist and professor at ucsd. victoria avery-williams, 66, divorce lawyer.

siblings: ethan williams, 40, married. amber williams, 35, engaged.

P H Y S I C A L    A P P E A R A N C E

face claim: greta onieogou

hair color: black

eye color: brown

height: 5'8

tattoos: a dolphin on her right shin, carpe diem written on her ribs, under her left boob and a rose with thorns on the back of her right arm - all done in australia

piercings: three in left ear and two in right ear

clothing style: there's no such thing as overdressed and a minimal closet

usual expression: always with a smile on her lips

distinguishing characteristics: smile, soft brown eyes

H E A L T H

physical ailments: none

neurological conditions: none

allergies: nuts

sleeping habits: if she's stressed, she either sleeps for 5 hours or wakes up every hour

eating habits: there's more take-outs than she'd like to admit

exercise habits: reformer pilates twice a week and strength training with a PT another 2 days

emotional stability: a solid 7 unless it's fashion week, then it's down to a 2

sociability: due to her kind and bubbly personality, she is very sociable but has a hard time having tight relationships

body temperature: cold feet at all times

addictions: online shopping and tiktok (she blames her content creation side hustle for the endless hours she spends on the app)

drug use: never

alcohol use: she loves her end of the day red wine glass

P E R S O N A L I T Y

positive traits: compassionate, generous, empathetic

negative traits: stubborn, defensive,

fears: failing at her job and disappointing her family

F A V O U R I T E S

weather: blue sky, sunshine and a breeze, the perfect spring weather

colour: purple

music: pop and indie

movies: devil wears prada

sport: american football

beverage: mojito

food: taco tuesdays

animal: dolphins

H E A D C A N O N S

maddie is the youngest of three, born and raised in san diego. daughter of a psychologist with a phd and a divorce lawyer, emotions were always talked through. however maddie never truly thought hers were as valid as the rest of her family's.

with a 10 year gap between her and her older brother, ethan, maddie always looked up to him. he was always the golden son, straight a student and quarterback that got him a scholarship to ucla. after that, there was med school, a surgical residency and a family of four.

she worked really hard throughout her teenage years to get in her dream school and follow her brother's footsteps. in high school she was the cheer captain and the president of the fashion club that she founded herself. while academically she didn't have the same aspirations as her brother, as the youngest she was also allowed to dream out of the box.

fashion and arts had always been something maddie loved from a young age. it was normal to find her painting or sweing outfits for herself, sometimes for her sister.

amber and maddie never saw eye to eye and would spend days fighting. amber was always a free spirit in the family and very opinionated. maddie would often dime her light to let her sister shine.

by the time she graduated high school, maddie had gone through a bad break up that changed a lot of the way she thought. she ended up deferring from her first year in ucla and against all odds, she went backpacking across the globe.

from southest asia to australia where she stayed for longer than she anticipated and lived to the fullest, away from all the expectations of home. her last stop was south africa for a month before heading to south america where she volunteered teaching english at schools and learned spanish fluently.

by the time she returned to the us, she had found her own person and went to college to study fashion. it was during this time that she got closer to her sister and after she graduated, they both moved in together in a little apartment in santa monica.

the fashion job market was really hard to get in and maddie started working in social media, styling small influencers for exposure and doing content creation on the side herself. it didn't work out the way she thought it would and she ended up working for a social media agency for 2 years.

she was almost giving up when the dream opportunity found her and she moved to new york city to be an assistant at a fashion magazine known world wide.

living in the city for the last 2 years with a roommate that has become like a sister, teagan wilds, less than a hour away from her brother and her twin nieces, maddie can't complain about her life right now. she's waiting on a promotion to become a stylist at the magazine but she wants to keep herself grounded in case it doesn't happen as soon as she's expecting it.

[void-botanist]

Incorrect Quote Tag

I couldn't resist @sam-glade's open tag!

Rules: use this generator to make some incorrect quotes with your characters.

I'll tag @vacantgodling, @kingkendrick7, @outpost51, @sarahlizziewrites, @autumnalwalker, and @kahvilahuhut plus an open tag (sorry not sorry I live for meme posts).

Declan: Cady is the bravest person I know. He can go into the Spirit Halloween without crying.

Cady: Valentine’s day is just a consumerist holiday that holds no real value other than driving people wild buying heart shaped chocolates for their significant others and pos- Declan: I wrote you a poem. Cady, already crying: You did?

Isabel: Are you alright with constructive criticism? I don't want to sound mean. Spinder: No, go ahead. I want to hear it. Isabel: It sucks. Spinder: That's not constructive criticism.

Rodney: I have a problem. Isabel: If it's harder than 2+2, I can't help.

Rodney, texting Isabel: Text me when you’re home safely. Isabel: I’m home dangerously. Rodney: Stop it. Isabel: I’m home lethally.

Tristan: Gil, can you help me? All of my clothes keep disappearing for some reason. Gil, wearing a hoodie that's 5 times bigger than her size: Spooky.

Cady: Why's it called an oven when you of in the cold food and you of out hot eat the food? Teagan: …What???

Michael: Let's just agree to both say we're sorry on the count of three. Michael: One… two… three. Spinder: … Michael: … Michael: See, now I'm just disappointed in both of us.

Michael, taping a knife onto a Roomba: Be free, my child. Spinder, entering the room with a small cut on his ankle: Who the f-

[gaemkyuu]

The Present

Warnings: Mentions of sexual assault/rape, but not overtly descriptive.  A/N: As much as I like writing fluffy pieces or glimpses in time, I really wanted this series to have some sort of progression. A lot of the feelings and emotions that are in this piece was taken from personal experience or the experience of someone close to me. In no way do I claim that all experiences are similar to the one disclosed in this piece of fictional writing. Disclaimer: This is a FICITONAL writing piece on Charlie Gillespie. In no way do I claim or declare that Charlie’s portrayal is accurate to real life. I do however, own Teagan Valencia :)

Masterlist  *now taking requests ;)

The Teagan Valencia Series: The Meeting  / The Fight / The Proposal / The Present / The Recovery / The Future

***Please note that sensitive topics are addressed in the writing and may cause discomfort or trigger readers. If subjects such as non-consensual sexual engagement, rape or sexual assault cause discomfort, please refrain from reading the story.

The Present

“Cut! That’s a wrap on this scene, great job everyone! Let’s break for lunch” Kenny announced to the crew. He smiled at Teagan releasing a big sigh. As awesome as this all was, it could still be tiring!

“You’re doing a great job Kenny. Seriously, I can’t wait for the second season” Teagan gave Kenny a hug from behind his chair.

“I should be giving you a giant hug Teagan!” Kenny stood up from his directing chair, moving his way to Tegan. “Congratulations on your engagement!” He gave her a big bear hug. “Now let me see the ring!” Teagan showed her his hand and he inspected the ring gleefully. Although they had gotten engaged two weeks ago, this was their first week filming and the first time Kenny saw her since the night of the party.

“I told you I had good taste Kenny” Charlie came over and wrapped his arms around my waist, perching his chin on my shoulders.

“Honey, you didn’t pick out the ring, you just picked it up” Teagan joked as Kenny released her hand. Turning to give Charlie a quick playful peck on the lips, Teagan saw the playful smirk kneeing he had a clever come back.

“I’m not talking about the ring, I’m talking about the person” he smirked kissing her back playfully. “Are you joining us for lunch?” His eyes hopeful.

“Well since you can’t leave the set for a birthday lunch, I guess so” she dramatically sighed acting like she was disappointed.

“Hey! I’m taking you out for dinner! Remember? Birthday dinner?” Teagan’s dramatic façade broke and Charlie realized he fell for it. “Sometimes I wonder why you're not the one in front of the camera”.

Charlie kissed her on the cheek and led her to lunch with the rest of the cast. As usual Maddy already had the designated brownie plate that both of them shared from and Savannah was able to join them as she finished in hair and make up. Everyone had a fun time chatting and hanging out at lunch but they had to continue filming. Charlie, Owen and Jeremy had to go get touched up and a new wardrobe on, but he left Teagan in the company of Booboo and Savannah, as Maddy went to go take a nap. 

“Hey Savannah, we are going to need you and Maddi on set soon” the three of them jumped at the sudden interruption from the new Production Assistant. His eyes piercing and intense staring at Teagan. “I’m James the new Production Assistant and you are?”

“I’m Charlie’s fiancé, I’m just visiting him on set today.” Teagan smiled back politely despite feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. She came to understand that this was the new PA that kept coming up in their group chat. It was no secret that a majority of the cast who had interacted with him felt slightly uneasy. Owen had been changing in the wardrobe trailer when he “popped out of nowhere and scared the living shit” out of Owen. Jeremy had been sneaking onto the set to take a nap in Julie’s infamous bed when he found James lurking around in the dim lighting. There were a few other stories that Teagan remembered, but she waved it off as James being misunderstood as he was new to the cast.

“Oh yeah! Sure! I’ll go get Maddi” Savannah stood up quickly getting ready to film.  

“Well ladies, it was a fun lunch, but I’m done on set and need to head over to a photo shoot” Booboo smiled collecting their lunch mess and glancing at his watch. “Which starts in an hour, shit. I better get going. Happy Birthday again Teagan, I wish I could be there tonight!”

“Don’t worry about it Booboo, let’s take a raincheck” Booboo gave her a big hug and waved them goodbye. “Hey I’ll come with you since I’m going to hang out in Charlie’s trailer” she stopped Savannah getting out of her chair too. “As much as I love watching him act, I know he has the Switch in his trailer and I want to play Mario Kart”

Savannah giggled at her friend and the two of them noticed James still standing there. “I’ll go grab Maddi if you want to let Kenny know we are on our way” Savannah smiled at the PA, who simply gave a curt nod, never taking his eyes off of Teagan. The two girls waited until he was no longer in their line of sight before moving towards the trailers. “Between you and me, I heard he’s being let go at the end of the week”

“What? Why?” Savannah looked incredulously at Teagan, shocked at her response. “Okay, I know he’s kinda weird and freaking people out, but what if it’s because he’s new?“

“He was hired last minute because of some pregnancy complications our actual PA Sarah had. She was cleared by the doctor to come and work yesterday, but she won’t be able to be here until the end of the week. We told Kenny we would much rather have her here and not James” Savannah shuddered as she said his name. Teagan didn’t know that he made everyone feel this uncomfortable.

“Who hired him?” She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt because someone had thought he was a good fit. There must have been some sort of misunderstanding!“

“Netflix kinda threw him in since it was so last minute! He’s from Vancouver, so it made things easier” Savannah shrugged stopping in front of Charlie’s trailer. “Now go relax birthday queen, we’ll come get you in a few hours when we’ve wrapped and we can get ready at my apartment!”. 

Teagan smiled and hugged her friend, entering the trailer shortly after. She was greeted with the familiar scent of pine and cologne, just like Charlie. His trailer was neat, save for the sweater or shirt tossed here or there, and his acoustic guitar propped up against the couch. She opened his fridge pleased to find it stocked with water bottles, knowing well that Charlie mostly drank from his blue hydro flask to reduce the amount of plastic in the environment. After grabbing a bottle, she headed to the couch of the trailer where she plopped down and grabbed his Nintendo switch. She played a couple rounds of Mario Kart, drinking water when she felt a sudden sleepiness descend her. Putting the switch away, she took off her shoes and clothes opting to wear Charlie’s orange hoodie and black sweats for her nap. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had about two hours before they would start wrapping up for the day and thought a little cat nap wouldn’t do any harm. Plus, Savannah knew where she would be in case she didn’t pick up her phone. With that Teagan drifted off to sleep on the couch.

Teagan didn’t expect to wake up on the floor of the trailer with both arms restrained to the leg of the desk. Confused for a moment, she found herself restrained like a hostage in a movie, her hands tied with heavy and thick rope and a cloth restraining her mouth. Looking around, she recognized she was still in Charlie’s trailer and thought this was a cruel joke that her friends were playing on her. To her horror, she realized it wasn’t a prank when she saw James shutting the blinds and locking the trailer. She took a deep breath to scream, but quickly stopped when James noticed that she was awake, unsheathing his pocket knife.

“You're so pretty” he whispered, drawing close so that he was inches away from her face. She watched tensely as his eyes scanned her face with this crazy look in his eyes. “If you scream I will hurt you” he whispered as he untied the cloth muffling her mouth. Teagan was too afraid to say anything as James started to laugh. “You did it James, you got a pretty one” he smacked his head twice dropping the knife by Teagan’s foot. As he paced the trailer muttering to himself, she tried to inch the knife slowly to her with her foot, but this caught her captor’s attention. “Oh no you don’t!” he lunged for the knife as Teagan tried to kick him away, her leg getting nicked in the scuffle.

“Help!” she cried, but was quickly muffled by one hand on her mouth, the other holding the knife pressed up against her throat.

“I told you not to scream!” he yelled at her. Teagan began to cry in fear as she realized the man was mentally unstable and out of control. “Now I don’t trust you!” he gagged her with the cloth that was previously muffling her pulling at her hair in the process. Teagan tensed as he pressed the knife back to her throat. “I’m serious. I will cut you if you scream” he threatened holding her jaw with his free hand, forcing her to look at him. As more tears began to fall from her eyes, he cooed and shushed her hoping that she would stop. “Stop being sad. You aren’t pretty when you’re sad. I can make you happy. Let’s do that!” she trembled as his face lit up as though he had come up with a brilliant idea. He suddenly stood up and smacked his head again, muttering to himself incoherently. Teagan had no idea what to do. If she made a ruckus someone might be able to hear her, but the man in front of her might act on his words. She winced as he bumped the leg that he nicked.

“Did I hurt you? Oh no... Dammit you’ve damaged the merchandise James... You made her ugly! No. no. I can fix it. I can fix it” Teagan watched as he cursed at himself, dropping down to her side, yanking off Charlie’s sweats. The cut wasn’t deep by any means, but it was there and about two inches in length. However, it left Teagan pant less on the floor of the trailer with James staring at her half naked form, hands shaking as he drew nearer to her. Teagan knew what was to come as she struggled against her restraints and he pinned her legs down, approaching parts of her body she only let Charlie touch or see. Tears started to flow freely from her eyes as she protested through her gag, shaking her head no and trying to yell for help. James didn’t care anymore that Teagan had become vocal again, as he was too focused on indulging his own fantasies. Teagan cried out desperately and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for this whole thing to go away. A banging on the door interrupted both of their thoughts as they froze. James terrified that he had been caught and Teagan hopeful that someone had come to end this. 

“Teags! It’s Owen, open up! You alright in there?” 

Teagan realized this was her only chance to end this and she screamed the loudest Help she could despite being gagged. She was sure Owen wouldn’t be able to make out what she was saying, but the fact that it was a scream would have alerted him to something important. The banging on the door became steady and stronger as if he was trying to break the door down. They could hear him screaming for help and speaking to someone over the phone. Quickly a commotion began to gather outside the trailer and James paled.

“This is all your fault! You stupid bitch! I told you to be quiet” he slapped her hard across the face, a burning sensation residing in her cheek. “You were supposed to be quiet!” he slapped her again on the opposite cheek, but this caused the back of her head to hit the leg of the desk that restrained her hands. A ringing in Teagan’s ears overcame all of her senses and she couldn’t focus on anything else. She felt him roughly cut her restraints and drag her to a standing position, but she couldn’t stand. She felt dizzy and nauseous at the sudden motion as the ringing in her ears started to subside. James held the knife against her throat, his back to the wall waiting for people to break into the trailer.

With a final bang, security was able to bust the door open, two of them filing into the tiny trailer, Owen standing behind them. There was Teagan, a knife being held to her throat, a swollen cheek, her underwear discarded on the floor and the orange hoodie preserving whatever parts of her body that it could. She felt the knife press into her neck as James and the security officers yelled back and forth at one another. She could feel a sharp stinging sensation and warm liquid languidly make its way down her neck. The yelling intensified and so did the pain. Teagan could barely hear Owen’s attempts to comfort her and assure her over the noise. She couldn’t understand what was happening, but James’ body tensed and convulsed, pushing the knife slightly deeper into her for a moment and then collapsing to the floor. In a rush of motion and bodies, the two security officers rushed to James’ shocked body on the floor and Owen rushed to Teagan, quickly untying the pink hoodie that was a part of his costume to help cover her up.

“Teagan! Teagan look at me, are you alright?” Owen’s voice snapped her back to reality as his soft anxious blue eyes searched hers.

“...Owen?” his name came out as a tremble followed by a fresh stream of tears as she lunged into his chest. He caught her and held on to her just as tight as she held onto him. Owen’s heart broke as she held onto him for dear life. He picked her up, never letting her go and moving her out of the trailer as the security guards handled the rest. As Owen exited, the small crowd of castmates and crew that had gathered in the alley gasped at the sight of Owen and Teagan. Savannah rushed over to throw her jacket over her legs to help Owen’s pink hoodie, giving her soft rubs on her back as she sobbed into Owen’s chest.

“Teagan?! Teagan! Oh my god, what the fuck happened?!” Teagan’s face came out of hiding as she heard Charlie’s voice. Their eyes met as Charlie sprinted over to her, pushing people out of the way. Owen quickly handed Teagan to Charlie, both of them crying and Kenny arriving at the scene with Maddi. Sadness befell their faces at the scene, but Kenny quickly took charge and started dispersing the crowds, giving orders to others to help remedy the situation. Teagan sobbed uncontrollably in Charlie’s arms and he offered as much comfort and solace as he could. The paramedics soon arrived and Charlie had no choice but to hand her over to them, but he followed the paramedics to their van with Owen and Savannah in tow.

Along the way, Owen had explained how he had come to find her. It turns out that Owen wasn’t needed for the final shots of the day, so he went to find Teagan before changing. Savannah had mentioned that Teagan had gone to hangout in Charlie’s trailer, so naturally Owen made his way over. He didn’t expect the muffled sounds of desperate screams and cries to intensify as he neared Charlie’s trailer. He knew something was wrong, but the door was locked, and after confirming that she weren’t doing something else, he began to yell for help and try to break the door down. As one team of paramedics checked on Teagan, Kenny asked the other team to check on Owen as he used physical force to break the door down with the security team. Therefore, he wanted to make sure Owen didn’t hurt himself in the adrenaline of it all. The entire time Teagan sat on the stretcher and gurney, covered with a blanket, Charlie held onto her hand tightly. Her tears subsided but everyone could tell she was still shaken. The rest of the cast members who were still on set were escorted to their vehicles and told to return home for the day. Filming had to come to a halt until they were cleared to run again. 

“Mrs. Valencia, I’m going to need you to confirm some details of your assault so we can properly attend to you” the female police officer spoke to Teagan with an apologetic looking female paramedic at her side. “Sir, we are going to have to ask you to let us speak to her privately” 

Charlie kissed her forehead and went to let go of her hand, which Teagan protested.

“No please. He can stay. Please, I need him” her voice initially came out strong and desperate, but fell to a quiet whisper as she finished speaking. The police officer made eye contact with one another and then with Charlie, who returned closer to her side.

“Very well. Mrs. Valencia, did your assailant force any penetration on you?” the police officer got right to the point, staring deeply into Teagan’s eyes. Charlie tensed, preparing himself to hear the answer he didn’t want to hear. Teagan hesitantly shook her head no. “Did he force himself upon you that can be considered sexual assault” she bowed her head, ashamed of what she was admitting, and softly nodded. “I’m sorry Mrs. Valencia, I’m going to need you to tell me a little more than that” the police officer looked at her apologetically, knowing fully that this was a difficult conversation to have. “We need to have a verbal confirmation.”

“It was just his fingers. No kissing or anything more” Teagan whispered, her eyes filling with tears once more. The police officer thanked her and nodded to the paramedic who finished cleaning her cuts and bandaging them up. Charlie held her hand the entire time, rubbing soft circles on her back. After the paramedic was done, she gave the two of them a moment alone.

“I’m so sorry Charlie” Teagan whimpered, crying all over again. She bowed her head in shame and embarrassment, feeling hopeless and defeated.

“Teagan, look at me” and when she refused to lift her head, he placed a finger under her chin to lift it. Teagan looked at his eyes full of determination, anger and conviction. “Don’t you ever apologize for what happened to you.” his voice was stern, unwavering despite the emotions he felt inside. “None of this is your fault. Don’t think for a second that you are responsible in some way shape or form.” His eyes bore an intensity that Teagan only saw when something upset him, in which she couldn’t blame him.

“Do you still love me?” she tried to be strong as she spoke, but her tears got the best of her. Charlie’s eyes suddenly became soft, concerned and worried. She couldn’t bear to look at him as she felt that he may have been disappointed in her.

“Of course I do Teags. Nothing could ever change that.” her tears softly fell down her face as Charlie pulled her in for a tight hug, peppering her with kisses. “I’m so sorry Teags, you must have been so scared” he rubbed her back hoping to provide more comfort and assurance. “I’ll love you no matter what. This doesn’t change anything, Mrs. Gillespie” the last part of his comment made her chuckle through her tears and pull away to look at him. “I can’t promise you and say things are going to be the same from here on out, but I can promise you that I’m not leaving you. Ever.” He had hoped that his eyes conveyed his commitment to her and she confirmed this with a gentle kiss on his lips. Charlie was careful to kiss her back knowing that she was still in pain from the assault.

This was a hurdle that they were going to face together. Teagan knew deep down that this event had caused serious damage and she couldn’t quite come to terms with what happened. However, she knew that Charlie was going to be with her and oddly enough, that was all she needed right now.

[offtopicoverload]

I see your playing choices rn. Whats your fav book?? (I feel like its prob not baby bump lol)

oh god no, i hate this book, its an absolute disaster. like i dont care that there’s a female li, it still feels so incredibly homophobic

the only reason im playing is so i can get diamonds for desire & decorum book 2 cuz @alccaddsccup is a simp for parsons, and i get it. shes fucking amazing. but i dont get how these two books were made by the same company??? d&d really said “oh youre gay as fuck? sick, but lets keep it historically accurate. here’s your homosexual husband, youre each others beards, its great.” i mean, iconic, but what the fuck is going on with baby bump

- as for other books, i was playing through blood bound on my emulator, but i stopped to save diamonds for foreign affairs. it has they/them and im so stoked bro

- i fucking love queen b. it is so goddamn trashy, and im not usually huge on trashy stuff, but its incredible and i dont think i could ever put into words why, and i dont even care man

- the first series i played was the freshman, and its got some bad parts, but overall i liked it. becca and kaitlyn are both great, and i have so many fic ideas for them lmao. i played choices like a year and a half ago, maybe more than two years ago and romanced the guys and the only thing i remember is that there’s a super biphobic option on zig’s route? i think? like he comes out as bi and mc can be like “i cant believe you never told me.” like bitch sit down and shut up, its not your business

- i played the heist monaco, but i dont remember much, tho i think it was really good, definitely pulled me into choices more

- BOLASSS. its amazing and i love nia with all my heart. i wanna write something for her but idk what

- OHH and the elementalists was so fucking good. the mechanics and lore was sick, and the gang was amazing, with aroace rep and some iffy stuff, but it slaps and has elemental magic. i have no choice but to stan

- i played through the crown and the flame in chunks cuz i get distracted easily, but i dig it. its an og, right? definitely a good starter for them

- hero is amazing, i want the sequel so bad, and i love the art style

- i still need to finish OH2, tbh, but obviously i love the characters, ive trapped myself in a series for it asdhkjsf

- ride or die was okay. i dunno, mc was a dumbass and i didnt like how forced logan was. most of the time you get little sneaky scenes with other lis, but there was literally nothing with mona til the end, so the gay in me was disappointed. i know everyone loves it tho, so feel free to yell at me

- i played through all of trr and started trh, but i hate pregnancy stuff so idk if ill ever finish it. but i would die for hana, and was annoyed by the forced romance. like i love her, but it felt way too soon for her to propose to mc with how little development they got, especially for a baby gay like hana

- okay, and uhhhh i got like halfway through endless summer, i need to restart, but its good, quinns precious

- again, i started book 2 of perfect match but got distracted cuz i have the attention span of a frog, but hayden is amazing and im kinda curious about romancing sloane tbh

- and then i tapped through most of americas most eligible, but didn’t really like it. it felt trashy trashy, not queen b trashy. also i dont think teagans an li, which is a travesty

i have so much more to play through, but if you have any suggestions, id love to know. i want that good kush yknow

[laurelsofhighever]

The Falcon and the Rose Ch. 59 - The Storming of Castle Cousland, part 1

Chapter Rating: Teen Relationships: Alistair/Female Cousland Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fereldan Civil War AU - No Blight, Romance, Angst, Action/Adventure, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Canon-Typical Violence, Cousland Feels, Hurt/Comfort

Read on AO3 or start at Chapter 1

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Second day of Haring, 9:31 Dragon

It was a bronze dawn. Curling threads of smoke rose from the city of Highever, too few for such a large settlement, but stained bloody all the same by the first peek of a red sun over the eastern hills. All lay quiet. Frost silvered the grass, clung to the whiskers of the horses as King Cailan and his chief aides lined up at the edge of the Marl Plain with the entire force of the royalist army behind them. The king had raised a glass to his eye as soon as the halt was called, and his mouth pulled down as he scanned Castle Cousland’s walls.

“The Bear is still flying,” he said out loud. “And the gatehouse is still being patrolled by Amaranthine soldiers. Whatever they’re doing, the alarm hasn’t reached the curtain wall yet.”

“Don’t count Her Ladyship out yet, Your Majesty,” Commander Gideon replied. “She’ll get it done.”

Beside him, Arl Teagan nodded his agreement. “We ought to give her every chance we can. We did prepare for this eventuality.”

“We did…” The king lowered the glass and turned to Bann Loren on his left. “Is it certain Loghain’s army is still a day away?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He nodded. “Then we go ahead all bells a-ringing. We’ll be snug and warm inside the bailey by lunchtime. Prepare your units.”

A chorus of assent met his words as his aides turned their horses away, but he remained, casting one last look over the distant walls. Whatever worry lingered in his expression melted into his usual genial grin as he noticed Teagan had yet to leave his side.

“It’s natural to worry for them, Nephew,” the arl said gently.

Cailan loosed a harsh bark of laughter. “Ho, you think so? If we haven’t been led a wild hunt, three of the people dearest to me in the world lie within those walls, and I have little hope of reaching them.”

“Trust Her Ladyship, and His Highness.” Teagan smiled. “He would never let anything happen to her, and she would never stop, not until every last inch of that castle could be called hers again.”

It was sound advice, but Cailan only frowned. The heart rarely succumbed to the logic of words, even in situations where the mind could not afford to be clouded by emotion. Here, all he could do was turn his horse away and play his part, and pray to the Maker that Rosslyn and Alistair had made it into the keep.

--

The light grew slowly in Rosslyn’s cell, entering through a small drain at the bottom of the wall that had been drilled directly into the cliffside, so dim the feathered breath of every exhale might have been imaginary. She had stopped shivering hours ago. Maybe she had slept, or maybe the combination of numb cold and pure darkness had warped time, like the water-damaged pages of a book, and she had been imprisoned for days already.  

When they had pushed her in, and slammed the door behind her, she had raged. She had thrown herself against the door until the hinges creaked, kicked it, howled like a demon until her voice had cracked, until her shoulders were bruised and her bones aching, and the taste of blood had dried in her mouth like dust. And once exhaustion had calmed her, she had concentrated on freeing her arms from behind her back, still thinking to fight and wanting to level the advantage as much as possible for when they came for her.

And then no one had. Without a target to fuel it, the ember of rebellion flickered, shrank, and at some point the ambush she set in the corner behind the door became true huddling, hiding against the plummeting temperature, and the echo of her breath against the walls, and the darkness that robbed her of all chance for distraction from her grief.

Cuno, gone. Alistair, gone. Before her fingers lost their circulation she had hugged herself tight, brushing an absent rhythm along the length of her neck in poor imitation of how he might have offered her comfort, but nothing warded off the ache in her chest. Whether her eyes were open or shut, her mind’s eye remained a canvas upon which she saw him painted, the blow that knocked him down, the sickening way he just… crumpled, like a puppet with its strings cut. She knew even a simple-looking injury to the brain could kill – Canavan had waxed lyrical about it enough times in her lectures on wearing your helmet – but she couldn’t stomach the idea of him falling to something so easy, so lacking. Had they executed him? Had they known who he was before they did it? She tried to force her mind away from such speculation, to hold on instead to their brief time together, to his kisses pressed against her lips and the warmth when he held her, but she had lost the energy for such feats of imagination.

She tried singing sea shanties to distract herself instead, to purge the sound of Cuno’s last snarls from her ears, but got stuck on the third verse of ‘The Soldier and the Seawolf’, and after the fourth or fifth repetition, fell silent altogether. She drifted. Her stomach growled and her throat baked with thirst, her tongue swollen and heavy in her mouth. She wondered distantly when they would come for her, if she would fight them when they did. After all, who was left for her to fail? The battle would be over by the time she was freed, Cailan and his army destroyed, the royalist cause nothing but churned mud and scavenged bones.

Something changed, though her fogged mind roused to it only slowly. Frowning, she blinked away from her contemplation of the veins of marble the growing light had revealed lacing the wall of her prison and cocked her ear to the steady beat of footsteps in the corridor, too quiet for one of the guards. Whoever it was halted outside the door of her cell, and the grate of the key in the lock screeched bold as a carnyx after so many hours of silence. Lantern light spilled over the hewn floor, stinging her eyes.

“My lady?” a tentative voice called.

Recognition stirred, but only to give her enough strength to turn her face to the wall. Graela was dead, just as the rest of them were dead. The Veil must be thin this far below the castle walls, in the ancient Alamarri tunnels where the sun never shone.

“My lady,” her maid said again, kneeling at her side with a waterskin proffered in her hands.  

“Leave me be.” She was too cold, too tired, too lost, and turned her head further away. Even when Graela reared back in a telltale portent of a scolding, she wished merely for darkness again.

“There’s still fighting to be done – there isn’t much time,” Graela tried. “What would your lady mother say if she could see you given up like this?”

“She’s dead,” Rosslyn replied, without feeling. She had nothing left. Heat pricked behind her eyes, vision flashing with the view above the western gate – the crossbow raised – a shield smashed against an unprotected head. “They’re all dead. It’s my fault…”

“My lady –” The waterskin was pushed towards her again. “Please…”

“He was going to come here,” she remembered. “We were going to…” She closed her eyes against the onslaught, warm sunlight and birdsong in the meadow – We. Us, together – the feel of his lips, the hitch in his breath as she touched his bare skin. A tear escaped beneath her lashes when she thought she had none left to weep. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Oh don’t you dare!”

Before she could react, Graela’s arm snapped towards her, snakelike, and pinched the top of her ear. She jerked away with a yell, face contorting into a snarl as she batted away the offending hand.  

“So there is some fight left in you,” the elven woman said.

For a moment, Rosslyn could only stare, so off-balance by the sudden resurgence of emotion her mind refused to function. It truly was Graela before her, her sandy-brown hair tucked behind her slender ears and her freckles almost obscured by the indignant colour that always appeared when her charge was being stubborn. Her eyes flashed in the reflected lamplight as she all but shoved the waterskin into Rosslyn’s hands.

Her fingers were too numb to drop it. “I said to leave me alone,” she snapped instead, and tucked her knees closer against her chin. “I can’t help you.”

“All those stories were just stories then.” Graela made a noise of disgust. “Or maybe you just cared about the rest of Ferelden more than you cared about us.” She stood, plucking up the lantern so that her shadow swung wildly about the tiny space. “Stay here and rot with your shame, then, but Andraste help me, someone has to end this nightmare.”

She lingered for a moment more, heaving a long breath as if startled by her own daring, but pursed her lips nonetheless and stalked out to leave Rosslyn alone in the darkness with her incredulity. The venom in the other woman’s tone formed a hard lump at the back of her throat, a taste of bile made worse because perhaps she hadn’t cared enough. She hadn’t thought anyone would be left for her care to matter. Part of her still wanted to refuse the call of the open door, to curl away from any further sting to her already battered heart, but her ear had yet to stop hurting where Graela twisted it and the instinctive outrage at being manhandled by a servant lit an unexpected spark in her chest. Alistair would not have approved. The thought pierced her like a shard of broken glass, but she could not shrink from it – his disappointment in her would have been greater for that. And yet to shelve her grief again, to go on alone like one of Bann Ferrenly’s unfeeling clockworks, seemed impossible.

To steel herself, or perhaps merely as a distraction, she fumbled with the cork of the waterskin and took a long swig. The water had been warmed enough that it didn’t kick her in the guts on the way down, and even if it did nothing to thaw her extremities at least her tongue felt less like sandpaper. She looked up towards the door again. The light from the corridor was steady, and she heard the click of the key in the lock of one of the other cells, and Graela’s voice an indistinct murmur to whoever was inside.  

Curiosity piqued, she stumbled from her prison, supporting herself on the wall. She heard a male voice now, raised in urgency, and the clatter of chains falling to the floor, and as she made it to the open door a figure barely skin and bones lurched into the light. Rags hung off his frame, too faded with dirt to be a recognisable colour, and what little of his face could be seen was streaked with grime beneath the overgrown tangle of his hair and beard. He smelled like a sty. And yet, when he grabbed her arms, off-balance, to try and right himself, the sea-blue gaze that locked on hers could not be mistaken, nor the tilt of his shoulders, nor the disused rasp of his voice when he said her name.

“Fergus…” she breathed.

A hand, stiff with swollen knuckles and torn fingernails, reached for her cheek. “It really is you.”

“You – you fell. Father said…” She remembered again the moment she had stood before him at Glenlough, the tightness of the embrace that spoke in place of words.  

“I was injured,” he explained as he drew her into a hug. “Captured, then used as bait. I’ve spent every day cursing Howe since then.”

Rosslyn’s wrists were still manacled, her hands closed around the waterskin despite all its sharp edges, but his arms went around her like it didn’t matter. The last time she had hugged her brother he had been shining and strong, not wasted away and trembling from the effort of staying on his feet.

“The rumours…” she tried, clinging to him as best she could, eyes clenched shut. “I thought you were dead, I thought…” How many more ghosts would return to haunt her? “I let Father leave at Glenlough, I – if not for me – I’m so sorry.”

“No,” he choked, and held her tighter.

“I should have protected them.”

“I…” He shook his head. “Don’t talk about it, not now. You’re here, You’re –” He hissed a breath through his teeth. “It’s good to see you, little sister.”

“Fergus –”

She dropped her head against his shoulder, for the moment so lost in the whirl of emotion they stood back on the steps of the keep drenched in winter sunshine, surrounded by rippling blue banners and the polished ranks of Highever’s army. When she opened her eyes again, however, the illusion blew away into rough stone walls and the steam of their breath in the low, grubby light of the lantern. A pair of boots appeared in her line of sight. As she glanced up, all feeling drained from her limbs and her heart stuttered in her chest. Alistair watched her, rubbing his wrists where his own restraints had cut into the skin, with the brief flash of a smile beneath his worry when she caught his eye, a reassurance that while he was glad to see her, he had no wish to intrude on such an important moment with her brother.

She moved towards him anyway. He was supposed to be dead. Her steps dragged as if through deep water. A small, detached part of her mind chided her for believing Howe at all, for letting him taunt her with her worst fears, anything to control her, make her capitulate – but it was drowned out by the rushing in her ears, the echo of her breath on the stone, the sob that tore from her lips as she threw her still-bound hands over her lover’s head.  

He caught her, and a sigh ruffled against her cheek as his arms folded around her waist, over her back, bringing her close enough to bury his face in her hair.

“I thought they’d killed you,” she whispered to him, afraid that anything louder might scare away the illusion of him, and leave her holding nothing but the empty air.

“It’s alright.”

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

He shook his head and hushed her. “I’m here – I’m alright. I’m – I was so worried.”

She had no response but his name, the comfort of it cut short be a polite cough from Graela, who was still trapped in the cell behind Alistair’s bulk.

“There isn’t much time,” she reminded them.

Rosslyn heard the blush in Alistair’s voice as he reluctantly pulled away. “Of course. We should –” He frowned at her, lifted his hand to her face. “What –? Let me see.”

She flinched away from his touch, remembering the blood and the bruises only as the tender flesh reacted to the pressure of his fingertips. “It’s nothing.” She didn’t want to go back to that room, to the rotten smell of Howe’s breath, the crossbow rising. “They didn’t hurt me. It’s not my blood.”

Alistair steadied himself, his hands gentle on her shoulders now, knowing what she really meant. It was enough to leave her trembling, to break the dam of her shock and make the rest of what had happened spill from her like meltwater.

“They wanted to, but I got to Howe first. I… He wanted be to beg, but I wouldn’t.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked as her gaze dropped to her feet. “Rosslyn –”

“They shot Cuno.” The words rang through her, hollow as a dry bone. “I wouldn’t do what Howe wanted so he ordered them to kill him.”

“He would have done it anyway,” Fergus interjected, coming forward with the waterskin in his hands. She didn’t remember dropping it. “That’s what he always does. We’re going to end him.”

Graela edged forwards, holding up her keys. “My lady – your hands.”

The cuffs fell away with a clatter, half-missed as cold air rushed in to sting her chafed skin. Alistair pressed close as they turned and filed out of the dungeon, leaning against her with his fingers resting lightly on the small of her back as if the smallest break in contact might leave her to vanish in the darkness. After so many hours in the cold, the warmth of his body felt like a furnace, and she snaked an arm around his waist to draw him closer. Leading the way with the lantern, Graela glanced at them over her shoulder every few steps, her expression unreadable in the gloom, but Rosslyn hardly cared. She refused any space between them until they reached the stairs that wound up into the entrance hall of the keep, and only then to look back for Fergus. He was still bracing himself on the wall, struggling to keep up, and now he paused, a rueful tilt to his chin as he looked up at the distance they still had yet to travel.

“What’s wrong?” Rosslyn asked, with a step towards him.  

He grimaced. “It’s my legs. They were broken, and beyond keeping me alive to gloat, Howe didn’t much care how well they healed.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” A look passed between her and Alistair, and without a word he crossed the space and lifted Fergus��� arm under his shoulders to help support him up the stairs.

“And interrupt such a charming scene?” Her brother shot her a familiar rakish grin, but it held a haunted edge that she had never seen before. “Never. Did you know, Your Highness, there was a time she actually pretended to twist her ankle to avoid talking to any of the young men at Arl Leonas’ Summerday feast? Mother was scandalised.”

Heat surged into her face, never mind that she was ahead of them on the stairs. “Not as scandalised as the time –” and bit her tongue. It had been Oriana he was caught kissing in the gardens.  

“It’s not like you to leave bait half hooked,” he teased. “What were you going to say?”

Light cracked ahead of them as Graela peered through the door to check for prying eyes.

“We should be quiet,” Rosslyn said.

The entrance hall was unnaturally silent, too still in the grey winter light. Even in the darkest hours of the night, she had always felt the castle warm, lived in, but creeping through it now as a stranger in her own home, that familiarity fell away, and the hollow that was left echoed like the held breath before a summer squall. A distant roar reached them from beyond the barred main doors as they filed into the once-familiar space, its uneven ebb and flow uncanny until the familiarity of it clicked into place and sent a jolt of ice through Rosslyn’s veins: the battle had already been joined.

“Where are Howe’s soldiers?” she asked.

Graela’s response was clipped. “Taken care of.”

Rosslyn remembered what Gareth had said, about Commander Lowan being the only one with a set of keys to her manacles, and let the matter lie. Guilt already twisted into a hard enough knot in her stomach without the added reminder that before the long reach of the war, her lady’s maid would have been incapable of violence, let alone relished it.

They reached the kitchen down a side corridor that led off from the entrance hall, and as they approached, the sound of voices resolved itself into a crowd of people crammed around the large, scoured tables serving as workstations for the cooks and scullery maids. Rosslyn spotted Gareth, and other faces she recognised from before the war, all in dark blue surcoats bearing the Laurels. A shock of red hair flashed to her right, and she barely had time to turn before Leliana swept her into a crushing hug, with the dozen survivors from the beach arrayed behind her in various attitudes of relief. She pulled away quickly, eager to make sure Fergus was seen to, but before she could give the order, the crowd parted for a short, slender woman with thin features, golden hair, and a gaze every bit as piercing as that of her father.

“Your Majesty…” Rosslyn breathed, and bowed low, feeling Alistair and Fergus imitate the gesture behind her.

“Food for these people, immediately,” Queen Anora called, in a clear voice not used to disobedience.

A couple of servants disappeared back into the throng at the same time the queen called for Amell, and watched Fergus settled at one of the tables. She was dressed in one of the splintmail suits used by the Amaranthine guards, either as a disguise or for extra protection while moving through the castle, but despite the ill-fit of the metal plates she held herself with the cool authority of one born to privilege. Rosslyn eyed her warily, unsure how to deal with the woman she had only ever known by reputation, at a distance, and as a potential rival despite the difference in their ages. The queen was shorter than her by a good five inches, and while her face was settled into the neutral mask used by so many nobles in mixed company, signs of age had started to make themselves known on her forehead and around the corners of her mouth.

“Teyrna Rosslyn,” she said, “I do not believe we have had the pleasure of being properly introduced. Fergus, I already know, of course. Though they are late, please accept my condolences for what happened here.”

Rosslyn stiffened. She saw Fergus clench his fist on the table. The servants returned and laid crocks of thick wheat broth in front of them, dotted with herbs and pieces of bacon, as well as a flagon of small-ale, a bowl of apples, and slices of buttered bread. Their last meal aboard the Windcaller had been almost a full day ago, but even though her stomach growled mutinously, she ignored the rich, savoury odour and faced Anora.

“Your Majesty is gracious,” she said, and gestured. “This is Prince Alistair, His Majesty’s younger brother.”  

The queen flicked her gaze to him, a guarded, appraising look that reminded Rosslyn of a dog watching a shadow behind the door. When she spoke, however, it was in the same sweet, measured tone as before. “It is good to meet you at last,” she said. “I have heard much about you.”  

“Uh…” Alistair paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth. “And so have I, Your Majesty. About you. Good things, of course. Um.”

Rosslyn stepped in. “Your Majesty, I’m afraid there’s little time for conversation. The castle is under attack and Cail– the king is outside the walls as we speak, relying on us to open the gates.”

“We must formulate a plan,” Anora agreed.

“Eat something first,” Fergus interrupted. “There are three bowls, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Your brother is right, Your Ladyship.” The queen laid her hand on Rosslyn’s arm. “Please do not stand on ceremony on my account – I doubt Arl Howe was as generous with your rations as he was with mine.”

Alistair pushed one of the bowls towards her as she sat down, and pressed his knee against hers under the table. She returned the touch like it was a lifeline, hoping he understood the warning in it. Anora was not her husband; she had no bloodline to secure her position, no war record, and her father was a traitor, which gave her every reason to be dangerous.

“Who knows the state of things beyond the walls?” she asked to the room at large. “Where is Howe?”

Gareth shuffled forwards, but Anora cut across him, with the first touch of a frown in her features. “Surely His Majesty is our first concern?”

“My first concern is the liberation of this castle, a task King Cailan entrusted to me,” Rosslyn replied evenly. “I appreciate your concern, Your Majesty, but the guards on the walls still follow Howe’s orders, which makes him the primary obstacle in any counterattack. Gareth?”

She ate as the young guard talked, absorbing the information without feeling. Howe was on the field; the keep was theirs; the upper floors had been cleared and the doors barricaded against any intruders. And someone had even climbed the tower and seen the royalists pinned against the walls, hammered hard by Loghain’s forces and the castle’s artillery, waiting for rescue.  

Gareth straightened as she polished off a final crust of bread. “We have over two dozen Cousland loyal ready for your orders, my lady.”

“That’s not including us, ma’am,” Riley added next to Leliana. “Just give us the word.”

The food sat warm in her belly, inviting sleep after so many hours of deprivation, but she shook the feeling away. Instead, she pushed to her feet, the hazy swirl of her plans settling into solid form with the new information.

“We need to take the towers,” she decided. “If we make the barbican, we can offer the king a route to safety, and turn the ballistas on Loghain.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the sour twitch of Anora’s mouth, but ignored it in favour of a hasty construction of the curtain wall from cutlery and spare scraps of food.  

“We’ll split into two teams, one for the east wing, and one for the west. Enchanter, you’re to come with me along the east wing so we can deal with any guards left in the barracks. Whoever leads the west will have to disable the portcullis over the western gate to stop any attempts by Howe’s men to get back in that way, before moving on to make sure the armoury is secured.”

“I’ll lead them,” Alistair said. His gaze met hers for a long moment over the impromptu map, but eventually she nodded, and continued.

“The grooms among you should follow us to the stables and tack up every trained horse that’s left in case we have need of them. We won’t know until we see the field first-hand, but be ready when the Laurels fly over the barbican.” She paused, frowning. “Everyone not in the fight will stay here. Bar the door. If you hear fighting outside, you are to take the queen back through the pantry and to the Windcaller. Get her to –”

“Am I to have no say in the matter?”

Rosslyn kept her expression neutral. “My concern is for Your Majesty’s safety.”

“And your concern is admirable, but I am no shrinking Orlesian violet who would faint at the sight of blood,” the queen replied. “My father has gone mad, it is true. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but he is gripped by a paranoia so severe it prevents him from seeing sense, and the people suffering the consequences are as much mine as yours. I can fight, and I have had enough of being carted from one end of Ferelden to the other as if I were nothing more than some pretty trinket with no greater use.”

If Rosslyn were better rested, without a war going on outside and grief still threatening to overwhelm every conscious thought, perhaps she would have found the change from Cailan’s easy manners easier to meet, but her day had already been long enough without having to bite her tongue into the bargain. And yet, she was outranked. An open confrontation with the golden Dove of Gwaren would go badly. Aware of the sudden turn in mood, their audience of servants and soldiers looked on in complete silence as the moment stretched, with only the occasional sideways glance or shuffle of feet to betray their discomfort.  

“Your Majesty,” she began eventually, once she could be sure of her voice, “every moment spent arguing here increases the danger faced by the king. There is already one battle that must be fought today, I would rather not start another.”

Anora weighed her. In her immediate favour, Rosslyn had the strength and the allied forces in the room to carry her point, but only at the later cost of having Cailan learn she strong-armed the Queen of Ferelden into submission. After Eamon’s accusations, the political consequences of such a move would dog her, and perhaps even Alistair as well. The question, in the end, would be whose side the king would take.  

At last, Anora turned aside, only a tiny movement of her head, but enough to show defeat. “You will have need of space for the wounded once the battle is done,” she said. “I will have the stores inventoried for healing herbs and bandages, and anything else that might be useful.”

Rosslyn nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Leliana, I want you to stay here as well. You’re best experienced to slow any pursuit, should it come to that, so you’ll be in charge.”

“Understood, Your Ladyship.”

After that, they wasted no time dividing their forces. Tension hung thick in the air, nor quite the usual anticipation that came before a battle, but something sharper, harder, because they were the fulcrum that could lever freedom for the whole of the North, or send it tumbling unchecked into ruin with the rest of Ferelden if they failed. As Rosslyn directed, two of the Windcaller’s crew hauled in a heavy chest containing both her and Alistair’s armour, and Gareth disappeared only to return with their weapons, snaffled away before Howe could get his greedy paws on them. Servants brought fresh gambesons while Amell tended Rosslyn’s bruises, and then what little talk was left died away as they gathered water canteens, strips of died meat, and injury kits from the ship’s stores. Amell counted the swirling blue vials of lyrium on her belt.

When the last strap on her vambraces was buckled into place, Rosslyn glanced around the party for one last check that all was ready, and Fergus caught her eye. He struggled up from his place at the table, half of his food still uneaten in the bowl, and jerked his head over to the large, empty space by the hearth where they might talk with some semblance of privacy. Alistair noticed the gesture and brushed a gentle hand along her arm for reassurance.  

“We’ll wait for you,” he murmured.

“I’ll catch you up.” She squeezed his elbow, then turned to follow her brother to the fire. “Last time it was you leaving me behind,” she pointed out to him as she approached.

He frowned at the flames. “It didn’t work out so well. Make sure you come back.”

“This is just another battle.”

“All it takes is one lucky shot.”

“I’m luckier,” she assured him. “Besides, I still have to make you jealous about all the places I’ve been.”

“And all the growing up you’ve done,” he mused, with a wry glance in the direction Alistair had gone. “You’ve got good taste at least.”

She followed his gaze, heat beyond that of the fire on her cheeks. “I know – but you can tease me about it later, when there’s time.” She swallowed. “Lady keep you safe, Ferg.”

She felt his eyes on her back all the way up the stairs. The soldiers were already pulling back the first of the heavy oak beams that had barred the door, with the grooms waiting behind them, their hands gripped tight around daggers and longknives in case of any resistance they might encounter in the stables. For the rest of them, the fastest way to the barbican lay along the guard route from the terrace at the top of the keep steps, then through the tunnels built into the curtain wall. The narrow passages had blinds built into the corners of the towers to help defenders during invasions and limit the advantage of numbers, but as difficult as the fighting would be, their small company had surprise, and they would be attacking from the keep itself, which would automatically put Howe’s soldiers at a disadvantage.

“So that was Anora,” Alistair said as they waited.

“What did you think?”

A long, heavy breath puffed through his cheeks. “Well I don’t think she likes me very much. But she’s not quite as scary as you, and at least you like me.”

She laughed. It always amazed her how easily he could draw humour from her, even at the worst times. The last bar thudded against the flagstones and the bolts snapped back in their gates, and Rosslyn drew in a steadying breath as she donned her helmet.  

“Be careful,” she told him.

He turned into her touch on his arm and placed a delicate kiss against her mouth, careful not to bash his noseguard into hers. “I love you.”

She wanted to say more, but their soldiers hauled the door open. Cold air rushed in with the distant churn of battle. They blinked in the pierce of daylight and had no time for looking back.

[chwrpg]

Shit happens alright? Shit fucking happens. -- Kit Cruz

A NOTE FROM ADMIN B: You’re a demon for this and I love you. To be fair though I am always advocating for more antagonistic characters to find their way onto the dash to spice things up so thank you for this surprise, Paige!

OOC NAME/ALIAS, PREFERRED PRONOUNS, AGE & TIMEZONE:

Paige, she/her, 22, est 

DESIRED CHARACTER: 

Kit Cruz 

HOW ACTIVE WILL YOU BE? 

7/10ish 

SECONDARY CHOICE:

This isn’t required; feel free to leave it blank.

DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER:

Kit’s basically a piece of shit, I don’t know what else to tell you there. But actually – Kit is somebody who feels like everybody else gave up on him a long time ago, but wasn’t ever really with him to begin with. He doesn’t have any expectations for himself, and so he doesn’t expect anyone else to have those for him, either. The only things that really matter to him are basketball and his boys – Phoenix, Nixon, and Lennon, and other than that, he doesn’t really care about much. Well, except for a good time, but that one should be a given. 

Kit would consider himself an outcast, a black sheep of sorts. He thinks he’s more of a Greaser than any of his cousins could ever be, which is a bit ironic considering he did technically dip on the Greasers when he dipped on Teagan and the rest of Rosewood, too. How that will play out with the introduction of the Lost Boys and the SoWood stuff is tough to say but it should be, uh, interesting. 

SAMPLE WRITING:

If Kit was nothing else, at least he was consistent. Consistently fucking up, consistently causing a scene. Consistently running. Its not like he always meant to run either — it was just… easier. Instinct. He moved before he even giving himself the chance to think about doing otherwise. That’s out he’d ended up here, in a hot wired car he’d put well over two hundred miles on by now, which looking back… Probably not the smartest decision on his part. He should’ve ditched that by now. Yeah, he should definitely ditch that.

How many weeks, months even, he’d been on the move now, he couldn’t say, but its not like anything was keeping him in Rosewood anyway. His friends, sure, maybe, but Nixon pissed him off more often than not, frankly he couldn’t watch Phoenix attempt to play house anymore or whatever he was doing, and Lennon… Well he supposed he just hoped Lennon was alive. His family though? Yeah, right. He hated them just as much as they hated him, so at least you could say they were in agreement on something. When he caught word though that the rest of the Cruz boys had finally been ousted from the Greasers… well, he considered going back just to see it for himself. And to personally thank Ace Claymore too, at that. They’d all long since gotten soft, and if you asked him, he’d say that was another reason why he left, too. But everyone knew that wasn’t really why.

Teagan Parkinson. What kind of stupid bitch isn’t on the pill? She could certainly afford to be on anything she wanted, he knew that. It was a real shame too, because she’d been fun, well… before. He might have even liked her, just a little bit, or been starting to, not that he’d ever own up to that. By the time he started to think maybe, just maybe, he should’ve stuck around, only to do the bare minimum, that window had long since closed. It’s not like anyone should have expected anything out of him anyway, and he sure hoped she didn’t. How he still managed to disappointment people, he didn’t know, especially when he set the bar so low.

How close he was to Rosewood he didn’t even realize until after abandoning his (stolen) car a couple hundred feet away from a gas station just outside of town. Walking up, he just hoped he could get in and get out without being recognized, hopefully snag some north sider’s ride while he was at it, too. Just as laid eyes on a truck on his name on it though, he swore he heard his name, and then again. And leaned up against a trash can, looking worse than he’d ever seen him, there was one of his best friends. Shit. So much for not being recognized.

ANYTHING ELSE? 

1985 (don’t ever change that one on me)

[domxhunter]

@redridgeimp​ Dom’s Intro!

BASIC INFORMATION 

Full Name: Domenico Lee Hunter

Nickname(s): Dom, Nico

Age: 34

Date of Birth: May 2nd, 1986

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Current Location: Red Ridge, NV

Gender: cis male

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: heterosexual/romantic

Religion: raised catholic, not practicing

Occupation: financial analyst for Valencia Industries

Language(s) Spoken: English, some Italian

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Face Claim: Justin Baldoni

Hair Colour: Dark Brown

Eye Colour: Brown

Height: 6’2” or 185.4 cm

Tattoos: V for Valencia on his wrist, often covered by his sleeves

Piercings: none

Clothing Style: business formal at work, a lot of suits, ties, button down dress shirts, etc. At home he wears casual clothing, sweat pants, shorts, cotton t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, etc. 

HEALTH

Physical Ailments: needs reading glasses 

Neurological Conditions: none, though he suffers from anxiety but nothing diagnosed

Allergies: latex and cats

Sleeping Habits: he tries to keep a pretty regular schedule so he usually goes to bed at a decent time on weekdays and gets up early, average 6-8 hours a night. if his wife isn’t there he doesn’t sleep well and often is found sleeping on the couch with the television still on.

Eating Habits: breakfast is usually a shake or something quick like yogurt or oatmeal unless he has time to make something more like the weekends or mags cooked, lunch he tends to eat at his desk and he’ll either bring a sandwich or salad or leftovers or go get something from the lunch cart, on weekends he eats with his family. Dinner is always with his family and they try to eat healthy for the kids, he likes to cook so if he can get home on time he’ll try to make something. 

Exercise Habits: Semi-regularly, he likes to run so whenever he gets the chance he’ll go for a morning jog and tries to do push-ups and squats for a full workout, he goes to the gym when he can.

Sociability: fairly social, he likes to have conversations and meet new people, go out for drinks, hang out at family orientated events, hold barbeques, etc. 

Body Temperature: warm

Addictions: caffeine

Drug Use: he experimented in high school and college but never continued

Alcohol Use: occasional, no more than a glass of wine/beer/drink a day unless he goes out or is at a barbeque

PERSONALITY

Positive Traits: attentive, dependable, industrious, methodical, temperate

Negative Traits: overcritical, possessive, jealous, cowardly, impulsive

FAVOURITES

Weather: sunny clear skies, warm

Colour: blue

Music: classic rock, classical, pop

Movies: comedy

Sport: rugby

Beverage: iced tea or a cold beer

Food: all things pasta and garlic bread

Animal: dog

FAMILY

Father: Antonio Hunter

Mother: Viola Hunter (deceased)

Sibling(s): none

Children: Teagan Hunter (12) and Boy Hunter (3)

Other family: Magnolia Hunter (wife)

Pet(s): TBD

EXTRA

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

MBTI: ESTP

Enneagram: 9 - the peacemaker

Temperament: melancholic

Moral Alignment: lawful neutral

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kitmeowza/ch-domenico-hunter/

BACKGROUND

Domenico's life started with tragedy. Due to complications during the labor, his mother passed away after giving birth to him. He was positive this was the first time he disappointed his father who had a hard time looking at him as he looked just like her. 

Antonio owned a talent agency in Lost Angeles, CA and his mother had been an actress he represented. He was quite the agent and eventually grew his business to the point that he no longer needed to be an agent and could run it from behind the scenes. This didn't mean he was any less busy, however. He remarried and devoted most of his free time with his new wife. 05

For the most part, Dom was raised by nannies and later sent to a boarding school in the city, coming home only on weekends where he was mostly left to his own devices while his father and stepmother attended social functions and parties. 

Naturally, he vied for Antonio’s attention and when he didn’t get it he found other outlets. He played lacrosse, which helped work out a lot of aggression, and started to party and cause trouble at school. Bad attention was still attention and his behavior got just that from his father. This continued throughout high school. He did the opposite of what his father wanted for him. 

He wanted him to do things like drama and theater or music, things he could make a career with through him. Instead, Dom played sports, got mediocre grades due to the extracurricular activities he was involved in from partying to minor shoplifting and joyriding with his friends. Nothing serious, but enough to have his chances at college threatened.

By some miracle, he managed to get his grades up senior year and qualify for a lacrosse scholarship to UCLA where he majored in economics and accounting. While it didn’t please his father he found a new sense of freedom on campus. He had a group of friends, kept up with his classes for the most part and ventured more into the dating world even though he hated most of the women in LA because they reminded him of his step-mother, fake and full of themselves.

One of the women he dated ended up introducing him to Mags, who he would eventually marry and call his soulmate. She called her “her weird roommate” but Dom ended up liking her a lot more and they started dating. After a couple years, she revealed to him by way of a greeting card that she was pregnant. He asked her if it was a good or bad thing and when she said she wanted to have it, he was over the moon. Still, terrified, but happy all the same. 

From then on he stopped the partying and the messing around, he focused hard on his studies and getting a good paying job so he could provide for Mags and the new baby on the way. When he graduated he was already a new father and his own father didn’t even attend the graduation. 

A few years and failed internships and shitty jobs later, he got word of a position in Red Ridge, NV. He applied and was accepted for the position. Dom and his new family picked up and moved there, only later he found out the risky side of Valencia and what his position really entailed. The money was something he couldn’t look away from and he made the choice to take the risk, despite that he could lose everything if the company went down. 

Because of the money, he was able to afford a ring and asked Mags to marry him one night before they went to bed. Several years later they had their son, and while he still worries about Valencia, things are going well. Dom is nervous it won’t last. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

Co-Workers (multiple): People who work in the business side of Valencia or that can help connect him to businesses that Valencia can work with. They can have a good relationship or a bad one. Rivals or close acquaintances.

Friends (multiple): Someone to have a drink with, invite over for dinner, grab coffee or lunch, pretty self-explanatory

Best-Friend (0/1): The person who isn’t his wife that is by his side through thick and thin, and the other way around. This person knows him well and he trusts them. Probably made them the god-parent to his kids. 

Enemy: Someone who wants to take him or Valencia down or both.

[falloutdialogue]

Prydwen PA System Announcements

Lancer Captain Kells will make a series of formal announcements over the Prydwen’s PA system.

Attention. This is a reminder. All recovered technology must be presented immediately to Proctor Quinlan for evaluation. Anyone found in possession of undocumented technologies will be subject to inquiry and punishment.

Attention. Any personnel who have not completed their annual medical evaluation should report to Knight-Captain Cade immediately to schedule an examination. That is all.

Attention all personnel. I'm disappointed I need to address this, but unsanctioned social contact with Commonwealth natives is strictly prohibited. Anyone who has engaged in such fraternization should report to Knight-Captain Cade for immediate decontamination.That is all.

 Attention. This is a reminder. Any recovered historical, technological, or social documentation should be delivered directly to Proctor Quinlan. That is all.

Attention. Tomorrow's tactical briefing has been postponed. A new time and date will be forthcoming.

Attention all personnel. Research patrols are a crucial facet of our operation here in the Commonwealth. Any Brotherhood soldiers that have not received a research patrol assignment should speak to Proctor Quinlan immediately.

Attention. Any soldiers who have not yet received a field assignment from Proctor Teagan should speak to him at once. That is all. 

Attention all Brotherhood soldiers. If you have not yet received your Squire mentorship assignment, please come see me on the bridge. Repeat, if you have not received your mentorship assignment, please report to the bridge. That is all. 

Attention all personnel. This is to serve as a reminder. Scribe Neriah's Mole Rat subjects are not pets. They are crucial military resources. As such, they are not to be fed by any personnel save Scribe Neriah and her team. Any violation of this policy will result in severe discipline.

Attention. Due to increased Raider activity, all leave requests to off-base sites have been temporarily suspended. Affected parties will have their leave compensated at the next available opportunity. That is all.

Attention. This is a notice to all personnel. Please think of your brothers and sisters down below.Thoroughly secure all gear while on the Flight Deck. Thank you.

Attention. Delta Team lead, report to the bridge. Delta Team lead to the bridge.

Attention. Ferrum Squad, report to debriefing. Ferrum Squad to the debriefing.

Attention. Bravo six-four, report to Armor Bay 2 . Bravo six-four to Armor Bay 2.

Attention. Halberd pilot to station Epsilon. Halberd pilot report to station Epsilon. That is all.

Attention. I know there have been rumors about Paladin Danse and I wish to set those rumors straight. Yes, Paladin Danse was an Institute Synth. To our knowledge, he failed to relay any intel to the Institute, but as a traitor and a Synth, he has been dealt with in the manner all traitors merit. That is all.

Brothers and sisters. I will make this brief. I wish only to say thank you all for your hard work and dedication in the defeat of the Institute. Our sacrifices have been great, but thanks to all of you, we stand today in a Commonwealth free from the grip of madmen. Tomorrow always brings another battle, but thanks to all of you, we have won today. Ad victoriam, brothers and sisters!

[angelearnshaw]

DC UNIVERSE’S FIRST TV SERIES ‘TITANS’ IS GETTING POSITIVE REVIEWS AND HERE’S WHY!

Everything DC got right in its new series.

 As a fan of all things DC and superheroes, my heart is happy with how Titans is faring so far. Admittedly, there was a little bit of worry on my part upon seeing the trailer for the first time. While I was excited to see it, I was also hoping I didn’t get disappointed with it. I’ve been waiting for this show to come out even when it wasn’t a sure thing yet. But now, I gotta say, waiting one week just for another episode is even harder.

With a positive 93% rating from Google users and 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I think I’m not the only one impressed. If you ask me, here are the reasons why we love it and keep coming back for more!

(As always, warning for the spoilers ahead!)

1.       THE BOY WONDER

Two words: Dick Grayson.

 I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one here who is very motivated to watch because finally, finally! We get to see the Richard John Grayson portrayed as he was meant to be portrayed (no offense Chris O’ Donell). They really did give him an apt nickname as the Boy Wonder. Because boyyyy he is wonderful.

 Although I’ve never imagined Dick as this dark and brooding character, I guess it only makes sense seeing as he recently called it quits with his sort- of adoptive father slash partner in superheroing. Plus, I’m guessing growing up around Batman isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows, and it’ obvious from the flashbacks and from his reaction when Raven mentions the circus that the death of his parents still weighs very heavily on him. Again just like Bruce.

 And that’s not where the similarities end. Even the way Dick fights clearly shows his training from Batman. We see him blending in with the shadows, grabbing enemies and whisking them away screaming. That use of the gas while covering half his face with the cape maneuver. This are all classic Batman techniques!

 Also can we talk about how well he’s trained as a fighter? Because Hawk and Dove were about to be roasted birds before he swooped in to save them. They couldn’t handle the bad guys when there was two of them, but Dick made quick work of them without even breaking a sweat. Of course, since I’m talking about his awesome fighting skills, I need to mention that retractable bo staff. When he first brought it out, my heart literally leapt with joy because it looked so much like an eskrima stick which is his weapon of choice (as I’ve mentioned before). After it extended into a bo staff, I was a little disappointed. But only a little, because the way it happened was pretty cool. Well played Greg Berlanti and Akiva Goldsman. Well played.

 We also need to give credit to Dick for his discipline. The way he cleans up his suit after every fight and checks all of his equipment really shows you the kind of training he received from Bruce (or maybe Alfred). As I was telling my dad, who is also a major fan by the way, “he seems to be the Batman we’ve always wanted, but never gotten.”

 Of course, there are some bad sides. He needs to get rid of all that broodiness and darkness. Jason Todd could use some of it, though. Cause from what I’ve seen in the trailers, Jason seems to be a bit too preppy. I think somebody mistakenly switched their personalities. Also, no one appreciates a girlfriend stealer Dick! What the heck you doing cozying up to Dove? I would prefer it if he and Donna were together instead. I honestly ship them more than I do him and Starfire. I hope this is explored in the series.

 On an ending note (because I could write about Dick Grayson all day), can we just thank whoever decided to cast Brenton Thwaites as Nightwing? Bless your soul. Who wouldn’t mind looking at him all day? *swoon*

(Our first time seeing Dick as he stalks a child abuser and contemplates on putting on his mask)

(Hello to you too Detective Grayson) 

2.       EDGINESS WITH A PINCH OF HUMOR

 I’ve always loved DC’s dark tone. While I do appreciate the humor in Marvel, the dark tone of DC just gives it a much more realistic vibe. These are real people facing real dilemmas. They do get bruised (as seen in Dick’s shirtless scenes) and bloody and broken (as also seen from Hank’s shirtless scene). I like that the series is exploring that and showing us, that yes, these characters are far from perfect. That yes, they walk a fine line between being a hero and a villain, and one wrong decision could put them on the wrong side. They go through pain and heartbreak and betrayal. It’s very raw. Very dark. But I love it.

 I also love that the attempt to inject humor here is just right. It’s not overly done or pathetic- looking like Shazam (sorry for those who are excited to see it, but really, I think they tried too hard to be funny with that one and just died). The humor here is much more muted, just perfect to give a little lightness from all the torn up feelings the characters are experiencing. Like I said, it’s just a pinch, but it’s there. And I think the writers have found a perfect balance.

 3.       PERFECT CAST

I’ve already thanked whoever cast Brenton Thwaites, but really I’m amazed by the entire ensemble. Even to the people behind the scenes for making a successful show to launch the DC Universe streaming platform. This can really be a good start for the other upcoming series like Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn. 

Aside from Dick, I’d have to say Raven is also beautifully portrayed by Teagan Croft (and apparently she’s only fourteen?! Dude, what? Can I adopt her?!). 

I’m also warming up to Starfire. From the first episode I’ve seen, she can be a badass, but her fun and cavalier personality also shines through as she tried to remember who she is. I’m hoping to see more of the free- spirited, fun- loving Starfire like in the comics and old animated series. Anna Diop is great with giving us the strong yet blasé personality, even that naivety, which Starfire seems to have. 

And of course, let’s not forget Hawk and Dove (aka Hank and Dawn). Although I’m not a fan of their somewhat toxic relationship, I did fall in love with Dove’s calm and calming presence. On the other hand, I also like how Ritchson contrasts that with the douchebag that is Hank/ Hawk. Apparently, opposites still attract. Can’t wait to see Donna and Beast Boy incorporated more into the story.

4.       ACTION (AND VIOLENCE?)

Welllllllll I’m not really a fan of the violence, but I guess it’s a part of what makes the show interesting. The fight scenes are very well choreographed. I love that there are some tumblings done by Dick (maybe a stunt double) that show his acrobatic roots. I also love the teamwork shown in the scene where he’s fighting alongside Hawk and Dove. There seems to be large amounts of blood spilled, whether it be the bad guys or the good guys. It’s not entirely necessary and reminds me too much of Netflix’s The Punisher, but I guess some people like that. Kudos to the fight choreographers though! Because of them (and not the blood) the fight scenes have become my favourite part of the show. I could watch those scenes a ton of times.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY THINGS:

·         Donna Troy (Wonder Girl) is set to make an appearance and you don’t know how happy this makes me! She’s Dick’s best friend in the comics and I ship them so hard. Can’t wait to see what their chemistry will be like on screen and what Wonder Girl will bring to the table. Since Wonder Woman was a big hit, I’m expecting something good from her as well.

·         People die in this universe and, although it makes me sad, it is something unavoidable in a superhero movie. I always kind of disliked the fact that no one ever stays dead in a superhero movie or story. Tragedy is a great part of what makes a hero. However, if they kill off Dove, I’m starting a protest.

·         Starfire and Raven get costumes. Although it hasn’t been shown in the series per se, it’s been confirmed with some BTS pictures, and that’s nearly as good. My girl Donna should also get her own clothes otherwise-

·         Grayson’s soft side when it comes to Rachel. Honestly, Dick being a dad to Rachel and totally denying that he’s good with family is the cutest thing ever (Also can we talk about him calling her Rache?! Too cute!)

And that’s about it! What are you most looking forward to seeing from Titans? Who do you want to be on the team? And are you liking it so far? Sound off with a comment!

[edensix]

evelyn trevelyan as dril tweets

blocked. blocked. blocked. youre all blocked. none of you are free of sin

Arl Teagan looked disgusting – nipples protruding – in his orange shirt before the Exalted Council. Very very disrespectful.

a boss should be allowed to kick her employees asse’s. key to her workers house so she can just come in and start wailing anytime #bottomword

please dm my ambassador if you wish to Banter with me in the mentions, so she can send you the proper paperwork. im extremely tired of this shit.

sick of seeing “Snark” on my feed regarding the divine’s candidates. i will be voting for all of them because they seem nice

THERAPIST: your problem is, that youre perfect, and everyone is jealous of your good posts, and that makes you rightfully upset. ME: I agree

it is with a heavy heart that i must announce that the elves are at it again

another miserable day of Disappointing my companions

me: nobody has to get owned today. please, please put down the staff and step back solas: Fuck oyu

[ma-sulevin]

Day 4 of @alistairappreciationweek is all about Alistair’s family. If you’ve been reading along this week, or if you’ve read The Life and Times of Sophie Amell on AO3, you know that my King Alistair marries a non-Warden Cousland. And since everyone gets a happy ending…

The only thing that keeps her quiet is the steady rocking step that Alistair has perfected at some point during the last week. Her reedy wails settle first to whimpers, then to quiet snores as he traces a steady path through the castle, humming quietly with each step.

Teagan and the nanny both tried to keep Alistair from his daughter at first, claiming a king has no place in a nursery. He put his foot down, and Ophelia backed him up with the intensity that made him fall in love with her in the first place.

They both waited years for Elodie. They aren’t going to waste time letting strangers raise her the way they spent their childhoods -- Ophelia, forgotten by her parents among hired nurses and servants until she was called out to be paraded in front of guests and sent back to their rooms, and Alistair, ignored at best and abused at worst, running around the Redcliffe Castle stables.

Ophelia is sound asleep, resting as Alistair takes his turn in the small hours of the morning. Colic, the nanny said, not harmful or lasting, but exhausting for the caregivers, even split between a baby’s parents and nurses.

Alistair finds that he minds less. It gives his body something to do when he can barely sit still, walking up and down, and it’s easier to believe that this is truly happening and not some strange demon-dream when he holds his daughter against his chest with his chin on her tiny head.

He can believe it’s real when he can feel her breathing and occasionally squirming against his chest as she sleeps and he walks. It helps calm the song still in his mind, the one that would keep him awake anyway, the one he knows is false but is slowly killing him all the same.

He slows to a cautious stop by one of the castle’s narrow windows, but Elodie doesn’t react to the change in motion. He holds himself still in the silvery moonlight that spills through the glass and adjusts the baby in his arms until he can look down at her face.

This, she does notice, blinking open bright blue eyes to stare up at her father. Alistair smiles softly, starting to sway gently from side to side in the hopes that Elodie will remain still as he examines her, as he reminds himself that she’s truly here.

Her eyes are the same as her mother’s, ringed with dark lashes, set over pink cheeks. She blinks at him once, slowly, then wrinkles up her nose as she sucks in a deep breath that Alistair knows is the immediate precursor to another high-pitched scream.

“Okay, okay,” he says right away, shifting her back onto his shoulder. He pats her back softly, but she keeps her head upright to stare angrily over his shoulder. He can imagine the way her little brow will furrow and her eyes will squeeze closed just before she starts to cry, so he keeps talking to distract her as he starts to walk again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up. You’re just so beautiful I had to look at you.”

She doesn’t cry, grunting instead. Alistair adjusts his course to head back toward the nursery where the all clean nappies are.

“You don’t want to scream to wake your mama up, do you?” Alistair mutters, summoning a stream of chatter to calm Elodie as he wanders. “She’ll be cross with both of us if you do. Do you want to give up most of your crib to me? I’ll have to sleep with you if she kicks me out of her bed.”

Elodie makes a gurgling noise that he can easily pretend is a laugh.

“Oh sure,” he continues, “it’s funny now. It won’t be funny when we’re both squeezed into that tiny thing and you have to sleep on my stomach.” She makes another little noise and lets her cheek rest against his collarbone. “I know it’s softer now than it used to be, but I don’t think that would be comfortable for either of us.”

They’ve reached the nursery, and Alistair pushes through the door and lets it fall closed behind him. He expertly holds Elodie in his left arm while using the other to activate the runes that give the room light. It’s not very bright, but it’s enough for him to be able to see what he’s doing as he lays Elodie down.

She wiggles her little fists at him and kicks her feet as Alistair fixes her with a stern look. “We’re going to get through this whole thing without either of us crying or getting sick,” he informs her. She sucks in a deep breath as he starts to undress her, so he starts talking again to distract her from the scream he knows she’s trying to release.

“Are you finished down here?” he asks, readying himself before opening her diaper. “If I put a clean one on you and then you mess it right away, you’re in trouble.” A pause so he can focus, then he starts again: “I’ll tell your mama and she’ll be cross with you instead of me, and who knows what she’ll do. Smother you in kisses, let Princess lick your feet, oh!” He snaps the fingers of his free hand as he drops the dirty diaper in the bin. “She’ll make you talk to Uncle Teagan.”

A quiet voice from behind him adds, “And we all know how awful that is.”

Alistair is smiling even before he glances over his shoulder to see Ophelia crossing the nursery to join them. He leans down to accept her kiss before finishing his task and adjusting her sleeping clothes back.

“Why are you threatening our favorite daughter with your uncle?” Ophelia asks, holding out her hands for Elodie. Alistair passes her over, then can’t help but pull both of them back toward him so that Ophelia’s back is against his chest and he can see Elodie grinning in her arms.

“I couldn’t think of anything worse,” Alistair answers, honestly, but with a grin in anticipation of Ophelia’s giggle.

She doesn’t disappoint, laughing quietly and bouncing Elodie a little to keep her quiet.

“Oh, Alistair,” she says. “I do love you.”

He bends down and kisses her cheek, then wraps his arms around her middle to hold her close. “And I love you.”

[Ophelia/Alistair masterpost]

[dragonswithjetpacks]

Trespasser has already fucked me up. To begin with, my Inner Circle is just like... so.... Maker, they're so pure. Can we just talk about Varric for a second? Viscount of Kirkwall? Offers a place? A friggin key? And has even allied with my clan at Wycome, basically. Which, let me tell you, made me tear up a little. I canon my half sister as running a clinic in Wycome. So this was important to me. And then Vivienne, despite it being two years, still wants to make sure I'm okay after my terrible breakup. It just makes me so happy. Was a little disappointed with Bull's cut scene, but the birthday bit was cute. I was touched at most of the Inner Circle, offering me positions in case the Inquisition disbanded. In all likeliness, Aeva would either retreat to Wycome or reform under a different name. Or possibly take over Wycome. Either way, she was also intrigued by Leliana's recommendation to disban the Inquisition and dip into the shadows. That was pretty appealing, but Aeva still would rather be a force than a shadow.

Before I go further, WHAT THE FUCK, TEAGAN? People liked you. You ass. The first thing he brings up is Crestwood but... it's not like there were any Ferelden soldiers around to protect it. You should be saying thank you. You act like we took over the town. Pretty sure it still resides in Ferelden. Under the laws of Ferelden. We were basically just holding your place until you got back, ungrateful prick. Actually, where the fuck were you during Inquisition? If you were so concerned about your villages being taken over, why didn't you dispatch soldiers? You have connections, don't you? Also, I'm fairly certain with as on point as Josephine is, she would not have ignored the fact that we were residing in a stronghold within Ferelden territory. More than likely, she probably contacted someone after the mayor left since there was no place of power. I get it, Redcliffe was taken over. I understand. But if Crestwood was an issue, it should have been addressed when you realized it was a concern. As for us remaining... Caer Enoch is the only stronghold in Ferelden that the Inquisition holds. It more than likely acts as a trade hub and a sort of storage for the Ferelden scouts. You know Ferelden merchants are flocking to sell there. Since it is a focal point of that area (ALONG THE NORTH ROAD MIND YOU), it probably helps the economy of that village as well. Which, let's be honest, it needs it. Crestwood used to be a bustling town. With the lake drained, the commerce that Keep is pulling might help rebuild the village. It would be smart for us to stay... and like I said, Josephine. But I'm not even finished, you guys... He then goes on about invading and then wants to bitch about the Grey Wardens centuries ago when they exiled them... Teagan... dude... do you hear what you're saying? I don't think I have to put down what I'm thinking right now. You all already know... P.S.... Aeva's from the Free Marches. I just have a really hard time believing that Ferelden was kept in the dark about everything. Whether you sided with mages or templars, the first arch begins and ends in Ferelden. And I'm pretty sure the King/Queen is well aware of it. More than likely, he has been too busy traveling that he can't keep up with events and just has to shout nonsense to try to keep his power. That doesn't sound like the Teagan I knew, but whatever... I’m done being mad about it.

Now let's talk about Solas. I haven't caught up with him yet. I'm making my way back to the Council from the Crossroads. My Solas was elegant and graceful. I get to the tower temple sanctuary place thing and like... these Qunari were slaughtered... by a powerful mage... who knew the area... slaughtered. It gave me chills thinking of him slinking through the tower, taking out the Qunari forces like they were nothing. Also, the fact that he was just a normal dude helping the people made me... proud? He's still an ass. And I haven't learned everything, yet. But it makes me love him even more. Poor Aeva doesn't even know. She's gonna be pissed. I also just love Sera's comment about the Dalish shitting themselves.

And how cool was it to talk to the spirits with the Well of Sorrows? Lavallens well-drinkres, amiright?

[grcywardcn-archive]

v: a different kind of hero;; verse information

duncan survives the attack on ostagar, but not by being rescued by flemeth and therefore doesn’t recruit morrigan. both alistair and the warden die.

flees the ruins of ostagar and has to sneak through lothering. his goal is to head for the boarder of orlais and ferelden and contact the wardens waiting there. he does not recruit lelianna or sten. he is, however, spotted leaving town and word is sent to loghain.

loghain sends assassins after him. duncan manages to beat, sneak by, and flee the assassins all the way to the foot of the frostbacks. in a final face off between himself and zevran, both are seriously wounded, zeveran just a little more so. duncan realizes he won’t make it through the frostbacks by himself like this and decides to gather the forces he can in ferelden. does recruit zevran.

starts with the dwarves. recruits oghren. declines to meddle with dwarven politics and instead turns to the deep roads to speak with the legion of the dead. manages to gain their support. stumbles upon the caridin’s forge. chooses to back branka and use the forge to create more golems. with the support of the legion of the dead and the golems, duncan leaves dwarven politics to dwarves (it is assumed bhelen assassinates harrowmount and assumes the throne without any help).

goes to the circle tower. everything proceeds as normal. avoids using the rite of annulment and sides with the mages. recruits wynne.

goes to redcliffe. helps the villagers defend their town against zombies. breaks into the castle. leaves jowan in his cell, confronts isolde and connor. chooses to contact the mages for more help and sends wynne into the fade. leaves eamon in a coma and tells teagan to (more or less) step the fuck up and take responsibility and become arl.

does not go to the temple of sacred ashes.

goes to recruit the dalish. initially against helping them, he does decide to find a cure for the werewolves. ends the curse and recruits the dalish.

goes to denerim. helps elves in the alienage free themselves from slavers. attends the landsmeet with teagan. persuades many nobles to join his side. faces loghain in single combat and forces him to join the wardens. mildly disappointed when he lives but makes do somehow. anora sole ruler of ferelden.

loghain manages to land the killing blow against the archdemon. the fifth blight ends and duncan works to restore a better grey warden presence to ferelden.