#the hilt

[awardenandacrow]

FANFIC SNIPPET 29

NOTE: this snippet falls chronologically between snippet 10 and snippet 15

[Taash, Harding, and Naimy go for drinks at the Hilt. Naimy has a confession, and worries she might be strange.]

CW/TW: suggestive dialogue, language

——————————————————————————

“Soooooo,” Isabela grinned at Naimeryn, and she felt her whole body get tense. There was a sparkle in Isabela’s eye she didn’t care for, and Isabela was intimidating enough to spend time with without it. “To *drastically* change the subject, Taash tells me you’re finally shagging demon boy.”

Harding choked on her drink.

“That is not what I said,” Taash cut in before Naimeryn could even process what was happening. “And they’re not. Firsthand, can confirm, they have not done it.”

Naimeryn caught up and felt as though her whole body was red.

“That’s a shame! Why not?” Isabela asked. “He’s a hottie; I always have loved a man with a beard.”

“Rook doesn’t have to —“ Harding began.

“That’s what I said!” Taash was saying to Isabela. “Well, not exactly. But I don’t get why they’re bein’ weird about it! *And* he spent the night in her room last night.”

“Taash,” Naimeryn said, gripping her cup with both hands.

“I thought you said they hadn’t slept together? And you knew firsthand!”

“Taash,” Naimeryn said again.

“She was drunk. We’d have heard —“

“TAASH!” Naimeryn all but shouted, jumping to her feet. She pressed her hands flat on the table to steady herself, unsure why she felt so angry on top of being mortified. “The only one being weird about this is you!”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.

“Why does it matter so much?” Naimeryn asked the table past the knot forming in her throat. “Why do we have to do that for —- I don’t even know. For you to think it’s real? Or, or…”

She grasped at words she didn’t know. She didn’t know what she wanted to ask.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was botherin’ you so much,” Taash said awkwardly. “It’s just… you’ve been pinin’ over each other for so long I expected you to not be able to wait. But it’s been like a month.”

“And everyone’s timeline is their own,” Harding said gently.

“Is it… is it really that weird that we haven’t?” Naimeryn asked, sinking back into her seat and feeling defeated. “I’ve never… I mean…”

“I know that tone,” Isabela said. Naimeryn peeked up at her and was met with the most genuine, soft expression she’d ever seen Isabela make. “Rook, would Lucanis be your first?”

“No way,” Taash snorted. “You’re always ravenous by the time you get the chance to when it’s your first time.”

“Not always,” Harding shook her head. “Not everyone is rebelling against their strict mother.”

“No, literally everyone I know had *no* control their first time.”

“You don’t know *everyone* though,” Harding reminded them.

“Doesn’t matter,” Taash shook their head. “Rook’s a Warden. What else is there to do when there’s no Darkspawn to fight?”

“Drink,” Naimeryn said hoarsely.

“See? She’s gotta have some drunk hookups under her belt.”

Naimeryn couldn’t meet any of their eyes, but she shook her head.

“You’re… joking, right?” Taash wanted to know, then swore before Naimeryn even had a chance to answer. “I would *not* have been ribbing you this hard if I knew…”

“I mean… I told you. Sort of. After he didn’t kiss me.”

“Right but I just thought you meant…” Taash stopped and growled “vashedan!” under their breath. “I feel like an ass now. *Never?*”

Naimeryn shrugged. “There were better options, like… *prettier* options, and I didn’t want to just.. be someone someone else was settling for. A stand in. That feels gross to me.”

“Rook, do you *want* to have sex with Lucanis?” Harding asked thoughtfully. Naimeryn fiddled with her cup.

“I mean… I’ve read Varric’s books. It sounds… nice.”

No one said anything for long enough that Naimeryn knew that that was somehow the wrong answer.

“I like…” she started, frowned. How could she say this in a way that didn’t sound stupid? “I liked kissing him. I’d like to do that again. And we held hands last night, and that…”

She couldn’t fight the smile at the memory, tracing her fingertips across her other palm, where his hand had been.

“That was nice. And it felt good when he was holding me. And I assume… eventually…”

Naimeryn trailed off, struggling to cope with all the feelings in her chest. She felt *so strongly* for him. If he asked her, she couldn’t imagine saying no. But to *pursue* it?

“So you’ve had one kiss, yeah, held hands, and what, a snuggle?” Isabela recapped.

Naimeryn nodded. “I was drunk. He held me while I fell asleep. Played with my hair.”

She hugged herself and smiled, the memory of waking up that morning fresh and exhilarating. “He didn’t leave.”

“It’s so cute I’m going to throw up,” Isabela was grinning ear to ear as she signaled the bartender to bring her another. “Has *he* brought up sex?”

“No…” a tremor of doubt pinched her stomach. “Do you think he doesn’t —“

Taash’s big hand grasped both of hers. “Don’t do that to yourself. He’s into you.”

Harding snorted. “That man is in over his head smitten. Don’t worry, Naimy, if he hasn’t brought it up, it’s just that he’s not in a hurry.”

“Which is a good thing,” Isabela said, accepting her new drink and turning back to the table. “Nothing worse than a guy who thinks he can just jump straight into your pants. And they’re *never* good lovers, either.”

Taash and Harding both made noises of agreement and raised their glasses.

“I’m just… happy with how things are,” Naimeryn said quietly. “He’s been through so much; it was a huge step for him just to let me in. And then we *kissed*, and he didn’t… he stayed. I guess… I guess I hadn’t even really thought about sex. At all. Is that… weird? Is it *wrong* that I don’t want…”

She frowned. “Don’t want” wasn’t really how she felt about sex with Lucanis. But she didn’t want to somehow… mess it up. Could sex do that? Could *not* having sex do that?

“Rook, if you’re happy, and *he’s* happy, then it doesn’t matter what any of us think,” Harding told her.

“And honestly, your relationship is young,” Isabela added. “Taash made it sound like you’ve been making out all over the Lighthouse for weeks!”

“No, I didn’t!” Taash snapped.

“Bellara probably wishes they were,” Harding giggled.

“Wait, what?” Naimeryn asked.

“Oh you didn’t know?” Harding laughed. “She’s using all of us for inspiration for that serial she’s writing. I’m pretty sure she’s researching you and Lucanis for the romance!”

“No!” Naimeryn gasped, her face growing red again.

“Oh, yeah,” Taash nodded, trying not to laugh themselves. “Definitely is.”

[jpopstreaming]

🆕🎶 「 Culmo Jackson 」 new single by The Hilt, Monsieur Jovoni is now available worldwide! 🌐 Listen now on our weekly updated playlist and discover new sounds from Japan 🎧 https://spoti.fi/42HdAgd

[blueiscoool]

Chinese Bronze Sword With An Inlaid Rock Crystal, Turquoise and Gold Hilt Warring States Period, Circa 4th - 2nd Century B.C.

[brainrotcharacters]

makes me giggle to think of X2 Logan meeting dp&w Logan when this is a thing

[armthearmour]

An early Basket-hilted Broadsword,

OaL: 42.5 in/107.9 cm

Blade Length: 36.5 in/92.7 cm

Width: 5.75 in/14.6 cm

Depth: 4.25 in/10.8 cm

Weight: 3 lbs/1360.8 g

Potsdam, Germany, hilt ca. 1540, blade 17th century, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[archfey-edda]

Double-edged swords

[bladeborne]

i think cherik nation moved on from the cerebro sword a bit too quickly. like helloo???

[gydima]

File name: izzy-approves-most-sexily.gif

[belphegor1982]

at some point he went back and searched through a battlefield to get this sword because it's the only thing of his daughter he has 💔

[randltrash]

Gory Hole "Issues" Good Mythical Evening 2024

[mering]

luddite/lamb

[tenthmuseondine]

Brienne and Jaime | The Lovers

"It's yours. It will always be yours."

[lordoftheringsmusical]

The Nazgûl puppeteers in action!

📸 Bernadette Santos Schwegel

shared by Arik Vega on Instagram

[tanuki-kimono]

Sleek pattern for this yukata showing stylized tsuka (katana hilt) and tsuba (sword guard)

[jun-hyungs]

that point in time where it was decided that cody just permanently holds onto obi wan’s lightsaber until he needs it

[kyouka-supremacy]

Sword + sword + Fukuchi's body