#tiredassmage

[jb-nonsense]

3, 11, 34, & +1 for 50 Rook questions (mild spoilers edition)

Here's 50 questions about Rook, with some mild spoilers in the questions, with endgame spoilers in the last 10:

3. Does Rook join Bellara and Lucanis on cooking rotations?

No. He can't rely on his taste buds to properly cook. He's got the creeping of the Calling in the back of his mind, and that sometimes causes food to just taste like ash. He also doesn't have much experience with cooking beyond basic warden camp foods, so he wouldn't be good at it at all.

11. What decor for the Lighthouse did Rook choose? Why?

Grey Warden decor. Even though the First Warden tried to push him out, he's still a warden at heart. He can't remove it from who he is, it's in his blood. Literally. And it reminds him of not giving up, because even though the wardens knew they were fighting a losing battle, they refused to give in to the Blight and what it eventually meant for the world.

34. What's Rook's reaction to Solas using blood magic to bind them together?

Unsurprised, honestly. A desperate mage is a mage who resorts to blood magic, after all. And Ogden is a mage as well and a warden. He's aware of what blood magic can do, and even if Solas denied it at first, there was always a suspicion in the back of his mind. Does not mean he liked it or was neutral about it. He was annoyed as all get out by how Solas used it, especially with we all know who. The level of manipulation pissed him off and he had no issue telling Solas that.

+1 Does Rook carry any kind of trinket or talisman?

Adhlea gave him a carved halla necklace when they were in the Circle, before he left for the Wardens. She gave it to him for him to remember her. He keeps it with him and on his person always.

[borealtwilight]

stillness & hair for oc(s) of your choice <3

Stillness: Answering for Artemis-B312

It tends to vary. There are times where Artemis is more restless, and so she shifts fractionally in her seat or on the spot, her body is tense and poised for flight. This is when she’s apprehensive about a particular situation, or she has more energy and needs to do something to wear herself out.

At other times, she can hold herself so still so as to seem like she’s a statue— not moving, only the faintest indication that she’s breathing and blinking. This is thanks to her training and skill as a marksman and hunter, and it can be unnerving to some to witness.

Hair: Answering for Iskra ’Charulam

Before Iskra lost her adoptive father, she tended to wear her wavy black hair loose and about her shoulders, or tied back in a ponytail whenever she was working on something or training.

However, after her father disappeared ( and was perhaps later killed; she certainly believes him dead ), she began to wear her hair longer, and shaved her head on one side. As well, she dyes it royal blue, the same colour as N’thasan’s armour had been after he broke away from the Covenant, to honour his memory.

[dawntread]

a collection . of what? for who? don't worry about it

[shadowsofdread]

inspired by the poll about theron shan's romantic chemistry with each of the origin classes, i wanna pose a somewhat similar question because i love thinking about it. it's a big thing in the swtor fandom that people tend to write relationships between their mains of each of the origin stories, and certain trends/combinations tend to be common - namely, sith warrior & jedi knight, jedi knight & jedi consular, sith warrior & sith inquisitor, etc.

so an open question i'm putting forward for anyone to reply to is what are your favorite pairings of classes - platonically, romantically, secret third thing, antagonistically, etc. you don't have to name an "underrated" one, but my question is based more on the chemistry between the classes, like, in general as opposed to specific iterations of that class. i.e., by all means use your OCs as an example of why you like that pairing, but like. i am talking more broadly about archetypes than specific characters. does this make sense. anyway, some of mine:

sith warrior & jedi knight

you knew this one was coming. i think the SW and JK are positioned pretty well to act as foils to one another, and there's something very interesting about how the transitions between Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of each campaign mirror each other, with the finales of their respective campaigns leaving them on opposite sides of a current or future antagonist - with the SW ending up on that same side as the JK by ziost. i've interpreted this as a shared sense of personal responsibility - through their actions, one way or another, they make the most sense for being the emperor's number one enemy, which may lead to a sort of alliance between the two characters, depending how you spin it. or, hey, maybe your sith warrior is actually loyal to the emperor even still, at least until they are ultimately betrayed by valkorion. in which case, lifelong, bitter enemies. where maybe they should've had a common cause, maybe the pieces should've been there all along for them to fight together, but against all sanity and reason, the SW chooses again and again to stand by vitiate/valkorion.

sith warrior & imperial agent

next to SW&JK, this is the dynamic i keep coming back to over and over again - there's a reason why taizi's met most of @tiredassmage's agents. it's also the one i have the hardest time explaining why i like so much. there's the appeal of like ... hypercompetent pairing with vastly different skills but very good at those skills. it's kind of like a variation on what scratches my brain about SW & quinn in that there's a lot of toying around you can do with sith/imperial power dynamics - made even more interesting depending on the type of agent you're playing, and regardless an agent who has had their literal brain fucked with by the dark council, i.e. the castellan restraints.

sith warrior & jedi consular

listen. have i actually gotten to use this one much in the "playing blorbo barbies with my friends" sphere? not exactly. it's a very new one that i'm still rotating, and i don't know how to explain what it is i like about it but i really, really want to see more of it. i think it could be delicious, brent. please let your warriors and your consulars talk to each other more. one thing i will put forward is i think SW & JC scratches a similar itch to SW & JK to me, but in, like, a slightly different font? i dunno, man. i just wanna see it more.

honorable mentions:

jedi consular OR jedi knight & trooper: it's like jedi / clone trooper but without the ethical issues and cognitive dissonance! /lh

sith inquisitor & jedi consular: could be taken so many different ways, i just don't think enough about SI to do much with it

imperial agent & jedi knight: only really seen a few iterations - two of them being my own - but like. something in here's really fucking good.

[hurricanek8art]

Thank you @tiredassmage for the literal swift kick in the pants and behold the inaugural K8's SWTOR OC Bio extravaganza (maybe?!?! I don't know what I'm doing and I'm still not happy with this but anyways 🥴). Starting with:

Aja Verdona: The Commander

Homeworld: Naboo (birth world; Odessen (adopted)

Born: 3664BBY/21 ATC (age 21 at start; frozen in carbonite for 5 years, currently 34)

Species: Human

Occupation: Commander of the Eternal Alliance

Affiliations: Jedi Order, Eternal Alliance

Romances: Rass Ordo

Masters: Several, most prominently Connelly Draay (OC) and Orgus Din

Apprentices: Vega Kodral (OC)

Hero of Tython, Throne-breaker, Outlander, Commander—Aja Verdona has borne many titles throughout her life, but none have ever been able to outweigh her dedication and drive to protecting the galaxy. Arriving on Tython a hotheaded and arrogant young woman who was letting her 'grand destiny', her abandonment issues and her fear of failure push her to the edge, Aja found herself taken under the wing of Orgus Din. What followed was a whirlwind three years that saw her pushed to the edge of her sanity and beyond, the murder of the first Master to stick by her side despite all of her flaws and intensity, an eight-month stint as the mind-controlled pet attack dog of the Sith Emperor, and an unexpected quest to slay Vitiate once and for all. When that was undone by the actions of the Revanites several years later, Aja resumed her quest, determined to do what the Force had chosen her to do long before she was even born, leading her to mature and grow in the nearly two decades since her journey began, conquering her past anger, and defeated Tenebrae time and time again. But now that Tenebrae is gone, and new, different threats and challenges threaten to overwhelm her—the warmongering of Heta Kol, machinations of Darth Malgus, training a stubborn and determined young Padawan, and Aja's sudden, unexpected feelings for a Mandalorian warrior. Now, Aja is faced with a new question: what is she without the threat of Tenebrae constantly hanging over her head, especially now that a new prophecy threatens all she holds dear? And what will she choose to become?

[ebitenpura]

SEVEN DEADLY SINS

tagged by @tiredassmage ty! :3c

tagging @thelealinhypehouse @sealeneee and anyone who's looking at this funny/wants to

LUST. desire for connection. pursuit of pleasure. emotional intelligence. obsessive. lovesick. one-night stands. seductive encounter. flirtatious conversation. erotic party. seductive attire. revealing clothing. passionate gaze. provocative makeup. sensual expressions. suggestive gestures. flirtatious smiles. lingerie. love letters. perfumes. provocative behaviour. love poems. erotic art.

GLUTTONY. indulgence in experiences. savouring moments. hospitality. generosity. hedonism. culinary expertise. wine-tasting. excessive snacking. overloaded plates. excessive portions. bloated stomachs. messy eating. greasy fingers. full tables. indulgent spreads. overflowing cups. satisfied expressions. wine bottles. just can't get enough. fast food wrappers.

ENVY. motivation. competitive spirit. strategic planning. observational skills. bitter rivalry. contest. envious gossip. resentment-filled argument. social media jealousy. furrowed brows. clenched jaws. side-eye looks. pursed lips. tense posture. whispering behind backs. crossed arms. gossip magazines. keeping up with the joneses. the grass is always greener. feeling inadequate.

GREED. resourcefulness. entrepreneurial spirit. negotiation. materialistic. aggressive investment. lavish spending spree. resource-hoarding. get-rich-quick schemes. auction-bidding war. property acquisition. piles of money. overflowing wallets. luxury items. locked safes. penny-pinching. rare collectibles. selfishness. unwillingness to share.

SLOTH. calmness. stress management. nonchalance. relaxation techniques. lethargic. apathetic. inactive. lazy weekend. binge-watching marathon. neglected chores. skipped workout. long nap. lounging on the couch. missed deadlines. unkempt appearance. messy hair. pajamas. blankets. slippers. procrastination station. self-care routines.

PRIDE. confidence. self-assurance. self-respect. dignity. public speaking. self-promotion. arrogant. conceited. egotistical. self-important. vain. boastful speech. puffed chest. raised chin. smug smiles. spotlight. tooting your own horn. showing off. refusing to admit mistakes. feeling entitled. personal branding. leadership development.

WRATH. assertiveness. decisiveness. strength. intensity. boundary setting. courage. indignant. heated arguments. road rage incident. physical altercation. angry outburst. clenched fists. glaring eyes. tense muscles. raised voices. reddened faces. aggressive gestures. stormy demeanour. intense frowns. destructive actions. broken objects. punching bag. out for blood. fists. simmering anger.

[kemendin]

Yoinked this from @sweetearthandnorthernsky

Rules: You will be given a word. Then you share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that starts with each letter of your word.

The word was 'create'. I actually don't have a lot of active WIPs at the moment, so these are all from the same two:

C - Cas dared an upward glance, watching the flame of the nearest candle dancing its reflection across Scourge's brilliant eyes. R - Revulsion, quick and queasy, growls up through Dhamari's throat. He shows his teeth again, leaning aggressively forward. E - "Every day, a little more of his life drains away. But I am giving you a chance - your only chance - to help him." A - “After all, nigh on every tavern tale one hears about the dark elves portrays them as maddened, sadistic, backstabbing monsters.” T - There can be no rest upon the flimsy pedestal of triumph, not when it can so easily disintegrate beneath him. E - Even in this uneven lighting, he can make out the faint shadow of the bruises lingering on Gale's face, where the wizard had impacted upon the unforgiving rocks of the Underdark.

I shall taaaaag... @newvegascowboy @pentacass @tiredassmage @chaoticstrata, and your word is OCEAN!

[frauleiiin]

SWTOR SECRET SANTA 2023

The event is officially over, thank you SO much for participating regardless the rushed circumstances. Hope you all had fun and if I'm still around on Tumblr by that time, see you next year for the next secret santa!! Now here's the credit of all artists and writers + the links to their gift. Enjoy!

Artists

@outcastcommander to @justiceforc3po : Vada & Lana

@onedismay to @riachuelowii : Vector Hyllus

@parseolegacy to @sullustangin : Eva & Theron

@jukkariart to @thelealinhypehouse : Ain'res

@radetzkymarch to @zelsisi : Zelsisi

@alekosx to @zephhhhh : Agent & Lyyran

@hoiist to @moonvoidpng : Moonri'ya

@eydika (ishallobservethis) to @onedismay : The Inquisitor & Khem

@lanabenikosdoormat to @radetzkymarch : Flayr

@sheyshen to @dirthara-dalen : Ligastar & Theron

@femurs-vectivus to @vagabond-pinky : Fin

@thelealinhypehouse to @hoiist : Vii

@zephhhhh to @lordbarroomdoor : JK & Doc

@diazuk-legacy to @vexa-legacy : Khano

@vagabond-pinky (vagabond-art) to @jukkariart : Erin

@riachuelowii to @femurs-vectivus : Eiexi

@vexa-legacy to @the-tomato-patch : Rhiasen

@levedor-legacy to @parseolegacy : Akk'rai

@moonvoidpng to @geekwithacuriousmind : Surian

@the-tomato-patch to @queen-scribbles : Kementari & Jorgan

@justiceforc3po to @nekorinnie : Evorurt

@nekorinnie to @frauleiiin : Yuthuura & Andronikos

@mandoart to @lanabenikosdoormat : Jed Solaris

@frauleiiin to @mandoart : Nino

Writers

@zelsisi to @outcastcommander : How To Properly Kill An Amperor... With Your Problematic Sibling

@queen-scribbles to @ishallobservethis : Breather

@captainmortuem to @tiredassmage : SWTOR Secret Santa 2023

@sullustangin to @levedor-legacy : SWTOR Secret Santa 2023

@dirthara-dalen to @captainmortuem : Life Day

@lordbarroomdoor to @alekosx : SWTOR Secret Santa 2023

@tiredassmage to @sheyshen : SWTOR Secret Santa 2023

@geekwithacuriousmind to @diazuk-legacy : Servant Two Begins to Question

[spacelingart]

[C] Leo Ashold

Chunky sketch commission for @tiredassmage!!

🪙 Toss me a coin at Patreon or Ko-fi 🌛 Check out my commissions 📣 Twitter • Bluesky • Tumblr • Instagram 💬 Join my Discord art community!

Timelapse! 👇

[swtorpadawan]

Fighting the Zakuulans on his own? Without the support of the Jedi? For a Republic that had all but surrendered? Tyzen had been terrified. But he couldn’t give up. He had to keep fighting for those who couldn’t flee or protect themselves. If not on Tatooine, then on a hundred other worlds. Because he knew that the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

Tagging!

@serenxanthe @relevant-url-incoming @fleeting-sanity @corruptlight @queen-scribbles @wondrouswendy @sullustangin @hunnybadgerv @starettethestar @ospreyeamon @the-tomato-patch @rhomellegacy @kartaylirsden @tiredassmage @kemendin @thelastenvoyyy @gardeningthegalaxy @anchanted-one

[fatewalker-phoenix]

Febhyurary Day 5 - Companion

Before there was love, there was friendship, and before that was quiet companionship, between two souls seemingly bonded only by their common title of Warrior of Light...

(featuring @tiredassmage's beloved Astor)

[jb-nonsense]

15, 32, & 46 for the 50 questions for Rook!

fifty questions for rook

Ogden "Rook" Thorne

15. What’s the first thing people notice when Rook enters a room?

The man's been part of a secretive military group for seventeen years. He has a presence about him, a way he holds himself, a way he looks around a room when he enters, which screams of commanding. Paired with his taller than average height, he definitely gets noticed when he enters a room and perhaps can seem a bit intimidating to people who don't know him. This, though, sometimes causes him to stand out and he's not good at being inconspicuous because he just...Exudes an aura of command and a bit of danger when he's in a mood.

32. How would a desire demon tempt Rook?

He had a childhood sweetheart in the Circle, who was killed during the Mage-Templar War. Despite how strong of a will Ogden has, there would be a strong desire to see Adhlea again, to talk with her, to apologize for not being there when she needed him, and juts be able to hold her one more time. That would be the weakest point in his armor at the start of the game, but I don't think with how strong willed he is and having gone through his harrowing, that it would work. It would be close, though.

46. What does it take to earn Rook’s trust?

As a warden, Ogden is quite used to working with a variety of people, but that doesn't mean he'll trust them completely. He'll expect them to do their job and if they're able to prove their ability, then he'll trust them with work, but still consider how much he entrusts with them. He's practical and pragmatic; it takes time to build up that trust, real trust, for him to actually delve into the depths of who he is behind the leadership skills and friendly quips he'll sometimes throw out to put someone at ease. It's just a long road of proving ability and character for him to decide 'yes, this is a person I can trust with my deepest darkest secrets.' I'm not even sure Varric got to that level with him, to be honest. Sure, he might have gotten a bit here and there, but Ogden does like to hold his cards close about himself. Hell, I even headcanon he doesn't introduce himself as Ogden. Before, it was Warden Thorne or Thorne, then when Varric gave him the nickname/callsign of Rook, it was Rook. So if a person gets him to tell them his name is Ogden, that's a good sign.

[dawntread]

hey yroh'a, how come they let you have two pretty hyur boyfriends??

(ft. tyr & astor, belonging to the lovely @tiredassmage)

[shadowsofdread]

meet me in the city

word count: 2041

warnings: suggestive themes

featuring ... cecil ryen, and @tiredassmage's tyr deckard

(this was written for the oc kiss week prompt, "first")

In the shadow of the Imperial Citadel on Dromund Kaas, ex-Cipher operative Cecil Ryen decides to be reckless. (cross-posted from AO3)

In the long, intervening decades since his sudden and unexpected departure from his homeworld, Cecil Ryen forgot how unique Dromund Kaas was. The qualities that stood in stark relief against any other world he visited: Ziost, Hutta, Alderaan, even Corellia, once, to name a few. None—save, perhaps, Tatooine—was quite so determined to slaughter its inhabitants.

Its murderous intentions were ubiquitous. Expansive, fast-growing jungle untamable by any industrial-strength pesticide or controlled burning. Fauna and flora both had at least three to five ways of killing the unprepared. Home to an ancient Empire that desired ultimate victory over its millennia-long adversaries and the Sith's mortal enemies.

What shocked Cecil the most was the scent that clung to his nostrils even as he made his way down the interior corridor of the hotel. Charged energy, ozone, a crack of lightning caught within a held breath. At any moment, even down to an infinitesimal fraction of time, a storm could erupt upon Dromund Kaas.

Cecil lived that way all of his life, until the lightning finally struck. He was a cautious, reserved sort. Kept his head down, as he was told. Studied hard, often at the expense of his health, as he was told. He graduated valedictorian and was set for a career in the Imperial military when those lofty expectations of being promoted to Moff and serving the Dark Council were unceremoniously shattered by an offer from Imperial Intelligence.

He did everything as ordered, and he did them well. Exemplary, if he dared to say so.

No good deed goes unpunished.

The younger man in front of him—alright, not quite in front, more slightly leading at his left—came to a standstill, and Cecil withdrew from his thoughts.

Dromund Kaas seemed the fitting sort of place to find a man like Cipher Nine.

Cecil watched through narrowed lashes as Nine deftly flicked the keycard from his wallet. Despite the air having been cleared about their respective intentions, old habits die hard, and his gaze remained on Nine's nimble hand as it returned the card to its original place and the door whooshed open.

A small smile creased an aging, but still youthful face, crinkling gray eyes. Nine elegantly swept his hand towards the doorway. His black gloves briefly eclipsed the form of his fingers against the backdrop of the darkness within. "After you?"

In the feverish research Cecil threw himself into after he found Lucia left abandoned and cold on that expensive and hideous rug she insisted on buying a good ten years back, skin ghost-pale and lips stained with bloody bile, Cipher Nine seemed twice the agent he'd ever been on paper. Stories filtered through a dozen channels that found their way to Nar Shaddaa about terrorism in the Empire, about great machines set upon their crown jewel of a capital, and ridiculous rumors of a secret organization pulling the strings of the galaxy finally brought low. Of what he could make of the massacred and deprecated records, much of those odd stories inevitably led back to Nine.

It was why Cecil knew it was by intention that his wife was left on display, and had died in a gruesome and evidently painful manner.

Cecil glanced at Nine's hand, still hanging awkwardly in the air, before he crossed the threshold ahead of him.

He felt blindly along the wall and found the switch. Soft, golden light flooded the room, illuminating Nine's figure as he followed him in. Cecil cast a wide net of the room. It was impeccably neat, characteristic of the accommodations this close to the central district. He didn't need to touch the emerald green sheets fitted to the king-sized bed to know they were Old Ziosti silk. The ornate bed frame was of a dark mahogany embellished with solid gold trim. An intricately patterned, deep red rug bisected the main area of the suite.

Combining all of the furniture of the room, the monetary cost likely approached, if not surpassed, a year's salary of what he earned back in the day in service to Intelligence.

"You needn't go to all this trouble," Cecil said. It finally dawned on him just how ridiculous—and idiotically reckless—this whole situation was. He was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the assassin who made him a widower. He'd taken Nine on his word simply because the offered explanation made sense; Lucia was long overdue for it, for all she had done to their son.

Nine smiled; a sliver of teeth peeked at the corners. "This was their only vacancy, and I didn't see a reason to waste time looking for a cheaper room." He ducked his head as he casually worked off his gloves. Blond strands curtained his eyes from view.

Cecil scoffed. He was not the only idiot in Kaas City, then. He still thought he was chief among them.

"Eager, are you?" There was still a sensible voice somewhere inside the recesses of his mind banging on the walls, begging him to come to his senses. Funny, how that voice had been the loudest of them all only days ago, until it was usurped by a voracious hunger for the hunt, for the Game. The one he forfeited some four decades ago. Abandoned his cards and left the table in a storm. Lightning struck, and he would not be hit twice. "They say patience is a virtue."

Cecil turned fully in Nine's direction, only to find the man had come closer. A step just out of the invisible boundary Cecil would consider personal space. He couldn't tell if Nine was doing him a courtesy, or testing him.

"I'm afraid that's never been my strength," Nine said, still smiling so easily. A few hours ago, Cecil had the man trapped against the wall of a tucked-away alley, vibroblade held lightly against the exposed, vulnerable flesh of his neck. It wouldn't have been much to end him. Cecil had wanted to try it. How would the infamous Cipher Nine find his way out of the impossible odds this time?

Cecil cocked his head. On paper, Cipher Nine was twice the agent he ever was. The man standing before him, however, was an enigma.

"It's a miracle you've survived this long." Nine chuckled, like it was a compliment. For some ineffable reason, this infuriated him.

In the moment of awareness after Cecil gripped Nine by the forearms and pinned him to the nearest wall, he realized anger wasn't quite the emotion he was looking for.

Nine looked up at him. No fear lay there, nothing that could even be described as trepidation. Curiosity, then, as gray eyes—in the shadow of Cecil's body blocking out the light of the room, they were not dissimilar to a passably pleasant Dromund Kaas day—examined his face. Whatever he found must've pleased him. Nine's smile widened to show more of his teeth, canines pressing slightly into his bottom lip.

"You can admit that you're curious."

Cecil's jaw jumped. He returned to Nine's eyes. "There's no mystery. Luck and bullheadedness go a long way."

Nine laughed. He tilted his head back far enough that it kissed the wall behind him and laughed. Cecil's face fell into a pout. He'd missed something.

Crow's feet jumped out at the corners of Nine's eyes as they squeezed shut. Smile lines dimpled at the creases of his mouth. Then his eyes opened again, though that foolish smile remained stubbornly in place.

Then, stranger yet, the man's features softened entirely. Cecil went stiff as Nine's fingers gingerly held the lapels of his jacket. "That's not what I meant."

An awful scratching emanated from the dank, shadowed halls of the back of his mind, like a corrupted audio file playing abruptly from a defunct speaker. That sensible man he was mere days ago screamed and cursed and kicked the machine.

His gaze, however, fell back to Nine's mouth. Noted the difference in shade between his sun-kissed skin and his lips. Examined the particular shape of his teeth that were pressing into pink flesh. All of this belonging to a man who accomplished more than Cecil could've ever imagined possible from a Cipher agent. Principally, that he was still alive at all. A relic, a ghost out of time, outlasting the masters that gave him his designation and purpose.

Eager didn't come close to describing the way Nine was looking back at him.

Cecil wished he could split his consciousness in twain and hand the wheel over to the sensible part—the passive husband, who maneuvered quietly all of these years, who left the table when the hand dealt to him ensured he'd lose the game, who finally figured out the only way to actually win was to not play at all.

Nine tilted his head. The motion reminded Cecil of a dog impatiently waiting for its owner to throw the stick. His hold slackened. "If you've changed your mind -"

Forcibly, Cipher Three took the wheel.

Damn the game, and the rules, and keeping his head down, and being careful, and all of the things that guaranteed survival and not much else. The smart thing, Cipher Three knew, would be to leave now that his mission was complete, or even to reach for his blade and tie up one last loose end.

Damn the smart thing, and throw the damn stick.

Cecil kissed him. A harsh, abrupt thing like a vicious right hook. He was woefully out of practice. Lucia hadn't wanted a thing from him—physically, at least—in years. Infidelity was the least of her crimes. And it caught Nine off-guard, if only for a moment.

Nine pulled him closer insistently. One of Cecil's hands left his arm to brace itself on the wall next to Nine's head. Clumsily, like a teenager, Cecil kissed him and Nine chuckled against his mouth. He tasted sharply of the whiskey that Cecil bought him back at the bar. The least he could do, for no doubt giving the man a heart attack.

Hot breath fanned across his face as they parted only just. Already, Nine was chuckling again. His thumb affectionately teased the corner of Cecil's lapel. His free palm fit delicately along the curve of his neck. "You had me worried," Nine said. It sounded genuine. "Not that I would've minded, but the bill for this room was rather steep."

Cecil grumbled gruffly in reply, though it conveyed no real meaning. He surveyed the younger man's face, flushed pink by their exchange. Where the shade had deepened the most, he could make out freckles standing out against his skin. How interesting.

He wondered how far down they went.

(The sensible Cecil Ryen was, at present, bound and gagged and stuffed in a broom closet in the basement of his own mind. Cipher Three, on the other hand, was insatiably eager to find out.)

Cecil's hands snaked down to Nine's waist, then his hips. He surely hoped that Nine wasn't any heavier than he looked. Nine's gray eyes widened owlishly, and Cecil couldn't help the wicked grin that overtook him at the sight.

"Well, we'd better make your money worth it, then."

On his body's own martial strength and a prayer, Cecil hefted the other man up from the ground by his hips and close to his body. Nine gasped, arms flying instinctively around his shoulders and legs hooking around his waist. Cecil grunted, nearly losing his grip in the adjustment, but found it again just as quickly.

Nine laughed, breathless, flushed scarlet. His face was above Cecil's now, and he looked down at him slightly dazed. He was cautious as he adjusted himself, and nimble fingers toyed idly with the hair at the nape of Cecil's neck. "As impressive as this is, try not to drop me." He paused. "Or throw out your back."

"Shut up, Nine," Cecil growled, with little actual bite, and kissed him again with a fervor entirely unknown to him. Unknown, or merely forgotten. What he most certainly forgot, but was quickly remembering, was how to kiss someone breathless.

With Nine gasping against his mouth and thoroughly distracted from the effort it was taking to keep him from crashing to the floor, Cecil turned them around and made for the bed.

He hoped the frame was as durable as it was extravagant.

[queen-scribbles]

@tiredassmage agdilbkjchsxh tell me about it, all the things to come from this fp, Arkady having weapons-grade puppy eyes is not one I expected. 😂 he’s already unfairly attractive, this is just. Too much. (And I’m honored he gets a dedicated tag on your blog <3)

[ebitenpura]

OC Questionnaire

tagged by @thelealinhypehouse thank you!

1. Concept of Death, what's the relationship your OC have with it? Are they scared? At peace? Seeking?

Death has always been a lingering shadow behind Eight. It's followed him throughout his career as an assassin and an agent, and one could say it's been his constant companion where no living soul has ever been for him. It clings to him like a scent he can't get rid of, and so he doesn't try to get rid of it--it's a permanent sword that hangs over his head and all he associates with. However, he does seek it, nor does he try to overindulge in it where more bloodthirsty souls would. When it is time, all things come to an end, and it is his belief that death is something to be respected...even for all the grief it causes him.

2. What does their day off look like? Embracing hobby or just confused what to do with the time in hand?

A day off in Imperial Intelligence usually saw him bothering either his fellow Ciphers, Keeper, or Watcher 2; it wasn't so much as a "day off" as being on constant standby and simply waiting for the next mission. He smokes, or he sleeps, and he waits.

In his Alliance-era, he picks up more hobbies when put on forced leave, and starts to discover more to life besides the mission. His hobbies on a free day include making cheese from his twin Odux mounts and taking them out to graze. Occasionally, he'll wander Wild Space and simply explore the new cultures to be found until he's called back home.

3. Does your OC have any sickness? If yes, how do they deal with it?

Eight doesn't have any notable sicknesses besides some minor allergies, and he deals with it the wya he does most ailments: by ignoring it.

tagging: youuuuu 🫵 @tiredassmage @dieicarian @commandermahariel etc etc whoever wants to join (sorry if bothered by tag)

My Questions:

1. What was the most difficult choice for them in their career?

2. If they could choose to be someone else, who would they be?

3. What does a day alone with their significant other look like?