#v; ~a new war~

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

i'm the one you should blame. (from Wyll)

It Was My Fault Prompts || Accepting

Karlach softly shook her head, a tender smile on her lips. "No, Wyll. I know you're the type to hold the worlds problems on your shoulders, but I don't blame you. If you look at the bigger picture, I should be blaming Mizora. Bigger than that - blame Zariel. Which I do."

The tiefling wished she could clap a hand on his back to reassure him, but she could not without the risk of scorching his skin down to the bones. So instead, she held up a fist, with a determined expression on her face. "So chin up, pal! We've got work to do."

[boatswainscall]

I had a profoundly stupid idea

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

@silvertiefling liked this post for a starter

Karlach propped herself up where she laid by the campfire. Not that she needed the warmth, moreso she needed the company. She watched Katya for a moment taking deep swigs from the bottle in her hand.

"I like my liquor as much as the next person - believe me! - but shouldn't you slow down at least a little? Can't have you hungover when we're trying to fight our way through those little shits." Karlach questioned, referring to the upcoming battle against the Goblins.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Residents of Little Italy celebrate V-J Day, August 14, 1945.

Photo: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images/Fine Art America

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

The tiefling couldn't help an appreciative grin at his compliment. A lie to butter her up? Possibly. But who cared how it was dressed - flattery was always welcome. It made rather a nice change of pace to be praised on her looks rather than just her fighting ability. "Not as good as yours, but it'd be hard to top perfection, hm?" Another grin, this one rather flirtatious in nature.

When he asked his question, she had her hands on her hips - a large breath in her lungs as she exhaled into a sigh. She wasn't offended by the question, it was just a downer of a story.

"You see, the thing about having an engine for a heart means it can go wrong sometimes. It needs replacements, or tune-ups. Well, during one of these operations, everything went tits-up. They get off on torture down there so I was awake through all of this. Some piston - or some shit - exploded. Fire everywhere, more than usual. I may be fireproof on the inside, but not so much on the outside." She was a tiefling, yes, but resilience only went so far.

Her left hand traced over the hefty burn scars over her right arm, scaling up like snakes to her shoulder and beyond. "Nearly cooked me... After that, my horn was really weak. Once I was deemed healed enough I was sent back out onto the front lines. I got into a tussle with an orthon and got thrown into the rocks. Horn just...shattered. Like glass. Couldn't fix it even if anyone down there gave a shit enough to try."

Throughout it all, she held onto a smile. As if she was talking about such a minor inconvenience. "But hey, could be worse."

It makes sense and he won't press the issue. They have plenty of other capable people within the camp should she get bold enough to ask. Until then, he'll keep a look out for any water based scrolls.

"It was a long time ago, dear. I hardly remember it." He doesn't want her to feel bad about it. How was she to know? He doesn't talk about his past much, his time before Cazador, mostly because he doesn't remember most of it.

"I don't know. I rather enjoy your look." Most would believe Astarion to be vain, and for the most part he is, but Karlach's scars and broken horn do not make her look ugly. She is as beautiful as she would be back then, he thinks.

"How did you break your horn?" At first he doesn't even intend to ask but since he's answered her with honesty, maybe she'll be willing to tell him? He won't press the issue, however, if it makes her uncomfortabe.

[dyingroses]

Star Wars + text posts and stuff

[zephyrine-gale]

wardance pookies

[pennumbra]

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

The tiefling couldn't help a grin, glancing away slightly as she felt her face heat up more than usual. Though the smile slipped ever so slightly. A wonderful daughter? Gods... If Tavrayn knew what she had done. If her parents knew the things she had to do after they died. They certainly wouldn't be proud. But as usual, Karlach brushed these feelings aside and buried them for another day.

"Glad Dad's not around to hear that, he'd be insufferable with how boastful he'd be."

Karlach glanced back over despite the flush in her face still being felt - though it was difficult to see such a blush on already red skin. She was aware of that. "Ah man, that sucks. Sorry about that." Karlach never knew much about her grandparents on either side, so couldn't really relate to his plight unfortunately.

"Anyway...enough about the past. What about the future, the immediate one at least. Any plans to join us all the way to Baldurs Gate?"

"It does, doesn't it?" he said, a corner of his mouth turning up. "I c'n imagine why they'd want a fresh start after... all that." He gave another nod, shifting a bit so he could be more comfortable, reclining a bit back into his previous position. "They sound like wonderful people. Wonderful 's the daughter they raised."

At the question, he bobbed his head back and forth, one side to the other, his hair flopping back and forth as he moved. His father's parents had long been dead by the time of his birth, his own father orphaned at a young age. But his mother's...

"I dunno," he said with a shrug. It was probably the most diplomatic answer. "Mum said they never accepted my Da, and she's not... all that welcome at her old enclave... and something tells me they're not keen on leaving like she did.

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

Plotted Starter for @windwithinmyveins (Tae)

The party hadn't been travelling together for very long, but Karlach found herself enjoying the company. Getting rid of those false Paladins, striking down gnolls and camping with people that weren't devils - it felt dreamlike. Almost impossible. So every day she woke, walked and talked with a smile, despite their predicament. She was...thankful for the tadpole, in a small way.

"Do you smell that?" Karlach halted, mid conversation with Tae when she detected the familiar smell of smoke. "Somethings on fire." Continuing a little ways down the path, she soon spotted the billowing cloud of black.

"Oh shit, we should check it out, in case someone needs help!" Karlach glanced back at Tae. "C'mon, what're you standing around for?"

[adam-trademark]

Room Tour 2022

(August 3, 2022)

[x-heesy]

children and animals are the only holy on this earth -x-heesy

Maybe i am a Dreamer but i am not the only one -John Lenon

If there is one organism that should be banned it is humans

New World by Zap Mama 🎵

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

Karlach couldn't help but to cock an eyebrow at his statement. Of course she welcomed the promise of help against Gortash but she was still silently surprised. A selfless notion from someone who seemed to be primarily focused on himself, as a typical wizard would...perhaps she had the wrong view of him. There was a beating heart under all that ice after all. Perhaps her heat was melting it away...a use for it after all.

"I appreciate it. If you ever need me to have your back, consider it had. I can tell you're going through some serious shit aside the brain worms-" She gestured to where she had recently bandaged. "-and I feel there's even more to the story again. But I won't pry if you don't want to say - not anymore at least."

She made to stand up, but with such a low roof and her tall stature, she was still bent over a little. "I can't offer a shoulder to cry on, but I have ears to listen, if you ever did need to get anything off your chest, pal. No games this time. I'd like to think we're friends at this point...let's act like it, yeah?"

Karlach gestured down to him one last time as she stepped toward the tent flap. "Anything I can grab for ya before I head out? Give you some privacy and what not."

"Gortash…" The name was familiar. As an archmage, he often heard the names of nobles, even those in distant cities along the Sword Coast. Regardless, it was good to know this name; now he knew exactly who to look out for.

"He'll regret hurting you, that I can promise."

It was easier, directing his anger, pain, and hate towards a mortal being—someone he could actually encounter and burn to a pile of ash. He cast a bleary-eyed glance at Karlach. Her kindness radiated from her like her heat, and he knew in a heartbeat that he would do anything for her. Even if it would be his dying act, getting some justice for at least one person who deserved it was worth it.

Again, her kindness was astounding. The corner of his mouth tugged into a soft, small smile. She cared—she genuinely cared for him—and it was mind-boggling. He was a shell of the person he used to be, pathetic and sad, barely able to cast medium-level spells, and yet she cared.

"No nerves touched, at least none I didn't wish to have touched. You needn't apologize, Karlach. You've been rather kind to me. A kindness I didn't deserve, but thank you."

[n03m1blog]

(father's day)

I can't deny it, I laughed

[jsbashirmd]

@lietwice sent:

⌚️ ( okay consider julian who has been married to garak for like 10 years on cardassia, getting the chance to talk to early ds9 garak. or, alternatively, obsidian order garak meeting ds9 julian or married cardassia julian )

When Julian awoke, he was immediately aware that he wasn't in his home. It smelled different, to start, and though the walls were in the correct places, it was decorated differently. It was also overpoweringly, suffocatingly hot. He looked first for his communication device, then for his husband and children, and when he found no sign of either, he quickly and quietly exited the unfamiliar home to widen his search. It took a matter of hours for him to discover that this was his home, but it wasn't his time. Then, his entire focus changed--his whole mission became to find his husband, whether or not Garak was his yet, and he tried not to think too hard about just why he was doing that.

It took weeks. Nearly two months, though that was partially because Garak was off-world for much of that time, but as soon as he caught sight of him, tending, carefully to his little garden of orchids, Julian was finally able to relax. He shouldn't upset the timeline, he realized. He'd seen him and he was safe and as he should be at this time, and thus reassured, Julian should just live as unobtrusively as possible while he tried to get back to his own time. But he couldn't help but linger, just for a while, and unfortunately for him and his good intentions, Garak was not content to be watched, especially by a stranger.

"Oh!" he exclaimed quietly, as soon as their eyes met. He cursed, then spread his hands to show he was unarmed, then made no other movements. "Hello. Not that it's likely to help or to convince you, but I promise I'm not an enemy operative here to spy on you."

[tiefighters]

A New Hope

Art by Mailén Castro || IG