#yes solas is a very interesting and complex character and i understand the appeals of solavellan and solrook respectfully....

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I have to ask: solavellan or solrook?

Nah, secret third option: Rookvellan.

Rook and Lavellan get together to spite Solas—they're turning that regret prison into a cuck prison.

I'm just saying, I think the idea of "solavellan vs solrook" is missing out on the potential MESS of a love triangle with Lavellan at the center. Why pit Rook and Lavellan against each other for Solas—who, let's be honest, doesn't deserve either of them—when they could kiss instead? Hmmm??

What's Solas gonna do about it? Cry?? Good!

Okay, I'm mostly kidding.

But seriously? I have no foot in that race. I'm not a solavellan girlie, and my current Rook is Carver who bullies Solas as much as the game will actually allow him to, so...

I have read fics for both, though. I have this thing where I'll get curious about certain ships, especially ones I see pop up a lot while I'm browsing. Then I read a bunch of fics on AO3 for "research" ...term used loosely, it's mostly just for fun and to see what the hype is about, what tropes writers attach to the characters/ship, etc.

But yeah, I'm still not the best person to ask about that. I'm just an observer.

[theharellan]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. tagged by: stolen from @dansiere tagging: @ghiassan, @deathsreflection, @altuspavus, @windrunnerrs (velanna), @hopewrought, @willbeshot, @seahaloed (iron bull), @asterfed​ (noctis), @ anyone who wants to steal it! also multis feel free to choose a different character

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated (i’m open to roleplaying with non-dragon age characters, and have AUs for other fandoms)

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. solas is both wildly popular and wildly hated. he’s been more consistently popular than the controversial women in the series, like sera or vivienne, who have only recently begun to get to the point where their tags are less vitriolic (although i’m sure it’s still out there), but there’s still a sizable hatedom that can’t have his name breathed in their vicinity w/o them talking abt how much they hate him. even if you’re currently cosplaying him!

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. again, you have ppl who are super into him and ppl who think he’s ugly. my personal opinion is that i think he’s weirdly pretty, and wish ppl would commit more to his unconventional features rather than try to chisel him into sb more traditionally attractive and that ppl who don’t find him attractive would maybe chill w/ calling him ugly. find him unattractive by all means, but lets embrace the fact that inquisition let their love interests have skin flaws etc and accept that some won’t be our cups of tea.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. its hard to deny at this point tbh.

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK. frustrating as the hate in the tags he has enough fans that i couldnt say he’s underrated w/ a straight face.

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO. he’s the reason the game starts with a bang and not the inevitable dissolution of the conclave b/c the sides are disparate.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. regardless of solas’ relationship with the inquisitor, there are parallels and contrasts in their stories and he also is the reason they survive inquisition.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. fen’harel is well-known and revered, if feared, among the dalish, yet at the same time he’s not remembered for a lot besides locking the gods away-- and the context of that decision has also been lost. as solas he’s relatively unknown until inquisition and especially trespasser.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. again, polarising!! he has loyal agents and people are willing to speak well of him despite everything, including his enemies sometimes (depending mostly on the inquisitor). 

How strictly do you follow canon?  — generally i try to have a canon basis for my interpretation, even if i interpret the text differently than the author.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  solas is an immortal who is simultaneously jaded and very much invested in the small moments of life. far from being weary of the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, it is systems and orders he is most tired of. he walks an interesting line that feels far less misanthropic than other immortal characters i’ve experienced, yet still he’s quite cynical. as a character who has fought against religious based tyranny before, but in a completely different era, he is in a unique position where what he sees around him is both horrifyingly familiar and yet completely new. it allows an exploration of the wrongs of thedas’ society from an outsider’s perspective. his motivations are complex and multifaceted, often condemnable and yet also understandable. his character arc in inquisition (if befriended, or regardless in the case of my solas) takes him from a dispassionate, disconnected antagonist to someone deeply invested in the people of thedas, deeply conflicted and actively hoping he will be proven wrong again. i think his story is a testament to human (or elven, or dwarven, or-) connection and how even when we resist we can’t resist creating bonds with the people in our lives. i personally see this bond going beyond the inquisitor hence why i play low-approval solas as conflicted as high-approval, if not when it comes to the inquisitor.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  —  solas is selfish and motivated solely by revenge, he’s clinging to a past that clearly no longer exists, if you ignore all the people from it who are still alive. he’s totally unaware of all his flaws and never owns up to any mistakes ever. no, i haven’t listened to a single word solas has said in my life why do you ask. he’s also critical of my faves which means he’s #cancelled, there is clearly no validity to what he’s saying. ksjdf no but in all seriousness i think a lot of reasons ppl don’t find solas interesting are just... weird readings of his character that sometimes have no basis in the text of inquisition, but also there are plenty of perfectly valid reasons to not find him interesting. usually those ppl don’t like... talk abt how much they don’t find him interesting constantly tho. they just chill and aren’t invested in this particular villain. for one thing i think the game missed out on opportunities for exploring how someone who may not have even had a body at the beginning of his existence would feel about gender and sexuality, so making him presumably straight and cis was a boring choice. i also think that the dragon age games being very protagonist-centric hurts solas’ character, there’s no real reason why the inquisitor is the only one who can throw his plans into question but making the player the center of the universe means he’s not allowed to change due to the effects of other companions or NPCs. thank god this is rp and i do what i want.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  i have a history degree so when the inquisition companions were being teased, solas describing bias in primary sources from the memories he’s seen got me interested in him. but my first playthrough i didn’t actually take him with me all too often, i think my main party was dorian-blackwall-varric. i liked him, and i think he or dorian were my first friends in skyhold, but my initial interest was in other characters. between his dialogue that appealed to the historian in me tho and how his spirit opinions sort of turned everything i’d felt about spirits in the last two games on its head, i started vibing with him more the farther i went in. like merrill set me up for the “spirits are people” thing and solas hit it out of the park. then temple of mythal happened, and i did bring solas with me there. i found his dialogue fascinating and also suspicious, i’d just finished masked empire like the day before da:i came out so i definitely thought solas was an ancient elf in the same vein as felassan. it was after temple of mythal that i actually decided to make his blog, although like as one idk linchpin to cement my status as solas trash... i was hit BAD by the banter bug on my first playthrough, probably got like a dozen banters total. but then at some point late in the game i took solas to the forbidden oasis and he wouldn’t stop talking to people, and i really loved his banter with the rest of my party at the time.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  replaying inquisition, new DA content when the bioware gods deign to grant us a lifeline, but the biggest thing is my rp partners. i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the people i write with, new and old. my activity of late hasn’t been the best, work and the summer heat has really been sapping me of energy, and does even during years when we aren’t going through a pandemic. but it’s the thought of my rp partners and love of solas that keeps me coming back.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? i have my doubts sometimes, but i think i do ok.

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF? there is no headcanon too small for me.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO. but not lately * gestures to the low activity * i’ve been in this cycle where i get anxious abt late replies, so prioritise them, then burn myself out and can’t write the fics i want. i’ve had two i’ve been DYING to write tho i just... need to find the space in my brain to let myself.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. i mean it depends on the day. if i work closing shifts at my store it gets very quiet and boring around 8:30 so i spent the next 90 minutes thinking about character stuff.

Are you confident in your portrayal?  YES / NO / SORT OF? 

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO / SOMETIMES. 

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / SORTA.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  i’m going to say ‘no’ because like, i don’t ask for criticism. this is a hobby based on my interpretation of a character, if you think i write solas too soft then you’re welcome to think that, but i’m happy with the balance i’ve struck with his internal versus external behaviour and how he changes based upon who he’s speaking to. if you think i’m erasing straight people by making solas pan then ksjdfs. ok.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  yes!!! even if they retread ground already trodden, a) my interpretation may have adjusted since the last time i played or b) a reminder is nice. if it’s new stuff then it’s fun to think about.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  it’d depend on why they disagree. if they just disagree on a subjective opinion about what i took from a certain line, then they’re welcome to their opinion but i don’t necessarily care to hear it. if it is unintentionally hurtful then i would like to know. although rather than a comment i’d rather a non-anonymous message.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  same as the above.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  if they’re vocal about it i typically just unfollow / softblock if i was following in the first place. people can feel how they want about solas, but i’ve found over the years that if people really hate solas ooc it can often bleed into their ic interactions. it’s really weird seeing your character being brought up repeatedly in threads with others specifically to dunk on, for no reason other than i guess solas is living rent free in their heads, so at least we have that in common. but anyway unfollowing is just the best choice to avoid getting kinda pressed if i’m having a bad day.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  roleplay is the wild west of writing, so i think it’d depend on what the error was. coming at me like “you shouldn’t start a sentence with a preposition” would get a laugh, but i don’t edit my replies much if at all and mistakes will 100% happen. pointing out typos is chill so long as you do it politely.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  it depends! i’ve learned that being too easy going actually just means i’m subjecting myself to negative emotions to please people. so i’ve gotten less easy going as the years go by. how does one define “easy going” anyway? does asking that question mean i am objectively not easy going? the longer this thought goes on the more the answer seems to be “probably not,” but i like to think it could be a lot worse.

[cacowhistle]

a grim(ms’) fairytale (chapter 2)

fandom: sanders sides chapters: 2/? characters: roman “creativity” sanders, logan “logic” sanders, patton “morality” sanders, virgil “anxiety” sanders, “deceit” sanders, remus “creativity” sanders

summary: Roman creates a fantasy world for his friends to enjoy, and is truly, truly thrilled to share it with them! Unfortunately for them, Remus seems to have different plans with the Imagination, and things don't quite go as planned for Roman.

And, interestingly enough, they don't quite go as planned for Remus, either.

ao3 link | chapter masterlist

By now, Logan's deduced that either this isn't the Imagination, or something is horribly wrong, as it's impossible for him to sink out. By all means, that shouldn't be possible, and while it was just confusing at first, it's begun to get worrisome. Something isn't right, and Logan needs to figure out what exactly is going on. Talking it out using the cat hasn't been any help, but he's still been doing it, regardless of how stupid and silly it looks. He refuses to admit to himself that it's pretty entertaining, despite how useless it seems.

"Perhaps Roman or Remus closed off the Imagination to prevent anyone from leaving?" He frowns at the cat, who merely blinks up at him. "But there doesn't seem to be any motive for that. I suppose Remus doesn't need a reason, but still. If that were the case, Roman could easily take care of it."

The cat just blinks again. Logan blinks back.

"Of course, that's not taking into account the fact that Roman might not be able to take care of it." He shifts uncomfortably under the cat's scrutinizing gaze. "That shouldn't be an issue, but…"

It's very possible that Roman is injured in some way, or incapacitated, or overpowered by his brother. Logan decidedly chooses not to pursue that train of thought. Roman is capable, especially when in the Imagination. He's evenly matched with Remus (he thinks), which means a 50-50 chance of him being fine. Not the best odds, but not awful either.

He could be hurt, you never know. A voice that isn't his sounds out from no discernable source.

"Don't say that," Logan mutters, then freezes, gaze pivoting towards the cat.

It blinks at him innocently.

"... That's... not possible." Logan stares at the cat, brow furrowing.

We're in the Imagination, anything's possible. The voice sounds again, the cat tilting its head at him. I'm not an 'it', by the way.

Okay, the cat's reading his thoughts, now? Or is it something else? Logan's very confused and a little irritated that there's a telepathic cat talking to him right now.

Yeah, your thoughts are all over the place. Reign 'em in a bit, buddy. It - she? He? They? They yawn. It's 'she', thanks for asking in a weird indirect way.

"Okay, so you can communicate with me. Care to explain why?" Logan taps his fingers against the table, still staring at the cat.

Hells if I know.

"Helpful."

Haha, just kidding, I do know. I'm your familiar. We can talk because of that. It's cool. Any more exposition you want me to provide? I know that's usually your job, the whole exposition thing.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Logan snaps, "but I do have a couple questions."

Yeah, I know. You've got a ton. I can't answer most of them, I just know the Creator is behind most of it.

"Roman." It's the logical answer. Logan sighs. "He could've asked us before throwing us into this."

He doesn't really seem like the asking type, from what I can tell. The cat licks a paw and draws it over one ear. Can you stop calling me "the cat"?

"Do you have a name, then?" Logan raises an eyebrow, fingers still tapping aggressively against the table's surface. He doesn't like not knowing things.

The cat looks a bit bashful, for the first time in these few short minutes they've known each other … no.

"Ah. Apologies. Is there one you think you'd… like?" Oh god, sentient creatures and feelings.

Not… really. Any ideas? The cat still looks pretty embarrassed, which is some incredible emotional range on an animal's face.

Logan's gaze darts around the room, searching for ideas. He's not good at coming up with things, considering that's more Roman's expertise. His eyes land on the deep blue cloak thrown over the back of a chair, the speckles of silver on the underside catching his eye.

"Stella," he blurts out. His face reddens a bit as he explains, "It means 'star'."

Huh. She blinks at him again. I like it. We'll go with that, then.

"Oh. Well." Logan clears his throat, not sure why he's so surprised. "Good."

Stella lets out a sound that seems incredibly amused, and Logan glares at her. He doesn't need to be mocked by a magical cat, thank you.

"So. You said you were a… familiar." Logan frowns. "What exactly does that entail?"

Stella stretches out across the end of the bed, claws digging into the blanket. I'm pretty much just your magical pet, since you're a wizard.

"... excuse me?" Of course Roman would do this, throw all of them into a fantasy world and give them standard "adventurer" capabilities.

Yeah, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. The Creator specifically crafted me to be your familiar. Doesn't matter what form I take. Stella yawns. Also, I'm a fey creature, if that's important to you.

"I don't really know what that means, but noted." Logan sits, frowning. "So, if I'm a-" he wrinkles his nose "wizard, I'm assuming that means I can use... magic, somehow."

That's how wizards work, yes.

"A little clarity never hurt anyone," Logan huffs. "How, exactly, am I able to do that?"

You've got a spellbook, just look through that. Stella flicks her tail towards the table, and Logan glances at the pack of… what seems to be adventuring gear.

… alright, he's intrigued. Logan picks through the backpack, pulling out a leather-bound tome. Yeah, this seems like something he would be interested in, were it possible in real life. He begins flipping through the book, spells and their instructions written out in his own handwriting. It's impressive. There's a few simple spells in the first few pages that seem like they won't take a lot of energy.

Might as well see if they work!

Logan digs around through the backpack once more, searching for anything that looks like what could be considered spell components. He finally finds a pocket filled pouch filled with what looks like… spell components! How convenient. He glances at the page again.

Dancing lights. Seems simple enough. Logan isn't sure how to identify the different components, but he might as well try it!

"Solas tóirse," he mutters, smearing some (what he hopes is) phosphorus in a spiral on the palm of his hand like the book says to, and--

Four little flames appear, and if Logan focuses, he can…

They twirl around each other, before floating wherever Logan directs them. If he's being totally honest, this is… pretty cool. Magic that he has to work for. It's interesting, and it involves learning, which Logan is always fond of, and the fantasy aspect is pretty appealing. He could maybe understand why Roman enjoys these worlds so much. Then again, Roman seems to like them for the monsters and the chivalrous acts, not the tedious, complex magical systems.

The tiniest of smiles tugs at his lips as he snuffs out the flames, finally noticing how the spiral of phosphorus had been burned away.

With a bit more reading and experimenting with his components, Logan finally decides that he's probably prepared himself enough for whatever trouble he might come across and he places the spellbook back into a safe pocket on the pack of adventuring gear.

Do you hear that?

He glances down at Stella, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?"

She jumps up onto the windowsill, tail flicking back and forth. That squeaky growling?

He falls silent, staring out the window and furrowing his brow as he listens. "I mean, I would say you're more likely to hear something than I. You have far superior hearing."

Right. Yes. Forgot about that. It sounds like there's a lot of animals making that sound, though. She looks as nervous as a cat can look.

Logan approaches the window, still listening intently, pushing the window open so he can lean outside of it a small bit.

He's momentarily distracted from his task at the sight before him.

Beautiful in their simplicity and charm, wooden houses line not-quite-even cobblestone streets, the patchwork of buildings quirky and resourceful in their own way. Signs hang above doors and windows are wide open, and Logan can see all sorts of people going about their days. A woman across the street, on the third floor of her building, puts out clothes to dry - her hair pulled back beneath a bonnett, a simple white apron thrown over a brown dress. She looks… incredibly real, despite the pointed ears, and Logan is a bit in awe.

A horse-drawn cart passes by on the street below, a young man at the reins. Unlit streetlights line the streets, oil lanterns hanging from them. The amount of care and detail placed into what seems to be a tiny town is… honestly incredible.

Get your head out of the clouds and listen. Stella hisses, ears flicking back.

"Right, right. I was just… a bit distracted." Logan leans out the window a bit more, listening intently for whatever sound Stella is so worried about.

They stand there for a few minutes, before Logan finally pulls back with a shake of his head. "I don't hear anything, but if you believe it is truly an issue, just let me know if anything changes."

The cat paces on the windowsill, tail lashing, ears pricked forward. It doesn't sound good, whatever it is.

"Well, it is not our problem just yet." Logan frowns, pulling together all of the stuff that seems to be his, now. "I'm going to get dressed and go downstairs, if you'd like to join me."

I don't know if I want to deal with whatever that sound is. She flops down onto the bed.

Logan huffs. "You're the one who's so worried about it."

Yeah- well- Her ears go flat, and Logan just smirks. Fuck you.

"Language," he chides on instinct as if it were Remus, scooping up the robes tossed over the back of the chair. "Now, if you don't mind turning around…"

He gets dressed easily enough. It's not his usual attire, but it's formal enough to where he's comfortable. There's no armor, which is surprising considering the nature of Roman's creations. Hopefully he won't need any, anyways. He'd like to get out of here before the need to fight anything arises. Stella leaps up onto his shoulders once he's done without any sort of warning, draping herself around his neck like a scarf.

"Warn someone before you do that," Logan mutters, making his way downstairs.

The entire town, from what Logan has seen, has had plenty of early European influences in its design. Primarily English, French, and Irish, though part of him wonders about other parts of this fantasy setting. He quickly abandons that train of thought, attention turning to the young woman behind the bar.

A book is splayed open on the counter in front of her, the words in a language Logan can't name, but is sure he knows. Her hair is thrown up into an unkempt brown bun, a stained apron thrown over simple clothing. She glances up at him, before looking back down at her book, before doing a double take. Logan raises an eyebrow as she stares at him, frowning slightly.

"... can I help you?" He finally breaks the silence, and she jumps a bit, as if she hadn't realized she'd been staring.

"I - uh, sorry, it's just - you look so similar to this elven fellow that passed through this morning. Same face, hair, eyes." Her gaze flicks to Logan's left, just to the side of his eyes.

"Oh?" Logan blinks. "Did you happen to catch his name?"

She shakes her head. "'Fraid not. Would probably be rude to give it to you anyway."

"That's fair," Logan mutters, glancing out the window. "Did you see which way he went when he left?"

She squints at him. "May I ask what your relation to him is? I'd rather not be giving someone he's trying to avoid any help."

Logan hesitates, then - "He's a very good friend of mine. Since childhood."

She squints at him a moment longer, and then - "He took a right, when he left."

He manages a smile. "Thank you, Miss…?"

"Just Matilda is fine. No problem." She shrugs.

"Matilda." He pauses, gaze flicking to her book once more. "What are you reading?"

Matilda's hands immediately fly to the book, and she flips it to the cover. He's not sure what the language is, but he knows it - Rishatfa'aya.

"O-oh. Uh. It's Feyfeather. An Elvish translation. I'm better with it than Common." She looks a bit sheepish, ducking her head.

"No, no, I… uh. Understand." He fumbles with his words, frowning slightly.

It's a language he's never seen before, yet he understands it. That's… odd. He's not opposed to it, but it's still unusual. He finally notes the girl's slightly pointed ears. As if the magic wasn't enough. He's not surprised, to be honest.

"Well. Anything else I can do for you?" She toys with the corner of a page, raising an eyebrow.

"No, thank you." He hesitates, then, as he's turning to leave, "Have a nice day."

He catches sight of her tiny, amused, lopsided grin out of the corner of his eye as he leaves, Stella curling backwards a bit to peer back at her as they leave. Her tail flicks Logan's nose, and he huffs. "Stop that."

Probably shouldn't talk to me out in public, it looks weird. The cat lets out a mrrrow, leaning back to rest her chin on Logan's shoulder.

"I could really care less, none of these people are real," he murmurs as he takes a right, still examining the streets around him as he paces over the cobblestones.

It's… incredible. It may not be real, but it certainly looks it. Roman did an outstanding job. It's a bit difficult to focus on the task of finding whichever one of his friends is nearby when he's so distracted by the buzzing world around him, though Stella manages to keep him mostly on task. She almost fails when a small library comes into sight, but thankfully his attention is redirected at the sound of bells ringing and raised voices towards what seems to be the center of town.

People begin perking up, murmurs filling the semi-crowded streets around him, and Logan begins following the sound.

His blood runs cold at the whispers of an execution.

Stella digs her claws in as Logan begins weaving through the thicker crowd towards the town square, managing to push to the front.

Gallows stand tall in the center of the cobblestone square, a bell dangling from a rope. A man with pointed ears seems to have just finished giving a speech that Logan hadn't quite caught, as cheers erupt around him just as he makes it to the front. 

There's a frantic scrabbling sound as the crowd towards Logan's left begins to part, and a purple-skinned creature is dragged across the cobblestones, bare cloven hooves scratching against them. A tail lashes behind the creature - or… young man, it seems, from the dark purple hair tangled and greasy hanging in his face. Two horns curl back from his head.

He's clearly panicking, and Logan can only stare as the poor man is hauled towards the gallows, hands pinned behind him by silver handcuffs. He tosses his head backwards, and Logan can see the gag in his mouth and-

He goes still, staring.

The eyes are a familiar shade of brown. No pupils or iris, just solid, dark brown, a mirror of Logan's own. The purple itself is a familiar shade, that of a tattered shirt under a worn and well-loved hoodie. The tell-tale smudges of black are still there, unmistakable.

Virgil.

Logan realizes that he's holding his breath, and that Stella was saying something. "We have to do something," he murmurs, voice hoarse.

How? There's nothing we can do for him, he's fucked. Stella doesn't seem to like the idea of that, though, her paws working at the fabric on Logan's shoulder.

He doesn't bother to chide her for the language, considering what's going on. "Well we can't just stand here and watch." He hisses under his breath, and he glances away from Virgil, gaze sweeping across the crowd.

Another pair of familiar eyes meet his gaze, and Logan tenses again. The curl of the hair and the sword at the man's hip is familiar. His tell-tale red sash goes from one shoulder to his hip, albeit it's a bit fancier looking. Roman.

He looks just as panicked as Logan feels, and he begins pushing his way around the crowd, still keeping an eye on Virgil as he struggles against the men attempting to drag him to his death. Roman seems to be doing the same, skirting the very edge of the crowd.

The two meet in the middle, and Logan's hand immediately takes Roman's shoulder. "You have all of the power here, do something."

Roman, for once, doesn't bite back with some snarky comment like "not even a hello?" and instead looks rather terrified, fingers curling into his sash. "I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? This is your entire world, it'd be simple enough." It doesn't make sense. Logan's still trying to come up with something, gaze flicking between Roman and Virgil. Virgil is thrown against the stones, letting out a muffled cry, and both Roman and Logan cringe at the sight of dark red trickling down from Virgil's forehead.

"I just can't, Logan. My powers aren't working." Roman sounds helpless, and Logan doesn't snap this time.

"They aren't?" His voice comes out frantic, which wasn't exactly what he wanted, but he's too scared to care much about appearances. He has no idea what will actually happen if Virgil dies. He doesn't know if they can die.

As if reading his thoughts, Roman turns his gaze back towards Virgil. "I don't think he can die. He can get close, but he - he can't. I don't know if that would even work."

"We still can't let this continue. Look at him, Roman." Logan glances over again, stomach churning at the sight of him.

Bloody, bruised, and crying, Virgil's chest jerks with uneven breaths, and he seems to be losing energy, his fight against the guards weakening. The crowd keeps letting out appraising sounds every time he gets slapped or slammed against the ground or the gallows, and rage burns under Logan's skin, white-hot and familiar.

He can hardly hear the executioner over the blood roaring in his ears, but he catches the word demon and vile and evil and the pitiful sob Virgil chokes out around the gag, and Logan's blood boils.

Roman looks rightly horrified, and Logan can't think of anything to do. He wracks his brain for any of the spells he'd just taught himself.

Message him. Reassure him. He can't help himself at all in the state he's in. Stella is sitting up on his shoulder now, peering at Virgil, tail lashing behind her (similar to Virgil's own).

Logan fumbles for the components in the pouch at his hip. He curls the copper wire around his finger, cupping the hand around his mouth and whispering "Dúirt sé."

"Virgil," he murmurs, and Virgil's muscles tense and his head snaps up, "you're going to be alright. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. We're going to get you out of there."

That was good. Proper form. Nice casting. He doesn't need Stella's approval, but it is nice. He's a bit preoccupied with putting together a shitty plan, relaxing a bit as Virgil's chest heaves with the effort of sucking in a breath around the gag. Good.

Logan turns towards Roman. "I'm going to paralyze the guards. If we can make it seem like there's some sort of attack, that may cause enough chaos to let us get him."

Roman's fingers work the hilt of his sword uncertainly. "Will that work?"

"Only one way to find out," Logan says, expression grim, and Roman takes a deep breath.

"Okay. What, er, what should I do?" His hand wraps around the hilt of his sword. Logan pauses.

"... once we're close, incapacitate the two guards and the executioner. I can only really weaken them. If we get them out of the picture, it makes things much easier." He's rather uncomfortable with the idea of hurting anyone, even if they're not real, but…

The way they're treating Virgil enrages him all over again. He reaches for the iron rod in his pouch, cringing as a guard slams Virgil's head against the gallows - he's started fighting again, though. The resounding crack makes the breath catch in his throat. The crowd lets out a cheer, and Logan has to stop himself from turning and punching the first gleeful face he sees.

Just as Logan draws the iron along his arm, there's a shriek from the opposite side of the square, and the beating pauses, everyone's attention diverted for a moment. More shrill cries and shouts of alarm sound, and the executioner leaps down from the gallows, grabbing Virgil by the handcuffs and yanking him up, saying something to the guards as he does so. They draw their blades and Logan lets out an awful, horrified sound, but the guards don't skewer Virgil or do anything of the sort, instead rushing off and pushing through the crowd.

They can't see what's going on over there, but the crowd has begun to shift as panic sets in, and finally people begin streaking through the clear spot in the center where the gallows is, and there's an opening. Logan stuffs the components back into the pouch, and Roman rushes ahead of him as they make their way towards Virgil.

Logan lets out a yelp of alarm as claws suddenly rake across his arm, and Stella gives a yowl of surprise as a feathered creature slams into Logan. He ducks away from its snapping, toothy beak, and Stella hisses, fur standing on end.

Cockatrice. The word sends a cold shiver down Logan's spine. Don't let it bite you, it'll turn you to stone.

As if he weren't worried enough.