SHADOW SOUL.

stupid  lamb  in  a  slaughterhouse.

[banalnas]

now that spoilers don't need tagged and the brainrot is dying down im shifting back to mainblog for this verse :) keeping this blog up tho incase i go feral again

[banalnas]

@ategods . . . mio : [ lovebite ] in the midst of kissing receiver's neck, sender changes tactics and gives them a tender little bite

victor  is  already  flustered  enough  as  it  is  ,     with  someone  so  close  to  him  ,     with  lips  pressed  to  his  neck———his  bliss  ,     his  own  personal  haven.     few  things  sate  him  like  other  people:     this  being  the  healthiest  of  his  vices  ,     the  least  deadly.     until  ,     of  course  ,     he  feels  teeth  graze  his  neck———a  terribly  welcome  feeling  ,     at  first  ,     one  that  makes  him  huff  out  a  puff  of  breath  ,     his  expression  sweetening.     then  he  remembers  who  exactly  is  biting  his  neck  ,     and  he  blinks  back  to  reality  just  enough  to  crane  his  head  back  ,     squinting  at  her.

❛❛  careful  ,     now.  ❜❜      admittedly  ,   he's  very  nervous  now  ,     but  tries  with  a  quiet  snicker  to  mask  it  under  lightheartedness.           ❛❛  i'm  not  tryin'  to  be  lunch  ,     not  like  that  anyways.     i  can't  imagine  bein'  bit  any  harder  would  go  well  for  me  ?  ❜❜

[banalnas]

@thiedas . . . dorian : [ almost ] sender and receiver are centimeters apart, about to kiss, but something interrupts them

victor  likes  his  seat  here  in  dorian's  lap  ,     where  he'd  perched  himself  happily  just  a  few  minutes  ago———he's  been  ramping  up  his  flirtations  ever  since  ,     running  his  hands  through  dorian's  hair  ,     leaning  in  close  to  whisper  things  not  for  the  ears  of  all  skyhold.     he's  entertaining  himself  ,     and  hopefully  dorian  as  well———he  could  keep  it  up  all  day  ,     and  has  half  a  mind  to  ,     if  they're  left  alone. 

the  flirting  advances  another  step  as  he  places  a  kiss  to  dorian's  hand  ,     then  punctuates  another  whisper  with  a  kiss  to  his  cheek———trailing  that  over  ,     closer  and  closer  to  meeting  his  lips.     and  ,     just  as  he's  running  a  thumb  over  them  ,     leaning  in  with  fluttering  eyelashes  ,     EAGER TO GET LOST IN A KISS———solas  clears  his  throat  from  the  top  of  the  stairs  ,     and  awkwardly  says  something  about  having  a  question  for  dorian.     of  course.     embarrassed  and  annoyed  in  equal  parts  ,     victor  sighs  ,     and  bonks  his  head  against  dorian's  shoulder:     wanting  to  hide  ,     yet  stay  close.

[banalnas]

@valahren . . . [ lovebite ] in the midst of kissing receiver's neck, sender changes tactics and gives them a tender little bite

a  contended  sigh  emits  from  victor  ,     carrying  a  quiet  hum  on  it's  back.     smiling  wide  ,     he  tilts  his  head  sideways  so  ilrien  might  have  better  access  to  where  he's  pressing  kisses  ,     blush  so  deep  and  heart  pounding  so  hard  ,     he  has  to  wonder  if  ilrien  can  feel  it  there  ,     feel  the  heat  radiating  from  victor's  cheeks.     and  when  victor  feels  the  graze  of  teeth  ,     its  with  a  gasp———one  of  delight  ,     the  smallest  noise  audible  within  it.

his  hands  find  ilrien's  hair  ,     combing  through  it  ,     urging  him  closer———ENCOURAGING THIS.           ❛❛  mm   .  .  .   i  remember  tellin'  you  i  don't  bite  ,     and  here  you  are.  ❜❜           a  snicker  just under  his  breath  ,     a  terribly  fiendish  sound.     he's  enjoying  himself  too  much  ,     now.           ❛❛  and  i'm  sure  you  can  bite  harder  than  that  ,     hmm  ?     you  might  have  to  show  me.  ❜❜

[onewingedangels]

DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD (2024) dev. BioWare

[markburdened]

her first gut-reaction was to give him a sad smile, to which she instantly regretted. she could vividly remember the hundreds, if not thousands, of people she had met during her time in the inquisition. thousands of people all giving her ONE exact look. PITY. she remembered quickly hating it as a child and here she was giving victor that exact same pitiful look.

an itch flares where her missing hand should be, as if the mark was MOCKING her in the afterlife... or wherever limbs go when they die.

❝ if you're leading in his place, that means he TRUSTS you. I trust you, ❞ she offers. ❝ you've already accomplished so much with what little help you've had. i'm not worried about you. ❞

evie's noble upbringings have always made her well-spoken and polite, even at a young age. but these last couple years have shaped her, MOLDED her into a completely new woman. her stance was different, her voice was deeper, her eyes were DARKER. she conducted herself like an INQUISITOR rather than mimicking what she thought a politician should act like, like she did when she was fifteen.

however her words HESITATED for the first time and her visage falls at his last two questions.

❝ that's actually what i came to talk to you about... i don't want to worry you with the details but darkspawn have been devastating the south, especially orlais. we've been doing what we can but—— ❞ another pause. ❝ denerim has fallen. ❞

[banalnas]

not  worried  about  him  ?     i'm  worried  about  me  ,     he  thinks  ,     but  says  it  only  in  the  way  his  face  scrunches  ,     an  anxious  little  huff  paired  with  the  shifting  of  his  weight  from  heel  to  toe.     victor  isn't  built  for  leadership———at  least  he  likes  to  tell  himself  that  ,     despite  now  being  leader  of  something  for  a  second  time:     first  his  thieves  ,     now  this.     not  built  for  it  ,     YET SOMEHOW THRUST INTO IT.     aren't  all  the  best  leaders  ,     though  ? 

victor  has  a  hundred  quips  and  jokes  loaded  and  ready  ,     a  million  different  ways  he  can  think  to  rib  evie  for  being  all  grown  up  ,     for  taking  this  long  to  get  here  ,     for  letting  him  be  in  charge  instead  of  taking  over———but  her  demeanor  changes  ,     and  he  stills.     he  knows  well  enough  the  look  his  sister  wears  when  something  isn't  right  ,     and  seeing  it  makes  his  heart  sink  ,     anxiety  washing  over  him.     it  only  worsens  when  she  speaks.

❛❛  what  ?  ❜❜           an  old  ,     familiar  dizziness  prods  at  his  mind  ,     and  he  blinks  in  rapid  succession  to  chase  it  away  ,     running  his  boot  over  the  floor  to  hear  the  texture  of  the  wood  scraping.     fallen  ?     what  the  hell  does  fallen  mean  ?     denerim  can't  fall  ,     it  has  walls  ,     ITS HIS HOME———he  blinks  again  ,     looks  to  harding  in  her  distress  ,     and  shakes  his  head.           ❛❛  what  d'you  mean  ?     did  everyone  just  evacuate  ,     or   .  .  .   evie  ,     my  dad  ,     he  and  i  had  been  living  there  .  .  .  ❜❜

[lavelllan]

@banalnas liked for a starter.

leliana mentioned having recruited a new spy, someone that might have been worth keeping an extra eye on. they're between missions - trying to wrap their mind around which one to take on next, when all of them feel like the utmost importance. ellana wasn't trained for this: magic, spying, sure... but leadership? the clan's keeper had always said there was no better way to learn than to do, to get one's owns hands dirty. now, she had no choice but to hope that was the truth. they weren't sure how they were faring at all this, all the heavy titles that had been strewn across their shoulders. but how they felt didn't matter. she was here now, with no choice but to do.

"it's victor, right?" the question is more for the softness of small talk rather than true uncertainty. the inquisitor felt a greater sense of comfort in moments like this, offering space to figure out who all was around them. it felt more in her nature, at least. the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile, though she's careful not to stare at him for too long, allowing her gaze to drift across jugged, snow - capped mountains. "how are you adjusting to skyhold?"

[banalnas]

❛❛  yeah———just  vic’s  fine  ,  unless  i’m  in  trouble.  ❜❜           is  he  in  trouble  ?     he  doesn't  recall  doing  anything  in  the  past  week:     at  least  not  anything  he'd  been  caught  doing.     victor’s  voice  comes  with  a  hint  of  uneasiness  ,     gaze  flickering  sideways  to  look  at  ellana———the  inquisitor  ,     now.     how  if  she  fairing  with  a  new  title  ,     he  wonders  ?     he'd  have  run  for  the  hills  by  now  ,     if  the  world  was  trying  to  put  him  in  charge  of  something  like  this.     then  again———they  are  in  the  hills  and  mountains  ,     aren't  they  ?     everyone  just  came  together.

a  small  smile  is  offered  ,     paired  with  a  smaller shrug.           ❛❛  skyhold's  fine.     better  than  cramped  little  haven  ,     and  much  better  than  campin'  out  in  the  snow ——— poor  haven. can't ever catch a break , that place.  ❜❜           he  shivers  ,     shrinking  somewhat  into  the  worn-out  excuse  for  a  cloak  draped  about  his  shoulders.     its  far  colder  in  the  mountains  than  it  ever  was  back  home.           ❛❛  and  you  ?     doin'  alright  ,     after  everything  ?     guess  you  really  took  the  brunt  of  it  ,     and  now  you  get  to  be  in  charge  instead  of  like   .  .  .   i  don't  know  ,     recovering.  ❜❜

[thiedas]

Of course he brings up Illario, and his heart lurches in his chest. He wanted to see Vic, he wanted to be near them and try to bring back what he felt in that moment. Still, being in his presence brought him comfort, and he clings to it. “ No, not yet. I did get a letter from Viago, though, encouraging me not to act rashly — but I think he was talking about Zara, not Illario. ” He almost has the gall to be surprised — but he knows better. He knows the next time he sees Illario, it won't be pretty. “ But I don't want to talk about him. Are you hungry? I can make us lunch. ”

[banalnas]

victor  doesn’t  particularly  want  to  talk  about  illario  either———honestly  ,    he  doesn’t  know  what  he  wants  to  talk  about.     certainly  not  the  last  time  they  were  in  this  room  together  ,     the  kicked-puppy  look  he’d  worn  on  his  way  out.     maybe  lunch  is  the  safest  bet  ,     that  or  a  nap.     they  can’t  talk  about  anything  if  they’re  eating  ,     or  he’s  asleep.     THEN HE CAN'T HUMILIATE HIMSELF AGAIN. so  he  nods  ,     grumbles  ,     grabs  a  pillow  to  hug  to  himself  and  hides  his  face  in  it.           ❛❛  yeah  ,     i  could  eat.     swear  i’d  be  skin  and  bones  without  you  around.  ❜❜           here  he  peeks  up at lucanis  ,     a  playful  smile  to  his  eyes  ,     hoping  to  claw  back  some  semblance  of  their  normal.           ❛❛  i’d  be  eatin’  twigs  and  harding’s  idea  of  soup  ,     all  the  time.     probably  with  twigs  in  it.  ❜❜

[couslnds-deactivated20241217]

@erebius liked for a starter!

"So," he says, throwing a ball a few feet away, bouncing off the mess hall wall before tucking under a chair. Willow, barking the entire time in her excitement, chases after it, diving head first... only to get stuck, "did you hear about Denerim?" He asks, voice sober, seemingly trying to avoid the obvious. He'd gotten his own letters from Wardens. Denerim, Redcliffe... what was next? Highever? Amaranthine? His heart ached at the idea of Ferelden crawling with Darkspawn. What was the point of it all? Why did he fight so hard, only for his efforts to be wasted?

[banalnas]

the  very  mention  of  denerim  seems  to  crush  victor’s  spirit———he  trains  his  eyes  on  willow  ,     just  then  ,     as  though  hoping  the  sight  of  her  funny  little  struggle  will  give  him  the  strength  to  speak.           ❛❛  yeah  ,     i  heard.  ❜❜           his  own  voice  is  grave  ,     cracking  slightly.           ❛❛  its  takin’  everything  in  me  not  to  just  jump  ship  and  go  help———have  you  heard  from  anyone  ,     in  ferelden  ?     i  haven’t  heard  from  my  dad  yet  ,     its  freakin’  me  out.     i  hope  he  got  out  quick  enough.  ❜❜ @fadefires

[knightpoet]

the musketeers: 35/∞

[thiedas]

Victor,

If you are reading this, then one of my agents has exposed themselves to you, but as you've said earlier, they're apparently easy to find. You are one of the last people I expected correspondence from. I do not say this in an attempt to offend you, rather I aim to tell the truth, as I always have. Before you even met me, I have strived to do what's right even if the rest of the world doesn't understand. I have the advantage that the majority do not, where I have been able to see a world pre and post - veil. I do not expect you to understand or even believe me, for I do not need nor want your approval.

There is little that talk can do now. I have known I would do this from the moment my work originally concluded. I have seen how my people thrived before the Veil existed, and I have seen their countless sufferings. Slavery, death, misery, all at my hand. You do not know how that weighs on a person. You do not know the anguish I have experienced seeing what I have done.

The Inquisition was merely a means to an end, a way to fix yet another mistake I've made. I see that it holds more meaning for you than it does for me, which doesn't particularly make me feel anything. I appreciate that you are attempting to use emotion to sway me, and applaud your effort, but as I've mentioned many, many times before, it will not help you.

As for Cole, I last heard he was in Ferelden again for a wedding. Something he set up, with Maryden, the bard, and Cremesius, that man from the Iron Bull's company. He's been traveling a lot. I've been keeping an eye on him from time to time, but he is traveling. I worry for him.

On'ala nuvenaan,

Solas

[banalnas]

Solas  ,

I  figured  you'd  say  most  of  that.     Was  worth  giving  it  a  shot  ,     anyways.     I  hope  you're  not  too  hard  on  the  agents  I  find  ,     its  not  their  faults.     Spying  and  sneaking  is  kind  of  my  whole  thing  ,     you  know.     And  I  take  no  offense  to  the  surprise———did  you  ever  once  see  me  writing  letters  in  Skyhold  ?     This  is  weird  for  me.     But  I  can't  help  it  ,     I  don't  know  why.     I  guess  I  don't  see  you  as  a  villain  like  most  people  do  now.     I'm  kind  of  notorious  for  giving  people  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  ,     I  guess.

Anyways.     (  here  ,     many  differently-started  sentences  have  been  erased  over  and  over.  )     I  don't  know  what  to  say  ,     obviously.     You  say  emotion  won't  sway  you  ,     but  you  talked  about  anguish  a  paragraph  before.     I've  seen  you  softened  towards  spirits  ,     and  animated  giving  old  lore  lessons.     I'm  starting  to  realize  that  the  most  emotional  people  are  the  ones  who  try  to  pretend  otherwise.     Even  in  your  last  paragraph  ,     worried  about  Cole.   Even  here———why  reply  to  me  at  all  ?     If  you  have  bigger  better  things  ,     if  you  never  cared  ,     if  we  were  all  a  ‘means  to  an  end.’

I'm  getting  too  wordy  writing  to  someone  who  won't  heed  me.     Didn't  even  know  what  that  word  meant  until  we  met.     Might've  used  it  wrong  anyways.     Anyways  ,     I  didn't  know  those  two  were  together.     I  bet  Cole  liked  the  wedding.     I'm  glad  someone's  keeping  an  eye  on  him  ,     but  why  are  you  worried  ?     Is  he  alright  ?     I  could  find  him.     And  how  are  you  ?     Besides  the  whole  veil-fucking  thing  ,     I  mean.     Are  you  on  your  own  ?     Are  you  okay  ?

I  don't  know  what  that  means  ,

Vic

[muutosarch]

"I DIDN'T KNOW you could be a mage and a rogue . . ." arms cross over modestly clad chest. WITTY AS EVER. "rogue spies, huh?" she muses. "so you just specialize in being sneaky, then?"

@banalnas. asked for the inquisitor.

[banalnas]

victor  blinks  ,     blinks  again  ,     and  shakes  his  head.           ❛❛  it———i  mean  ,     learnin'  how  to  use  a  dagger  isn't  exclusive  to  people  without  magic   .  .  .  ❜❜           eyebrows  scrunch  together  ,     amusement  littering  victor's  confusion.     he  huffs  out  a  short  chuckle.           ❛❛  basically  though  ,     yeah.     callin'  me  a  mage  is  bein'  generous  ,     too———i  just  have  magic.     i'm  not  any  good  at  it.  ❜❜

[ategods]

FOR A SPLIT SECOND - the time it takes for a still-beating hard to thud just once - something sharpens in her stare. " the hunger thing? that's cute. " the mention of it summons forth the fiend, and mio feels it's claws like a collar made from a thousand needles, tightening around her throat. leaving her tongue sandpaper dry. " no problem, rook, as long as there are enemies for me to chomp down on. unless, of course, you're offerin' —- ? " her gaze drops to @banalnas neck, wherein his pulse calls out like a war drum. " i'd never turn down a free snack. "

[banalnas]

a  rapid  succession  of  blinks  ,     during  which  victor  pales  ,     and  takes  a  step  back.           ❛❛  i———what  ?     no.     that  sounds  really   .  .  .   painful  ,     or  fatal  ,     not  sure  which.     both  of  those  are  bad  ,     though.  ❜❜           still  ,     despite  the  way  he  bristles  ,     shrinks  into  the  collar  of  his  shirt———victor  would  be  lying  if  he  said  he's  not  curious.     the  bridge  of  his  nose  scrunches  ,     and  he  shakes  his  head.           ❛❛  fatal  is  good  for  our  enemies  ,     though  i'd  prefer  not  to  watch———is  that  like   .  .  .   a  fightin'  tactic  ?     gonna  leap  at  the  venatori  with  your  teeth  out  ?  ❜❜

[astrariums-archived]

DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD (2024) Lace Harding's Room

[fhosdfoisdhfodsi-deactivated202]

#for science

[grtivas]

🏹⠀ ── ⠀ @erebius liked for a one liner starter

"i’m impressed you got that out without choking on it."

[banalnas]

❛❛  you  want  me  to  be  honest  ?  ❜❜           a  brow  quirks  as  victor  regards  the  other  ,     facade  drooping  into  his  usual  exhaustion.           ❛❛  i'm  honestly  impressed  i  get  anything  out  without  chokin'  on  it  these  days  ,     y'know  ?  ❜❜

[banalnas]

@valahren . . . does the-face-gentle-turn-my-way gesture bc why not.

faced turned now toward him , victor peers at ilrien with a suddenly glittering gaze , expression softened at once. ❛❛ mm ? ❜❜ there's a flustered tint to his cheeks. ❛❛ well , you've got my attention now———what is it ? ❜❜