MODEST IN TEMPER, BOLD IN DEED

ᴀ ᴠɪꜱɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ? ...ᴘᴏᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇʟʏɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇʀ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴ. ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ.

[markburdened]

                      ❝      you  laugh  like  a  little girl,  and  inside  you  think  like  a  martyr.      ❞  

      hello  there!  this  is  #MARKBURDENED,  an  independent  herald  of  andraste  of   bioware’s  dragon  age  series.  i  go  by  a  lot  of  different  names  but  you  guys  may  call  me  bella!  she/her,  twenty-five  years  old,  latiné,  pacific  standard  time.  this  blog  is  private,  selective,  mult-verse  and  multi-ship!

      please   read  rules  before  following  and  interacting.  personal  blogs  are  instantly  blocked.  WILL  NOT  FOLLOW  BACK  UNLESS  I  CAN  FIND  YOUR  RULES  PAGE.  anon  is  currently  OFF.

↬ CARRD

[wolfythewitch]

"The gods' chosen" "the gods' champion" no that's the god's little wind up toy. The gods' chew toy. The gods' favorite barbie doll

[thanflowers]

        “we only met very briefly during the blight. when i inquired after him once things were over, the templars were not very forthcoming. they would only say that he was reassigned, not where or why.” she shrugged. in all honesty, it was quite possible cullen didn't even remember her, considering the condition he'd been in when they found him in kinloch hold. the demons uldred had set loose certainly did a number on him. she only hoped he was doing better now that he was free of the chantry's leash.

        “of course,” she says. “it's been years since i saw morrigan, and she's a lot harder to keep in touch with than leliana.” she chuckles slightly, shaking her head. “i owe them both a lot. wouldn't have been able to stop the blight without their help.” never mind how morrigan helped her connect with her magic, all those years ago.

[markburdened]

❝ the world is a lot smaller than we think it is, isn't it? ❞ she chuckles softly. ❝ it's funny just how many people here know each other from past coincidences. it almost makes me a feel a little bit like an outsider, but that might just be because i'm neither from ferelden or orlais and most people under my employment are from either or. ❞ evie was FAR from home and it was unfortunate to say that it wasn't a unique experience for young mages her age that have been displaced not just from this war, but the circles that have taken them from their homes.

[erebius]

❛❛  i  mean———i'm  in  charge  instead  of  him  ,     if  that  tells  you  anything.  ❜❜           victor's  face  turns  somber  upon  mention  of  varric;     a  sense  of  guilt  driving  it  ,     anxiety.     already  the  hero  with  a  heavy  weight  on  his  shoulders  ,     BLAMING HIMSELF FOR EVERY INJURY.     in  an  all-too-obvious  attempt  to  shake  it  ,     he  turns  sheepish  ,     offering  his  sister  a  cringing  smile.          ❛❛  you  ,     uh  .  .  .  should  see  the  state  of  bianca  ,     though.     in  pieces.     surprised  we  haven't  had  a  crossbow funeral  for  her  yet.  ❜❜

despite  everything  ,     this  feels  good———surrounded  only  by  familiar  faces  ,     even  momentarily.     even  if  one  of  those  familiar  faces  is  morrigan  ,     who  always  used  to  make  him  nervous.     he  reaches  over  to  nudge  evie  ,     a  fake  punch  to  her  shoulder.          ❛❛  how  are  things  back  home  ?     did  you  bring  any  of  our  other  friends  with  you  ?  ❜❜

[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. ❞

[markburdened]

i've been spoiled

[soulrph]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒.

idk what this is my dudes, i got angsty, then spot.ify gave me a soft song, and i decided to resolve the angst briefly by writing up these! i hope y’all enjoy!

DIALOGUE PROMPTS.

“ hey, look at me… you can do this. okay? you can. “

“ it’s gonna work out, alright? i promise.

“ you’re not alone, okay? not anymore. i’m right here with you. “

“ you good? “

“ here. hold my hand. you get scared again, squeeze tight, and i’ll help you. got it? “

“ shh… it’s okay… breathe with me, okay? in… and out… good job. “

“ we’re gonna figure all this out together, i promise. “

“ that’s it… there we go, good job… let it all out. “

“ of course i came. you called me. what’s wrong? “

“ hey, why don’t we get out of here? would that be better? “

“ you wanna get out of here? i know a great coffee shop a few blocks away. “

“ do you wanna talk about this, or be distracted, or left alone? “

“ you don’t have to be so strong all the time. it’s okay. cry. i’ll be strong for both of us. “

“ hey, i got you some water. drink it all, you’ll feel better. “

“ it’s been a long day. why don’t you stay here tonight? i can take the sofa. “

“ c’mon, you gotta eat something. and i can’t cook, so take-out it is. eat up. “

“ let’s go for a walk. staying here is the worst thing we can do, right? “

“ don’t you pay any heed to those morons. they don’t know you. not like i do. “

“ it’s okay. i got you… “

“ we don’t need to talk unless you want to. i’m happy to just sit with you for a while. “

“ it’s alright. you take your time… i’m gonna be right here whenever you want to talk, okay? “

ACTION PROMPTS.

[ KNEE ]:          sender gently rests a hand on the receiver’s knee to stop them from shaking it.

[ MOUTH ]:          sender notices the receiver’s distress from across a crowded room, and silently mouths “are you okay?” to them.

[ SIT ]:          sender guides the receiver into a seat after noticing them becoming upset.

[ BESIDE ]:          sender sits next to the troubled receiver at a social event so that they don’t have to feel alone.

[ BACK ]:          sender rests a gentle hand against the receiver’s back, silently checking in on them.

[ HAND ]:          sender takes a gentle hold of the receiver’s hand, as a form of emotional support and reassurance.

[ JOIN ]:          sender follows the emotionally unsettled receiver out of a crowded party and into a secluded space to check on their well-being.

[ BREATHE ]:          sender begins to take slow, deliberately even breaths, encouraging the receiver to copy their motions until their own breathing is back to normal.

[ SPOON ]:          sender lies beside the receiver and becomes the big spoon to comfort them.

[ GLANCE ]:          sender glances at the receiver while in a public setting to assure them they aren’t alone, and ground them in doing so.

[ BLOCK ]:          sender deliberately stands in front of the receiver to prevent them from seeing something that may upset them further.

[ SHIELD ]:          sender deliberately stands in front of the receiver to protect them from a targeted attack (verbal or physical).

[ DISTRACT ]:          sender, noticing receiver’s distress, provides a distraction for them (by conversation, a mobile game, a detour, etc.).

[ ARRIVE ]:          sender shows up at the receiver’s door after receiving a troubled phone call from the receiver.

[ CIRCLE ]:          sender rubs slow circles on the receiver’s back while hugging them in an effort to calm them down.

[ FOREHEAD ]:          sender lowers their head to press their forehead against the receiver’s, trying to comfort them in the process.

[ ANCHOR ]:          sender places a hand on the back of the receiver’s neck and pulls them close in an effort to physically and emotionally ground them.

[ HOLD ]:          sender holds out their hands to the receiver, either to hold hands or to hold them.

[ AROUND ]:          while sitting together, the sender quietly wraps an arm around the receiver’s shoulders as a support.

[ SHOULDER ]:          sender reaches out and places a hand on the receiver’s shoulder, both to catch their attention and silently ask if they’re okay.

[ JACKET ]:          sender notices the receiver beginning to shake after an immensely distressing incident, and removes their own jacket to wrap it around the receiver’s shoulders.

[ CATCH ]:          sender, noticing the receiver’s legs beginning to give out beneath them, rushes over to them and catches them before they collapse to the ground.

[kinlochs]

Cassian's piercing gaze does soften somewhat. He could feel the subtle shake of the table driven by the younger girl's leg. The Warden was wrong to be so judgmental right off of the bat--he had many friends who still believed in the Maker (as skeptical as he was). Leliana, for example, still held fast to her beliefs, even with her considerable cynicism towards everything else.

They had all changed in the years between.

"Cassandra?" Cassian repeats in disbelief. He sits back in his seat and steeples his fingers. "I suppose that makes sense. She does have the sense to do what is needed when times are dire." His gaze levels upon the Herald once more. "She will not always be so stoic towards you. The Seeker is one of the most loyal people I know, and you are her newest cause. All of ours."

[markburdened]

evie's palm itched underneath her gloves, almost as if the mark could sense the anxiety boiling in her blood and thought it would be funny to make it even WORSE. she did her best to subtly scratch it against the armrest of her chair as she looked between cassian and the world map in front of them.

all of ours. she could feel her heart drop down to her stomach.

❝ varric told me that she had been looking for you. and the champion of kirkwall. before, you know... ❞ a vague motion of her finger, in the direction of the conclave that now sat in ruin outside of the chantry. ❝ i think she had every intention of reforming the inquisition with whomever of you agreed. but than this happened. ❞

the girl lifted her marked hand slightly before lazily dropping it back down to the armrest to resume scratching her palm.

[thanflowers]

        elspeth nods. her only real memory of cullen is finding him being that barrier in kinloch hold, his mind all but broken by the demons set upon him. after that, she understand they stationed him in kirkwall, which can hardly have been good for his mental health. she's glad to hear he's doing better.

        “an understandable fear to have, particularly these days...” how the tempars had reacted to the mage rebellion was with more and more violence. elspeth can't blame anyone for being wary of one of their former members. “though i understand his loyalties lie with the inquisition now.” 

[markburdened]

❝ oh, of course, that was never into question, ❞ maybe she was being a little TOO honest, evie realized. ❝ i respect the commander a lot. although he's never told me that the two of you have met. ❞ she wasn't as close with cullen as she was with her companions for the reason she had just stated previously but also because she was far too intimidated to bother him as he always seemed to have his head buried in his work. she found josephine the easiest to approach about her worries, at least when their war room meetings weren't taking place.

❝ and morrigan? you must be eager to see her as well, ❞ she inquires.

[markburdened]

the last time the inquisitor had been in the fade, at least consciously, hadn't been a pleasant experience. it was dark, wet and cold with demons lurking about. NIGHTMARISH. evie had been young and afraid——and faced with the unimaginable choice of leaving behind a friend.

however the lighthouse was BEAUTIFUL, disarmingly so. sera would have liked that one, she thought to herself as rook gave her a tour of the place as well as introducing her to the people that would be aiding him in his quest to stop the elvhen gods.

❝ you said solas... gave this place to you? ❞ she turns to rook after taking in the view from the courtyard, the pink hue of the sky that could almost pass for a sunset.

@assectations || starter call.

[markburdened]

hooves crunched against the snow anxiously has they often did once it was time for the stablehands to take chesnut off her hands, followed by a stressed snort and whinny. an embarrassing song and dance they had to perform in order to get the horse to cooperate and walk inside his stable on his own. a stable that——unfortunately for chestnut——was located right beside the tent belonging to the tall and stout QUNARI. like always he seemed to calm down the moment he was inside, but it was still disheartening to see the horse choose to face the glowing green WOUND in the sky rather than evie's companion behind him. as if pretending he wasn't there altogether.

❝ i'm sorry about that, ❞ the herald approached bull as she pulled at her riding gloves, apologies in hand. ❝ i had HOPED that he would be used to you by now... do horses react this way a lot to you? ❞

@lastburden || starter call.

[markburdened]

i need new threads so like this post for a small starter :) multis please specify muse

[markburdened]

i need new threads so like this post for a small starter :) multis please specify muse

[existential-celestial]

Jude Duarte in The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

[thanflowers]

        “yeah, leliana's good for that. she used to tell the most incredible stories and sing the most beautiful songs around the fire. kept my mind off things, at least some of the time...” elspeth isn't sure leliana is much for doing that kind of thing anymore, however. the spymaster has certainly changed a lot over the years. “we've spoken some, but not enough. i'll be heading up to bother her more soon enough, anyway.” if nothing else, the bard still seems to have a soft spot for her warden friend that elspeth is not above exploiting. “...how is the commander?” he's the only other advisor she's met before.

[markburdened]

something in the inquisitor's eyes LIGHT UP at the mention of leliana's signing. something about hearing that almost felt... humanizing for someone that she had known as being very stoic and reserved. of course the spymaster's kindness did shine through when it counted the most, but she had to wonder how different she must have been when she traveled ferelden with her old friend. ❝ i've only ever heard her sing once, ❞ evie admits, a brief shiver running through her skin at the memory of the piercing cold of the frostback mountains.

❝ cullen? he's kind and hardworking... ❞ a genuine compliment from the inquisitor, only something in her pauses, like she was debating something in her head. elspeth spoke so informally and casually with her, and their eyes were so kind and INVITING. it was a struggle for the girl let her guard down around most people, but something about elspeth made it easy for her to do so. ❝ he still scares me sometimes. it's probably just the instincts of a mage, ❞ she chuckles and shrugs a bit bashfully. ❝ but he's not like most templars i've met, at least. ❞

[kinlochs]

What was with the world being thrown into chaos and their only saviour being... well, a child? Cassian could not take offense to it, only realize the immediate ludicrousness of the entire situation now that he was in the other side's shoes. Not that long ago, he himself had been young and impressionable while trying to stop the Fifth Blight. Many mistakes later, somehow everyone was still alive.

"No, we never do, do we?" The Warden-Commander asks, more to himself than anything. Since arriving, the mage hasn't cracked a single smile, more preoccupied with the Breach in the sky and the demons pouring forth. At the mention of the Maker, he casts a reluctant side-eye.

"We certainly do what we must, but I wouldn't involve the Maker in any capacity," he snorts. Where was the Maker during the blight? Where was He now? Right. "In any case, once you seal this breach, hopefully things will begin to smooth over again. I can only imagine how thrilled Cassandra and Leliana must be."

[markburdened]

the piercing eyes that the hero of ferelden shot her way at the mention of her maker felt like ARROWS she needed to quickly dodge to avoid their damage. did he...? well, she shouldn't have been surprised at all. evie was quick to learn that the impending end of the world as they knew it made many lose faith in their creator. the only thing that had surprised her was not losing faith herself.

the herald steeled herself, despite the anxious bouncing of her foot beneath the war table. never show weakness. evie replicated the bored expression she'd observe cullen make when something frustrated him.

❝ this was actually cassandra's idea, ❞ she found herself saying before she could really filter herself. ❝ i... had no say in it. ❞ it hurt a little to think that cassandra and leliana both dealt with HER for the sake of saving all of southern thedas.

[erebius-a]

its  a  strange  place  to  meet  ,     even  for  morrigan.     but  victor  is  used  to  strange  by  now———strange  like  gods  being  real  ,     like  his  dwarven  friend  having  magic  ,     like  him  being  in  charge  of  something  other  than  spies.     so  dragging  steps  carry  him  through  the  ruins  of  dock  town  to  this  meeting  spot  ,     and  he  opens  his  mouth  to  inquire  about  the  secrecy———but  before  he  can  speak  ,     a  familiar  voice  hits  his  ears  ,     and  a  wash  of  relief  crashes  over  him. 

its  visible  ,     tangible;     the  way  his  shoulders  droop  ,     eyes  closing  as  he  exhales.    evie.     if  nothing  else  good  ever  happens  to  him  again  ,     at  the  very  least  this  may  keep  him  sane.     at  least  he'll  have  family  in  this  group  of  mostly-strangers  to  keep  him  grounded.     A SMILE BREAKS THROUGH HIS SADNESS  ,     and  when  evie  hugs  him  he  squeezes  with  all  the might he has  ,     forcing  himself  not  to  lift  her  right off  the  ground.            ❛❛  maker  ,     i've  never  been  so  happy  to  see  someone.  ❜❜           letting  the  hug  linger  for  a  moment  ,     he  eventually  pulls  back  to  look  over  her———delighted  and  fond  ,     still  seeing  his  kid  sister  there  ,     after  all  this  time.     thank  the  gods———well   .  .  .   thank  goodness  she's  still  alright.           ❛❛  i'm   .  .  .   here.     i'm  okay.     better  now  ,     suddenly.     don't  let  that  get  to  your  head  ,     though.     are  you  alright  ? ❜❜

[markburdened]

❝ yeah. i'm doing a lot better now that i know you're okay, ❞ relief exits evie in the form of a soft sigh. just as vic had been a sort of protector for the later half of her teenage years, evie now felt that same responsibility to PROTECT HIM fall on her shoulders, having been there for him through all of his struggles as he had been there for all of her's. it weighed heavy on her, being halfway across thedas and hearing all that had transpired.

❝ harding, ❞ the inquisitor greets the scout with a fond smile, draping her good hand over her shoulder to pull her in for a hug. her smile falters at her next inquiry. ❝ and varric? how is his recovery? ❞

[markburdened]

will try to get some writing done tonight! sorry for the inactivity 🙏