the stone's bastard

"We all have our little quirks." Indie Cadash RP blog.

[shiftysmugglerlook]

Bad Habits

bold: often || italics: sometimes.

nail biting | throat clearing | lying | interrupting | chewing the ends of pens | smoking| swearing | knuckle cracking | thumb sucking | muttering under their breath | talking to themselves | nose picking | drinking | oversleeping | snacking between meals | skipping meals | picking at skin | impulse buying | talking with their mouth full | humming I singing to themselves | chewing gum | leg jiggling | foot tapping / shaking | hair twirling | whistling | eye rolling | licking lips | sniffing | squinting | rubbing hands together | jaw clenching | gesturing while talking | putting feet up on tables | tucking hair behind ears | chewing lip | putting hands on hips | rubbing the back of their neck | being late | procrastinating | doodling | shredding paper | peeling off bottle labels | forgetfulness | running hands through hair | overreacting | teeth grinding | nostril flaring | slouching | pacing | drumming fingers | fist clenching | pinching bridge of nose |rubbing temples | rolling shoulders

Tagged by: @theharellan

Tagging: @guardandshield, @anthologii, and u

[shiftysmugglerlook]

guardandshield‌:

Aveline’s feelings on the Knight Captain now commander aside, it would be a fool who didn’t see the advantage of mabari… and the pitfalls of them as well. “They shouldn’t fight those disgraces to the Templar Order. I’ve seen what Blight does to the animals; the madness it makes of them. I doubt blighted Lyrium would would fair them any better, but your Commander would know that I assume. Green as he is, he’s still Ferelden.”

The insult slipped lightly. An unwilling aside to a man she at least partly laid the blame of Kirkwall’s troubles on. Too little too late in the face of Meredith’s madness. A show of puppy teeth when all but the stones of the city state had been lost and Hawke, always Hawke, bearing the brunt of the trouble.

Aveline inhaled sharply. “You left her in the Fade Serah Inquisitor. I doubt her mabari’s there; Hawke loved it like a child, so you’ll pardon me if the rumors of her escaping sit uneasy. Until I see her with my own eyes, your spy master is just another person shitting in the wind and hoping it goes the other way.”  

“Fair point.” The last thing they needed was lyrium-addled hounds. He’d have to mention that to Cullen.

He winced. Shit. He’d hoped... he wasn’t sure what he’d been hoping. Didn’t matter now, now he just wanted to slip away, add the Guard Captain to the growing list of people he avoided in case they felt like punching him.

Not that he wouldn’t deserve it in this case. Sure, Hawke had volunteered, she’d run at the demon before anyone could argue. But he hadn’t tried to argue. Had been so desperate to be anywhere else, he barely realized until he’d shut the rift and Varric had asked twice for his friend.

He hadn’t known what to say. Still didn’t. For everything Olek had been through, he’d been lucky enough to never lose family. “...m’sorry,” he says after a long moment. “F-for whatever it’s worth.” 

Probably nothing. But he was used to that.

[shiftysmugglerlook]

guardandshield‌:

Aveline smiled despite herself. Big fucking dogs was a way to put it. “There’s a story that Magisters made mabari. They brought them to Ferelden to fight the Alamarri, but the dogs saw the hearts of men and joined the barbarians against Tevinter – ” She waved off the rest of the story. “I doubt it’s true, but they are smart. King Cailan kept a regiment of Ash Warriors and their dogs. What I wouldn’t give for them in this damned fight. The Rift would shit and shutter itself at the sight of a full mabari charge.”

It had been over a decade since Ostagar yet some memories stayed clear as Serault glass. Aveline could hear the dogs, the low growls and high howls of excitement at battle. If she let herself she could smell the incense of the Chantry thurible, smoke trailing behind every swing of the Mother as she walked between the ranks. The first charge, the only charge, her charge and the horde that fell to her sword before the Void spilled out over the field, bloody and hungry. Chaos.

“Hawke had a mabari. She took it with her when she left… Maker only knows where it is now.”    

“Might suggest it t’ the commander?” He already didn’t like the idea himself, but being the boss was not about what made him feel better. “He’s always lookin’ for somethin’ t’ give the army an edge. And I dunno about the Venatori or the Red Templars, but I’d sure as fuck run for my life if a mabari came at me.”

And if Cullen liked the idea, then Olek would just spend a lot less time wherever the mabari were kept.

“If they’re as loyal as the tales go, prolly right at her side. So wherever Hawke is.” Somewhere in Thedas, which wasn’t small. “I think Nightengale’s got some people keepin’ an eye out for her, but I don’t think they’re gonna find her. Not if she doesn’t want them to.”

[shiftysmugglerlook]

guardandshield‌:

closed starter ll  @shiftysmugglerlook​ 

Aveline felt the weight of life more keenly in the afternoon. Training recruits and knowing as any officer did, that despite skills learned – survival in your first battle was mostly dumb luck. Experience came after. If indeed there was an after. Still she adjusted grips, kicked the legs out from under wobbly stances and tried to turn smallfolk into soldiers.

And still there was no word from Hawke. A letter from Donnic, his steady hand writing from across the Waking Sea telling of the life she desperately needed to get back to. She missed her husband. She was sure he missed her as well, not accounting for the surly Warden she dumped on him (Carver) before chasing Hawke’s last note.

Fingers curled with the start of arthritis, sat comfortable around a pint of weak ale. Aveline could have went to the tavern for a stronger drink, but she wanted distance from her recruits. They were green and she’d worked them hard in the practice field. Let them vent in peace. She’d take the solitude or near so of Skyhold’s great hall.

“Have you ever seen the palace in Denerim?” The question came oddly; Aveline had no intention of speaking – especially to the Inquisitor, but perhaps she didn’t want the solitude. “Skyhold has the look of it or rather it has the look of Skyhold. I keep expecting to hear mabari barking or see Fereldan colors.”

He’d considered slipping away when she came into the hall. More out of habit than any real dislike. Guards put him on edge - especially smart guard captains - and it wasn’t always easy to remember that he wasn’t a Carta duster anymore. But slipping away meant walking, and he’d done more than enough of that today, as the throb in his right leg keenly reminded him. 

He jumped at her question, movement sending a jolt of pain up his leg. Absently rubbing at his knee, he shook his head. “No. Never been t’ Ferelden before all this.” Dasher’s branch of the Carta kept its focus in the Marches. The furthest south he’d ever been was Orlais, and that was barely south.

Olek bit the stem of his pipe and sighed out smoke. “Mabari are those... fuckin’ big dogs, right?” He’d spotted one in Redcliffe, bigger than the kid it was following. Olek had immediately hidden behind the Iron Bull. Even the memory made him nervous and he took another breath of smoke. “Heard some tales about them up in the Marches.”

Not that those tales were the main reason behind his fear of mabari and all animals bigger than a nug. But they made for nicer conversation.

[disgustcdnoisc]

shiftysmugglerlook liked your post “starter call;”

“Inquisitor." 

Temporarily lowering her sword after her most recent blow to the battered training dummy she’d been occupied with for most of the morning, she let her gaze fall upon him through slightly narrowed eyes. So many questions surrounding his nature and intentions had yet to be answered, yet he had done a fair few good things for the Inquisition thus far, too. It was a confusing state of mind to be in, and the puzzlement of it was no doubt visible on her face. 

Nevertheless, she had long since cast aside her initial suspicion of him concerning his share of responsibility in the attack at the Conclave. That did not mean she had not been keeping a wary eye on his actions as Inquisitor—their reputation, but in this scenario and depending on the choices he would make as their public leader, the fate of Thedas depended on him. 

“Is there anything you wished to speak to me about?” 

Her sword, though lowered, was still held at her side, perhaps so she could return to training if he had no need of her, perhaps as a physical representation of her natural defenses. Breaking down her walls required quite a bit of effort, and not many were willing to look past those walls to begin with.

[shiftysmugglerlook]

He had to stop himself from stepping back when she turned her gaze on him. Maker, but she could be fucking scary. Olek knew she wouldn’t attack him, he trusted her to have his back on jobs. But she was still taller and stronger than him. And grumpy. And still holding a sword.

Deep breaths. You’re okay. 

“I... yeah.” Olek swallowed. “I’m... workin’ out the details on a job. Wanted t’ ask you a few questions about Nevarra, if you’ve got some time.”

Smuggling took him all over the Marches and sometimes up into Antiva. But he’d never been through Nevarra, At the time, not an issue. Now that kind of knowledge would be helpful. Which brought him to Cassandra. Hopefully she wouldn’t be mad that this technically wasn’t an Inquisition job.

[shiftysmugglerlook]

cloudgazercadash‌:

Her gaze falls to where his hand pushes into the pocket of his coat. She sees it make a fist around something through the fabric, and her stomach drops as she braces for a knife in the gut. It doesn’t come. His gaze wavers, like he’s still waking up, just coming into the world.

“Just like that?” she asks, brow raising towards her hairline. Thora was convinced she’d have to promise him something, first. That’s how it usually goes. “Alright. She’s living down by the pier, wasn’t too tough to find the first time.”

Olek shrugs. “You asked nice.” Compared to most of Dasher’s Carta, at least. He isn’t sporting new bruises and she hasn’t called him names. They can deal with any possible payment later. And if he doesn’t get paid... well, she asked nice.

The pier’s not too far at least. He follows Thora as best he can in the crowd of dock workers and travelers. “Is she aggressive?” he asks when there’s a moment of quiet. “Or just not speakin’ trade.”

[shiftysmugglerlook]

theharellan‌:

“No, I suspect not, yet some memories do poorly in darkness.” Whether Olek’s are the sort that heal with time or dialogue, he is in no place to say.

He watches Olek over the rim of his cup, noting the anxiety that tensed his form.

“I have a blend of tea, or herbs you can cast upon a fire before you sleep, that will dampen your connection with the Fade. They are typically for a Dreamer’s use, but on nights you find yourself troubled they may save you from an unpleasant night’s sleep.”

Olek takes another sip and puts the cup down. “I-I’ll think about it...”  It might be easier to talk to his family about the memories, but they’re back in Ostwick still. His gut twists with guilt at the thought. 

He meets Solas’ gaze again, brows raising in surprise. “That... that sounds good. Yeah... thanks, Solas. I... I appreciate you helpin’ me with this. ‘Specially when I woke you up so early.” He ducks his head sheepishly.

[shiftysmugglerlook]

* WHAT SHAPE DOES YOUR PAIN TAKE?

You're drowning. A sea of emotions, responsibilities, people, things, everything. You just can't handle it all, you need to escape, but you can't. Even talking to someone and being told it's okay, compliments, nice things people say, it all adds up to drown you further. Guilt, for feeling this way when everyone's being nice and you're not enough. 

Will you sink or swim?

Tagging: boop ur it

[madamiisms]

@shiftysmugglerlook

❝ OH, come now inquisitor;; are we to linger here all day?  ❞

[shiftysmugglerlook]

He jumps at the scolding - shit, how long has he been standing still? Ducking his head, he focuses on the road. 

“Right. Sorry, Madame de Fer. Just... just thinkin’.”

[shiftysmugglerlook]

cloudgazercadash‌:

“I might need your help getting money from one of our clients,” she says with a regretful grimace. Both of them probably work enough without any extra added on. Or, she assume’s it’s the same for Olek. She’s not sure any dwarf in the Carta has it easy, not even the Dasher. Sure, he’s not kneeling in the dirty like they are, but he probably spends every second of his life expecting a knife in his back. At least she knows she’s not important enough to double-cross.

“The woman, either she doesn’t speak Common or she’s pretending not to.” Which, if she is, points to her. Either way, Olek could help. “It sounds like Antivan, so…”

She lets him fill in the rest.

☀ @shiftysmugglerlook | olek

His hand is on the knife in his jacket before he realizes who’s talking. Dusters outside his crew always scare him a bit. Thora isn’t the sort he usually has to worry about, at least, but her first words make him frown. He doesn’t work collections - no stomach for it. Is she sure she’s got the right dwarf?

Understanding hits him and he nods. “Need someone t’ translate." Easy enough. He has a bit of time to spare, and maybe she’ll give him a cut for his help. But he’s an optimist. “Alright, lead the way.”

[roleplaymemesandsuch]

Send “Oops.” for your muse to walk in on mine changing.

or send “…” for mine to walk in on yours. 

[shiftysmugglerlook]

Modern (Thedas) Verse

NAME : Olek MIDDLE NAME : N/A LAST NAME : Cadash AGE : 32 GENDER : Cis Male SEXUALITY : Homosexual FAMILY : Micha (mother), Igrid (sister), Vedrick (brother), Rhom (parent) BIRTHPLACE : Unknown, claims Ostwick HOMETOWN : Ostwick CURRENT LOCATION : Varies NATIONALITY : Marcher ETHNICITY : Antivan SPOKEN LANGUAGES : Common, Antivan, passible Orlesian and Rivani RELIGION : Andrastian, philosophy of the Stone HEIGHT : 5′6″ BODY TYPE : Lean athletic build, a little under-fed. HAIR COLOUR & TYPE : Brunette, thick. Kept short and shaved at the sides EYE COLOUR & TYPE : Light brown, slight dark circles TATTOOS : Upper back and shoulders, geometric style PIERCINGS :  Ear cuff in left ear SCARS : Bite marks all down his right leg. A scar on his left forearm from teenage shenanigans. A thin stab wound under his rib. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND : Home-schooled to catch up with high school level but never got his GED PETS : A grey long-haired cat, Whiskers. CAREER : Part time courier, street musician SOCIAL MEDIA USED : Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Youtube SMOKING : never / occasionally / party smoker / often / in the past DRINKING : never / occasionally / party drinker / often / in the past DRUGS : never / tried it a few times / occasionally / often / in the past IF THEY DO DRUGS, WHAT KIND? : Elfroot. It helps with the pain in his leg on bad days ATHLETICS THEY ENJOY? : Swimming HOBBIES : Sketching, playing music VIRGIN? : yes / no. IF NOT, HOW OLD WERE THEY WHEN THEY LOST THEIR VIRGINITY? : 17 FAVOURITE DRINK : Coffee FAVOURITE FOOD : Apples, tiny cakes FAVOURITE MUSIC :  Alternative, rock, indie FAVOURITE MOVIE : Coco FAVOURITE TV SHOW : Brooklyn Nine Nine FAVOURITE BOOK : anything by Varric Tethras FAVOURITE VIDEO GAME: Pillars of Eternity CLOTHING STYLE : Comfort. Jeans and shirts, always wears a jacket with a lot of pockets UNDERWEAR TYPE : Boxer-briefs 

TAGGED BY : @theharellan TAGGING: boop ur it

[shiftysmugglerlook]

theharellan‌:

“It is possible,” he says idly, fingers drumming against the ceramic. “Our experiences shape the Fade, and our dreams, in turn, but that does not mean it will reflect our memories perfectly. Rather, you may find a supporting role was filled by the bookseller in Redcliffe, dreaming about things you have never before experienced. Even some nightmares are nonsensical when held up to the harsh light of day.”

He chances a second sip, and finds its a more agreeable temperature this time. The taste is sweet on his tongue after a night of restful sleep, and he is silently grateful that Josephine purchased more than dark cocoa this month.

Solas leans carefully against a counter, racking his brain for an example that he would fill comfortable sharing. Too often even his strangest dreams were… too personal to divulge to anyone in the Inquisition. “If they trouble you, thinking upon them may help unravel the anxiety they bring.”

"So... warped versions of memories? Shit. This is complicated.” He drags a hand down his face and sighs. It hurts a bit to get his head around it, but he needs to understand it if he’s gonna be dealing with it. Not knowing shit would just make it harder.

Oddly enough, the idea of thinking about some of his memories makes his nerves worse. His hand tightens on the cup, shaking a little. “I don’t... th-they’re not fun memories t’ think about. I-I try not t’...” He takes a breath. “I don’t think about them i-if I can help it.”

[shiftysmugglerlook]

[ apologies for my absence, life happened and then i got horribly sick, but i’m feeling much better now, so expect more quality dworf content shortly! ]

[shiftysmugglerlook]

❝ I try to stay optimistic even though things seem to be getting a little sticky. ❞

john mulaney starters | accepting

“Nothin’ wrong with that. It can always get worse. Why not focus on the nice things while they last?”

[shiftysmugglerlook]

theharellan‌:

For once, the warmth between his hands is not brought on by magic, but heat from the mug he held. A far less threatening thing, though he’s sure the Chantry would find some reason to condemn it. Cocoa has always grown better up north, after all.

“All mages are lucid in dreams, able to make decisions as freely as they would awake, but never move beyond the boundaries of it. As a Dreamer, I possess that ability.” He pauses to take a hesitant sip of his drink, barely more than a thimble before he decides it is still too hot to swallow. “I have heard of non-mages who claim they are capable of lucid dreaming, though I am not sure I believe it, myself.”

Olek sips his tea, frowning as he thinks it through. It takes him a minute to get his head around it; Solas is smarter than he is, and he’s never paid much attention to dreams. “So I might not be able t’ do that at all. Or maybe I can because the mark’s a fuckin’ wild card. 

“But... memory dreams, that’s... mean, that’s obviously dreams of your memories, right?” The calm he’s started to regain starts to fray at the thought and he digs his teeth into his bottom lip. There are a lot of memories he doesn’t want to think about, let alone relive. “I... I might get those?”

[therpmemes]

       john mulaney: kid gorgeous   → sentence starters

slightly edited in some cases to work for rp purposes. feel free to change phrasing or pronouns to fit your muse(s)!

❝ Let’s change the subject! ❞

❝ This is a weird conversation and I want to talk about a book I read about World War II.❞

❝ Whoever did kill her only did it to protect her from this world. ❞

❝ Ah, none of us really know their fathers. ❞

❝ I was sitting over on the bench. ❞

❝ You saw what happened and did nothing! ❞

❝ Sometimes, he was gay. ❞

❝ When he was holding back the gay part, he did some of his best work. ❞

❝ I never talked to my dad about that but I figured I’d tell you. ❞

❝ Freebasing is the greatest orgasm known to man. ❞

❝ I’ve been sober now two weeks. Well, weekdays, not weekends. ❞

❝ What was so funny? I wanna know. ❞

❝ None of that matters but it’s important to me that you know that.  ❞

❝ Phonebooks don’t leave bruises. ❞

❝ Give us some money! As a gift! We want a gift! But only if it’s money! ❞

❝ I thought I’d be dead in a trunk by now. ❞

❝ You spent it already?! ❞

❝ Where’s the money? ❞

❝ I lived on cigarettes and alcohol and adderall. ❞

❝ Do my friends hate me or do I just need to go to sleep? ❞

❝ That’s illegal! They tricked me! ❞

❝ I paid 120,000 dollars for someone to tell me to go read Jane Austen and then I didn’t!❞

❝ If it’s too big you can just wear it as a sleep-shirt. ❞

❝ Hey, do you want me to kill that guy for you? ❞

❝ Jokes don’t do well in court. ❞

❝ I’m in the phase right before Old. ❞

❝ I am damp all the time. ❞

❝ I am gross. ❞

❝ UGHHHHH – you know, life. ❞

❝ I don’t know what my body is for, other than just taking my head from room to room. ❞

❝ I get super hot in the middle of the afternoon for no reason. ❞

❝ Let’s just not see each other for eight months and it doesn’t matter at all. ❞

❝ I was raised to be nice to everyone in every situation because you never know their story. ❞

❝ A lot of people don’t seem that nice and they seem to be doing fine in the world. ❞

❝ Not everyone thinks the same things are nice. ❞

❝ Famous people are weird as shit. ❞

❝ Your suspicions are correct. ❞

❝ I say ‘knock-knock’ out loud.❞

❝ The world is run by robots and we spend most of our time telling them we’re not a robot. ❞

❝ Think about that for two minutes and tell me that you don’t want to walk into the ocean.❞

❝ It seems like everyone everywhere is super mad about everything all the time. ❞

❝ I try to stay optimistic even though things seem to be getting a little sticky. ❞

❝ I don’t remember that in Hamilton. ❞

❝ I need everybody, all day long, to like me so much. It’s exhausting. ❞

❝ What do you think they’re celebrating? ❞

❝ I wasn’t raised catholic and I’m fucking glad I wasn’t because it’s a fucked up organization. ❞

❝ That should be the slogan of the catholic church: It’s an hour! ❞

❝ God can’t hear you. ❞

❝ First of all, get out of here with your facts. Just ‘cause you’re accurate doesn’t mean you’re interesting. ❞

❝ A charming anecdote that was fake and never happened. ❞

❝ These meaningless politeness rules! ❞

❝ I would never say that, not even as a joke, that my wife is a bitch and I don’t like her. ❞

❝ My wife is a bitch and I like her so much. ❞ 

❝ I smoked cocaine the night before my college graduation. Now I’m afraid to get a flu shot. People change. ❞

❝ I was in Connecticut recently, doing white people stuff. ❞

❝ Brush your teeth! Now boom, orange juice! That’s life. ❞

❝ College is a $120,000 hooker and you’re the idiot who fell in love with her.❞

❝ STREET SMARTS! ❞

❝ He could look at a child and guess the price of their coffin. ❞