I wanted to capture the euphoria he might have experienced while secretly serving in the Tevinter army. Simultaneously, this could represent the true freedom of expression he may have felt among The Chargers for the first time.
This dialogue between Bull and Cole also comes to mind:
Cole: You and Krem say words that hurt, but they aren't real, The Iron Bull.
Iron Bull: Yes. We give each other grief. It's a soldier thing. Doesn't mean anything.
Cole: It means friendship. And that you're soldiers. Krem likes it, it makes him proud.
Happy Friday! Very interested in Krem/Cullen, so maybe "when this is over, I want us to finally have that quiet dinner we’ve been dreaming of." for them? lbr they both could use a nice quiet sit down.
me, finally working on my @dadrunkwriting backlog? it happens on occasion.
ficlet below!
ass end of demon town
rating: t
words: 394
notes: none really. just a sweet kremcullen ficlet!
Demons. So many demons. How that magister got an endless horde of demons was absolutely beyond Krem. And while they were making some headway in, siege ladders kept getting knocked down and the catapults weren't denting the ways fast enough.
He was about to scare the shit out of Cullen, but there was a job that needed doing. After stabbing a nearby wraith, he managed to get near the Commander. Once he was finally by Cullen's side, he pulled his ear down to his height and shouted, "Clear the left hand wall. The Chargers and I are gonna clear it."
Cullen's eyebrows drew in and his forehead wrinkled as Krem darted away back to the Chargers. His voice pierced through the battle as he bellowed, "Don't be rash." A smirk crossed his face as Krem blew the commander a kiss. The Chargers were going to do what they did best, and that included impulsively making decisions in battle.
Krem quickly located his mercenaries and barked orders, preparing to deliver Rocky to the left wall. They'd need to hold that point for a couple of minutes while Rocky rigged explosives, then they would retreat to detonate.
It was nearly a perfect mission. In and out, but the horde of demons continued to grow and retreating from the blast zone was risky. Well, good thing Krem was a quick thinker. A quick retreat, back to the main body of the force would get most of them out of the blast zone. He stayed behind with Dalish to magically ignite the explosives.
The two helped each other fall back, stumbling towards the rush of soldiers clambering their way into the new entrance they created. There probably was shouting, but it was hard to hear over the ringing in his ears. Eventually, they reconvened with the other Chargers, who patched them back up and ensured they would be able to help the main forces breach the castle.
As they applied a poultice to their burnt skin, someone tapped on his shoulder. Krem turned to face them and was pulled into a crushing hug. "You owe me a quiet relaxing dinner after all this," he muttered, pulling back briefly to kiss him. "Next time signal for reinforcements."
Krem laughed, pressing one more kiss into Cullen's lips before leaning back. "The Chargers make it work. Where do you need us?"
Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Characters: Male Rogue Inquisitor, Antivan Inquisitor, Cremisius Aclassi,Josephine Montilyet, (other characters to come in later parts)
Relationships: none in this part
Additional Tags: Transmasculine Inquisitior, brief moments of misgendering
Word Count: approx. 800
Aloísio nodded as Leliana explained to him what they needed to do. She wanted him to head to the Storm Coast and search for signs of the Grey-Wardens. That promised to be a simple job, he didn't think he stood any more of a chance at finding something than Leliana's scouts had. Still, it would get him out of Haven for a while. After 12 years of living in Antiva he really was not used to the cold.
While he was walking out of the chantry he passed by a chantry sister who, respectfully, nodded and reverently called him 'Lady Herald'. He just gritted his teeth and nodded. It seemed to him that word had somehow spread that he was 'in fact' Teyrn Trevelyan of Ostwick's 'daughter' Ziva. It annoyed him to no end, he and his father hadn't spoken or seen each other in more than 12 years, but because of his father people still treated him like his name, his identity, was just some joke 'Ziva' had made up so 'she' could go play at being a mercenary. Aloísio Caetano was not a joke. He couldn't snap at people over it though, doing so would earn him no allies.
As he was leaving the chantry, he noticed an unfamiliar soldier just outside the door, trying to get someone to talk to them. He decided it couldn't hurt if he was that person, and walked over to them. "Hello," he said.
"Hello," the soldier replied, relaxing slightly now that they had someone's attention. "Maybe you could help me. I have a message to deliver but I'm having a hard time getting anyone to talk to me."
Aloísio thought about that; he supposed that, as Herald, it was okay for him to take messages sometimes. "First, tell me who you are."
The solider stood a little straighter. "Cremisius Aclassi with the Bull's Chargers Mercenary Company."
"Wait," Aloísio said. "You're with The Chargers? I've heard of you. Beat my company out for contracts on occasion. The Iron Bull, is he really a Qunari?"
"He is, and a lot smarter than the last bastard I worked for," Cremisius said. "We've got word of a band of Tevinter mercenaries gathering out on the Storm Coast. He offers the information free of charge."
Aloísio raised a brow slightly. "Really?" he said sounding completely unconvinced. "Why tell us this? Does he stand to gain something from it?"
"Chief wants to work with the Inquisition, I think. You're the first time he's gone out of his way to pick a side. Why don't you come to the Storm Coast and you can see us in action."
He shrugged. "It can't hurt since I was going to the Storm Coast anyway. I look forward to seeing the Chargers in action. I'll meet you there."
Cremisius nodded and said, "I look forward to it," before turning and walking away.
Aloísio was considering his next move when he was interrupted by Lady Montilyet.
"Herald, if I might have a moment of your time?" she asked from behind him.
He nodded as he turned around and followed her into the chantry. "What would you like to discuss Lady Montilyet?"
One they were in her office, she replied, "I have a few letters for you, Herald. There's a couple from your father, one from the commander of your mercenary company, and one from my mother."
Aloísio was in the middle of starting to say that she could tell his father to fuck off when Josephine said that last part and his entire demeanor changed. "Oh? And how is Sylvia Allegra? I hope she is well. What is she wanting?"
Josephine blink. "She is well, she wanted you to let her know if there's anything you need her help with and warns that the Montilyet name does not carry the same kind of weight in Orlais as it does in Antiva." She straightened a stack of papers on her desk then continued, "I have no doubts that my mother has allies and acquaintances that I may not be acquainted with myself, but how exactly does she know you?"
"If I didn't know better, Lady Josephine, I'd say you sound a bit worried," Aloísio said. "Do you not remember how we first met? You used to come to all of the parties my father threw in honor of my nameday, until I left home when I was sixteen. After I left home, your mother took me in and helped me start my new life in Antiva. I owe her more than I could ever possibly hope to repay."
Josephine nodded. "That would explain why her letter referred to you as Aloísio while your father's letters referred to you as Ziva. Which would you prefer being called?"
Aloísio took a steady breath. "My name is Aloísio. It has never been nor never will be, Ziva. My father doesn't care or understand. That's why I left."
reminder that if you tag your posts of krem/ any dragon age trans person with aclassitag we’ll reblog it! (there are a few rules, however, just check our FAQ under ‘depictions of krem’)
*Uploads pictures in the middle of the night when no one will see his shipping trash*
In the veeeery beginnings of their relationship, when Krem was just starting to develop a little (”It’s nothing serious. I’m sure it’ll fade with time.”) crush on Madera, he’d catch her on her way out for missions, and invite her for a drink on him if she came back in one piece.
He always kept his word.
Yo heads up, don't forget to follow aclassitag if you want to avoid the transphobic mess that's in the Krem tag. They reblog all the nice things so no one is accidentally triggered, and they've got some resources for trans and non-binary folk!!
Tried my hand at writing a fic for the first time in like. years. Not much of a fic, more just a drabble I guess?? nervous laughter increases. Spreads some Krem positivity. Also ignore my tenses being all over the place I don't care enough about tenses to bother with the uniformity i'm sorry. the ending is also rushed GOD I'M SO NERVOUS LMAO I HAVEN'T WRITTEN A THING LIKE THIS FOREVER bye....
Krem/F!Lavellan. G rating. Krem brings comfort to an anxiety-stricken inquisitor. Idk self-indulgent shit.
It had been easy to ignore at first. The flutter in her stomach, the occasional tightness in her chest, all easily shoo'd away. This isn't the time for this, she thought, taking a deep breath before soldiering on. The feelings had abated for a time, Lavellan too busy, too constant to give it any thought.
It was only in the lull of a rarely lax day that it reared its ugly head full force. It had hit almost all at once, causing her to actually stagger upon the last couple steps leading to her main hall. Her palms hit the stone door frame, nose a hair's width from the wood door itself. Was there an earthqua-- No, it was her, the shaking was all her.
Why is this happening? Was her first bewildered thought.
Uneasily she pushed away from the door and stepped back, just staring at the designs in the grain. Her hands felt strange, like she was hyperaware of where they were and that she was doing nothing with them. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, trying to stave off the impending feeling of doom through pure logic.
What was she so afraid of? Well-- The obvious, of course, but that hadn't seemed to bother her before. Much. Not that it wasn't on her mind, it wasn't as if that was something she could just ignore, but it had never come out like this and why now and why her? There was nothing really for her to do today. She'd managed to get ahead of pretty much everything important (her advisers had been particularly pleased with both her and themselves, using their newfound "time off" [for a given value of 'time off' since when weren't they all working on something?] to pursue other areas of interest). She'd just wanted the time to relax, let herself not worry or once and her body, her mind, something was ruining everything.
She felt her breath catch strangely, breathing becoming slightly more difficult. It was... odd. The whole situation was odd, like she was detached from the experience and watching it happen to someone else while still going through the motions of it.
Was it just everything coming down on her at once? Her body finally had the chance to stop thinking about everything, which unfortunately freed her up to actually think about everything. Suddenly the room beyond the door wasn't just a room, but a straight plunge into a dragon's lair, daunting and huge and she couldn't breath--
"Your worship?"
The voice is concerned, wary, and Lavellan's breath hitched unnaturally. Her eyes, which had been staring unseeing at a fixed point on the door--now a man's chestplate-- snapped up to the man's face,wide and wild with fear.
"Are you alright?" He spoke carefully, as if to a spooked fennec, one hand going to rest in faux-casualness on his sword.
"Oh. Krem. Hello." Her voice sounded so strange to her own ears, stilted and hollow and very, very small. "Yes, fine. Everything's... fine?" It was like suddenly having a bucket of ice water dumped on her and no longer was she staring at the situation from afar, but shoved back into the experience. She inhales sharply and Krem stepped forward, forcing Lavellan to take a few clumsy steps back so he wasn't staring in the doorway any more.
She noticed he didn't close the door all the way, that he stood enough to the side to allow her to pass; she wasn't being trapped and the gesture touched her, calmed her somewhat. Neither of them spoke for a moment, Krem seeming to think on what he wanted to say here.
"It's stupid," Lavellan suddenly blurted out,and Krem looked to her in surprise. "I'm being stupid. This whole thing is stupid."
Silence for a beat, and she felt the compulsion to explain, but how could she when she didn't know herself?
"Everything was fine, and now suddenly it's not. It's not fair, why is this happening now? I wanted to enjoy the day, and I can't even do that because I... I'm freaking out, and there's no reason!"
She liked structure, she liked things to make sense. She liked easy-to-follow schedules and categorizing things, she liked the uniformity of traditions and following them; there was no back-up plan for this...whatever it was.
Krem considered her carefully and glanced back out at the hall; so far it seemed no one had taken notice of the door being ajar, the Inquisitor standing beyond it, or the Charger to its side. "After everything that happened?"
She frowned at him. "But, it's-- it's happened already. And everything else, everything to come, I... Well, we have it under control?" She hated the way her voice lifted in question, uncertainty worming at her heart. "...Don't we? I need to sit down."
It's said in a strange rush, but suddenly Krem is at her side, a hand on her elbow and a question in his eyes. She nodded and his grip grew firm, but not unyielding. He's good at this, she thinks, and allows herself to lean on the offered arm.
"I have a couch. I don't want to sit on the stairs." She doesn't want anyone to walk in and have her being the first thing they see.
So they walk, arm in arm, a slow ascent back up the stairs until they can sit side-by-side on the couch. The view of the mountains is breathtaking, and the quiet is broken only by Leliana's crows as they fly by. The peace and relative tranquility has Lavellan releasing a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. Her arm still never leaves the loop with Krem's.
"I just--" She begins, and then falls quiet. Krem looks at her and waits patiently as she sighs. "it's so stupid. I can't do anything about what's happened. I'm doing everything I can for what will, but only so much of it is in my hands. Why bother worrying about what's out of it? Why is it there, it's just looming like some snake about to strike. I don't... I don't like it."
She feels a hitch of Krem's body, a silent laugh and she narrows her eyes at him. "I don't think anyone likes it, your worship."
"Well-- yes, alright. That's true." She laughs a little despite herself and silence falls once more; but it's a comfortable kind as her eyes track the movement of a cloud.
"I don't like... not being able to do anything. About this, I mean. I try to be rational. I look at it and say, 'but there's no point worrying about this,' but the feeling still comes like a wave. I'm overwhelmed, and then I relax, and then I'm overwhelmed again. I just wanted to enjoy my day." Softly she sighs and adds, "it's not fair. Why me..."
Krem isn't sure if the 'why me' meant 'why was this anxiety happening to me' or 'why did this entire thing with fade rifts and the world's last hope happen to me'; either would be a good question. He hesitates a moment and his arm moves to rest on her shoulders, a little awkward but his determination to do this outweighs the feeling of wanting to excuse himself before he cocks it all up somehow. "You're not alone, you know. Sure it's a huge burden, but you've got plenty of people to help you shoulder it." He rolls his own shoulders and adds, "you could try giving more to the chief, maker knows he's got the width for it."
She laughs again and he finds himself smiling as he continues. "And it's alright, you know. To feel like this, I mean. If anyone has the right to a breakdown here it's you. Not that this is a breakdown. I mean--" A rough sigh as he blunders through it, his free hand going up to aggressively ruffle his hair.
A light touch makes him pause and lower it again, finding himself staring at Lavellan's arm as she tries to fix it. "I know what you meant," She assures him, and takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. They fall silent again, but this time Lavellan relaxes against his side, mulling it all over.
"...Can we just--" She begins, pauses, and again he patiently waits for her to gather her thoughts in the way she wants. "Can we just stay here for a little bit? i feel better, but I... I don't know. I just want to stay here."
"Of course."
There was, of course, a reason he had come to see her, but it could wait. Whatever was needed of her could wait until she was ready to face it, and Krem was wiling to wait however long that was. Mentally he made a note to check up with her more often, to take her out of the Inquisitor role and help her relax. She needed it clearly; he wasn't sure how much he could do or how much it would actually help, but--
"Krem?"
Startled, he cleared his throat, suddenly aware of Lavellan's frown and the squirming.
"You need to take the armor off first. This is uncomfortable now."
"Oh, er-- Yes, of course." He blushed, she laughed, and the world shifted back into balance for Lavellan once again.
