#also I am just glad to have something remotely close to With fire and sword | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

readbythestarlight · 5 years

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c2e79

Frankly I imagine this is an accurate depiction of how Sam would act if he had indeed been up for 44 straight hours and was surviving on Red Bull

We’re so blessed that Laura and Taliesin sit on the same side of the table as Sam because their reactions are amazing

Laura doesn’t have a clue what’s going on in the Game Ranch and it’s pretty hilarious

Hi Essek pls help us here you can have our horses

HA he smiled! :D

He loves them

WHISPERS

[[MORE]]

Also they didn’t even clearly tell him where to go

Do not file a complaint or ask him for anything else omg

Poor Essek

Guys no

Guys NO

I take it back he hates them xD

Caleb constantly trying to be the one who communicates with Essek and also mostly taking the blame whenever the group messes up is sweet

"The Traveler loves you so much :D"

Fortunately they rolled nice and high

Okay he really does love them

"There would be nothing I would love more.... than to not be around you anymore for the remainder of this day." loves them

I love the little eye squint/crinkle thing Matt does as Essek sometimes

B: "Hey Essek? Are you mad at us?"

E: "Mad is not the right word... I would say, uh... ready to leave."

J: "I’m so glad he didn’t say disappointed."

I wanna know what those whispers to Caleb were about

"Be careful, be safe, do not be stupid, and, ah, goodbye." He loves them.

Cad just talking to the forest

"Probably start a fire who knows" lol

Toad just eats the fly and Cad’s like Cad: "Not cool man! That was definitely not cool. Don’t suppose you want to help."

Toad: "croooooak"

Cad: "yeah, didn’t think so. Shoo."

F: "are we following the frog the toad the??"

Cad: "no no he’s no help"

I’ve got a bad feeling about this

Okay they’re pretty close

Caleb wants to save Yasha, save her from her own head

Oh dear...

Something about this is reminding me of when they went to clear out the Gentleman’s hideout and there were the two dead bodies and the fish people. I know it’s probably 100% unrelated but still.

Wraithwood tree

"Beware the bark that bites"

Oh I love this

Fjord is right they need to be ready

Imma gonna fight Oban for treating my girl Yasha so bad

"Don’t forget you were the one to find me, Orphanmaker." Don’t like that.

THAT’S my girl! Fight him!

Oh they’d better kill that demon fuck before I do

Caleb can’t whoosh y’all away though guys

This is going to be a fucking disaster

This plan is bad

All the plans are bad

Except for the plan where they rest

I think Fjord is right and honestly while I know it’s bad if this next evil thing wakes up, it’s not their sole responsibility to stop it and the risk of one or many of them dying is HIGH

The fact that we’re getting the break before the 2hr mark tells me Matt is anticipating a fight, and probably a long one

The whole plan is already falling apart smh

They’re gonna die

Fuck fuck fuck

I can’t believe

Oh god oh god oh FUCK

This is all going so wrong

You guys are fucked

Fuck fuck fuck

Oh god

Oh no a map

Death is coming

I like the idea that Cad goes invisible instinctively like it’s an animal defense thing.

I also like to think his ears droop and lay flat whenever he’s scared/unhappy

I’m just trying not to think about what’s happening right now

...oh my god they left

I feel like they’re forgetting that if the laughing hand laughs and snares any of them with it they won’t be able to run and this whole plan will be for nothing

This is terrible this is so bad they are 100% not even remotely prepared for this and they need to accept that and STOP

Like I know they want to stop them but they will not be able to and it’s not worth dying

Oh god oh god oh god

Y’all need to LEAVE

Please don’t have the components because summoning the demon is not allowed

No Matt DONT allow it

God

Not to criticize Matt but I feel like maybe he should not have dropped this on Travis/Fjord right in the middle of an episode. It should have been discussed after and implemented from now on.

God tho I still didn’t want him to be able to do it

Do they even have any healing spells left because Jester doesn’t have any and if Cad doesn’t have any they’ll be relying on just cantrips and potions

So now Cad is out of spell slots and they’ve got hellhounds after them. Lovely.

Fuck fuck fuck FUCK

Banishment Plz Plz Plz

FUCK

ajdlsjaksks

CHARM MONSTER PLZ PLZ PLZ

YES

wait fuck Matt no

YESSSSS

GO FJORD THATS MY BOY

Matthew Mercer

Oh thank god what was that

Fjord is such a badass he just saved their asses

Fjord honey NO you can’t stay behind we can’t split the party

Okay please just keep moving I guess if you’re not gonna leave

You should leave tho

That could have been good or terrible

Oh god here we go

Matt’s gonna have to call it for the week, no way can we start a huge fight this late

Oh GOD if this works I will die if this doesn’t work we will all die

The tree lives!

Okay that could be good... useful at least

Noooo he got it?! Fuck

Here we go I can’t breathe

Please please please please be safe Nott

I’m almost too tired to be stressed at this point but only almost

Now they’re double screwed because they don’t have an out

I’m so tiiiiiiired

Insight greed huh that’s interesting

That was so anticlimactic and I’ve never been so glad

NO you cannot kill the laughing hand you are all EMPTY and you need to go home. You need to sleep. There was no way that you could possibly have done this anyway.

Matt, out of game: Marisha my love please be careful with that pencil I am legitimately scared

Cad and Fjord and Jester are right that is as good as it was going to go y’all were not going to win

God I’m so glad they didn’t die

I’m sure you can stop him next time

Liam and Marisha are genuinely so annoyed lol

And Fjord still didn’t get to use his sword

Matt’s mood is very interesting I can’t place it

Love you Matt! Thanks for not killing the whole table!

#emi watches critical role #critical role #cr spoilers

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ellenembee · 7 years

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The Revelation of All Things - 35. In which stoicism is put to the test

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Cassandra took another swing at the practice dummy, grunting loudly as the giant two-handed sword swung around her head and landed with precision on her mark. It had been more than a week since the Inquisitor left for the Western Approach, and Cassandra was at a loss on what to do with herself.

The Inquisitor had been apologetic about the switch, but Cassandra had still been disappointed at being replaced as part of the mission. She understood the necessity of taking Dorian, of course. It wasn't that she blamed any of them. She was simply bored. Their brief trip to Redcliffe with Dorian had been her first and only time away from Skyhold since their arrival. During the Inquisitor's trip to Crestwood, there had still been much to do to repair and clean up around the fortress. However, most of the work had been completed or was now being addressed by skilled workers. Satinalia two days ago had provided a much needed respite, but other than that, assisting Cullen and Leliana in training new recruits could only allay the restlessness to a certain point. She'd asked the advisors if there was more she could do, but it seemed the plans for the ball at the Winter Palace were falling into place rather easily.

They'd received a note from Scout Harding this morning that the Inquisitor had arrived in the Western Approach as anticipated. Now they all waited for word from the Inquisitor herself about the Grey Wardens, which Leliana said should be arriving shortly. In the meantime, Cassandra tried to stay busy.

She let the sword fall to her side and wiped the sweat from her brow. Despite the cooler temperatures in the mountains, she found she still easily worked up a sweat in full armor. Her muscles ached from the hours of training with the recruits this morning. Perhaps she could see if the library had any decent books to read. Dorian's constant presence in the library tended to deter her from searching too closely for the type of book she most enjoyed, but she had a feeling they were there somewhere. Now that she didn't have to risk the sharp-tongued mage's teasing eyes, the idea became more appealing.

She sheathed her sword and headed up the stairs to the great hall. She passed by Solas on her way to the stairs, but he'd become so used to people using the space as a pass-through, he didn't even look away from the mural. Climbing the stairs to the library above, she was surprised to see so many people in the relatively small space. She was even more surprised to find the Commander standing among the shelves, scanning titles. He looked drawn and tired. She made a mental note to check in on him a little more often in the next few days.

"Good afternoon, Cullen. It seems we had the same thought."

Cullen nodded at her but said nothing, and she was perplexed to note the tinge of pink that appeared on his somewhat pallid cheeks.

"Looking for something in particular?"

"I- uh... I'm just looking for some... err... strategy books."

He said it as if he were questioning it himself, and Cassandra raised a brow at him. He tinged a little pinker, and she walked over to stand by him, reading off the titles he was looking at.

"'Culture and Origins of the Dwarven Kingdoms,' 'Human History through the Ages,' 'The History of the Chantry'.... these look more like history books. Is there something I can help you find?"

"No... uh... no, thank you. I simply thought..." Cullen sighed and shifted uncomfortably as she continued to look at him. Finally, his shoulders slumped in resignation. "I thought I might find a book on Dalish culture here."

"Dalish...? To learn more about the Inquisitor? Did you have another misunderstanding?"

"What? Oh... no, nothing like that. I just wanted to know more... more about... uh..."

He didn't seem to know where to go from there, and Cassandra finally decided to take pity on him. "I am not here to judge your book selections, Cullen. Far from it. I came to search for a book myself. I simply thought I could help you."

"Oh. Well, thank you. I'd appreciate that... What are you searching for? Perhaps I can return the favor."

Cassandra's cheeks betrayed her in the same way Cullen's had earlier. "I am unsure. I thought I might look through the titles until something caught my interest."

It wasn't necessarily true, but not strictly a lie either. She would take any book that might be remotely interesting at this point. Cullen seemed to notice the blush and gave her a smirk but mercifully didn't press the point. They both began scanning the rows and soon moved on to separate areas. Several minutes later, she came across some promising titles on the bottom row of a shelf in what had become Dorian's corner.

"Cullen, what about these?"

He walked over and knelt with her to inspect the titles. "Yes. It's a good start anyway."

"You might also speak with Josephine if you have not already. I know she did much research on the Dalish when we first realized the Inquisitor would be with us for some time."

Cullen nodded as he pulled a few of the books from the shelf then stood up again. "Yes, that's true. I remember her giving me quite a lecture after that first misunderstanding in the war room. I'll ask her the next time I see her." He lowered himself into the chair in the corner and then glanced up as Cassandra. "Don't tell Dorian I sat in his chair. I would never hear the end of it."

Cassandra lifted a brow. "I would not dream of it."

Cassandra continued to search for a book, but instead of focusing on the book titles in front of her, she found her thoughts turning to why Cullen might be looking into Dalish culture. She wasn't so oblivious that she'd missed Cullen's gazes toward their Herald, which had started early on in Haven. She'd also noticed the Inquisitor's preference for their Commander's company, but until the night at the tavern, she hadn't really suspected anything might be going on between them. Now, Cullen wanted to learn more about Dalish culture? Her inner romantic thrilled at the implications, though she also wondered about the implications for the Inquisition. Would it weaken their credibility to have such an obvious conflict of interest? She would consider it further before raising her concerns with either of them.

Cassandra suddenly wished she'd been able to develop a closer relationship with the Inquisitor. They'd been out in the field together for weeks at a time and maintained a friendly camaraderie, but she could never seem to move past a certain point in the elf's defenses. The Inquisitor still kept many of them at an arm's length, but unlike Varric and Dorian, Cassandra wasn't the type to force friendly intimacy on the Inquisitor. Perhaps she should ask Josephine a few questions herself.

Cassandra gave up on the books and took the stairs down to the great hall to Josephine's office. The ambassador paced in front of her fire, talking to herself quietly and scribbling down a few words here and there. She paused and blushed slightly when she saw Cassandra enter the room.

"Cassandra. I apologize for my lack of decorum. It's been a long..."

"Year?"

Josephine laughed and nodded. "My, my... it has been almost a year since I joined you all, hasn't it? I wouldn't trade it for anything, though. What could be better than saving all of Thedas?"

"Indeed. I am glad you enjoy the challenge. I-" Cassandra stopped, unsure of how to broach the subject. Usually, she simply remained forceful and direct, but something told her that wasn't necessarily the best way to make friends. "I was wondering if you had a moment to speak about a - a personal matter."

Josephine looked down at her board and nodded. "I'm not getting anywhere with my current project. I could use a distraction. What can I do for you?"

"I have noticed that you and the Inquisitor seem to have a... closer relationship than she has with some others here."

Josephine smiled. "Yes, we've... become closer in the past few weeks."

"I have done my best to be pleasant and welcoming to her, but I cannot seem to get beyond what seems like friendly acquaintances. How... how were you able to... to become..." Cassandra let out a noise of frustration. "I was simply wondering how I might become better friends with the Inquisitor."

If Josephine was amused, she did a good job hiding it. "I understand what you mean. I, too, had some difficulty at first. Part of that might be her general shyness and quiet nature."

"Yes, I had thought of that. I tend to be much more... direct. I was unsure if that was off-putting for her. Perhaps she and I are not suited for friendship."

Josephine shrugged. "Oh, I don't know about that. You have to understand that, for her, building relationships is difficult. But as she's grown in her role with us, I've seen her become less reticent... much more open to discussing her life and thoughts."

"So I should ask her more about her life? Or must I wait for her to speak of those things?"

"The Inquisitor does respect directness even if it makes her uncomfortable sometimes, so I can't imagine you would have too much trouble once you started. Perhaps you could simply ask basic questions. Try to get her to talk about herself. I imagine she doesn't have many people who actually ask her how she is doing. Cullen might be the only one who does so on a regular-"

The door opened behind them to reveal Leliana and Cullen. Leliana quickly took in the scene while passing by.

"Josephine, we've received word from the Inquisitor. Cassandra, it's good that you're here. Please join us."

Cassandra felt a bit like she'd simply been in the right place at the right time but followed the advisors into the war room nonetheless. If she could be helpful, she would be.

As Cullen handed the newest reports from the Western Approach to Josephine, Leliana spoke. "The Inquisitor was unharmed in the altercation, but the confrontation with the Grey Wardens did not go well. We were hoping for a resolution there, but... regardless, Hawke and Stroud are now scouting a nearby Warden fortress that had been thought to be abandoned. The leader, a Venatori by the name of Erimond, fled in that direction after the fighting began."

Cullen took a deep breath and shook his head before responding. "I know we don't have confirmation, yet, but I think we should assume that we'll need to lead an assault on the fortress and prepare accordingly. Do we have any plans or drawings of the fortress?"

Leliana nodded. "I can obtain them, but it will take some time. We should also assume that every moment we wait, more Grey Wardens will be bound to demons in the way she describes."

Josephine, still looking over the papers, raised her head in time to hear their planning. "Of course this would have to happen as we're trying to prepare for the ball at Halamshiral. You all aren't thinking of ignoring the peace talks in favor of this assault, are you? I understand how a demon army is a frightening prospect, but add to that a country in chaos from the assassination of the Empress and..."

"The peace talks are certainly important, too, and we will be there," Cullen assured her, "but if we are truly pitting ourselves against all of the Orlesian and Ferelden Grey Wardens... an assault of this magnitude requires immediate action if we're going to make a move any time in the next few months. I need to start sending supplies. If the Inquisitor could take that Keep..."

"I'm sure she will. Especially with Lieutenant Rozellene on her way with the reinforcements for Captain Rylen," said Leliana.

Cullen merely hummed in response and leaned over the map of Orlais. She could see him already beginning to work through scenarios for the assault in his mind.

Cassandra had remained silent to this point, but she couldn't help wondering aloud, "Do we have the influence necessary in Orlais to send that many troops? We are on speaking terms with the Empress, but will she allow us to send an entire army into her country without some sort of tacit understanding between our parties?"

Josephine looked a bit impressed by Cassandra's comment and shook her head. "That is another reason we cannot do too much before the ball. In truth, I'm not sure we can do more than fortify the Keep with troops. As unstable as relations are between the warring factions, an outside force sending siege equipment into Orlais would surely be seen as an act of aggression."

Cullen let out what sounded like a small growl. "How can I prepare for an assault if I can't begin organizing my troops?"

Josephine raised an eyebrow, but kept a serene look on her face. "You can. You must simply do it here until we are ready to begin sending them out. As I said, fortifying the Keep would be a start - if you happen to send a few more contingents than is strictly necessary, I doubt anyone would raise an alarm."

Cullen nodded. This close to him, Cassandra could see the exhaustion in the way he held himself. It was so subtle, she wasn't sure the others noticed, and she was once again impressed with how well Cullen was holding up against the lyrium withdrawal symptoms. He would always tell her when he was having more difficulty than normal, of course. But he remained focused on his duties and on the goals of the Inquisition throughout everything. She respected him greatly for it.

"Cullen, I offer you my services in organizing and training, as always."

He gave Cassandra a half smile and tilted his head to her. "Thank you, Cassandra. Your assistance is appreciated."

The meeting only lasted a few more minutes as Leliana talked through the logistics of acquiring drawings of Adamant and each advisor gave brief updates on plans for infiltrating the ball. Josephine and Cullen spoke briefly after the meeting, and from the look on the ambassador's face, the conversation likely had to do with the topic Cassandra and Cullen had been discussing earlier in the library.

Later that afternoon, Cassandra stopped by Cullen's office to discuss their first steps in preparing for the assault. She walked in to find Cullen surrounded by soldiers and messengers. He dealt with them one by one as Cassandra walked to the corner to sit in one of two plush chairs by the fire. She absently wondered when he had acquired such furniture. She couldn't recall that it had been there the last time she visited his office.

Finally, the last messenger left, and Cullen walked over to her. He sat down heavily in the chair opposite hers, the firelight accentuating the dark circles under his eyes.

"Harritt has expressed concern that the armory is running out of raw materials for armor. We'll need to send parties to all the regions we're currently holding to collect materials."

Cassandra grunted. "I would be happy to lead some of those parties, if you think a personal touch would help with... expediency."

Cullen chuckled. "Perhaps. Most of our supply lines are holding up well, but I think our agents in the Storm Coast could use a strong presence to help them remain... on task."

"I will leave tomorrow, then," Cassandra affirmed. "I would like to take Blackwall with me. He has been downcast since the Inquisitor left to deal with the Grey Wardens without him. A mission will take his mind off things."

Cullen nodded. "Good idea. You might also consider taking Solas and Sera with you. You never know when you might need the skills of a mage or a rogue."

Cassandra let out a noise of disgust. "That maddening rogue elf! Our first trip to the Storm Coast together was quite enough."

"Well, your other option is Cole."

"What is it about rogues that make them so insufferable?" Cassandra said with a sneer before sighing loudly. "Sera it is, then." She paused a moment and simply looked at him in the dim light. "You look tired, Cullen."

The Commander looked away from her uncomfortably. "I am. It's been... a rough few days. The nightmares seem to be getting worse, and since the Inquisitor left..."

He stopped abruptly and turned a deep shade of red. His eyes remained turned away from her.

Cassandra wondered briefly what he'd been about to say, but settled with, "You are working yourself too hard. You have already proven yourself capable in your duties."

He finally looked back at her, frustration clouding his expression. "And yet some days I feel as if I'm drowning in the endless line of things that need to be done. How can I ignore that?"

"You do not ignore it. You delegate. That is part of being a commander. With Captain Rylen in the Western Approach, you can rely on him to know the best methods for getting troops there and to take care of any other preparations we might need to make. I know it makes you uneasy, but there are many people here to help you. I am one of them."

He gave her a feeble smile before standing. "Thank you again, Cassandra. I need to inspect the training grounds for tomorrow's exercises. Would you care to join me?"

Cassandra stood, and they walked out to the practice area together.

The next day, Cassandra left with her party to ensure the Storm Coast remained tightly within Inquisition control. Things had certainly become more lax in the time since the Inquisitor had first gained their loyalty, but overall, the mission went smoothly... despite the constant bickering between Solas and Sera. Blackwall, Maker bless him, often engaged Sera himself to allay tensions.

The party returned a week later to news that the Inquisitor and her companions had, in fact, taken Griffon Wing Keep with little assistance from Rylen and his soldiers if the Captain's reports were to be believed. Cassandra thought she'd gotten over being impressed by the Inquisitor's almost ruthless efficiency, but taking the keep - along with the laundry list of other tasks she'd accomplished - had left Cassandra in awe once again. The elf had also closed all the rifts and was now heading to the oasis to search through the ruins and hopefully find a purpose for the shards.

At the same time, reports from Captain Rylen had also included mention of darkspawn in the area. The Inquisitor had followed the trail as far as she could, but they needed to build a bridge over a poisoned area in order to find where the undead were coming from. Cullen had sent immediate word that laborers were on their way, as well as orders for Lieutenant Rozellene to stay where she was for now to assist Rylen. Cassandra noted that he also took the opportunity to send a few more troops with the laborers than strictly necessary, as Josephine had suggested.

She also noticed that he looked even more pale and tired than he had before she left. She began checking in on him at least once a day. Most of the time, she had an excuse as they were now working together more closely on training the troops to ready them for the battle.

Nearly a week passed before they received word from the Inquisitor. The party had found the temple in the oasis and opened the doors with the shards. Cullen had turned somber at the revelation that the temple contained wisps that seemed to infuse the Inquisitor with heightened magical abilities, but Cassandra could only be glad that the Inquisitor had received these abilities and not the Venatori or Corypheus himself. The Inquisitor and her party were staying in the area to help some locals, clear out the Venatori presence and close the rifts. Then, she would head to the Emerald Graves and anticipated she would be back in Skyhold within two weeks, just in time for final preparations for the ball at Halamshiral.

Then, three weeks to the day after the Inquisitor had left, Hawke and Stroud showed up at the gates of Skyhold with a report on Adamant. Using her information and the plans Leliana had found from the original construction of Adamant, they came up with a strategy for attack. It wasn't perfect, but they would refine the plan as they obtained more information.

Cassandra got up early the next morning to ready the practice area for morning exercises. Hawke had agreed to assist her and Cullen in training the men and women for what they might expect in a battle situation, and Cassandra wanted to make sure everything was in perfect order for the Champion.

A little after dawn, just as she finished setting things up, she heard a faint yelling. Looking to the battlements, the terrified movements of the guards had her running for the stairs immediately. As she approached, the yelling - or screaming more like - became louder. She burst through the doors of the vacant tower and rushed to a guard who was pounding on the door to Cullen's tower. Inside, she could hear him still - anguished, painful cries interlaced with nearly incoherent words of denial.

The guard panicked. "My Lady Seeker, the doors are locked! We cannot get in!"

Cassandra pulled out the key Cullen had given her a few nights earlier when explaining his decision to lock up his office. She'd thought it a good plan at the time, but now, it felt like an unnecessary delay. She turned the lock and rushed into the room only to find it empty. The screams were coming from the loft. Climbing the stairs as quickly as possible, she found him thrashing wildly in his bed.

"Maker bless him - he is asleep!"

Directing the guards who had followed her up to hold his legs, she grabbed him by the arms and started shaking him.

"Cullen! Cullen, wake up! You are having a nightmare."

Her words seemed to have no effect, and she dodged his arm as he attempted to fend off whatever was attacking him in his dream. Why wouldn't he wake up? She shook him again.

"Commander! You are dreaming. You must wake up now!"

Cullen stopped thrashing quite so much, but he remained solidly asleep, still yelling and occasionally convulsing. Grimacing, and unsure of what else to do, she pulled her hand back and slapped him across the face.

Nothing. A stab of real fear pierced her heart.

His shouts devolved into incoherent mumbling and pitiful whimpers. She waited, and then shook him again. After a few moments, she was horrified to realize that he'd begun sobbing in his sleep. He curled up in a ball in the bed as the sobs racked his body. She shook him even harder, nearly frantic in her fear for him. Could a demon be attacking him in his sleep?

"Cullen! Wake up!"

Still nothing.

The guards had let go of the Commander's legs when he stopped thrashing and now stood awkwardly at the end of the bed. She pointed to the water pitcher.

"Someone bring me the pitcher!"

A guard quickly picked it up and brought it to her. Without another thought, she stood from the bed and threw the contents of the pitcher directly into Cullen's face.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #Cassandra Pentaghast #cassandra and cullen brotp #cass is wonderful #da:i #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age fanfic #cullen rutherford #troat

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