#vash eventually comes to trust the three of them

[alexiethymia]

If I could gif, I would probably gif three scenes. The ‘what rope’ scene where Vash calls Meryl and Roberto his friends so that the townspeople of Jeonora Rock don’t lynch them, and then the scene where Vash says Meryl and Roberto aren’t his friends to Wolfwood when they separate on the Sand Steamer and Wolfwood calls him cold, and finally the scene where Luida definitively calls Meryl, Roberto, and Wolfwood his friends when he first wakes up.

It’s such a nice progression of his bonds in such a few number of episodes. For all that Vash is a nice guy, and has people he helps, and even family in the form of the people in Home, it’s possible Meryl, Roberto, and Wolfwood are his first friends. It’s only when the three stick by him even after Monev and finding out that he’s a Plant, that it really dawns on him that huh in his hundred years alive, he may have finally found his first friends.

Vash isn’t naive. He knows the capacity of people to betray his trust. He’s resigned to it in a way. But he still extends that trust to people. The plan to stop the Sand Steamer wouldn’t have worked without Meryl. But Vash still leaves the task to her without any assurance that she would do her part. At the same time, I get the feeling that he wouldn’t have blamed her if she did decide to run away, same as Roberto was telling her. And it’s such a wonderful thing that through the friendships he formed with Meryl, Wolfwood, and Roberto, the trust that he freely gives is finally reciprocated. (And of course he would always have faith, what with his experiences with Rem, Luida, Brad and the people in Home).

In the same way, Vash saves what was precious to Wolfwood which was the orphanage, Wolfwood eventually gets to return the favor in saving Meryl. Even though it was out of order, you can also look at it as Meryl saving Vash, who saved Wolfwood at the Sand Steamer, who eventually ends up saving Meryl. Even Roberto, cynical as he is, does end up advising Vash on occasion.

People get hurt. People die. It’s a dangerous world they live in. But it’s nice that Vash who always asks if people ‘need a hand’ eventually meets ordinary people who also ask him if he ‘needs a hand’ sometimes too.

#trigun #trigun stampede #taggin #vashmeryl #because fave always #but really it’s the friendship that gets me #vash eventually comes to trust the three of them #not because of their words but because of their actions #and I guess that’s why I like vashmeryl so much #because of the friendship and trust #I really loved the dynamic of the four of them #rip roberto gone too soon #I really liked the touches of ordinary heroism #like how rosa was trying to help meryl even though the bombs were attaching themselves to her too #or that one julai soldier who made sure he was far away from the others when he was about to blow up #like nebraska jr. too #or how heartbroken that one julai soldier who shot vash was because of his friend #which makes it heartbreaking when they turn away from vash because these are good and decent folk #but survival forces them to be cruel #nicholas wolfwood #roberto de niro

[vshthestmpede]

Hi there!

Could we get some headcanons for vash, nick, and knives and what pet names they use for their s/o and how they would use them? Like in what situations they would use them? And what their s/o would call them in return?

Thank you 🫶🏻

the boys & their nicknames for their significant other

word count; 896

warnings; none, this is just some sweet stuff to alleviate the constant trauma our boys (and subsequently, we enjoyers) go through

note; i am such a damn sucker for cute nicknames, so this request was super fun to write!! tysm for requesting, i truly appreciate it <3 so sorry for the lack of things, covid has been kicking my butt lately on top of college ;-;

cross-posted to ao3

VASH

mayfly + lovebug

to make up for the lack of pda, vash makes sure you know how he cares by the way he calls for you

as soon as it starts, your real name is out the window and you're only to be called by the pet name he bestowed on you

you love the way it rolls off his tongue, like it was meant for you

started as a private thing as vash prefers to keep his love life under wraps but eventually became something he was proud to use in public amongst those he trusted

"good morning, mayfly."

you stretched the sleep out of your joints, blinking to adjust to the bright sunlight. vash had himself propped up on his forearms, twirling your hair around his fingers gently.

"sleep well?" he asked as you turned on your side to face him. he leaned forward and kissed your forehead as you nodded. "good. we don't have to leave for another hour or so, wanna snuggle?"

you responded by pulling him closer to you, burying your face in his chest. he wrapped his arms around you, his fingers lazily drawing shapes into your back.

"how'd you sleep, lovebug?" you murmured, voice still heavy with sleep.

vash grinned. "lovebug, hm? that's new."

you shrugged and readjusted, looking up at him. "well i thought with mayfly i needed to come up with something similar."

"fair enough, i like it." vash chuckled. "very creative. i slept okay, had a weird dream though."

"is that so? tell me all about it."

WOLFWOOD

my star + handsome

you never took wolfwood to take to romance or any of the cheesy aspects of being in a relationship

however, being a man who wasn't given any real love growing up, he craved it more than anything

of course, he'd never show it to the other three, so things like nicknames were saved solely for time between the two of you

you savored those times, enjoying the softer side of the undertaker

he would tell you how there were billions of stars in the sky yet only you were his, the brightest and most dazzling in his eyes

you pounded on the bathroom door, fed up. "c'mon, princess, i'm sure you look amazing now open the damn door!"

the door swung open and nicholas, hair still wet and messy, gave you the coldest stare behind his sunglasses.

"the hell did you just call me?" he asked, blocking you from moving past him. "no, no, no. you've never called me any sort of name before and now you just -"

"i'll keep calling you it if you don't let me use the damn bathroom," you snapped back, grabbing his arm and literally pulling him out of the bathroom. "thank you!"

coming out of the bathroom after finishing your business, you held back a laugh when you found nicholas sitting on the edge of the bed with his lips pressed into a tight frown. you flopped on the bed next to him, pulling him down with you.

"oh my gosh." you laughed as he turned away from you with a small 'hmph'. "c'mere, handsome."

instantly, he melted into your embrace, clearly much more pleased with the new nickname.

"that's better," he murmured.

"you're such a big softie," you chided playfully, brushing his hair from his face. "never change, okay?"

"yes, my star."

KNIVES

sunshine + sweetheart

if you thought it would take knives forever to even acknowledge the feelings you two shared, just imagine how long it took for him to take up on any sort of romantic gesture

you were at the helm in this voyage, showing him acts of affection first to egg him on

quickly you both learned he wasn't the biggest on physical touch but definitely enjoyed the whole concept of nicknames, something that made you stand above the rest even more to him

despite that, he found himself fighting on what he thought would fit you perfectly

you had cycled through the generic ones (babe, baby, etc.) but decided that sweetheart was the winner the way a goofy, almost childlike smile appeared on his face when you called him it the first time

knives refused any help on coming up with your nickname, demanding he figure it out himself

"i've got it!"

your head snapped up from your book as the piano playing suddenly ceased and knives stood, knocking the bench over at his abrupt movement.

"are you alright, sweetheart?" you asked, pushing yourself up out of your chair and heading towards him. he met you halfway, taking your hands in his excitedly. "what's going on in that head of yours?"

"you're my sunshine, (name)."

he had said it so happily, staring right in your eyes as he declared his newly thought of nickname. you felt your heart race at the simple gesture and the look on his face, basking in the joy that radiated off of him.

"i love it." your hands moved from his up to cradle his face. "what made you think of sunshine?"

knives leaned into your hand, proud of himself. "you just. . .you light up my life. you're so warm and caring, it's like you're if sunshine was a human."

your heart swelled at his kind words, this soft and sweet side of knives - albeit rare - was something you treasured and would always hold close to your heart.

#trigun knives #trigun stampede #vash the stampede #trigun #vash x reader #wolfwood x reader #nicholas d. wolfwood #nicholas d. wolfwood x reader #knives millions #millions knives #millions knives x reader

[nanomooselet]

Episode Eight: Our Home

When this episode was first airing I saw someone describe it as "com[ing] for your feels with a rusty shiv" and it sure does! It sure does. It'll only get worse from here on out. :D

Little sprouts in their little hats! This scene is so friggin' cute and the show ruins it by cutting straight to the aftermath of the crash. Unfair.

The first time I watched this, I realised that Nai wasn't "evil" from the start. That is, he wasn't always... like he is now. I think he truly loved Rem and Vash, though he might have only realised how much later on. But on rewatch, I also don't think Vash's memories of his childhood with Nai carry the same level of nostalgic longing that Knives does for his memories. In the few short minutes he's being recorded, here are three things that Nai does.

Upset Vash by acting as though food - judging by Vash's reaction - makes Vash less of a Plant.

Play a prank by convincing Rem of something that isn't true.

Show affection to his brother... after Vash goes along with it and Rem falls for it.

I think, for Vash, the discovery they eventually made wasn't so violently unlike what he'd come to expect that he couldn't handle it. Vash believed he could rely on Rem to accept him and that was all he really needed. But what did Nai believe he had? His brother. He could rely on Vash to back him up, to play along, to understand. Vash seemingly being lesser, being other (like Rem) made Nai feel lonely. And though this touches on the manga* more than what we've so far seen in Stampede, I think Knives is far more of an idealist than Vash has ever been, even now.

Vash wants a better world, and he's willing to work for it, to fail, and to try again. He knows what it's like to fall short.

Knives wants a perfect world, and perfection admits no mistakes.

I just damn near made myself cry thinking about Rem and what she considers her mistakes MOVING ON.

THIS ISN'T AN IMPROVEMENT although it is a lovely colour scheme.

When Nai reveals the truth about the crash (or what he believes to be the truth; Knives cannot be relied upon as a source of information even a little bit), Vash flees. He continues to flee; even lying in the sand, it's to seek some kind of escape - not a good kind, but that's what it is. "I want this all to end./I don't want to be here." He can't, of course. Not before humans find him. We're survivors. For all our many faults, evolution didn't select for us giving up or failing to help each other, especially in the wake of such a disaster.

It's true that Brad and Luida aren't initially accepting of Vash, but it's Vash who frames himself in terms of usefulness, echoing Nai. It's Vash who seems to believe he shouldn't live unless he can... somehow make up for what "he" did. Luida doesn't know that. She sees another survivor, wrestling with the same guilt. I think the way she speaks with him may have been how she coped herself - and perhaps the way for Brad too, come to think of it. He acts like a paranoid dick, but when given a lead to pursue, he runs right off to dig through wreckage and bodies for some sign of Rem and finds the only shreds of comfort Vash was likely to get. They both have something to do. While I do wish Vash had chosen to live for the sake of living, I think what's keeping him in that bare little room isn't that he's an unproductive Plant or the hatred of humans (at least not just that). It's a trap he built for himself. As long as he does nothing, he's doing nothing wrong and he's not adding to the burden he already bears. They shouldn't trust him, not after what he did.

So when Luida trusts him to help the dying Plant as Rem's blank ticket story plays, she's making a choice. And that's to allow Vash to make his own choice: to live, even with his guilt.

The montage of him travelling around helping Plants! He teaches people how to take care of them properly! It makes him so happy!

So I really, really hope the speculation is wrong and Vash isn't burning himself out doing that. It seems paranoid, and it doesn't feel intuitively true the way some of my other speculation has, but that might just be wishful thinking. I definitely can't rely on Vash admitting it if it is true. I really hope he has at least one nice thing he doesn't pay for with his blood. :(

When Nai's influence re-emerges, so to does the burden of guilt, death and destruction he represents. It's funny that Brad's impulsive anger and mistrust is what drives Vash to seek his brother out - where Vash is going, he'll find plenty more of that.

One more thing. In the shot where Vash enters the Plant carrier (the city of July, or at least, the site where it'll be built in future), it zooms in to show Nai, standing. But if you look very closely as it does? He's rising to his feet from a kneeling position. I wonder what would have happened if Vash had entered a little earlier?

*Reading Maximum in like two days and then watching the final three/four episodes of Stampede was a terrible idea.

#tristampparty #trigun stampede #i love that orange came up with a reason vash and luida have similar haircuts #the wall of photos has so many adorable pictures #it also has one that did me psychic damage. try and guess which one! #tw sui ideation #trigun meta #meta: tristampparty episodes

[amoirsetpacis]

✈☙

[ x. ]

✈ : My muse and  traveling. (If they do it frequently and why, if they never left their home town, e.t.c.

Vash, by nature, is nomadic. He's never been one to sit still for very long- there's always somewhere to go or something to do, some other disaster waiting in the wings to grab his attention and pull him there. The longest he's ever stayed anywhere was when he was staying with Lina and her grandmother for about three years, and that had been when he had gone into hiding. Before that, he had stayed for a long period of time with a colony of people who had saved his life that live in a ship trapped in the planet's atmosphere; this is also implied to have been for some length of time. Besides these two instances, he hardly stays anywhere longer than a few weeks at a time. He often leaves when the danger he brings by simply existing becomes too great-- when someone new wants his head, or worse, when those that he had placed his trust in now suddenly also want his head for whatever reason. This was the worst right before his final confrontation with Knives-- others so quickly demonized him that he was hesitant to stay in one place for longer than a few days at a time, if he was even willing to go into town at all.

These days, even though there are far fewer pressing threats on the planet after his brother's death, Vash is still a roamer. He goes through stages where at first he becomes comfortable-- then he becomes antsy that he's become so comfortable. There's always that nagging voice in the back of his mind that some day, somehow, something is going to go wrong and he's going to have to leave again.

While he's in Spirale, he has a tendency to roam all over the island. You can find him just about anywhere on the map. He likes to stick his nose in places where it probably doesn't belong, which definitely involves every nook and cranny he can find in this strange place. There are still endless things that he hasn't found or interacted with yet, but he's bound to do so eventually. After his morning routine he can often be found out exploring until late into the night.

☙ : My muse’s favourite food. (Bonus: A memory, be it good or bad, associated with said food.)

You wanna talk about someone who is food motivated, this is your man. It's been mentioned before on this blog that Vash eats a lot. The manner of his existence as a Plant as well as the aforementioned constantly-moving lifestyle has lead him to have more than a healthy appetite.

Vash is probably one of the few people on the planet back home that has ever had real salmon-- the one found there artificial and wholly different in everything from taste to texture- and, unfortunately, it's one of his favourite things. He eats it a lot since coming to Spirale.

Also, the one he's most infamous for, donuts. Man has a sweet tooth that is out of this world; he'll scarf down pastries and cakes and pies until his stomach is in shambles if you let him, so he often tries to keep himself from indulging in them in the first place. But donuts are his biggest weakness in this regard. Literally any and all flavours and ideations.

#[ meme reply. ] #[ angel wings. ]

[buttered-ghost-toast]

OC background story//Secondary Characters

1: i’m aware they’re sorta boring in a sense (literally all 3/4 profile busts lol) but I couldn’t be bothered to get super detailed about them yet. I was trying to work out a look, and this is the quickest way lol. Lots of mistakes here, don’t focus on that. Just...jive with me.

2: idk that anyone is going to be interested, but i’m happy with my little babies! :) This kept me busy lol. 

Long post ahead!

Okay, so the band, Adria was formed sort of by accident. None of the members thought they were really going to get anywhere and were mostly just learning to play instruments and jamming to escape the pressures of adolescent life. 

Niri--her parents were very strict and proper. “Yes, sir. No, ma’am.” type people who do what they can to keep up appearances. Her father is a police detective and her mother was a homemaker after the birth of her children, but was once an attorney. They expected the same level of success from their children, having picked out career paths before the kids were even a speck in the womb. When Niri and her older brother showed excellence in academics, they moved to a new city, enrolling them in an academy that was known for churning out high level success stories--Politicians, Judges, CEO’s of major corporations...you get the drill. They were happy to practically go into debt forever if it meant their kids would be successful. 

Year 1...Enter KOU. 

Kou’s dad was always business first. He expected his son to be the same. So much so that the day after the birth, he went out and bought a whole building to keep for his son, the future doctor, to house his practice. Being from an old money family, there was never a shortage of opportunities to rub elbows and make a way for this kid to be a success no matter what. Through years of primary education, he was a quiet kid, but there was something under the surface that loved to go against the flow of where his life was forced to travel. His mother passed when he was very young, but she was the reason he was able to have few moments of peace and fun. He and Niri were school rivals, fighting for the top spot on the scholar’s board, but...they wound up giving up the struggle when they realized they had a lot in common and neither really cared to pursue their parents’ dreams. They stopped attending after school programs and chose to graffiti and vandalize the building Kou’s dad bought while it was still empty. When they weren’t tagging, they were listening to “inappropriate music” and that soon became them teaching themselves to play the songs on instruments they bought...with Kou’s dad’s credit card. They didn’t sound bad after a while! 

One day, the pair skipped school altogether to avoid an exam they had not studied for. On their way out of the academy, they were tailed by someone they never expected would keep their secret so well...

KRISS

Kriss and Kou are cousins. Their mothers were twins, so the two share a few features, but their personalities couldn’t be any more opposite. Where Kou is a grounded, sensible person, Kriss is carefree and...kind of an idiot. His mother raised him on her own and as a very open, artistic soul, she taught Kriss to always follow his heart and his dreams. He’s basically never been told “No” in his entire life. He was a very energetic kid, so his mother urged him to try out the drums (maybe it would tire him out enough for a nap) which he ended up falling in love with. It’s one of the few things he ever really kept an interest in despite being pretty flighty with his pursuits otherwise. Once he realized what his cousin was up to, he set up a drum kit within a few hours and was glued to their side ever since. 

Kriss’s mom is the only person who really believed in the band from the start. She would be a big help through their early years and to this day has a reserved spot to watch them play shows whenever she wants (usually stage right). 

Did I mention Kriss was part of the percussion section of the academy band? Well, it was more of an orchestra, but still. He felt there was something lacking in their sound during jam sessions so after a few weeks, he called up a few friends. 

Vash

Vash is a complete wildcard. He’s the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, but it takes a while to realize that because his personality is quite...Sharp. He has no problem speaking his mind, never has, and he’s not afraid to call anyone on their BS. Does an expert job of providing entertainment with his outbursts. His first words when he dropped by the “clubhouse” were “so you expect me to play in this shit hole?” His mouth usually got him in trouble at school so he was somewhat happy to have something to occupy his mind so his mouth wouldn’t run so often. He’d been playing music for many many years, his parents both being famous musicians themselves, so he has mastered quite a few instruments and often provides backup vocals because “none of the rest of you dingbats can be trusted to stay on key.”

He is the glue that holds everything together and his honesty keeps everyone grounded. He expects everything to run smoothly and on time, so he was made leader of the band within the first hour. It’s effortless and he keeps his cool pretty well under pressure, but the one person who manages to make him snippy is Eri.  

ERI

Eri is a mess of a human being in the most endearing way. He’s a walking contradiction and he loves to push buttons. He and Vash have been neighbors and best friends since they were born. They’re the Yin to each other’s Yang and act like an old married couple, always  disagreeing on the most basic things. It has never been an issue and the others love to watch a match go down. Where Vash is hands-on and always on track, Eri is laid back and couldn’t care less if something goes wrong. That’s not to say he’s not passionate about their dream, he’s just more of a “Things will happen as they happen, just go with the flow” type. His easygoing nature lends him a very grounded and rhythmic personality...perfect for a bassist. His favorite thing is spending time with friends and being able to just do what his soul calls him to do. He does, however, absolutely hate attention. It makes him feel pressured to act a certain way or do a certain thing and it just clashes with his entire vibe. He broke out in a rash when they got their first major gig and had to do a meet and greet. He loves his fans, but...can they not want pictures all the time? “I look awkward when I smile.” He really does. The boy doesn’t smile, it’s always a grimace. 

Eri’s dad owns a very successful restaurant and often got the band small gigs like birthdays and weddings that he was hired to cater for. He doesn’t understand what they’re hoping to do, but hey, the kids play some mean covers of songs he grew up on. Besides, if his son is happy, that’s good enough for him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the first few years, they snuck around and the others lied for Niri and Kou when their parents had questions. They couldn’t say they weren’t all hanging out together, so once things got real, they moved their practices to Vash’s house since his parents had all the equipment they needed and didn’t really care one way or another about what was going on, too busy with tours and things.

Once they graduated, it was harder to cover. Niri came clean to her father, her mother having found out shortly before but promising to keep it quiet if she just quit and focused on school. Her father was furious and demanded she cut ties with her “hooligan friends” immediately as she was set to go to college and become a lawyer like her mother. Niri refused and was kicked out of her home after being called a failure of a child. This only fueled her fire to pursue her dream. She called Vash, mostly to cry in frustration, but he met her at the front of her neighborhood saying “I just felt something was up with your dumb self so I came by to check. Good thing I did. Let’s go, you’re moving in with me til we figure all this out.” The two soon became three when they got an apartment with Eri two months later. 

Kou had a similar experience once he told his father he didn’t want to be a doctor and had no plans to attend his father’s alma mater (which he only got into after his father wrote a very generous check being Kou’s grades had slipped to an abysmal level) he was removed from the premises by security, cut off financially, and removed from the will within 2 hours. The only thing he managed to keep (for a while anyway) was his car, so he hopped in and drove over to his aunt’s house and lived there for a while with her and Kriss. 

During this time, they still had small shows coming left and right. One night after a few years of a rough grind with no money and shitty daytime jobs, while playing a local club (that didn’t even pay them by the end of the set), they met a small time producer who liked their sound and asked them to record a demo. The producer played the demo to a group of friends that called a separate group of friends and eventually their little song made it to the ears of a real band who had an unexpected opening in their roster for an upcoming festival tour. Adria got the call and had to scramble to get their set list ready. It wasn’t anything big, just a side stage gig, but the more stops they played, the bigger the crowds they drew. 

When they made it home after several stops, they were met by the producer who found them, asked to record a whole album and from there they filmed a very low budget MV and soon after their first single was playing on the radio. They were asked to appear on small time local talk shows. They spread like wildfire once their second single dropped, played on stations nationwide. More MVs and a headlining tour followed with a second album set to drop. Kriss and Niri were asked to be part of a 6 episode arc on a popular TV drama and a second tour.  It was a tough climb, but they’ve been at it for 15 years. Niri and Kou did go back home at one point and faced their parents, attempting to make amends and build a bridge. Kou and his dad are in a much better place now, the old building they used to play around in was transferred into Kou’s name and they now use it as their recording studio/ band headquarters. 

Niri’s family reunion was a little less of a happy ending, in fact, it’s still a work in progress. Her mother apologized and they cried a little over the years missed, but her dad is a very tough man to get through to. He acknowledged he was harsh in his actions but still feels justified in what he did. He says if it weren’t for his tough love, Niri wouldn’t have felt the need to work so hard to get to this place in her life. He did at least say thank you when Niri handed him a check to cover the hit her parents’ savings took when her brother went to medical school. She has weekly calls and video chats with her mom and her brother often makes it out to shows and sends her snaps when he sees her on TV or hears the band on the radio. Her dad sometimes texts her “Heard your new song. It’s loud.” That’s his way of saying he's giving it a chance and doesn’t exactly hate it.

#butter's OCs #the band Adria #OC backstory

[nekithamajere]

Kaaras

Two rough bits of story I’ve written for my new Inquisitor, Kaaras Adaar. Her beginning is AU in the fact that she’s an escaped Saarebas rather than a Tal-Vashoth. They’re not perfect, but I like them.

Inquisitor Kaaras did not like the direction her life was going. Just weeks earlier, she’d been part of a Tal-Vashoth mercenary group wandering around Orlais and Fereldan while trying not to earn the ire of the Qun.

Now Kaaras was going to recruit a probable Ben-Hassrath spy because the fledgling Inquisition needed forces more than it feared the Qun. Kaaras as the Herald of Andraste and agent of the Inquisition had to go offer the deal to Bull and his Chargers herself.

If Kaaras was honest with herself another reason as to why she was going was because Josephine had thought it would be a good idea to send ‘a fellow Qunari’ to see the Iron Bull.

Kaaras’s stomach was tied into knots and her hands were clammy. If she focused on her anxiety too much, she could feel the heavy collar around her neck and shoulders. She could feel the pull of too tight stitches forcing her mouth shut. She could feel the chains wrapped around her body and mind, and the cruel words spoken by her Arvaarad.

Thankfully, Cassandra and Varric’s bickering were providing ample distraction. Varric wouldn’t shut up about the rain, Cassandra complained about his complaining, and the argument was going in circles.

A shudder ran down Kaaras’s spine, and she couldn’t help but bring her fingers to touch the rough scars around her mouth.

“You alright, Herald?” Varric asked suddenly, breaking Kaaras’s thoughts, “I don’t ever think I’ve seen qunari look this worried about anything.”

“Yes well, most of the Qun don’t need to worry about having their lips sewn shut,” Kaaras growled, almost slipping into the language of Saarebas. All growls, and subtle gestures. A secret for all Saarebas and their Arvaarad.

Varric looked about to say something else, but then stepped into a puddle. Cassandra, took the chance to speak over Varric’s angered grumbling.

“Is that really a concern?”

“It is if he’s a Ben-Hassrath spy and has an Arvaarad with him,” Kaaras replied, “I won’t survive an encounter like that without a serious fight.”

“Speaking of which,” Solas gestured to an opening in the small copse of trees, toward the beach, “Isn’t that them over there?”

The Iron Bull and his Chargers were fighting a battle with a rather large group of bandits, which they seemed to be winning. A pile of bodies, the Tevinters perhaps? Kaaras watched as reinforcements for the bandits came. Swallowing hard, she charged into battle. With a practiced ease, she reached for the crackling lighting to come to her fingertips, and let her anxiety turn into magic.

Iron Bull wasn’t expecting anyone’s magic, except for Dalish’s, and looked up to see another kossith charge into battle. She was clearly Tal-Vashoth. She was old for a Tal-Vashoth too, actually. Silver streaks were running through her black hair. One horn was broken roughly in half, and the other was cracked and chipped.

Charging an opponent so he could get a better look, Bull was even more shocked. She wasn’t just a Tal-Vashoth, she was an escaped Saarebas. Uneasily, Bull realized that these were the Inquisition agents.

Krem hadn’t mentioned another kossith in his report. Bull had a tough decision to make. Would he and the Chargers risk working with a Saarebas, even if the pay was phenomenal?

As Bull took down another bandit, the Tal-Vashoth used her magic to move to the other side of battle so quickly that if Bull had blinked, he would have missed it. Using her hands rather than the staff strapped across her back, she used her impressive arm muscles to break an unsuspecting bandit’s neck from behind.

Soon, the bandits were dead, but the Chargers were still uneasy. Bull thought about the next order he would give, in spite of the Qun’s orders. Then, he caught a glimpse of the glowing green mark on the Tal-Vashoth’s hand, and he stopped.

“Chargers, stand down!” His voice carried clear across the battlefield, and his men obeyed. The Tal-Vash-Herald’s group stood down as well, though their hands hovered over their weapons.

The only one who looked as uneasy as Bull felt was the person who was supposed to be able to fix the tear in the sky. Ignoring her and her group of three, Bull turned to Krem. He needed to see how she’d react before making any decisions.

“Krem, how’d we do!?”

“Six wounded, not seriously. No dead.”

Bull nodded, if things went south he would have his men to back him up, “Good. Let the throatcutters finish, and we’ll break open the casks for a job well done!” Finally turning toward the Herald, Bull let out an easy laugh, hoping to put her at ease, “It’s true! The Chantry must love you! A Qunari mercenary is the ‘Herald of Andraste’. Who’d have thought?” Bull let out another chuckle, smiling, gauging her reactions.

“Shanedan, Iron Bull,” Her voice was low and raspy. He couldn’t be sure if it was from all the years of disuse, or if it was because she still felt uncomfortable speaking out loud.

“No need for that, makes everyone jumpy.”

Her mouth creased into a small frown. He wondered why, before remembering he was supposed to win her trust so he could inform the Arishok if intervention was needed.

“You’ve seen us fight. I won’t lie, we’re expensive, but we’re well-worth it. I’m sure your Inquisition can afford to pay us. What do you think?,” Bull sat on a nearby rock, turning his back just long enough to see if she would strike. Thankfully, she didn’t.

She looked around, eyeing the men who were finishing making sure everyone that was supposed to be dead was. She eyed Bull speculatively, eyeing his multitude of scars and easygoing manner.

“You seem useful,” She replied eventually.

“You won’t just be getting the men, y’know. You’ll be getting me. A bodyguard to soak up damage if you need it. The best one you’ll find in Ferelden. It doesn’t matter if it’s demons or dragons, the bigger the better. I’m your man.”

She nodded slowly, “What else?”

Bull made himself look even more nonchalant, while standing up and moving so he could protect himself if needed, “This’ll piss you off, might be useful. I’m Ben-Hassrath.”

“Hissrad,” She hissed like it was a vile insult. Her face pinched, “Why the Inquisition?”

“Uncontrollable magic like the Breach makes life difficult everywhere. They want me to get close to the Inquisition so I can report what’s going on. I also get reports from Ben-Hassrath all over Orlais and Ferelden. I can share that with the Inquisition.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Whatever happened at the Conclave is bad. The Breach needs to be closed, and quickly. I’m on your side, to do what needs to be done to end that,” Bull pointed to the Breach, which could still be seen from the Storm Coast even with the rain, “That needs to go before it seriously wrecks everything.”

Her pale eyes were narrow, searching. Her scarred lips were pursed in thought. Finally, she extended a hand that was missing parts of fingers, “Kaaras.”

“The Iron Bull,” Cautiously, he shook.

For better or worse, for now at least, Bull and his Chargers were going to help the Inquisition.

It wasn’t until the third night on the road that Bull began to seriously question his choice. They had set up camp, Kaaras and her party. Bull had been travelling with his men, and the Herald’s on and off throughout the journey. He had decided to set camp Kaaras’s party as a show of good faith.

He’d been relaxing in his tent, waiting for everyone else to fall asleep before even making an attempt himself, when a mumbled protest caught his attention. He froze, reaching for one of the daggers he kept hidden on himself, and waited.

A strangled gasp from the right, and stumbled footsteps into the dark. Moving slowly and quietly, Bull peered out of the gap in his tent entrance.

There was Kaaras, her hair sticking up in all directions, faced pinched with worry. Shaking hands massaged her temples. She sat heavily on a tree stump, and rested her head in her hands.  A shaky, almost silent sob shook her body. Several deep breaths got her under control, and she stayed still for what seemed like an eternity.

One hand touched the jagged edge of her broken horn, and the other to her lips. Quietly, almost quietly enough that Bull didn’t hear her, she spoke:

“Shok ebasit hissra. Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun.” Struggle is an illusion. The tide rises, the tide falls, but the sea is changeless. A prayer for the dead turned into a mantra, perhaps?

Bull moved to his previous position in his tent, ignoring the sounds of the Herald going back to her tent. His thoughts were plagued by idea that the ‘Herald’ would turn into an abomination because she was uneasy with his presence.

He was seriously beginning to doubt his decision.

“Are you alright? You haven’t seemed yourself since Tiny joined us.”

Kaaras sighed, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands, “I’m suspicious.”

“Then why’d you take him on?”

“We need the troops.”

“We could have done without.”

“We need the extra muscle. It isn’t fair to Cassandra to do all the heavy lifting,” the attempt at a joke fell flat.

Varric shot her a pointed look, and Kaaras sighed. Her fingers travelled to the scars on her lips, and her eyes shot open. Standing hurriedly, she fumbled as her fingers grasped at buttons and straps. Her coat was discarded, as was the outer layer of armour.

“Sorry, but I’m not interested. I’m flattered you’d think of me that way, thou-” A murderous glare made the words stick in his throat.

Soon enough, she managed to shrug off the shirt underneath her armour, angling her head so the fabric wouldn’t get caught on what was left of her horns. All that was left of clothing for her upper body was some type of support for her breasts; Varric wasn’t sure of the name. It certainly wasn’t from Orlais, Ferelden, or the Free Marches.

Varric paled at the sight. Around her neck, previously hidden by high collars and layers of clothing, was deep set gouges that had long healed. Her shoulders were covered by the same marks, and Varric was reminded of the collars worn by the mages he’d seen in Kirkwall.

Her shoulders and arms were covered in burn marks, lacerations, and an array of other marks Varric couldn’t identify. Slowly turning around, Kaaras bared her back. Varric knew that it was a miracle that Kaaras was alive. Clearly, she’d been whipped within of an inch of her life multiple times. Permanent bruising marred the skin of her back, underneath the thick ropey scars that covered almost every inch of her skin.

“I will be killed by an agent of the Qun if one is allowed too close to me. I will not relax until we know exactly what this hissrad wants.”

“His-raad?” Varric asked, as if testing the word on his lips.

“Liar. It’s what they call the spies.”

Varric nodded, and averted his gaze as Kaaras redressed herself. Watching as she smoothed the wrinkles from her clothes, Varric could almost pretend he hadn’t seen the cruelty of the Qun. Then he remembered the cruelty of templars, and had to force himself not to shudder at the comparisons.

Now, more than ever, the puckered scars surrounding her lips seemed prominent.

#dragon age inquisition #kaaras adaar #dai au #fanfiction #oc