Iron Bull

         He’s preparing himself. They always do.

     Training from a former Ben-Hassrath could never compare to the training they themselves were put under. Years of fine tuning, working under the Qun, their skills trumped his by leagues. But he was experienced enough to know a spy when he saw one. It took longer to figure it out but there were nuances to look for. The Iron Bull had them hidden very well – still, he certainly was no Tal-Vashoth.

      As much as he enjoyed it, though, he wasn’t there to cause trouble. Especially since the Qunari was with his team. Besides, he’d finished a job and was up for a bit of celebrating. Better not to ruin his night before it got started.

            “ Easy on the tankard. I’ve heard of you and your team                and, have to say, I’m interested. Wanted to see what                you guys were like for myself. ”

               “ Have you now? ”

    It wasn’t out of the norm to have individuals come looking for him, or being assigned to a team outside of the ranks of the Inquisition. Bull had offered it on more than one occasion with the Venitori were getting out of hand, and the Inquisitor could only be in so many places at once. Before the opening in the sky he had been stuck in Orlais; picking on nobles, taking jobs and writing reports on the outside world. But it was dull and he didn’t think he was making much change.... 

                               But now? He had a real purpose now. 

         “ Well, you’re here. I’m guessing you wanted to ask for something...             can’t imagine someone like you wanting to join up with a merc band filled with misfits.” 

◆ ——— “Now, Ser, true as that may be, we’re         part of the Inquisition for now. The state of things for         us might change in the coming seasons. Also, it’s a fun         inside joke as this point and I just want to keep it going.         Don’t tread on my dreams with your heavy boots, Ser.”

DEMANDS OF THE QUN is both a thread tracker and starter call. This will be used to not only inform myself of whats owed and keep more track of things, but to let those know about the status of their reply instead of hanging on the wind. You are also very much welcome to like this as a starter as well ( you’ll be put on the list ).

The Qun demands a lot from us. But an Alliance? It doesn’t come often…

Waiting on;

virsuledin​ [ x ] brideofsparda [ ( 2) x ] tofeign ( QUEUED ) taiibhreamh [ x ] magicthrives [ x ] dxlish​ [ x ; QUEUED  ] semiaqun​ [ x ; QUEUED ]

Owed;

infernalii​ [ x ; QUEUE ] vigiilance [ x QUEUE ] victcry​ [ x QUEUE ] cremiisius [ x QUEUE ] xstrange​ [ x ; QUEUE ] tevenesunshine ( starter ; QUEUE )

—

      “Surprise or…” she blushes just slightly, glancing away bashfully, “Ugh, fine, I’ll be patient…Like I always am.”

Maia could admit that some days between her and Ambrós they did abuse the pocket privileges. Then again, she was the lover, she should have pocket privileges over her clansmate. Regardless, she couldn’t deny she still enjoyed teasing Bull about his ass pocket from time to time. It usually yielded paybacks when they were alone, all of which were highly enjoyable–for which she wasn’t about to complain.

      “’Course I didn’t forget,” she huffs, craning her neck to glance up at her lover, “It’s not breaking rules if we’re out here, vhenan,” she retorts, hands on her hips and stepping forward, her eyes narrowing. Deciding to push him just a tad more, the elf took another step, pressing against his front and bringing her arms around his waist for a hug–as best as she could–whilst smiling sweetly at him. 

      “Make me pay later?” she quirks a suggestive eyebrow, “Then I have some fun to look forward to, hmmm?” she pressed her chin to his chest, eyes never leaving him, “I know best of all you’re just a big softie under all this muscle,” her hand patted gently on his chest, right over where his heart would be to make her point.

    “ And what kind of Inquisitor would you be if you       weren’t patient? I guess a rather bad one, wouldn’t you agree? ”

    Though he meant nothing vicious with the teasing, and when she pressed up against his front and nestled her petite face between his muscular bosom, it made him smile. A sort of security that she was alive and there, near his beating heart. Her warmth was something he looked forward too each morning and night, sometimes just being in her company was all he needed ( sex was just a bonus ). And with those very calloused palms did he cup the side of her face, clawed fingers pulling through her tresses of chocolate, how they slipped through his fingers like sand and never snagged. 

    She was a beautiful woman; no elf, human, qunari, dwarf... she was no race in his single eye. Instead she was a Kadan; a woman who wore the other half of the dragons tooth, signifying that no matter where they were, they were connected by something stronger---greater--than themselves. 

❝ Afraid so. Little boys stop being little boys fast. They’re both mages, but my eldest hides it. My youngest, is proud of it. I wish they’d both be proud of who they are. Being a mage is not a great evil. Not even the destruction of the Chantry could make people see that. It just made them angrier. ❞

❝ It made them want to kill us all.❞

Turning to face him, hands fell around her middrift and hovered, clawed fingers fiddling with one another as the faint scrape of iron armor could be heard bertween words and wind breezes. ❝ Suggest is a weak word for it, Master Bull. I urge you to follow whatever you want. Maker knows it is what I will be doing. ❞ Stopping, Eva reached up to pull a strand of blonde locks over her ear, a faint smile twisting red lips.

❝ The mage types, huh? I don’t fear you, Bull. Am I still your type? ❞

          “Whaat? You? Not being my type? You know that’s very much impossible.” 

    However much he joked, her words were indeed true; fear bred fear, and though he did admit he was afraid of the unknown, demons and magic, he did not put any ill-will to individual mages. He met good ones, bad ones, and those who were neither; still he made a point to try and never color his view with hatred ( except for Vints, because fuck the Vints ). 

ϟ   The Inquisitor had requested Morrigan’s presence in the War Room prior to her encounter with the Qunari, so now the serene garden awaited her. But the Iron Bull was persistent, as usual. And it would be nearly impossible to evade one so gigantic for one of the Ben-Hassrath. Weary from scrutiny of the Inquisition’s next move, the woman crossed her arms and craned her neck to look him straight in the sole eye remaining. 

       “Yes, I was present during the Fifth Blight. ‘Twas quite riveting. I assume you have questions… ‘Iron Bull,’ was it?”

    “ THE Iron Bull, but, I’ll late it slide for now.         After all, I can’t resist a beautiful woman. ”

    Which was true, Bull’s opportunities took him many places, and he wasn’t about to allow formalities or the fact Morrigan was a Witch of the Wilds--as the others put it--dissuade him from his compliments or admiration's. Sure he didn’t like Orlesian politics, but he wasn’t fool enough to ignore the fact it took people with great wit and even greater drive to come out on top. An apostate mage who usurped Vivienne and stood at Celene’s right hand; impressive wasn’t even the word. 

Softly she laughed to herself, fully aware of the effect touching his horns did to him. How easy it was to tease him, truly. 

      “Yes, pockets that hang right over your ass,” she snorted, shaking her head, “Just accept it, it’s not so bad. I get to touch your perky ass in the process.”

Just then her teasing was caught short, going quiet, shivers running up her spine while his finger traced up her back. Maia was just leaning into his touch as he grazed her face, eyes nearly fluttering closed when he suddenly grasped her chin. Instantly her eyes widened and she gasped, slapping his hand when he released her, clearly amused telling by his chuckle. Pouting and blushing, she pushed back, shoving against his chest to step away before crossing her arms over her chest. 

      “Weird, you’re forgetting who’s the boss out here,” she scoffs, still looking absolutely petulant, “Besides, you can’t tease and expect not to be teased back you…oaf!” 

She recalled then he hadn’t answered something. Granted, he hadn’t because she’d decided to annoy him, but still her curiosity was not sated.

      “So…what is it you are promising? You failed to tell me…” she asks casually, trying to appear nonchalant.

     “If I told you what it was I was promising, then it wouldn’t be           a surprise or punishment... now would it?”

   Like a father did he scold his lover, staring down on her as if he were a mountain sheltering a flower from the coming storm. Bull’s ears gave a few flicks before he stood up with a heavy sigh of disappointment; when were they going to let this pocket thing go? If it wasn’t her shoving her hands and herbs in there, it was Ambros shoving his damned treats. 

    Then he’d sit on them or pass gas.        Then the little elf man would bitch and moan.           Then a fight would start and Kadan would kick both their asses. 

I imagine when Bull first met Krem, he mistakenly kept calling the poor man a woman. Not out of wanting Krem to be a woman or what have you, but after he saw what he saw; the breasts, the men trying to have their way with the poor man. It was both jarring and a quick switch. He had to train himself to address Krem as man and all the male terms, and now its not so hard anymore. Its natural, and Bull has all but forgotten that time poor Krem was laid bare to him when he saved ‘em. 

          Even if let go of by the other, it still gnaws at Krem with a sense of mercilessness that has his eyebrows furrow despite the smile the Bull wears. Perhaps it is somewhat of a lingering aftereffect of the manner in which his parents had severed themselves from him, too. 

                   ❝ Yeah, well… —— I guess not knowing them saves you a lot                           of trouble too, come to think of it. ❞

      “I wouldn’t say that, everyone has trouble with their parents.    Well... I guess in whatever case you call parents a... parent.” 

    Hating the stagnate air between them, Bull reaches over and gives a hard shove to his second in command. There was no other man he trusted more than the one who sat beside him; Vint or not he was a good damned soldier and better man than the Qunari hoped to be. “What I’m saying is, even if I didn’t know the people who brought me into this world. I know the one person who raised me in it.”