#royalfreckles

For @dadrunkwriting

Circinae/Fenris • Kirkwall • Post-Chantry Boom

Circinae stood on the steps to the Keep, knees tucked upagainst her chest. She had discarded her armor in a heap, shivering in the thinchemise and leggings she wore under the heavy metal. She was watching her cityburn.

Cullen had been doing well, organizing the remainingTemplars, calling in help from the surrounding Circles, putting out the firesthat…Anders had caused. Her hands were still stiff with his blood. She hadn’tbothered to wash it off yet.

She didn’t react to the clang of metal behind her, or thefeeling of un-gauntleted fingers twining gently through her hair and pulling itout of its tight, militaristic bun. The loose strands whipped around her facein the air, obscuring her vision. She didn’t care. It wasn’t as if she hadactually been looking. Watching the city burn beneath her.

“Nae.”

She stiffened at her name, glancing sideways at Fenris. Helooked concerned, as though if he moved her she would break like a glassornament. She lifted her hand and allowed him to thread his fingers throughhers. They were so warm. So alive. So real.

“Nae, are you alright?”

She stared blankly out at the city, unable to answer.

“You should get inside. You will catch a cold.”

“Alright.” Her answer was as dead as her emotions.

“Alright.” He settled next to her, pulling her into hischest as she started to shake. “You make this life worth living, Circinae.Never forget that.”

“I’ve fucked everything up.”

“This was not your fault.”

She turned and looked at him, her hand shaking. “And after?When people try to find who to blame? Who are they going to turn to? I killedAnders. I killed Meredith. There’s no Viscount. There’s no Chantry. There’sjust… me.”

He blinked, as though thinking hard and looked back outtowards the burning city. “So we leave.”

“LEAVE? Now?” Circinae gasped.

“Just for a bit. Just until things calm down,” Fenriscontinued. “We can go somewhere quiet. For a bit. That derelict cottage nearSundermount maybe.”

“And do what?”

Fenris looked back at her, eyes softening. “We try to live.I… have never gotten the chance to before. Not really.” He sighed heavily. “Iknow that this… is not the best time to suggest this, but we could… getmarried.”

The suggestion was so ludicrous Circinae actually laughed. Asnorting, halting laugh, but a laugh none the less. It turned into a deep frownas she leaned up against him again, sniffing the air. For the first time allday she could smell the ocean above the smoke and char.

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

[image description: A full body portrait of me standing next to a pile of items from my bag and a list of likes and dislikes. I’m in a long gray hoodie, jeans, and black shoe with a blonde undercut and holding an android phone with an Iron Man case. The items next to me are a very long list: A brown thigh bag, 2 sketchbooks and 2 notebooks in various sizes, a pink washcloth with the tag still on it, pads, travel-sized ibuprophen, chapstick, mechanical pencil, Pentel 4-color pen, blue ballpoint, wrap-around headphones, cell phone, classic video iPod, house keys on a carabiner clip, wallet, business card case, portable phone charger, Microsoft Surface, Pikachu 3DS + charger, blu-tooth earpiece, mini-display port converter, a smaller blue bag, and my large, black & white backpack.]

[The text on the picture says “ALSTON (WIGGLES) - Leo - 24 - They - LIKES include dancing during chores, office supplies, diversity in media, light-up shoes, and Pinterest DIY boards. DISLIKES include chores, intentional ignorance, English words stolen from French, blueberries, Hulu ads. alstonwiggles.tumblr.com and @alstonnovak”]

As per usual, I’m behind on the internet trends, but @royalfreckles tagged me in the “Meet the Artist” meme aaaaaages ago, and I figured my birthday would be a good time for a “getting to know you” meme~

I have a veritable Mary Poppins bag and somehow I still never have enough stuff on hand to be prepped for every possible emergency...