It's My Birthday And I'll Meme If I Want To -- A Quote Prompt Meme

[desertions]

The Quote Prompt Meme
similar to the picture prompt memes but intended solely for QUOTATION PROMPTS shenanigans.

i'll leave headers for various characters of mine
others will leave a quote (or two, or three...)
i'll reply to them with a starter based on the quote.
embed quote images or simply write them in the comments; warn if including NSFW content. here's some inspiration!

fancy html for quotes: <blockquote><font face="courier-new"><big><big><big><big>WHAT CHU GOTTA SAY BRA</big></big></big></big><br /><small>— who said it first</small></font></blockquote> embed an image in your reply: <img src=IMAGEURL _fcksavedurl=IMAGEURL> control height and width of your pictures: <img src="IMAGEURL" _fcksavedurl="IMAGEURL" width="500"><br />OR<br /><img src="IMAGEURL" _fcksavedurl="IMAGEURL" height="INSERT">


Tweaked from 221_b

Comments

Cullen Rutherford

[traumatized]

[vowedtostay]

Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy. -Saadi

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. -George Bernard Shaw

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. -Ann Landers

Now a soft kiss - Aye, by that kiss, I vow an endless bliss. -John Keats

going with the last one

[traumatized]

Not every couple gets married by the new Divine -- but not everyone is the Herald and her Commander either. Which means thanks to Josephine they host a giant wedding where he swears half of Thedas has shown up. It's a little overwhelming. Just a little.

So before the reception he corners her when they're alone, wrapping his arms around the waist as he pulls her in for a soft kiss.

"You're my wife now, you know."

oh no adorable

[vowedtostay]

It's overwhelming and exhausting thus far, and they haven't even come to the feast meant to celebrate their union. From what Josephine has said, it's going to last hours, between the food and the dancing and Maker knows what else.

But at least they have a few minutes to breathe, a little time in the day where they don't have to be Commander of the Inquisitions Forces and Herald of Andraste. That solemn, still expression melts from her face when Cullen draws her near, and her arms snake up around his neck.

"Cassandra said it--that makes it official." She still can't quite believe her friend is Divine Victoria, even if she's starting to grow used to saying it among others. Betrys kisses him again, another gentle little thing, just taking comfort in the fact that she can be herself for a moment or two. "And you, my darling, are my husband."

we needed adorable to balance out pain

[traumatized]

It's going to be a long evening and it's already been a long day, but as taxing as parts of it sound Cullen wouldn't have it any other way. It's a small price to pay, after all.

Culenn brushes some of her hair from her face. "I am," He says with a fond smile.

"If I forgot to tell you earlier, you look beautiful."

yeah it is time for some happiness for them

[vowedtostay]

One day of exhausting play-acting in exchange for a lifetime of living as husband and wife. It's a bargain, when one thinks about it.

"Thank you." She feels beautiful--she has on a dress of pale pink velvet and a crown of white roses in her hair, with a netted veil hanging from it. It's sumptuous, even by her standards, and the gold band on her finger is the loveliest part of all. "You look even more handsome than usual."

And that's saying something, because Cullen is a devastatingly handsome man on an average day. Not that she's biased, of course. Betrys reaches for his left hand, twining her fingers with his. "And what a fine ring you have."

Re: yeah it is time for some happiness for them

[traumatized]

"So I keep hearing?" No Orlesian nobles have cornered him yet but Leliana and Josephine had informed him about the disappointed whispers.

Lovely.

But a small cost to pay. Worth it.

"Almost as fine as yours" He murmurs, letting his thumb brush against it.

[vowedtostay]

"Why, thank you," she replies, squeezing his hand. "A very fine gentleman gave it to me."

One so handsome, so kind, it's difficult not to kiss the living daylight out of him. Betrys moves a little bit closer, relaxing into his side. "I wish we could stay right here for the rest of the day. Just the two of us."

[traumatized]

"Me too. Though Josephine assures me she found us someplace very remote for our honeymoon." And he's pretty sure Leliana has sent death threats to anyone who might try to infringe on it. So there's that.

[openhands]

[traumatized]

Cullen finds comfort in faith, despite everything he has gone through. After a particularly bad nightmare he finds himself making his way down to the little chapel in Skyhold to say some prayers. What he does not expect, however, is to run into anyone else there.

And yet it seems his friend has had similar ideas. He clears his throat to alert Cassandra of his presence.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to interrupt."

[openhands]

Cassandra pauses in her prayers, although she had not been speaking them aloud. It has been a long time since she has given voice to her prayers, even when alone. There is a certain comfort in only hearing the words echo in her mind rather than within a chantry or chapel such as this. She lifts her head, looking over her shoulder to Cullen before she stands.

She dismisses the apology.

"It's late, Cullen."

Which means she can guess what's brought him here. Her prayers can wait.

[traumatized]

"I had another nightmare, I thought perhaps some prayer would calm my mind."

Cullen doesn't talk openly about the effects of his lyrium withdrawl much -- but Cassandra has offered to help keep him in check, which means he needs to stay honest with her.

And really, he needs someone he can talk to about all of this. It has not been an easy process to endure, after all.

[openhands]

"Just one nightmare?" Cassandra asks, arching a brow. She may be able to tell better than he is able how the withdrawal is impacting him and his competency to lead the Inquisition's forces, but it does require a certain degree of honesty. And while she trusts Cullen will not intentionally bullshit her, it's still not a pleasant topic. It's only natural that he might minimize or otherwise avoid it.

She can't say she faults him for it either.

[traumatized]

"Perhaps it was more than just one," He concedes. He never straight out lies to her about how his withdrawl is effecting him, but he does try to downplay it sometimes.

It is not as if she doesn't have plenty of other things to worry about already.

[openhands]

Cassandra makes a soft noise of acknowledgement. It's been a while since his nightmares have kept him awake as far as she knows. Although it's entirely possible he's simply tossed and turned until what seemed like a reasonable hour to get up, not wanting to burden anyone else with it or perhaps even acknowledge how deeply his nightmares affect him. The Inquisition is meant to be a fresh start for Cullen after all, a chance to make himself into the man he wants to be and not the one he was or expected to be in the past.

It's hard to tell if it's the right place to be attempting this still, even by Cassandra's opinion at times. But she believes it is. If there is a place that he can defeat this, it's here with the Inquisition, with something to keep his mind and hands busy rather than trying to fight the pain and nightmares somewhere in the quiet. But sometimes the quiet has its uses.

"Would you like to be alone?"

[traumatized]

Cullen has always talked in his sleep, even before the nightmares set in, but now he would disturb anyone who had to share space with him. Luckily he is no longer a templar and he can keep space of his own. He tries not to let the others know how bad it can still plague him at times. It is not their burden but his own. They have all too much to worry about already.

"I do not mind the company," He admits. Perhaps because with Cassandra, at least, he does not have to pretend like he's okay. She is one of the few people he can talk to freely about what he is going through and he would never be able to verbalize what that means to him.

If it were not for her belief in him he would have faltered by now, he's sure of it.

[vowedtostay]

She doesn't try to make things special this time.

It doesn't seem safe, doesn't seem worth it. If things go badly, as they did the last time she noticed hadn't bled when she expected to, she doesn't want to have to think back on a fond little dinner beginning it all. And if things go well--and Maker, please let them go well--then making a fuss over the fact that she's pregnant won't change anything.

The night after a healer confirms it for her, when she's lying sleepy and worried in Cullen's arms, the room warm (by Skyhold standards) and dark, she clears her throat quietly. "Cullen? Are you still awake?"

[transferee]

"I am." Though his nightmares have considerably lessened in the past year or so sleep still isn't something that comes easy to him. Especially after Cai died. It had been a difficult time for all of them, to say the least.

He turns to face her, brushing some of her hair from her face.

"I am. What is it, sweetheart?"

[vowedtostay]

"I wanted to tell you something." She feels so small suddenly. Not the Inquisitor, not Andraste's herald, only one slender-boned woman with an even smaller, less certain thing growing within her. Something that could be--if only it could be. If only the Maker is merciful this time. The words are hard to find, even with Cullen's gentle touch. She lays a hand on his chest and says quietly, "I went to see the healer today."

[traumatized]

His eyes widen a little at that, panic rushing through him at the news. "Are you okay? What happened?" If she's sick -- well they'll get her the best care she needs. He can't afford to lose her too.

[vowedtostay]

It's about as close as she's ever gotten in her life to saying fuck. The last thing she wanted to do was worry him, Maker.

"No!" she says quickly, then realizes how that sounds when are you okay was one of the questions. "I mean yes. I'm fine, I promise. I'm going to have a baby, Cullen."

[traumatized]

His worry turns into relief almost immediately. "Oh. That's wonderful news." He smiles in spite of the worry in the back of his head. The worry that it might end up the way it did with Cai.

[vowedtostay]

Betrys can nearly feel him grow less concerned, and if there's one thing to be happy about, it's the fact that Cullen's pleased by the news. Their son's death hasn't poisoned his feelings towards trying again, thank the Maker. She hadn't thought it would, but it's still nice to realize.

"I'll work less this time," she says quietly, trying to think of more that might reassure him. Everything that she can do better this time, everything that might give their child a better chance. "And rest more. I'll stay in bed for months if I have to."

[traumatized]

"We'll get you the best healers we can."

He'll pull in whatever favors he can to help her. "I'll work less too, help you out more."

Whatever he can do to help her, to help their child, he's going to do. That's his priority.