dragonracer

[dragonracer]

🎉 W I P WHENEVER🎉

Tagged by the wondrous @dragonracer!

Have been stuck in the Thesis Bog lately so not a ton of fun stuff I've been able to work on, BUT have a short little snippet (that I'm still not sure is going to be in the chapter) of the next chapter of my EmmRook post-Veilguard fic, All We Create, All We Destroy:

Emmrich took a deep breath, and smiled. "Hallo, Mama und Papa." He said, slipping back into that rough, warm peasant dialect of Nevarran he had known as a small child in the slums of Nevarra City, before his education at the Necropolis hqad trained it out of him. "I realize it's been some time since I last visited, I'm sorry. My obligations have taken me far away. But…" He paused, gathering his nerve. He knew that, even if they were alive and standing before him, his parents would never be upset with him, especially not with something like this, but he couldn't help but feel nervous anyway. It was as if finally saying it out loud made it real. "I… er…," he faltered. "You remember Rook? Well, Atash. That's her real name. But she uses both, so I suppose it doesn't matter. But it matters to me. So I call her Atash when we're alone. But she would want you to know her name, so I -" He paused again mid-ramble, recomposing himself. "We…. have been living together for the past year. As you know." He said. (Well, technically, they had lived in the Lighthouse for the past two years, and had only shared a bed for one. But he was hardly going to say that to his parents.). "I wish to spend the rest of my life with her. And I dare to say she feels the same for me. And so...," he took another deep breath. " I am going to ask for her hand. Tomorrow. Or. Well. At some point, during our visit. But I intend to do it."

I'm sure that's going to go super well and nothing dramatic and possibly life-threatening is going to get in the way.

Thanks for the tag! I tag @toonybrin and @medeaplays (no pressure)

[dragonracer]

Tiny professor here with a little reminder.

[dragonracer]

Writing is such a strange process sometimes, especially when your brain bounces around various scenes out of order. My goal is to hopefully have my next chapter of "The Moments Between" up by the end of the weekend (fingers crossed).

But currently I am absolutely rocking out to this little ditty: https://youtu.be/kMXBJW1PuU8?si=DXVyZ8QnvaQMs8Fq

While writing the absolutely most badass, unhinged Emmrich scene I have ever conceived. This old man can FIGHT and if you reeeeally push the wrong buttons, hoo boy, well, you don't want to see what a peaceful man is capable of when given the proper motivation.

But I'm still absolutely tickled that this scene is flowing to that song. XD Here's a small mood board for hints...

[dragonracer]

Coming back into a fandom after a 10-year hiatus and seeing old creator comments resurfacing like they're brand new lore drops.

Coming into a fandom late

[dragonracer]

WIP - Whatever

I was tagged by the absolutely magnificent @spinfins and had fun poking through the current WIP file of my next chapter for "The Moments Between" to figure out what bit I wanted to share.

Today is a bit of angst because there's been a touchy subject swept underneath the rug a bit lately that these two really probably ought to have a proper, equal-exchange adult conversation about. Sooner rather than later so as not to poison the waters...

Also, chapter is from Emmrich's POV this next round.

---------------

Rook's next nightmare nearly shatters the newfound peace we've been building together. I can only make out a few mumbled words amongst her cries, but it's enough to chill me to the bone. This time, after I manage to rouse her, I don't attempt to lull her back to sleep with hummed lullabies. I know I ought to let her drift back into slumber and, technically, I don't impede that, but I'm shaken to the core. Sitting up, I wrap my arms around my blanketed knees and stare ahead into the near-total darkness of our room.

"Emm?" she asks, sitting up next to me, her tone one of concern. "Is everything all right?"

"I could ask the same of you." I know we cannot control our dreams, but…

"You're acting strange," she presses. "What's wrong?"

I hesitate for a moment, but only for a moment. "Do you feel trapped with me, Rook? Forced into this relationship somehow?"

Rook turns away just long enough to flick her wrist and light a candle on the nightstand before rounding on me with a shocked expression, searching my now-illuminated face for answers.

"Not even remotely trapped," she counters. "I chose you. Actively chose you. What in the world has brought this on?"

I stare between the grave gold at my wrists, sitting atop my knees as I wring my hands together, unable to bring myself to look at her. In a hushed voice, I confess, "In your sleep, you kept repeating something about chains. Not wanting to be in chains again. Followed by my name, repeatedly. You sounded frightened of me."

I turn and stare at her then, gauging her reaction. She looks utterly heartbroken, eyes dropping to stare at our top cover.

She shakes her head before whispering, "It's not you. And it's not our relationship."

"But it's still something, isn't it?" I ask, gently taking her hands into mine. "Something to do with me."

When Rook bites her lower lip, my heart sinks. It takes everything within me not to cry, not to spiral into a panic that we may be ending before we've even truly begun.

"I don't want to upset you, Emm…"

Choking back a sob, I plead, "Darling, if we're to be in a committed relationship together, there must be two tenets always present between us both: trust and honesty. We have to trust each other enough to be honest with each other, even if we're afraid the truth may hurt. Now, please, tell me what's troubling your mind."

She takes a deep, shaky breath before meeting my eyes. "When the Lich Lord bound the Soul Devourer, he did so by throwing chains at it. Chains that wrapped around its limbs and wings and slowly pulled it down into the chasm."

I give her hands a supportive squeeze when she pauses.

"Lately, the nightmares haven't been the Antaam or the darkspawn," she admits with a sigh. "It's been the Lich Lord throwing the chains at me… but speaking in your voice."

Somehow, I manage to suppress the flinch from that dagger to the heart. "You know I would never do that to you, dearest, not even as a lich."

"I know, I know. It's just…"

When she trails off and looks away, I think back to the day I revealed my future plans to her. In hindsight, I realize now how much of the talking I did - excited as I was to share with her about my eventual ascension - and how little she'd said and reacted in turn.

And we haven't really discussed it since.

"You have unspoken concerns about my bid for lichdom."

----------

I tag the fabulous @lkblackham !

[dragonracer]

WIP - Whatever

@sunny374940 and @notyourmamasdeerbat tagged me for this. Thank you, loves.

Here a bit of the next "Pieces of Mind" chapter I've been working on, from a POV I suspect you will all enjoy.

...

“Emmrich, I found your skull…friend.”

“My what?”

In answer the crow laid her squeamishly in Volkarin’s palm and walked away with no further regard for her. Hezenkoss supposed she should thank him–or rather curse him–for not crushing her under his foot. 

“Johanna!” Volkarin’s voice was sickeningly maudlin, rapturous with joy as he turned her over on his palm and peered at her. There was dirt and all manner of vitriol embedded in his skin and under his fingernails. His armor and gold were disgraceful, and there was something else…something hollow in her old enemies eyes that she could not quite place. 

But he was delighted, examining her like a child with a Wintersend gift. He brushed the grime from her lobes and fissures with the cuff of his sleeve, and carefully worked the out cord that the false elven god had strung between her eye sockets. 

“Ugh!” Johanna scoffed at his stupid grin. 

“I thought you lost!” he exclaimed, still fussing over her as though they were children again and she had dared to break curfew. If he hadn’t stopped fretting by now, he was hardly likely to.

...

I tag @draco-illius-noctis and @dragonracer

[dragonracer]

He’s just so charming I can’t even-

[dragonracer]

Hi guys, everyone is crying.

(sorry for the unexpected break. It was not a fun time.)

[dragonracer]

Haaaaands

I’m completely unable to stop drawing his hands...

[dragonracer]

Lightly sedated 🩷

[dragonracer]

Yeeeesss! Like that Dr. Seuss quote: "We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutual weirdness and call it love."

Poor Emmrich finally gets to find his mutual weirdness partner in Rook after a lifetime of searching and nearly giving up all hope. 💜

Again, just hit with the thought of Emmrich finally being able to be all the weird and nerd he can with Rook, knowing they won't judge him. In fact, they only do not judge him, but somehow think of it as attractive? Something he has been keeping under control lest it makes the object of his interest run away, is now something that keeps that person close. He cannot be happier.

[dragonracer]

Thank you for your nice messages on my previous post ;_;Here is the final result ^^

[dragonracer]

Anyway in other news we fixed peepaw. Somewhat

[dragonracer]

when you just got out of Fade jail but you have priorities

[dragonracer]

DA Kiss week…

…happened on my “off week” when I had to focus on another project, but it felt wrong not to go through the prompts once I had the time, so here’s a compilation of all 7 days✨🤍✨

[dragonracer]

Poor Emm gonna be a chili pepper instead of a beanpole 😂

It’s hot, you guys.

“Ugh! Neve, can’t you fix it?” Harding says from Taash’s shadow.

“Fix what?”

“You know,” she waves her hand in the air “it?”

“Are you asking me to change the weather?Doesn’t it ever get hot in the south?”

“Its too hot,” Bellara agrees. The flower she’s trying to sketch is almost as wilted as she is.

“Even for a Tevinter,” Rook whines feebly from behind Emmrich, his shadow is too thin.

“I can’t even if I wanted to. Do you know how much mana it takes to create a 30 second ice storm?” Neve asks.

“Emmrich?” Harding asks hopefully. But he shakes his head. His crypt-pale skin is red.

“A breeze would be nice,” Rook says, looking at Assan’s wings hopefully.

“Don’t even think it,” Davrin says. “You start him flapping and I’ll never get him down.”

“I don’t think it’s that hot,” Lucanis says. He’s still wearing his black leather.

ALL of it.

“How?” Rook scowls at him.

“Perhaps he IS a demon after all,” Bellara says.

“We could throw him in a lake,” Davrin.

Lucanis frowns, “What would that prove?”

Davrin shrugs, “Isn’t that what they do in Ferelden, to test if mages are possessed?”

“Only the dumb ones,” Harding mutters.

Neve raises a glowing hand to her brow and sighs in relief.

“No fair, Neve, share!” Rook demands.

“Sorry, limited supply.”

“I’m the leader and I say share.”

The Scuffle is interupted by Manfred approaching with a tray of drinks.

“Share!” the skeleton repeats proudly.

“Easy for you to say,” Taash mutters. “You can’t even sweat!”

“Skeleton privelige,” Emmrich retorts.

Manfred hisses a very pleased hiss.

[dragonracer]

Acting cute or just genuinely cute? 💚