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rooks-dagger · 15 hours ago

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Ship Tropes Game

Thank you to my dear @rooks-dagger for the tag!!! 🥰🥰 your post about Ember and Neve definitely had me kicking my feet and giggling while I read it 😂I'm excited to try it out for Lydia and Neve!!

No pressure tags for @dancing--lights @curiouswisp @pinkvbay @handsignals @hedwigoprah and @serbarris aaaand @master-of-the-elements

Yapping under the cut!

Dorks in Love

The love I have for this trope is astronomical, and I'm so delighted that I can apply it to Neve and Lydia!

Lydia and Neve both have qualities that are dorkier than either of them would like to admit. Lydia is a huge reader, for one. She's a researcher -- she loves learning new information and she loves putting her knowledge to good use (most times). She researches things that freak her out so she can understand them better. She also probes her friends for their likes and dislikes so she can have an easier time navigating her relationships with them.

Neve, like Lydia, is a researcher. She looks for information and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong solely for the purpose of helping people. Aaand, for the love of her craft, too. She's knowledgeable as hell, too! I absolutely loved seeing various companions come to her for help on things they didn't understand.

That being said, I fully believe that Neve and Lydia would bond over staying up late with their noses buried in their respective books. They'd have debates or give each other presentations for new information or teach each other something. They'd have deep analytical discussions and geek out over something they discover together.

Note: In my little modern au world for them, Neve is still a PI and Lydia is a librarian. Neve comes to the library where Lydia works sometimes and sits in an isolated corner to do research. Lydia, crushing on Neve, makes herself widely available and will zip around the library to help her find any books she needs.

Mutually Oblivious Pining

PAINFUL but a really fun trope! Lydia and Neve beat around the bush SO SO SO SO MUCH, both denying their own feelings and, after accepting their own feelings, being oblivious to the fact that the other person feels the same way.

Lydia is the type who, when she has a crush, throws her energy into attentiveness and gift-giving. She kind of keeps these habits with her friends already, so when she starts feeling the urge to do it for Neve, she thinks nothing of it. She finds out her favorite sweets and starts bringing them every now and then. She makes herself extra present whenever Neve is speaking or needs support, and she tries to give it. She'd do it for anyone! Except, she starts staying up late with Neve on purpose, to keep her company. She keeps an eye out around the lighthouse for notes written in Neve's hand. She feels her usually sharp tongue and quick wit become dull and slow whenever she's speaking to Neve, and Neve smiles at her, and she finds herself wanting to be the reason that Neve smiles. Lydia is TERRIFIED of what having a crush on Neve means. At first, Lydia thinks that her feelings are nothing. She thinks she just really vibes with Neve and that she's a good friend, and is nice, and has a very kind heart, and has nice eyes, and a pretty smile, and is really good at fighting, and oh fuck. Lydia identifies and denies. When she finally accepts her feelings, she absolutely ducks and runs away from Neve whenever she enters a room. To her, there's no way that The Neve Gallus can like her back -- it's a silly idea! And anyway, she'd be probably make things awkward if she admitted her feelings, and it would definitely affect their defeat of the gods. Yep. That's the reason!

As for Neve, I feel like she is much more reluctant to accept having a crush. While I think Lydia's crush on Neve would happen all at once, Neve's would be more of a slow burn. Lydia is a sweetheart, and she's a genuine person, and she's a mage, but she doesn't play those games that most Tevinter do (thank you @rooks-dagger for making this excellent point!). She'd slowly bring her walls down around Lydia, but where Lydia is more of the shy, blush, look away type, Neve is more of a push and tease type. She'll poke fun at Lydia and find out what makes her squirm or blush or stammer, and she'll get giddy knowing she can get these reactions out of the often solemn and isolated Warden. Still, she understands that falling for someone is too big of a risk, especially with everything happening. She prides herself on being able to stamp out these types of emotions when they become too much. But, for whatever reason, no matter what she tries, these emotions Won't. LEAVE. It's okay though, it's easier to get rid of a crush when you know the other person doesn't like you back. Aaand, Lydia Thorne DEFINITELY doesn't like her back, right? Right.

Fire Lightning and Ice

Okay, I'm not the biggest fan of opposites attract. I personally prefer it when two characters fall in love because they are similar people (of course with traits that complement each other, no couple will be twins!) Neve and Lydia are very similar people in a lot of ways, and many of their thoughts and beliefs line up. That being said, the one line of contradiction comes in the form of their respective elements.

Lydia is lightning, as I never shut up about. Lightning has heat to it, like fire, but it lights the world in an entirely different way. It's quick, it's sporadic, and it's powerful as hell. And, if it comes down on you, you're in trouble. Lydia is a grounded person, yes, but I feel like she's had to work her way to being like that. Naturally, Lydia is sporadic and spontaneous. Sometimes she forgets to sit and think. She's gotten away with that spontaneity many times for the sole reason of, though she strikes quickly and randomly, she always hits with precision. Sometimes Neve needs a push -- sometimes Neve gets stuck on the same question and finds herself going in circles, unable to move for fear that the choice she makes is the wrong one. Lydia might say "if we move quickly enough we can test every option without much risk." Stupid? Yeah! Smart? Yeah!

Neve is ice (beloved snow chicken). Ice is a solid, slow element. It's a horrible conduit for electricity, which works, because sometimes Lydia's speed and energy needs to be halted, and Neve is the only one who can calm and ground her properly and securely. Neve is a thinker -- she likes to weigh her options before she makes a choice. It can get her into trouble, yes, but it has also, on many occasions, saved lives (including her own). Lydia, though she has been better in recent years, has a habit of getting tunnel vision when she sees something she wants or thinks needs to be done. While she's often successful, most of the risks she takes can be avoided easily if she would just stop and THINK. Neve helps her with this one tremendously!! She cools Lydia down, so to speak, in a way no one has ever been able to before.

Also, I could NOT get a picture of Neve casting for the life of me. It's also late and I'm exhausted, so it could be that.

Friends to Lovers

This one is going to be a little shorter because I feel like I went into full detail for the "Mutually Oblivious Pining" trope and think much of what I said there can be applied here!

Neve and Lydia meet for the first time in Minrathous, obviously. They take a liking to each other instantly. Lydia really admires Neve's tenacity for working solo and carving her own path. She also loves how genuinely kindhearted and warm Neve is behind that icy front. Neve loves how much Lydia loves helping people and appreciates that Lydia will literally throw herself into danger to protect others. Also, the fact that she's a Grey Warden and cute is such a plus for Neve!

Regardless, the two become friends pretty quickly. The bond is solidified after Lydia saves Minrathous and helps Neve, and the two of them start taking things to the next level (panicky crushes and anxious denial). Falling in love with your best friend is such a wonderful thing!!!

Playful Banter

Okay I took this trope RIGHT from Ray's post about Ember and Neve because she's RIGHT SHE'S SO RIGHT. Literally it sparked a whole conversation between us 😂Neve and Lydia's romance would have so so so much playful banter and physicality, too.

I've written a few posts about this type of stuff, but Neve seems like the kind of person to become giddy when she's in a relationship, or at least when she's flirting with someone who likes her back! Neve is definitely poking at Lydia and teasing her and learning all the ways she can bother her to get those fun reactions out of her. She's putting cold hands on Lydia. She's grabbing her around the waist and spooking her. She's gently shoulder-checking her when they pass each other in the hallway. She's teasing Lydia when she stands or sits a certain way, or is reading for too long, or opens the door to her study a little too eagerly. Anything, really. She just loves to know her loved ones and delights in winding them up, especially Lydia.

I feel like Lydia would mostly be on the receiving end of Neve's mischief, if I'm being honest. Lydia is the blush and stammer and hide her face type. At least, she is at first! As she warms up, Lydia is throwing the teasing right back at Neve. They get some good back-and-forths going, and Lydia in turn learns what gets to Neve. She'll deliver little shocks (not enough to hurt) to Neve in retaliation for Neve's cold hands. She'll playfully shove Neve or gently smack her hand when she's laughing with Neve, or she'll act as silly as she can to get Neve to laugh, or at least smile. After they start their relationship, Lydia really starts to get bold. I can see it being a delightful shock to Neve, to see that the once shy lightning mage is now boldly giving compliments or whispering things to her or is flirting with her or holding hands with her in public. I can also see Lydia like, holding Neve's hand and making a big show of it, swinging their arms hard or kissing her knuckles while they walk or asking Neve not to let go of her hand under any circumstances (then passing like, a street light in a way that forces them to split the pole to see if Neve will let her hand go).

Anyway, I love my girls!! Thank you for reading <3

#UGH THEY'RE SO DAMN CUTE TOGETHER #AND I LOVE THEMMMM #neverook #lydia thorne

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