#Dorian might insist that their daughter looks like her but she can see a lot of him in their daughter as well

[pergaminaa]

Modern au

This post is about baby manorian.

When Manon first got pregnant and had all those appointments— she was given a due date around the first week of September because that was when she’d be at full term.

At the halfway point, Manon did have some complications and was put on strict bed rest soon after reaching four months. During that time Dorian really did go out of his way to make sure she’s comfortable and having enough fun. Honestly though, he was fussing over her and doing what he loves doing the most, looking after Manon and spoiling her for days and days to no end. He’d even use the excuse (when she complains) “I have doctor’s orders to fuss over you,” he’d say confidently. Manon only rolls her eyes at him because there is no stopping him and she doesn’t have the energy to do so anyway.

Her little daughter was sucking all of her energy and she was tired most of the time.

Said little daughter was a little impatient though. Because of all things, neither Manon nor Dorian expected her to be born so early. Instead of arriving during or after the first week of September, Manon went into labor during the first week of August.

Dorian was worried sick because ‘is this okay?’ Like he was worried about both of them because this is way earlier than planned. The doctor assured him that it’s okay and by this point their daughter is mostly developed and there is no major risk at her being born mere few weeks earlier.

It was much later, after their daughter was born that he boasted about her being born on the same month as him. They’re actually only about a week apart and he loved the fact very much.

[sarah-bae-maas]

Rowaelin AU! chapter two

AU! where the valg wars never happened, but Rowan and Aelin still stumble upon each other anyway

Chapter 1      Ao3       Masterlist

***

This was the worst possible thing that could have happened.

Rowan stood beside the king and queen, completely taken aback by the sight of the princess. When Rowan had gotten roaring drunk the night before and decided to sleep with a seemingly perfect stranger, he could never have imagined that the woman he'd bedded would be the one standing before him now. She was exquisite, and even through the haze of his hangover he knew her to be beautiful.

And to be a colossal mistake.

He was just glad Lorcan wasn't here to witness this embarrassment; he would never live it down.

"Princess Aelin, might I please introduce Prince Rowan Whitethorn of Doranelle, your new mentor."

Either she didn't recognise him, or she hid her expression perfectly. She had the snake smile of any royal plastered on her face, a unique expression in a humble court. The slight tilt of her lips was acknowledging, but nothing else.

"He comes to highly recommended my dear," her father, King Rhoe, said, beaming at his daughter. "Your Uncle Gavriel was the one who told us he would be perfect."

Rowan considered fleeing so that he didn't have to face the wrath of Gavriel if he ever discovered Rowan bedded his niece. Rowan had been saddened that he wouldn't see the male until Gavriel returned from assignment, now he was grateful. He had the chance to wash the scent of the princess off before anyone could notice he was slathered with her.

"He has been a teacher for Doranelle for over a century; he trains their army and is a leading commander."

Aelin's smile tightened, although Rowan didn't think anyone would be able to notice.

"And why would such a high ranking commander come to Orynth to help train me?" Her voice was melodic, and oh so incredibly fake. Did no one else see it?

Rowan looked over the courtiers gathered. He knew Terrasen was a prosperous kingdom, and it showed in their nobility. It was always obvious when wealth and health had been faked, but Orynth really was a dream for its inhabitants. Inhabitants who looked at their princess with concern - not for her, but for themselves. They were afraid.

Interesting.

"Aelin, please," Queen Evalin's voice was taught. "This could help you, don't you understand? We're running out of options, and after-"

"What your mother means to say, my dear, is that Prince Rowan is the best of the best, and we're thrilled to have him here with you. We believe that you could grow so much from this." King Rhoe turned to Rowan, a friendly smile on his face. "You have my full trust with my daughter."

Rowan tried to smile back, as if he hadn’t already devoured the woman he’d sworn to help. How he was going to fix this mess, he didn’t know, but one thing was for sure. He could not, under any circumstances, be involved with the princess.  

___

Rowan was wrapping his hands as he waited for Princess Aelin. At first, there was expected to be an audience to their training. He dismissed them thoroughly, or, in the words of Lorcan, aggressively. Now, his commanding officer was the only one in the room, and he was grinning like a banshee.

"This is the best thing to happen to me all day."

"Shut the fuck up, Lorcan."

"I take you here for a break. I give you lots of space to be a moody little shit, and just when it's looking like you might smile again, you have your first one-night stand with the worst possible person."

"You tried to fuck her too."

"Yes, but I was unsuccessful."

Before they could continue bickering, the door to the side of the courtyard opened. They were in a square, outdoor space lined with columns. Behind them were mazes of paths, and high hedges to keep out wandering eyes. It would be an ideal space for physical training, which is what Rowan would start with. If the previous night was anything to go by, she had little control. She could use some refinement - her movement was too wild. Even in the throne room, she was practically vibrating.

The princess walked in with two men at her helm. One man was a brunette human, two swords strapped to his back. The other was a fae male, and Rowan would recognise him anywhere. It was Gavriel's boy, the one that made him leave Doranelle all those years ago. Rowan didn't begrudge him that - Gavriel was head over heels with his woman when they discovered the pregnancy. And as forgiving as the Ashryver's tend to be, they could be archaic in the worst ways.  

"Princess, I have requested that there be no audience for our training sessions," Rowan said, voice as impassive as he could make it. He could feel his heart starting to beat faster.

"This is Aedion and Ren, they insist on following me wherever I go." She smiled, taking a step towards him. "They're very needy."

She was talking to him in the same voice she'd used last night, the kind of voice that made you think she was divulging her deepest secrets. It was as if she thought this whole situation was humorous.

Rowan would soon let her know that it was not.

"Prince Aedion, Ren." Rowan nodded at them. "I do not need babysitters, I have been training the most ruthless fae since before you were even a thought in your parent's mind. Lorcan, if you could escort them away while I train the princess."

"That's not happening," Ren smirked. “You may have come highly praised by Gavriel, but you are still a stranger.”

Aedion looked thoughtful. He tilted his head, and Rowan ignored the princess and her guard to take him in.

Gavriel had clearly raised the boy in his image. Everything about him - his defined muscles, scars on his body, posture - spoke of a well-trained soldier. He observed Rowan the way that Rowan looked over him, and he seemed displeased with what he saw. That, or he had quite the poker face.

“I’ve heard stories of you and him,” Aedion swept his hand in the direction of Lorcan, “my entire life. You could be the worst thing that has ever stepped foot into this court if you wanted to be. I know the best things about you, but I’m also well aware of the shittest. I suspect the only reason you are held in such high regard is because, so far, you have been on the same side as us. For only my trust in my father, I’ll leave you with her.” Aedion stepped around the princess, his gaze feral as he approached Rowan. “But if you cross her, be warned that it will be a signature on your death warrant.”

With that, the boy turned and stormed away, Ren following him after a quick scowl in their direction. As soon as they were out the door, Lorcan opened his big fat mouth with a rapturous laugh. “The unwarranted confidence on that boy is astounding. He couldn’t step an inch in our direction before he’d be dead.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Leave, Lorcan.”

He looked at him aghast. “Why?”

“I told you, no babysitters. Piss off.”

Lorcan bowed theatrically to Rowan and winked at the princess before escorting himself out, leaving Rowan alone, finally, with her.

She wore loose clothes that would help her body breathe in the heat. Her shirt was short sleeved and white, and dipped just to the top of her chest, hinting at what may lie beneath. A brown belt was at her waist, a few knives casually hanging from it. Her hair was up in a tight bun on her head, making her now-human face longer and sharper. This must be her animal form - how curious. A light breeze blew through, and he could still smell his scent on her. Any fae who came across them both and was worth their weight would know what had transpired between Rowan and the woman before him.

He was unsure of what to say now that they were alone.

“So, this was… unexpected,” she breathed, her face finally showing something other than indifference. “When I was told they were shipping someone in to train me, I expected some old bastard.”

Rowan swallowed hard. “I can assure you Princess, I am the best.”

“Aelin, please call me by my name.”

He ignored her plight. “Princess, stand with your legs shoulder width apart. I want to see what you can do.”

___

His offer had sounded sexy at first, but Aelin soon found out that he was gruelling. There was no chit-chat, certainly no flirting, and he pushed her to her limits. He handed her weapon after weapon and kicked her ass every time, assessing her skills in each. In hand to hand combat, her favourite, he’d had her on her back barely able to breathe in seconds. It was a far cry from the night before, when she had been breathless for very different reasons. Any time she tried to speak, he would invent some new way to torture her. More surprisingly, every time her flames rose to the surface of her skin and started to burn, she would feel a blanket of magic smother it.

“I don’t understand,” she said five hours into their session. “Why can’t I use my magic?”

He clicked his tongue. “The magic will come, but right now, I want to see what else you can do.”

She gritted her teeth and continued, pushing through the burning pain in her limbs. It was another forty minutes before Rowan finally called it. He looked barely affected while she was covered in sweat and barely able to breathe.

“An ice bath will help with the pain. I’ll see you at the same time tomorrow. At the behest of your parents, I’ve placed wards on your room so that your fire might be contained in the event of an accident. They won’t stop anything if I’m not there, but they’ll slow it down.”

“When did you go in my room?” she heaved, her knees and hands shaking. Blisters littered her hands, and if she didn’t think it would make her look weak, she’d run to the healers and have them soothe them.

“I did it from your balcony yesterday afternoon, I was told you were out with Dorian.”

“So you’ll call him Dorian but you won’t call me Aelin? Are you punishing me for forgetting to ask you name last night.”

Rowan was packing up the equipment they’d used, cold in his movements. Facing away from her, he said, “Gavriel may have given me a reason to come here, but it was your father who approached him, to ask if the rumours about my abilities were true. He’d heard about me from King Dorian the first, after I helped his son. That’s how I was able to get here so quickly, I came with him from Adarlan.”

“So you’re what, friends?”

“Some might say that.”

“Two friends for two countries.” Her lips tentatively turned up, hoping that even without her flame she could warm him.

Rowan didn’t smile back like she was expecting. He had been hard during their training, but she thought that was just because he was in instructor mode. She was still struggling to put the two Rowan’s she knew together. The one from the night before, that was playful and enticing, and the one here, who was a talking statue.  

“So, a blacksmith?” she teased, wondering why he had lied about his profession.

“It’s a hobby. You aren’t a pianist.”

“I really do play every week at the theatre. I’m doing a solo tomorrow, if you’d like to come and watch.” What she didn’t say if that shewould like him to come. She felt inexplicably drawn to him, but that could just be from a false sense of connection driven by her horniness.

“I’ll be busy.”

“Next week, then.”

He sighed deeply, turning his face to the ceiling as he finished putting away the last sword. “Princess, last night was a mistake, one fuelled by alcohol and anonymity. It won’t happen again.”

She scrunched up her face. “I wasn’t asking you to sneak into my room and fuck me, I was asking if you’d like to see me play since we’ll be spending so much time together. We may as well get to know each other.”

“I’m not interested in knowing you. You’re a job. An obligation. I’m here as a favour to an old friend, and because your parents think you’re an incompetent heir who is more likely to burn her kingdom down than rule it.”

Aelin flinched at the words, knowing they were true. Not just his total lack of interest, which by now was starkly apparent, but also why her parents had brought him here. She saw it every time they looked at her, the love, but also the fear that she would destroy them all. Her eyes burned, and she blinked hard. Gods, what a pathetic picture she must have painted.

“Noted.” Aelin pressed her lips together and got up, striding off. She made sure her back was straight and shoulders were up, feigning so he didn’t know how much his words affected her. With her hand on the doorknob, she asked one last question before she would sequester herself away. “What kind of magic do you have anyway?”

“You may be fire, but I’m all water and air - everything needed to obliterate you.”

As soon as she was out of his sight, she violently vomited.

[creampuffqueen]

Nesryn x Sartaq baby headcanons

Meet all the hot royal people! There’s a lot of them!

- So you see, with all the other royal people it was different

- They just have to produce one heir. One.

-For Nesryn and Sartaq? at least two

-Preferably way more

-The current Khagan is in good health, though, so they have a bit to wait

-Which is good, because Nesryn is still mildly freaked out about the whole 'might become empress of the mightiest kingdom in the world' thing

-With her whole family living in the Southern Continent now, Nesryn is content

-She and Sartaq spend a lot of time in the mountains with the ruks

-And she actually has a part in Borte and Yeran's wedding. Nesryn and Borte pretty much become bffs.

-However, duty calls, and Sartaq must return

-And though he says she can stay in the mountains, Nesryn decides to return with him

-All of the royal siblings have pretty much accepted Nesryn as their new sister. (Some more than others, cough cough Arghun)

-And so they don't mind letting her sit in on important meetings.

-In fact, her advice is often valued

-Although the current empress is a very quiet woman, she takes a liking to Nesryn quickly. She can be seen sometimes, whispering to her son about what a good choice he made in wife

-Though she is very happy in the Southern Continent, Nesryn does miss her friends a lot

-She writes, but it can take months for mail to reach the mainland, so sometimes she just doesn't even try

-When the first Peace Ball is held, Nesryn is over the moon

-But it just takes so much time to get there and back that she and Sartaq admit they really can't go every year. Instead they settle for every other year

-Duva has had her baby, a little boy named Taran

-After his birth, Nesryn mentions that Sartaq should probably tell his siblings what the two of them have planned

-Which he insists she must do as well, since she helped him think of what to say

-So the future empress and emperor tell the other royal siblings this:

-They will break the tradition of killing the opposing siblings. They will leave them to live their lives, so long as they never pose a threat of any kind

-And it hurts Sartaq's heart, but he must say his conditions

-If either of them find out about scheming or betrayal, all the siblings and their children lose their lives. They will not tolerate anything of the sort

-But, thankfully, even Arghun and Hasar, notorious for their scheming, agree to the terms

-Nesryn and Sartaq get married about a year later

-Hasar, Duva, Renia, Delara, and Borte are all there to help her get dressed, and Nesryn has never felt happier

-At least, until she is officially married to the love of her life

-Chaol and Yrene actually make it just in time, and all of Nesryn's nieces, nephews, and little cousins are running around. They've even adopted one-year-old Taran into their group

-The two retreat to the mountains for a month-long honeymoon, because they can

-And they spend a long time in just pure marriage bliss

-Eventually, they return

-And Nesryn gets to work helping out

-She quickly becomes a favorite of the people. Neith's Arrow, their own future empress

-Thankfully, with the Southern Continent having such a casual culture, nobody minds Nesryn wearing riding leathers or sparring clothes around the palace. So long as she dresses up nicely for formal events, they couldn't care less

-She is able to spend a lot of time with her family, baking sweets in their kitchen

-Their sugared almond puffs can put even the palace cooks to shame

-Everything is good, peaceful, and happy

-When they attend a Peace Ball, Nesryn manages to find herself enamoured with the little Fae babies running around everywhere. Aelin and Rowan make some damn cute kids

-And Nesryn can't really help herself

-On the trip home, she gets a terrible case of seasickness

-But when it doesn't stop, even after being home for weeks, she and Sartaq start to suspect something is up

-And, sure enough, Nesryn is pregnant

-To say they are ecstatic is an understatement

-It isn't long before everyone in the palace knows

-Everyone congratulates them, even Arghun, who looks very slightly pissed off the whole time

-Sartaq is a bit of an overbearing mother hen throughout the whole thing, even though Nesryn promises him she's fine

-She spends a lot of time with her sister, because Delara has had four kids already, you know?

-And also she's craving sweets 24/7

-Nesryn actually goes past her due date, and that sucks because she feels like a whale

-At this point she's like "Sartaq I can't believe you did this to me"

-When she finally goes into labor, it's a blessing

-Duva is there, because despite her vapidness, she has had a baby and knows what Nesryn needs

-Delara doesn't get the message until later, and arrives right before Nesryn starts pushing

-With her sister and sister-in-law coaching her, Nesryn has the strength she needs to give birth

-It's a beautiful baby boy with his father's face

-Sartaq is so in love with his new son and with his amazing, incredible wife

-They name him Kasem, which means 'happiness'

-Kasem grows up with tons of aunties and uncles. He always has someone to watch him, no matter what time of day

-They take him to the mountains when he is six months old, in the middle of summer so he doesn't have to spend the night in the cold

-Kadara and Salkhi love the little babe a lot. They are gentle, even when he tugs on their feathers

-Borte is absolutely in love with her little nephew

-A year after Kasem's birth, Duva and her husband have a baby girl named Haya

-And when Kasem is two, Borte and Nesryn both become pregnant

-Nesryn spends most of her pregnancy in the mountains with Borte, and the two are practically joined at the hip

-Her second pregnancy is much easier, though she still has awful morning sickness in the beginning

-Borte gives birth first, to a baby girl she names Indra

-Nesryn is not far behind, having her second baby barely a week after Borte

-It's a girl as well

-She is named Dara, which means 'pearl of wisdom'

-And sure enough, little Dara is very wise

-She always seems to be very smart and mature for her age

-Around the same time Nesryn and Borte have their babies, Arghun's wife has their first child, a girl named Maleia

-Dara likes her cousins a lot, though she is always closer to Indra than Maleia

-In the coming years, more babies are born

-Borte and Yeran have another little girl named Varsha, and Arghun becomes a father to another daughter, who he names Vanida

-For Nesryn and Sartaq, they are content with their little family, for the time being

-Dara loves books a lot, and when she goes to her first Peace Ball, she becomes best friends with Aris, Dorian and Manon's daughter

-She is also the darling of the public. She loves people and attention at all times

-Kasem is a very confident little boy, often boasting that he can beat anybody at anything

-Needless to say, he gets a few lessons in losing graciously

-Kasem and Dara are best friends as well, and they love to be around their (much) older cousins and baking with their mother's side of the family

-When Kasem is eight, Nesryn finds out she is pregnant again

-Since it's been a while since her last pregnancy, this one is fairly difficult. She stays in the palace a lot and is tired all the time

-But she thankfully delivers a health baby girl she names Dhyana, which means 'meditation'

-She's only just getting used to having a new baby when...

-Nesryn finds out she's expecting again

-She isn't sure how to feel. She's happy for another baby, but she doesn't know if she's prepared to have two little ones at the same time

-But, she knows she's going to have a lot of help

-I would also like to add... Sartaq is an amazing father

-He is so very patient, with his kids and with others

-No matter what, he always makes time for them

-He grew up feeling distant from his parents, and he doesn't want that for his children

-And Nesryn, she's a great mom

-She's definitely the fun parent

-The kids love to watch her because everything she does is just so mesmerizing

-And she's a great singer

-When she's on the mainland, people often ask her and Rowan for duets because they have amazing singing voices and they sound pretty good together actually

-But she always sings her kids to sleep

-And every single time Sartaq falls in love with her all over again

-No matter what kind of day they've had, whether they argued or they just cuddled all day, Sartaq can always count on hearing her sing to their kids

-The next baby they have is a little boy

-His name is Ronin, which means 'warrior'

-Ronin is the shyest of Nesryn and Sartaq's children

-He gets along well with Dara, because he likes to read and create

-The same year he is born, Kashin and his new wife have a baby boy named Haider

-Sometimes Nesryn will just find him wandering around the palace halls, lost in his own little world

-Two years after Ronin's birth, Hasar and Renia announce that they are going to have a baby

-The man who did it is kept a closely guarded secret, but nobody really cares about him

-Hasar and Renia have a baby boy named Rangsey

-And Nesryn... wants another baby

-Which she never thought she'd say, seeing as she has four kids already

-But Sartaq agrees wholeheartedly, and Nesryn finds herself pregnant again

-This pregnancy... is tough

-It's the hardest one she's ever gone through

-She's terribly exhausted all the time, sometimes even so tired she can't tuck her kids in. Sartaq is not a good replacement singer

-Thankfully, though, the terrible pregnancy leads to an easy birth, with a beautiful, healthy baby girl at the end

-This baby is the last one Nesryn will ever have. She is sure her family is complete

-The baby is named Akira, which means 'intelligent and bright'

-Akira is a little warrior. She adores watching the soldiers train

-When she is two, her family travels out to the plains of the horse-people to visit Kashin's new son, Kiran

-After taking one ride on a horse, Akira never wants to leave

-Of course, she must, but there are a lot of tears that day

-All the kids grow up in a palace full of aunties, uncles, and cousins everywhere

-They are adored by the people, and by their parents

-And every time she looks at them, Nesryn can hardly believe how far she's come

-A lowly guard patrolling Adarlan's slums, and suddenly she's in line to be the empress of the strongest empire in the world, with an incredible husband she loves with her whole heart and five amazing children

-Nesryn has found her place

-In the story Worlds of Fire and Darkness, Kasem is 18, Dara is 16, Dhyana is 9, Ronin is 8, and Akira is 5. There are so many other kids but know they range from 22 to 3.

[greensconnor]

i’m asking about your dragon age characters

molly i would KILL for u im ur personal hitman now

anyway i said my city now because the entire bioware writing team sucks shit xoxo and i’m so much smarter than all of them but also fully incapable of having a normal amount of ocs for anything (see: the time i made 20 rwby ocs in less than two weeks) so i have. five worldstates here r some assorted thoughts

uhhh so the worldstates r as follows

eira mahariel (two-handed berserk/champ spec), rhett hawke (two-handed berserk spec), alas lavellan (mage knight enchanter spec), romanced alistair/fenris/dorian respectively

shiv tabris (dual wield duelist/assassin spec), radella “rads” hawke (mage spirit healer spec), kat adaar (two-handed reaver spec), romanced morrigan/isabela/cassandra respectively because im a pc gamer and i think i should be able to date whatever video game woman i like because im infinitely better than cishet men

this world state said yeah i respect mens rights. mens rights to shut the fuck up

twins bronson (sword/shield reaver spec) & bryant cousland (archer ranger spec), carmine hawke (archer assassin spec), syracuse trevelyan (dual wield tempest spec), romanced zevran/anora/josephine/bull. if ur wondering how that works my city now and the warden, hawke and the inquisitor should all meet and so they do because i Said So

riva amell (mage arcane warrior/battlemage spec), graham “gray” hawke (mage force spec), hellathen “hela” lavellan (archer assassin spec); romanced cullen/anders and later blackwall because hawke only likes men who will break his heart. hela doesn’t have a romance because she’s literally 20. who let her lead the inquisition (me it was me). also it should be noted the version of cullen i have in my head only vaguely resembles actual cullen because i write better than dragon age writers ever could and i gave him an Actual Cohesive Narrative and he gets bullied relentlessly for being scrawnier than his mage boyfriend

malien “mal” surana (mage spirit healer/keeper spec), jules hawke (sword/shield reaver spec), ash adaar (mage rift spec), romanced leliana/merrill/krem because i should have been able to kiss krem and its a Crime that i am not allowed to

knight enchanter is a Very op specialization and by Very op i mean it makes a mage with their built-in low constitution stats able to solo the biggest baddest dragon in the game on nightmare mode in under five minutes so like. alas lavellan fist fights dragons for fun send tweet

i think lavellans should be able to hit ppl with bricks for all the shit they endure. thus solas gets pranked by mahariel and alas by which i mean they just tip buckets of water onto him from the rookery

kat might be my only competent inquisitor but she did also try to knock out the right hand of the divine and attempt to gap even tho there’s fucky magic burning up her hand so does she have a brain cell? you decide

also its fantasy land and i do what i want so kat has blue/gold sectoral heterochromia

gray “mage rights” hawke is best friends with fenris which surprises literally everyone. their friendship started because they got into a fist fight and then they were like okay i respect u now. hawke is like hey fenris give me ur sword i have a fun trick to show u [uses his sword as a foci to zap carver in the ass with lightning]

i am Always thinking abt like how cullen could have been one man anti-chantry propaganda machine if he hadn’t so blatantly been shoehorned into every game past origins so anyway bioware forgot about a wholeass moon i can write what i like. [holds up cullen by the scruff of his stupid armor] not only are you bisexual you are also a bottom

i also Hate the whole uwu mage haters get fixed by romancing a mage

unlocked secret dialogue option where my inquisitors verbally cuss out dorian’s dad instead of whatever sympathetic narrative the writers were going for cuz its bullshit.

riva is a showoff and a Menace about being as good as he is because he unabashedly loves being a mage and hes like oooh look at me im sexy i dont need to use my hands to cast magic because i’m just that good ;)) and you know what. hes right.

gray, on the other hand, does Not want to be mage. he wants to be a druffalo farmer and retire in the hinterlands and be left the fuck alone. unfortunately he is gay and has one brain cell and terrible, terrible taste in men. ribbed relentlessly for this by riva (altho does he have room to talk hes been hung up on cullen since he was like 13)

shiv is trans n kieran is the result of doing the dark ritual with her wife and he looks a Lot like shiv (dark skin pointed ears, shock-white hair) and morrigan always just Assumed she dyed it or did something magic with it so seeing their kid come out like that was a WEIRD time for her

leliana almost Murdered by cassandra in worldstate 5 because the warden is Actually There The Whole Time, but its been 10 years, mal’s cut off all her hair and gotten full facial tattoos and she’s like “no one will know its me its fine” and she’s right. she gets away with it. only cullen like, Knows, because he knew her before the blight but he doesnt have a death wish n he like. will Not piss her off

shes dalish by birth n she was stolen from her clan by templars and thus is vehemently anti-circle and anti-chantry in general

uhhh the vallaslin (elf face tattoos) of my 4 dalish characters are:

eira = ghilan’nain (chose em cuz shes rlly interested in the navigation aspect of the goddess)

alas = falon’din (god of the dead n he picked them because he’s Also the god of fortune and alas is like tee hee fun but also he can and will kill u if u fuck with him so yk its fitting)

hela = june (god of the craft bc she likes to Make things but june is also the god who taught the elves 2 hunt and hela is. a hunter.)

mal = elgar’nan (allfather/god of vengeance bc. she is Vengeful. she is Angry. but yk fucking with shem politics and fucking their divine is like. mal may have little a retribution. as a treat.) yes she has the full half-face solid colour tattoo she does NOT fuck around.

bronson and bryant r not genetically identical but they Look similar enough 2 anyone who doesn’t know them well enough 2 play spot the distance. anora and bronson think this is a super fun game to play, especially when nobles realize they’ve swapped out the king but they’re too nervous to say anything

eira mahariel has two hands. one is for holding hands with alistair and the other is for throttling elven gods, apparently. she’s killed one before so solas she’s coming for your bitch ass next. watch urself.

speaking of eira and alistair are married thru dalish tradition and humans don’t recognize it n alistair loves 2 re-propose to her with random things. he’ll just pick up like. a bit of cheese and be like “marry me ;)” and she’s like GASP but whatever will the chantry say!!!! all of their friends r sick of them

“vhenan if you love me bring me a sword” “you think i could do better than a sword made out of space rock?” “:)”

eira is my youngest hero at 18 at the start of her game and kat is my oldest at 32 at the start of her game.

none of my hawkes are under six foot. rhett is the tallest (6′8″) and rads is the shortest (6′2″).

syracuse trevelyan would have been the Perfect inquisitor if he were not a pretty boy himbo and a gay bastard who does Most Things just to spite his parents.

[corypheus pointing at syracuse’s visage in his crystal orb thingo] i want that twink obliterated

i love the companions from older games return thing i truly do so i make it a point for Every companion to return in inquisition so the gang rlly is all here because i am a Slutte for found family

i lie in my keep worldstates because i dont want to choose between hawke and alistair during here lies the abyss but i never make him king and every time i play inquisition and cole has the wicked grace line it makes me Scream. alistair baby im so sorry i did this to you but i didnt actually do this to you

yes this is my everyone lives au but like. all the time. i have never left hawke in the fade and i do not intend to.

fuck whatever nonsense about wardens not being able 2 have kids. by sheer divine power (me) anora and bryant have three daughters; eleanor, sabina & cecelia n both bronson and zevran make Excellent uncles because i think anora deserves good things because i’m tired of bioware being like women bad, actually,

so like most of the time i have the warden & hawke turning up after the move to skyhold n then staying on, with the exception of bryant, carmine & mal. mal is as mentioned previously just There the whole time with her girlfriend. bryant steps in as king of ferelden w/ interests in closing the big hole in the sky spewing demons in2 his kingdom yk. carmine shows up because she wants to help & she wants protection for bethany but she outright says she’d rather die than be inquisitor so cassandra is shit out of luck.

“CHANGE HER MIND VARRIC” “she once doubled down on insisting amaranth was a shade of blue because she didn’t want to admit to being wrong. no one’s changing her mind seeker”

alas is the middle child of eight and is thus very good with children and also bossing around people older than him. 2 of his older siblings come to the inquisition when stuff in wycome has been settled

i left ash with the basic canon background with Some variation (he grew up under the qun and left of his own free will when his magic was discovered n he realized he couldn’t take living as a saarebas

kat on the other hand was raised tal-vashoth and has bounced around basically all over thedas and leads her own merc company when the conclave blows up. she also speaks multiple languages. is there a language she doesn’t speak? probably not

just realized how long this got so im gonna like. stop my general rambling now but lmao yeah theres some basics. waves hands.

[lafaiette]

Joy and Humility - Chapter 7

Scarlet Lavellan’s parents decide to visit Skyhold and finally meet Solas.

Mama Lavellan is thrilled. Papa Lavellan is not exactly amused.

(In which Papa Lavellan finally starts to consider Solas part of the family and his worst fear is confirmed.)

Chapter 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

Other Solavellan fics: here

“And then Solas used one of his spells – don’t ask me what it was, ma’am, because I have no idea – to burn to a crisp the darkspawn attacking us in Storm Coast.”

Bull swallows a big gulp of ale, while Nehn next to him graciously accepts the salted nuts the Chargers offer her.

“And then…!” the Qunari continues, flashing a grin, “he used that weird Fade magic he knows to make a fist appear out of nowhere and kill the last one of those fuckers, saving Boss’ life!”

“Oh, my!”

Nehn turns to her daughter, smiling happily, clearly enjoying Bull’s colorful descriptions and stories about Solas.

He and the others have been telling her things about her daughter’s mate for a good hour, now, and she knows exactly what they are trying to do. She isn’t sure whether to believe everything they are telling her – Varric swore Solas (or Chuckles, as he calls him) froze a dragon midair, making it fall onto the ground and crash into million pieces -, but she admires and respect the sentiment and doesn’t doubt that the elven mage is talented as they say.

There is a large bag at her feet, full of books and volumes Dorian and Vivienne gave her during her visit at the tower Scarlet restored for the mages in visit at Skyhold; they are mostly simple books about elven history and lore, but they are incredibly precious for the Dalish and her daughter assured her that she can bring them to the clan if she wishes to, because the mages already copied them down or there are more copies to be found at Val Royeaux.

Truly a miracle, Nehn thinks, before thinking about her husband and Solas, currently exploring that underground library she heard so much about all by themselves. She hopes they are alright and that nothing bad happened; she saw and heard her husband apologize to Solas and they left quite happily, but her husband is a stubborn man and Solas carries his pride in his name.

“He kisses Scarlet’s eyes every night before falling asleep.” a new voice tells her, close to her. She gasps and turns, then a smile blooms on her face as she recognizes Cole. He smiles at her, too, not seeing Scarlet’s blush and not hearing her strangled noise.

“One kiss to wish her goodnight, one to wish her a good morning for the next day.” he continues and even if that detail is much private and causes Bull to make a whistling sound and Cassandra to gasp with pleasure while Varric takes note of it on his journal, Nehn is overjoyed by it. It tells more about her future son-in-law than all the stories Scarlet’s companions told her.

“Is that so?” She turns to her daughter and sees her blush and look down at her lap with a bashful smile. “Oh, da’vhenan! I knew he was a romantic!”

“They always walk hand in hand.” Dorian adds and Varric senses that’s a good moment to speak up as well: “They gave me the inspiration for a new chapter of my smutty book, you know? Not that I saw them doing anything racy in daylight. But they are quite passionate.”

“Guys!” Scarlet exclaims, redder than her hair and the wine Cabot is pouring with a smirk.

“They call each other ‘ma sa’lath’.” Cassandra says, mispronouncing the word a little, and Nehn giggles at that, while her daughter groans and bangs her forehead against the counter. The older Dalish woman is even more convinced, now, that Solas is the right man for her daughter and she begs his friends to tell her more.

And even if Varric and Bull tend to exaggerate a lot and Sera keeps insisting that he is an ‘egg’, for some mysterious reason, she sees and finds truth in their words and her joy increases, spreading across her face in the shape of a blush and two big dimples, while Scarlet listens with a goofy smile on her face and eyes cast down, long fingers playing with the hem of her precious shirt.

And that’s when Solas and Athim enter, the latter carrying a second bag full of books. They are talking civilly to each other and her husband is even smiling, a small, but warm smile like the ones he gives only to his family and close friends.

Solas looks more relaxed, at ease; he walks with his hands behind his back and he stands tall, but he is actually walking behind Athim, even if almost imperceptibly, to offer him respect and show that he isn’t superior to him. He is smiling, too, and his smile only grows when he spots Scarlet at the counter.

Bull and Varric whisper something to each other, then the first roars, letting everyone in the tavern hear him: “And then Solas summoned a giant fireball and the whole group of Venatori surrounding us kneeled on the ground, begging to be spared, and the mage of the group even complimented his magic and…”

“Now that’s a story I’d like to hear.” Athim snorts, smirking at the Qunari before turning to Solas, who sighs and blushes, shaking his head at his snickering companions. Dorian and Cassandra have the gall to look completely innocent, while Bull and Varric don’t deny what they are trying to do.

“How was the underground library? Did you like it?” Scarlet asks, rising to kiss her father on the cheek. Nehn takes his hand, squeezing it lovingly, because she knows that he and Solas behaved well and she and Scarlet did well in trusting them.

“I see you found some good books, too! Dorian and Lady Vivienne gave me some incredibly interesting volumes, vhenan, and Scarlet said we can take them to the clan!”

“Are you sure?” he asks his daughter with wide eyes and she laughs, nodding.

“Of course! We have copies of them and I’m sure Keeper Deshanna will find them useful for her lessons.”

“Speaking of lessons…” Dorian starts, curling his mustache with nonchalance. “Solas is extremely skilled in teaching, you know? Scarlet and I once watched him teach a new trick to the young mages in visit here.” He grins at Scarlet, who has gotten all red, probably remembering a very particular detail of that episode. “I remember you complimented the way his fingers moved, my friend.”

“Dorian!” she hisses, but Athim seems unfazed by it for once. He just grunts as he sits down next to his wife, while Solas glares at the Altus and his ears turn pink like Scarlet’s.

“Well, I witnessed his great knowledge just earlier.” Athim says, gratefully accepting the cup of wine Cabot just poured him. “We met two Dalish elves, Cillian of clan Ralaferin and Loranil from Hawen’s clan.”

The companions and Scarlet pale at that, while Nehn gasps and brings her hands to her face, beaming like a star. Everyone suspects the worst, everyone fears the meeting went bad, that Solas was mortified or left in a corner and everyone - except for Scarlet, who has no idea what Loranil feels for her - thinks the young Dalish elf ignited his jealousy and self-deprecation.

“I heard many things about Cillian and his clan! Oh, I had no idea he was here!”

“He is a good fellow.” Athim says with a smile and Dorian and Cassandra exchange a worried look, while Varric desperately thinks of something else good to say about Solas and Bull tries to come up with more extravagant stories.

But then Athim turns to Solas, who is sitting next to Scarlet with a surprisingly pleased expression on his face, and adds: “Solas knows much about the discipline Cillian is studying, so he accepted to teach him and others the ancient elven ways he learned in the Fade.”

Everyone turns to Solas at that and his smile grows, turning a bit timid, but also proud, and his eyes are filled with love when Scarlet cheers and throws her arms around him. It’s a great step in the right direction, she thinks, the perfect way for him to finally have more friends, connect with more people, and let himself go around others.

And the way Athim spoke, clearly glad of what happened and respectful of Solas’ knowledge, means that the old Dalish man is finally changing his mind about the other elf, if not quickly, at least surely and steadily. Nehn is aware of that, too, and she thanks her husband with a discreet kiss on the lips.

“He knows every corner and every shelf of the library, doesn’t he?” Varric intervenes, continuing his and the others’ plan to celebrate Solas and put him under the best light possible. “Chuckles always had a great memory.”

Some playful light twinkles in Athim’s eyes and he hums, before nodding and observing his daughter talk animatedly with the elven apostate; she is talking quickly, excitedly, oozing joy and warmth from every pore and red strand of hair, and Solas looks at her with loving eyes, a hand on her waist, the other on her knee.

“Always so brilliant, always so ready to help.” Dorian continues and it’s true; despite Solas’ aloof manners and his maybe-too-polite smiles, he is also very kind and many people witnessed his gestures of selflessness, when more refugees than usual came to Skyhold and he helped heal them all, or when he personally prepared potions and concoctions for the sick, coughing pilgrims and their children.

“Always eager to learn more.” Cassandra adds, hoping the Dalish appreciate curiosity, and Cole enigmatically says: “He knows much, but now he wants to learn everything about this world. He likes it now. Sniffing the air and thinking it has a good smell, he explores the new woods.”

Athim shoots him an odd glance, thinking that if anyone here knows what Solas’ haunted past is – because he is sure the young man is haunted by something -, that someone might be Cole. Spirits are supposed to know a lot, right? And this one in particular – Compassion, he was told – might indeed reassure him immensely.

“Say, Cole,” he starts, fully turning to the mysterious boy, whose giant hat almost hides his pale face completely, “Solas told me you’re a dear friend and a very special creature. Person.” He clears his throat, not wanting to offend the boy, but Cole looks extremely pleased and happy.

“You’re very dear to my daughter, too.” Athim continues and Cole looks about to burst into an explosion of light and bubbling laughter. His smile is a particularly sweet sight.

“Thank you!” he exclaims and the old Dalish elf can’t help but chuckle at that.

He turns to the others, who are listening intently, and he doesn’t miss Nehn’s confused look. They don’t understand what he’s trying to ask, so he hurries to do so, turning back to Cole and saying:

“You know him well, right? So…”

“You want to know if they’re happy?” Bull interrupts him, scratching his chin. “Man, everyone can see they are!”

“No.” Cole says gently, never looking away from Athim. “You want to know if he will keep making her happy in the future, too.”

“Yes.” Athim’s tone changes suddenly, turning heated, impatient, urgent. He grasps the spirit boy’s wrist, not too strongly to avoid hurting him, but the grip is powerful all the same. The spirit’s skin is cold and dry, maybe too thin, but he tries not to focus too much on that.

“Once this awful war is over, do you know – can you know - what will happen to them?” He glances furtively at Solas and Scarlet, who are still discussing his future lessons and this great opportunity.

Nehn looks about to protest and tell him to stop, but she is Scarlet’s mother and even if she clearly trusts Solas completely, while Athim still wants to be a little cautious, she has every right to worry and expect some enlightenment from a spirit. So she holds her breath and leans closer to Cole from her stool, clasping her hands in a silent prayer to the Creators.

The others are curious, too, included Dorian, who should know that Cole’s abilities can’t look into the future; he knows that and Cassandra knows it as well, but Cole is such a peculiar spirit and there is always a first time for everything and the Fade and its inhabitants are great mysteries that not even the greatest expert – probably not even Solas – can completely explain up to the smallest detail.

And since Cole looks so serious and solemn - a rare event since he usually looks either gloomy and shy or enthusiastic and curious -, they have all the reasons to move closer and wait for his response.

“I don’t know.” he answers in the end. Athim deflates a little at that, but Nehn keeps looking fervently at the spirit boy and he slowly continues: “But if they keep talking like they are doing now, things will be fine.”

“Communication is an important part of a relationship.” Nehn confirms, nodding solemnly, and Cole nods, too, more solemn than her. They look like two elven statues, Athim thinks, full of truth and answers.

The companions briefly redirect their attention elsewhere to discuss what Cole just said – they have been reassured, comforted, and they believe there will be no dark shadows on the horizon for their dear friends, for sweet Scarlet and brilliant Solas, because how could communication ever stop existing in a relationship like theirs? They always talk, they always fix everything by talking, opening up to each other, and revealing their biggest fears to the other.

Athim is humble and so he accepts Cole’s prediction humbly, thanking him, but he’s also stubborn and even if he likes Solas, even if he knows he loves Scarlet a lot and he’s willing to welcome him into the family, he still can feel something isn’t right, like a minuscule, black dot on a white sheet, slowly spreading and showing itself to the world.

He grasps Cole’s shoulders – so bony and sturdy at the same time – and leans even further in until he’s hidden under his hat with him. And then he whispers, locking eyes with the spirit, gazing into his deep, blue irises so full of knowledge and innocence:

“He’s hiding something, isn’t he?”

Cole doesn’t answer, but his silence is answer enough and Athim sees something flicker in his eyes, maybe surprise, maybe hesitation. He tightens his jaw, sets his mouth into a straight, thin line, then pulls away, sheepishly smiling at Nehn, who didn’t hear his question and is fretting over him and the boy.

“Athim, please! What is this about?”

“Nothing. It’s all good now.” He kisses her to apologize, then thanks Cole again, but the spirit boy has become unresponsive and his face – ageless and young at the same time – is thoughtful, as if he’s lost into deep, important considerations. He smiles a little when Nehn talks to him and brushes back the hair from his face, but there is a weight in his posture, now, and Athim feels responsible and guilty for it.

The rest of the day proceeds well. He visits the mage tower and the rest of Skyhold, with its many rooms, nooks, hidden passageways, and doors. He listens to Solas, asks him questions and answers his and a sincere affection for the young man grows in his heart, replacing the silly jealousy and fears he had before.

He doesn’t bother Solas and Scarlet when they kiss or smile at each other; he still tries to catch his daughter’s attention, because he hasn’t seen her for so long and he thinks he deserves to spend more time with her before leaving, but he happily shares the rest of his time with her friends and her boyfriend and soon he’s busier than ever.

Nehn blooms under their daughter’s attention and care; it didn’t look like it before, but Scarlet’s departure from the clan affected her greatly, too, and only now she’s recovering from it, sure that she will be protected and kept safe, respected and loved. She cries on multiple occasions, always out of joy, and Solas becomes a second son to her, so much she asks him to accompany her everywhere and her motherly affection puts a big smile on his face and a nostalgic light in his eyes.

They decide to stay there five more days, accepting Scarlet’s tearful, hopeful offer, and time passes quickly; Athim and Solas talk a lot before falling asleep and he still has some doubts and he doesn’t always understand what the young man is talking about or studying, but he has seen Scarlet’s joy and that’s enough to convince him.

A shard of fear remains stuck in his heart, but he calmly ignores it, preferring to concentrate on Solas’ smile whenever he mentions Scarlet, the light in his eyes whenever he talks about her brilliance and kindness, his confidence as he tries to explain his theories and studies.

Cole hasn’t told him anything else and Athim doesn’t have the courage to insist and ask more, but his instincts are rarely wrong and he observes Solas sleep at night with a serious expression and a quiet acceptance in his troubled heart.

Then, the five days end and he and Nehn stand at the gate of the fortress, holding their crying daughter and reassuring her that everything will be alright, that they will always be there for her.

Five guards – gentle, robust people from all races equipped with well-crafted weapons - are respectfully waiting on the bridge; they will accompany them safely to the Free Marches, ensuring their safe return to clan Lavellan - Scarlet’s orders. Athim is actually grateful for it, because the big majority of Thedas knows about him and Nehn, now, and he doesn’t want anyone to try hurting their daughter through them.

Nehn apparently adopted all her friends, too; Sera is still wary and awkward around them, but she gives them two jars of good, Nevarran honey, stolen from only-Creators-know-where, and she accepts Nehn’s hug with red cheeks and a weird, endearing pout.

Dorian, the Tevinter, actually sheds some tears. He is “our shem son”, Nehn told Athim, and he never dreamed to ask for something like that, but the lad is a good man and he was able to get to know him better and appreciate his humor, kindness, and irony in the past days. Scarlet adores him and he adores Scarlet, so Athim has learned to approve of him, too, and Nehn always seizes the chance to smooch his cheeks and fix the collar of his robes.

And then there are the others; Bull and his Chargers, which Nehn recognized them as his family and treated as such; Cassandra and her pragmatic, but warm manners; Varric and his stories, often revolving around him more than he realizes and admits; Lady Vivienne and her motherly ways; Blackwall and his quiet, humble bravery that Athim admires a lot; Leliana, Josephine, and Cullen, each with their own kind of kindness and thoughtfulness; and then Cole and his sweet compassion, accompanied by the secrets he keeps for others.

Solas is the last one they hug and say goodbye to, because they want to do it right and memorize his smile and touch before they go. Nehn holds him tightly and he timidly returns the hug, like a child who isn’t sure his mother wants to be hugged today. But Nehn always accepts hugs and she already loves him greatly, so she pats his back and Solas finally smiles.

“Take care of my da’adahl, yes?” she says, cradling his face in her small hands. He nods, swallowing a hard lump in his throat, and if Nehn misses the scared flicker in his eyes because she has to dry hers, Athim doesn’t and he approaches Solas with a calm, but serious demeanor.

“Lethallin.” he says, pulling him into his arms before pulling back and clasping his shoulders. “Once this war is over, we will wait for you at the clan.”

Something breaks in Solas’ eyes, but he holds his emotions back – or at least tries to – and his only answer is a slow, short nod and the hint of a shaky smile. So up close, Athim is able to glimpse tears in his eyes and his worst fears come back, together with the half-formed certainty that things won’t go as well as everyone is sure of.

He will keep this to himself, though, because he can’t be completely sure and maybe it’s just his paranoia whispering ill things into his head. He saw the joy and love in both Scarlet’s and Solas’ eyes, he saw how happy they are – he can’t keep causing her trouble and pain like he did the first day.

“Watch over Scarlet for us.” he continues and there is a promise written on Solas’ face, now, and he finally speaks, his voice soft and hoarse: “Of course, hahren.”

Solas squeezes his arm, then lets him go and steps back to take Scarlet’s right hand. They stand there, under the main gate, with their friends and wave at them as they walk across the bridge with their guards.

“Isn’t he a good man?” Nehn says as they wave back and she’s still sniffling and barely holding back her last tears. “I’m so happy, Athim, so happy! I can’t wait for this wretched war to be over, so they will finally be able to get married.”

“Yes.” He watches his daughter and her mate from afar; he can see the sadness and worry in her stance, in the way she waves her hand, just like she would do when she was little and he had to leave the clan to go hunting with the others and she feared for his wellbeing.

Those memories bring tears to his eyes – he’s afraid of losing her to Corypheus and his mad minions, afraid of seeing her suffer because Solas couldn’t stay, afraid of her discovering what is haunting that man so much, something that can’t be anything good.

He’s scared and he isn’t able to refrain from crying, even if quietly. But Nehn of course notices it – she is always so very sweet and observant, just like their daughter – and her hand holding his gives him strength.

“Don’t worry, vhenan.” she says as they resume walking, turning back every ten steps or so. She is still crying, louder than him, and the five soldiers of the Inquisition accompanying them patiently wait a bit far ahead, never complaining, never asking them to hurry.

“We will see her again.” Nehn continues and she makes it sound like a beautiful, certain promise. “I know we will. She will win and she and Solas will visit us at the clan to get married. I can already picture it in my mind.” She giggles, a wet, but cheerful and joyous sound. “I can even picture all her friends sitting around the fire! I want that dear boy Dorian to dance with us.”

“Your imagination is a blessing.” Athim chuckles, kissing her ruffled hair. He turns to watch Scarlet one last time and his heart beats painfully fast in his chest, hope and fear mixed together, a dangerous combination that won’t let him sleep for months.

They slowly leave the bridge and his fear is replaced by sudden surprise – and a bit of alarm – when wolves start howling in the far, snowy distance.

“It’s alright, my lady.” one of the guards, a young dwarven woman with an honest face, says to Nehn when she gasps and looks around. “There are many wolves living near Skyhold, but they never approach the fortress. They are basically harmless.”

“It’s strange.” Nehn chuckles, recovering from her scare. “It’s like they are saying goodbye. Do you think it’s a good omen from the Dread Wolf, vhenan?”

“Hm.” Athim grimaces, looking at the majestic Frostback Mountains all around them, as though he could catch a glimpse of the wolves on their rocky, white sides. “I hope so.”

He turns for the last time towards Skyhold and sees that Scarlet, Solas, and the others are still standing by the gate.

They aren’t waving anymore, but he can still recognize their shapes and forms, Solas’ pale face and his sweater fluttering in the cold wind. He’s still holding Scarlet’s hand and Athim clearly sees him press a kiss on her cheek. He can already imagine her red cheeks and shy smile.

Athim abruptly looks away and his hope manages to win over his fears, as the wolves howl louder.

Another long fic completed! ( ´ ▽ ` ) It started rather funny and lighthearted and it ends on a sadder, melancholic note. ;_;  You can't fool a parent's instincts, after all.

I had a lot of fun writing it and developing Nehn and Athim's personalities - maybe I'll add one or two more chapters focusing on those days spent at Skyhold or even set after Trespasser. Athim's rage would be something to fear.

Thank you so much!

[redinkofshame]

Tagged by @5ftgarden​ . Thank you! I’m happy someone tagged me in this, it looked like fun :D 

Also FYI, I decided to do Marigold because I figured that’s what you want, and then I saw that you specified, lol. 

Interview with: Marigold Kadret

1. Pick an original character! 2. Fill in the questions/statements as if you were being interviewed for an article and you were the character/muse 3. Tag people to do the same:

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? But you already know who I am, you came and asked me for an intervi--Oh! You need me to state it for your article, of course, that was silly of me. 

*clears throat* I am Marigold Kadret, of Kirkwall.

2. NO SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? I, um... That’s it, I’m afraid. No fancy titles, at least not yet. Not that I’m saying there ever will be! I mean, I don’t want to assume Varric will ever, uh, I don’t know if he’s even thought about... 

Um, no middle name, or anything like that. Just Marigold.

3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU WERE CALLED THAT? Yes, actually! The women in my family have a tradition of naming their daughters after the first flower they see after their daughter is born. It’s been like that in every generation on my mama’s side, ever since my great-great-great... Well, I’m not sure how many greats, but it’s been that way ever since my however-great-grandmama left Orzammar, all fat and pregnant, and saw her first flower topside!

Mama tried to say that marigolds don’t count as a proper flower, just a weed, but Grandmama insisted they did, and anyway, there sure aren’t too many flowers around Kirkwall to choose from. 

4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN?

*blushing* I’m very lucky to be with my sweetums--uh, Varric Tethras, I mean. He’s a very very good man.

5. DO YOU HAVE ANY ABILITIES OR POWERS?

Hmm... Not really, no. Varric says I’m good at reading people, but I think that just comes from working in a bar, you know? He’s also been telling me lately that I’ve got a real good eye for numbers, whatever that means. Actually, he hired this fancy professor from Rivain who is supposed to arrive next week...

6. STOP BEING A MARY SUE. No, it’s Mari-GOLD, not Mari-SUE. I... Is there someone else who can do this interview?

7. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? They’re light green. They look kind of wishy-washy to me, I prefer more solid colors, truth be told.

8. HOW ABOUT YOUR HAIR COLOR? Orange, I guess? Well you can see it, can’t you? Oh no! Are you one of those people who can’t see colors? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to--

9. HAVE YOU ANY FAMILY MEMBERS? Why yes, I do! Plenty, in fact. There’s Grandmama, Peony, and my mama, Rosie, and my Papa, Rhagan, and my younger sister, Aster, and my much younger brother, Brugen, and Aster’s babes, my niece and nephew, Lily and Desch. There might be more in other towns, we aren’t so sure, but Grandmama’s papa disappeared when she was young, so who knows?

10. I SEE…WHAT ABOUT PETS? *laughs* Well now, do fleas count? Or drunkards who need to be taken care of? Well then, I supposed I don’t have any then. I’m so busy, it’s for the best. I’d never get to see them!

11. TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE. Well, I don’t like to complain, but I do detest dirt. Not like, earth. The earth in the garden that grows my flowers is rich and wonderful, but the kind of dusty dirt that coats everything in Dustown and Lowtown and Darktown, and you can wash and wash but it never quite goes away, and certainly never for long.

12. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES/ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE DOING?  Certainly! I like to collect foreign coins, actually, and from time to time I’ll play cards, and... Well, that’s it, actually. I never seem to have time for much else. 

13. EVER HURT SOMEONE BEFORE? Why? What do you mean?I’ve certainly gotten into tiffs with my siblings from time to time growing up, but nothing comes to mind... I’ve never left anyone with a broken heart, in any case; it always seems to be the other way around.  14. EVER…KILLED ANYONE BEFORE? Well now, what kind of question is that! Do I look like the type of girl who would go around, um, go around killing... Can we skip to the next question, please?

15. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU?  Animal? Could I be a flower instead?

16. NAME ONE OF YOUR WORST HABITS. I... Well, I suppose I tend to be a tad resentful towards my family now and then. You know I love them! I don’t know where I’d be without the whole lot of them, it’s just, sometimes they sure do make things harder. 

Oh, I can’t believe I just said that! Could you strike that from the record, please? 

17. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE AT ALL? Cassandra. She’s incredibly strong. And I do look up to that Hawke woman. Circinae? We both understand what it is to be suddenly thrust into power.

18. SEXUAL ORIENTATION? My what? Oh! You know, I’ve just realized that I’ve never really thought about it... I know I sure do love Varric. 

*whispers ‘off the record’* And his muscles, if you know what I mean!

19. DO YOU GO TO SCHOOl? Oh goodness, no! My folks made sure I could read and write some, though, and do some arithmetic. Just enough to get by and make sure you’re not swindled, you know. It’s served me well.

20. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS SOMEDAY? Oh my yes. That’s sounds... That sounds just wonderful. I want a whole garden of little babes at my feet, if I could. 21. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF? Losing my family, or Varric. These are... Uncertain times. The stories Varric tells... Everything feels just right right now, and somehow that just leaves me so worried... 22. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR? Just more of this? Skirt, blouse, underbust, boots, apron. Though the other day Varric brought me the softest dress I’ve ever held, says he wants me to wear it to this big event; I’m nervous about it, but so excited! 23. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE? Yes. Many people, in fact, with all my heart to each one of them. I’m a very lucky woman.  24. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU? *laughs loudly* That’s fairly obvious, isn’t it? I live in a one-window shack with seven other people and work three jobs--you tell me! 25. HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE? Hmm. There’s my family, and there’s Varric, and, um... Corff, and Norah, I suppose, though Corff is my boss and I’m still not speaking to Norah... 

Zero, I suppose, then. I just don’t have the time, is all. *looks away* 26. THOUGHTS ON PIE? That’s quite a segue, isn’t it? It’s delicious. I’d barely even tried it my whole life, but now that I eat at the Viscount’s Keep regularly, I’ve gotten quite spoiled, and I love it! Orana’s is very good.

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Do you know, here in the keep they have the clearest water I’ve ever seen! It’s not even a color, and you can see right through it! Would you like a glass? It’s no trouble, really. 28. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE? Have you been in my garden yet? I mean, uh, the Viscount’s garden? I could spend all day in there. I’ve never been so relaxed anywhere else. 

29. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN A LAKE OR THE OCEAN? I’ve never seen a lake, but the ocean is terrifying, so... I suppose that one. 30. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ANYONE? I’m very interested to meet all these friends of Varric’s, Magister Dorian is scheduled to visit, and the Inqui--I mean, Keria pops in and out so quickly that I never get the chance to meet her... Oh, you meant like that? Haven’t I already answered that?

31. WHAT’S YOUR BRA SIZE? My--! What an awful question to ask someone! You should be ashamed, and you’ve making me uncomfortable. If you’re going to keep along these lines, this interview is over.

32. WELL, WHAT’S YOUR TYPE?

That’s not much better, but I suppose... Strong, and short enough that I can kiss them proper, and a little body hair doesn’t hurt, and, and brave, and loyal and clever and generous. 33. AND WHAT ATTRACTS YOU? Is that not the same thing? 

Kindness. 34. ANY FETISHES? ... Oooo, now I see. The Iron Bull sent you, didn’t he?

35. SEME OR UKE? TOP OR BOTTOM? DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE? I don’t understand the question. 

Please, please don’t explain it to me. 36. CAMPING INDOORS OR OUTDOORS?

What? What is indoor camping?

37. ARE YOU WANTING THE QUIZ TO END?

Oh my, yes. Thank you.

Well shit that was WAY longer than I expected!!

Spot the spoilers!

tagging @tel-abelas-mofo and @makelovenotbloodmagic

[llantano]

The Darkened Glass, 5. Enemies and Friends

By Jaemlyn

Viki was sitting on the couch with the girls, trying to teach them to play bridge. It wasn't going very well when a familiar form appeared in the doorway. "Moe!" Viki called out in relief, laying her cards down on the table in front of her. "Everyone okay around here?" he asked in his southern drawl, looking around as Noelle joined him. "The phone lines are down." "Oh, yes, yes," Viki said excitedly, jumping up. "And you two?" She gave Noelle a hug. "We're fine," Noelle added to the conversation in her own thick drawl. "Moe was just worried sick when we couldn't get ahold of anyone."

Viki nodded understandingly. "Well, you're here now! Does this mean the road is cleared?"

"Ehh, it's a little iffy," Moe told her, "but we finally got through without being stopped or turned around by the police." Viki nodded, smiling. "Well, girls, it has been fun, but I'm going home." She turned to see that Langston and Starr had converted the game to "go fish" and Lola was sitting nearby sighing at them. "Bye, Aunt Viki!" Starr called out, distracted by Langston's hand. "Lola?" Viki asked. Lola's head jerked up toward Viki in surprise. "Yes, Mrs. Davidson?" Viki smiled at her. "Take care of the adults around here, would you?" She winked. "Especially your father and Dorian." Lola smiled brightly and straightened her shoulders proudly. "Of course!” Viki patted Moe on the arm and took her leave as Langston shared a glance with Starr. "Well!" Noelle exclaimed to the other females in the room. "Moe bought some ice cream but it melted in the trunk of his car before we were able to get here." "We're having cereal for dinner tonight," Moe explained to them, heading for the kitchen. "We need to use the milk before it goes bad!" He was surprised to find Dorian in the kitchen with a broom in one hand while digging through a grocery bag with the other. "Moe!" she frowned at him. "Do you realize this bread is completely smashed!?" He stopped dead in the doorway and looked at her questioningly. "Are you feeling alright?" She turned her attention back to the glass and dustpan on the floor. "No, as a matter of fact, I'm not. And where have you been, anyway? I can't find anything in this kitchen!" He inched toward her cautiously, curiously watching her sweep while he tried to offer some explanation. "The roads were closed, Dorian. There was a storm, if you recall?" She jerked her head up at him. "Don't take that tone with me." He smiled, trying to change the subject. "Are you hungry? We've got plenty of cereal." "Cereal!?" she exclaimed, disbelieving. "Oh, please. No, I'm not hungry. Viki made me a sandwich earlier." Moe looked around the room, disbelieving. "Either the world got turned upside down while I was gone or I've entered another reality." He watched her awkwardly try to scoop up the shards of glass she'd swept into a pile. "Are you and Viki friends now?" "No," Dorian answered flatly, keeping up appearances. Moe breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good," he smiled, taking the broom from her and finishing the clean up as she stepped out of the way. "For a minute there I thought I'd taken a bump to the head or something." "Well, you're in luck," Dorian agreed with him sarcastically, nodding with shoulders and all. "Hell has not frozen over today." "Looks like you are feeling better," Ray observed, stepping into the room. Dorian took a deep breath and awkwardly sidestepped toward the hallway. "Yes." She pointed her thumb toward the other room. "I'm going to go check on the girls. Lola and Langston are in the same room," she shrugged, frowning. "I better fix that woman a drink," Moe told Ray. "She's wound up tighter than a ten day clock." Ray lifted an eyebrow. "You should have seen her earlier." Moe shook his head. "Whatever it was, I'm glad I missed it." Dorian paused to scowl at the closet door and saw Lola bound up the stairs. She stepped forward to pick up the mail that had scattered on the floor and listened to Noelle, Langston and Starr playing the proletarian card game. She looked up the stairs as she dropped the mail into a neat pile on the table, wondering why Lola was so insistent on being detached. She crept quietly up to Lola's room and rapped quietly on the door. Lola answered with a confused expression. "Mrs. Buchanan?" "May I come in?" Dorian asked, resisting the urge to correct her name to Lola. Lola shook her head, shrugging. "Uh, sure. Of course." She stepped aside, holding the door back for Dorian and then closing it behind her. Dorian looked around the room. She hadn't been in this particular room in a while. "Not in the mood for jejune card games?" she asked. Lola shrugged again, a bit bored with the idea. "How are you feeling?" She grabbed an outfit she had discarded out of a chair and motioned for Dorian to sit as she put the clothes on hangers. Dorian took the seat and folded her hands, holding them to her chin thoughtfully as she watched Lola. "A bit confused." Lola hung her clothes up in the closet and returned to face Dorian. "About what? You know, you can talk to me." She nodded assuringly. Dorian smiled. "I was hoping you would say that." Lola pulled her desk chair closer to the woman and sat down, crossing her legs nimbly. "I'm a good listener." Dorian nodded slowly. "I'm sure you are," she said knowingly. "Do people come to you often with their problems?" She tried her best not to say it accusingly. "Oh, yes," Lola nodded with certainty. "I do my best to keep in touch with my amigos in Columbia." Dorian sighed. "You know, Lola ... I'm a very strong-willed woman," she explained. "When I don't get my way I sometimes get ... well ... perhaps a bit....” She searched for the right word. "Forceful." "Like when you kissed my father to get your husband to come back to you?" Lola asked, blinking with seeming innocence. Dorian considered her answer as she gave it. "Uh, yes. Like that. Well, that wasn't really why I kissed him, but hey, it worked." Lola nodded her understanding. Dorian waved her hand in the air. "That's completely off topic." She smoothed her blouse. "When I was in the bathroom today, Viki pointed something out to me that I didn't realize." She gazed at Lola, trying to make a point. "The reason I like to take matters into my own hands is because there was so much I couldn't control as a child." Lola contemplated what Dorian was telling her for a moment before responding. "Like what?" Dorian sighed and slumped her shoulders a bit, slightly regretting her answer. "Well," she explained hesitantly, "the bad things people did to me, my father's death, my sisters and I being sent away from our home...." Lola suddenly realized that they weren't just talking about Dorian's situation anymore, and frowned disapprovingly. "And those situations made you feel powerless and unimportant." "Yes," Dorian agreed, adding her own feelings to the list. "Helpless. Victimized. Unhappy." Lola leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, shrugging. "So you learned to stand up for yourself. To be a grown woman who knows how to get what she wants." "Well, not exactly," Dorian admitted quietly. "You see, the thing is, Lola....” Dorian stood and paced across the floor before turning back to the young lady. "The things in my past have never left me, and they never will. And although I can't quite figure out why, getting what I want doesn't always exactly make me happy." Lola turned to her haughtily, failing in her attempt to maintain an even tone. "So what are you saying? That because you have bad things in your past you will never be happy?" Dorian twisted her bracelet on her arm uneasily. "There might be some truth to that, but what I'm really trying to tell you is that ... I think maybe ... happiness can't be forced." She tried to make herself sound like the subject of the conversation. "Do you think that's right?" Lola put her innocent face back on. "I think we make our own happiness. I mean, you talk about it all the time - how we can't just let people take what is ours, right? Doesn't that include happiness? You deserve it." Dorian came back to the chair and sank into it. "I appreciate that, Lola," she nodded. She looked up at a corner of the ceiling, thinking. "So what is it that you want?" Lola asked. "What makes you happy?" Dorian blinked at the girl. "Well," she considered, "I want my daughters to love me, and it would be really nice to have a stable relationship with a man who would be able to give me the attention that I want ... and money is always nice too...." Lola sighed at her. "What is it that you want, Lola?" Dorian put her on the spot. "I've been telling you all about me - it's only fair." Lola looked at Dorian skeptically as she formulated her response. Perhaps simple was best. "Everything." Dorian almost laughed out loud. "I like that answer." She shared an understanding smile with Lola for a moment before getting serious again. "But, you know? ... And I can't believe I'm admitting this, but trust me. I know from experience.... It is hard to get everything you want in life when people don't trust you. One bad decision or situation can lead to consequences for the rest of your life." Lola scoffed. "I thought we were talking about your childhood here? How did this turn into some twisted psychological way for you to give me advice?" Dorian's eyes widened. "Lola, I'm trying to tell you that I have a lot of enemies. Your father could very well have been one of them; though, thank goodness, it didn’t turn out that way." Lola crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. That doesn't surprise me, she thought better of saying. Dorian stood, seeing that Lola was finished listening. She glared at the girl. "Just don't collect a lot of enemies," Dorian said, leaving the room. "Or one day when you least expect it, they'll all show up to get you at the same time." She pulled the door shut behind her and leaned on the wall with her head against her hand and her eyes closed. Lola frowned at Dorian as the woman left the room, questioning the validity of the cryptic advice and wondering if it could be construed to her father as a threat.

6. The Darkened Glass