#I did love my Adaar AND her world state

[spainkitty]

I'm about halfway through Western Approach (doing HLTA before WEWH), and I'm already in LOVE with my Tirenel Lavellan. my boyo 🥰 my sweet summer child. 🥰 He's so NICE and silly! 🥰 my first boy Dragon Age PC EVER. He's, of course, romancing Dorian. hilariously, he's a two-handed soon to be Reaver Hunter. I accidentally gave Dorian a canonical TypeTM.

[notebooks-and-laptops]

Hi!! I absolutely love your analysis on Veilguard, and I also love Sten, so how do you think he would fit in the game? What would his presence change? Like you said, it could give us a sympathetic point of view on the Qun (and maybe some Taash and Sten interactions?)

HELLO its been a while since you sent this but please know I've been thinking about it near constantly and have finally pulled my thoughts together into something coherent. I have a couple of 'options'; one involves the game basically maintaining the same quality but being a tad better rounded for the qunari, the other is if they actually took Sten and all he represents seriously.

Option one: Faction Leader

Look so here is the thing. There is no reason why the game, as is, could not incorporate a 'Qun' faction. It would actually be really fun; I've wanted to play as a member of the Qun since DA2 and I know so many of us have Qun headcanons for our Adaar or their parents. Unlike the other backgrounds that seem to be more suited to particular races, the Qun is literally a state/religion/philosophy and thus any race could be a member (we know for certain plenty of elves defect to the qun and I'm sure humans and dwarfs do as well). (I do think this faction would need to seriously consider whether or not it allows for a 'mage' class, because it would be a lot of work to explain why a Saraabas is allowed to just be walking about. They could pose it as their mage came into their powers late and when they were found out immediately left with Varric, but thats the only way I could see it not being a potential pressure point)

Sten thus slots into the game here as a faction leader; he is the Arishock. We see a different side to the Qun; those antam who did not leave it behind. We get to hang out with some Ben'Hassrath as well. In my ideally world the other faction leader in this scenrio would be Tallis, who has regained her place within the Qun (but I'm biased because I'm in love with Tallis). But you could also have Gatt because I think he's quite an interesting character, would call Neve out on being Tevinter, wouldn't let you easily look away from slavery AND I feel his bitterness, anger...its so fun, I wish we'd gotten more of him, I want him back.

The thing is....this game wants to treat the qun better, I think. But in doing so they ignore parts of the qun that genuinely were interesting culturally (Saarabas - god that one da2 quest kills me every time) and also...we don't MEET anyone who is really representaitve of the qun. Taash is there, but her questline of 'I can accept non-binary but I draw the line at multicultural' is...questionable to say the least, and from the stats it seems most people push her towards Rivan anyway. Shathann is from the qun and still holds it as important, but she feels more of a plot device to tell Taash's story than anything else. We've got the Qunari on the beach who tells the weather, but again, its not the Qun as a whole.

And to replace the 'evil' Qun we just get the 'evil' Antam. Who are now equipped with growling and turning into horrible beasts so. That's uh. something.

So actually having a qun faction, maybe letting us see Par Vollon, letting us interact with people there who actually live under the qun, letting us see Sten...it would be really interesting. And further, Sten being involved in this game makes perfect sense. Who is the Qunari going to send when it realises that they have a double blight on their hands? Probably the guy who actually fought in the fifth blight and helped finish it. You can also easily retcon any Sten death by saying he somehow got out of the cage and made his way on his own - its not perfect but it'll do considering the same is done with Isabela for DA2.

And Sten links us to DAO. In da2 we had Anders, Lothering, Flemeth, Merrill, Isabella...a lot linked us back to Fereden and DAO. In Dai we had Varric and Cassandra back from DA2 (as well as Hawke) and we had Leliana and Morrigan and potentially Loghain/Alistair back from DAO. Morrigan IS in DATV as a kinda link back to dao but she's not really around in that capacity here. Sten could talk about Ferelden, the blight, all of that stuff.

AND are the qun really just...standing by and letting the antam do whatever? they haven't sent ANYONE after them? Haven't tried to stop them in any way? There's no Antam who didn't defect? I don't know man, I really dislike the way the Antam are portrayed in this game. It really just feels it was done the way it is so the writers could pull a 'well we aren't saying ALL qunari are like this, just these ones'.

So just. Give us a qun faction. Let me play it out. I'm sure they'd handle it about as well as any other faction, but it would at least I think allow them to explore the Qun better than the Lords of Fortune do.

I also think this would mean Taash has a qun presense that isn't demonised and isn't their mother, which would really help them. They could go talk to the shadow dragons AND they could go talk to Sten. Bonus points if Sten assumes their a man to start with because they fight. BONUS BONUS points if we can get more on the qunari and gender.

The Better Option: Butcher, the Dragon King, The Qunari, and The Blight

OKAY SO the Butcher. I want Sten to be the Butchers like, narrative foil.

Because here me out, the Butcher should be SO MUCH MORE INVOLVED IN DATV. Other than Ghilian'han and Isseya (and maaaaybe Illario) he's the interesting villian this game gives us and he's just GONE SO QUICKLY. He's the opposite of the Arishock; he came to this city and instead of dispising it he FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. How fun!

Meanwhile, the Dragon King SUCKS. I wrote a whole post on that which you can find here but basically bleh, he's poorly written and poorly thought out. So lets just get rid of the Dragon King, and have the Butcher be our main Qunari/antam antagonist. Then lets have Sten here as someone who ALSO fell in love with a different place (Ferelden) but went home anyway, who went back to duty, who worries in the privacy of his own mind, about what it would mean if Ferelden fell to the Qun.

But also....as the Butcher is becoming less and less a follower of the Qun while believing hes doing right by the anatam...have sten ACTUALLY follow the Qun. I want to know more about Kosslon the prohet I really thought this game would give us that and it never did. I want to know about the Qun from someone who yeah has been travelling but who never really left it like Bull does.

I think this would also allow the crows to breathe a bit more because we could get some questioning around if the crows really ARE a good option for Treviso. Is the qun? Are both bad? Maybe both are bad? Annnnddddd now I'm thinking about how nicely this could dove-tail into a Zev cameo with Sten bringing him in.

I think Sten would also be really important for the blight as detailed above, but equally...I think having Sten react to the blight being basically the fault of a bunch of powerful mages? Thats an important perspective here! God, DAI goes out of its way to be like 'can mages be trusted' and even makes the alternative future of a pro mage character become anti-mage (leliana from the alternaitve future my beloved). But in DATV there is absolutely NOBODY who says mages are fucking things up - not even Varric who canonically is absolutely sick of mages and templars.

So Sten can do that for us because Qunari don't trust magic. And Sten can also play of Davrin for blight stuff (I think Davrin would have so many questions).

And like most legacy characters, if taken seriously...Sten offers us a chance to get rid of all this sanitisation because Sten is a complex character who has complex opinions on mages, who literally killed a whole family, who loves his homeland and the qun but has a soft spot for ferelden. Sten who will encourage you to get rid of all the mages in the mage tower, and who will see a lot of your do-goodery as a waste of time against the larger goal, but who also likes order and will defer to you as the leader.

Anyway thank you for the ask! Sorry for the long response. I love Sten though and think he should have been here.

[winterhartarts]

YOU HAVE A TORUNN TOO? :D

I DO LMAO I’ll share about mine if you want!!! And please feel free to share about yours!!! ����

Sharing a current ongoing WIP of her (she’s posing with three of my other Inquisitors) & also a snapshot of her from a finished piece I did for the DA Createathon this year 🥰 And her original (more or less) design from Inquisition I definitely tweaked over the years of having her as an Inquisitor OC 💖

Also have a write-up about her I also shared with that server, which I’ll quote here!!! (Note that I originally wrote this info about her pre-Veilguard!)

Torunn Adaar (she/her) is technically a Tal-Vashoth by birth, and she’s keenly aware of what her parents went through during their time in Par Vollen while living under the Qun. One of her biological mothers was a Saarebas, had her mouth sewn shut, and she was controlled similar to how we see Ketojan/Saarebas in DA2, except she only managed to escape when her partner, an until right then devoted member of the Antaam (at least, she seemed to be on the surface to most people, anyway) managed to kill the wielder and free her from her bonds (insert Pirates of the Caribbean quote here).

Torunn’s got two moms, the Saarebas and the former Antaam. Saarebas is a trans woman, and the two decided to conceive Torunn (so she’s not adopted) post-escape from the Qun. This is also why the magic flows more easily into her via the bloodline connection to her Saarebas mother, but Antaam is also why she’s really decent as a mage merc while fighting in battles.

I haven’t figured out a name for either Torunn’s Saarebas or Antaam, but I plan to, because part of her (Torunn’s) story is learning that they chose a name to give her with the intention of breaking the Qun norm of not naming anyone officially, and also the unofficial add-on about that that we learned in Inquisition regarding taking up a nickname (instead of a series of numbers) as a “name.” But, it’s ALSO to do with the idea that she (Torunn) is freely able to decide to change her name at any point, because it’s HERS and that’s her right as an individual (rights and freedoms both her parents did not have before leaving the Qun). Her parents aren’t anti-collectivist either for the record, but they also like being able to be autonomous individuals as well if able. Freedom and self-expression is a major theme in their relationship and desire to break free from the Qun, as well as in wanting strike out in a new life together outside of Par Vollen & their assigned roles in the Qun. Outside of it, they feel they can all be happier and do whatever they want without being beholden to strict laws governing their “place in the world.” This, however, does leave Torunn with some intrigue regarding the culture she is connected to, and she has conflicting feelings regarding her own identity as a qunari born outside the Qun with parents who left the Qun (and not on the best of terms).

Also, Torunn eventually specializes her magic into necromancy, as she finds spirits and the dead a lot easier to learn things most of the living world would rather she never even hear about. That, and she has a very sweet and strong connection with the spirit who inhabits her skull she carries (info on whom & which I’m still figuring out).

Torunn is an asexual lesbian, as well, and eventually falls in love with and marries Josephine Montilyet, with whom she has the sweetest relationship 🥹 They support one another while allowing each other the space in which to grow and understand the world better, and never let work fully separate them. After Trespasser, Torunn moves with Josie when she moves back to Antiva, and lives with her as she manages her family’s estate (and does underground Inquisition business here and there, as in my over-arching world state, the Inquisition officially disbands but remains an underground secret organization, of which Josie and Torunn do still have some hand in aiding). Josie’s family adore her, which was a relief to Torunn, as after hearing what high society elsewhere (Orlais and Ferelden, specifically) referred to her as during her time as joint Inquisitor with the others, she was definitely concerned her beloved’s family would be just as racist and unwelcoming. It’s been a wonderful surprise, and a nice life they both lead together.

[notsoencrypted]

Dragon Age Veilguard musings under the cut, basically for my own record, figuring out what my tentative Rook might be. Poorly written because I'm on mobile and lazy.

So, with how the gameplay for Veilguard is looking, I want to play a mage, which throws my plan to be a Dwarf Rook totally out the window.

I hadn't wanted to be Qunari because I don't want to do a Grey Warden on my first run, nor am I very interested in being a Lord of Fortune, and nothing else seemed to fit. But I really didn't want to be an elf or human, either.

But now I think that a vashoth Veil Jumper might make sense?!

And that suddenly lets my world state fit what I actually played much better! I didn't want repeat lineages, so if Rook was dwarven, then the Inquisitor would have to be Adaar, which I didn't mind, it just wouldn't match any of my actual play-throughs (I couldn't make a nice looking Adaar to save my life). But! If Rook is Qunari, then the Inquisitior can be an elf, like my first playthrough (Blackwall romance regardless, because I am not a Solavellan fan) and my HoF can be my dearly beloved Aeducan! I also like my city elf HoF, who would have been the world state if I did a Dwarven Rook, but Aeducan <3

So anyway. First playthrough, if the info we get in-game on the factions makes it work, will be a vashoth Veil Jumper. Connected Inquisitor will be Lavellan (rogue) who drank from the well and sent her love to the Wardens. Can't decide if she disbanded the Inquisition or not. Blue lady Hawke (rogue) didn't romance anyone (Varric...) and was left behind so the Wardens would be stronger, maybe.

HoF was a lady Aeducan (warrior) who loved Gorim and pretty much had her world destroyed by Bhelen. She got Alistair and Anora together so they would have both political skills and the bloodline, as she understood the importance of both aspects. She didn't do the ritual, as she rather embraced the chance to die by killing an Archdemon. She knew it would likely give her her name back in Orzammar, and she had no desire to be a surfacer, especially with Gorim married off.

[thesummerstorms]

No game engine is gonna reflect the weird complexity of my imagined world state though.

Evanna Evandre Trevelyan, my gentle, overly cautious but angry pro-mage scholar of an Inquistor is the third of four children born to a man who's had five wives and loved none of them.

She has complicated political ties Antiva and Orlais through her step-mothers, Ansburg through her maternal family, and Antiva again through a paternal cousin.

Her living stepmothers are generally sympathetic. The youngest is terrified and hoping Evandre will hide her younger half-brother. Her father, however, despises her. So does her older sister. Her oldest brother is weak and doesn't care about Evandre one way or the other.

She was raised in the Ostwick Circle, then sent away to Markham when her presence in Ostwick became a barrier for her half-sister Catareen's Templar training. She preferred Markham, given its link to a major university, but was sent back just before the mage rebellion broke out. Markham is where, through the University, she became part of the Mages' Collective.

Niamh Amell, Warden Commander of Fereldan, and her husband, Zevran Aranai, showed up to take command of the Orlesian wardens, enabling Alistair to be left in the fade and Hawke to escape.

(Alistair's choice to stay is actually the final moment of his and Niamh's reconciliation, post dark ritual.)

Anora Mac Tir is Queen of Fereldan, with two daughters by Fergus Cousland, who she has an affectionate political marriage with. One of them is secretly a mage.

Cecily Cousland survived Arle Howe, badly injured and disfigured, and has become Anora's unofficial liason with the Wardens due to her under-the-table marriage to Nathaniel Howe. Their marriage purposefully childless, with the idea that Amaranthine will pass back to the younger of Cecily's nieces, and thereby the crown, after both their deaths.

Nathaniel Howe is in charge of the keep in Amaranthine because politics, but Therasenn Mahariel is Niamh's true second, and the one running things for most of Amell's wardens. Nathaniel's oversees the day to day, but listens to her orders.

Therasenn's remained single/considers herself a widow since Tamlen's death. If she had been in the fade, she would've insisted on taking Alistair's place as she sees herself as stuck in a holding pattern. It sets off some bad mental health moments that don't pass until Hawke connects her with Merrill.

Cattilara Tabris is put forward by Amell as the genuine liaison from the Wardens to the Inquisiton and is eventually in charge of overseeing a Blackwall who is sentenced to join the Wardens properly. She's dating Herah "Echo" Adaar. She oversees the Orlesian wardens in the day to day, whereas Therasenn has command of the Fereldan ones, and Amell outranks them both.

Herah "Echo" Adaar is literally just a merc who signed up with the inquisition to make things stop exploding and gradually gets promoted to help integrate the Inquisiton's other "non-standard" fighting forces and keep the Chantry-esque folks noses out of it.

Mahvirehn Lavellan was sent as a spy by his keeper and is now the Inquisition's formal liaison with the Dalish, a role which puts a target on his back from the beginning, especially as he's also a Keeper in training. That's fine though, because Dorian will absolutely explode anyone who tries to kill his boyfriend, and doesn't mind using the "big bad scary Tevinter mage" rep to keep it from getting there.

Rowan Hawke escaped Kirkwall, showed up in the Inquisition, and might possibly be dating the Inquisitor, Evandre Trevelyan. (If so, Varric is thrilled! But I haven't decided.)

Carver Hawke did not, in fact, go to Weishaupt. He's actually the one who finally managed to make contact with his cousin, Niamh Amell, and he's present at the battle for the Keep.

Later, he gets put in charge, and is pissed at Therasenn for making it about his name rather than his abilities and for forfeiting the role despite her experience levels. She mantains that she needs more flexibility than the role would entail. Appealing to Niamh makes it worse, not better.

Therasenn and Merril get an off screen reunion and cry about it because they both miss home. Merrill doesn't become an Inquisition agent, but Therasenn forwards bits of her letters as war table operations sometimes.

Rowan Hawke might go back to help throw Sebastian Vael out of Kirkwall, idk. But she's largely decided against living there. (Unless she romances Evandre, in which case Varric offering Evandre a title and estate in Kirkwall becomes a lot more of a calculated gesture lol.)

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Which if your world states is the boring ones?

Good Men Need No Rules: Folcher is boring. I liked the Dwarven Noble origin, but Folcher is... bleh. I spiced him up by thinking of him as that guy who THINKS he's a good person but realizes he isn't. 'Good Men Need No Rules' is really the story of people realizing that they aren't actually good people and accepting that. No Hawke yet or Inquisitor but I'm hoping for a good one. Otherwise... Folcher is kind of plain. Dwarven warrior who romances Morrigan. Actually I changed this several times. He was with Zevran for a while, playing up the idea of him not knowing he was Gay but it never fit. Leliana came next but she just... was to nice for this guy. Folcher is the guy who is convinced he is a good guy again. (He isn't)

The Strength of Love: All of these idiots are boring and I won't say otherwise. I love them, but the only reason I don't dump the playthrough is because Lucas Cadash, my scumbag man who decides to do good to make Cassandra happy, is the only reason I enjoy this worldstate. He made it fun. (I love Caoimhe Tabris and Caitlin Hawke but they're both very average characters in the end)

These two are the boring ones. I think it's because I started playing them in my rut.

The really fun ones are: Uneasy Rests the Laurels, With Bloody Hands and Revolution is not Kind but this is also because for so long I kept to the 'proper' route because I let others convince me that doing otherwise is 'bad'. I'm not an evil route player. I am a 'this character is horrifically selfish/depressed and makes bad choices' player. Or in the case of Revolution: there is times when the person leading the charge makes really fucked up choices out of trauma.

For people who also keep to the same choices: Branch out and have fun. Deciding that Runa Amell in Revolution was that angry enough with the Chantry she poisoned the ashes and KEPT this choice in my canon for her (and that she happily recruited Loghain to piss off Alistair who she hated for his Templar past) made her a LOT of fun.

It's also why Those We Care For, Rosalind Amell, Lilith Hawke and Shok Adaar is going to be my first Dragon Age: The Veilguard playthough- because I did not follow the beaten path and had way to much fun with how I did it.

[cacturne]

so what IS everyone up to after veilguard? (Spoilers probably)

Vulture (HoF) i kind of want to keep ambiguous? I would like it if she found the cure, but the mere concept of finding a cure for the calling sounds impossible enough and has so many consequences on the world that it feels wrong to just say “yeah she found it” and move on from there. Kieran has been traveling with her ever since he became old enough to hold his own in a fight and expressed wanting to help, and after the events of Veilguard Morrigan returns to continue aiding in the search as well. Progress has considerably slowed down with the fall of Denerim constantly on her mind, but i want to keep that rather ambiguous too because i think the game handled the south badly and possibly want to rewrite it.

Hawk (Hawke) is still trapped in the fade. Schrödingers Hawke, we don’t know if she’s alive or not.

If we go by my self indulgent “she got out” AU then she will be (lovingly) freeloading off the Lords of Fortune while she repairs her relationship with Isabela and hopefully her mental state. Though the news about Varric has thrown kind of a wrench into that last part, she’s hanging in there and considerably better than she was after the events of DA2.

Buzzard (Hawke) has started a one man/woman mercenary business in Rivain, garnering a reputation for being expensive but getting things done and accepting morally dubious jobs. He’s often seen aiding the Lords of Fortune in their endeavors when necessary, being on Isabela’s “payroll” (paid with love <3). Bethany came with them to Rivain and she’s still keeping an eye on her as well, protective older sister habits.

Heron (Inquisitor) is Taking A Fucking Break after having to juggle the south AGAIN. She got very happily married after ten years (TEN YEARS?!) and has been supporting Josephine and her family in whatever way she can. She’s Yvette’s favorite sister-in-law and will most likely become the favorite aunt as well. Because Heron Adaar is awesome. Has been thinking about having kids herself, but is too nervous to bring up the subject. Also still keeps in contact with the Valo-Kas, especially after the fall of Kirkwall. Her parents sadly did not make it during the Darkspawn invasion in the Free Marches. (Once again leaving those last parts kind of open ended since i dislike the handling of the south)

Shrike (Inquisitor) is also Taking A Fucking Break because she wanted to return to being a leader even less than Heron. Now that she finally has the proper chance to breathe she is happily enjoying the free no Circle life with her wifey, doing things like dyeing her hair, getting a tattoo (she cried from the pain), making life hard for nobles when she’s in the mood for it, reading (some things never change), and getting a single piercing (she cried from the pain again). A lot of the time is just spent catching up on teenage rebellion things she never got to do and having fun. She attempted to reconnect with her family after cutting them off as a child, and while it was more successful with distant family her direct family wasn’t having it and it went poorly. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

Rook (Rook) went straight back to the Lords with Taash and took a moderate amount of advantage of the free drinks for life they earned by beating Solas. They honestly kind of immediately forgot about the whole Veilguard Stays Vigilant thing and went back to doing what they love to do most: pirating. Not that they didn’t make friends in the Veilguard, they still visit the others sometimes and keep correspondence with the people interested in doing so, but the world was like saved right? What do they need to be vigilant about? Enjoying life to the fullest, for gold! And glory but, well, they kind of maxed out on the glory already.

Stork (Rook) went back to the Necropolis to continue her duty and research, though is much more in touch with the Veilguard than Rook. She still sees it as another underlying duty and keeps her eye on things. Now that she has the means and permission to she travels often via the Crossroads, usually to Docktown to keep a detective company, but also to see sights and visit people when she starts feeling a bit caged in inside the Necropolis. Now that her worldview has been expanded so much there’s so many things she wants to do!

[roguecs17]

Rambling about Dragon Age Part 1

Cole is precious, he’s like the little brother I never had

I just want to put him in my pocket and give him soft pats like a kitten

My first reaction when I met The Iron Bull was “wow he could step on me”

And when he said he likes red heads I saw my ginger Lavellan look down at herself and say “wAiT I’m a red head”

I’ve never romanced him but im thirsty for qunari with rough, growling voices

Though when Bull came in to my Adaar’s room and said message received on her flirtatiousness I could see my girl just start laughing because my Adaar is like no boy I’m gay, but thanks 🙏

And I could see Bull just connecting the dots

My Adaar and Dorian are soooo lesbian/gay solidarity

Like seriously, completely and totally

She heard about his father and planned about sixteen ways of killing Halward

After the discussion between the two, after going to camp and resting before leaving for Skyhold, Adaar totally snuck back and threatened Halward

Like single handedly knocked out his guards, pinned him to the wall if pure strength not needing her magic at all as she looked down at the pathetic weasel her hurt her friend

And she said, “The only reason I haven’t killed you, is because you are not worth the effort of cleaning my blade. I’ll say it now, you’re going to let Dorian go, you aren’t going to approach him, you aren’t going to stalk him, follow him, speak to him again. If you do, I swear on every ancestor you believe in, that I will hunt you down- and you know I will, I’ll cross every sea, fight every demon you raise, and than I will gut you- pig!”

Adaar is very protective of her friends, case in point, and would put herself between them and an archdemon itself to keep them safe

My first reaction at the choice between Hawke and Alastair my brain immediately went, I’ll stay

I still wonder what would happen, I mean the mark can open and close rifts so logic states she’s be able to fight the fear demon, reopen the rift and close it from the other side

My first reaction when I met Josephine was that she was so cute- especially when you meet her as a qunari

‘You’re, a lot taller than I expected.’

She’s just so cute and soft, and the romance with her is sooo sweet

Mind you my Adaar flirted with everyone, Cullen, Bull, Dorian, Josephine, Harding, Varric, Krem, etc, etc- my big girl did not shy away from romance or sex

But that scene where Josephine’s finally free from the assassins after her and they watch the sunset

And again at the Winter’s Ball when they slow dance on the balcony

It’s just so freaking cute!

I also love that in trespasser Cassandra basically tells Adaar she wants to be the maid of honor in her wedding to Josephine because Varric played a joke

And I could just see Adaar all wide eyed like, yes, I can marry her?

Yes I want to marry her!!

But the world is still crazy, all at arms, and she plans to wait- but

Then Adaar nearly dies

She knew she wasn’t going to live a long life- even before the events of Inquisition. She’s a qunari mage, one who never quite knows when to keep her mouth shut, she knew her life would be rather short

But, now she’s got something to fight for- no someone to live for

After the events of Trespasser, things are still crazy, especially with whatever Solas is planning

But Adaar finds herself carving out a piece of her horn- she asks Dorian as he knows where to cut to not hurt her and has steady hands

Plus she’s trying to give Dorian ideas for his own proposal to Bull

Adaar’s known about their relationship, they’re not good at hiding it

Or better Dorian is not good at hiding it and Bull doesn’t care what people think

Honestly she might have better luck talking Bull into proposing, however in doing so she’ll lose the pool, so-

Yeah she and the others- especially Varric- have been shipping them since the night they shared a tent in the Western Approach

Adaar had shared with Varric because he doesn’t take up much room

Though at that point Adaar wasn’t sleeping much

She was always good at compartmentalizing- she had to be in order to survive as a mage- let only a qunari mage

While she has her anger, and her despair, fear demons often flock to her- especially since the Mark

She’s good at fighting them back, though she’s tired

She’s so tired sometimes, though with Josephine…she has a reason to keep going

It takes some time before she can get the horn piece ready, though Dagna is willing to help polish and set it into a gold band with a small trio of diamonds next to it

Once it’s made up, well Adaar has some proposal ideas- and it helps when she’s called away on a mission

In the end she gets all her work done early, and sneaks home, not telling Josephine

Cassandra leads Josephine out to a balcony overlooking Orlais- it’s not the same place as where they were before but it’ll do

And there’s Adaar, who hauled her six foot+ self up the wall to avoid suspicion

She’s a bit out of breath, black hair braided and tied back, and she’s taken off her vitaar

Josephine is surprised, taken aback, lost for words before she takes a step forward only for Adaar to raise her hand

She gives Josephine a small smile, before easing herself onto one knee, and says- well, she says:

“Josephine, I never thought I’d live long- especially after-“ she looks down at her prosthetic arm, a gift from Dagna, phantom pain from the mark lingering in her mind, “Well after everything. And I was ready for it, I was ready for a short life.”

She looks up to meet Josephine’s eyes, “Then I met you, and I realized, that I want to wake up again and again next to you. I want to listen to your day, dance with you to your favorite song, making you your favorite breakfast even though we both know I can’t cook.” There’s a little laughter, but it’s emotional and breaks easily.

“You saw through the facade I never realized I had, you saw me, not as the inquistor, but as me. And I want to spend the next lifetime, however long that might be, showing you how much that meant- how much you mean to me for the rest of my life.”

“So, will you marry me?”

The answer…

Was yes! Of course, and they kissed deeply, richly and Adaar slid her ring onto the woman’s finger

In the background Dorian shoots off a blast of magic, light arraying across the sky letting sparks falling over them

Cassandra wasn’t watching…no she definitely was and the hopeless romantic is in victory

Varric is definitely not writing down ideas for his book

And Bull- well Bull is glancing down at the ring carved from Adaar’s horn and wonders if he should look into that

Since Adaar lost her left hand, she decides to go in the style of her parents, who wore their wedding bands around their horns, and Josephine styled it too match, all warm gold and pinpricks of white diamonds.

They end up having two weddings, one for the nobility and the other for themselves

The noble wedding is huge, bombastic, though there’s whispers in the background. A qunari, two women, a mage! It was all so shocking.

But Adaar did defeat Corypheus

And Cassandra and Lelianna are scary when they’re glaring at you

No one forgets that Adaar is friends with the Grand Divine

And said Divine used to be an assassin

The noble wedding is over the top with gold chiffon, at least a hundred people with a cleric officiating and Adaar somehow wrangled into wearing a dress.

But the home wedding, it’s just the main members of the inquistion, a few soldiers and friends, but mainly all of them

Lelianna can’t come, being the Divine doesn’t give much free time

Adaar doesn’t believe in the Chantry or the maker, so while the cleric married them in the noble wedding, this is just an exchange of vows, toasting and celebration

Adaar wears her dress robes for the occasion (she wants to burn the wedding dress but Josephine won’t let her)

And with her friends by her side, she feels as if all the pieces have come together, even for just this one moment

[sinsbymanka]

Thank you @sunspott​ and @enigmalea​. I’ve combined both your prompts and also added in a side of Josephine because I can. Enjoy your polyamorous, smutty Female Adaar/Josephine Montiliyet/Lace Harding prompt fill!

For @dadrunkwriting​ I present: 

Title: Courting a Winning Bet 

Chapter 1/1

Rated: E

Word Count: 2090

Pairing: Female Adaar/Josephine Montiliyet/Lace Harding

Additional Tags: 

Summary: There’s a betting pool about whether or not the Inquisitor and her lover, Josephine, have a crush on Scout Harding. Lace is going to put a stop to this illegal gambling once and for all, but not in the way she thought she would.

Read on AO3

“I’m telling you, the flowers are just flowers.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself, Harding.”

Lace slammed her pint down on the bar and glared up into the one sparkling dark eye of the Iron Bull. Sure, maybe he had a couple feet on her, but she’d had some of the good stuff. She could take him, if she needed to.

Bull grinned wryly and shook his head. “So. Josephine sends you flowers and writes letters asking how you are. Boss brings you back any supply your little heart can dream up. They increased your hazard pay-”

“I earned that increase,” Lace protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Course you did,” Bull agreed, raising his own pint to his lips. “Doesn’t mean that they don’t have a crush on you, Harding.”

“They do not.”

“Chief’s right,” Krem said from her left, clapping a hand on her shoulder in solidarity. “Strange as it is to say.”

“Now now, Krempuff. Let’s talk about you and our lovely waitress this evening.”

“She’s only got eyes for your impressive, pillowy man bosoms.” Krem smirked. Lace sighed and jumped down from her barstool. The ground only moved a little.

“You’re wrong and I’m gonna prove it,” she stated, putting her hands on her hips. “Then I’m taking all that money from the betting pool and I’m going to buy you pants that don’t put my life at risk in the desert.”

Krem choked on his ale and Bull guffawed loudly before reaching over to slap his sputtering second on the back so hard, poor Krem was slammed right into the edge of the counter.

She turned on her heel and weaved through the crowd, but she caught Krem’s response just as she slipped out the tavern door.

“Chief, don’t you win if the Inquisitor makes a move tonight?”

As if the amazing, fearless, incredibly sexy Inquisitor and her adorable, kind, perfect girlfriend would ever, in their wildest dreams, make a move on Lace Harding.

The thought made her giggle as she tripped through the courtyard and up into the Great Hall. Varric looked up as she barged in. She pointed at him and he immediately threw his hands in the air in a silent plea for mercy. “Whatever the Seeker says, I’m not responsible. Swear on my chest hair.”

“The next time you go to step in varghest shit, I’m not stopping you.” She narrowed her eyes.

Varric didn’t even look contrite. He simply grinned. “Found out about the bet, Freckles?”

“Yes, and I’m putting a stop to it right now,” she declared, sailing past his table.

“Maybe best to wait until tomorrow!” Varric called after her.

“I’m not sodding waiting just cause you think you may win this bet if I wait until tomorrow,” she yelled back.

The only answer was his throaty chuckle. “Have it your way, then.”

She was going to. And it wasn’t that Lace was paying attention to the Inquisitor and her lover. Everybody knew that Issala Adaar liked to take her dinners in private with the Ambassador.

Lace had never spun a flower between her fingers and wondered what they talked about. Never dreamed of them exchanging tender kisses over imported chocolates and the expensive wine from Orlais.

She certainly had never pictured herself in the middle of them.

...okay, maybe she had. But just a little, and really, who could blame her? They were just… so beautiful. So perfect together. And it was honestly more than a little cruel for Varric and the rest to tease her for it.

When Issala and Josephine found out about it, they’d firmly put a stop to it. Then Lace could go back to her fantasies in peace.

She pushed in the door to the Ambassador’s office, fully prepared to interrupt their dinner, too tipsy to even consider knocking.

And… she really should have knocked. Because it looked like the Inquisitor and Josephine had foregone dinner entirely and moved straight to dessert.

Lace stood frozen in the hallway while both of the other women whipped around to stare at her. They were on the wide, plush rug in front of the fireplace. It was a good thing they were so close to the flickering flames, because there wasn’t a stitch of clothing between the two of them. All Lace could see was scarred, pearlescent gray skin and dusky brown curves.

Oh. Oh no. Was this a sin? Was the Maker going to strike her down? Possibly. Hopefully.

Issala’s violet eyes blinked once. Twice. She swung her startled gaze from Lace in the doorway to Josephine. For a moment they all stared at each other in bewildered, loaded silence.

“Scout Harding,” Josephine finally began as if she was greeting any Inquisition member in her full regalia instead of her naked glory. “Do come in and close the door. I fear it’s rather drafty this evening.”

Maybe this was the Fade. Lace didn’t belong in the Fade, of course, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Weird things happened all the time. And honestly it was far more likely than Lace stumbling into an intimate moment like this and not being turned into cinders immediately.

“Is something wrong?” Issala shrugged her long white hair over her shoulder, hiding the pert globes of her breasts, but somehow that didn’t help Lace feel less distracted.

“I just- I… there’s a bet. And I shouldn’t have come. This was stupid. Really stupid. I’m so sorry,” she babbled, unable to tear her eyes from the glorious figures bathed in firelight.

“A bet?” Issala echoed, mystified. Lace almost wailed.

“Yes! That you two have a crush on me. And I was coming here to tell you and make them stop because we’ve got better things to do than debate why you’re sending me flowers or bringing me Orlesian chocolates or…”

“Oh,” Josephine’s lips fell into a tiny, distressed frown. “Did you not like the chocolates?”

“No they were great-” Lace protested. “It’s just… they’re because you’re nice. You’re both so nice. And pretty. Really pretty.”

Maker, she should not have had that second drink.

But to her shock, Issala’s skin flushed delicate pink. “You… you think I’m pretty?”

It was Lace’s turn to blink once. Twice. “Of course you are. You both are.”

Issala tore her eyes from Lace to look at Josephine again. Something silent and swift passed between them before Josephine demurely nodded. When Issala looked back, her eyes were sparkling with joy.

“We… may have a crush on you,” Issala whispered softly. “I know it’s silly, but… you’re so cute. And fierce. And the way you shoot your bow…”

Lace was definitely in the Fade. This couldn’t be happening. But Issala’s long, toned arm reached out, fingers curved gently. “Join us?”

Well. If she was going to get smited by the Maker for lusting after the Herald, she may as well enjoy it, right?

The first step felt unsteady, but the second came more eagerly. The fourth put her in reach of Issala, close enough for her small fingers to tangle with hers. Since she was on the floor, they were almost the same height, and Issala took ruthless advantage immediately, slotting her mouth over Lace’s before she could protest.

It was nice. It was so nice. Issala’s lips were wind chapped, but her calloused palms cupped Lace’s cheek so gently as her tongue pressed for entrance. It was the easiest thing in the world to give in, to allow herself to be thoroughly explored. Her heart pulsed in her ears and she reached out to grab Issala’s shoulders at the same time a very warm, silky soft body pressed against her from behind.

Then Josephine’s gentle lips found her ear, her nose tracing the delicate shell as she pressed butterfly light kisses down her neck. Lace was trapped between them, helpless as they worked together to make her weak in the knees.

The moment Issala released her lips, Josephine tipped her chin over Lace’s shoulder to demand a kiss of her own. She was so much softer than Issala, but there was a fierce passion in this kiss. One that threatened to ignite all the longing inside Lace and burn them all alive.

Somehow, her pants had vanished. Along with her boots. Issala’s palms were searing on her thighs as she slowly bunched up her shirt beneath her hands. Then she paused, suddenly disoriented.

“Lace…” she whispered, running her thumb over the long, jagged scar slashing over her abdomen. “How did you get this?”

Josephine released her lips and Lace panted for breath desperately. “Oh, um. Crazy story. There was a sheep and it got away from the flock and I chased it down, but there was a ravine and I fell in and… well, mother said I was lucky I didn’t bleed out before the healer got there. But I had to find the sheep.”

Issala’s smile couldn’t be more tender. She leaned in and placed one sweet kiss on the tip of Lace’s nose. “You always find what we’re looking for.”

“And we were looking for you,” Josephine murmured in her ear, helping Issala pull the shirt over her head. It was Josephine that made short work of the complicated undergarment beneath, leaving her bare before Issala’s gaze.

Josephine’s hands ran over her curves, a gentle exploration while her lips kissed the thousands of freckles covering her shoulders. Each swipe of the long, elegant fingers over her delicate skin made her want to whimper. Then Josephine giggled and wrapped her arms tight around Lace’s waist, pressing another kiss to her neck. “I am so pleased you liked the flowers.”

“How could I resist?” Lace asked weakly. “You sure know how to spoil a girl.”

“It is only polite when courting!” Josephine protested. “I would not want you to think our intentions were not honorable.”

“Well, they’re maybe a little dishonorable,” Issala half-laughed. Lace giggled.

“Can I taste you?” Issala’s eyes were dark with want. “Please?”

Lace almost choked on her answer. “I mean. If you want.”

Josephine pulled her backwards into her arms, cupping her full breasts in her hands and pressing a soft kiss on her head. “Allow us. We will see to all your needs.”

As if that promise wasn’t enough to make her soaking wet, Issala chose that moment to trail more kisses up the inside of Lace’s thighs. Lace whimpered and rolled her hips eagerly, far beyond caring about looking needy.

She was needy. She needed more.

Josephine’s fingertips brushed over her nipples just as Issala’s breath ghosted over her core. Lace has a moment to feel embarrassed before Issala swears softly. “You’re so beautiful, Lace. I knew you would be.”

Before she could deny it, and Lace certainly meant to, Issala’s pointed tongue slid along her folds and she could do nothing but moan helplessly and try to hold onto Josephine’s plush thighs.

Josephine soothed her softly while Issala teased her, sampling her arousal and exploring her most secret places. She melted back into Josephine’s embrace when Issala finally slipped her tongue between her folds to explore her core.

And then Josephine pinched her nipples lightly and Lace almost shrieked. Her hips stuttered upwards and Issala giggled, removing her tongue to slide up to the little bundle of nerves that ached to be touched.

But Maker help her, she’d never been touched like this. Between Josephine’s tormenting, clever fingers (she never knew they’d be so talented with more than quills) and Issala’s deft tongue (the Inquisitor had always seemed too quiet), she was a mess in moments. And yet Issala continued to ravish her, savor her like those fancy chocolates they all loved. Josephine kept whispering soft, musical words of endearment in her ear and playing her body like an instrument.

Then Issala’s fingers slipped inside her fluttering core and Lace’s moans could probably be heard the whole way to the Western Approach. She rocked into the touch, greedy and desperate. Josephine allowed her, encouraged her, and Issala’s tongue swirled just right.

Lace screamed both their names as she crested the wave of the most powerful orgasm she’d ever had, riding out the sharp jerks of her body while Issala hummed her satisfaction and Josephine held her tightly.

When Issala looked up, her lips were shiny with slick and it made Lace’s stomach roll with anticipation.

“It is my turn now, yes?” Josephine asked in her ear. Lace grinned from ear to ear.

The only issue, really, was that Bull was going to win that bet after all.

[goth-surana]

Hope and Hopelessness Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of 7

Main pairing: Anders/Male Hawke

Main tags: Angst with a happy ending, tranquil!Anders, cure for tranquility

Summary: After some time on the run with Hawke, Anders is caught and made tranquil. Hawke cannot bring himself to kill him, instead chasing a distant hope that there may be a cure.

Read on AO3 or below the cut

Hawke could barely sleep that night, and he was in the best bed he had slept in in a year. He was too on edge, both from being in what he considered enemy territory and from the anticipation of the next day. The inquisitor may have given them her protection, but this decision was not supported by all. Anything could still happen, especially with Cullen hanging around. Hawke still couldn’t believe Varric had neglected to mention his presence here. This inquisition may have allied with the rebel mages, but any place with an army led by Cullen wasn’t safe for any mage.

How did the inquisitor not know that? Did she just not know about what an awful man he was? Sure, maybe he changed, but Hawke could barely imagine how a man with opinions like his could have.

Anders slept soundly in the same large bed next to Hawke, not nervous at all about the next day. Because he was still incapable of being nervous. Hawke was nervous. This had to work. Hawke was so close to breaking, this hope was all that held him together.

Finally, after fits of rest here and there, the sun rose over the mountains.

Anders woke up quickly, got dressed efficiently. Hawke missed his frantic scrambling when he realized he slept in too late, even if he didn’t miss Anders beating himself up about it.

Oh Maker, he even missed that. Anything to show Anders was Anders.

In the afternoon, the Hero of Fereldan arrived. Hawke was keeping to himself in the corners of rooms with Anders, staying away from the inquisition’s inner circle.

The doors to the war room flung open and in walked Surana, confident as ever. The whole room looked up in awe, all recognizing her.

Well, everyone stared in awe except for Leliana. Instead the woman rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the smaller elf, a hug which she returned in equal measure.

Surana was still not dressed in Warden’s regalia, likely trying to keep a low profile.

Surana muttered something to Leliana before turning to address the room.

“All right, get your staring out of the way,” she grinned. “Yes, it’s me, Hero of Fereldan, slayer of the archdemon. Blah blah and all that. I’m sure you’re all quite impressive yourselves.”

The room murmured nervously, and Cassandra scowled. Cullen was looking quite purposefully away from Surana.

Surana noticed.

“Ser Cullen!” She exclaimed, walking right over to the mortified man. “Good to see you again, although I’m surprised you haven’t combusted around all those mages out there.”

“Erm,” Cullen responded sheepishly, “a lot has changed since we last met, Re- uh, Warden Commander. I am no longer the man I was.”

“I sure hope not,” Regan replied good-naturedly, patting him aggressively on the shoulder. “Although I heard you did try to annul another Circle after Kinloch. Good thing there’s no more Circles, or I’d really be worried.”

She spoke easily, but venom underlined her words. So they had a history too, it seemed.

“I realize our meeting again is… complicated,” Cullen said. “But I do hope we can be acquainted better than last we met.”

Surana dropped her smile. “Fine, I can be civil. I agree that people can change. I’m here to help Anders anyway.”

Surana turned to the rest of the group. “So where are we doing this?”

“The cells,” Casandra said. Hawke turned to her immediately.

“To protect against the danger of suddenly returning magic,” she told Hawke firmly. “We do not know what kind of destruction he might unleash. Cullen will also be present in order to nullify any magic that gets out of hand.”

“You’re bringing him back with a bloody Templar hovering over him?” Hawke tried not to yell.

“Hawke, it makes sense,” Anders said quietly from beside him. “The inquisitor explained that I will likely be quite emotional. I will be a danger to everybody.”

Hawke shook his head. “Don’t talk about yourself like that,” he muttered.

Adaar looked apologetically at them both. She had probably fought this. Surana just looked disgusted.

“Fine,” the elf said. “Let’s go then. Shouldn’t draw this out anymore than it needs to be.”

The small group made their way to the dungeons. Cassandra tried to convince Adaar not to accompany them, but she insisted. “Under my protection means I’m making sure they come to no harm,” she said. Looks like she didn’t trust this woman.

Surana kept a purposeful distance from Cullen, and gave Leliana’s hand a squeeze before she left.

It got worse before it got better. After some amount of argument it was decided that Anders would be handcuffed and chained to one of the walls. Cassandra and Cullen would not budge in their insistence, and finally Adaar relented. Hawke glowered at her, but felt no real animosity. He was just tired, tired and unwilling to treat his love like a wild animal.

In the center of the room was a bowl of shining lyrium, and Surana knelt beside it.

“One of you will have to catch me,” she told the room. “Once I put my hand in, my body will collapse. This may take some time, but I will get a spirit’s help. I am not sure if my own spirit will wish to stray this close to the waking world. She is… willful,” Surana said with some small amount of amusement, “so I may have to elicit the help of another.”

Surana grimaced, plunged her hand into the bowl of lyrium, and fell to the side.

Multiple people lunged forward to catch her falling body, but Cullen got there first. He seemed to have moved on instinct, looking almost surprised as he held the limp elf in his arms. Surana looked strangely fragile in this state, her small stature more apparent.

Cullen kept holding on, but had the look of a man about to be burned. The rest of the room waited in silence.

Minutes passed, but it felt so much longer. Hawke just kept looking at Anders, sitting quietly and waiting for his entire world to be shaken. Hawke’s chest felt tight, his head light. This was it. It would happen soon. Surana would return with a spirit and… and Anders would return to him.

Surana stirred, opened her eyes, then took a sharp intake of breath as she scrambled away from Cullen like a scared cat. There was a wild look in her eyes, but one that faded quickly into anger.

“Was he really the only one who could have caught me?” She asked haughtily, but Hawke could tell it was a haughtiness meant to cover up another emotion. Genuine panic.

Surana shook herself out of it, took a steadying breath, and looked at Hawke.

“I… I found him,” she said. Hawke’s heart nearly stopped.

“Anders? In the fade?”

“No,” she said. Her eyes welled up with tears as she spoke. “Justice. He’s… he’s been keeping an eye on me, it seems.”

“Justice is alive?” Hawke asked, shocked. He had assumed the spirit had been burnt out somehow when Anders was made tranquil.

“He’s home again,” Surana continued. “And… he’s going to return Anders to us. He also wanted to say he was sorry to both of you.”

Hawke didn’t know how to feel. Justice, sorry? That was not an emotion he associated with the spirit.

“Just…” Hawke managed to say through the lump in his throat, “just… get on with it. Bring him back.”

Surana nodded solemnly and turned back to Anders. She knelt down in front of him.

“I’m sorry I failed you before,” she told him quietly, tearfully. “But I can help you now.”

Surana’s hand glowed with what Hawke now recognized as spirit magic, and she brought her hand to the brand on Anders’ head.

The light focused on her arm, wound around them both, and for a split second Hawke swore he saw a ghostly gauntlet joining Surana in her touch.

Anders shuddered, and Hawke saw the one moment of true life in his eyes before he let out an agonized scream.

Magic burst forth from Anders, knocking Hawke and everyone else in the room to the ground.

Hawke fought against the continuing onslaught and crawled forward, determined to reach the man he loved. But before he could, all magic in the room abruptly was cut off, another palpable force replacing it in the air.

Anders collapsed face first to the ground before Hawke could reach him. Hawke pulled Anders back up, seeing a trail of blood gushing from his nose. Hawke turned furious eyes on Cullen, the source of the divine smite.

Anders curled in on himself, clearly in pain.

“Anders, Anders,” Hawke muttered, patting his face and trying to gently turn his cheek to face him. He needed to see those eyes again, to see eyes full of life.

Anders yelped and shook free of his grasp, stumbling on his knees off balance and falling again to the floor. He looked up, saw Cullen, and screamed again.

“Shh Shh,” Hawke practically begged, hovering over Anders but not sure if he could touch. “It’s okay, love it’s okay…”

Anders was shaking violently, his breathing becoming ragged. Then he seized up, clearly trying to draw in air but failing. Hawke watched helplessly, felt tears of helplessness well up in his eyes.

“Love, it’s okay, it’s okay-“

Then Hawke felt another wave of magic wash over them both, and Anders went limp. His eyes fluttered shut, and he fell asleep.

Hawke was about to get angry again, but then noticed that once he was asleep, his breathing evened out. Hawke looked up to see Surana, having just cast the spell.

“He shouldn’t wake up with us looming over him,” she said in a somewhat rough voice. “The spell had to be powerful to work, it will probably last a few hours at least.”

The room was silent.

“If he hadn’t been handcuffed,” Surana told the room angrily as she approached with soft footsteps, “he wouldn’t have broken his damn nose.”

She knelt again, and waved her hand gently above Anders’ blood-covered face as she healed him.

“Fucking barbarians,” she muttered so low that only Hawke heard. He was inclined to agree. If they hadn’t woken him in a damn cell, he might not have been so afraid-

Hawke felt his heart seize. He had looked afraid. For the first time in a year, Hawke had seen emotion on his lover’s face. Abandoning all dignity, Hawke let out a sob and hid his face in his hands. It had worked.

It had worked. Anders was back. Afraid, hurt, but… but himself. Hawke kept crying, hearing the other talk around him but paying them no attention. He couldn’t get ahold of himself, emotions he hadn’t let himself feel in a year washing over him. It was one thing to hope, it was another thing to know there was a cure, but it was entirely something else to see the cure work.

When Hawke finally looked up, there was one fewer person in the room. Cullen, thank the Maker, had left.

“He still needs to be restrained,” Cassandra said with a frown.

“Why?” Hawke demanded, incredulous. “He’s fucking asleep-“

“He will wake again, and will likely react the same. We can get him a cot to lie on, we can unbind his hands, but he will stay chained to the wall.”

Hawke practically snarled, his eyes still red from crying.

“I can handle him when he wakes up. What he needs is some fucking compassion.”

Cassandra glared at him in response. “Cullen will also be on standby in case anything goes wrong. I wouldn’t want to waste the commander’s time, but we have no other inner circle members with Templar training.”

“Give me the keys,” Adaar told Cassandra. “I will release him as soon as it is clear he is not a danger, which should be soon. I can stay with Cullen, just call us when he wakes up.”

“I’m not letting Cullen anywhere near him,” Hawke said, standing tall. “He’s had enough Templars.”

“Please,” Adaar said, looking at Hawke with imploring eyes. Then she turned to Casandra and Cullen. “I will talk to them. You two head back up stairs, return to your work. The Warden Commander said you wouldn’t be needed for at least a few hours.”

Cullen retreated quickly, almost nervously. Cassandra stayed a moment, but eventually left.

Adaar let out a sigh. “I’m sorry about that.” She sounded genuinely sorry, but Hawke wasn’t inclined to be sympathetic.

“I meant what I said,” he warned her.

“I know. I will be waiting with Cullen the whole time and we will only intervene if we hear destruction. Please, Hawke. I’m not happy about the treatment of him either, but I need to keep some peace within my inner circle. And you can have the key. I trust you to know when Anders is stable.”

Hawke listened with suspicion, but was somewhat satisfied with her suggestion. He was well aware that they were in hostile territory, that it was a blessing to have Adaar on their side at all.

“Fine. But I’m not leaving his side, not for anything until he wakes up. I know I agreed to talk to your people about Corypheus, but that can wait until I know Anders is well.”

“Of course,” Adaar replied. “And Warden, I’m afraid they will want to talk with you as well. The Wardens have been displaying strange behavior as of late…and now that you’re here I’m afraid they insist on talking with you.”

Surana rolled her eyes, but nodded. “I know. I knew this would happen if I came out of hiding…”

“I will do whatever I can to make your stay here more comfortable,” Adaar insisted, “just know that there are a lot of tensions I must handle right now. Like I said before, I need to maintain some semblance of order. I will do my best to negotiate on your behalf.”

Against his better judgement, Hawke believed her. There was something painfully earnest in her eyes.

Adaar personally brought in a set of cots, which of course she carried herself. Damn Qunari.

Hawke lifted Anders onto the cot closest to the wall and Adaar unlocked the cuffs behind his back. Of course one cuff had to stay, but this was better.

Adaar left them then, and Hawke sat with his back against the wall and sighed. Surana also stayed, sitting a few feet away.

When Adaar’s footsteps faded, Surana burst into tears.

Hawke was taken aback, and asked what was wrong out of sheer habit. It really wasn’t his business.

“I’m sorry,” Surana gasped, “I just… I shouldn’t bother you with this, I should go to Leliana… but I don’t want to fucking look at him, and if I leave he’ll be there…”

Hawke could hazard a guess who this “him” was.

“Cullen,” Hawke said solemnly.

Surana nodded. “I… I hate that man,” she said in a low voice. “I hate that he’s here, I hate that he still makes me feel…”

“Afraid?” Hawke asked, remembering her reaction earlier.

“…yeah,” Surana said with a strained voice. “I know it’s unbecoming of me, and normally I can hold my own but when I woke up he was touching me, holding me like I was his to hold…”

“Did he-“ Hawke asked, alarmed. He knew Cullen was a monster, but surely-

“No,” said Surana. “He never touched me. Not like that. But… but he wanted to.”

“That’s not much better, Surana,” Hawke said. “If he tried to assault you, then-“

“It’s not like that either,” she said quickly. “I don’t think he would have done it… not without my consent. Back when I was an apprentice, I tried not to think about the mages who were the subject of a Templar’s… attention. I always told myself it would never be me, I was too annoying and loud and… well, it was all very silly. It’s not any of their faults they’re preyed upon.”

Surana was silent for a moment. Hawke waited for her to continue. Listening to her story was better than the silence, and it sounded like she needed desperately for someone to know.

“When I returned to Kinloch Hold during the fifth blight, I found out that the whole time, he had… lusted after me. The whole time a Templar had been fantasizing about me. The whole time, if Cullen had been a worse person…”

Her voice grew quiet. “… I could have been raped. He could have gotten away with it, if he wanted. I wasn’t so invincible after all, my delusion was shattered.”

Hawke’s dull heart still felt for Surana. He knew too well how much a Templar could get away with. He heard from Anders about how all mages knew deep down that they were at the Templars’ mercy in every way.

“So….” Surana continued after taking a deep breath. “It was just bad, waking up with him touching me. Knowing he had touched me when I was unconscious. And that on top of seeing Justice again, coming here… it’s all just a lot.”

“So you’re hiding out down here for a bit to collect yourself.”

“Yep. Very brave, I know.”

“It’s not shameful,” Hawke said seriously. “I used to hide away in my room when things got bad in Kirkwall. Everyone saw the Champion, but only Anders saw me. Sometimes you just need to hide in order to go on to fight. It’s all about pacing yourself.”

Surana nodded, wiping her eyes. “I’m glad Anders has you. We don’t know each other well, but I just poured my fucking heart out to you and you just… listened. You’re a good man.”

Hawke smiled, slightly. Just knowing his Anders was waiting for him made him begin to feel like himself again. He was dependable and a good listener, he was empathetic and kind to his friends. Maybe he didn’t know Surana, but she was a friend to Anders and she needed a friend right now.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Hawke ventured, “I think Cullen shit his trousers when he first saw you.”

Surana laughed. “Yeah. I just gotta remember, I’m no longer trapped with him, he’s trapped with me. I’m the fucking Warden Commander.”

It broke Hawke’s heart a little to see a mage need to remind themselves they had power. He knew too well what was going on in Surana’s head, as he had seen Anders battle those very demons. Fear and helplessness. The feeling that suddenly everything would be taken from you when you could do nothing about it.

“Damn right,” Hawke agreed. “When Anders is better, before you leave again you’ll have to tell me stories from Amaranthine. The embarrassing ones Anders won’t tell,” Hawke finished with a conspiratorial nod.

Surana grinned. “I’ll tell you one now. It starts with a cave expedition, and ends with a very unclothed Anders…”

[todisturbtheuniverse]

FIC: Set All Trappings Aside [6/8]

Rating: T Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition Pairing: f!Adaar/Josephine Montilyet Tags: Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Class Differences Word Count: 3800 (this chapter) Summary: After months of flirtation, a contract on Josephine’s life brings Adaar’s feelings for her closer to the surface than ever. It highlights, too, all of their differences, all of the reasons a relationship between them would not last. But Adaar is a hopeful woman at heart; if Josephine can set all trappings aside, then so can she. Also on AO3. Notes: While the context for this story is the Of Somewhat Fallen Fortune questline, some of the conversations within it didn’t quite fit for this Inquisitor. The resulting fic is a twist on the canon romance. This Adaar and Josephine have featured in other fics, so you may miss a little context if you haven’t read Promising or Truth-Telling, which both come before this one.

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

"My company is not going to help you get out that door without Adaar, Lady Montilyet."

Josephine sagged back against Cassandra's door. It took a great deal of self-control to keep a scowl from her face. Cassandra hadn't even looked up from her book; in fact, her eyes were still scanning the page, the slightest hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, as if whatever she was reading amused her.

"Surely your protection is equal to hers," Josephine tried, though she had a sinking feeling that this was already a lost cause. "Superior, some would argue."

Cassandra did shut the book now, one finger between the pages to hold her place. She looked up at Josephine with slightly narrowed eyes. "You have been trying to get out of this inn without her for the last three days. What is so important that she can't shadow you?"

Josephine considered her options. She thought the likelihood that Cassandra would repeat this conversation to Adaar was low; she also thought that she was more likely to gain some kind of assistance if she was honest.

And she needed the assistance. Cassandra was right. She had been trying, ever since Adaar's meeting with Minister Bellise, to escape the inn they'd rented for the duration of their stay here. She'd walked the streets of Val Royeaux plenty. She just hadn't managed to do it without Adaar.

She gestured to the empty chair at the room's rough hewn desk. "May I sit?"

Cassandra tilted her head to the side, eyes slightly narrowed, and nodded.

Josephine sat. "I had a gift made for Her—for her. The Inquisitor." She didn't think Cassandra had noticed the slip, but she pressed quickly onward regardless. "For helping me with this…mess. I need to visit the shop here to pick it up, but the surprise would be somewhat ruined if she was looming over my shoulder while I did that."

"Oh. I see. That is...thoughtful of you." Cassandra looked like she might say something else, but she shook her head instead. "Still, I stand by what I said. She will want to come along. It puts her mind at ease."

"Yes, I know. Believe me, I am not trying to make her uneasy. I only want to be able to thank her, but I fear that as soon as we receive word that the contract has been nullified, and I'm able to move freely again, she'll…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence; she could see in Cassandra's face, which was not exactly given to deception, that she knew exactly what Adaar planned to do as soon as this was over. Josephine wished that she—that someone, anyone—could convince Adaar otherwise. She sat at that table downstairs where she could see the entrances and exits from sunrise to sunset, and probably earlier and later, too. She looked more worn by the day, not prepared for another long ride and conflict waiting at the end of it.

"Will this merchant only release the gift to you, or would a proxy be able to collect it?"

"I suppose a proxy could." Josephine mulled this over, tapping a finger to her lips. "But it would be hard to pull any of our guards away from their duties. The Inquisitor would surely question—"

"A guard, yes," Cassandra said. "But not me." She snorted. "She'll think I went in search of another book, probably. I have not heard the end of this business from her." She tapped one finger on the cover of the book lying on the bed.

"You would…" Josephine's heart lifted. "Really? Cassandra, I would be so grateful."

"Consider it done. She has been very unpleasant to travel with recently. I did not realize how much I liked her jokes and stories until she became so...moody." Cassandra made a disgruntled face. "Hopefully this gift of yours will help return her to her usual self."

"I hope so, too." Among other things, Josephine thought. "I'll write something to the merchant, to explain. Laurine Boudet; she's on the Artists' Street."

Cassandra opened her book up again. "And I will go as soon as I've finished this chapter."

"Take your time." Josephine stood, feeling a hundred times lighter. "Thank you, Cassandra."

Cassandra only nodded, her eyes already traveling quickly across the page once more, and Josephine let herself out.

From here, at the railing that looked down into the lower level of the inn, she saw that Adaar still sat at that table. There was an untouched mug of ale at one corner, holding down one of the pieces of vellum strewn across the surface. She rested her chin on one hand, dark eyes downcast—maybe reading some of the reports Josephine had composed for her on the shaky political state of Orlais, or maybe trying, desperately, to stay awake. Once in a while, she stirred enough to look from one doorway to the next, then went back to her work.

Well, that was Josephine's next task. Once Cassandra was safely away, Josephine would lead Adaar in the opposite direction. Since she refused to rest, this was the only way that Josephine could convince her to step away from her post—well, after a fashion. It was more that her post moved, so she followed it. Josephine made sure to lead them only to shops where the entrances were few, and obvious, where Adaar did not need to have eyes in the back of her head to keep careful watch.

Josephine returned briefly to her room to dash off a note to Madame Laurine. She dripped wax on the folded paper, pressed her signet ring to it, and then left it with Cassandra, who waved away her thanks and went downstairs. She and Adaar exchanged a few brief words, but true to Cassandra's guess, Adaar had no issues with her wandering off on her own.

Josephine waited a few more minutes, watching from the railing. Adaar shuffled a few pieces of paper. Her hand rested on her mug, briefly, but she didn't drink. She tugged thoughtfully on the end of her braid, tied with a piece of simple leather cord. Small wisps of her hair—dark, but with a peculiar gray cast that gave it an interesting depth—had pulled free of the plait.

Josephine's heart ached for her. Ached for her weariness, yes, wanted to smooth away the furrows that drew her brows together, but also ached just for her. They hadn't spoken again of their relationship; every time they came close, Adaar found a way to steer them around. Still thinking, still weighing. Josephine, true to her word, had held her tongue.

It was hard, when new arguments occurred to her every day—every hour, it seemed sometimes.

But she had to be patient. Adaar's concerns were not without foundation. She had the measure of the world; she saw it clearly. There were people who would look at them askance: people Josephine knew in Antiva who would think that the level-headed Montilyet girl had fallen to flights of romantic fancy, as was inevitable, given her father's artistic spirit; people who saw Adaar as a tool instead of a person, and so would wonder how Josephine planned to use her; people who were too ignorant to learn the distinction between Vashoth and Tal-Vashoth and Qunari, who would think Josephine had become a puppet of the Qun. There had been whispers of that from the beginning, suggestions that the whole of the Inquisition was under the sway of some foreign power.

And Adaar had never cared about any of that before. Well, Josephine was sure that she cared; she just was very good at appearing as if she was above it all. Josephine had seen her keep a politely bland look on her face even while people stared at her, gawped at her, whispered behind their hands about her; even while visiting delegations to Haven and Skyhold had done their best to pretend that she wasn't in the room; even when their closest allies had treated her warily, had questioned her intentions. I've had thirty years to get used to those kinds of looks, she'd told Josephine once. I will survive.

It had eaten away at her while she survived it, though. How could it not? She enjoyed the friendship and respect she'd gained, but worried—understandably—that it could be taken from her, swept away as if it had never existed in the first place. As if she didn't have the right to it. As if she wasn't deserving.

Josephine would prove her wrong, given the opportunity. She'd dress her in a gown beautiful enough to complement, if not quite match, Adaar's own beauty. Drape her in some of the glittering jewelry Adaar had spoken of so flippantly, even if the look in her eyes had spoken of an emotion more like old, hopeful longing. Weave bright, lovely flowers through her long, lovely hair. Present her to the people Josephine knew would appreciate her, starting with her own family. Her brothers would admire Adaar's habit of hard work even as they sometimes shirked their own duties; Yvette would hang on all of Adaar's exaggerated stories, a perfect audience; her mother would meet Adaar's dry humor word for word, and her father would look on it all with an indulgent smile, as long as Josephine was happy.

And their friends, their closest social circle...no matter how gauche, those people attended the salons Papa put on himself; they were indulgent of Yvette's many harebrained interruptions. They might blink in surprise at their first sight of Adaar, but by the end of an evening, they would adore her. Not as much as Josephine adored her—that was impossible—but enough.

There were plenty of cruelties in this world, but Josephine would find some way to shield Adaar from them, to the best of her ability. If only Adaar would let her try.

She shook herself from her scheming and made for the stairs. In the meantime, she would do what she could to soothe Adaar's uneasiness, and pray that she would come around sooner rather than later.

Adaar looked up at her as she descended, a brief, slow smile spreading over her face, warming her eyes. Josephine's heart fluttered in her chest at the sight of it.

Adaar pushed out the chair across from her with her foot. "Coming to see me, my lady?"

Josephine sat, settling her skirts, tucking her ankles neatly against one another. "Who else?"

"Maybe you have urgent business with Bull," Adaar mused, glancing across to a corner of the tavern room, where Iron Bull and Dorian were in the midst of an animated conversation.

"I know better than to try to interject there," Josephine said, and Adaar chuckled. "I thought we might take a walk. There's a delightful seamstress just a few streets away. Beautiful fabric—silks, velvet, lace…my wardrobe is still woefully thin after Haven, and you ought to supplement yours, too."

"Me?" Adaar cast her a bemused look, eyebrows slightly raised. "What for?" 

There was a little wavy tendril of her hair that had fallen against her cheek. Josephine hated how tired she looked, but being a little mussed, a little undone, did suit her. As if she'd just woken up; as if she smiled at Josephine from the other side of the pillow instead of the other side of the table—

She tried to clip that line of thought before it could spiral out of control. "You look very dashing in armor," she said, and Adaar snorted, but she didn't look displeased. "But it doesn't suit all circumstances. There are more events of a social nature in your near future."

Adaar plucked at the collar of her leather coat. "Wonderful. I'm sure you've guessed this, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable in…finery. I doubt I'd look comfortable, either. There's just too many frills, and laces, and—"

"I promise you, this seamstress can make plenty of things that are perfectly comfortable. And elegant, but understated." Josephine eyed Adaar thoughtfully. "Many people wander the ballrooms of Val Royeaux wearing such exaggerated, fantastic pieces that the wearer is entirely overshadowed by them. That is not the goal, here. You will not be displaying frills and laces; whatever you wear must display you. Your power, your resolve…your beauty."

Adaar ducked her head, but not before Josephine saw her smile. "Flatterer. What do the courts care for my beauty?"

"Oh, they are blind to such things," Josephine said, flippantly, daringly. "But I have eyes."

Adaar gave a breathless laugh that sounded very sweet indeed. "Well, then. I suppose I have been talked into a walk."

Josephine grinned in triumph and was halfway to her feet when one of the guards trotted up to their table. "Message for you, Ambassador," he said, laying the scroll on the table. "Runner just came and went. And from Skyhold, for you, Inquisitor." He handed a second, much smaller, scroll to Adaar—the paper thin, the better to be carried by raven.

Josephine gave the scroll on the table a long look. She could feel her heart beating in her ears, beneath her ribs, in her stomach—a nervous, anxious drumming so much less pleasant than the flutters Adaar inspired.

"This is the seal of the House of Repose," she said. 

Adaar paused in the act of slitting her own scroll open. Her eyes darted to the missive. "Read quickly."

Josephine fumbled a little on the seal, but rolled the paper open, held it in her hands. The culmination of all her work, all Adaar's patience—she hoped. Maker, how she hoped. She hoped so much that she was nearly blind with it.

She read the words rapidly. Once through, and then twice, to make sure it was not a hazy daydream. She let out a trembling breath she had not realized she'd been holding.

"They confirm that the Du Paraquettes have nullified the contract," she said. "There's no longer a price on my life."

Adaar slumped back in her seat, a marionette with her strings cut. Josephine was quite tempted to do the same. She was so stunned that she was not quite sure she had arrived at relief yet.

"You're sure?" Adaar said, as though she couldn't help but ask. "It's not a trick, or a dupe, or…"

"It's their seal. Genuine. It's over."

Josephine steadied herself, trying to calm her racing thoughts, set them in order. She still needed to dispatch the new paperwork restoring her family's trading status; the couriers would have much less distance to travel this time. The arbiter still had to agree to uphold their earlier negotiations. 

But the worst of it…yes, the worst of it was done.

"I think I am so relieved that my fingers have gone numb," Adaar said—dryly, but a little faintly, too.

"That might be the exhaustion," Josephine pointed out. Just as she'd mentioned to Cassandra, just as she'd feared, she saw her window of opportunity closing, and leapt to hold it open. "I know you planned to set out again as soon as you could, but…might I convince you to stay in Val Royeaux, just for one more night? To celebrate?"

Adaar glanced at her over the scroll she'd just finished carefully prying open. Her hands were trembling a little. "Heard about that, did you?"

"I was not under the impression that it was a secret."

"It wasn't," Adaar sighed, bending her head to the page. "One more night couldn't do any harm, I guess. We'd only get a few hours down the road before we'd have to rest for the evening, anyway."

"Good. There is a lovely little restaurant here I think you'd like." Josephine lowered her voice. "The food at this inn is perfectly fine, mind, but we've had the same stew for three days."

A frown had appeared on Adaar's brow. Her eyes swept the flimsy page, back and forth, back and forth. "Yes," she muttered, but as if with only half a mind. "It's been sort of…lumpy…"

Josephine was so distracted by the thought of a candlelit dinner, free of worry—well, free of immediate worry—and daydreams of a moonlit walk afterward where she might present Adaar with her gift, and what reaction she might receive to it, that it took her much too long to realize that Adaar had stopped reading; that she stared frozen at the page like it had driven a blade through her ribs.

A cold shiver of dread touched Josephine's nape. "What is it?" she asked.

It seemed as if Josephine's words unknotted a spell; Adaar shook her head, lurched back from the table. She rose to her feet with none of her usual grace. "I have to go," she said, her voice rough.

Josephine stood, too, just in time to catch Adaar's arm as she moved toward the stairs. "Go where? What's happened? Has Skyhold…?"

Adaar looked down at her, her eyes—which had gone distant and unfocused, panicked—catching on Josephine's face. "Nothing like that," she said, though the fine shiver in her voice was not particularly reassuring. "No, it's Duskfield. A letter from Jana arrived after we departed. I have to go home."

She offered the scroll to Josephine, and Josephine took it, aware that the entire room had quieted, aware that no one was staring at them but that plenty were waiting, breath baited, for whatever news had so unsettled Adaar. The letter was in Leliana's elegant, compact hand, describing the plea from Jana: the bandits that had taken the village, her flight to Tantervale to beg help, the city-state's forces stretched too thin to respond quickly, to help…

I've sent word to my closest agents, Leliana had written. They will offer what aid they can, but I thought that you would want to know.

Josephine knew that Leliana's closest agents could not exactly be close. The worst of the rifts, the fighting, had not yet bled over into the Free Marches; the Inquisition had only the lightest of presences there. And Duskfield, while close to Adaar's heart, held no real strategic importance as a result.

Leliana's intention was clear: she would not waste time by sending no one at all, but she had notified Adaar so that she could go herself.

Josephine looked from the page to Adaar's troubled, frightened features. "I will go with you," she declared.

For a moment, Adaar didn't react at all; then the furrow in her brow deepened. "Josephine—it will be—"

"Dangerous. I know. I said I would go, and I'm going." She put the scroll back in Adaar's hand.

Adaar's fingers curled around it automatically. "That was when we'd planned a leisure trip—I wouldn't hold you to—"

"I can help," Josephine said, making her voice firm, squaring her shoulders. "These are not rifts and demons. They are people. Perhaps they can still hear reason."

Adaar gave a broken, hopeless laugh. "You do have a way with words, I'll give you that, but it doesn't sound like these people do. It might come to bloodshed, anyway. Then what?"

"Then I will keep your old friends and neighbors calm and quiet and hidden while you do your work," she said. "And I know that you will not fail, so I will be perfectly safe."

Still, Adaar hesitated. Josephine could see the conflict all over her face. Josephine had just been safely delivered from mortal danger, and now she demanded to ride right back into it. Unnecessarily, in Adaar's opinion.

But Josephine had just proven, too, that she could unknot an elaborate problem with words and promises. With a little help, and a little time. And this did not sound like nearly so elaborate a problem as the one that had just come unknotted.

Josephine told herself to be bold, and lifted her hand from Adaar's arm to touch her cheek instead. Adaar's eyes flicked away from her and back again, as if to warn her that there were others here, others who might talk about this little scene later.

A voice made of silverite within her said, Let them.

She would begin now to prove to Adaar what she had promised. That she did not care, and would not change her mind. That if this place, these people, were important to Adaar, then they were important to her, status or strategic importance entirely aside.

"You risked much to help my family," she said quietly, for Adaar's ears alone. "To save me. I could not live with myself if I didn't help you when you needed me."

Adaar looked at her now. Her, and only her. "There is no debt between us. There is nothing to repay."

"I am not speaking of debt," Josephine said, so that Adaar could not misunderstand her.

Adaar held her gaze a moment longer, then nodded, the motion brief, her eyes closing. "Thank you."

Josephine let her hand fall, and did not linger to long on Adaar's acceptance. She did not want to give her the opportunity to change her mind. "We should travel light, I think. Light and fast."

Again, Adaar nodded. When her eyes opened again, the overwhelming emotion that had briefly brimmed there had banked somewhat. "None of the guards. Cassandra, Bull, and Dorian only."

"Finally, I will get a chance to see how you usually travel," Josephine said, teasing, hoping to lighten the burden on Adaar's heart just a little, and she was rewarded with a shaky smile. "Without all of this pomp and ceremony."

"You might regret that later," Adaar said. "Cassandra complains about the horses whenever the slightest opportunity presents itself, and Dorian complains about the cold whenever there's the slightest breeze, and Bull winds them both up for fun."

"But we usually have fresh roasted rabbit for dinner," Bull's voice said cheerfully from the other side of the table. "Where we heading, boss?"

Josephine knew that he had likely overheard everything, and Adaar obviously suspected it, too. "East," she said. "If you're willing to help with a personal errand."

"I, for one, love personal errands," Dorian put in.

Adaar rubbed at her temples. "All right. As soon as Cassandra returns…best pack up. I want to use the daylight we have left."

Josephine was grateful that she'd approached Cassandra an hour ago. She hadn't known how close she'd come to being unable to collect the gift at all. She mourned the idea of that candlelit dinner, the moonlit walk she'd imagined along Val Royeaux's waterfront, but she let the daydreams go.

She would find some other way.

[brookie4cookies]

You are posting asks on my watch... bold move. For DA ask: 1, 10, 35, 43, 44, 98, 99.

Drown me baby--

1. How did you get into Dragon Age?

I actually sort of stumbled into it! I found origins for super cheap at gamestop, and picked it up! I sort of played it a little, forgot about it, and then saw people reblogging about DAI! I actually played both games at the same time but loved both!

10. Share a pic of your favorite OC from any DA game.

I’m so lame and don’t really have a “Fav”, but I’ll share one I love!

This is Haanit Adaar (aesthetic by me!)

I adore Qunari, and she’s just a big wonder woman sort of person: very just and pragmatic while also having a giant heart. She’s my giant sapphic daughter and I love her--

35. Who do you want to see return in the next game?

The Hawke Siblings

I just miss them-- but I also recognize that both can be dead in someone’s world state so bleh :P Of people I know can come back, I would LOVE to see some obvious ones (Dorian, Leiliana, Zevran, etc.), but honestly I wanna keep seeing the npc romances I set up in DAI? Sera and Dagna are so soft to me;; And Cole getting a nice girl just,,that’s my son!

43. Favorite romance overall so far?

Of ones I’ve played, Alistair! I am just weak for dorky romances, and it just made me smile a lot in a way others I’ve done haven’t! In terms of ones I haven’t played, I think Josie’s is SO CUTE? Duel for her hand? Wow, they really did my aesthetic huh?

44. One romance you just can’t stand/doesn’t make sense/etc?

I wouldn’t say that I hate either, I just don’t vibe with Solas or Anders as romances. Totally respect that others love them, but neither really appeal to me as viable romance options.

98. If you could be any non-Human DA species, which and why?

Dwarves! I really loved Orzammar in DAO, and am really excited for the potential for Kal-Sharok in DA4! I just love the geometric aesthetic of the dwarves, and the fact that they don’t dream has always fascinated me!

99. Where would you live (Fereldan, Orlais, Free Marches etc?)

By virtu of the dog aesthetic, Fereldan. Though I think the Free Marches also sound really fun!

[ravenqueen89]

the breaking of chains

It is still the wonderful @sternenstaub28‘s birthday, which means it’s time for BIRTHDAY FIC!

Stern requested fic of another of her amazing ocs, Saarea, another oc i absolutely love. I also loved writing this, and I hope I did both her and Stern justice <33333

Fandom: Dragon Age (Inquisition)

Title: The breaking of chains

Pairing: Saarea Adaar/Iron Bull

Rating: PG but lots of implied angst, pls heed the CW.

CW: body image issues, blood mention, a very nightmarish time in the Fade, PTSD.

Notes: We all know I’m a sucker for writing longing and people who feel like they don’t deserve good things so this was very up my alley and I loved getting in Saarea’s head. Here be way too many commas and long paragraphs. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STERN! (unintended consequence of the title and the constant chain mention: having fleetwood mac’s the chain stuck in my head...not a bad thing. oh and adan just casually stumbled in too, i blame dea)

Word count: 3052

Now on ao3

Saarea is always aware of them watching her, but it doesn’t stop her. It can’t stop her. Every day when she’s in Haven, she strides down to the training grounds with all the confidence she doesn’t feel and practices her strikes. 

Soon after the Bull's Chargers join the Inquisition, Saarea can feel their leader watching her train with an intensity that makes her unable to focus. The Iron Bull represents everything she's been running from, and her scars ache with the memory of agony. She can't read him, but when she looks at him she knows that what he sees in her is someone not to be trusted. And all she sees in him is chains, reaching out to trap her again. Anxiety rises in her throat like bile whenever she thinks of the words he is sending the Ben Hassrath, words about her, pinpointing her location and making her a target. She doesn't allow herself to think about it too much.

When Saarea walks by the Iron Bull, his gaze lingers on her scars, and she hates how visible they make her, in ways that his do not make him. She hates what he must think of her, so she does what she normally does in this situation. She lifts a shoulder in a shrug that wishes itself casual, quirks the corner of her mouth up so that it seems like she's smiling, looks right at him with a stare that hides nothing about what she is, and then, only then, she says 'bit too scary for you?' and she thinks the question does not reveal her feelings. The Iron Bull laughs and shakes his head, points at his own scars and says ‘I think I can handle it’ but Saarea leaves with the distinct impression that he's seen right through the guise, and she doesn’t know how to feel about that.

They drink together on the night that Haven falls to pieces, with the rest of their company giving up on keeping up with them. The maraas-lok tastes like home, and she hates it, so she has more of it, the burn of it racing through her. She's not used to being around someone who can drink like her anymore, and she's enjoying it far more than she thought she would. Not for the first time, she thinks that there is something powerful about drinking quantities that would eviscerate humans and still being the most level-headed person in the room. Varric is staring at her, unable to coat his awe in the layers he usually hides behind, and when Saarea laughs at him it doesn't feel like she's pretending to feel something she doesn’t, the loud and boisterous façade she usually masks herself with seeming less fake than usual. When she looks back at the Iron Bull, he's looking right at her. He never seems uncomfortable at the sight of her eyes, and that makes a feeling flutter in her chest that she can't quite describe. She doesn't trust him, and he doesn't trust her, but they are comrades and that means something. In this moment, Saarea feels a little less like who she used to be and a little more like who she might become. Then the alarms ring and the screams rise and a mountain falls on her, and what she thinks when she falls to her knees in the snow, numbed by the cold, is 'I wish I could have been more.'

*

In Skyhold, she tries to keep up with the motions, but her exhaustion brings all the old memories and aches back. The constant cold doesn't help, creeping under her skin and making her chase the relief of late nights in the tavern, where it’s warm and where barrels of maraas-lok are always supplied by the Chargers.

With the state of the hold their next expedition is still weeks away, and Saarea starts feeling more and more trapped by petitions and adulations that have nothing to do with her and everything to do with the foreign titles that she has been assigned. Walking through the ever more crowded great hall is even more difficult than walking to Haven's now-gone training grounds used to be, and every time it feels like an exercise in futility. She can feel all their eyes on her, can hear the whispers of the Orlesians hiding behind their masks, and she wishes it wouldn't make a difference but it does. The scars hurt and she has to keep herself from touching them because she doesn't want even more attention drawn to them. No matter what she does, she can't hide them, nor her height, nor the strangeness of her eyes. She avoids her reflection as much as possible, and when she walks she stares straight ahead, her jaw set and her eyes fierce, and the posture or the magic that crackles just  out of reach keeps them at least away from her. It doesn't stop the whispers, so she spends more and more nights in the Herald's Rest, where it doesn't feel like she's putting on a show, where the Chargers are loud and the Iron Bull holds court. She’s not the Inquisitor there, she’s just one more of them, and that feels right in a way she doesn’t want to think about in too much depth. Varric joins them sometimes, when the ghosts of his past are written in the circles under his eyes, and Saarea’s other companions join at different times, and it’s the most she’s felt like she belongs.

It’s on nights like these that she talks to the Iron Bull above the racket, the burn of the alcohol on her lips. There’s no structure to what they say to each other, but with each conversation Saarea feels less wary of him, and she believes the same is true for him. She’s always keenly aware that her words are being recorded, but she hopes that more and more of them remain for the Bull’s knowledge alone.

They talk of everything, even of the Qun, but Saarea doesn’t intend to tell him anything too revealing about her own experience until it all spills out of her, one frozen night when she can’t bear the sight of herself and the layers she’s wrapped herself in do nothing to hide her from sight. The tavern is almost empty, and it’s just the two of them at the table, empty tankards lined in front of them, and Saarea just keeps talking, because the scars hurt, because she’s kept the memories to herself so much that they’re tearing her apart from the inside and he has scars too but they hold none of the same meaning, and she doesn’t know why but she wants him to understand, she wants him to see.

As Saarea speaks, the Iron Bull’s eyes harden, the flames from the hearth drawing shadows on his face. She knows what he’s been trained to think, she knows he never flinches at the sight of her but he always does at the sight of her magic. She used to believe what she’d been told too, but that had evaporated in the sparks of the explosion that coaxed blackness in her eyes and allowed her to flee back then. Sometimes, on the worst nights, she still longs for home, for the comfort of discipline even as it chained her. In the world outside the Qun, chaos prevails, but Saarea knows now that freedom means more than order. The Iron Bull, however, still belongs to them, to those unseen figures of her past.

He says nothing as the words spill from her, and she doesn’t need him to speak platitudes so it suits her fine. When she falls silent too, they sit there, staring ahead of them, as an icy dawn breaks outside.

*

Saving the Chargers is not really a decision she struggles to make. She doesn’t want the Qun anywhere near her, or near her companions, or near the Chargers. The Inquisition doesn’t need it, and she definitely doesn’t, but her heart still clenches when relief and heartbreak clash on Bull’s face as they watch the dreadnought burn. She knows that feeling well, that jarring rupture of everything she’s ever known. There is no comfort she can offer, not for this, but she brushes her hand against his, just for a second, and then leads her other companions away, leaving Bull to the Chargers, his real family.

By the time the Ben Hassrath make their third assassination attempt, Bull's face has recovered its usual carefree mask. He hasn't talked to Saarea, not really, but she's watched him train with Krem, and whenever his mask slips the relief always wins over the sadness.

One morning she's doing her usual training in the courtyard, and she can feel him watching her. She doesn’t know why she does it, but for once she trusts herself  enough to act on instinct. She sends a lightning bolt into the dummy, interrupting apothecary Adan’s walk to the infirmary and making him jump and grumble into his beard. Saarea apologises with a smile, and then turns to look at Bull, who's grinning at her. 'Looking good, boss!' he says, and ‘boss’ still sounds too much like another word in qunlat for comfort, but still something flutters in her chest again, something she can't quite figure out, something just out of reach, something she’s never allowed herself to think she deserves. She challenges him to a sparring challenge, agreeing to his term of ‘no sparkly stuff’, and Krem finds them hours later, laughing.

*

In Adamant, they fall into the Fade, and Saarea jokes about it at first, ridicules the fear lurking in every corner. For the first time since their first meeting on the Storm Coast, Bull’s face is an open book, his terror obvious. Saarea leads the way but stays close to him, trying to dispel the confusion with remarks that wish themselves witty, trying to brush the Nightmare’s remarks off, but Bull’s hands are shaking, and Saarea is focusing so much on keeping him and the rest of her team safe that she doesn’t step into the portal until it is too late. She ends up in an entirely different part of the Fade. Up is down and time doesn’t exist, but the fear is real and tangible and utterly blinding. Saarea can’t find her way out, the Nightmare whispering at times, screaming at others, feeding her images of the torture she’s been through, of the pain and the horror she’s tried so hard to bury. Her scars are bleeding like they’re fresh, and she believes it when the Nightmare keeps repeating that she deserves it, that she deserves all the agony, that she should be kept on a leash, that she’s dangerous and out of control.

She crawls her way back without any sense of direction, and she ends up hearing Bull’s voice calling for her, and it sounds almost desperate but she can’t be sure, she can’t be sure of anything. She doesn’t know where her staff is, but the magic is crackling and sparking around her hands, out of control again but guiding her to her companions. By the time she reaches them the blood is gone but her throat feels raw, like she’s been screaming, and she can’t tell if that happened or not.

When the next demon appears, Saarea’s magic bursts out of her, unleashed and unstoppable, and she can see the fear in Bull’s eye but she doesn’t stop until she’s out of the Fade, the shock of the real world calming her down. The immensity of what has happened only hits her later, when she can’t stop shaking at the thought of the person left behind, at the onslaught of memories. Her scars ache for days, and Bull doesn’t look at her once on the way back to Skyhold.

*

Saarea hides in her room and doesn’t emerge for days, not even when Dorian brings her the staff she’d thought lost. She’s scared of touching it, and Dorian’s eyes are kind, but she can see that he doesn’t know what to say so she lets him go without a word other than a murmured thanks. Her voice still feels splintered and when she looks down at her hands she keeps seeing chains and the rusty stain of blood. Oddly enough, no one bothers her, and Saarea thinks about what they’re most likely saying about her but she can’t dwell on it because everything else is already threatening to crush her. She feels monstrous, and the words of the Arvaraad keep haunting her. She should be in chains. It’s for her own good, for the safety of those around her. She thinks of the fear in Bull’s eyes, thinks of how she dared long for what someone like her could never have. She’s painfully aware of each and every scar that mars her skin, as aware as she is of her horns needing to be tended to, but her hands are shaking and she sits in the dark until it feels like nothing else exists.

Bull’s voice filters up to her, carried by the wind, an indeterminate amount of time later. When she opens the doors to the balcony, snow flurries and a chilling wind rush in to greet her. Far below, Bull is laughing while training with the Chargers and a variety of onlookers braving the cold to watch them. He seems to be boasting about the new scars from Adamant, and Saarea envies him that, but she also feels the odd urge to laugh, the sound of his voice soothing her. She’s not fond of the cold, but in this moment the light snow twirls around her in a way that feels beautiful, and she can breathe in the frost in the air and for a moment it feels right. She can see him look up at the balcony, most likely having caught a glimpse of her movement. He doesn’t turn away when she waves, and when she reaches out to her staff the magic is fully under her control.

A few afternoons later, Saarea’s hands have stopped shaking enough to allow her to pay attention to some of the letters on her desk. She is interrupted first by Josephine, who leaves her a tray of what she calls ‘Orlesian petits fours’ as an offering from the new baker. Next, Dorian and Vivienne bring her a selection of runes from Dagna that they all pore over before Varric comes to read her a chapter from his new novel that -mercifully- seems to have nothing to do with her, as of yet. Sera comes over the next morning to gossip with her about everything and nothing, the subject of Adamant kept at bay for now. She finds Cole’s hat on her desk, covering a piece of spiced apple pie after she returns from the rookery, where Leliana’d showed her a basket of week-old baby nugs.

It carries on like this until she is sure she’s fallen into a rift because it all feels surreal, because she doesn’t deserve any tokens of affection. She walks into the Herald’s Rest for the first time since Adamant in a state of utter confusion and the Chargers cheer at the sight of her. It feels impossible, but everyone gathers around her, like she’s worth looking at, and Bull smiles at her. She talks loudly about insignificant things and it doesn’t feel like a performance. She beats everyone, particularly Cullen, at Wicked Grace, and she laughs and drinks and laughs some more. Her hands aren’t shaking and her scars aren’t hurting and it feels normal. It feels like perhaps she has a new home. No one flinches at the sight of her, and she doesn’t understand it, but she feels she might accept it.

Later, much later, when the laughter has died down and the tavern has slowly started emptying, Saarea finds herself once more at a table with Bull and no one else.

‘Do you think I should be in chains?’ she asks, and it’s not even slightly what she wanted to say, but it is what spills out and she can’t bring herself to take the words back. She needs to know.

Bull looks at her in that steady way he has, like he’s considering what to tell her, and she finds herself wanting to touch the scars on his cheek. It’s yet another thing she doesn’t deserve, but for the first time in her life she can’t find it in herself to want to stop longing for it.

‘Do you?’ she says when the silence stretches almost unbearably, aware of his hand on the table, so very close to hers.

’No,’ he answers, and it sounds so definitive that Saarea  feels inclined to believe him even though she knows he could easily lie to her. Protests rush to her anyway, and he sees them on her face. He lets his fingers rest on top of hers and the contact is almost too much. ‘You don’t deserve that, boss. You’ll never deserve that. I’m starting to see that maybe no one does.’

An odd sort of sound breaks from her and his hand is warm and it almost feels like he’s speaking a language they don’t share. She wants to say something funny, wants him to make a joke, wants something to feel normal, but what happens instead is that his free hand finds its way to her cheek and his thumb traces the scars around her mouth like he can’t even fathom being repulsed by her, and she laughs, almost deliriously, the room empty around them and him touching her.

He’s looking at her like he’s waiting for her, and all Saarea can think to do is to press her forehead to his and breathe, drunk on freedom, on all the possibilities that she can almost reach out and claim.

For the first time, the chains that her memory has woven around her start to disintegrate. For the first time, she feels light.

[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.

[lyrium-lavellan]

Song Lyrics I Associate With My OCs/Pairings

Thought I should do one of these for my Inquisitors and their LI’s! Hope you enjoy!

Velarric - Velahris Lavellan x Varric Tethras

Take a Break - Hamilton Soundtrack

In a letter I received from you two weeks ago I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase - It changed the meaning, did you intend this? - One stroke and you’ve consumed my waking days - It says ‘My Dearest Angelica’ with a comma after dearest - You’ve written ‘My Dearest, Angelica’

Where Did The Party Go - Fall Out Boy

This is the story - Of how they met - Her picture was on the back of a pack of cigarettes - And when she touched him, he turned ruby red - A story that they’ll never forget, never forget

Bad Liar - Selena Gomez

I see how your tension builds - It’s like lookin’ in a mirror - You’re touched like a happy pill - But still all we do is fear - What could possibly happen next? - Can we focus on the love? - Paint my kiss across your chest - If you’re the art, I’ll be the brush

Paralyzer - Finger Eleven

Well, I’m not paralyzed - But I seem to be struck by you - I wanna make you move - Because you’re standing still - If your body matches - What your eyes can do - You’ll probably move right through - Me on my way to you

Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

She is like a cat in the dark and then - She is the darkness - She rules her life like a fine skylark and when - The sky is starless -  All your life you’ve never seen - A woman taken by the wind - Would you stay if she promised you heaven? - Will you ever win?

Ashrian - Ashann Lavellan x Dorian Pavus

Naughty Girl - Beyoncé

Baby, the minute I feel your energy - The vibe’s just taken over me - Start feelin’ so crazy, babe - Lately, I feel the funk coming over me - I don’t know what’s gotten into me - The rhythm’s got me feelin’ so crazy, babe

Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz

I was born long ago - I am the chosen, I’m the one - I have come to save the day - And I won’t leave until I’m done - So that’s why you’ve got to try - You got to breathe and have some fun - Though I’m not paid, I play this game - And I won’t stop until I’m done - But what I really want to know is - Are you gonna go my way? - And I got to, got to know

Accidentally In Love - Counting Crows

How much longer will it take to cure this - Just to cure it cause I can’t ignore it if it’s love - Makes me wanna turn around and face me - But I don’t know nothing ‘bout love

Seya - Teya Adaar x Sera

Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Black bandanna, sweet Louisiana - Robbin’ on a bank in the state of Indiana - She’s a runner, rebel and a stunner - On her merry way sayin’ - Baby what you gonna - Looking down the barrel of a - Hot metal 45 - Just another way to survive

Bad Girls - MKTO

And I know I, I should quit her - And I’d do it if I could - She a hot mess, but I confess - Damn, she got me good - Cause I love them bad girls doing bad things - Lookin’ hot with an attitude - Love them bad girls like a bad dream - Shouldn’t want them, but I do

Livin’ la Vida Loca - Ricky Martin

She’ll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain - She’ll make you live her crazy life but she’ll take away your pain - Like a bullet to your brain

AriBull - Mithari Lavellan x Iron Bull

Cute Thing - Car Seat Headrest

I got so fuckin’ romantic - I apologize - Lemme light your cigarette - Come visit Kansas for a week of debauchery - Songs and high fives and weird sex

S.E.X. - Nickelback

“No” is a dirty word - Never gonna say it first - “No” is just a thought that never crosses my mind -- I’m loving what you wanna wear - Wonder what’s up under there? - Wonder if I’ll ever have it under my tongue? - I’d love to try to set you free - All of you all over me - Love to hear the sound you make the second you’re done

Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado, Timbaland

I’ll be the first to admit it - I’m curious about you, you seem so innocent -- You wanna get in my world, get lost in it - Boy I’m tired of running, let’s walk for a minute

Dirty Mind - 3OH!3

Hey you, I know what you’re gonna do - I wanna be the person that you do it to - Hey you, I wanna be the person you do, you do, you do, you do

Everything I Wanna Do - Nickelback

And she knows every spot - Exactly where it’s at, and she could draw a map - I tell you - Her tongue is like a weapon - And she’s always threatening to be the death of me

CassWall - Cassia Cadash x Blackwall

This Love - Maroon 5

I’ll fix these broken things - Repair your broken wings - And make sure everything’s alright - My pressure on your hips - Sinking my fingertips - Into every inch of you - Cause I know that’s what you want me to do

Can’t Remember to Forget You - Shakira, Rihanna

I can’t remember to forget you - I keep forgetting I should let you go - But when you look at me - The only memory - Is us kissing in the moonlight

Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

I’ve been asleep for a while now - You tuck me in just like a child now - Cause every time you hold me in your arms - I’m comfortable enough to feel your warmth

Kiss from a Rose - Seal

Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey - Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah - And now that your rose is in bloom - A light hits the gloom - On the grey

Solriel - Nehriel Lavellan x Solas

Conqueror - AURORA

Broken me and broken them - You are broken too - Open ears, their eyes are open - Makes me call for you - But there’s no seduction, only destruction - Oh fantasy take me over and break me

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye, Kimbra

But you didn’t have to cut me off - Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing - And I don’t even need your love - But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough

Same Old Love - Selena Gomez

I don’t believe, I don’t believe it - You left in peace, left me in pieces - Too hard to breathe, I’m on my knees - Right now, ‘ow

Alphabet Boy - Melanie Martinez

I know my ABCs, yet you keep teaching me - I say fuck your degree, alphabet boy - You think you’re smarter than me, with all your bad poetry - Fuck your ABCs, alphabet boy

Voodoo Doll - Fergie

Worshiping to gods can get you in deep - Crystal ball show you things you’re not supposed to see - What do I do? - This body’s a temple of doom - What can I say? - To make all of this go away

In My Life - Les Miserables Cast

There’s so little I know, that I’m longing to know - Of the man that you were, in a  time long ago - There’s so little you say of the life you have known - Why you keep to yourself, why you’re always alone - So dark, so dark and deep - The secrets that you keep

OC Directory for more info!

[kirkwall-on-fire-blog]

In-Character Interview

Rules:

1. Choose a character

2. Answer as them

3. Tag 5 people!

I consider myself tagged by @allisondraste because yes.

I will probably be returning to this later on because, honestly... I have too many OCs and love to talk about them all.

I’ll tag: Uhhhhhh I don’t actually know how tagging works?? (RIP me). An also I feel like I’m so late to this that everyone has done this already, so... I’ll tag whoever wants to be tagged! Because honestly that’s how I ended up doing this so might as well, right? Spread the OC love! <3

Elisse Cousland is up first~!

What is your name?

"Elissora Eleanor Valerie Margaret Cousland! Or, um, Elisse for short. Yes, Elisse will do just fine! Honestly...”

Do you know why you are named that?

"Father had a penchant for overly long and complicated names, I suppose? I do notknow, to be honest. Fergus likes to tease that he, Aedan, and I were all named this way so our first initials spell FAE, but... That cannot be true, right? Right?”

Are you single or taken?

"Umm both? Maybe? I am uncertain. It’s... a tad strange, being in a relationship with a spirit-- Ah, former spirit, sorry Cole! Still, I would not trade him for the world. Whatever the state of our relationship, I am quite content with it.”

Have any abilities or powers?

"I can shoot really well! It’s funny, I picked up a bow after the whole ordeal with Arl Howe because it reminded me of Mother, but after a while I felt... empowered? Yes, that is the word. It feels good to be able to protect yourself for a change, and protect others, too. I will not be a child in need of a rescue again.”

Stop being a Mary Sue!

"Why, I would never! What has Mary done to you, anyhow!? You leave her alone this instant! If you have a bone to pick with me, that is one matter, but I will not have you dragging some poor girl’s name through the mud! Humph!”

What’s your eye color?

"Blue. Mother used to say that mine looked like a calm midsummer lake, while Aedan’s looked like ice. ...Fergus has brown eyes. Teehee.”

How about your hair color?

"Hazel brown, thank you very much! All Couslands are brunettes, though I happen to have the lightest shade of hair between my siblings. Too much time spent in the sun, Mother used to say.”

Have any family members?

"Plenty! Is... what I would like to say, but at this point... It’s just Fergus and me. He’s doing rather well with his new wife, so maybe there will be more little Couslands running around soon? It would be lovely to hear children’s laughter in the old castle.”

How about pets?

"Leo offered to give me Aedan’s old Mabari, Pup, but somehow that doesn’t feel right. He chose her as his new master, you know? I wouldn’t want to break that bond. But she did promise me a puppy as soon as the new litter is born, so hopefully someday soon!”

That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like.

"Tight spaces. Dungeons. Fire... Those things bring back some bad memories. I’m sorry.

Also, Queen Anora. I really, really hate Anora. Humph.”

Do you have any hobbies/activities that you like to do?

"I practice my archery skills quite often. Sometimes Sera and Varric join me, and Mahariel showed me a few neat tricks that one time. Other than that... Pulling pranks with Sera is quite a bit of fun, though it does get us into trouble a lot... I spend much of the remaining time in the infirmary. I may not have magic, but my first aid skills have improved considerably since I joined the Inquisition.”

Have you ever hurt anyone in anyway before?

"I... hope not. I’ve tried my very best to leave no reason for anyone to be upset with me, and yet... I am certain there is someone, somewhere, who was hurt by something I - or the Inquisition - have hurt. Inquisitor Adaar says it’s unavoidable, but still, it’s not a pleasant thought.”

Ever…killed anyone before?

"Yes. Out of necessity only, and never out of selfishness or greed. I will not allow myself to sink to the level of Howe and his men.”

What kind of animal are you?

"A hawk. Aim far, strike fast, spread your wings and fly away from things that hurt you.”

Name your worst habits.

"I, uh, may stick my nose where it does not belong... I just can’t help it! What if someone is hurting and I don’t know about it? What if someone is upset at me!?”

Do you look up to anyone at all?

"Oh, plenty of people, of course. I am still young, still inexperienced, and thus I have much to learn from people greater than me. My parents and my brothers were my greatest source of inspiration growing up - and still are, in many ways. Warden-Commander Amell is another, and so is Inquisitor Adaar, and the Hawke twins, and Lady Vivienne, and Dorian, and... Oh, but I’m rambling, am I not. Sorry.”

Are you straight, gay, or bisexual?

"Neither. I am proudly asexual, thank you very much. After everything that happened to me in Howe’s dungeon... I think I would prefer to relationships of the mind and soul, and not the body.”

Did you attend school?

"When I was a girl, I was taught by Aldous, the old historian in my parents’ employ. After the Blight, Cousland sent me on an exchange program to a girls’ school in Orlais. The education was... decent, but the company rather horrid. They thought me strange when I refused to wear a mask and went out to practice my archery! Hmph! Stuck-up aristocrats!”

Ever want to marry and have kids some day?

"That’s... I know it’s expected, me being a noble and all, and if Fergus cannot produce an heir then it will be up to me to fill that role, but... I would rather not. Have kids, that is. At least not at this time. There is too much turmoil in the world, and I would not want my children to suffer the way my brothers and I did simply because the world is not a kind place. As for marriage... Maybe, someday. I admit, the thought of walking down the aisle in a while gown does make my stomach fill with butterflies...”

Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

"Do supporters of the Inquisition count? I know those are not strictly mine - if anything, they cheer most for Inquisitor Adaar and Felandris - but still. I have received several offers of marriage recently, but those hardly count, no?”

What are you most afraid of?

"Sometimes I think that this is all a dream. That one day I will open my eyes and I’m a little girl again, alone in Howe’s dungeon. Except this time, Leo doesn’t come barging in through the door to rescue me, and my brother doesn’t kill the Archdemon, and I will just die in that dungeon, without anyone ever knowing where I am or what became of me...”

What do you usually wear?

"If there is anything good about Orlais, it’s their scout uniform. It’s so sleek and yet so practical!”

What is one food that tempts you?

"I would die for just one more taste of Nan’s home-cooked pig roast. No one makes it quite like she used to.”

Am I annoying you?

“No, of course not! What would make you think such a thing?”

Well it’s still not over!

"I’m ready and willing to answer all your questions!”

What class are you (low/middle/high)?

"Technically, the second highest after the King and Queen. The Cousland family is quite renowned, and quite close to the Crown, after all. Especially after all Aedan did to save Ferelden from the Blight. We live in a castle, we have servants - all the typical assets of a noble family.

“But as for myself, I would like to think I can live a middle-class lifestyle quite well. I don’t much care for the fanfare and ceremony of the upper class. Especially the Orlesian upper class. Ugh.”

How many friends do you have?

"Good question... Does the entire Inquisition count? They are all such good people, and they have been so kind to me this entire while... And of course there’s Leo, and Alistair-- er, King Alistair, and all of Leo’s Warden recruits, and... even Teyrn Loghain, I suppose. Okay, I know he supported Howe and what he did to my family, but still... He died a hero. And that’s what counts. Aedan believed in him, I think, so I will too.”

What are your thoughts on pie?

"Mmm, pie... Oh, dear me, I didn’t mean to drool!”

Favorite drink?

“Lemonade! It’s so refreshing in the scorching heat of summer.”

What’s your favorite place?

"Back in the day, there was this tree in the back of Highever Castle. The branches up high were bent in a weird way, almost like shelves. I used to climb up there and watch the servants scurry around trying to find me for hours. Aedan was the only other person who knew about how I hid up there, and he used to sneak me snacks and random things to play with. It was almost a second room to me.

“Nowadays, I like to sit on the roof of Haven. Watching the Inquisition members from up there is just as entertaining. Aedan is gone, of course, but... Sera and Cole bring me snacks now.”

Are you interested in anyone?

"W-Well, I...! Maybe...? It’s... quite complicated, but... A-Ahem, might we change the topic, please?”

That was a stupid question…

"Aww, don’t feel bad! It was a cute question! i’m just... not good with being caught off-guard, you know?”

Would you rather swim in the lake or an ocean?

"A lake. I’ve done so quite a few times when visiting Redcliffe, too! The ocean, on the other hand, looks quite terrifying, and far too deep for me to ever hope to find a foothold. What if it carries me off? I am quite fit, but not to the point of being able to swim for days!”

What’s your type?

"The slim kind with feathers at the tip to silence its movement through the air! You look confused. We are talking about types of arrow, aren’t we?”

Any fetishes?

"Nope. End of topic.”

Camping or outdoors?

"What fun! I can run around outside for hours! Or, at least, until I trip over something, or a branch whacks me in the face... But I do love to camp.”