#Lily Trevelyan

[invinciblerodent]

(on that note i'm finally getting to watching the cast oneshot on high rollers and whoo boy)

(i might need to move my wyllmance playthrough up the line a smidge)

(i was gonna go with my cringefail loser "abolutely no rerolls for any reason" ranger and then my dark urge next but.... yknow? what can i say.)

[amatres]

thank you @demandthedoodles and @v-arbellanaris for tagging me, this picrew was really fun to work with! Here's the ladies, Surana once again proving she is the scariest to face in a fight, Allyn having the worst time but she'll one day be okay, and Evie daydreaming as she's about to fireball somebody.

I tend not to tag people outright, so feel free to consider this a tag from me if you want to try this picrew yourself! And tag me, I'd love to see what you make!

[midorisudachi]

“Living a lie…it festers inside you, like poison. You have to fight for what’s in your heart.” – Dorian Pavus

I recently beat Dragon Age Inquisition for the third time! I love that game immensely: everything about it is wonderful. I chose a male Inquisitor - as a rogue - because I wanted to romance Dorian. The first time I played DAI, it was the female elf Lavellen – whom I named Zephyra – and she was a mage, and the romance with Solas was a bloody disaster & heartbreaking. (Damn you, Solas!) The second time I played as the human female Trevelyan – named Bryony (who you have seen me do two fanarts of) – a warrior, and romanced Cullen. (Cullen is so hot for a video game character…where can I find a man like that? Lol.) I hope you like this artwork!

Also: Happy Pride Month! 🌈 It’s actually a perfect time to submit this artwork. This was a lot of fun to create (a full colour piece). If you haven’t played the Dragon Age games, it is actually very LGBTQ friendly. You can make your characters gay, lesbian, or bisexual. There is even a transgender male in DAI, named Krem, who is a cool character. Bioware is open-minded, that’s for sure, so the DA series is for everybody. And omg, let me tell you that the conversations & bantering between the characters is hilarious!

⚠️Warning: Spoilers Ahead!⚠️

Dorian is quite the character…a sarcastic & witty lad. He is complex at first, especially regarding his history (how his father tried to “erase” who he truly was, when it came to his homosexuality). It was fun romancing him with Cedric (Trevelyan), who I made a rouge/assassin. So off course I had to draw my OC [male] Cedric Trevelyan with Dorian! Cedric is Dorian’s “Amatus”. I made them wear simpler outfits when I drew them, because near the end of the game, they were wearing complex armour. That stuff is hard to draw! I chose to draw Lilies by Cedric & Dorian, because if you romance Dorian, his tarot card shows him holding what looks like a Lily.

The two of them had this conversation near the end of the Trespasser DLC:

Cedric: “Whatever happens, I wouldn’t trade the years we’ve had together for anything. I love you.”

Dorian: “I knew you would break my heart, you bloody bastard.”

Lol! Awww, jeez, Dorian, just say you love my Inquisitor, too. I honestly really think that Dorian loved him, as stubborn as he was to admit it. At first I was annoyed when Dorian chose to go back to Trevinter, and I thought, “Darn you, don’t you dare pull a Solas on my Inquisitor, after all you've gone through with him!” However, after the game ends, it tells you what happens to the characters (depending on your choices). For me, the game said that Dorian’s “greatest strength lay in the lover he left in the south, but still conversed with via message crystal”, and “some claimed to have seen the Inquisitor on the streets on Minrathos on rare occasions, sneaking into the heart of Trevinter to aid his Amatus.” It made me happy to know that the Inquisitor and Dorian stayed together. I wonder if that will show up with the 4th game.

⚠️Spoilers Over!⚠️

Speaking of the 4th game, who is excited to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, to be released later this year? I watched the gameplay trailer and I am excited for it! I hope characters from DAI will be in it (so far, Varric & Solas have been shown).

Drawn with sepia Sakura Pigma Micron pens, then coloured in with a mixture of Copic Markers, Ohuhu Markers, & Zenacolor coloured pencils. White accents done with a Sakura gel pen & the gold accents were done with Golden brand acrylic paint.

Dragon Age Inquisition/Dorian Pavus/Inquisitor Trevelyan © Bioware & Electronic Arts

Artwork © of me, Jacqueline E. McNeese

[wistrea]

v. DRAGON AGE [ ORIGIN - VEILGUARD ] * very slight spoilers in the veilguard arc, but only in the very last part of this post. there's a warning for when the veilguard stuff starts, don't worry!

peril in their eyes, the battle has begun. death becomes the ashes of the evils yet to come. [ ... ] inquisitor's delight, a destiny it shines. magister, your ancient hand is broken in the light. — FALL OF THE MAGISTER

name: kira shirogane trevelyan -> house trevelyan is a noble family that acted as the ruling bloodline of the teyrnir of ostwick in the free marches, though a minor house in the standards of most of thedas. it is currently headed by bann and lady trevelyan, and it is noted that most of house trevelyan have close ties to the chantry in ostwick; as was their tradition, most of their kin are trained to go into service to the chantry.

aliases: the chaos witch, the beast of ostwick, archmage of rift magic, the " herald of andraste " title/s: lady trevelyan ( formerly ), the inquisitor, comtesse in kirkwall

species: " human " / half - elf ( mother was an elf, father was a human ) age: 21 ( origin ), 31 - 33 ( inquisition + trespasser ), 43 ( veilguard )

class: mage ( specialization: battle mage, arcane warrior, rift mage, spellblade )

affiliation: the ferelden circle of mages ( formerly ), the traveling party of the hero of ferelden during the fifth blight ( formerly ), the inquisition ( currently )

occupation: mage of the ferelden circle and apprentice to first enchanter irving ( formerly ), apostate mage and mercenary ( origin ), head of the spider lily order, the inquisitor, archmage of rift magic

weapons: yavanalis ( staff, cold ), staff of corruption ( staff, electricity ), the blade of tidarion ( staff, post-inquisition ), a cutpurse slicer dagger that had been a gift from a friend and she keeps with her at all times

current location: skyhold ( where she can often be found whilst the inquisition was still active ). post - trespasser location is currently unknown, but it is said that sending a raven with an intriguing enough letter to anyone bearing the sign of the inquisition may grant you an audience with the inquisitor.

companions: a raven named sanzu, the bog unicorn that serves as her usual mount.

[ FAMILY ]

parents: masako and hanshiro shirogane ( birth parents ), bann and lady trevelyan ( adoptive parents ) siblings: matsuko shirogane ( older brother ), ashitaka shirogane ( older brother ), yuuichiro shirogane ( younger brother ), the children of bann and lady trevelyan ( adoptive older siblings ) other relatives: lord albrecht ( distant relative on the trevelyan side ), lady osher lotharn trevelyan bayart ( cousin )

children: akihiko and ryoko shirogane -> said to have been born some years after the fifth blight, the identity of their father unknown, the shirogane twins were born to who thedas had called the chaos witch. while their identity was kept secret, they were raised by their mother somewhere in the free marches, rumored to be kirkwall.

[ BACKSTORY : PROLOGUE + ORIGIN ]

when their youngest and only daughter was four summers old, hanshiro and masako shirogane were killed by bandits in their rural village, leaving their three children in the woods after their parents told them to run. they were found by templars before the the sun had set, though unbeknownst to them, the child had seen how their commander had killed their mother, an elf, for having been an apostate mage in hiding. the children were brought back to the nearby chantry, where the bann and lady trevelyan had been visiting from the free marchest, and out of the kindness of their hearts ( or perhaps for the sake of their image, as pious followers of the maker's scripture ) had adopted the children and brought them back to ostwick. they were given their family's name and raised as their own.

in ostwick, kira trevelyan was adored by nearly all those who came across the bann's youngest daughter. she could often be found dressed in fabrics of lilacs and holding onto her mother's hand, as the lady brought her often to the chantry in prayer or to hosted galas where she never strayed far from their side. a quiet girl with a kind smile that earned her the favor of many a noble who cooed at her as though she were a bird in a lovely cage. she was taught the scriptures of andraste and how to wield weapons, as was the house's tradition, in hopes that the child will become useful to the chantry, for the trevelyans have always been devout followers of the maker. although kira did not truly hold devotion towards the maker was willing to do everything for the trevelyans, to pay them back for all they had done for her and her brothers, for they were her family. the bann had often reminded her of what they had done for her and her brothers, as though there was a debt to be paid, but not without affection.

at the age of twelve, all would change for the youngest trevelyan when her magic had manifested. standing in a tempest of her own creation when she had accompanied her eldest brother to one of the smaller towns within the free marches, the bandits who had overrun them now trapped in a fury of hail and lightning. the beast of ostwick, they called her. she never forgot the way her father had looked at her whilst she sat in the templars' holding cell, the pleas of his eldest son, or the way her mother never bothered to see her be sent away, as though she was nothing to them the moment she had become a mage. nearly the next morning, she was sent to the ferelden circle, as though there was no place for her in ostwick, not even their circle.

kira was a very talented and powerful mage, but she learned how to keep her skills subtle in order to quiet the rumors amongst the enchanters that they wished to turn her tranquil should she prove too much to handle. at the age of sixteen, she had undergone and passed her harrowing. she eventually becomes the apprentice of first enchanter irving and gets sent on an assignment with her mentor and a group of templars who were headed to ferelden. they had unexpectedly been ambushed by a group of darkspawn, no more than a dozen and yet the damage done to their small, traveling group was far more devastating than they anticipated. kira had managed to survive after slaying a few by her own staff, and came across a grey warden who aided them. it was said that the warden had wanted to invoke conscription and recruit the young mage, but did not have the chance to. taking the opportunity of a disarray band of templars, kira had fled, ignoring the shouts of the first enchanter behind her. she was unable to be found afterwards, and declared an apostate mage. her first order of business was to destroy her phylactery.

during her time as an apostate, kira travels all throughout thedas, surviving with her cunning alone and eventually taking a few mercenary jobs wherein a mage was useful but hard to come by, involving herself in several criminal circles that ran through thedas's underground. in this time, her ambition continued to grow more than the circle of mages had ever allowed it to, and she eventually manages to start a hidden network of her own that consisted of spies and blades sworn to her. it was known as the spider lily order.

during the events of the fifth blight, kira is able to be recruited as a companion by the hero of ferelden, after she offers her services when whispers of the grey warden's activities reach her ears as told to her by the spider lily. after the events of origin, she parts ways with the party, and otherwise disappears for the following decade. she spends her time studying forbidden arts of magic, investigating the fade as well, following all that happened with the archdemon. the only proof of her life was the occasional dissertation she would send to the ferelden circle by untraceable raven that contained her latest studies, with only the condition that they would credit her work otherwise she would " make them pay " as she always vaguely threatened at the end of every letter.

[ ARC: DA 2 ]

some years following the fifth blight, kira had made her way to kirkwall, under the disguise of simply an outlander with two children barely a handful of summers old who were her own. she lived within the shadows of the free marches, true name or intentions shrouded beneath her attempt at disguising her nature as a mage and as one who had fought alongside the hero of ferelden. it is only when the trevelyan name could be heard mentioned through the streets does trouble begin to stir for her.

[ ARC: INQUISITION + TRESPASSER ]

a tear in the very sky, and a conclave turned into ruin : her motivations for having snuck into the conclave were curiosity at best, upon hearing word that the ostwick circle and trevelyan name were to make an appearance. what followed was a blur of light, swallowed by darkness and finding herself chained in a dungeon, and a fragment of that same light embedded into her very arm. it was a dangerous thing, to put a mage of her reputation once known as the chaos witch, and now branded as the " herald of andraste " with the only anchor that could close the tears within the veil, as well as heading the inquisition. apart from being the inquisitor, kira is also known as the archmage of rift magic, after her studies in the last decade being the foundation upon which the new practice of rift magic was built in the first place.

[ ARC: VEILGUARD ] * will be updated as i progress through the game ... i haven't even finished act one yet so that's about as far as my info on kira here goes so far LMAO

kira is mostly busy attempting to keep the southern lands of thedas in tact amidst he onslaught of blight and armies alike running rampant. although she had disbanded the inquisition, she is still the inquisitor to many, and remains a leader to the armies at the front lines of these efforts to push back against the destruction that comes in waves. she continues to orchestrate evacuations and strategies that take up most of her time.

[vintagestagehotties]

Hot Vintage Stage Actress Round 1

Fannie Ward: A Marriage of Reason (1907 Broadway); The New Lady Bantock (1909 Broadway); Madam President (1913 Broadway)

Lillie Langtry: Mrs Trevelyan in The Degenerates (1900 Broadway and National Tour US); Rosalind in As You Like It (1906 South Africa)

Propaganda under the cut

Fannie Ward:

Lillie Langtry:

The Jersey Lily! I’m originally from Jersey and no one has ever heard of us so I adore that there’s a famous performer from our island!

[niofo]

canon compliant amell-hawke family tree. feel free to use it as a base for your own. characters we don't know anything about and i named for my uses are revka's husband and their 5 children, that are all mages. (kinloch hold amell would probably be a bit younger than 22, as they're only getting their harrowing, but it wasn't fitting my timeline otherwise)

under the cut some background on the characters in my worldstate:

marian started as blue hawke, then aften death of carver in lothering and bethany in the deep roads she moved to red hawke. she's still kind to everyone she considers her family, but very protective of them, and often rude to outsiders. supports mage rebellion and anders' actions. she's a lesbian in a poly relationship with isabella and merrill. her weapon of choice is two handed ax, but she's proficient with all melee weapons.

lucas marin, son of antivan small-scale pearl merchants. his parents went into conflict with a competitor who had contacts amongst the house nero of antivan crows, who were then contacted to eliminate marin family. lucas managed to escape antiva fearing for his life, and in kirkwall met revka amell and tried to start a new life. when his eldest daughter showed magic potential and was taken by the templars, and soon after his wife's family collapsed and revka herself disappeared, he took remaining four children and kept moving: first across the marches, then to ferelden and finally orlais, but every single one of his children showed magic potential and ended up being taken by the chantry no matter how he tried to protect them. when he lost the youngest, twins, he decided to stay in orlais, not seeing the point of running any longer.

aderyn, eldest amell daughter, was taken into the gallows at some point in 9:10. by the time of 9:30s she was an enchanter specializing in force magic, she was also involved with the mage underground, helping other mages escape, especially ones that had the biggest threat of being made tranquil. she had the opportunity to escape herself, but stayed to secure a few more escapes, and was killed in the templar raid in 9:37, soon before anders blew up the chantry, at the age of 42.

yorath, the 2nd child, was brought to the ostwick circle where he befriended idris trevelyan and vivienne. unfortunately he was not skilled with magic enough for the circle's high standard and the templars decided him not able to attend his harrowing. he was made tranquil in 9:16 and worked in different circles since then. in 9:41 he was the first person to have his tranquility reversed by the inquisition, using the knowledge found in seekers' book of secrets.

gareth was early showing an impressive talent for spirit healing and learned under the tutelage of senior enchanter wynne even before taking his harrowing. yet soon after he helped his friend jowan escape, which marked him as a potential blood mage. knight-commander was still undecided whether to sentence him to tranquility or sent to aeonar along with initiate lily, but he decided to wait for the return of the templars and mages dispatched to ostagar. as soon as that happened though, uldred rebellion started, templars locked the tower until the arrival of the hero of ferelden. as tabris cleared the tower he encountered gareth fighting for his life, and learning about the situation, he invoked the right of conscription to get him away from the tower. gareth didn't go through the joining, but his close friendship with the warden and his actions during the blight granted him temporal immunity from the accusations. later he joined the rebellion alongside most of kinloch mages, and then became inquisition's main healer.

hefina was sent to the white spire and studied elemental magic under senior enchanter adrian, who also recruited her into libertarian fraternity. after the rebellion started hefina was dispatched to look for any displaced or abandoned mages andtranquil around the free marches. she was ambushed by a group of templars, but surprisingly saved by two passing antivan crows. the crows had an ulterior motive as they needed a help of a mage in their current mission and traded her life for assisting them. incidentally she also learned that her father was not, in fact, hunted in antiva, the hit was just for his parents and there was nothing personal going on. hefina helped the crows and then decided to stay in antiva to work with them more, giving the mage rebellion useful ties to the organization.

merfyn, twin bother of hefina, went to montsimmard circle where he aligned himself with the loyalist fraternity. he was progressing in his studies to become a knight-enchanter when the rebellion started and he joined first enchanter vivienne as a part of loyal mages staying with the chantry. he encountered a group of antivan crows who first took him for his sister hefina, which was when he learned that she is with crows, but he assumed that she was kidnapped. he asked vivienne for permission to go rescue his sister, hoping to recruit her to their cause, which vivienne allowed. when the twins finally reunited hefina explained that she is actually working with the crows willingly, and more than that, she is also a part of the rebellion. they were in the middle of a political argument when the news of the conclave explosion reached them, pushing their discussion to a later date.

[starwrittenfates]

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵!

𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙴𝚂 / a SELECTIVE & MUTUALS only MULTIMUSE featuring muses from THE WITCHER, HARRY POTTER, DOCTOR WHO, BALDUR'S GATE 3, DRAGON AGE, MARVEL & MORE!

Fated by Serenity (21+) 𝗟𝗼𝘄 & 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆! 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘂𝗲𝗱!

RULES / MUSES / MEMES / INTEREST TRACKER / HEADCANONS / WISHLIST / WANTED CONNECTIONS / NAVIGATION / SHIPPING CALL / OPEN STARTERS / STARTER CALLS /

𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 —  Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Astarion Ancunin, Synnove Willowlight, Hope Wildheart, Ellana Lavellan, Sigyn, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, Romana, The Master's TARDIS

↳ 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙴𝚂 𝙱𝚈 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙾𝙼

THE WITCHER

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon

Lara Dorren

Sylvia "Syanna" Anna

Dettlaff van der Eretein

HARRY POTTER

Lily Evans

Severus Snape

Ominis Gaunt

Harmony Goodwater

DOCTOR WHO

Fourth Doctor

Eighth Doctor

Romana

Lolita/The Master's TARDIS

BALDUR'S GATE 3

Synnove Willowlight

Hope Wildheart

Astarion Ancunin

DRAGON AGE

Ellana Lavellan

Faith Trevelyan

Solas

Felassan --- Test Muse

Cole

MARVEL

Lady Sif

Sigyn (with verses also in Norse Myth, Supernatural & God of War)

TOLKIEN

Hazael/The Elvenqueen of Mirkwood

Estella Bolger

STAR TREK

Amanda Grayson

ROBIN HOOD

Lady Marian of Knighton

[jozstankovich]

for the ask game: 100% !!!

100%. Does your character resemble anybody famous?

A few of my ocs have famous/mildly famous face claims lol

Win Lewis - Kailee Morgue Delilah Edwards - Emma Roberts Aevryn Davey-Swift - Emily Rudd Ji-ae Yeong - CHUU Julia Stevens - Kristen Stewart Jesse DeLaurenta - Avan Jogia Josie Parker - a mix of Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman Sera Darling - Olivia Holt Thompson Blum - Tom Waits Phifer Montivan - Ruby Rose Lorelai Trevelyan - Lily Collins

[ oc questions ]

[ldthegreen]

My Warden (Luna Cousland) would have Curiosity and Desire

Rose Hawke would prob attract Perseverance and Envy

And Last but certainly not least my quizzy, Lily Trevelyan, would pull Knowledge and Pride

Since this is a key part of how I develop my Dragon Age OC's reblog this with what Spirit and what Demon they would attract.

(Don't need to limit to the canon spirits/demons we've seen just what is their Virtue and their Vice they attract)

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The Twelve Days of Fic-Mas

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wAkXbp1

by PenDragon (EndlessExplorer)

Merry Fic-Mas to all fanfiction Readers & Writers and allow me to welcome you to the twelve days of Fic-Mas!

Every chapter is a different ship and a different Christmas prompt.

Apologies on the lateness - between work and college, I could only get to this project now.

I hope to update daily.

Words: 2303, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Fallout 4, Fallout (Video Games), Persona 5, Persona Series, The Evil Within (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Metro 2033 & Related Fandoms, Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game), God of War (Video Games), Mass Effect Trilogy, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Male Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Cassandra Pentaghast, Arthur Maxson, Female Sole Survivor, Kurusu Akira, Niijima Makoto, Sebastian Castellanos, Juli Kidman, Lily Castellanos, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Male Sole Survivor, Piper Wright, Anna (Metro), Artyom (Metro), Panam Palmer, V (Cyberpunk 2077), Male Shepard (Mass Effect), Freya (God of War), Kratos (God of War), Atreus (God of War), Miranda Lawson, Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne, Serana (Elder Scrolls), Male Nord Dovahkiin | Dragonborn (Elder Scrolls)

Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Cassandra Pentaghast, Cassandra Pentaghast/Male Trevelyan, Arthur Maxson/Female Sole Survivor, Arthur Maxson/Sole Survivor, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Sebastian Castellanos/Juli Kidman, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Male Sole Survivor/Piper Wright, Sole Survivor/Piper Wright, Anna/Artyom (Metro), Panam Palmer/V, Panam Palmer & V, Freya/Kratos (God of War), Atreus & Freya (God of War), Miranda Lawson/Male Shepard, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana (Elder Scrolls)

Additional Tags: Prompt Fic, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Married Couple, Love, Idiots in Love, Friendship/Love, First Christmas, First Time, Friendship, Best Friends, Family, Family Fluff, Christmas Presents

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wAkXbp1

[out-of-the-embers]

Catatonic

Cullen Rutherford x Lily Trevelyan 

Words: 2,612

(Comfort/angst, fluff)

From the Whumptober prompt list.

~~~~~~

It was well past midnight when the hushed bustle of movement at the front gates signaling Lily’s arrival finally reached Cullen’s tower. 

Relief swept through him and he immediately grabbed his mantle off the armor stand and left his office, abandoning the reports he had been fruitlessly staring at for the past hour while waiting for her to come home.

Lily and her party had been gone for almost two months, and were supposed to have returned two nights ago. According to her last report, they had run into an ambush set by a small group of Venatori, and while no one was seriously hurt, it had delayed their return by a few days. It was still reason enough for him to worry, and no one dared send their usual amused glances his way as he quickly strode through the main hall and out to where the crowd of exhausted people were already dispersing for the night. 

Lily was nowhere to be seen, but he could vaguely make out Master Dennet and Blackwall leading the horses towards the stables, including hers.

“You there!” he called at a messenger that was about to run past.

The young man’s eyes widened as he skidded to a stop and hastily saluted the moment he noticed the fur mantle Cullen was holding in one hand. Surprised at seeing him without armor, no doubt.

“Have you seen the Inquisitor?” 

“Yes, sir. She’s retired to her quarters for the night.”

Cullen nodded and waved him along before sprinting back up the steps leading into the main hall. It wasn’t often that Lily went straight to her rooms after coming back from a mission, especially a long one. Given the fact that she had been trekking through the constant rain and mud of the Storm Coast, she might have simply wanted to bathe first. At least, he hoped that was the only reason.

He pushed open the first door leading up to her quarters, only to nearly collide with Raphael. His face shifted from his signature scowl to surprise and then relief once they got a good look at each other, and he blew out a breath as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked dead on his feet and his leather armor was covered in a light layer of grime, but he appeared to be otherwise fine. 

“Oh, it’s you,” he sighed. “I thought I was going to have to tell off another messenger.” 

Cullen frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” replied Raphael, shaking his head. “They just keep wanting to drop off reports so Lily could take a look at them in the morning, but you and I both know how that would go. She needs to rest.”

Cullen clenched his jaw. 

“I’ll have a word with them in the morning,” he said, stepping aside to let Raphael by. “Does she need a healer?” 

“Nah. The bumps and bruises have been taken care of on our way back. She’s just… not saying much.” Raphael scratched at his growing beard and gave him a look. “I think she could use your company.”

Cullen nodded despite the new wave of worry and bid him a goodnight before making his way up to her rooms.

The crackling fireplace, lit candles and sparse torches cast a few dancing shadows throughout the entire room, but Lily didn’t seem to notice any of them. She was standing by the armor stand next to her desk, face blank as she stared at nothing in particular, her movements almost automatic as she removed her gauntlets. The tension in his body lessened significantly at finally seeing her again after so long. She was here with him, uninjured, and safe.  

“Lady Trevelyan, the water’s all set for - oh!”

Aylin, Lily’s serving girl, stood in the doorway to the washroom, staring at Cullen with her mouth open for a brief second before quickly dipping into a curtsey.

“Sorry for intruding, ser. I was just preparing a bath for the Inquisitor.”

Cullen gave her a polite smile and nodded. 

“Thank you, Aylin. I’ll take it from here.”

She bowed her head and left the room as Cullen placed his mantle on Lily’s bed. She didn’t seem to have reacted much to the brief conversation, her hands now slowly working on the buckles of her chestplate.

He could make out a few dark spots on the metal that hadn’t been fully washed away as he got closer. She blinked and took a deeper breath when he gently moved her hands away from the buckles, but remained quiet. Her detached silence after particularly grueling missions wasn’t new, and after spending so much time together, he knew what to do.

Talk to her. 

“Hello, love.” He kissed her cheek and kept his voice soft as he gently squeezed her hands. “Are you hurting anywhere?” 

Lily blinked a few more times before meeting his eyes, and tried to step closer only to bump him in the chest with the piece of metal that was still in between them. She mumbled an apology as he huffed a small laugh and released her hands to work on the clasps holding the metal in place. 

“Let’s remove this first, shall we?”

Lily huffed and relented with a nod.

His fingers moved with expert precision along every buckle and clasp, undoing them with the practiced ease of someone who had done it countless times in the past. Before and after every mission, he was there, assuring her safety before she left and helping her shed the remnants of battle when she returned. It was all he could do, at times, and it was something he took very seriously.

She wasted no time in shrugging out of her leather coat once he set the chestplate aside, leaving only her tunic on as she wrapped her arms around his waist and released a deep breath that she must have been holding for Maker knows how long.

He immediately returned her embrace and held her close to his chest, the worry from before still gnawing at him. She was quieter than usual.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, stroking her back.

A long pause. 

“Tired.”

It was a single word that was loaded with silent meanings, but he understood. He kissed the top of her head and silently led her into the washroom, where a steaming bath of jasmine and sandalwood was already waiting for her. Mild scrapes and discolored marks from where bruises were still healing came into view as he helped remove her clothing, and he clenched his jaw as he swept a thumb over a new line of pink, tender skin on her upper arm. This was the hardest part of their routine for him - seeing the leftover marks of injuries that were inflicted upon her when she was out in the field. 

Part of him knew Lily could handle herself and that she was a force to be reckoned with in battle, but the other part of him was still terrified there could be one mission she wouldn’t come back from. 

No.

She was here with him now, and he wasn’t going to waste the precious time they had together on what-ifs. 

He met her eyes then. The exhaustion in her face was now mixed with questioning worry, and he leaned down to kiss it away.

“I’m happy to see Raphael managed to convince you to get patched up,” he commented, stepping away to poke through a group of glass jars on a nearby shelf.

Lily’s scoff was followed by a gentle splash behind him and he glanced back to see her already seated in the bathtub and undoing her braided bun. She didn’t say anything else.

Cullen raised a brow. It was rare for her to not complain about her brother’s hovering. Either she was exhausted enough to not want to talk, or there was something on her mind, and judging from what Raphael said earlier, Cullen suspected it was the latter.

…Or perhaps it was both.

Whatever the case, she would make her thoughts known in time, when she was ready.

He grabbed the jar of vanilla shampoo he had been looking for and took his place at the end of the bathtub behind her, ready to gather her now wet hair into his hands. 

They were both quiet as he gently washed and combed her hair, the only sounds in the room being the light crackling of the torches along with the occasional splash of water. It was surreal, in a way. Minutes ago he had been stressing about her absence, each hour that passed an eternal moment in time in which he longed for her safe return, and now here he was, running his conditioned fingers through her long, dark hair and carefully working through each knot. It helped ground them both, he supposed.

Her quiet voice broke through his musings.

“I never once thought my life would consist of this.”

Cullen paused.

“This?”

“War. Death. Killing and having to wash someone’s blood off my skin.”

Her voice carried a note of exhaustion and resignation, the kind that was settled deep into one’s bones. Cullen wrapped his arms around her, paying no mind to the water and suds that soaked into the edges of the rolled up sleeves of his tunic and rested his chin on her exposed shoulder. 

There was nothing he wanted more than to protect her, to keep her out of harm’s way, and he was powerless to do so each time she left on a mission. She disagreed, however. When he had voiced his frustration to her after a particularly bad nightmare, she merely pulled her mother’s locket out from under her tunic and showed the lucky coin he gifted her during their trip to Ferelden. It was dangling from the same chain, settled in front of the locket she treasured with all her heart. 

You protect me a lot more than you think.

Lily placed her hand on his, weaving a few of their fingers together. The mark was quiet tonight, only a hint of the unnatural green glow emanating from the slash in her skin.

“Do… do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you hadn’t left home?”

The question took him a bit by surprise, but he pondered it anyway. He supposed he would have worked on his family’s farm. Perhaps eventually gotten married, though it was all difficult to picture. He never paid much attention to that thought in particular before he left to join the Templars.

“It’s hard to imagine,” he admitted. “Though I’m sure it would have involved shoveling lots of manure on my family’s farm.”

Lily huffed and stroked the side of his hand with a thumb. 

“What about you?” he murmured. 

He regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. Leaving home would imply she had chosen to do so, and she never had the freedom of making that choice. She was simply taken. 

Lily stayed silent for a few seconds, long enough that Cullen thought she wasn’t going to give an answer. 

“I’m not sure,” she said. “I don’t remember much of what I wanted when I was a child. After I was taken to the Circle, I… just never thought about it.”

Cullen nestled his face against her neck, gently tightening his fingers around hers. 

“What about during the time you were in Amaranthine?” he asked. 

“I was technically an apostate back then,” she replied. Her voice was distant, sad. “I was too focused on blending in and learning how to be a part of society again to focus on anything else. But the experience was nice, almost peaceful.” She hesitated. “I - I guess part of me wishes I could have that again.”

Something inside him ached at her words. So that was what had been on her mind this entire time, then. A wish for normalcy. To have a chance at living the life that was taken away from her, and not have to fight and kill for her survival every time she left home.

He desperately wanted to give it to her. 

“We can go back once this is all over,” he offered. “I’m sure Mabel would be delighted to see you again.”

Lily was quiet for a long moment before releasing a deep, shaking sigh. 

“Yeah,” she said quietly. 

“It would also be a good opportunity for me to thank her for looking out for the woman I love,” he added, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

She huffed a small laugh at that, despite reaching up to wipe a tear away. Neither of them mentioned there was a chance they’d never have the opportunity, not with a war on. They didn’t need a reminder, not when it already weighed on their minds often enough.

But the war didn’t matter at the moment. It would demand their attention in the morning, but for now, they have done and given all they could.

Cullen rinsed Lily’s hair and helped her out of the tub before wrapping a towel around her, and busied himself with draining the tub and going through his own bedtime routine while she left the washroom to get dressed. 

He was drying his face and chest with a towel when he stepped out a few minutes later, and froze.

Lily was wearing her favorite sleeping tunic, the one that went just past her hips, and nothing else. The side of him that yearned for her the entire time she was gone stirred, but that wasn’t what made him stop in his tracks. 

She was at her desk, drying her hair with a towel, and eyeing the small stack of reports that were already waiting for her. He needed to distract her, quickly. 

He snatched his mantle off the bed.

“Oh, no you don’t. Come here.”

She blinked in surprise when he draped his mantle around her shoulders and gently pulled her away from the desk and to his chest. 

“But - ” 

“Those papers will still be there in the morning. Right now you need to sleep.” 

Lily squirmed in his arms before relaxing against him with a defeated sigh and pressed her face into his neck, her hair rubbing against his stubble with a slight nod. 

Yes, she was definitely exhausted.

He leaned over to snuff the candles at her desk and led her towards the bed, ready to put the long months of waiting behind him now that she was finally home. He stayed silent when they settled under the covers, content to simply hold her close as she slept, but was surprised when her hand began to trace idle shapes along his waist, trailing up to his chest. 

And here he was, thinking she would fall asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

He shifted on his side to get a better look at her and chuckled in amusement at the sight of her nestled in his mantle, face pink despite trying to keep her eyes open as she continued to run her fingers across his bare skin.

“You’re fighting sleep? I thought you were tired.”

A small, sheepish smile tugged at the corners of Lily’s lips as her cheeks darkened. 

“I missed you,” she said simply.

Cullen smiled softly and leaned forward to press a light kiss to her lips before nestling closer against her. “I’ll be right here when you wake, love. Get some sleep.”

A huff of resignation brushed his neck, followed by a soft kiss against his collarbone that sent a warm rush through his body.

“I love you,” she murmured. 

Maker, he’d never tire of hearing it.

“I love you, too.”

[kagetsukai]

How about Hannah and Cullen watching Lily and Raphael sloppily sharing something he cooked? :D

Well, this has been sitting in my inbox for FOUR months. I’M SO SORRY DARLING!!! *weeps* I hope you can forgive me for how long it’s taken me to write this. But at least it’s here now :) I hope you like it, because it definitely didn’t start how I thought it would start O_O

————–

Hannah ran into Cullen at the bottom of the stairs that led to the Inquisitor’s chambers and they gave each other a squinty and mutually-suspicious once-over. 

“Am I to assume you have also received a very cryptic invitation to meet in Lily’s quarters?” he asked.

“You are correct,” she replied.

She pulled out the piece of paper that was covered in Raphael’s rushed handwriting and read it again.

“Well, at least now I know it’s not a sex thing,” she murmured to herself and stuffed it back into her pocket.

Cullen looked visibly taken aback.

“Raphael sends you missives to…” He paused, thought about it for a second, then started again. “In his own sister’s room?”

Hannah rolled her eyes and stepped onto the staircase; thankfully, Cullen followed suit.

“Oh, don’t be such a prig,” she said to him. “It’s called ‘having a sense of adventure’. You should try it sometime.”

Cullen scoffed.

“I’m not precious about sex,” he said indignantly. “I was more concerned about the locale.”

She stopped her climb and let Cullen softly bump into her; as she turned, she put a hand on his shoulder and addressed him with the greatest solemnity. 

“I promise that Lily’s bed is safe from our shenanigans,” she said and grinned mischievously. “Granted, I hear you prefer desks.”

Cullen’s face immediately colored the most brilliant shade of red Hannah has ever seen, which drew a particularly victorious cackle from her mouth. Not wanting to see if there would be repayment for her bold insinuations, she resumed climbing the stairs, albeit at a quicker pace.

By the time they reached the top, a new and confusing sight tore the previous conversation out of Hannah’s mind as she stared at the scene before her. Raphael and Lily sat around a cleared-off desk with several different pies and tartlets covering its surface, shoving huge chunks of baked goods into their mouths. Their faces were smeared with whatever dark-red filling had been used, while numerous crust crumbs decorated their clothing. They seemed to be enjoying whatever they were eating, though the manner in which they were doing it left a lot to be desired.

She felt more than heard Cullen pause at her side. They silently stared at the siblings for a long moment before he finally spoke.

“If I ever told the story of how messy of an eater the Inquisitor can be, no one would believe me,” he said quietly.

Hannah could only nod in agreement.

That’s when Raphael noticed their appearance. He nudged Lily, pointed to them standing by the balustrade, and they both waved with great exuberance.

“Hannah, come try this!” Raphael exclaimed - and a piece of crust fell out of his mouth and into his lap. He grinned sheepishly. “Oops.”

Hannah shook her head, but couldn’t help a smile. She took a spot on one of the empty chairs while Cullen took the other.

“What is this about?” he asked.

Lily swallowed the rest of whatever she had been chewing and also grinned.

“Raffy was trying out all sorts of recipes for a cherry tartlet and I got to taste the results,” she announced cheerfully. “I can’t decide which one I like best, though.”

Cullen chuckled and fondly smiled back at Lily; it warmed Hannah’s heart to see him finally be this happy with a woman who clearly loved him back just as much. She turned to Raphael, who had already cut a piece of one of the pies and put it on a plate for her, and shook her head again.

“Did you know you have crumbs in your hair?” she asked. “And that filling got smeared all over your chin.”

Raphael smiled and shrugged in return.

“I call it the dangers of baking in an unfamiliar kitchen,” he said. He reached into the slice he had in front of him and, quick as a sparrow, he smeared a bit of the filling along her jaw. “There, now we match.”

Hannah gasped in outrage and immediately rubbed at the spot, trying to remove the sticky mess.

“Raphael Trevelyan!” she exclaimed and felt Lily and Cullen’s eyes fall on her. “Are you trying to start a food fight with me?”

The playful way he was looking back at her said everything she needed to know, but before she could take any other action, Lily interjected.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t,” she said and shot Raphael a sideways glare. “My cleaning staff doesn’t need more work on their hands.”

A quick glance in their direction confirmed Hannah’s suspicion that they were holding back laughter. She could see the humor in all of it, but she wasn’t the kind of person to let such a slight go without retribution. She gave Raphael a saccharine smile a saint would be proud of and backed down.

“Alright, you’re off the hook,” she said. “For now.”

Raphael pushed the plate closer to her again.

“Eat this and then we can talk about how much you wish to murder me.”

In the end, Hannah ate enough pie and tartlets to make her feel beyond stuffed with sugary goodness; it was all delicious and she made sure Raphael knew how much she appreciated his food. His ‘punishment’ could wait for another day.

[winters-kid]

aw I love these, thank you sm for the tag, dear !!

coke or pepsi: I don't drink it often but I'd say coke

disney or dreamworks: dreamworks has some incredible movies, but I gotta go with Disney because The Lion King, PotC and Tarzan were my childhood <3

coffee or tea: coffee !! I've used it to pavlov myself into writing regularly hehe. I do have a huge tea drawer tho :)

books or movies: bothhh

windows or mac: windows

dc or marvel: marvel ofc

x-box or playstation: nintendo switch ! but I used to share a PS2 with my brothers so playstation

dragon age or mass effect: ?

night owl or early riser: reluctant early riser

cards or chess: Swiss Jass cards

chocolate or vanilla: chocolate

vans or converse: converse

lavellan, trevelyan, cadash, or adaar: ?

fluff or angst: lots of angst w some fluff after

beach or forest: forest

dogs or cats: cats

clear skies or rain: rain

cooking or eating out: ordering in hehe

spicy food or mild food: spicy !

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: halloween <3

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too cold

if you could have a superpower what would it be: werewolf vibes

animation or live action: live action but animation slaps too

paragon or renegade: ?

baths or showers: showers

team cap or team iron man: team cap was right

fantasy or sci-fi: both :)

do you have three or four favorite quotes, if so what are they: "Where there's life there's hope." - J.R.R. Tolkien / "We're all stories in the end."

youtube or netflix: netflix

harry potter or percy jackson: harry potter

when do you feel accomplished: when I can check smth off my to do list and when a party I've planned is going well :) also when I send chapters to my betareader

star wars or star trek: star wars my beloved

paperback books or hardcover books: paperbacks

live in a world without literature or music: both are horrible

who was the last person to make you laugh: my bf <3

city or countryside: small city

favorite chips: zweifel salt and vinegar chips

pants or dresses: pants but I do adore the occasional dress

libraries or museums: libraries

character driven stories or plot driven stories: character-driven

bookmarks or folding pages: bookmarks (which are sometimes receipts or ripped up little pieces of paper)

dream job: author and stay-at-home-mom <3

what gives you comfort: my notebook, coffee, people I love, rainy weather

what are you currently having brain rot levels of interest over: lokius !! also jamie fraser bc I'm rewatching outlander and that man makes me absolutely feral

what is your current favorite song: big energy by latto bc it makes me think of pedro dancing

how many books have you read this year? next question pls

what's your favorite scent? coffee, the woods, rain, or my bf hehe

what's your favorite season? autumn

tagging @riversrunningfree, @lily-of-elysium and @chvoswxtch if you feel like doing it :)

RULES: answer all questions, add one question of your own, and tag as many people as there are questions

thank you @good-enemy for the tag <3

coke or pepsi: coke

disney or dreamworks: sorry but i prefer disney i could name maybe like two dreamworks movies off the top of my head

coffee or tea: tea because coffee tastes burnt

books or movies: books

windows or mac: windows

dc or marvel: unfortunately i am a marvel fan

x-box or playstation: i havent used either of these in years

dragon age or mass effect: what

night owl or early riser: night owl

cards or chess: cards

chocolate or vanilla: depends on the food but usually vanilla

vans or converse: docs

lavellan, trevelyan, cadash, or adaar: ⁉️

fluff or angst: angst. hurt that blorbo you know you want to

beach or forest: beach

dogs or cats: dogs by default because im allergic to cats

clear skies or rain: clear skies but like the kind of clear skies when its sunny with no clouds in the sky but its chilly out

cooking or eating out: depends on the food

spicy food or mild food: mild food bc im a picky eater and also white

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: hanukkah

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too cold

if you could have a superpower what would it be: telekinesis but that might just be because im a jean grey girlie

animation or live action: live action

paragon or renegade: ⁉️

baths or showers: baths but unfortunately showers are more convenient

team cap or team iron man: i hate both of them

fantasy or sci-fi: anyone who knows me knows i am the biggest fantasy lover out there

do you have three or four favorite quotes, if so what are they: idk i have a lot but i couldnt name them off the top of my head

youtube or netflix: youtube

harry potter or percy jackson: percy jackson obviously. he'd also kick harry potter's ass but thats a whole other conversation

when do you feel accomplished: when i succeed

star wars or star trek: ive seen bits of star wars so that one

paperback books or hardcover books: hardcover books because they have built in bookmarks and also theyre pretty

live in a world without literature or music: nice try but no

who was the last person to make you laugh: i dont know probably my dad

city or countryside: city i love the city i am a big city person (i dont live in a big city)

favorite chips: baked lays

pants or dresses: pants

libraries or museums: museums we have no good libraries here

character driven stories or plot driven stories: oh thats hard. probably plot but i do love a good character driven story

bookmarks or folding pages: bookmarks

dream job: music therapist

what gives you comfort: my dog. also music

what are you currently having brain rot levels of interest over: the once upon a broken heart series by stephanie garber and also maisie peters's music

what is your current favorite song: coming of age by maisie peters

(added question) how many books have you read this year?

tagging @henwilsons @napollya @thegoosewitch and whoever else is interested

[rhetoricalrogue]

Some Surprise

My contribution to OC Kiss Week’s collaboration with @out-of-the-embers, featuring her lovely Lily and my hot mess of a boy Rolfe in a modern AU.

Look at the artwork she did!  It’s amazing!  It was so much fun working with you!

There were definitely worse ways to spend a Friday night than to hang out with friends at the local tavern type bar and grill.  Lily leaned against the bar and shouted out her friends’ orders over the din of the people gathered and the sound of the band on the stage at the back of the room.  They were a local band of mostly college kids that had played at the place before, but Lily didn’t recognize the guitarist. She figured he was new or at least standing in for the usual guy for the night.  He wasn’t too bad; there were a few moments where she could tell that they hadn’t really practiced together, but he kept up with the band enough that unless you were really nitpicking and listening, you didn’t notice.

He wasn’t too bad on the eyes either: she guessed he must have been around his mid-twenties, which was a smidge older than his fellow bandmates. His dark hair hung loose and around the collar of his snugly fitting shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.  He had a nice, rich sounding voice that complimented the lead singer’s vocals without hogging all the limelight and seemed beyond happy to be on stage and playing.  They’d been there a few hours already and Lily could tell that whatever weight he had brought with him at the beginning of the night was slowly dropping off his shoulders.

Not that she was watching closely enough to notice.  Too hard.  Shit.  He was cute, but in that way that told her that he knew how attractive he was, and honestly, she was happy watching from the sidelines instead of going up for a closer look.  She didn’t want to ruin the nice little fantasy that he was a good guy who liked dogs and holding hands for the possible harsh reality of a self-centered jerk in love with himself.

By the time the bartender slid a tray of drinks to her, the band was wrapping up a set and going on a mid-evening break.  Weaving her way through the crowd as best as she could, she managed to get back to the table without spilling anything.

“And what about you?”  Lily blinked at her cousin’s question.

“What about me?”

Raphael raised the empty glass she’d left at the table, the remnants of ice sliding around at the bottom.  “You didn’t get a refill for yourself.  I know you; once those nachos we ordered come in, you’re going to be reaching for a drink that’s not there.”  He started to get up to go for her, but she shook her head.

“I’m already up, I’ll get rid of this tray while I’m at it.”  The trip back to the bar was a lot easier now that she wasn’t worried about spilling anything, and the crowd around the bartender had thinned out enough that she didn’t have to jockey for a spot.

“Hi.”

Lily almost didn’t turn at the greeting, thinking that it was directed towards someone else, but then she felt a gentle tap at her shoulder.  Setting the tray down at the end of the bar, she looked to her left.

And there he was, the unknown guitarist with the pretty hair.  “Hello.”

He smiled at her and leaned an elbow against the bar. “How’s your evening going?”

She shrugged. “It’s going.” She glanced at the stage where some of the other band members were taking a break. “The music’s good.”

“Yeah, they’re a nice band. I was lucky that I found someone playing close by that needed a backup guitarist.” His smile widened. “I’m Rolfe.”

“Lily.”

“I could probably throw out a line about you being prettier than the flower you’re named after, but I bet you’ve already heard them all.”

Lily arched her eyebrow. “You have no idea.”

“Well, then it’s good for me that I don’t use cheesy pickup lines.” He tilted his head to the side and laughed. “Too often.”

She blushed and cleared her throat, trying to remember what they’d been talking about before she got distracted by the dimple that had appeared when he smiled. “You’re a backup member? I thought you were with the band.”

“These guys?  Nah, I’m not with them, they were just nice enough to let me play with them for a night.  I’ve known them all of…” Rolfe looked at his watch. “A couple of hours.”

“Oh? So what do you do when you aren’t playing with complete strangers?”

He winked and leaned close.  “Super secret spy things for the Chantry. I slipped free of my handlers for the evening.”

“Oh, sure. Okay.”

His eyes widened and he put a hand to his chest. “No, seriously. I’m a dangerous assassin, back from a semi-successful mission.”

She decided to play along.  “Semi-successful?  What happened, you miss your target?”

Rolfe shrugged.  “No, the target was eliminated, but I took a bit of a tumble escaping.  I had to run across rooftops avoiding the guards with nasty aim and some of the tiles were loose.”  He lifted his knee and Lily could see neatly wrapped bandages beneath the hole in his jeans.  “It wasn’t my most graceful moment.”

She snorted, still not believing his story. “And what? After a mission debriefing, you decided to head over to a bar and find a band that needed a guitarist?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”  He took a sip of his beer.  “I’m hitting burnout and needed some decompression.  Probably should have told my superiors where I went, but I’m pretty damn sure Ser Alexander knows exactly where I’m at.  That old warhorse has an uncanny talent at finding his wayward minions when they decide to go AWOL post-mission.” Rolfe leaned heavier against the bar and Lily saw that a line had appeared between his brows.  Maybe he was full of shit about some of his story, but it was obvious that there was some truth to what was stressing him out.

“Well, I’m glad that you decided to run away here.  It’s been a nice night listening to you play.”

And just like that, the heaviness seemed to fall off his shoulders as quickly as it had settled over him.  “I’m glad I decided to run away here too.  It isn’t often that I get to talk to a pretty lady.”

Lily felt her ears redden at the compliment.  “Somehow I seriously doubt that.”

“It’s true!  Hey, can I buy you a drink? I know you’re with a group of people, but…”

“Oh, I’m not drinking…”

“Soda?  I figured that you’re the DD for the evening.”

She tilted her head.  “How did you know?”

Rolfe grinned and tapped the side of his nose.  “Chantry spy, remember?  Being observant is a job requirement.”  He glanced over his shoulder and Lily saw that the drummer was making none-too-subtle “wrap it up” motions with his drumsticks.  “Listen, I’ve got to get back on stage, but it was great talking with you.”  Rolfe pulled out a pen from his back pocket and reached behind Lily to grab a cardboard coaster off the bar.  She watched as he scribbled his name and phone number on it before sliding it towards her.  “If you ever feel like talking some more, no pressure.  Texting is often better though, especially for late night conversations.”

She arched eyebrow.  “So you don’t disturb the other super secret assassins at work?”

Rolfe winked.  “Now you’re getting it!  Gerard is especially grumpy when people keep him while he’s trying to sleep.  Had to dodge a knife he threw at me once and he’s threatened to just shoot me the next time I wake him up without reason.”

Lily took the coaster and put it in her jacket pocket.  There was more than likely zero chance that he would ever text her back if she made a first move, and seeing that he wasn’t from around the area, she doubted that she’d ever see him again.  It was a shame, because while he was just a little bit in love with himself, he hit her as a genuinely nice guy who just wanted to have fun.

She glanced back at the table.  Raphael was watching closely with a grin on his face, and she knew that she was going to get teased no matter what once she got back.  Biting her lip, she reached out and tugged on Rolfe’s arm as he was leaving to get his attention.

“Hey, thanks.”  She rose on her tiptoes and closed her eyes, hoping that her aim was good.  Rolfe was a good few inches taller than her, and she hoped that the impulsive decision to kiss his cheek would pay off and she didn’t wind up catching his earlobe or anything.

She was surprised when instead of his cheek or his earlobe, she actually managed to kiss his mouth.  Judging by the soft intake of breath, Rolfe was just as surprised as she was.  The kiss didn’t last but for a second or two, but she broke away first, an apology already on her lips and heat flushing to her cheeks.

Rolfe smiled at her, a genuine smile that made his blue eyes sparkle and that dimple reappear at his cheek.  “Wow.”  He shuffled closer to her and tilted his head.  “May I?”

She felt disconnected from her body as she slowly nodded.  Lily closed her eyes as Rolfe reached out to cup her cheek in his hand and slowly brushed his lips across hers once, then twice before settling into a firmer kiss.  She melted against his embrace and when she lifted her hands to wrap around him, she could feel the muscles at his back loosen and relax.

Rolfe’s thumb brushed against her cheek and he gently bumped his nose against hers.  “Wow,” he murmured again, slowly moving away from her.  Lily almost instantly missed the warmth of his body against hers.  He was going to say something when the band’s lead singer cleared their throat loudly into the microphone on stage.

“If our Cassanova is finished, we’re back from break.”

Rolfe looked sheepish.  “I’ve got to go,” he told her, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the band.  “Duty calls.”

Lily nodded and absently bit at her lip.  She watched as Rolfe’s eyes seemed to darken and he swooped down for a quick kiss to her cheek.  “Text me?  I wasn’t kidding about my roommate threatening to kill me if I woke him up with a phone call.”

She was still nodding as he turned around and headed to the stage at a quick jog.  Lily watched as the drummer handed Rolfe his guitar and there was a quick huddle before the lead singer laughed and stepped aside.

Even with the bright lights pointed at the stage, Rolfe managed to catch Lily’s eyes and hold it.  “So this isn’t a regular thing, but the band agreed to indulge me.  This next song is an original, but be gentle: I just thought of it ten seconds ago.  It doesn’t have many lyrics yet, but I’m calling it Lily.”

Lily could all but feel Raphael’s eyes on her the entire time she wandered haphazardly back to their table her attention focused on the stage and the song being played more than anything.

“Well, well, well,” Raphael drawled as she finally sat back down.  “Someone made a friend.”

“Oh please, don’t you start.”

He put a hand up defensively. “I’m not starting anything. To be honest, I think it’s sweet.  A little cheesy, but sweet nonetheless.”

Lily smiled and raised her glass to salute Rolfe as he wrapped up his song. It wasn’t the best song she’d ever heard, but she could definitely tell Rolfe was making both the music and the lyrics up on the fly.

It was the cutest thing anyone had ever done to impress her.

“So,” Raphael started, digging into the nachos that had been served to their table while she had been at the bar, “are you going to call him or not?”

She blushed. “How do you know he gave me his number?” she asked, picking up a nacho to give herself time to think.

“I was watching. The guy was slick.”

“You were being nosy, you mean.”

“Call it what you want, but I saw him handing something to you. I’d put money on it that a phone number was involved.”

The coaster weighed heavily in her jacket pocket. “I haven’t decided yet.” She looked at her watch and did some quick mental calculations. If the band was going to play all night, they’d be up for another break in about an hour. Even if she didn’t call Rolfe, at least she’d get a second chance to talk with him.

She turned her attention back to the stage just in time to watch Rolfe wave in her direction. Smiling, she waved back.

What the hell, she thought, pulling her phone out. Tapping a quick note to tell him she enjoyed the impromptu serenade, she hit send before she could think better of it and delete the message.  If anything, getting to know Rolfe would be fun.

[vintagestagehotties]

Round 2 is officially over!

Congratulations to the actresses who made it to Round 3!

Round 3 will begin on Wednesday, May 22nd

The winners of Round 2:

Maude Adams

Julie Andrews

Hermione Baddeley

Pearl Bailey

Josephine Baker

Anne Bancroft

Tallulah Bankhead

Theda Bara

Claire Bloom

Diahann Carroll

Lina Cavalieri

Helen Chandler

Claudette Colbert

Constance Collier

Gladys Cooper

Zena Dare

Ruby Dee

Stephanie Deste

Marie Doro

Maude Fealy

Edwige Feuillère

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Hermione Gingold

Dorothy Gish

Mata Hari

Audrey Hepburn

Lena Horne

Lisa Kirk

Eartha Kitt

Angela Lansbury

Vivien Leigh

Jessie Matthews

Siobhán McKenna

Meng Xiaodong

Ethel Merman

Cléo de Mérode

Liza Minnelli

Rita Moreno

Pola Negri

Julie Newmar

Nichelle Nichols

Aida Overton Walker

Bernadette Peters

Lily Pons

Chita Rivera

Ginger Rogers

Diana Sands

Maggie Smith

Emily Stevens

Barbra Streisand

Yma Sumac

Hilda Trevelyan

Fannie Ward

Elisabeth Welch

Mae West

Anna May Wong

Yoshiko Yamaguchi

[wethalla]

Some headcanons from talking with @lukeskywalkersbutt earlier about Nathra and Logan and Lily and alllll the feels. (This is mostly so I don’t lose track of any of this at any point).

- Nathra tries to be aware of cultural things, but she really doesn’t know much about anything other than both Dalish and Alienage culture.

- Like, it’s blatantly obvious when she joins that Inquisition that acting as anything other than a very elfy-elf is sort of beyond her. Josie, and some others, try to help as best they can, but some lessons just don’t stick.

- A lot of times there’s comments like “what do you mean -this thing- isn’t proper?” or “wait, you shem-errr humans do/don’t do -other thing-”. Those around her try to explain (after calling Josie in to make sure Nathra didn’t accidentally bring war on the Inquisition by offending a noble), but it just doesn’t truly click. She tries her best for the most part, but sometimes it also frustrates her to the point of giving up even trying.

- Cue Lily Trevelyan, Logan’s amazingly adorable daughter.

- Nathra has always loved and been great with children, but her experience (naturally) extends to elf kids. Some from when she lived in the Kirkwall Alienage, the rest when she joined clan Lavellan.

- The couple of times Lily visits Skyhold,  they get up to all sorts of antics. Nathra enjoys showing Lily her interests and telling stories of the Dalish while they (try to) bake, or when she’s showing her some of her favorite (hiding) spots in Skyhold.

- But she also takes the time to learn about what it’s like for Lily as a noble family’s daughter. And something about Lily’s experiences and the way she (patiently) explains things to Nathra just sticks unlike anything else.

- After some time in the kitchen once, Lily spends the next hour plus showing Nathra all about proper place settings and how a full, several course meal, plays out and what utensils are proper when. They even talk about proper table conversations - as Lily understand them, at her age.

- And another time probably even a day or so before that, they’re a mess and covered in flour from baking and Nathra’s all too happy to go wandering around Skyhold. But Lily immediately recognizes “this isn’t proper, we need to wash up” and explains it to Nathra.

- Nathra who, prior to this, was always a mess throughout the day, always not bothering to really clean herself up until the evenings. But suddenly, having this absolutely adorable kid explain it to her by not just being exasperated and saying “it’s proper”. Lily tells her why it’s proper, why they should always be presentable.

- Later on, after Nathra’s told Logan about all her interactions (and antics) with his daughter, that he shares that he’s somewhat unsettled by how easily his Lily takes to wearing the mask of a noble. That it’s almost as if she’s already playing the Game and she doesn’t even truly understand what that means yet?

- Nathra tries to reassure him as best she can, and they talk about the potential for Lily to visit again when things stabilize a bit more. This is probably pre-Winter Palace stuff in my head?? So a second visit would probably be after.

- And on a subsequent visit, Nathra gets to tell Lily about all the times she was able to remember and use the lessons she taught her.

- And also I’m pretty sure Logan’s heart is both warmed and breaking these times Lily visits? The want to have his daughter around, to be a family and to know she’s safe at his side I would think? But like also, knowing it is safer for her to be with his brother and sister, away from the mess and the soldiers and the thought of a repeat of Haven.

Oh also sad, Trespasser bonus:

- Lily comes to, finally, stay with her father ~6 months after the defeat of Corypheus.

- And there’s a lot of warm, happy family bonding and stories about (most) everything that’s happened.

- But the Anchor starts to get worse until the Trespasser events actually begin. And while normally Nathra would accompany him, always happy to be at his side and helping in whatever way she can, her duty quickly becomes toward Lily.

- The heart wrenching discussion happens that, no matter what, Nathra must look after Lily. That as much as he wants both of his girls to come with him to the Winter Palace (oh how Lily would love to see a place of such grandeur), he doesn’t know how dangerous it might be. Doesn’t want to put either of them at risk, but especially not his daughter.

- Nathra wants to argue, to convince him there could be a way to make it all work, but she understands that’s not what’s for the best. That the best really is for her to remain at Skyhold, to keep Lily safe. And the last thing she wants to do is send Logan off with either of them (more) upset or angry.

idk y’all, I’m just super here for cute family shenanigans, but also heartbreaking reminders of the world they live in and the situation they’ve all been thrust into.