#Roguelioness writes

[roguelioness]

Pharos

When Neria agreed to serve as Rook's advisor, she never thought she would meet Solas outside of a battlefield.

Pairing: Solas x Neria Lavellan Rating: G Words: 1540 dragon age: the veilguard spoilers ahead.

Read on AO3

Sleep does not come easy, her heart frantically drumming its excitement. Neria stares at the roof, lets her eyes trace the many beams that criss-cross and support the structure. It has been so long since she saw him, so many years spent with barely any news of his existence. How often she has worried about him, even as she fretted over his plans. 

Would he have forgotten her? Had he thought of her at all?

Did he miss her?

Well, she thinks, I will have all the answers I need once I fall asleep.

It is no easier, but sheer exhaustion soon consumes here. When her eyes open, she is in the Fade, familiarly green in an unfamiliar location. She glances around, waiting for her guide to show up; a few moments later a figure strides towards her, her silhouette familiar, and Neria’s shoulders relax.

“I thought you would never turn up,” Rook remarks.

“I could not fall asleep,” she confesses with a faint smile.

Rook nods abstractedly, her mind still clearly occupied by the disastrous turn of events. “Come,” she says as she starts to walk away, “the Lighthouse is this way.”

“How can you tell?” Neria asks. “The Fade is so vast…”

Rook’s expression is grim. “Interrupting the ritual had a price,” she says, voice and body stiff. “I do not know the specifics, but I am bound to Solas, and the Fade. I will always know where he is, and he will know where I am.”

She stumbles, emotion catching in her chest and clogging up her lungs. Bound to Solas? Tied so close to him that she would know his location at any time? It is what she has wanted the most the past years, and that this new hero, her successor, has been granted it while she, the one who had loved him and who still loves him, has not… The sense of being discarded, as illogical as it is, has tears prickling at her eyes, and her fingers curl into her palms, nails digging into the skin, to steady herself. I was his enemy, she reminds herself. Why would he want to let me know where he wanders when he knew I wished to stop him?

Still, the rejection stings, hot and angry, and she has to remind herself to calm those wayward emotions lest she attract the attention of demons.

“Is he-” Neria hesitates, then starts again. “Is he well?”

Rook throws her a sympathetic look over her shoulder. “You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”

Soon enough comes quicker than she expected, and it is with a near-overwhelming sense of awe that she glances at what Rook has called The Lighthouse. So this is Solas’ real base, his personal home. Once again that feeling of bitterness that she’s not the first to experience this, that for all he claimed to love her, he did not truly trust her enough to-

He gave you Skyhold, she reminds herself. 

He gave the fortress to the Inquisition, she rebuts. He gave the fortress to the Inquisitor. Not to me. 

He did not invite them, her mind patiently counters. It is Rook’s interruption of his ritual that has resulted in her presence here. He did not prioritize them over you.

For an indeterminate length of time she merely gazes up at the grand building, at the hues of gold and purple that adorn it. That it is his is impeccably clear; she has intimate knowledge of how his magic feels, and it is so thick here it is a physical touch against her non-corporeal skin. Large, gilded windows allow golden light to stream in; the stone that make up the walls gleam with a kind of mother-of-pearl sheen. The Fade here is warm, comforting, a balm to her riot of emotions – it is unsurprising that his space in the Fade is so heartening.

And yet, for all its majesty, there is something heart-wrenchingly lonely about The Lighthouse.

Rook huffs impatiently. Neria rouses herself out of her thoughts at the sound, and follows the other woman into the mansion. There is opulence everywhere, though it is not garish; wherever she looks are touches of that same purple and gold – on the border of the carpet, the edge of the drapes, the pattern on the cushions adorning the plush couches.

So much space, she thinks, for one person.

When they pass the dining hall – twice as long as it is wide, and it is so very wide – she spies a great table with more chairs than she can count, and it is empty, so, so empty save a single plate and knife and fork, with a solitary goblet to match, and it slams into her then just what a terribly isolated, lonesome existence he must have led. How many times had he been betrayed to be instilled with the belief that he could trust no one? How many friends, how many lovers had cast him aside, had turned away from him because of the rumors that accompanied his name?

“Why are you crying?” Rook asks. 

Neria wipes at her face, mildly surprised to feel the tears. “It’s nothing,” she shakes her head. “Let’s keep going.”

The library is their destination, Rook’s unofficial war room as Solas has barred entry into other places in his home. She can understand that; it must be hard enough for him to handle this intrusion into his fiercely-guarded privacy, he would not want to let these new interlopers into every little bit of this deeply personal space.

They pass what she thinks to be the library. It is- she has no words for it. A row of towering bookshelves line two walls, filled with tomes and tchotchkes and trinkets. Sofas carved from rich, warm wood and covered in soft, shimmering velvet rest next to mosaic-covered tables, atop which rest intricately sculpted lights that glow with a bright, cozy light. There are books everywhere – stacked on top of tables, scattered across the floor, spread open on the seats. This, Neria realizes, this is where he spends the most time, the true heart of his home. The urge to enter and give everything within a closer look is almost irresistible; were it not for Rook taking their arm and giving a gentle tug, she would have succumbed.

“Not that one,” she says simply as she guides away from that oh-so-compelling room.

They encounter one of Rook’s companions on the way to their destination; Neria thinks the russet-skinned woman exuding such confidence is the one Rook said was called Neve. 

“Rook, a moment if you would?” Neve says.

Rook turns to her. “The library is right around the corner,” she says. “Give me a few minutes, and we’ll catch up.”

Slightly insulted over her exclusion – did Neve not think she could be trusted? – Neria makes her way to the library, coming to an abrupt standstill at the doorway.

Standing by a window, gloriously warm amber light caressing his face, is Solas. His back is to her, and she takes advantage of his ignorance of her presence to take his in. He is dressed in dark leather armor – beautifully made with materials she doesn’t recognize – as though despite this being a safe place, he does not entirely trust the people wandering his halls. Shoulders and back stiff, his chin jutted forwards, he reminds her of a cornered wild creature that is ready to lash out and strike at any moment.

And then he turns, and she sees his face for the first time in almost a decade, and her heart skips a beat before beginning a galloping rhythm–

A deep furrow sits between his brows, but the scar she has kissed so many hundreds of times is still there. There are heavy bags beneath his eyes, but his irises are the same shade of blue-grey-violet she remembers. His face wears a touch more color but his freckles are still visible, and she wants to count them to ensure each and every one of them are yet there. He– he is thinner than she remembers, his cheeks more gaunt; he appears like a man who has been well-plagued by stress.

He looks worried and frustrated and anxious, though it soon gives way; first into an expression of shock and surprise, then muted sorrow and dulled regret, before going blank entirely. But his eyes, oh, his eyes – they are ravenously, desperately hungry, and she shivers under the weight of that rapacious gaze, her skin flushing and warming beneath the force of it.

“Oh, vhenan,” she murmurs, taking a step towards him, trying not to take it personally as he takes a step back in response, “you have not been taking care of yourself.”

Whatever he had expected her to say, it had not been that, and the tension bleeds from him. “Neria,” he says, so quietly and reverentially it pulls tears to her eyes, “ir abelas, vhenan.”

Unable to help herself, unable – and unwilling – to resist, she bridges the space between them with long, rapid strides, flinging her arms around his neck and rejoicing in the form and feel of him. “I’m here,” she whispers, making a soft, choked laugh as his fingers tighten their grip on her, “I’m here.”

[scionshtola]

For the sleepy prompts: how about 2 for Cori and Y'shtola? 👀

thank you rolo!! 💗

2.  “Go rest.  I’ll take care of it.” || (420 words)

Corisande pushed open the doors of the Waking Sands storeroom, hoping to grab a quick snack before they made their way to an inn for the night. They expected it to be empty at this hour, everyone either gone home for the night or curled up somewhere much more comfortable. Instead they found Y’shtola, a host of books arrayed on the table before her, resting her chin in her hand.

It was hard to tell from this distance, but Corisande was certain she was asleep.

She approached the table quietly, trying not to disturb her. Only when she was at Y’shtola’s side did her eyes snap open, wide with alarm.

“Oh, Corisande! ‘Tis only you.” She straightened in her chair, blinking as she focused on Corisande. “I take it your mission fared well, seeing as you have returned in one piece, late though your arrival may be.”

“I hadn’t realized I was on a schedule,” Corisande teased. “What keeps you here at such an hour? This does not seem like the most comfortable way to sleep.”

“I wished to see your safe return myself. Though had you not awoken me, ‘tis likely I would have missed your arrival completely.” She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn behind her hand before smiling up at Corisande.

They smiled back, warming at Y’shtola’s care for them. Judging by how low her lamp had burned, she had waited a long time for them to return. “You did not have to wait up for me.”

She waved at Corisande, dismissing their words, then gestured at the book that lay open before her. “Pray do not think I have spent this time idle, however. I have been researching the primal entities, that we may be more prepared should they be summoned yet again.”

“I would not dream of suggesting you had ever been idle, Shtola.” She fought back a teasing grin. “Though I think you have done enough work for the night. You should get some sleep.”

Y’shtola’s eyes closed again, and she slumped slightly in her chair. “I just need to return these books to the shelves first.”

“Go rest,” they said, squeezing her shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.”

She nodded and pushed herself up from the table. She squeezed their elbow gently, listing toward them. “Thank you, Corisande. And as always, I am glad that you returned to us safely.”

Y’shtola left the lamp behind as she headed for the door. Corisande watched her go, heart full with affection for her friend.

[thevikingwoman]

AO3 Year End Roundup 2024

Tagged by @myreia and @galadrieljones, thank you friends!!

Tagging: I am even later, but let me tag @roguelioness @redinkofshame @wickedwitchofthewilds @astrology-bf @superfluouskeys

@galadae @buttsonthebeach

—Words posted: 34,520 (including the ffxivwrite2024 pieces I didn't get together to post to ao3 until today, but it was up on tumblr in sept!)

—Additional Words Written: Unknown! My words written counter is a little less than this, as some of the works posted was started in 2023 or earlier.

—Grand total of words: My counter says around 28,500 written in 2024

—Fandoms: FFXIV, Wayfarer, Dragon Age Inquisition (AU)

—Works: 17 (inlcuding ffxivwrite2024 anothology)

—Highest Kudos: Casual Fun (Dragon Age solavellan, explicit). Not really a big surprise that a major pairing in a large fandom with lots of writer love beat out my rare pairs in a fandom with less writing/reading focus.

—Highest Hit One-shot: Also Casual Fun

—New Things I Tried: I did ffxivwrite for the first time, and it was a ton of fun! I've done a prompt/day challenge before, but this was the first one where the prompts are not known before hand. I didn't do all days, but the ones that spoke to me, and it was great! it was my most productive month.

I also wrote explicit m/m for the first time in To the Victor, the Spoils (FFXIV Magnai/Hien, explicit). I can't believe I did before, but I haven't. I was quite pleased with it!

—Fic I Spent the Most Time On: The Lovers (Meryta/Tansui, explicit). This fic is listed as "relationship talk" in my tracking sheet, and it's something I worked on intermittently from January to May - and it's been in my mind longer.

It was really important to me to write how Meryta's and Tansui's relationship changes. It's a physical fling first that grows, and I wanted to have an honest and mature conversation about exclusivity that worked in the world. And to stay true to their cheeky and teasing nature. I'm really pleased with the Xaela lore I weaved in along with both how intense Tansui feels about it, their different approaches to a relationship (Meryta is demi-romantic) and also their playfulness (it started as a silly thought, which is how they always behave in my head). It meant a lot to me and it took a lot of work; I actually went and wrote part of their conversation from both their POVs to figure out what was going on.

—Fic I Spent the Least Time On: Stamp, which I've not even counted in my ao3 count, since it's so silly, not canon, and not going on ao3.

For published fics, Casual Fun, since it was finishing something that was a few years old for "finish your WIP February" and I just cleaned it up and wrapped in up in 3 days (short for me!)

—Favourite Thing I Wrote: This is a very hard question! I did love writing The Lovers, and my Hien/Magnai fics, and all my Meryta/Tansui fics - they're just ughghgh to me.

but I think my favorite things was actually Choices, which is a Meryta introspective Shadowbringers piece - it's short and deals with the lack of agency and the Exarch and all the feelings she's going through in the story. I just really loved fleshing this out.

—Favorite Thing I Read: I'm going to be extremely selfish and say Familiar Shores by @myreia, your wrote my blorbos and you wrote them so well and I'm just SO happy reading it.

otherwise, I read many great things - I love all of what @myreia writes, and I had other fun things I read, like see me bare my teeth for you by meepfather, such a lovely and wellwritten piece and I love the aura head canons.

I also re-read @ellstersmash's nothing on my tongue for the umpteenth time, a perpetual favorite

—Something I Finished: I tend to write one-shots, so I finished many things! I love writing one shots, and it's much easier for me to write a moment than a story arch. I started out 2024 by finishing Solace and Breakfast, which really was the groundwork for all my Meryta/Tansui fics, and the productivity I had this year

—Miscellaneous Highlights: My word count was pretty typical for a "productive" year for me, and I'm glad I found footing in writing ffxiv and Meryta - along with Hien and Magnai. I have not been writing much since my interest in writing Dragon Age tapered off, Iwyn settled with Solas in my mind. I was excited to pick up writing more again!

I also tracked my writing and tried to write every day. it did fall apart in the summer, and after October, but overall it's a good goal to have, and I'll pick it up again (next week. hehe).

I'm also really happy to revisit my Wayfarers for a small Wayfarer event, I love them and the story so much!

Lastly, I was very happy to write a small piece for @myreia, I do love writing gift fics, but it's also a bit nervewrecking writing other people's characters. Meryta-as-an-adventurer was fun to visit and how she'd see Aureia!

—Writing Goals for 2025:

I want to write more Meryta. I love her, and there's lots to fill out. I started and outlined a multichapter of her time on the Steppe in Stormblood - as this turned out so important for her. I do hope to get to write more on it.

I also have more Tansui and Meryta ideas, and I am SO close to finishing Endwalker - I want to flesh out how their relationship develops during that time. in addition, I think I'll try to do @yearoftheotpevent! I'm excited for the prompts.

I would love to do ffxivwrite again, and I'd love to revisit my Wayfarers. Then I will probably play veilguard, and who knows if that will make me return to Dragon Age.

—Final Thoughts:

I really like being a multifandom, and multiship writer. While right now 80% of my brain is Meryta and Tansui, it's so fun to have other things to explore. I have a half-written estimeric piece, I have more Hien and Magnai ideas...

I think I'm still struggling with writing a rarepair and ffxiv's lack of writer engagement, but I will carry on and forward and remember the joy writing bring me in it's self - and the dear people reading my writing 💚

[galadrieljones]

WIP Wednesday Thursday

Thank you for the tags @thevikingwoman and @roguelioness ^^

Just finishing up my Sene Lavellan x Ameridan section for Riptide. I wrote an entirely new piece yesterday in which Solas visits Ameridan in the Fade. It was very fun to write them. It's very fun to write Solas any time he is taken by surprise and/or off-balance:

"I have come here to just…ask you how she is," said Solas. "How she is doing. That is all.”

Ameridan, amused, finished his drink. He refilled it himself with two finger taps to the table. “You want to know how Sene is doing?”

“Yes.”

“She is doing well,” said Ameridan. “She is fine. Why don't you ask her yourself?”

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen your butterflies," he said, smiling. "They hover over her as she sleeps. At first, I thought maybe Abelas, but he doesn't have the power to track her like that, to know where she is. You, however, do. So, why don't you simply walk in her dreams, and ask her? Or do you do that already?"

"I haven't walked in Sene's dreams in over a year," said Solas. "I figured she would have told you."

"We don't speak of you very often, Solas. It is a sore subject for Sene. If ever we do, that's a whole conversation, and it tends to ruin the mood." 

tagbacks for both ❤️ New tags for @bearlytolerant @littlelindentree @gneebee @im-immortal @wrenbee

@a-shakespearean-in-paris @ladylike-foxes @shift-shaping @halla-hunts-the-wolf @myreia

(I tried to tag some old and new friends. If you don't have a writing wip, any wip will do, like show me your knitting or the pie you're baking, or feel free to ignore this ily)

[myreia]

AO3 Year End Roundup 2024

Thank you for the tags, @anneapocalypse & @lilbittymonster!

Tagging: I'm not sure who has done this since I'm a little late to the party, but throwing tags the way of @thevikingwoman, @roguelioness, @galadae, @galadrieljones, @astrology-bf and @syrcus! 💕

—Words posted: 133,357

—Additional Words Written: A little over 30,704 from two long fics I started but then got distracted by other things. Hopefully I will be getting back to them this year!

—Grand total of words: 164,061

—Fandoms: FFXIV

Technically Dragon Age as well, but since these were reposts of fics from 2018/2019 I deleted a few years back, I’m not going to count them.

—Works: 10 (technically 39 but anthology publishing, y’know 😂)

—Highest Kudos: Since I posted my ffxivwrite fics as an anthology, I’ll count the next highest. Desiderium was published in August and is part of my (super belated) Wolcred week series. It’s currently sitting at 39.   

—Highest Hit One-shot: Most of my fics this year were multiparts, so this one goes to Anthesis (post-Endwalker Wolcred smut wooo). It’s currently sitting at 311.

—New Things I Tried: I wrote a bunch from different character POV’s! While I always enjoy writing from Aur’s POV, it is a lot of fun to explore different viewpoints and visit different characters’ perspectives. The whole structure of my (unfinished) wolcred week series is based on doing one fic from Thancred’s POV followed by one from Aur’s. I also touched on Alisaie, Fordola, Minfilia, Ryne, Rielle, Sidurgu, Aymeric, uh… so many. I was experimenting a lot with ffxivwrites, which was fun!

I am also being more adventurous with how I am incorporating sex scenes into my work. Apparently I did not one but two strip teases, one for Aureia and one for her Azem so. Hm. Maybe they are more alike than Aureia believes lmao. Also shout-out to Thancred’s moment of disassociation in Surrogate. I think I’m just being more adventurous in my approach to sexual situations in fic.

I am also much more grounded as a primarily longfic/multipart writer. This started last year with Divergence of the Heart, but most of my previous fanfics (especially in my Dragon Age era) were one shots or one shot collections. I’m really happy flitting about with novella-length stuff, it sits in a good place for me.

—Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Desiderium, since it had a lot of different threads to pull on. I also spent a lot of time on a post-5.3 untitled ShB fic that has some of my favourite Wolcred moments in it to date, so I’m excited to return to it once I finish the series I’m currently working on.

—Fic I Spent the Least Time On Steer took no time at all, it just came and went like that. Which I suppose is the purpose of the exercise!

—Favourite Thing I Wrote A scene in the aforementioned post-5.3 untitled ShB fic which I can’t really say much about other than I am excited to share it whenever the whole fic is ready! From the published stuff:

I love Aureia and Yda’s dynamic in Castaway and Yda being the one to break through some of her walls in ARR

Aureia and Thancred’s balance between hope and concern when they first arrive in Old Sharlayan in Desiderium

the aftermath of Aureia’s red magic experiments to slow her light sickness in The Heart’s a Withered Fortress

Aureia and Sidurgu slowly growing closer and closer together, as seen from Rielle’s POV in Stable

Sally, a Rielle character study that made my heart hurt

Stamp, a Fordola character study

—Favorite Thing I Read: Eleos [General, rated Mature, 4,018 words] by @astrology-bf. It is an absolutely fascinating look at the WoL from the perspective of a Garlean soldier, and it raises many excellent questions about the nature of war, loyalty, purpose and mercy. Marius and Ifan’s conversation is such a fascinating moment, and I’ve been thinking about it since I read it on tumblr.  

—Something I Finished: Four out seven Wolcred week fics done! Maybe I’ll finish the series before the next wolcred week comes around ahahaha.

—Miscellaneous Highlights: I think ffxivwrites was a highlight for me. Since my fanfic preferences have turned towards multiparts it was nice to challenge myself to keeping things contained. I re-learned how to write one shots and I think I went in new directions I didn’t necessarily expect if I had had time to think and structure things out!

Another highlight are the two gift fics I wrote this past year which are very precious to me. Familiar Shores (WoL x Tansui) for @thevikingwoman and Seasons Passing (WoL x Y’mhitra, WoL x Aymeric, WoL x Yugiri, and WoL x Erenville) for @lilas! I adore both their WoLs, and it was so much fun writing them and exploring their relationships.

—Writing Goals for 2025: Finish the wolcred week series before June! The next three entries are all going to be some form of multipart, but I am excited for them since they explore much more than just Aureia and Thancred’s relationship, but their relationship within the context of other relationships and friendships. I am a bit nervous about what I have cooked up for Fic #6 since it is going in A Direction that may not be very popular, but it is very true to Aureia and I am excited about it nonetheless.

Other than that, I want to return to my two unfinished longfics, and then see where things take me. I have so many ideas, and I’m really enjoying fleshing out Aureia’s series and hitting all the different moments that are important to her from ARR-ENW. And I’m sure whenever I do get around to playing Dawntrail, I’ll have more ideas to add to the list!

Aaand maybe I will publish my 100th AO3 fic this year, who knows. 😈

—Final Thoughts: 2024 was such a fun year for fan fic writing. Since I write for a living, I’ve struggled for the past several years finding a balance between time for professional writing and hobby writing, and I think I finally found that balance. FFXIV is such a fun sandbox to play in, I’ll have many stories to tell and many ideas to dig into for a while.

I think sometimes I worry about not really being able to participate in the tumblr fandom properly because I'm unsubbed for an unknown amount of time (which means I’m missing out on the newest content, gposing, and everything that’s only possible with a regular sub). The nature of an MMO kind of leaves you with the feeling that you're not present if you're not continually active in game, but I don’t think this is really true. I can still do my thing and write and make stuff and be invested in the game and my character without playing regularly. There’s more than enough story for me to chew on from the stuff I have played, and with video game fandoms I enjoy taking a step back from the game and going on to play other things while I let the story and characters sit with me.

I’ve taken up digital art recently and I have some ideas for comics when I get more experience under my belt, so that’s something to look forward to, too!

[lilas]

wip wednesday

tagged by @hanseelie ty beloved! tagging @roguelioness @hythlodaes @coldshrugs @scionshtola @lavampira and @lilbittymonster if anyone wants to share!

a lil snippet of this post-DT fic I’m slowly trying to write, featuring some Avi’li and Estinien friendship :>

—-

…[Avi’li]’s surprised by a long arm around his shoulders and a stalwart presence beside him. He looks up at Estinien with wide eyes.

Estinien lifts an eyebrow. “You look rather dour for someone getting wasted at a party. An alpaca spit in your drink?”

“Maybe that’s the extra note I was tasting,” Avi’li says and smirks when Estinien laughs. “It’s Erenville. He left for his cabin a while ago.”

Estinien claps Avi’li’s shoulder. “Well, don’t let me stop you from knocking your boots.”

“It’s not that,” Avi’li says with an elbow to Estinien’s side. “I’m worried. He’s lost a lot, and he doesn’t…” he cuts himself off with a sharp exhale. “I don’t understand what he needs from me.”

[darethshirl]

Rules: Make a poll of your favorite female characters (no limits - as many or as little as you want) and see which your followers like the most!

thank you to @fadedsweater for tagging me! 🥰 this was FUN (probably only fun for me specifically lmao but oh well!! still counts!)

super tempted to add more but I'll keep it to 10 I GUESS 😤 tagging back @sarsaparillia, @hollyand-writes, @melisusthewee, @rosella-writes, @dreadfutures, @roguelioness, @queenaeducan and any other mutual I'm forgetting!

[barbex]

Writer Game

Look what I found in my drafts!

@celemee tagged me for this, thank you! It looks short and fun, so I'm inflicting it on everybody. Tagging: @sulky-valkyrie, @effelants, @tobythewise, @andrastesknickerweasel, @mordinette, @zet-sway​, @roguelioness, @potatowitch, @for-the-ninth, @anneapocalypse, @rakshadow, @contreparry, @highwayphantoms, and everybody else who wants to!

Do you write in order? Yes. I'm a discovery writer. I write the story as it appears in the headlights of my very slow car.

Do you start with something in particular? I wish I had a system. Really, it would help so much! I often start with dialogue, but then I also like starting mid blowjob scene.

How fully formed does your writing come out on the first try? Clean draft. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Okay, listen. I write, I go back, I rewrite, I fiddle here and there, I rethink, I change everything, I write again, I rewrite, I fiddle... I'm doing everything they tell you not to do. What comes out after all that is a fairly clean chapter I'll throw into the world without a second look.

How many drafts do you go through? One. I mean, it's an unholy creation of my chaotic thought process and changes form like a shapeshifter while it grows, but in the end, at least for fanfic, it's one draft and out to AO3 it goes.

I'm terrified of having to change this process for the novel I'm writing.

Tell me about your process? Gods, I wish I had one. I think it has become clear by now that I'm just diving into the story and keep throwing it all on the page. If it looks right, it stays.

This process requires for me:

Quiet time

Tea

A little bit of life, like someone else also working nearby

Wrist protector

A good and/or pretty keyboard

I'm not even kidding, look at this pretty thing:

Thanks for reading!

[wickedwitchofthewilds]

ao3 meme

I was tagged by @natsora

tagging: @roguelioness @thevikingwoman

[my ao3]

How many works do you have on AO3?

101

What’s your total word count?

1,076,771

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Mile to go Before I Sleep (423 kudos)- A MEA longfic featuring Emma Ryder, a human/alien hybrid (I made them myself :3) and her adventures in Andromeda and budding romance with Jaal Wicked Games (229 kudos)- Astarion tries to seduce a motive out of Rhea but it doesn't go to plan Relieving Tension (185 kudos)- Sara tries to take on everything, and Jaal reminds her to slow down Keep Me (143 kudos)-During an ice storm, Circe finally reveals what she's been hiding from Gale Afternoon Pick Me Up (132 kudos)- Sara Ryder helps Kandros relax on his day off

Do you respond to comments? Why/Why not?

Most of the time, yes!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I Will Never Forget You. It's one of my earlier fics for Solavellan where Solas tracks down a Lavellan that has dementia and doesn't really remember him.

Do you write crossovers?

I haven't yet. There's a ME/Alien and MEA/Alien: Isolation idea that's been sitting on the shelf for a long time

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not outright hate but I have gotten some not so nice comments and dealt with them accordingly

Do you write smut?

YES lol

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

It's so hard to pick an all time ship because my brain rotates them like a microwave. Right now my brain wormies are focused on Lucanis/Elauthin but tomorrow I might be back to Solas/Makenna/Raina or Astarion/Rhea or Emma/Jaal or...

What’s a WIP that you want to finish don’t think you ever will?

I don't want to say that I'll never finish a WIP because I'm always going to try until I can't. I suppose the original Blood Queen would count because I deleted that and I'm rewriting it (why am I like this)? I always start writing stuff with the intention of finishing it but between also working on my original work, my brain throwing ideas at me 25/8, and life beating me up when it feels like it, it may take me awhile.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and pacing. I've also gotten a lot of compliments on how I put a story together, and someone likened it to watching a chess match.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I sometimes struggle with visual details. Usually it's something I have to buff in editing though fanfiction gets minimal editing from me.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I only do it for single words or phrases that I know or can ask someone I know about. I'm not great at learning languages (not for a lack of trying) and try not to embarrass myself

What’s the first fandom you wrote for?

Does Greek Mythology (a middle schoolers understanding of it) count? It was a vampire au with Ariadne, Dionysus, and Theseus. Thankfully, handwritten.

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet, but want to?

Coral Island I think. I was going to say Stardew Valley, but I technically have written some things, I just haven't published them.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I love all of my fics but I'm going to choose Miles to go Before I sleep because it's the first I ever finished, I'm still proud of that to this day, and I miss Emma and Jaal.

[coldshrugs]

wip whenever

@lavampira tagged me in wip wednesday this week and i'm very slowly chipping away at a late heavensward era piece so. here's a bit of that!

tagging with no pressure: @scionshtola, @lilas, @thevikingwoman, @galadae, @roguelioness, and some newer mutuals whose writing i'd like to get to know 👀 @ahollowgrave, @ooeygooeyghoul, @jigschosai

Strange, the way grief turns one into a shadow. Io steps into a room and the occupants move around her, pressing in close to the walls; space enough for her and the dead, she supposes. If they look at her at all, it is with an insufferable, simpering pity, and every exchange of words ends the same: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The performative prayer, always a whisper, as if speaking it any louder might disrupt death. Even the knights manning the lower floor of the Congregation pay her no mind as she enters. Only Handeloup, the most gentle of soldiers, spares a quick glance, but his face tells her even a greeting would require more delicacy than he has to spare today. He nods solemnly and turns back to the stack of documents sprawled across the table in front of him. No matter. She is not here to talk–she came to hide.

[redwayfarers]

wip whenever

i was tagged by @galadae and @roguelioness! ty for the tag!

i've had a bit of a writing block but i did sit down to try and write the part 2 i've had in mind for a while now for my nika/artoirel fic (you) restless son where artoirel asks if he can court nika. i'm not at this part yet, but have a little dialogue of them being dorks and so very disgustingly in love.

“Why are you looking at me?” Nika suddenly asks. He’s looking deeply into the contents of his cup.  “We have seen each other naked, Nika. Am I not allowed to look at you while clothed?” Artoirel leans against the table. His cheeks burn a little, from embarrassment and happiness both, and taps his nails against the surface in a rhythm.  “‘M not talking about that,” Nika mumbles. “Also, that’s a very good beat.” He starts tapping against the porcelain in tandem. “That’s the song you wanted to show me last night?”  “Yes. Of course, wood and porcelain are bad replacements for an actual instrument, but yes.” Artoirel clears his throat.  “You’d be surprised what you can do with wood and porcelain. Not everyone’s fancy enough to have a grand piano.” Nika smiles. “Besides, it’s fun. I used to play with my mom’s pots like that when I was a kid. Before she’d take them away and shake a finger at me. ‘I need those to make lunch, Nika!’ ‘But we can eat music!’ Can we eat music, Artoirel? Can we eat music?”  “Does.. spirit eat music? And literature, theatre, painting, and other arts?”  “You tell me. You’re the one who grew up with those stupidly pretty Halonic chants. Me, I’m just a little bard of Gridanian tradition. The fact I have a magical voice is a side benefit.”  “We have to go to the theatre sometime, Nika. Since you’re in Ishgard, you might as well enjoy the culture. I think an exception will be made for your hats, too.” Artoirel laughs, but Nika’s giggle echoes around the room.  “Oh no, not the hats! I would have burned this whole place down ages ago if it discriminated against my hats!” 

tagging @lavampira @astraphone @hythlodaes @coldshrugs @irisopranta and @impossible-rat-babies!! i'd love to see what you guys are working on :>

[roguelioness]

After yet another of his plans fail, Solas is afforded a second chance to repair his mistakes. But he soon learns he is not the only one who was displaced, and that there is more than just the Breach that threatens his Herald…

Chapter 1 - Tell me, where do I go?

Excerpt:

“Norah,” he says, desperate to reach out and hold her, but his bindings prevent it. “Solas,” it is little more than a flutter of butterfly wings. Her form droops, seems to melt into a puddle, and a frantic terror seizes his heart. He cannot let her go like this, not here, not yet. Gritting his teeth against the enormous pain that ravages every miniscule bit of him, he pushes through the spell and wraps his fingers around her wrist, pouring as much of his energy into her as he can. Her form shivers and shudders, slowly becomes solid once more. “Why did you do that?” she asks. Her voice is stronger. She looks more like the strong, fearless woman he has always respected. “There was no need, Solas. We both know I will not last to see the dawn.” “You have endured more than enough on my account."

[Read more on AO3]

[inquisimer]

wip wednesday

tagged by @roguelioness (twice!! thank you fren)

I'm slowly rewriting my longfic of Neria's Inquisition arc, so here's a snippet from the chapter I'm adding to capture some of the prologue :3

tagging forward to: @rosella-writes | @plisuu | @blackwallmancer | @fadedsweater | @stonebiscuit

~~~

When she woke next the pain had been contained to small stabs in her palm, except for the occasional burst that sent shock waves of fire up her arm. Bewildered, she stared at the strange magic swirling in her palm as harsh voices clasped her in chains and called out again, for the Nightingale, for the Seeker.

A Seeker.

Neria shuddered as the guards dragged her along dripping stone corridors. Thousands of times stronger than a Templar and the seal of death for whichever mage brought them to the Circle. Powerful enough to enforce discipline on a Knight Commander even, if the circumstances were dire.

What happened? What had she done?

There were holes in her mind that laughed at her when she scrambled for memories that slid through her finger like water. Her terror intensified; if she couldn’t remember how could she keep her footing? How could she stay steadfast? This Seeker, the Chantry—they could say anything about her and without her memories she would have no ground on which to deny them. Not that they were likely to believe her anyway, but certainly no one would if she couldn’t even believe herself.

She sobbed, tripping over the rough stone floors, and it earned her a cuff upside the head from one of her captors.

“Don’t think to try our sympathies, elf,” she snapped. “Were it up to me I’d run you through here and now without any ceremony.”

That only made Neria sob harder, unable to contain herself. Whatever had happened, it seemed they would make her the target of their rage regardless.

They flung her into a cell and locked chains onto the shackles that bound her wrists. The metal was imbued with lyrium—she could taste the cold steel buzz of it on her tongue. It kept her from even reaching for her mana, not that she was eager to try. She remembered little of the brief waves of consciousness before now, but she remembered the nausea and the pain and the helpless cycle of both. No point in putting herself through that when she could hardly get out of this situation by casting.

She would leave this cell in a body bag, most likely. They were clearly past any point where she might mitigate the punishment and anything less would take a miracle. She used to face this sort of reality on the daily, but she’d grown complacent in the years since the Chantry controlled her. Still, the cold resignation was a familiar friend and her sobs faded into steady streams of tears as she doubled over herself on the cold stone floor.

Had they, perhaps, finally drawn the connection between herself and Anders? In theory she’d been affiliated with the Mage Underground at large, but in reality every agent of the network knew that she only worked in tandem with Anders. Though she’d left Kirkwall before his ill-advised protest, Neria was haunted by the thought that some trace, some minute action she’d taken back then would link her to him and she would become a wanted terrorist as well.

She’d covered her tracks well for the last five years, but perhaps this was that moment. It could even be a highlight of the peace talks—not Anders himself, he was too well protected by the Champion. But executing his alleged accomplice would certainly gain the Chantry some traction with both the mages and the Templars.

[thevikingwoman]

Fic Authors Self Rec

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the love ❤️

I was tagged by @myreia and @a-shakespearean-in-paris, thank you both! It's hard to pick favorites? (I cheated)

Tagging forward, and to anyone else who wants to!

@galadrieljones @redinkofshame @ubejamjar @roguelioness @galadae

@bearlytolerant @kittlesandbugs @ellstersmash @janzoo @coldshrugs

@gangrelslut @superfluouskeys @buttsonthebeach

- 1. The Lovers

FFXIV | Shadowbringers | Wol x Tansui | Explicit | 4310 words

After defeating the Rak'tika Lightwarden, Warrior of Light (& Darkness) finds time to teleport back to the source, yearning to see her lover again. Tansui is more than happy to see her again, and their need for each other is undeniable. However, after they come together, something weighs on Tansui's mind

This is one of my most recent fics, and I really love exploring both Meryta's and Tansui's POV in this one. I struggled getting it to where I wanted, but I'm so happy with where it ended up and some of the nuances I was able to get in here.

- 1.5 Passing Through

FFXIV | Stormblood patches | Wol x Tansui | Explicit | 4518 words

Warrior of Light Meryta Khatin, while helping Genbu with the Four Lords passes through Onokoro. She can't help checking in on a friend - and Meryta and Tansui can't deny the attraction between them.

Alright, I'm cheating and adding one more Meryta and Tansui fic. This one was the one that settled the idea I had for them in my mind, that made me think of them as ship - even if they're not there yet. I had such fun writing it, and I think it shows.

- 2. Choices

FFXIV | Shadowbringers | Wol | Gen | 736 words

After the reveal and failure of G'raha's plan, Meryta has a moment - angry, hurt, confused and falling apart

I love this little MSQ coda, it was so great to express the feeling about the whole plot, and how it felt to Meryta. I think I expressed her feelings and interiority so well, and put some great images in here.

- 3. Comfort

Dragon Age | Vampire AU | Solavellan | Explicit | 7107 words

"Brooding alone?” someone asks. A woman, an elf, leans on the bar next to him. Her red hair is up in a ponytail, displaying the tawny skin on her muscular back. She is wearing a shimmering white dress, only a scrap of fabric covering her back. “I am just here to enjoy a drink in peace,” he replies. She laughs, eyes sparkling and lighting up her face. Her lips are painted bold red, and he notices her vallaslin, a dull olive covering the right side of her face. Dalish, then. Not many clans do that anymore. “No one comes here to drink in peace,” she says. “Iwyn Lavellan.” She holds out her hand, and he has to take it, bringing it to his lips in a kiss. Later, he blames the alcohol, or her sparkling the eyes, or the way the dress barely covers her ass. “Solas. Pleased to meet you.”

Probably my favorite AU. I love the little plot, I love the world, I love the dynamic between them. I love writing Iwyn as the immortal. I love the images and descriptions I wrote - and he smut is pretty good too!

- 4. Home

Uprooted (Naomi Novik) | post-book | Agnieszka/ Sarkan | Teen | 2175 words

He misses her, just not more than he fears belonging.

This is probably the favorite fic I have ever written. I think I hit the mood of the book so well, and managed to make a believable continuation. I just think this one flows so well and I'm very proud of it.

- 5. Temerity

Dragon Age | post Inquistion | Solavellan | Explicit | 10728 words

Iwyn Lavellan is doing all that she can to stay one step ahead of Solas, opposing him after he reveals his plans. When she runs into her former lover in an abandoned ruin, they start a tenuous and dangerous dance. They can't help but being drawn to each other, no matter how harsh the flames of love or hate will burn them.

I love this one for so many reasons. Though not Iwyn and Solas canon (in my head) reunion, I love the darkness of this, and the way they're messed up. I'm so proud of myself for going there and writing this and putting it out in the world. I love some of the metaphors, I love the intensity. And I love the open ending I left; do they spiral or do they make it through?

[galadrieljones]

AO3 Year End Roundup 2024

Thank you for the tag, @myreia ❤️

Tagging: @thevikingwoman @im-immortal @vir-tanadahl @pikapeppa @roguelioness and any other of my writing friends, who I am completely blanking on right now. Ily.

—Words posted: 193,053

—Additional Words Written: Unknown, countless on the editing room floor lol

—Grand total of words: ???? Let's round up to 200k lol

—Fandoms: Dragon Age, The Walking Dead

—Works: 3 (two wips, one one-shot)

—Highest Kudos: afterglow (twd/bethyl)

—Highest Hit One-shot: My only one-shot last year was Possession (Dragon Age/Emmrook), and tbh I have no idea what's normal for a ship like this, and so I am happy with the response in any case lol.

—New Things I Tried: Sene and Ameridan developed into a very unique ship for me, in that they are largely, platonically in love. Romantically, their hearts sort of belong to Solas and Telana, but this does not deter them from cultivating a great love between them. As Sene describes it, they are friends who have "expanded the definition of friendship." I like their devotion to one another in that it sort of demands so little beyond itself. It is truly spiritual and very comforting to write.

Also, in both my major fics this year, in two separate fandoms, I am writing couples who are reuniting after having not seen one another physically in ten years (bethyl and solavellan). It's a little strange how that turned out. The emotional maturity involved in this sort of pursuit has been eye-opening. I feel I could not have written these fictions 5-10 years ago in my life.

—Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Likely afterglow, though churning out the first three sections of Riptide in like a month was quite challenging 😅

—Fic I Spent the Least Time On: Possession. It came to me quickly, as I had this idea for Emmrich and Rook falling in love almost vicariously through their pursuit of more information on Solas and Sene during their time in the Inquisition. It was always based on the plot of the A.S. Byatt book Possession, which I love. I wrote it first as a chapter for Riptide, but I realized it could easily stand alone with few tweaks. I wrote the whole thing in probably two sittings.

—Favourite Thing I Wrote: One of my favorite single scenes that I wrote last year is probably, weirdly enough, the scene with Sene and Abelas in the Crossroads, discussing Abelas's past with Solas and Mythal in Chapter 21 of Riptide. At this point, Sene and Abelas have been broken up for a long time, and Abelas is married to another woman. But their devotion to each other is still very strong, as friends and comrades at arms, and I enjoyed exploring these tender, platonic moments between them, how they know each other so well, and how they comfort one another in such a strange and difficult time that really only the two of them, given their respective relationships to Solas, can appreciate.

—Favorite Thing I Read: Most of what I read is for work, and I read many stories last year that inspired me. I reread a lot of work by two of my favorite authors as well: Ann Beattie and Joy Williams. Their work brings something so interesting and dark to this notion of femininity and what happens when a female character gets into this place where she is constantly feeling the need to justify herself to a man, as something slowly withers away inside of her. Meanwhile, in the face of her acceptance toward resignation, he simply seems to flourish, unaffected by matters of the heart, and this is a necessary feature of their duality. One of my favorite short stories ever is Ann Beattie's "The Burning House," published originally in 1979, which is really a perfect encapsulation of this kind of thing.

—Something I Finished: Just Possession. I think...???? Lol

—Miscellaneous Highlights: In both of my fics this year, I have focused on my heroines first, which is not typical for me. Usually, and in the past, I have focused foremost on my tragic male heroes and their singular journeys, ie: Daryl and Solas, and how learning to be loved has been a motivating factor for them and their pursuits. But this year, I have been much more motivated by the heroine's journey. I guess I am still really proud of my characterization of Beth Greene and her life in the Civic Republic in afterglow. I am also really proud of how in-depth I've gotten with my Lavellan, Sene, and her journey in the ten years between Inquisition and Veilguard. In both afterglow and Riptide, we see women trying to move forward with their lives in the face of immense loss, which has evolved and continued to take from them over a period of ten years. They become harder and sadder because of it, but also much wiser and more aware of their potential. They find productive ways to wield their anger, and they grow. They make friends, and they try to find happiness with other people. These relationships don't work out, but they provide valuable tools and wisdom in order to light the way forward, to a grander destiny.

—Writing Goals for 2025: I would simply like to finish my long fics. Lol. I have no idea what else the future may bring.

—Final Thoughts: Last year was a bit of a turning point for me in my writing, as I feel it has matured quite a bit, and while the process was somewhat slow, it feels like it's found its footing now. Very clearly, I can see how my writing for both solavellan and bethyl has changed and grown up in a massive way, mainly via the themes and focus on different kinds of love, how love changes over time, and the pursuit of stoicism and self-actualization on one's on. Riptide, which spans eleven years of Sene's life, sees her changing dramatically from beginning to end, finding a great deal of calm where she used to just be sort of mad with anger. It definitely feels like a more mature companion to my first solavellan fic The Dead Season, in which Sene was very young and still trying to figure out who she was with Solas, let alone without him. Afterglow, meanwhile, feels like a much more mature companion to my first bethyl fic Magnolia, as it is focused on Beth, and how she has grown up as well over the past ten years.

I guess we're all getting older lol (in a good way). That's the theme of the year for me.

[myreia]

last six lines

tagged by @lilas & @thevikingwoman, ty! 💕

tagging: @birues @roguelioness @bearlytolerant @lilbittymonster @anneapocalypse

rules: post the last six sentences you’ve written

from Lend an Ear, the last ffxivwrite prompt I finished! (who knows what I am going to write today.....)

It has happened before. He was young and foolish when he let Estinien into his heart. Has he learned anything since? Or is she destined to meet a similar end? There is something about these warriors his heart chooses—bound to wander like distant stars, while he is ever bound to Ishgard. Aureia’s voice resounds in his ear, warm and firm and with such tenderness he is reminded why exactly he loves her. “I would like that.”