#also thinking about how different the dynamic is between varric and hawke and varric and rook is

[cybershock24601]

Once again thinking about the similarities between Rook and Hawke and how guilty Varric must feel about pulling some poor kid probably around the same age Hawke was when they first met into this world ending mess like he carries the guilt for dragging Hawke into the deep roads expedition where they lose their sibling one way or another or when Varric called them to help the Inquisition and we all know how that can turn out. Varric's an old man with the weight of the world on his shoulders and I just know he feels as guilty as he is relieved to be putting that weight on Rook's back and even more guilty for being glad he has an excuse to not have to be the guy making the tough calls anymore

[thewardenisonthecase]

Finally, some overall thoughts on Veilguard

I want to begin this by saying I only got into DA back in June of this year. I don't have much of a dog in this race as the people who have been here since 2009 or the people who have been waiting 10 years for the conclusion of the narrative set up by the ending of Tresspasser.

But I have been obsessively playing the three past Dragon Age games since June and I was extremely excited for Veilguard, in part because I wanted more and because I needed a new distraction from the world.

All in all, I enjoyed the game way more than I expected. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my expectations were on the floor but who knows. I did like the game a lot but I do have many criticisms for it.

There some things that, at the begging, i didn't like but grew to enjoy. The combat is one of them. At first, when I was still learning, I really hated the combat system, but with time, I got better at it and now I enjoy it quite a lot. I will say, I still prefer the DA2 combater overall, and I miss being able to control my companions. While I prefer a more tactile style, I thought the combos were pretty nice.

Let's talk about characters. I was quite surprised that I ended up enjoying all the companions. Even if there were some I didn't bring out as much, I still liked them, and I enjoyed most of the personal quests, with Emmrich and Bellara's being my favorites. I like that the companions talk amongst themselves and it really seems like a group that is actively living together.

I do wish, however, that there was more...variation? to how some of their personal quests ended. I feel like only Emmrich's quest had a final choice that severly impacted his character, while the others, sure, I can see how internally they can impact them but it didn't feel like either outcome made a lot of difference. Also, Taash's quest of choosing to be more rivaini or qunari sure is...weird, but other users have gone more at lenght at this than me.

Side note, while the Hardened mechanic is really interesting, I was a tad dissapointed it only happened once.

I also really liked Rook, and after struggling to connect with the Inquisitor, Rook was what I needed. I like that for the most part, they're just some guy who has to shoulder all these responsabilities. I like their dynamic with Solas, and especially with Varric.

What I'm not the biggest fan of is the lack of actual roleplay/choice. See, in RPGs, I tend to play the typical good guy because being rewarded for doing good is like a power fantasy to me, so Rook being that was great for me. However, I can totally see why not being able to just be kind of a dick sucks. It takes away some nuances that a player can choose to give to the character, and it can kill replayability if you can only kinda of always play the same personality type.

Also, even thought the diplomatic/sarcastic/aggresive wheel is back, I think it was just for show. In DA2, even if the 3 options led to the same outcome, each response was written in a way that made them unique. A diplomatic Hawke is very different from a Sarcastic or Aggressive one. With Rook, it was remeniscent of DAI, where they don't have a lot of variation (by the way, I mean variation in how they were written, not at how they're acted out). I ended up varying a lot between all three options and never really noticed a lot more difference than an "aggresive" Rook is a little more curt/to the point.

And I must say, while I think most dialogue scenes are pretty good, and some even being amazing in my opinion, there were others that felt very...therapy talk. Lucanis's Inner Demons quest was the one that came off as that the most to me, which broke my heart since I romanced him. It just felt jarring. I think the game could have benefitted of having a quest focused solely on Rook, kinda like how DA2 has the 'All That Remains' so that at least for once, it wasn't Rook having to do therapy talk to all their companions. I also think the beggining of the game should have been Varric recruiting Rook, kinda like in Origins, mostly because I would have personally enjoyed that more than a wall fo text.

When it comes to the overall story. I am of two minds. I think, taking the game for what it is, I like it a lot. The ending made me cry, there are a lot of high points, and I liked the conclusion. However, when you take into consideration the previous three games, that are things that make me pissed.

I always knew that the lack of custom world states would piss me off, but I didn't expect to be so infuriated. There were MANY chances for this game to make references to the Fifth Blight and they don't, and yes, that pissed me off because it would have tied Veilguard with the beggining of the series, which would have felt quite nice. Althought the lore is interesting, I hate that everything is tied to the elves and that the mystery of Andraste, the Maker and the 7 magisters was explained and is now gone. I knew that was the direction of the game was going but personally, as someone who's not that invested in elves to begin with, I was sad that all of the plot points I enjoyed the most were tied back to the Evanuris. But again, that's a personal thing.

The lack of teeth in this game is real but more people have gone in detail about this so I won't go long.

In comparison to the other games, there are not a lot of actual, world impacting choices to be made, but at the very least, the ones that are there are indeed very impactful.

Like I said, I romanced Lucanis and while i LOVE the scenes we have, for a game that was marketed as 'the most romantic', it felt lacking. I think just being able to directly talk to the companions at any time like in DAO and DAI and spam a kiss button would have made it for me.

Even though I have...complex feelings about the Varric reveal, I think the endgame portion of the game is the strongest. I do wish there were actual epilogue flashcards. Also no, i'm not going to talk about the post credit scene, don't remind me of it.

All in all. For what it is, I think it's an amazing game. For a DA game, however, it was lacking. I still enjoy it a lot, and it's better than Inquisition in my opinion (but I just really...really don't like Inquisition).

[crows-of-buckets]

Dav spoilers below the cut!! (Up to just before leaving for the anderfels)

Okay I've gotten off for today so I wanna ramble a little bit about my playthrough so far!!

I am geniuenly adoring it so far! Alot of the problems I have with inquisition are non-existent, the combat is fun, the characters are likeable. Sadly the purple rook options aren't as much of an asshole as I would like (purple Hawke you will be missed) but they are nice! The writing so far has been solid imo.

I really like that the cameo characters aren't taking up too much space. While I do get excited to see them, I don't want them overshadowing the new characters, like they kinda did in previous games. The cameos are also way sooner than I was expecting!!

So far I've only had one instance of "that is NOT what I meant to say" with the dialogue wheel which I count as a win (when I recruited lucanis I said 'ill keep an eye on you' thinking it was out of concern 😭 that may have just been a skill issue on my end tho. I reloaded that save so fast). I also really like the romance dialogue options so far. They aren't so overwhelming cringe that it makes me wanna curl up and die inside (I am staring directly at you Hawke who SAYS THAT to a man who's BOYFRIEND JUST DIED). They all feel very nice and flirty in a way that isn't in your face. I am also really REALLY liking the companion writing so far. All of the characters are charming and I'm already more invested in them than I was in the inquisiton cast sorry 😭

While Rook does talk a lot on their own, so far it all feels very in line with what Revari would say. While I do miss being able to control everything the PC says, ik logically we'll never get a dragon age game like that again so it's not something I was expecting. Very happy nothing feels glaringly "they would not fucking say that"

I I thought the lack of worldstate choice was going to be more glareingly obvious but tbh i kinda forget about it for most the playthrough. It still sucks that there isn't more worldstate options, but yk I can't change that

Lucanis is already really growing on me!!! He's just a silly little guy and I am a SUCKER for them. Born to be a chef forced to be an assassin frfr...

Neve gallus obviously has my whole heart if you didn't know. The longer she's on screen the more I love her. She hasn't left my party since Bellaras recruitment quest.

Very interested in Bellara. For a hot second I thought her brother was going to be Felassan so I was mildly disappointed that it wasn't 😭 although ultimately making it a new character is a better narrative choice.

I LOVE that you can encourage Lace's abilities!!! I have a feeling that how you tell her to channel her abilities (whether through joy or through fear) is going to affect the outcome of her story... Also love that if you show optimism about her abilities she also shows excitement about them

Varric and Rooks relationship is so sweet to me!!! I mean he calls them kid you guys should know I was gonna be a sucker for it. While I know that's probably annoying for older Rooks, it works for Revari. I'm also very glad he has a distinct different relationship with Rook than he did with Hawke and The Inquisitor. He's clearly very fond of them and it makes me happy idk. Also the sheer fucking difference between the way he acts towards the Inquisitor (even one he's friendly with!!) and rook is so funny. Inky really is just his ex boss huh 😭

I've only talked to Solas twice so far but I'm already more invested in his and Rooks dynamic than I was with him in the Inquisitor sorry 😭 I didn't romance him so he didn't really do it for me in Inquistion, but I'm low-key looking forward to seeing him again. His little jabs in the second talk after you "exchange verbal spars" is so fun, and I think it really hammers in the "Solas reflects back the people he interacted with". He did it with the Inquisitor, and is doing it again with Rook, but it's SO much more interesting to me in this game so far idk. Maybe it's because he's responding to specific comments? Idk Revari is a bit of a shithead so. I don't think Revari hates Solas, but they are a bit wary of him.

The voice acting has been very solid so far as well!! Nothing that's glarely bad to me at least. I also really like some of the facial animations; while some of them can feel a bit flat in general conversation, some of them are REALLY good. There was a bit where Dorian started snarking and he curled his lip. And another where Rook opened their mouth like they were going to talk but didn't. Idk the facial animations are REALLY standing out to me. This is so much better than the previous games I am not even over exaggerating. Dragon age "Every character wears an ugly sneer all the time" Inquisiton you will not be missed... Obviously it's because the technology is better but it is really really obvious how much attention went into the faces I am here for it

The combat is so fucking fun. Ik it won't be everyones cup of tea but I am having a BLAST. It didn't take me very long to get the hang of and it's very satisfying to play with.

I am also fucking LOVING how relevant your backstory is!!! Like yes!!! I am a shadow dragon!!!! There's so many additional dialogue about it even just in casual conversations! I never felt like the game forgot about it. Rooks connection to their faction is great and I love the fact that they know people and people know them. Shadow dragon rook ily 🫶

I really like how much it feels like this game remembers what you've done. From Lucanis remembering your preferred drinks (Revari likes their coffee STRONG) to Varric feeling like he let you down after you encouraged him, so far it really feels like what I'm doing is sticking and that makes me SO fucking happy.

Final thing!!! This game looks absolutely fucking gorgeous I keep getting blown away by the views. I do wish I could zoom my camera out a bit more just to take everything in bc it's SO big I love it!!! So far it is geniuenly meeting my expectations and I am SO FUCKING RELIEVED. I have been so worried it was gonna be dogshit for WEEKS

[ziskandra]

*cackles* 7, 10, 11, 13, and 24

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them? hate is probably too strong a word but i've developed a knee-jerk reaction to fellow anders fans over the years because of the subset that truly seem to think he can do no wrong and that all of his actions were entirely justified and had no negative consequences for anybody in kirkwall other than the templars. on one hand, i kinda get it, because i know anders fans have also gotten a lot of flack because... this fandom is incapable of being normal. on the other, i have a knee-jerk reaction towards anyone who assumes everyone plays these sort of games the exact same way as them (or indeed, the same way each time). i totally respect people doing whatever they want in their games and in their fanworks, but it's when it comes out in harassment of others or making bad faith assumptions about the character of actual living human beings that i'm like. no thank you. obviously there are fans of other characters who also engage in this behaviour, anders is just the one where my negative fandom experiences outweigh the positive ones, personally.

oh also, while i'm being salty (the name of the game i SUPPOSE), i fucking love f!handers but m!handers leaves me cold (especially in canon-verse fic, i don't mind it as much in like, modern AUs and the like?) idk i feel like them being the same gender changes their dynamic in a way i can't articulate--probably that hawke being female shifts the power dynamics a bit and. yeah. 10. worst part of fanon

again, 'worst' is probably a harsh word, but when it comes to pervasive fanon that i personally just don't like, it has to be visibly mixed-race alistair. i don't mind it as much when his ears have like, a subtle point to them or whatever, but speaking personally as someone who is visibly mixed, to the point that i have fielded complete strangers asking "what are you" on regular occasions, alistair's narrative would be. quite different if he wasn't human-passing. and while i get that some mixed-race people find solace in making their blorbos more representative of who they are and their identities not causing any issues, it leaves me cold. and again, i don't care what other people do, but it's when some people act like fellow fans who dare depict alistair as he appears in canon are being racist or what have you that i get annoyed. like, yeah, dragon age fandom does have problems with race, but like... this is imo not one of them, and it detracts from like. bringing awareness to actual issues. yeah yeah people can care about multiple things at once, but by the same token, people can only care about so many things at once, yknow? also this fandom in particular has a real problem with treating poc like we're all a monolith, and that includes both white people and poc. i find it especially frustrating that the dominant discourse centers north american race politics the most, but god forbid anyone try to address that directly .... but that's a rant for another time lmao. 11. number of fandom-related words you've filtered i have about 16 fandoms i'm not in filtered mostly bc they just turn up on my dash a lot, and a handful of characters/ships filtered for fandoms i am in! the one that has been consistently filtered the longest is reyes vidal. 13. worst blorbofication

oooh, this one i think is a toss up between alistair and varric. as someone who loves both these characters more for their flaws rather than their virtues, fandom can be. a difficult time! alistair often gets reduced to this...perfect prince charming, which i think is kind of disappointing considering there is so many different ways for his story to develop depending on the the outcomes of origins? varric, otoh, gets reduced to hawke's bestie a lot. and look. i get it. he is hawke's bestie. he is. very uncritical of hawke, which is not as much of a problem if hawke's a good person but. what if they're not? what if they're not, varric. god, what i would give for like. a fucking complicated characterisation-rich fic which explored like. hawke and varric's friendship and how they're like. codependent messes. (and i say this as someone who loves codependent messes lol). and i guess like.... everyone treats varric being viscount as a meme. and yeah, i get it, the dude is everything everywhere all at once. but i'd really love to see more content focused on like... his relationship with kirkwall, and his feelings regarding his friends and becoming viscount and yeah. anyway!! being a blorbo of mine is the worst because i enjoy pain and suffering. anyway, 24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

mage rights and also the chantry boom. i don't think i even have to elaborate on this do it 😭 🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

[the-cryptographer]

Isabela for 002!

Woo! Thank you for sending this in! Isabela is a great girl! /sleazy Varric voice

002 | Give me a character: ISABELA

How I feel about this character: She’s so lovely <3 I think her being this person who, having lived through a very hard childhood and the colonisation of her home and a child marriage which she then escaped from by joining a criminal enterprise and human trafficking ring - who then has this very moral and self-sabotaging moment where she ruins one of their operations because she doesn’t want to be a slaver. And then you’re meeting her at the point in her life where all her old coworkers are out to get her different levels of either dead or enserviced to them, she’s lost her ship, everything has gone wrong for her, and she clearly regrets having had that moment of moral crisis and is doubling down hard on being as self-serving and out-for-herself as she can possibly be. And then over the course of the game, she has this chance to potentially find a safe place where Hawke and their friends are willing to reward her for being a better person instead of punishing her and you get to see all of this softness and vulnerability coming out of her. I think she feels like a very rewarding character to interact with. Both in a meta sense for me as the player, and in an in-universe one? I feel like the other characters in the game who take the time to acknowledge her goodness and her depth as a person ultimately get a lot back from her.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Fenris. Aveline. I think a lot of Hawkes tend to share a sense of humour and fun with Bela, and there’s likely some shared history working as a smuggler there, so I think there are definitely some fun versions of Hawkebela. Isabela and Bethany also seems fun to me. I think it would be good for Bethany to be around someone who views her (and her magic) as more of an asset than a burden or a cause. And Isabela seems to have a good rapport with her in their banters and enjoy playing worldly older woman to Bethie. And Isabela and Merrill... it feels remiss not to mention it because it’s definitely something I’ve written before and keep coming back to in the context of the Kirkwall polycule in particular. I think Isabela and Merrill should have been one of the background companion romances along with fenbela. I think they’re cute, and it’s a relationship that makes a lot of sense to me, assuming Merrill finds a way to push past Isabela talking down to her in an attempt to hold her at arm’s length (”You don’t want my life, kitten.”) But I admit it doesn’t really excite me in the conceptual way that makes me want to emphatically say I ship it.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Zevran. I like what I perceive as Zevran’s unwillingness to keep score in this relationship. Like Zevran walked into her life when she was about as powerless as could be and saved her for what was basically no net gain on his behalf. And Isabela will sometimes insult him or pester him for sex - ask more of him, in a way - but I get the impression from her pillow talk with Hawke, for example, that she knows he saved her life and feels eternally indebted to him for it. But Zevran just seems totally unconcerned with that and unwilling to collect and imo would be much happier to know that Isabela is trying to pay the favour forward when she does things like try to free slaves or stab other people’s abusive husbands. Something about that dynamic makes me happy.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I’m not sure? I feel like I see a lot of stories and headcanons where Isabela is just kinda ~girlboss~ which is not something I particularly feel about her even if I can’t point out anything entirely incorrect.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Still mad the ONLY way they could think to introduce Isabela between two games and a short story, is her kicking ass in a barfight. I wish instead we could have gotten a short story about her captaining her ship and the kind of presence she had among her crew. I want to see more of how she behaves in leadership positions. Maybe trying to escape with the Tome of Koslun, with the Qunari dreadnaught bored down upon her.

my OTP: Gonna talk about both Fenris/Isabela and Aveline/Isabela here because I can’t choose, lol. For Fenris/Isabela. I feel like they get one another. I admit the, uh, ‘oiled up and glistening’ banter makes me kinda uncomfortable, but I feel like overall Fenris appreciates Isabela being able to engage his angst more lightly, and with a lighter touch. Like, lotta similarities between the two characters from Northern Thedas who have history with colonialism and being a rich man’s pet (they both got renamed by Danarius and Luis too). Both have a history of, from their respected positions of exploitation, being made to enact violences on those even less fortunate. And then they both of course deal with their baggage by, in sort of complementary ways, being very protective and withdrawn where different forms of intimacy are concerned. I feel like they understand these things about one another without feeling the need to prod at each other about them all the time, so they’ve got a nice friendly witty rapport that I love listening to in their banters &lt;3 For Aveline/Isabela. Kind of the opposite, lol. A great foils ship to rival the Anders-Fenris dynamic, lol. I like how diametrically opposed their ideas of womanhood are, but they’re both characters that I think are very attached to their identities as women. It’s a lot of fun for me to see them go through the motions of attacking those things and insulting one another, but I never get the impression it changes things in the big picture. It’s pretty satisfying to see Aveline repeatedly defend Isabela during Demand of the Qun, when Hawke is acting against her. Or even in their banters- Like Isabela saying that Aveline that she should know herself and not be bothered by what others say about her. Or Aveline reassuring Isabela she’ll have herself a ship someday. I feel like they do ultimately end up reaffirming the goodness and validity of their disparate identities, if you feel me. So the whole cop/criminal dynamic to the relationship is imo the far more concerning one than the slut-shaming and attacks on Aveline’s gender nonconformity, but I do think that’s also something that’s fun to mess with the worldbuilding on. Like- using these characters to enact and critique Kirkwall’s economy (or lack thereof) and the crime and law enforcement sectors that are expanding in response to that- All very top-notch to me. And on a lighter note, it’s really sweet walking into the Captain of the Guard’s office in act 3, and find Isabela there with a bottle of wine and chatting with Aveline.

my cross over ship: Friend and I making a lot of jokes about Anders and Isabela and DC’s Catwoman. But, to be honest, I know very little about Catwoman.

a headcanon fact: Not sure this counts, but I definitely like when artists and writers make her a bit chubby <3  It kinda bothers me how skinny her arms are in her canon character model. Think sailor woman deserves to have at least a little muscle definition in those biceps, if not some fat too. Oh! About Anders and Isabela. I think Isabela promised Anders a place on her crew when they met in the Pearl in Denerim, and she was planning on going through with that when the Templars showed up. And Isabela, yanno, skipped town because she wasn’t dying here, not today, not on this hill. She still feels a little bit guilty about that, even if it’s the best choice she could have made. And that’s why she doesn’t entirely hold it against Anders when he manages his resentment with her by writing her off as perpetually shallow and flaky.

Thank you again!!

[notmeowse]

Alistair 100%. There’s something so enchanting to me about a doomed warrior with a soft heart. I may be biased though, because I first played the game at age 13 and he was my idea of the perfect man for many years lol.

So Origins was about this impossible feat of uniting all these different groups of people, headed by two of the most unlikely heroes — junior wardens that barely know what they’re doing, that have just been accused of murdering their king. No one trusts you, no one really wants to believe the world is ending. It’s a shitty situation.

And then you have him. Alistair believes in the warden, believes in their cause from the very start, without question. He takes a supportive role and wants to make the best of it, and he wants to see it all through to the very end. The unspoken understanding between him and the warden PC is so important to me. They’re in it together like no one else in the series is, and theirs is a connection that the other games haven’t really been able to imitate, save for Hawke and Varric (although that connection is entirely by choice, because they love eachother, not because they’re bound by duty). And I love that dynamic so much.

He’s also a big romantic. Again with the soft heart thing — he’s got romantic, almost innocent notions of what love is, and he’s not yet jaded or bitter/distrusting. Idk, I’ll always appreciate that about him for how young I was when I played the game, because at that age I looked at love in the same way. So that’s just my little bias there.

I also love that he’s written to be so very delightfully flawed; he’s technically senior to the warden PC, but gives up any leadership because it just isn’t for him. He doesn’t have the firm hand required to do so, and he gets shit about it from Morrigan constantly, but it’s who he is. As king, he doesn’t enjoy the job. The man is simply not suited for a management position. And he’s too emotional! He will abandon the wardens if you let Loghain live, and there is absolutely no way to get him to stay. His idea of the Grey Wardens is completely wrapped up Duncan (the closest thing he ever had to a father), who was more or less betrayed/murdered by Loghain, and letting that guy live is a total affront to Alistair’s worldview. Doesn’t matter that it happens so close to the finish line, doesn’t matter that he knows his idea of the Grey Wardens is rose-tinted due to Duncan. He just leaves. I know a lot of people had a problem with this because it was immature, it really could have screwed the warden PC had Loghain not lived through the ritual, et cetera. But I actually love it.

In many ways, his heart is just too soft — for the leadership, for the wardens, for doing what it takes. He’s a romantic and an idealist. He believes in right and wrong in a time that those concepts were beginning to blur, in a time where the world was, well, ending. And I love that about him! I’ve said this a lot when talking about him to friends, but Alistair is the closest thing the Dragon Age games have to a fairytale prince, for better or for worse. Those ideals have no place in a world that’s on its way to ending.

I have always loved him as a character, ever since I was a 13 year old randomly picking up one of my dad’s games. I think Bioware has managed to recreate the magic that is the warden and Alistair only once, and in my heart Hawke and Varric are very similarly “in it together”. I hope someday Bioware can write a connection like that again. We’ll see I suppose.

would y’all do me a favor? reblog this and tell me why your favorite dragon age companion is your favorite. this is a free pass to be annoying and rambly I wanna read some positivity

[fade-and-loathing-in-thedas]

Five Fav Fics

Tagged by the lovely @merrybandofmurderers (thank you!!!) I've not written as much as I would like in the fandom, so this will pretty much be all my fics lol

Sometime Bad Guys Make The Best Good Guys

F/M | T | 7,217 | Hawke x Varric Tethras

"You see, the first rule of the con is you can’t cheat an honest man. It’s never been done. Can’t happen. Impossible. The only way a con works is if the mark want something for nothing. So what do we do? With give them nothing for something"

This was my gift for the Hightown Funk exchange that I had waaaay too much fun writing lol Hawke and the Kirkwall crew are grifters who rob the rich and corrupt. Inspired by the leverage tv show. It also has a playlist and fic cover I made, cos I couldn't resist.

I Hate You Too

F/M | T | 1,247 | Hawke x Varric Tethras

Just a little red!Hawke x Varric fic, cos red!Hawke doesn't get enough love. Hawke is injured and Varric is concerned. A little overprotective Carver thrown in as well. It's a modern au, but barely.

Merry Band of Wardens

General | M | 7,584 | Everyone lives AU

Okay, so this is a series not a fic but it's kinda only series because I could not work out how to plot this beast without breaking it down. So I kind of see it as one story, if you know what I mean.

The story is an au where all there warden origins survive and have to fight the Blight together. It was very much inspired by this post. Once I started thinking about it, it took over my life until I started to actually write it out. There are 4 published parts on AO3, which are serving as introduction/origin stories for the warden OCs. I'm writing the 5th part atm for Amell and Surana.

The aim for this beast is to cover the whole dao storyline and explore the dynamics between the different origins and how they would grow and change.

Part 1. The Hunter and Fugitive

General | M | 1,950 | Tabris and Mahariel

Part 2. The Prince and the Pauper

General | T | 1,856 | Aeducan and Brosca

Part 3. Bargains and Betrayals

General | M | 2,339 | Cousland

Part 4. Unfamiliar Emotions

General | T | 1,439 | Aeducan and Brosca

Reunion

F/M | T | 797 | Nathaniel Howe x Cousland

Just a little pre-relationship scene for Aurelia and Nathaniel set at the beginning of awakening. Lots of angst and some enemies to lovers vibes.

The Origin of a Blood Mage

General | M | 9,892 | Akroma Amell

This is my OC Akroma Amell's origin story. I just wanted a chance to write out how I imagined her origin going since she leaves the tower sharing her form with a wisp of curiousity (aka a decayed demon of desire) and explore her character and relationships before the merge. It's unfinished, but not abandoned. I am still writing it, I just need to find the words but nothing seems good enough when I'm trying to capture her story. It's a work in progress.

Tagging: @heniareth @oxygenforthewicked @anarchycox @castlecousland @yukichouji @noire-pandora if ya'll want to share that is, but absolutely no pressure :)

[ageofthedragon]

It's hilarious actually. When meeting female Hawke, she is friendly and tells her to watch out for the creeps in the tavern. With male Hawke, she makes some not-at-all-subtle comment about none of the men in the place knowing how to hoist the main sail. It's the same with the other characters. She is flirty, bordering on crude, with the guys (Fenris, Anders, Seb, Varric) while being really sweet towards the ladies (Merrill and Bethany especially). Aveline is different since she's kinda hostile.

I loved seeing Aveline and Isabela's relationship blossom over the course of the game honestly. I think at times it may have been a little cringey with the slut shaming (maybe? Again it was ages ago so, oops if I'm wrong!)

But by the endgame there is clearly respect, love and admiration there. I think Aveline gets offended at one point that Isabela didn't show up to her dinner party?

I know DA2 has its issues, I've fully acknowledged them of course, but I do adore the characters and their arcs.

The relationship dynamic is so different between the group of Origins and the group of DA2. I love both of them and don't mean to pit them against one another. I love a 'come together to save the world because we are the only ones who can' type of situation where the characters end up falling in love/forming friendships despite the fact that they have to save the world, but I can also appreciate the fact that Hawke's friends follow her simply because, well, they like her lol.

Yeah a bunch of stuff happens and shit goes down while they are together, but they are simply a rag tag group of queers just trying to survive.

[felassan]

Thoughts on Dark Fortress #2

(This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

So late with this one! some stuff irl was keeping me really busy and hyper-distracting me lately, but it’s finally over now so I’m back on my bioware bullshit. :D

Overall there were a lot of beautiful or awe-inspiring scenes in this issue, and a lot of great, meaningful / poignant character interactions and moments between characters. It’s pretty impressive actually how much was able to be packed in. I posted some of my favorite panels here. also omg! the action sequences! the big reveal! the ending!! woww

cool scene-setting, panned out shot of Neromenian and behind it, the Dark Fortress, to immediately pull you back into the world and��‘where we left off’. the combination of ruined dead trees, red lights, lightning and fire/smoke is very atmospheric and hints at what’s ahead

“From this... city, if we can call it that” is a sick burn and reminds you that the Qunari are technologically more advanced than most of the rest of Thedas, from their cannons to their aqueducts

more individually distinct Qunari soldiers, sth I again appreciate

! last issue there were big ‘You haven’t seen the last of Tractus!’ vibes, naturally, but I didn’t expect him to escape by stabbing and killing the Qunari using a chair-leg..!!

the last panel on the first page of Karasten is really good. the way it’s colored, the way it’s lit, the light and shadow, the fiery backdrop, cinders floating, the details of his expression.. 👌 it also makes me think to the possible future, to DA4 when mainland Thedas may be continuing to face the entirety of the Antaam

in Vaea’s acrobatics scene on the bridge, I know rationally that she’ll be fine but couldn’t help but worry for her. again I like how they don’t shy away from showcasing Vaea’s specific abilities. also the attention to detail - you’d think some rocks are just some rocks, but it highlights the risk she’s undertaking that if she falls it’s into rough seas which could dash her against the jagged rocks :’S. Vaea, gooooo!

Fenris’ “Enterprising girl” line has big “Clever girl” meme energy :D

my heart can’t take Fran and Autumn leaning over the edge after Vaea in worry ;; or Aaron looking back in concern over his shoulder ;; or Fran’s tender reassurance ;; or Autumn’s Worried expression ;; the care and bonds which have grown between this group of characters ;;

notice Aaron starts drinking when Vaea’s away from them and they’re beginning to grow worried about her safety. the poor man’s nerves and stress levels

Fran touching the vegetation while she’s considering if she could use her magic to open the entrance from the outside is a nice touch

did Marius leap in front of Fenris and Fran there when the entrance opened?? damn, he’s quick. and the three of them look all scary and formidable here ready for combat. notice how the curve of the door and the spikes that go into the ground, and the composition of this panel, make it look like they’re standing in front of an opened dragon’s maw? ‘teeth’, a rumbling ‘roar’.. some nice foreshadowing here.

the reunion panels are so cute. Autumn’s lil tum as she jumps and Fran and Fenris’ lil smiles of relief and at Autumn’s reaction to seeing Vaea, then a rare happy beam from Aaron.. feel.. the love ;__;

red lighting in the tunnel sets a dangerous, dramatic build-up mood

👀 more info on Fenris’ past, on the specifics of the process which gave him his markings. in the panel where he says that it took a long time, his shadow on the wall behind him reminds me of the shadow of his past that has dogged him for so long :(

Fenris and Marius height difference

discussion of the process shows the power difference between blue and red lyrium. blue lyrium took a long time, red lyrium is almost instant

Autumn is such an intrepid little explorer and alert scout, tail and ears up, head forward. good girl!

“I just... worry about you, my girl”  ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚  I’ll be so sad if these are death flags for Aaron and he doesn’t make it out of here. also note Fran in this panel, who recently had to kill her own father and is still dealing with that, watching the strongly paternal moment between Aaron and Vaea :(

love Vaea’s faith in Aaron and her sense of humor. also I don’t know why, maybe it’s because Vaea met Sebastian, but her “Maker, no!”, although in a completely different and light-hearted context, reminds me of Sebastian’s “Maker nooo!” at the end of DA2 hh

the reference again to Hawke, who Fenris saw haunted by what they tried to do - save their mother - and couldn’t :’(. also with the shadow in this panel, here’s another person struggling with the shadow of his past qq. this is later emphasized again in Aaron when he continues to talk about his past and in the panel is a chain and manacle. smart visual metaphors, a must in the comic medium with limited space

mushroom skull 💀🍄

“It isn’t about what I’ve done. It isn’t about my failures. Or my choices. It’s about their impact” - he’s misty-eyed here as he thinks back to Ostagar.. does this line btw seem almost meta to anyone else btw? :D it feels like a meta reference to the experience of DA players and PCs, who are always having to deal with the impacts of their choices

I wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “I’m positive that in panel 2 here, it’s the exact moment when he sees Cailan die” ;;

So Aaron is also a veteran of the Battle of Denerim

reference to the Hero of Ferelden - “Those were someone else’s battles”. I’m being captain obvious here but I can’t help but [heart pitter-patter] at any and all references to the HoF

I like the.. parallel? is that the word? Aaron’s stories were him trying to inspire people to make a change, or him trying to convince himself of that. and now here’s Vaea, inspiring Aaron with her words in these panels. the little guys can make a difference! in the world of Thedas, you don’t need to be a big bombastic hero or a Player Character to have an impact 

lmao Fenris right on cue. the moments of humor/light-heartedness are nice because they break up the tension and are sprinkled throughout without derailing build-up or taking away from dramatic story impact. yknow?

yeah Aaron!! leave it behind. leave it to rot with mr mushroom skull (and hey the mushroom skull was there for a reason). again tho if this is a death flag i 

Fenris straight down to business with the tactics

its cute how close Autumn has been sticking to Fran

Tessa checking in on Fran again, as she did in issue 1

Could Vaea’s “Well, shit” be an homage to Varric? :D they have met

I also wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “My guess is that the thing Tractus shows Marquette and Nenealeus is probably a chained up dragon or similar”

the poor dragon :’( big dragon the Qunari had in Trespasser vibes

the sword has a really cool design, kind of reminds me of something a samurai might be depicted wielding

👀 lore-drop! so ancient elven arcane warriors used lyrium-infused swords. this seems to confirm the sarcophagus is an ancient elven artifact, no? makes sense, wasn’t it said that the sarcophagus’ design was based on the architecture/outfit-design type elements of a specific faction, and that this was done intentionally? it looks kinda ancient elfy in make, right? also about the lyrium-infused swords of the arcane warriors, well well well.. remember that the Evanuris and the ancient elves mined the bodies of Titans for lyrium, for power and to use as a resource. here’s an example of that use

as I read through this portion I became increasingly concerned for my boy Shirallas.. we really are in it now aren’t we 😭

the Qunari are launching STRAIGHT-UP ROCKETS ohhhh

pretty ‘lightshow’ over the wall in the “Let’s hope the fortress is as secure as Danarius boasted” panel hh

protective older brother Fenris, impish younger sister Vaea. love that dynamic, we love to see it. sheepish and exasperated Fenris is so cute

the Bone Pit dragon fight with Hawke and co reference!

I wonder how long the dragon has been captive here, and how Danarius/Tractus was able to capture it

lore-wise what are the implications here? when Fenris’ ritual was being undertaken, the sword and the sarcophagus were bombarded with magic, fire spells. in this one they aim to have the dragon bombard it with fire-breathing. is it just fire that makes it work/powers it, or is there magic in dragonfire, in dragons? it reminds me of “Your heart beats with the old blood, as well. Where do you think it comes from? It sings of a time when dragons ruled the skies. A time before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten. Can you hear it?”

purple color for the dragon’s growling sounds/typeset is a great idea

lets.. goooo!!!!

Marquette is such a nerd. later on when he activates the sarcophagus he has mad scientist vibes

the dramatic reunion face-offs begin!! as the prophecy foretold!!!!1

true to form, Marius DOES have nothing to say ahahaha, even at this, his personal climax. maybe Marius dies in the next issue, but Tessa lives and gets to go back to Charter

these Venatori look almost Star Wars

Shirallas my boyy.. nooo... don’t do it 😭

ah ah ah! try casting magic with no ARMS

Francesca a beacon of blue light and goodness

the splash combat page is masterful. everyone playing a part, so much going on, everything happening at once. a thing that sticks out to me about it is Aaron’s outstretched hand and alarm as he watches Fran fall 

Autumn with her lil hackles raised

“The Venatori have returned” dun dun dunn

goodbye Shirallas 😭😭😭

the composition of the second to last page with triangle/diamond-shaped panels and the framing of dragon wings is awesome

the Dread Wolf rises, “the Tevinter Imperium will rise again”.. on-point on-point cohesion

there he is, the red wraith

Super Saiyan Shirallas

what a note to end an issue on

wow wow wow!!

and separate to the above, some speculation based on the cover of Issue 3: the piece of metal looks like a broken collar coming off Shirallas, like the one there was on the cover of Issue 2 coming off the dragon. also he’s all bulky now with draconic talons/claws (reminds me of in-world legends of Reavers who dug too deep of their own power after drinking dragon blood and whose bodies consequently began to manifest subtle reptilian traits actually). I’ll be interested to see what results of this allusion between Shirallas and the dragon!!

[sinsbymanka]

Writing Tag Game

Okay listen I’m on vacation XD hence why I’m ignoring everyone’s tags/taking forever to respond. But I’ve been tagged in this A LOT and I really liked it/wanted to do it so thank you to everyone who tagged me (oh my god I’m so sorry if I missed one of you there were SO MANY): @noire-pandora, @in-arlathan, @thevikingwoman, @morganlefaye79, @elveny, @kunstpause, @pikapeppa

I’m not tagging anyone because I’m tagging everyone since I’m too lazy to find my tag list (I’m on VACATION). If you’ve not gotten tagged and wanted to do this, say I tagged you. 

How many works do you have on Ao3?

147 - I have 145 linked to my profile and two in the anonymous collection. 

What's your total Ao3 wordcount?

1,468,248. Almost 1.5 million!! 

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Of Miracles and Heroes (FenHawke, Cadash/Varric, Varania/Blackwall): 269

Interspecies Relationships Have Their Ups and Downs (Shakarian): 145

Don’t Make it Hawkeward (Varric/Hawke): 135

The Ambassador’s Vices (Josephine/Adaar): 111

The Girl with the Arrow Tattoo (Cadash/Varric): 101

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do (but - to be honest - it takes me FOREVER). I love comments. It’s so much easier to not leave comments than leave comments, so every time someone leaves one I’m blown away. I feel like - for leaving me a comment - you’re definitely owed an answer! I do apologize that it takes me awhile though - I am very bad at answering because they mean a lot to me and I get easily overwhelmed by the AO3 inbox I don’t know why. Blame anxiety. 

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

I’ll be honest, I don’t like angsty endings so I don’t have many of them. By far the angstiest ending I have is Flowers, Lies, and Forgiveness. This is a Bianca Davri/Varric Tethras fic set during the final act of DA2. I wrote it from Bianca’s POV - showing Varric unraveling under the pressure of Kirkwall and Bianca’s complicated feelings about infidelity to her husband who clearly cares about her as well. I wrote it for @hollyand-writes who always lets me lean into the tragic “fucked upness” of the pairing when I’m feeling like making Varric suffer.  

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending

I prefer happy endings so almost EVERYTHING has a happy ending. My favorite endings, so far, are for Cheating the Dread Wolf, which is my Varric/Cadash/Solas polycule (or as I like to refer to it - Solas has a dwarf kink) and The Viscount’s Mistress which is my Hurt/Comfort Cadash/Varric Trespasser bullshit. 

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you've written?

I have not written crossovers - but I am very into AUs in another setting that belongs to a different fictional universe. Most recently I got back into my Downton Abbey bullshit and wrote Flappers for Fen’harel which is basically a Downton Abbey AU Solas/Cadash and I’m not taking comments about the outrageousness of it. 

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yep. Honestly though? Over the two years I’ve been active in Fandom, the shitty comments can be counted on one hand and usually came from the same people over and over again, who are easily blocked, and should stop seeking out clearly labeled content they don’t like. Me and my work are not for everyone - that’s REALLY okay. I’ve blocked people for no other reason than making things I don’t like - that doesn’t mean they’re bad people. 

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

GOD DO I.

I am extremely sex and kink positive. Because of this - a lot of my work involves sex in some way or another. I think sex is a beautiful part of many (although not all) relationships, and that it’s frequently glossed over in mainstream media (particularly queer, kinky, and polyam sex). 

This ranges from sort of vanilla slow burns (My Cole/Bea fic, Compassion for an Assassin, has smut which hasn’t been posted yet. It’s Cole’s first time and is fairly vanilla and romantic, and occurs approximately 40k into the fic) to some pretty dubious consent near 24/7 dom/sub dynamics with BDSM kinks (I’ve written JUST as much of the Sereda/Gorim problematic smut as @jarakrisafis has in our series Forced Moves). 

There’s very few kinks I’m not willing to touch at least to try out - even if I end up not liking them. And the ones that aren’t for me are 100% allowed to exist and I will fight for them to the bloody end. My only recommendation is CLEARLY labeling your shit and not being afraid to add a tag if someone asks you to. 

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of? I’ve seen ideas I’ve tried on picked up by other people - but I don’t consider that stealing and it’s hard to trace “who has been inspired by who” because we ALL have been inspired by thousands of other people and frankly more stuff for me when I pull you over to my weird AUs and rarepairs. 

I also think that’s a huge part of not getting stolen - I’ve got so much weird niche shit that only a couple people read that stealing from me is going to most likely be caught IMMEDIATELY the audience is so small. 

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don’t believe so!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! I’ve got some co-written secret smut with @blarfkey which almost nobody has seen, I’ve borrowed @tightassets Hawke, Lavellan, and Shepard for fics that she has illustrated, borrowed @tuffypelly‘s Adaars for some great fics, and my most ambitious project - the Forced Moves series with @jarakrisafis. It started out as us just exchanging gifts back and forth but we’ve wrangled it into Gambits and Countergambits, an Aeducan-origin prequel, that I’m VERY proud of. 

I love co-writing very much, but it’s very important to find the right partner and for it to be someone you trust completely. 

What's your all time favourite ship?

This is a stupidly hard question because I am, at heart, a multi-shipper. 

I love Varric/Hawke and Varric/Cadash. I’m also a sucker for Solas/Cadash. My fandom pool noodle is Varric/Cadash/Solas which I adore, and I’m very fond of Cole/Cadash. 

Most recently I’ve been DEEP in Aeducan/Gorim Saelac, Bhelen/Rica/Vartag, and Aeducan/Brosca feels. Dwarf origins are the best origins in my opinion and those characters are PERFECT. 

What's a WIP you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I fully plan on finishing everything. My writing style changed a lot, for the better, in a short period of time. I need to integrate my old style/new style and had to get a pep talk about how to do that. Now I’m ready to try as soon as I finish Compassion for an Assassin. 

What are your writing strengths? 

I write very sexy, hot smut. I also really like playing with character voice and making sure I get them “right” so I do a lot of experimenting before publishing a new character for the first time. 

I struggle to write action scenes - it’s like pulling fucking teeth - but people really LOVE my action scenes and they read well. So that’s something I’m proud of even if it feels like doing fucking pull ups. 

What are your writing weaknesses?

I never learned anything. My experiences with English and writing teachers were overwhelmingly negative. I’m unsure if I’m just not cut out for classes or if they were that bad, but I always left feeling like there was one “right” way to do it, and everything I liked was “bad”, so what was the point of “learning” anything? 

It turns out there’s this very pompous, pretentious thought process in writing where people “assume” things must be done, but GOOD writing teachers teach you the rules and then how to break them. I either never had a good writing teacher or got too intimidated to give them a chance before bouncing. 

So I’m exceedingly self-taught. I lack the vocabulary to discuss plot structure, characterization, grammar, etc. I instinctively know most of these things based on trial and error and reading, but I didn’t learn them and I miss a lot of nuance in the rules, but until recently I was still too intimidated and unsure of myself to admit that or take it seriously. 

So - my defense mechanism is NOT taking ANYTHING seriously. If my writing is a joke to me, it’s gotta be a joke to everyone else, but that’s been a shield to hide behind instead of being thoughtful about things. I’m here to have fun, yes, but there’s nothing wrong with learning a technique to the art. 

I’ve learned - mostly thanks to @blarfkey who is an amazing person and a wonderful teacher - that I am a good writer based on my self-teaching. And being intimidated of people who throw around impressive sounding words is a weakness that I am working on. 

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

Use sparingly and with good reason. It should be short and explained later or clear from context. 

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter on message boards back in the fucking day. Thankfully none of it exists anywhere anymore. 

What's your favourite fic you've written?

This is such a sappy answer and I’m so sorry. My favorite things have been written for and because of people I love and care about. When I read them, I’m not just reading the story, but remembering the relationships I’ve made and how important they are. 

So, my top three fics for THAT reason: 

1. Cheating the Dread Wolf - written for @blarfkey who inspired the idea and ruthlessly encouraged me to make it happen. This fic was so healing for me because it heavily features Fatherhood within it - and I lost my father in June 2020. I don’t know if I’d have been able to do it without her and it was so important for me to do. 

2. Gambits and Countergambits - written with @jarakrisafis and the culmination of a years worth of gifting shit back and forth and crafting a shared universe. The worldbuilding, smut, relationships, EVERYTHING about this fic is so deeply and passionately cared about by both of us and to our knowledge it is completely, totally unique.  

3. Relentless, Ridiculous, and Rakish - one of my only primarily gen-fics focusing on a forming brother/sister relationship between Maria Cadash and @tuffypelly‘s Otsar Adaar. I very much enjoyed writing it for her <3 

And then my overall favorite fic: 

The Viscount’s Mistress: I have a lot of opinions about how fanfiction treats the anchor’s meltdown and the aftermath. It’s one of the things in DAI that resonated with me SO much as someone who lives with chronic pain and a disability. I loved the fact my OC was in the same shoes and STILL saving the world. This is very much a fic that explores all the dark sides of trauma, pain, and the mental health effects of it. But it ends on a happy and hopeful note.  

[felassanis]

The blatant Anders rivalry when it comes to any of Hawke’s romances.

I will mainly be talking about a Hawke who romanced Fenris, because that is literally the only guy I ever romance. Therefore, I have witnessed the behaviour Ander exhibits from a Fenhawke point of view, I do not mean to ‘demean’ Isabela or Merill but I probably won’t mention them a lot. Other factors are that I am female, therefore I utilise Marian Hawke and I am a mage who is ‘friends’ with everyone. No rivalmance or rivalry with any of the characters. Just putting that out there because I don’t want someone popping into the comments saying ‘BUT THIS HAPPENS WHEN-” Yeah, I know. I have played the game THOROUGHLY and I have watched many videos depicting the choices I did not make.

Anyway, THE BLATANT RIVALRY WITH ANDERS IF YOU DO NOT ROMANCE HIM. It is...amazing. I am not hating on Anders, I absolutely adore Anders. And...I have always believed that he has feelings for your Hawke, especially if you flirt with him. 

The thing with Dragon Age is that it does a good job of not making you feelbad if you flirt with multiple characters nor does it mean that you are locked into a romance upon flirting once with a person. It also does not make you feel bad if you kinda romance a companion but change your mind, you can break it off with a companion and that’s it. The Companion will act like nothing ever happened, as though you have and always were just friends.

Dragon Age 2...does something a bit different. Anders is someone who brings up the romance, and has very clear emotions towards them.

Your companions in all of the games obviously comment on whoever you romanced, but Dragon Age 2 makes A MUCH bigger deal about it than any of the other games. Particularly, with Anders. I truly think that regardless of your choices, Anders has feelings for Hawke. 

My points are:

I am of course, going to bring up the fact that Anders is one of three characters that comment on your romance. Varric, Isabela and Anders comment on who you romance, The thing is Isabela jokes about it, Varric jokes while showing some real concern (You know Varric will make anyone who hurts Hawke fucking hurt 10x more) but Anders gets...a bit bitchy lmao. As you do his companion mission when looking for the ingriedients to ‘seperate him from Justice’ Anders will stop and ask “Are you sure?” about whoever you are romancing. But not in the manner that Varric innocently inquired, Anders inquires like Hawke is dating a 90 year old. “Are you sure?” like hes asking Hawke “Have you lost your mind?!” He purposely stops the crew from going any further just to bring this topic up whereas Varric and Isabela were just chilling at the Hanged Man waiting for you to come to them. 

Then, he goes on to insult whoever you are romancing; even when they are right there. Anders truly has no shame, and often whatever he brings up about the other companion it’s him being hypocritical. Especially with Merill. For Fenris he says, “Surely you want someone more open minded?” And my first thought upon hearing this was ‘are you alluding to yourself?’ because that’s...kind of what his tone implies, he is suggesting they deserve someone better and since he’s the only one who has a problem with whoever Hawke romances it’s safe to assume he is referring to himself. (That’s quite bold of you Anders)

Another thing, after a Bitter Pill and sleeping with Fenris you can actually still flirt with the other companions, and you can engage in Ander’s kiss scene. It’s.... good. I think it adds a lot more conflict to the companion dynamic, especially between Fenris, Hawke and Anders. 

 Anders will go the Amell Estate at night. Here he brings up your romance again (It can either be Isabela or Fenris I’m not sure about Merill) and again, he insults them. Now, he calls Fenris a ‘dog’ and my Hawke always gets defensive and asks that he leaves, saying they cannot do this. Anders will appear hurt (I can’t blame him) and visibly angry. It’s...interesting that Bioware lets you get so far with Anders. You can have that hot make out session (Even tho the noises make me cringe) and be on the verge with sleeping with him. You even get the chance to reject Anders twice before you can initiate the sex scene, once straight off the bat and the next one after he makes his comment on whoever you previously slept with. To which the option goes “I still love him/her” it’s just interesting that Anders gets that treatment, Idk if the other companins get the same treatment, it’s more like you friendzone the other characters rather than directly say ‘I am in love with another’. while the prompt button says ‘I am still in love with her/him” Hawke doesn’t actually say that, they say “Don’t call him that! I’m sorry Anders, we can’t do this!” but...the prompt button is conveying the fact that you can choose to have your Hawke realise their mistake.

“I can’t imagine what Hawke sees in you,” He says to Fenris “I always knew she had some sense,” He says relieved when he realised Fenris and Hawke are currently ‘not together’. (And the fact that Fenris very clearly is wearing Hawke’s token and their family emblem probably fuels Anders need to badger Fenris. As it’s clear Fenris still loves Hawke despite breaking it off, so it gives Anders some fuel I suppose but that’s just a headcanon)

He also acts very proud if you romanced Fenris and then did sleep with Anders. “You were a fool to leave hawke” and he’ll say something about being glad he brought Hawke to him. He just gloats about it. (can we just, relish the fact that people call this ‘Fenris and Anders fighting over Hawke’ but in reality it’s just Fenris being guilty about leaving Hawke and it’s just Anders harping on Fenris, like it’s Anders who’s doing the fighting Fenris is just kind of accepting it? It’s still such good banter, I am a slut for conflict what can I say ;) )

Other factors are kind of miniscule, little tid bits that have connotations to Anders caring about Hawke. It could be seen as just him being a great friend, because he is a good friend, but...I also can see this as Anders just doing it because not only does he care about Hawke but he cares about them so much it is leaning towards a crush. Despite moaning and complaining about the Deep Roads he will go there with Hawke, despite saying how he will NEVER go to Wardens, and despite actively hiding from them if Carver or Bethany are sick he will bring them to the wardens even tho he is being hunted. Because they are Hawke’s family. “You are the one bright light in Kirkwall,” Is also just...a very romantic thing to say and I’m pretty sure he says it regardless if you flirted with him or not.

Anyway, I don’t know if it was intentional. But all of this (to me anyway) not just alludes but confirms that Anders has feelings for Hawke regardless of your choices. I like it, it really adds something to the story in my opinion and to his character. It’s fun to imagine what kind of arguments, conflicts, jealousy and pining went on in the many years that DA2 takes places. It adds more emphasis to how heartbreaking Ander’s end in the story is, with him betraying and lying to Hawke to keep them safe, but ended up making Hawke a damn fugitive in the process. Not his goal I assume, but the reality nevertheless. He makes the woman/man he loved a fugitive, and whoever they fell in love with is also forced to go on the run with them. 

And then in Inquisition, the way Hawke talks about Anders if they did not approve of the Chantry Explosion. Romanced they will say “When someone betrays you like that, it takes a long time to get past it. I don’t know if we ever have” It’s...such good dialogue, but applying that to a Hawke who did not romance Anders...those feelings must still apply just the dfference being Hawke probabaly has no idea where he is. Maybe Hawke prefers it that way. I like to think Hawke can never forgive Anders, perhaps a bit of disdain for their old friend. But, while a part of them prefers not knowing where he is, they deep down hope that he is okay. It’s sad to think that perhaps Anders and Hawke never did reconcile, that they said little to each other before everyone went their seperate ways as the betrayal was still warm (And like Fenris would even let Anders talk to Hawke after all of that lmao)

So, my point is that I think Anders is a hopeless romantic, not-so-secretely pining for Hawke and that it is rather tragic if you don’t romance him. It’s more angsty if you don’t, and that’s why I purposely kiss Anders but call it off because I love Fenris, it adds more to your story and I love that it’s an option that can have consequences. Even tho regardless if you kissed Anders he acts really jealous, if you do kiss him his behaviour makes more sense. 

[jackdawyt]

Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of my favourite games of all time. I love everything about this game, from the compelling hero’s journey, to the roster of lovable characters, to making the Inquisitor my very own unique protagonist. Few games compare to the experiences and tremendous moments that Inquisition provides, not to mention the Trespasser DLC which revealed the true intention of the game’s villain, and paved the story forward for future titles.  

I think it’s rather telling how good this game is, considering we’re still talking about it nearly 6 years later after launch, discovering new theories and mysterious hidden deep within the lore. Heck, if Dragon Age: Inquisition was a mediocre experience, I don’t think I’d have a YouTube channel today with thousands of recurring views weekly talking about the game, and where the story is going to go since the events of Inquisition.  

However, there is something critical that I feel is necessary to discuss regarding Dragon Age Inquisition’s original marketing demos and the expectations they set for the finished game.  

Following up to the launch of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I used to obsessively re-watch the first original gameplay demo shown at Pax Prime 2013. At the time the game was in its pre-alpha build, however, there were many impressive features and dynamics showing just a glimpse of what we’d come to expect once we got our hands on the game.  

In retrospect, these promises were scrapped before the finished project released.

This post is not meant to be a negative outlook, poking holes at BioWare’s effort, but an investigation and critique into BioWare’s game design, more specifically, the cuts the developers made tackling Inquisition’s complicated release, and how they’ve learned since.  

For the uninitiated, Dragon Age: Inquisition released in November, 2014, a month after the next generation of consoles launched. As the game was jammed in-between two gaming generations, it was designed to ship on both the previous generation of consoles (Xbox 360/PS3) and the current generation (XB1/PS4).

In order for the game to predominantly run on the lower spec consoles, many gameplay cuts, downgrades and setbacks were made to the final project.  

I’m not talking about conceptual ideas in pre-production that were drafted for the game, like The Architect making a cameo appearance in a “Here Lies The Abyss” alternative twist, or the Hero of Ferelden, Hawke and The Inquisitor meeting up in a potential drafted prologue. Of course, there were plenty of ideas, concepts and story threads that were canned and reworked because the developers had better, and frankly more relevant plans for the game.

I’m talking about actual features and mechanics that were incorporated and designed into the vertical slice demo that was shown off to the fans at Pax Prime 2013, and then were removed later on just before launch.

I would like to point out that the gameplay I’m going to show was alpha footage, and the developers made sure we all understood that it could easily change, nobody lied to us. If anything, BioWare were so eager to show off the next Dragon Age game, that perhaps this was the biggest detriment to the project.

I’ll have the full Pax gameplay demo linked for those who want to watch it fully. But without further ado, I’m going to be revealing the Dragon Age: Inquisition we almost got.  

Cut Content:  

The demo starts with a significant cut, originally Dragon Age: Inquisition would’ve featured stunning party member cutscenes when entering new areas for the first time.  We see Varric, Cassandra and Vivienne discussing how prepared they are since the Inquisition formed. Varric banters that he’s outnumbered by the ladies once again.  

We can assume that these dynamic banter cutscenes based on your party members were replaced with Scout Harding’s area report.  

The models and textures for the characters and armours look very different too. Cassandra has a more angled facial structure, like her original concept art. And, the Inquisitor’s armour and textures don’t even exist in the final game, I remember attempting to recreate this look, a thousand times over, however, no fabrics in the game have this orange texture.

Helmets also appear in conversations, which is a huge pet peeve of mine, I’m still upset to this day that we can’t see helmets in conversations and there’s no mod to fix it. However, they added this feature in Mass Effect: Andromeda, so maybe we’ll see it in the future.  

In general, this demo showed that there was going to be a lot more cutscenes when entering new areas, in party banter, and for minor conversations with smaller characters.  

Upon inspecting the gameplay, we can see the camera’s placement was significantly adjusted. The demo had a third-person feel, whereas the game ended up with a pulled back camera, probably to suite the tactical camera for combat. Fortunately, there are mods that actually fix this issue.  

The UI has evolved since the demo, there used to be a Skyrim-esqe navigation compass that was replaced with a radar. And the party member icons are different, but that’s just nit-picking.  

The combat is more or less the same, however, it does seem more reactive and heftier in the demo. Most likely because the camera is more zoomed into the action. There are some tweaks though, the enemies react more to the Inquisitor’s attacks, the stumble, flail and even run away, as opposed to just taking the damage and then attacking you back.  

However, minor these cuts may seem to you; they did change the game a fair amount adding more immersion to the overall experience.  

Even so, the most obvious and upsetting cut when watching this demo regards the entirety of Crestwood, the area has been dramatically reduced in the final game.  

In this demo, the Inquisitor is given a conflict. One of the Inquisition’s soldiers asks the player how does the Inquisitor want to handle their armies' movements throughout the area.  

The Inquisitor could send the Inquisition army to save the town of Crestwood.  

They could lead the soldiers to tend to the nearby wounded.

Or they could bolster every solider to the Keep, leaving both the wounded and the town of Crestwood.  

Each choice had a consequence, and both Mike Laidlaw and Mark Darrah spoke on having multiple ways to approach the situation. For instance, in the demo’s scenario the Inquisitor decides to leave the town while it’s under siege, instead, they find a secret entrance towards the Keep. Using Antivan Fire, they burn the invaders’ boats which would prevent them from escaping after their attack. The Inquisition take the Keep, and head back to the ransacked town filled with newly fresh corpses. A dynamic cutscene of Varric mourning the dead plays out, adding emotional impact and weight to the decision the Inquisitor just made.  

And this was just a side questline...

The demo ends with the developers reiterated the tactical and dynamic approaches when showing the Inquisition taking over the Keep at The Western Approach.  

According to Mark Darrah, you could weaken enemy defences by doing things like drawing out the troops or poisoning their wells.  

Then, once you claimed the keep for yourself, you’d get a quest called ‘This Water Tastes Funny’, in which your Keep's well was poisoned and you’d have to go find fresh water.

The Keep’s themselves were originally designed to have a lot more influence and reactivity throughout the world. Once captured, the Inquisitor could choose a dynamic choice for the Keep’s overall goal, if you had enough Inquisition agents. 

The Keep could be specialised based on the Inquisition’s advisors. You could choose to run your Keep as a Military outpost, boosting fortifications. It could be a Keep of espionage and secrets, for information gathering, or you could make it a Keep of connections and merchants for diplomatic purposes. Each different speciality had a different advantage and aesthetic to suit its purpose.  

Adding more choices and roleplaying values for making the Inquisition your own army, having a say in what aspects it should grow in.  

That sums up the majority of the cuts made since this demo. I will say it’s unfortunate seeing these unfinished features that shaped the game in a completely different direction, that inevitably couldn’t make it into the finished project.  

But I think it’s wrong to pin the blame of this cut content on anyone because the developers were tackling a console generation shift, and they wanted everyone to have the opportunity to play the game without having to get a new console. Can you really blame them for that?  

Perhaps many of these features may be designed into a future title since the developers wanted them so much in Inquisition? And speaking of the future title, at least the next Dragon Age game won’t be coming out in between a console generation, it is being designed strictly for next-gen, so there shouldn't be any console setbacks and limitations.  

Even still, when Dragon Age 4 does eventually get a gameplay reveal, don’t set your expectations in stone based on that reveal. The finished project will look very different. These days gameplay previews aren’t always accurate, and that’s just a dilemma of the entire games industry, not just EA and BioWare.  

Wrapping up on a positive note, BioWare have learned from this experience, and they’re approaching Dragon Age 4 with a “show, don’t tell” strategy. They will be proceeding with caution when marketing and revealing the next Dragon Age game, and that may play a part in why we haven't and won't see anything official for a while.  

I don’t think I could end on a better note then the Narrative Director, John Epler’s message about Inquisition’s development. John said: “A good 90% of 'bad' decisions are, in fact, the best decision at the time. Game dev is all about making the best decision you can at the time, with the resources you have. A lot of stuff you thought was weird or awkward came down to a gut call of 'this is the best I can make this and I trust it's good enough'. Sometimes we're right, sometimes not.”

BioWare decided to make these cuts to Inquisition because they realised it was the right thing to do for the entire project, perhaps they felt they couldn’t deliver these features to their full capacity, or they wanted a change of direction. They believe these decisions were made for the greater good of the game, and I commend them for that.  

Dragon Age Inquisition is an incredible RPG with tons of personality, that not many games can even mimic. Although the game had some minor setbacks with the fair amount of content that was cut, the game is just as amazing without those initial features.  

Like I said, perhaps we’ll see these mechanics in the next game, if not, then at least it has been a learning experience for BioWare, that they can utilise for the development of Dragon Age 4.  

In any regard, let me know your thoughts down below on this gameplay demo relating to the finished game, and don’t forget to check out my latest news update!

[mydadisindianajones]

A post no one asked for on Dragon Age 4 and why Cole will be a companion

This is a thought that has rattled around in my head for a good while and I want to get it down on paper (or blog? I guess? Whatever) before any actual details of the game get out. Yes, I want to be that person who goes “Hah! I knew it!” In case this all isn’t correct... I was never here. *Waves hand* I promise this will be short.

Edit: lol jk its now a TEDtalk. Enjoy this meta.

Every installment of Dragon age, all three main titles and the Awakening DLC share something in common: A reoccuring companion from the last game.

Oghren: In Awakening we had Oghren join the Wardens after Origins. 

Anders: In Dragon Age 2 we had Anders become a companion of Hawke after he left the Wardens in Awakening. 

Varric: In Inquisition we had Varric join the Inquisitor after he left Kirkwall from Dragon Age 2.

So why Cole above everyone else? Looking at patterns again no returning companion was romanceable in their first installment. If we are going by that then it rules out Iron Bull, Blackwall, Sera, Dorian, Solas, and Cassandra. Story wise I do not think we will see Cassandra again other than maybe a fleeting quest like Zevran in DA2 or maybe just a fleeting message. 

Iron Bull and Blackwall are killable, so I doubt we will see them at all for continuity sake. “What about Leliana?” I hear you all thinking. Yes, Leliana’s death was explained away as she is some sort of Force Ghost, but that brought up quite the mini controversy at the time and I doubt EA will do it again.

Well how about Dorian? It is all but confirmed that DA4 will set place in Tevinter, or at least close to it. With Dorian in the position he is in the Magisterium I think at most he will play an advisory role must like Leliana did in DA:I.

Solas is going to be too busy enjoying my stolen Godtier wolf armor and being the head-shoved-up-ass antagonist.

Now lets touch on the two characters who were not romanceable: Varric and Vivienne.

Varric was already in two games, so I think they’re going to officially retire him.

Vivienne has a sliver of a chance, but I would bet my bank account that she will not be a companion, which leads me into my next set of points: They’re too important.

Vivienne: No matter the outcome of your playthrough Viv will be way too busy being important. There are two ways she can go: Either she will become the next Divine as Divine Victoria, or Grand Enchanter of the Circle of Magi. Vivienne will be too busy realizing her plans and ambition to personally deal with any outside nation. However that doesn’t mean she won’t be a key political figure in the game, as she is always trying to stay one step ahead of her peers. We will see her, just not as a companion.

Dorian: He has taken his father’s place in the Magisterium and is the leader of a Tevinter reformation group. I’m like 95% certain we will see him in some capacity, but not as a companion.

Varric: Yet again he has reached his max capacity for games, but he is also now the Viscount of Kirkwall. Like Viv we may just see him in name only, doing something through his agents.

Cassandra: The Seeker can go down many roads. Just like Viv she can become Divine Victoria. If you decide to restore the Seeker order she will spend time post Trespasser working with them. If you do not make her Divine she will stick by the Divine’s side as her Right Hand, temporarily with Viv and for a good amount of time with Leliana. 

Now for the not-so-important people:

Iron Bull: His is tricky because his end can be split in SO many ways. If you don’t kill the Chargers his mercenary group still run around Orlais and Ferelden kicking ass. If you do sacrifice them or don’t do his personal quest he turns on you in Trespasser, ultimately making him loyal to the Ben-Hassrath. In the end Iron Bull’s fate is split in so many different ways that it would be difficult, near impossible, to bring him back as a companion.

Blackwall: You have a chance to allow him to be executed, taking him completely out of the game. If you spare him during his judgement you can either hand him over to the Wardens and put him through the Joining, exile him, or keep him around work for his atonement. If he becomes an actual Warden he is sent away at the end of Trespasser Blackwall goes to Weisshaupt. If you forgive him he ends up traveling Thedas to find his lost men and seek their forgiveness. If you don’t find out about his past he turns himself in six months after the main quest line is done and his fate is unknown. So as you can see he suffers the same fate as Iron Bull, as in there are too many possibilities to successfully write him well as a companion in the new game.

Sera: Sera is the only companion I can envision coming in as second place to become a companion in DA4, for multiple reasons. I’ll get to those later though. In Sera’s ending she goes back to being a Red Jenny whether you romance her or not. If you don’t romance her she is seen in a relationship with Dagna.

You mentioned Sera possibly becoming a companion.

Well yes, I did. Let me explain: I think Sera is actually going to become a big player in the endgame, as unassuming as she is. There is a theory floating around that Sera is actually the Elven goddess Andruil. (Click the link for further reading. It’s REALLY good) I’m a full fledged tin foil hat fan of this one, along with the idea that Sandal is actually June, Elven god of the craft. So I think if anyone other than Cole is a companion it’s going to be her. 

However while I do think she is going to be in the game I don’t think she will be a companion. She has little to no interest in the dealings of Tevinter or any other big wars. Sera enjoys her little world with her friends, and would not be the type to take up another crusade, especially after what she endured in Inquisition. No more weird shit, just pranking rich people and being a Red Jenny.

Now why and how do I think Cole will be a companion?

At the end of Trespasser if you make Cole human he gets his first girlfriend and goes with her becoming a traveling minstrel. If you make him a spirit he ventures back to the Fade as he feels his work is done. Now if he is made a human I think he can fit well into being reintroduced as a companion. Either his relationship with Marydon ceases naturally or she dies at the hands of [antagonistic enemies] and he vows to seek retribution. Honestly Marydon isn’t very important, as she can end up with Krem or Zither if you make him a spirit. So her ending doesn’t matter and I don’t think she’d show up in DA4.

If he becomes more spirit I can see him coming back for the sole purpose of stopping Solas, since he can see what the trickster god is doing or going to do. An easy way to write him is to make exposure to the world again causes him to become more human. I know that would render the choices of a lot of players invalid, but c’mon this is Bioware we have seen this happen before.

Another question: Would he be romanceable? Ehhhhh it can go either way. Seeing as human Cole enters a relationship at the end of Trespasser the writers are showing us that he is at least interested in romance. As we already know Anders was the only recurring companion who had a romance, so like I said it could go either way. Would I personally like to see it? Sure, why not. I think it would be an interesting dynamic to see how he as a spirit would deal with love and possible carnal desires. As we’ve seen before spirits can engage in such activities:

Blackwall: Sera and I were just talking about you. We need you to settle a question for us.

Solas: *Sigh* Sera’s involved? So this question will be offensive.

Blackwall: Yes. Probably. Sorry. You made friends with Spirits in the fade. So... um, are there any that are more than just friends? If you know what I mean.

Solas: Oh for... really?

Blackwall: Look, it’s a natural thing to be curious about! 

Solas: For a twelve year old!

Blackwall: It’s a simple yes or no question!

Solas: Nothing about the Fade or Spirits is simple. Especially not that.

Blackwall: Aha! So you do have experience in these matters!

Solas: I did not say that.

Blackwall: Don’t panic, it’ll be our little secret.

Solas: Ass.

Blackwall: Now who’s twelve?

According to Solas, if we read between the lines, is that Fade Spirits can engage in such things. I’m sure it’s not as simple as people on Thedas think it, but things can transpire to a degree.

All in all I think Cole, out of any other companion from Inquisition, has the highest chance of showing up as a companion in Dragon Age 4. (I’m bad at endings bye)

[ofcadash]

SHIPPING INFO !!

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER? I hesitate to say Naraka/Thom because (besides Naraka/Revas) it’s the only romance I’ve actually played out for her, but GOD they do work well together. They’re such mirror images of each other it’s really fantastic. Tbh I’d have to play out some other ships before I picked an OTP TO END ALL OTPS for Naraka, but for now it’s probably Naraka/Thom.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO WRITE WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?: All the sort of reasonable things. I’m okay with uh moderately unhealthy ships, but I draw the line at abuse, r*pe, etc. By “unhealthy ships” I mean... I am okay with relationships that are not necessarily GOOD for each other; I don’t mean ships with a notable power dynamic that makes it DANGEROUS for one character or the other. I do feel, especially when playing a character like the Inquisitor, a notable difference in power is inevitable with most ships, but I feel like there’s a difference between that power shift EXISTING and that power shift being a major part of the SHIP DYNAMIC. Anyway... Most things. I’m willing to write most things. But be REASONABLE.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?: I definitely feel like the older the characters are, the more likely I am to accept a wider age gap. To me, it’s less about age and more about maturity. Obviously not going to be shipping with any characters under 18, and Naraka is at least 30, but again there’s a difference between an age gap EXISTING and an age gap being a major part of the SHIP DYNAMIC.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?: Kind of? I’m not selective when it comes to DISCUSSING shipping, but I do prefer to have the option to say “no I’m not interested anymore” without feeling like I’m going to be forced into it. And it’s rare that I don’t have at least a LITTLE anxiety about backing out of a ship, so I tend to be pretty selective when it comes to even talking about it :/

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NS/FW?: Kissing is obviously fine, but I feel like once hands start wandering or you have to use euphemisms to describe body parts, that’s when it’s ns/fw.

WHO ARE OTHER THE CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?: Revas!! Naraka is so gay for Revas!! Also Thom, obvs. And Varric bc I’m trash for dwarves. Uh... Probably also Iron Bull?? At least I’d be interested in discussing it. OH!! and Dagna or Scout Harding, probably, bc again trash for dwarves.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?: Yes and no? Feel free to send shippy memes if you want to give it a shot, but again keep in mind that I reserve the right to back out at any time?? If you want something more sturdy, talk to me!! Especially talk to me about WHY you’re interested in shipping it.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?: Simultaneously more and less than I think I do. I always tell myself I’m not gonna be too trashy about shipping, but then I draw a bunch of ns/fw art sO?? But at the same time I find myself being more selective about shipping than I think I would be.

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?: Defs ship obsessed.

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?: OF COURSE

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?: MMM UHH. Alistair/Mahariel was probably my first ship in this fandom, and it’s an oldie but a goodie. Alistair/Morrigan too idk I’m trash. Varric/Hawke. Any ship involving Naraka. Leliana/Cassandra. Also Leliana/Josephine. Brosca/Alistair too.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?: Talk to me. Talk to me. Talk to me!! Just come to me and be like “Hey I had this idea abt my chara and Naraka” or even “wouldn’t it be cute if” or just “HEY YOU WANT SOME PAIN!! IMAGINE THIS!!”

Tagged by:  i cheated and stole it!! Tagging: @fadeweaver @magestatis @princexile @dirthenasalin

[somevirtualnolife]

Kirkwall Crush

1784 words Rating: T Pairing: Varric Tethras x Hawke Summary: Once upon a time, a certain Fereldan refugee may have had a little thing for a certain merchant prince.  Author’s Notes: The last little friendship prompt I was given had be go back to a one-shot I’ve been working on for a bit. I’ve always love the Hawke/Varric dynamic. Me, like so many others, was crushed when I found out he was and will never be a romance option. I was also bummed that you don’t even get the option to flirt and be rejected. So, this is sort of my answer to that! Happy reading, y’all. 

“Do you… like Varric?”

Aerianne fumbled one of the daggers that she’d been flipping in the air. It made a small clinging sound as it fell onto the cobblestone street in front of Gamlen’s house.

“That’s a very odd question,” Aerianne laughed as she bent down to pick the dagger back up and sheathed it. “What brought this on, Beth?”  

Her sister shrugged slightly as reached for the door to open it. Bethany wasn’t really one to gossip or pry. After all, between the three Hawke sibling, she was supposed to be the sweet one. The polite one who never made any ripples. But every now and then, Bethany would throw a question to her older sister that would throw her off balance. Just a little.

“Just thinking aloud I suppose,” Bethany replied, musing a bit. “You do that thing. Where you make-up any reason to go and bother him,”

“What? No I don’t,”

“Well, alright. You do that thing where you play with your ponytail when you’re talking about him,”

“Well, I think that you’ve been reading too many romance novels,” Aerianne grinned and then nudged her sister with her hips, before entering the old house. The two girls laughed as they started to push each other, but the fun quickly ended when they heard the barking of their uncle in the next room over. He was housing them because they were adults who could pay bills, not so that they could act like a bunch of giddy children faffing about.

Bethany wasn’t wrong though.

Maybe Aerianne did have a bit of a thing for the Merchant Prince.

It’d barely been over a year and out of all the people she’d come across in Kirkwall so far, Varric stood out among them. She was a bit suspicious of his intentions at first; how could you not be when a random man you don’t know comes up to you with business proposition that seemed to good to be true? But it wasn’t before long that she and the dwarf quickly became friends. Sure, he could be a bit crude and sarcastic at times, but he was also charming, and personable; and amazing storyteller. She often found herself grabbing a drink with him most nights at the Hanged Man during her nights off. Up until recently, her time in the city was all about paying off debts and not upsetting her uncle. Before that, she was just trying to make ends meet for her family after her father died. To have a normal night out with a friend… she didn’t realize how much she missed it.

“You’ve really never thought of trying to go back to Orzammar?” she asked him.

“Come on, do I look like someone who would enjoy living in a cave, arguing about which ancestor is the best?” Varric scoffed. “Kirkwall has the open skies, exciting stories, walks from every form of life. Not to mention I’d have to grow one of those ridiculous beards if I moved to Orzammar,”

“Can’t have that. It would distract from your chest hair,”

“Ha! I knew you were alright Hawke,” he grinned, knocking his tankard against hers. “Cute and quick with both words and a dagger. Keep that up, and you’ll fit into Kirkwall in no time,”

Varric did more than just give her a business opportunity, he helped her adjust to life in Kirkwall. Despite making a name for herself, Aerianne still had troubles fitting into the cultural fabric of the city, especially in Lowtown. She had to learn that the way you dealt with people in the countryside were far different than how you dealt with them in the city. Politeness and sincerity wasn’t going to cut it; you had to be charming. Quick-witted and talk your way out of any situation. It was something that Varric seemed quite adept at, based on her observations. It was odd how he managed to be the most well liked and most hated man in various circles. Regardless of people’s opinion, he was the Merchant Prince for a reason; he had influence.

“Is Varric involved with anyone?” Aerianne once asked Bartrand when she was dropping off some of her sovereign. He laughed so hard that he nearly fell off his chair. Scratch that, he actually did fall off his chair and just continued to howl like an overexcited mabari. She never got an answer out of him, but she took a positive sign.

Varric seem to be the type that would have more than his fair share of fun with women. He had a surprising way with words, making meekest of housemaids to the jaded of rich-divorcees blush.  But from what she could tell he had no one serious in his life. Was he even the type to have anyone serious in his life? She suddenly felt a little bit naïve. He was older than her, certainly more experienced. How does one exactly pursue a man like Varric? Despite being the one to reach out for business prospects, he seemed to be the type who would rather be approached by women rather than the other way around. Kirkwall women were just so bold. Or was this just city women in general?

Regardless, she was a Kirkwall woman now. She had to start acting like one.

 It was one night at the docks, where they decided for a change of pace from the Hanged Man. If the docks didn’t have shading dealings going on in the shadows and they were drinking something more than the cheap whiskey straight out the bottle, this might’ve been romantic.

“Maker, it burns,” she coughed, passing the bottle back to Varric. “That’s it, I’m choosing the bottle next time,”

“Hawke, at this price, they’re all gonna taste the same,” he laughed as he took a swig. “I told you we could split it,”

“You can’t keep covering for me. The first thing I’m going to if we make it big from this expedition is buy us some proper alcohol. One that doesn’t taste like moldy woodchips,”

“Speaking of which. I’ve got a couple of new leads for you to get some of that sovereign. I think you’ll like these ones. For real this time,”

“The last time you said that, Bethany, Aveline and I were getting you out of one YOUR messes,” she nudged him slightly. “I only got a few coins from that!”

“Okay, so maybe a few of my leads haven’t been perfect, but I swear to you on Andraste’s golden knickers, Hawke, these ones are good. We’ve got grey wardens, we’ve got pirates, mysterious disappearances, adventure… everything a budding hero like yourself could want,”

“Hero? Since when?” she shook her head with a long sigh, taking the bottle back from Varric’s hand and gulping some more down. It still tasted awful, but at least it was going down easier.

“Come on, Hawke. If you actually charged for half the problems that you solve in this city, you’d have the fifty sovereigns by now,” he shrugged slightly. “You’re too good for this place,”  

“You always say that,” she rested her chin on the palm of her hand, finally feeling the buzz of the terrible alcohol.

“Eh, what can I say. I like you, Hawke,”  

A smile formed on the young woman’s face. This was it; this was the moment that she had been waiting for.

“I like you too, Varric,”

“Aw, stop. You’re gonna make me blush. And not just because of the alcohol,”

Varric began to laugh, but it was quickly interrupted by Aerianne’s lips planted firmly on his. He first tasted of the bitter, strong liquor (it really was the last time they were getting that brand), but it didn’t take long before it disappeared. Though, there was something that she felt was odd about the kiss. They were supposed to have a give and receive quality to them. And by the Maker, she was certainly giving, but she was receiving nothing. She always expected Varric to be better at this.

Unless of course…

“Uh…” she heard Varric said hesitantly, as they parted lips.

She opened her eyes and looked at the dwarf’s expression. Not one of desire and wanting, but instead of drunken confusion.

And then it clicked.

Oh.

Oh no.

“Oh, you meant as a-”

“And you meant it as-”

Aerianne quickly pushed herself away, her hands quickly clutching at the ends of her ponytail as she looked at him, slightly mortified. “I am SO sorry Varric,”

“There are worse things than to be kissed by a pretty girl. Especially like that,” he then cleared his throat, turning his head. “Well… shit,”

“Well shit is right,” Aerianne winced and groaned. This was not how she planned for things to go at all. Like is such a vague word, especially when you’re not fully sober. Embarrassment didn’t even begin to cover what she was feeling right now. What does one do when you kiss someone that wasn’t interested? Send them a fruit basket apology? She didn’t have that kind of money.

Varric finally turned to face Aerianne again. He looked weirdly apologetic, which she didn’t quite understand.

“You’re one of a kind of kind, Hawke. I hope you know that,” he said, patting her firmly on the shoulder. “You’re funny, smart, and tough. Not to mention very easy on the eyes,”

“You don’t have to let me down easy,” she replied. It stung… but it was best to know sooner rather than later. And she’d much rather this go over quickly so that she could erase this whole encounter from her mind as soon as possible.

“I’m just being honest. You really are a great girl. But the thing with me and great girls… well…”

“You end up naming your crossbow after them?”

He made a clicking noise and made a trigger motion at her. “Nothing gets past you,”

The young woman laughed and shook her head. Well, at least she got one thing right. “I’m sorry. Again. I didn’t mean to make things odd,”

“Eh, I’ve had weirder,” he said looking back off at the docks. “Look, I don’t think that I could ever give you want you would need in that kind of relationship. But as a friend, I’ll always have your back. You can count on that. You know, if you’ll still have me as one,”  

A small smile appeared on her face. There was something reassuring about that. She’d only known him for a short while, but it felt like she’d known him all his life. He was familiar and comfortable. He made her feel normal.

He was a friend.

“Yeah,” she said, leaning on his shoulder and closing her eyes. “I’d like that,”

[black-emporium-exchange]

2020 Pinch Hit #6, whereismywarden - CLAIMED

This pinch hit will be due at 12 PM EDT on Friday, September 4th. Please leave a comment on this Dreamwidth post (comments are screened), send a message to one of the mods, or send an email to blackemporiumexchange@gmail.com to claim. 

Requested relationships:

Carver Hawke/Female Surana - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Aeducan/Carver Hawke - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Cousland/Sebastian Vael - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Cousland/Anora Mac Tir - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Adaar/Cullen Rutherford - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Cadash/Cullen Rutherford - Fanart, Fanfiction

Male Hawke/Cullen Rutherford - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Brosca/Leske - Fanart, Fanfiction

Male Brosca/Leske - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Brosca/Varric Tethras - Fanart, Fanfiction

Alistair/Carver Hawke - Fanart, Fanfiction

Carver Hawke/Isabela - Fanart, Fanfiction

Bethany Hawke/Varric Tethras - Fanart, Fanfiction

Male Hawke/Cassandra Pentaghast - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Hawke/Cassandra Pentaghast - Fanart, Fanfiction

Calpernia/Raleigh Samson - Fanart, Fanfiction

Justice/Female Surana - Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Mahariel/Tamlen - Fanart, Fanfiction

Letter:

http://whereismywarden.tumblr.com/blackemporium

PH 6 - whereismywarden

Request #1:

Carver Hawke/Female Surana

Female Aeducan/Carver Hawke

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for additional character information and a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

Prompt ideas: - I headcanon that Carver met the future Hero of Ferelden at Ostagar before the battle. They quickly hit it off and showed attraction to each other. - Some post-game fluff. I also love established relationships. I have a preference for Warden Carver, but I'm not opposed to Templar Carver if you can make it work. - Smut allowed but not required.

Carver/Surana: Carver is one of the first people outside of her fellow Circle mages to treat her with respect as a person and an equal. It's one of the main things she found attractive about him.

Carver/Aeducan: No additional preferences. You can go wild with headcanons. I'm just fine with any Carver/Warden pairing tbh.

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #2:

Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe

Female Cousland/Sebastian Vael

Female Cousland/Anora Mac Tir

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for additional character information and a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

Cousland/Nathaniel: The two of them likely knew each other growing up since their respective parents were close friends. I headcanon that they eventually started seeing each other in secret and maybe even had a secret wedding (for whatever reason, maybe Nate feared his father might disapprove? maybe one of them was already engaged in an arranged marriage? it's your choice). You can explore that part of their relationship, or you can pick up post-Blight and show them come to terms with everything that happened. It can end with them reconciling or breaking up. - Smut allowed but not required.

Cousland/Sebastian: I think that considering their similar backstories and Sebastian's fascination with the Grey Wardens (although she doesn't have to be one), these two could pair well together. I had this fun idea once of Sebastian asking a Divine Leliana for her blessing before marrying Cousland, not realizing that the two of them had been together during the Blight. (Naturally, if you were to write this prompt, it would need to focus on Cousland/Sebastian. Besides, I think Leliana would be more amused about the situation than anything else). - Smut allowed but not required, and unless you're going for an established relationship (i.e. if it's their first time together), I would appreciate if you made it clear that Sebastian isn't in the Chantry anymore, or maybe that he realizes his vow was more about abandoning senseless pursuits of sex than the actual act of making love?

Cousland/Anora: I headcanon these two as being childhood best friends. I also headcanon Anora as a closeted lesbian. Does she have a crush on Cousland? Is it reciprocated? Do they act on it? - Smut allowed but not required.

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #3:

Female Adaar/Cullen Rutherford

Female Cadash/Cullen Rutherford

Male Hawke/Cullen Rutherford

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for additional character information and a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

Prompt ideas: - I would love some established relationship fluff. I was thinking maybe something post-game where Cullen introduces his lover to his family. They're very supportive of the relationship and welcome them with open arms. - Smut allowed but not required.

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #4:

Female Brosca/Leske (Dragon Age)

Male Brosca/Leske (Dragon Age)

Female Brosca/Varric Tethras

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

Brosca/Leske: I just love their dynamic, how close and comfortable they are with each other. Lots of banter and teasing each other. It can be some pre-game fun, or it can be an angst-filled piece about the moment they come face to face after Brosca returns to Orzammar. - I'm fine with a sad ending and character death, you can destroy me emotionally. - I'm fine with a Brosca of any gender. - Smut allowed but not required.

Brosca/Varric: I had this headcanon that Brosca doesn't know how to read, and she somehow managed to end the Blight without ever learning (if she became a Warden). But when she meets Varric, she develops a massive crush on him and wants to be able to read his books. She either learn in order to surprise him, or he teaches her himself, or alternatively, he reads the books to her (maybe she's dyslexic and reading is actually difficult for her).

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #5:

Alistair/Carver Hawke

Carver Hawke/Isabela

Bethany Hawke/Varric Tethras

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

Alistair/Carver: Sometimes you just love two characters so much you just feel the need to see them smooch. This is one of these pairings that has just captured my heart for no real reason other than I just think they'd look cute together. - Alistair can be anything (king, warden, it can even be a templar AU) and same goes with Carver. It's whatever works for you. - Smut allowed but not required.

Carver/Isabela: I love their interactions together. I love how awkward Carver is around her in Act 1, but gets a confidence boost later on, and how much Isabela seems to like it. So maybe they finally act on it. - Carver can be anything you want him to be. - Smut allowed and frankly, I'd be disappointed if this one wasn't sexy.

Bethany/Varric: I just think they're very cute together and it's pretty clear in the game that Varric cares deeply about Bethany. Tbh, I believe he might even be in love with her but unwilling to admit it. - Bethany can be anything, although in this scenario I do have a preference for Circle mage if you want it to be set post-Act 1 (although AUs where she remains a free mage are fine too). - Smut allowed but not required.

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #6:

Male Hawke/Cassandra Pentaghast

Female Hawke/Cassandra Pentaghast

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

I like to imagine that Cassandra developed a huge crush on Hawke after reading Varric's book. So naturally, she gets very flustered when they finally meet. - I'm fine with a Hawke of any gender. - Smut allowed but not required.

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #7:

Calpernia/Raleigh Samson

Justice/Female Surana

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for additional character info and a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

Calpernia/Samson: What was their relationship like? How tragic is it that one of them goes MIA depending on the Inquisitor's choices? How would they react to the other's sudden disappearance? - Smut allowed but not required.

Justice/Surana: As the Warden teaches him more about the beauty of the world and the people living in it, Justice starts to develop feelings for them and he isn't sure what to think about it. - Doesn't have to be requited or even confessed. In fact, I'm perfectly fine with it being just pining. - Smut NOT allowed for this pairing! - Either during DAA's timeframe or after merging with Anders (it could be interesting, but only if you feel you can handle it respectfully). - Doesn't have to be with f!Surana, other possible pairings: --- Justice/Male Surana --- Justice/Female Amell --- Justice/Male Amell

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.

Request #8:

Female Mahariel/Tamlen (Dragon Age)

Fanart

Fanfiction

(See letter for additional character information and a more in-depth list of likes and dnw)

It can be something sweet and pre-game. Maybe Mahariel and Tamlen sneak out of the camp to have some private time together? Bonus point if other NPCs from the origin appear in the story. Or it can be an angst-filled piece either set just after Tamlen's disappearance or during/after that fateful encounter in the camp. - I'm fine with a sad ending and character death, you can destroy me emotionally. - Smut allowed but not required.

Likes: Stories focusing on emotions, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, UST, characters willing to go to hell and back for their loved ones, teasing, banter, mutual respect, trust and support, canon divergent AUs ('what if' scenarios), humor, awkwardness, slice of life stories, domesticity, size differences, tenderness, soft male characters, cuddling, slow dancing, no one is straight.

Smut likes: Feelings (lots of them), consent and communication, oral (especially cunnilingus), sex on furniture other than the bed or in places other than the bedroom, fingering/hand jobs, admiring each other's bodies (bonus point for body positivity), eye contact, lots of kissing everywhere (but especially jaw, neck), awkwardness, laughter, vanilla sex, light bondage.

Do not want: Noncon, explicit underage sex, minor/adult relationships, daddy/mommy kink and other ageplay, incest, bestiality, animal cruelty, abusive relationships (mentions of past abuse is fine, just not between the main pairing), infidelity (open relationships, polyamory or separated/estranged couples are fine), A/B/O, mpreg, bathroom stuff, bloodplay, vore foot fetish, modern AUs, soulmate AUs, crossovers, 1st or 2nd person POV (unless epistolary), excessive character bashing (a character disliking another is fine, but I don't want a hate-filled fic), homophobia/biphobia/aphobia/transphobia/etc., whitewashing.