#also zevran is there so 10/10 game ever

[jackals-ships]

also sometimes i sit and think about how God Damn Insane dao was for some parts. ive seen ppl get Weird abt "you only like it to feel superior-" well first off i am better than you so mark that down but also. jfc-

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

idk man been sifting through my feelings on all this. and i think what it comes down to is i don't really care/mind that there are non-canonical (BY DEFINITION, if it is not IN the media, it is not in the 'canon', and this info was in tweets) statements about Lucanis' sexuality being demi/ace/him being a virgin. and i'm glad for people who like to incorporate that into their headcanons about the game/interpretation of his character and expand on that more than the game itself does, like, this is our space now baby do what makes you happy!

but personallyyyyyyy i just do not think these new labels are some magic bandaid that solves the flaws in the pacing and writing of his romance. Lucanis never talking to Rook about his feelings as they get to know each other (but sure is willing to talk to Rook about his feelings for Neve if you don't romance him) is not solved, for me, by saying "well he wouldn't be attracted until he got to know you and also has no experience with sex". the same way calling it a "slow burn" did not solve this for me. especially because right up until release he was being advertised as a "bisexual mess". but now was secretly a "panromantic demisexual" the whole time. it just... idk. you can say anything you want online, you know? but if you don't Show Me... well. i also don't like that people who are saying 'well this was Not part of his story in the game so i don't see it' are getting labeled as anti-ace when like, many of the criticisms i am seeing are coming from people who are themselves demi/ace lol. it's not asexual representation bc it is not in the game itself. (though honestly. i AM glad that that was not jammed into his story arc, and that his quests were about his agonizing over his family and the fact that he's now bodysharing with a demon. because his writing was never going to get MORE lines, and to take away any of the ones he had to put in a sexuality arc beyond an offhand mention would have really crashed that because the existing writing barely holds together as is. like there just was not room to have more so personally i am not criticizing Mary Kirby for her decision not to add it. but you can't not add something and then also claim it's a definitive part of his character. plus i dont think a character needs to know/understand/use modern labels anyway).

and personally i DO prefer an awkward/fumbling Lucanis, to be clear. Before Veilguard came out I was never expecting the sexy antivan lover angle because we got that once already: Zevran. I didn't want poor-imitation Zevran, and bioware would not write Lucanis like that to make sure he is a more distinct character anyway. BUT i do think it's reasonable in a bioware game to expect that a romance is going to have romantic content--and the number of times after his cutscenes i literally said aloud "go girl give us nothing" after he failed to react to a flirt was pretty sad. If he's awkward and nervous give him a line where he stutters and doesn't know how to react, not just a blank stare and back to business, or whatever. Or a scene where you can literally ask "you never respond to my flirting do you want me to stop" and for him to say say he likes it but doesn't know how to reciprocate or. ANYTHING. Idk. I have seen 10 different posts/takes on how the Wall Lean Scene fits in, be it that he was imitating a romance novel or it was crow seduction training or he was just pretending because that's how he's seen Illario do it but at the end of the day. It is all just speculation because nothing in the game EVER addresses how wildly different the tone of that scene is from every other one of his romance scenes. And as much as i love the Sexy Wall Lean, given the rest of his characterization in EVERY other romance scene, i think I'm at a point where i think the romance would have been better served by cutting it out and having a different scene where you actually get to talk to him instead.

but! that is not the game we were given. we only have what we have, which is the Veilguard content by Mary Kirby, and The Wigmaker Job written by Courtney Woods (where for reference, he mentions stumbling into an orgy on a previous job, and having an "interesting" time getting out of that, so i already think we have 2 different interpretations of his character between them anyway). but yeah idk man to me "well he's ace" is not an excuse for either gaps in the writing or cut content or whatever was going on. because 1. HE IS NOT AN ACTUAL PERSON he is a storytelling vessel that i felt failed to satisfyingly communicate the entire romance story and 2. even if he was a person saying 'well in ace relationships communication sucks' would also be, not great, you know. everything beyond the text itself is just interpretation and headcanons

[gryffintheparrotcat]

Things in Veilguard that have annoyed me so far, in no particular order:

(I'm about to recruit Emmerich and Taash, if you're not there yet consider yourself formally spoiler warned)

1. Solas hates bloodmages now, this makes no sense.

2. Bioware still doesn't know people darker than #8D5840 exist. This is the fourth game, you'd think the devs learned this by now.

Player characters pass the paperbag test, that is not a good thing. I swear I've seen npcs with darker skintones but Rook can't have a slice?

3. Dalishs are just chill with their gods being evil and real and instead of addressing all that we just go and watch another elven community get massmurdered.

4. We're in The Elvenenslaver And Qunarihater City™ and there are 0 slaves and everyone is friendly to my elven and my qunari Rooks.

4. My Rook having an Elgar'nan vallaslin has not been acknowledged even once.

5. The qunari are going against Qun orders and are just cartoonishly evil now. Neither of these things align with previously established lore.

6. The Crows are all a big happy family. Sorry Zevran.

7. The Grey Wardens are incompetent. Again.

8. My Rook being called kid by Varric and others, that is a grown adult man.

9. Being called Rook. I didn't like that title much to begin with but the fact that it's not even earned this time makes it even more annoying. He has a last name!

10. The companions doing jackshit in combat. I'm a mage not a tank, can someone else kite the enemy?? I miss the pause button

11. The controls being different again. Why is spacebar a whole different button in each dragonage game? Were these ever made while considering people who may play one after the other?

12. Harding not being a romance option for the inquisitor. I never played Viviennes semiromance (i'm always siding with the rebelmages so we haven't exactly been getting along) so I can't say how deep that is and if she should be an option, but i will note that she is also not an option.

13. Harding saying she wasn't in the inner circle of the inquisitor. Harding darling I promise you inquistior adaar loved you dearly. I'm pretty sure I talked to Harding far more than I talked to Varric in Inquisiton.

14. "The previous games aren't relevant because they play in the South" WHAT ABOUT KIRKWALL? What about Navarran Princess Cassandra?? Dorian is here why not the others?? Not even mentioned once?? Cmon.

15. No proper wrinkle slider in character creator... again.

16. Not being able to resize eyes in character creator. Why??

17. No slider for the stomach to stick out. A for effort on even adding bodysliders to begin with but I was hoping for proper tummys for once.

18. The dialogue wheel. And more specifically how little origin/class specific options there are as a mage elf with a vallaslin specifically. And not being able to be mean, just a bit blunt. Meeting Davrin and him being a bit prickly at first was a breath of fresh air ngl. I don't need evil alright, I get it I'm playing a hero now. But let my Rook be a bit spicy sometimes. Neve complains about a Crow prioritising Treviso over Minrathos? Let Rook be an ass about it.

19. I brought Neve & Mage Rook to recruit "The Mage Killer" and neither have voiced any discomfort about that? Or acknowledged that at all? Neve has some party banner with Lucanis but even there it's more of a L "Are you scared bc of the title?" N "lol nope".

Hopefully I won't have to make a pt2 any time soon.

[hawkeshep]

re that ask me stuff post, who are your canon pcs in the dragon age games?? what are their names, what class/race, who did they romance?? I love learning about other's pcs!

HOOHHHHHHmygod thank you for asking this 🥹

I was actually going to make a separate OC sheet on my pinned post where I go into more detail and share screenshots, and you’ve just pushed me to actually finish that! But in the meantime...

DAO:

Admittedly, I have not played DAO in a hot minute, but...

-My Warden’s name is Cliodhna Amell, and as you can tell by the last name, she is a human mage! I have yet to fully flesh her out, but she is a blood mage who romances Alistair. Her main party is Alistair, Zevran & Morrigan. She puts Anora on the Fereldan throne, and stays a Grey Warden searching tirelessly for the cure with Alistair.

trips and falls and 7,373,839 pictures of Hawke fall out

AHEM—

DA2:

-Next up is the actual light and love of my life my Iris Hawke, my favorite local idiot. She is my Fereldan-Tevene special mage rebellion princess and she romances (this word seems pale in comparison to the depth of her feelings for him) Fenris (think rivalmance but with me laughing maniacally in the background while manipulating the game to make it so I don’t ever have to be mean to him). Iris genuinely does not have a main party in my headcanon, as she takes the whole merry band out with her to do Kirkwall's dirty work. She predominantly utilizes fire (maximum chaos) and specializes as a force mage. Later, after Kirkwall has beaten her, her friends, and her family down enough, she dabbles with blood magic. Yes, this goes Extremely Poorly™️. More at 10!

Post DA2, and with her family now scattered across Thedas, she decides to go on the run (with Fenris, and soon their son, close behind) to protect Kirkwall from the Exalted March that never came.

(I actually have her entire story mapped out and could talk about specifically her for hours on end, I have stopped myself)

DAI:

-Miss Vaenera Lavellan the woman that you are. Unfortunately, I am predictable as hell so she is also a mage (what can I say? I love fire). As Clan Lavellan's Second, she straight up wasn’t even important enough to attend the actual Conclave, standing juuust far enough away that she just barely heard the cry for help from the Divine inside (war flashbacks to the wrong voiceline playing: what’s going on in here 🧍‍♀️) But genuinely, the worst case of wrong place, wrong time as the spare to the heir. Her rise as Inquisitor is a rocky one, leaning heavily on the advice of her advisors and Enchanter Vivienne. To keep that amazing streak of luck going, she romances Solas! What started out as reluctance to trust, followed by frequent visits to hear of his amazing stories and abilities as a dreamer mage, turned into regrettably, a lot more than either of them had bargained for. She is a predominantly storm magic Knight Enchanter, with a party mainly consisting of Solas, Sera & Blackwall.

Post-Trespasser and Pre-Veilguard, she actually joins the efforts of the Shadow Dragons, freeing slaves and fighting corrupt mages alongside Dorian, my Hawke and Fenris, as well as the occasional stint as a Red Jenny with her good friend Sera.

DATV:

(tbh she is a total WIP, but I will do my best)

-Visenna de Riva, EASILY the scrappiest Antivan Crow there ever was, and the bane of Viago's existence. Not too much info on where I want to go with her just yet, but she (YOU GUESSED IT!) is a mage with a spellblade specialization who romances Lucanis. Her main party is Davrin and Lucanis!

Aaaaaaaand let me stop myself so I can finish my nicely formatted sheet!

Thank you so much for asking and I would really love to hear about your OC's as well, if you'd like! 💜 Please tag me if you have any writing on them!

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 4 MATCH 8

Zevran propaganda:

“The bisexual elf man”

"what about 'for the chance to be by your side i would storm the dark city itself'?? he can essentially propose!! if you die he canonically never loves again!!"

"literally the sweetest romance ive ever had the chance of doing

everytime i play origins i try to romance someone else but the momebt he starts talking i absolutely melt!!!!!

zevran shouldnt just be boiled down to bisexual elf man

he also is deeply traumatized since he was used for his body since a young child

so the warden and zevrans romance is such a sweet and slow romance ws you slowly help him realize that you dont just see him as his body!!!!

hes the sweetest man on earth and i will die on this hill

i will never love anyone more than this man"

Derek propaganda:

"Impossible to dislike

No, like, literally impossible. OL1 will allow you to be indifferent to it's two other LIs, Cove and Baxter but you actually can't pick that option for Derek. Game decided that You Will Be (at least) Friends With Derek

This boy is so good!!!! He's a sweetheart and has your back in the best way and he's constantly doing his best to make sure the people around him (especially you) are happy

This is also a complex flaw of his because he feels like he needs to be the best that he can be and to be worth something

This both manifests in how he treats others (he's exceedingly well-mannered and does everything for others because he secretly hopes that someday someone will do the same for him) and his career prospects (he takes on excessive practice to get good at football/soccer so that he can potentially get a scholarship and become famous all so he can potenially feel like he's worth something. This is actually a major conflict in his Step 4)

His DLC also has some of the best moments in the game

He also has a family and they're also really good and you get to see a lot of them

His dad is hilarious, his mom is gorgeous and their relationship is very cute

Meanwhile, Derek's brothers are great. I wanna gush about them because I love them but also play Derek's DLC yourself!!! See how good they are for yourself!!!!

I will say that these three have a really good relationship dynamic and the development it takes in the 10 years between when you first meet Jorge and Nico as little kids to Step 4 where they're adults (and a teenager, Nico is 16 in Step 4) is genuinely very well written

If you're into the steamy stuff, Derek also has the best make-out session out of all of the boys

He's also just. Very funny. This boy will invite you to a waterpark and then ask you if its a date so he knows whether or not it's ok to check you out in your swimsuit

Or, if you aren't dating by that point (but you do want to to date him), the narration will note how he's trying so so hard not to check you out, he's just trying so so so hard

Puppy dog face. Look at it. Tell me you can look at that face and not want to smooch him

His confession is also the best, did I mention it's the best? Because it's absolutely the best one in the entire game

He has a whole thing about having to confess to you on a ferris wheel and he's so committed to it that he actually avoided ferris wheels for a long time before this confession because he promised himself he'd do it the next time he went on one

And then he went on one...and he literally doesn't confess when he does it because he lost track of time and he had to get off

so he asks you to go on the ferris wheel with him again so he can actually confess this time

Just. Just vote for him!!!!"

[bakafox]

Mid-game thoughts on/review of Dragon Age: Veilguard

TLDR: I like it and yes would recommend it to people who liked the previous DA games, or Mass Effect games, or who like ARPG's or even just RPG's provided you aren't wishing to play as evil characters/make evil choices.

It might honestly be one of my favorite DA games, right after DAO, for all that yes, it's very different in mechanics and aesthetics than DAO... but that's only a 'maybe' as I do need to see how this sucker ends before really making a call.

On my 'melt faces' storyteller setting, it is ABSOLUTELY the escapist game I've needed right now, much like DAI was honestly just the game I needed when it came out too.

Bold text will warn if spoilers are in following sections in my longer thoughts.

I admit some of the negativity I saw pre-launch had me nervous and wary, but I'm mid-game now on one Rook, having done my usual thing of winding up with several different games/Rooks to try out different classes and also because on my FIRST one, I made some mistakes that I regretted by not understanding a few game mechanics. And I really like it.

Next 3 paragraphs may contain spoilers for PREVIOUS games, the following 3 paragraphs may have minor lore spoilers for Veilguard re: how things compare to previous games, skip to next bold text to avoid such spoilers:

I am not a Dragon Age absolute fanatic, but I've really enjoyed all 3 prior games, and DAI got me through a very rough spot in my life, and for all that I heard this game was 'too different', to my play preferences and my memories of playing those games, it really isn't all that different other than in mechanics.

It is mildly annoying to me that who I chose as Divine doesn't translate over from DAI, but the Southern Chantry has 0 to do with the storyline, so in the end it's honestly easy to forget about that for me. I also found it a bit irritating at first that the Crows are very different than they came across as being in DAO and DA2, but yes, I was able to get over that because I do really like the Crow companion and storyline, and I just tell myself that the organization reorganized after Zevran killed off a lot of the leaders.

Spoiler-free thoughts on combat/game mechanics.

Prefacing this by saying I am not actually into combat-driven games for the most part, and I tend to play a lot of games with active, real-time combat on easier modes. I am very bad at combat that needs dodging and shit. I am currently playing on the easiest preset, "Storyteller" mode. This means I am pretty much only dying ever in boss fights or because my arch nemesis in games is jumping and jumping puzzles, and I do a lot of falling to my death.

Thankfully, all my fatal failures are quickly dealt with, my jumping deaths just respawn me right where I fucked up, so I don't even have to reload a save.

The combat is probably easier with a controller, and it took me a while to get used to having to combine keys for combos or hold them down to charge attacks with my kb and mouse play style, but once I figured them out, I've been actively enjoying fights even if my housemate does overhear me swearing a lot at some boss and miniboss battles. In fact, I probably will try a slightly harder difficulty eventually, whether preset or fully tweaking whatever settings, to give non-boss fights a bit more challenge at some point. On Storyteller mode, once I get past level 10 or so or have done enough sidequests I'm sometimes a tad 'over level' I feel a bit like a lawnmower for non-boss fights, which is fun and satisfying in its own way, but does mean I seldom break out team combos except in miniboss or boss fights.

The puzzles are not what I would call difficult, but it can be easy to overlook some little ledge or clue, or not realize you need to go forward and then backtrack, so yes, some have been a bit annoying for me and taken a while.

Spoiler-ish for how Veilguard handles looting/crafting/upgrades and equipping companions:

The system for finding treasure and looting is yes, very different from previous games, but my inner loot goblin enjoys hunting for chests and does not mourn the fact that corpses seldom give anything and when they do it's only upgrade material.

There is no crafting, but you upgrade your gear via workshop, merchants, and also random chest finds can upgrade things in your inventory, and this system works fine for me, though it can be a little frustrating when the RNG refuses to change the quality of the item you really want it to and gives you an epic or legendary thingy you won't equip.

You do not equip companions with just random finds, they just get specific gear drops that then upgrade randomly or using faction merchants. Levelling up your rank with faction merchants can be a bit annoying once you're past like lvl 2 or 3, but I admit again, I'm playing on 'melt faces' mode so it's easy for me to shrug off, your mileage may vary on how badly you find yourself wishing for easier gear upgrades for your crew.

Nonspoiler about story and quests I have so far encountered:

So far, frankly, I really enjoy it all. Main story AND the side companion stories/quests. Maybe I'm not enough of a purist to notice some tweaks to previous lore, but then previous lore was usually also given by unreliable narrators- regardless, it all feels very Thedas-y and Dragon-Agey to me, and while nothing is ever flawless, and there's always some discourse to be had about how the game series in general has tackled certain issues or 'grey morality' I think the writing is pretty good, and I like the general directions they've taken as to the backstories behind all that's gone on as well as most of the specifics.

Nonspoiler about the types of dialogue or storychoices made & remembered in Veilguard, and the tutorial quest/level:

I am still only at midgame at BEST, but so far, for better or worse, I don't think the story choices you're allowed in this game are all that different than previous games, in terms of your options. I saw complaints of railroading and limitations in the early stuff that had me a bit less enthusiastic about the launch, but I am not personally finding anything to complain about. It's not a Baldur's Gate game, but no DA game, not even DAO, has been a Baldur's Gate game in breadth of choice options.

The tutorial/start quest feels most like DAI's, in terms of setup, and after running it twice I did kind of wish I could skip it entirely lol, but that's also how I've felt about every DA tutorial-quest-setup after making 2 protagonists or so.

When it comes to the dialogue wheel- I have not been ambushed nearly as often by the real dialogue coming out way differently than I expected.

Mild spoiler maybe about the dialogue choices/wheel.

I was a LITTLE surprised that even the third general wheel choice that looked like it might be kind of mean to me due to the icon generally was still very nice, just very direct and to the point. I don't play DA games to play assholes though so that's actually a good or at least neutral thingy for me, it's just the icon did make me think it was going to be grumpier/angrier.

Angrier and grumpier dialogue has a different icon and is only available for certain chats, same with more anxious or empathetic/sad dialogue.

Nonspoiler about companions:

They're great. Choosing 'favorite' DA companions is a fraught exercise, but of course every game I've had a few favorites, and have romanced certain ones more thoroughly than others.

This game made it harder for me to immediately pick favorites. I think they really got personalities and the depth of back story right in Veilguard. I still have developed a sort of 'ranking list' of who I want to romance, but this may be the first DA game ever where I honestly am pretty enthusiastic about romancing all of them, and where I'm very HAPPY to switch up my party and cycle through the various companions to make sure I get high rep/bond with all of them.

Everyone's tastes will differ but there isn't a single companion in this game that annoys me, that I find kind of dull, that I wish was written a BIT differently, or makes my mental illnesses/anxiety go brrrrr.

This is also why I am way behind on story and have not beaten the game, because I've so far made 3 different Rooks bc I keep changing my mind about who to romance first.

I can't really judge well if there's a bit less banter in total between companions than in any previous games, but I find the amount there is to be pretty satisfying when not just fast-traveling around.

Fuck I don't know if this counts as a spoiler or not, about the world's "openness" and environment aesthetics:

I do not find myself missing the more open world map mechanics of DAI. What there is for terrain maps/zones is gorgeous (or creepy and depressing as needed,) and I do sometimes avoid fast-traveling even through areas I know I've cleared before of POI type stuff just to enjoy the landscape as well as companion banter.

Character creator, nonspoiler:

It's pretty in-depth, and I am incredibly happy with all three Rooks I have made so far. Honestly the happiest I've ever been with how my DA character looks even outside of the char creator without mods.

I could always wish for more scars, tattoos, and hair styles, but what there are so far are satisfying enough for me. I'd have to go back to take shots of their full body looks and won't do that, but while the amount of fat or muscle or boob or bulge you can add is still constrained to a degree, the sliders still having maybe slightly basic-bitch limitations, I like the variety of body shape and height I've accomplished as well as facial.

And Opal, the Qunari mage, even without me going to the maximum of 'soft and chubby' the creators allow is still satisfyingly more so than most previous games I've ever played have allowed, so I'll take it.

(I kind of think we'll never get really wide slider differentials in part because would that make it hard to make garments and scenes not have clipping issues?)

Also yes that last Rook has a somewhat broken/crooked nose when viewed from the front even if it's not too intense/easy to see and also has a slight cauliflower ear, again things I haven't been able to do to my brawlers in most games I've played. Though their hair hides the ear.

Anyway, yeah, I've played 85 hours so far, am farthest into the story as my extremely polite non binary warrior with the broken nose and heart of soppy gold, and I think it's a really fun game and fits right in as a Dragon Age one.

[iniziare]

DAV Spoilers. Or at least, my "general game opinions". I'll be vague in terms of the game's conclusion, so you don't have to worry about spoilers. Though unless you've finished most of the game (roughly halfway act 2, or just around part 10 in terms of Steam achievements), not all of this will make sense to you. But in short: I like it, I like it a lot.

First off, I need to be honest and say that I went into Veilguard as an absolute critic with the expectation that as a fan of the older games and their lore, I was going to rip into it. After all the news of the team crumbling, I simply lost all faith. But worst of all, I was going to do so while potentially not even playing the game. But in all of my rationality, I always say that one only ever has a right to judge something, after having given it enough of a fair chance. So that's what I did (and admittedly, I had some hype simmering in my heart to see the ending of a story that had become very dear to me), and I don't regret it. Dragon Age: Veilguard, in my opinion, is deserving of praise, and is unworthy of the bad reviews it's gotten. Alright, this is only part of my opinion— but it got a little ramble-y, so forgive me.

Rook. I thought that it was going to be impossible to get me hooked on another protagonist, especially in today's society where people seem to prefer a 'make your own' approach, as opposed to my personal preference of a pre-written character. For instance, I always had a clear preference for Hawke vs. the Warden and/or Inquisitor, but that's just me— I don't like 'creating' my character when I play, I simply want to be told an established story (AC Valhalla is an example of a massive dislike for me). But again, I'm aware that this comes down to preference. Now, I was afraid that Rook would be an even blanker canvas, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn differently. Rook is incredibly reminiscent to me of Hawke, without being a copy in whatsoever way. I'm delighted to have the sarcastic option back (and as many, I loved that it was reacted to by Solas), as it really adds some wonderful personality into the mix. To add to that, I love that it's Rook who is the 'comical relief' without being actually outright comical to a point where it's too much, which would then risk taking away from the weight of the story. Bioware chose a perfect balance here. Outside of that, I very much appreciate the backstory options. My first playthrough had me picking the Crows out of curiosity and as an ode to an old favorite's origins (hi, Zevran), and it was very fun. I enjoyed the consistent mentions and references of the tales of her past after I'd chosen them, and I find enjoyment knowing that even the small details change a bit, such as the verbal reactions to the ziplines. I also was very happy to see her interact well with Solas, because that was another big concern of mine, as I was very worried that there might have been a decision made to add in any sort of flirtations (despite knowing Weekes likely wouldn't go there, based on Solas' foundation). Rook and Solas' dynamic is one I very thoroughly enjoy in exactly the form it was presented in. Up until the very end of the story, she stayed consistent with my choices, and had me seated here with blurry emotional vision on occasion. And while those who know me know that I can get very emotional over details in games, it isn't actually that easy to get me there initially. But good job, Bioware, Rook is a worthy, and wonderful addition to your lineup of protagonists. Good job.

Solas. God, the consistency of his character in this and DAI has driven me wild to the extent of a rabid dog. It is so good, I'm wildly impressed. If there was ever a character that I could give up all of my other characters for, I genuinely think it would be Solas. He is incredible. I was thrilled to see the connection to Mythal more properly addressed, and while I know that there's many firm opinions out there on this dynamic (my own write-up will be incoming), it was made clear that their dynamic was always one of utmost fundamental importance, at least to Solas and his motivations. That's my big thing, Mythal's perspective aside, I think that it was imperative that we learned just why Mythal was such a 'final transgression' and catalyst for all of his actions (though don't worry, this isn't me taking away his accountability). And from a personal point of view, while Solas' origins were hinted at already in DAI, it was nice to see it confirmed that he, and the others, indeed originated as spirits. And in that, it is good to have learned how he became 'twisted' from his nature as a spirit of wisdom, to one of pride. I think that's fundamental to his character, and I also greatly enjoy the elaboration on some of Cole's lines in DAI about Solas, and who we now know for sure was Mythal: 'He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face.' A lot of things hit vastly differently now, when you look back and you realize you have confirmed answers finally in the palm of your hand. I thoroughly questioned Mythal when I went for her essence, reloading multiple times as to ensure that I got as much lore as I could. And I hurt, especially since the end of the game. As I said, I won't spoil, but the ending has left me emotionally scarred in more ways than I could ever explain. That interaction, that emotional release was everything to me, and it was good to see it, even if I could barely see my screen anymore at one point. Weekes did Solas justice in so many ways, and while I initially had a little bit of a peeve at a decision in the game towards the end, my rationality had kicked in, and it was a logical decision. I'm happy, I think, if that's the right word that I can use for this. Also, seeing the scene from the trailer was so good, I screamed at my screen. I just, I'm in total and utter love with this man.

Dragon Keep/choices. Let me actually get to my point of criticism, but know I'm approaching this rationally, and not emotionally. I need Bioware to confirm their canon within these games, and if they officially want to let go of the 'decisions that we once made', then just say it and state it somewhere. Tell us what the decisions are. But that aside, I do want to play light devil's advocate, because I think that it's important. Since the revelation about Morrigan in specific, I've been caught in the push and pull of 'does this make sense for her character', and I think that it's so easy to say 'no, it doesn't' when thinking of DAO, but we're not coming from DAO. We're coming from DAI (after numerous years of development for multiple characters), where Morrigan had already shown a pressing interest in something that held a high risk of her getting possessed by Mythal just like her mother. Despite this, and despite her arc in DAO, she wants to drink from the Well of Sorrows. 'But there was no choice, for Corypheus was going to destroy Thedas', the Inquisitor was an option the entire time. No, what I actually am personally of the opinion of (although I'm waiting on my Morrigan expert to finish playing, for I am not an excessively thorough one yet), is that Morrigan was, and remained hell-bent on obtaining knowledge/power, it has been part of her arc for a long time, and even the threat of possession didn't dissuade her from the possibility of obtaining an unusual amount of it in an unparalleled rare form. That isn't, in my opinion, bad or lazy writing, that is consistent and shows a character flaw that I don't think is often addressed with 'protagonists' enough most of the time: greed. I want flaws that make it much more difficult for me to feel inclined to agree with those that call her the Indiana Jones of Thedas, for she is a brilliant character— but a character with flaws. Now do I think, since having watched the ending, that her presence was also a plot device for Mythal in one way or another? Possibly, but that's merely a side addition in my opinion. I just find it too easy to simply go 'it's bad writing', because while I could agree, it also means you then have to condemn Morrigan for the exact same reason back in DAI, which I don't think is something that's fair to do. An argument could be made that Veilguard has lost most of its original team of writers (including David Gaider himself) and so they took liberties, but that same argument can't be made for DAI. Gaider created this franchise, he had intentions for characters, and arcs, and he ultimately is the one who decided when something was good to go. And on top of that, he wrote and created an amazing franchise, and he earned my trust because he did that. And so I trust that the presence of Morrigan in DAI was logical, which I did think it was— it showed flaws that I craved to see outside of her arc in DAO. And I think having seen DAI, that Veilguard isn't unrealistic for her. And as to why this isn't a 'full possession' as it was with Flemeth, I think the key for that is realizing that she obtained it alongside that headpiece where Mythal was killed by Solas. Because what we also know, in that little scene— and it took me a rewatch of it, but Flemeth/Mythal left part of herself in that Eluvian at the beginning of the scene. I would bet that's what Morrigan possesses now, since Solas himself is the one who 'absorbed' the part of Mythal that had fully possessed Flemeth. Does this match with what Morrigan says? Not exactly, but I don't think that she's a reliable narrator.

[morgana-ren]

Sounds like I missed put on Zevran. I went into my first DAO playthrough blind and Alistair broke my Dalish heart. Didn't even mean to romance him, couldn't stand him in the beginning, then all of the sudden he got really sweet and I fell. Still working that out in therapy tbh. Also there is no way in heaven, hell, or purgatory that Morrigan is straight, IDC what the code says.

That is literally what I said. I played through the game mostly blind, and only found out a little bit in that I couldn't romance Morrigan because I couldn't initiate her romance, looked it up online, and was told she was straight. I think I went "What a waste" outloud. Both for my playthrough, and for her lmao.

Then I accidentally fell in with Alistair because he gave me a flower and it was really sweet. I had my romance with him for a bit, picked up Zevvy, and then did the whole stupid landsmeet. He broke it off with me, and boy, I was pissed. He wasn't even my type but I gave him a chance because he was so nice and funny-- and then he breaks it off with me because I'm an elf. I called him a little bitch and stopped bringing him anywhere. I genuinely started to like him but all of that went down the drain, even though I technically realized why he broke it off. He asked me to be his mistress and I believe I spit in his face.

I started travelling with Zevran, and we fell in, and boy, I rectified the Alistair mistake fast. I fell hard and fast for Zevran, he confessed (probably a little quicker than he was supposed to because I was most of the way through the game at that point) and then... I died fighting the demon. He was heartbroken. I moved on to DA:2 and it the scene with him is kinda sad when you die. Alistair was also all mopey over it, but fuck him tbh.

This playthrough, I went straight for Zevran (both ways lmao.) He was already at full approval and we were doing the dating thing and I guess it initiated a romance with Alistair too?? (Even though I deliberately avoided those options.) I told Zevran he was the only one for me and busted it off with Alistair because fuck you, dude. Now Alistair is all snarky and shitty with Zevran over it and keeps grilling him for his intentions. Mate, Zevran won't leave because I'm an elf. Get blasted, Ali. My warden stays with him forever and won't die this time.

Honestly, go for Zevran. Like the second he joins the party. 11/10 totally worth it, husband for the ages. He even proposes, technically, and he will stay with you for life. I think it's actually mentioned in the other games as well if you do, especially when he shows up. He'll tell anyone who hits on him that he is 'committed elsewhere' which really sends Isabela for a ride. No one ever thought they'd see Ol' Zevvy tied down I guess, but I managed it.

[valentineveils]

1, 10 and 23 for the DA ask game

heheheheh :3

so for reference my canon worldstate is : denaris tabris ; zevran romancer ; duelist rogue nikolas hawke ; fenris romancer ; reaver warrior arcen lavellan ; dorian romancer ; rift mage 1- your Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor's opinion on Orlais?

well honestly . im gonna be truthful i think all three of them are orlais haters LOL . arcen hates how stuffy and fake it feels , too many masks and ruffles and he feels like he cannot find honesty in it . and also the stones on the walkways hurt his feet . denaris hates it for its treatment of elves , and also he fuckin HATES celene . and nikky is . . . . indifferent , to it . its not a stop he stays at often , and when he does visit orlais its never for long . he doesnt enjoy the game it plays .

10- are they good horse riders?

arcen is ! ! its one of his preferred forms of travel ; he's been riding the halla ever since he was little . his preferred mount during inquisition is the bog unicorn ; he pampers the creature so much . he really likes horse riding . denaris doesnt do much horse riding , he's okay at it but can fall off easily , as he has shit balance and gets startled easily if the horse gets startled . nikky is scared of horses and refuses to get on one UNLESS ! he shares with fenris or bethany . he doesnt have good depth perception truthfully . 23- do they have, or want to have, children?

denaris has children ; kieran with morrigan , and sidony adaia tabris with zevran . kids weren't really something he thought of having , but he was never truly against the idea . kieran was technically the only one planned , sid enters the picture about 6 years after kieran is born . she was a surprise lolol but he doesnt regret either of his kids . if kieran is 21 during veilguard sidony is 15 whatttt . anyways . nikolas and fenris i think they take in a little apostate elf girl , who lost her parents . shes not named bcus i havent gotten too much planned with her , but it took her a bit to warm up to both of them [especially fenris] . w arcen im not Sure if he would have kids ? ? ? ive not had too much planned w that for him truthfully , but it is a cute idea for him and dorian to be dads [and both of them being the father they never had bu deserved . oh man] . BUT ! i do headcanon that arcen has some mage apprentices he's teaching in minrathous . his witch hat atelier era . he Does want kids , either through adoption or him carrying , but with the way his life has gone in recent years he's not sure bringing a kid into the world w the way the veil is threatening to come down is a good idea . but honestly knowing me he and dorian will have a kid alongside arcen's apprentices lolol

[zevraholics]

ZevWarden Week 2022

What is it? A week (this year, September 4th - 10th) of creating new fan content, sharing it, and celebrating the wonderful relationships between your favourite Grey Warden(s) and Zevran Arainai. How to participate: Feel free to follow the daily prompts as inspiration for whatever ZevWarden-related content your heart desires. Fics, art, meta discussions - everything goes! Remember to tag your works appropriately (ie. #nsfw or #zevistair) and most of all, have fun!

Prompts:

Sunday, September 4: Culture

Monday, September 5: Gold

Tuesday, September 6: Fights and Reconciliation

Wednesday, September 7: Alternate Universes

Thursday, September 8: Promises

Friday, September 9: Death

Saturday, September 10: Seasons

Like previous years, we took each prompt and gave it two different spins. Choose whichever inspires you, or take the base prompts in your own direction!

Tag your content with #zevwarden week 2022 or tag us on your post and we’ll reblog it here. *Any art found to be whitewashing Zevran will not be shared.

Day 1 - Sunday, September 4 - Culture

Culture shock "Now, if it is all the same to you, I would prefer not to speak more of Antiva. It makes me wistful and hungry for a proper meal." What does Zevran think about life in Ferelden that we don't get to see in-game? If your Warden and Zevran ever travel anywhere else, what's familiar and what comes as a surprise?

Cultural exchange "Loving a place is not the same as never desiring to be elsewhere." Either at home or abroad, do the Warden and Zevran experience new foods, festivals, or traditions together? How do Zevran and the Warden deal with their cultural differences and similarities?

Day 2 - Monday, September 5 - Gold

Trinkets "You do seem to stumble onto treasure on a regular basis, somehow." Between the infamous earring and all the looting the Warden does over the course of the Blight, it’s easy for the pair of them to accumulate quite a few trinkets. Are there any things in particular they each collect? What kinds of things do they save for each other?

Money "Ah, the bustle of a market district! The pickpocket's home away from home!" We know a little bit about Zevran's relationship to money, but what about the Warden's? Do Zevran and the Warden have enough of it, post-Blight? Do they have more than they know what to do with? How do they make a living and how do they spend what they've got? Also fun for this prompt: stories about stealing or bartering.

Day 3 - Tuesday, September 6 - Fights and Reconciliation

Arguments "You are a very frustrating person to deal with, do you know that?" Do the Warden and Zevran ever fight, either verbally or with weapons? Perhaps your Warden or Zevran (or both) get into a disagreement with somebody else. How do they resolve it or fail to resolve it?

Kiss and make-up "Running a bit hot and cold, are we? Fair enough. Let's get back to business." What helps the Warden and Zevran deal with tension after a tough moment? Are they quick to forgive or does it take them a little longer to work things out? Do they prefer to work things out with conversation or more physically?

Day 4 - Wednesday, September 7 - Alternate Universes

Variations on DAO "Taliesen offered to come to the ambush with me and I said, 'Taliesen, I don't need any help. This Grey Warden is a new recruit. How hard could it be?' But then, if I had been more open-minded to his help, either you would be dead or I would be. So it was better I refused. Huh." What would happen if Zevran met your Warden before the contract? Does your Warden end the Blight in a way the game's endings don't allow? This version of the prompt is for reimagining the story of DAO in a new way.

Completely new setting "I feel like we've just entered a Grand Cleric's bedchambers, where no one has gone before." Got an idea for the characters as vampires, mermaids, or living in a painstakingly historically accurate Qing Dynasty, China? The crew playing D&D in a college AU? Go wild.

Day 5 - Thursday, September 8 - Promises

Promises kept "In truth, for the chance to be by your side, I would storm the Dark City itself." Which promises do Zevran and the Warden make to each other? How do they come to make those promises? Are there ever moments when there is a price to be paid for keeping a promise?

Promises broken "What are promises? There are many kinds, spoken and unspoken, and yet we break them all the same, yes? They do not matter." Do Zevran and the Warden ever break a promise made to each other? Why do they break it—is it for a good reason? How does the other party react?

Day 6 - Friday, September 9 - Death

Near-death experiences "I landed in the river and nearly drowned. I was fished out by some urchins who robbed me blind. Made off with my boots, too. At least they didn't cut my throat." Zevran and the Warden meet for the first time in a failed assassination attempt. Whether dramatic or humorous or some of both, Zevran and the Warden have had many brushes with death in their adventures. Share a moment from one of those times.

Laid to rest "It's unfortunate, but death comes to us all. If not me, then some wasting disease. Or a fall down the stairs.Or at the hands of a darkspawn. It's all relative, in the end." No one escapes death. This is the prompt to share a moment of triumph after a battle, complex feelings after a successful assassination, or offer a character a peaceful death at home.

Day 7 - Saturday, September 10 - Seaons

Seasons of the year "In Antiva it rains often, but the flowers are always in bloom... or so the saying goes." Do Zevran and the Warden celebrate holidays together? Which, and how? Does Zevran struggle with Fereldan winter, and the Warden with Antivan summer? What specific activities do they enjoy doing in each season?

Seasons of life "It's true. I live a charmed life. One of the prostitutes that raised me was a fortune teller. Said I wouldn't die young. She was rather startled by that." As characters hit new life milestones and grow older, what is a significant event that happens in their lives together? Did either of them expect or even wish for that milestone to happen in their life?

[ardenrabbit]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

Oh!! What a cool question! Thank you :D

I can't be super precise because I love a lot of characters and don't want to hurt their feelings, but here's who comes to mind. In no particular order:

1. Uncle Iroh from Avatar: the Last Airbender. He's the only one I'm actually definitively saying is in a ranking. He's the best one. I love how unfailingly kind and loving he is, and that he demonstrates the beautiful ability to be silly and simply happy despite all the tragedy he's seen. Of course I also love almost every other character in the show, too, but Iroh is Best.

2. Elodin from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: This man is insane. He is eccentric and opinionated and owns it. He does not give half a fuck what people think of him and cares very, very much about everything else in the world. I want to know everything he knows. He is a trickster god I think.

3. The Cthaeh from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: Same book series as Elodin but god they both deserve their own mentions since the Cthaeh is on another fuckin level from literally everything. No spoilers, but this thing is the absolute coolest monster concept I have ever seen in any form of media.

4. Makenna from The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell: This was my favorite book as a kid. Makenna is a badass hedgewitch who befriends a goblin named Cogswhallop. She's violently anti-colonialism and definitely a communist. I literally want to name my kid after her. Write characters like Makenna.

5. Boromir from The Lord of the Rings, mostly referring to the Peter Jackson films because FotR is my favorite movie: I love him. I love him I love him. He was the Best Of Men, and everyone else in the Fellowship was some kind of magic so he was the only one who fell victim to the Ring's sway, but he never stopped being a good man with a noble heart.

6. Hua Cheng from Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu: God. I love this author and maintain that she's a genius, and I love so many of her characters, but Hua Cheng gets the first honorable mention because he is The Most Unhinged. All my mxtx favorites are unhinged tbh, but Hua Cheng is on another level. He's made a hobby out of self-sacrifice and makes stalking look tragically romantic. He vacillates between sweet, heart-wrenching adoration for one (1) person and top-tier vicious snarkiness for literally anyone else. He is a force of darkness and a shy baby.

7. Zevran from Dragon Age: My favorite game series. My guy. He tries very, very hard to make you think he doesn't have depth but he's actually just a mastermind at deflection and his heart is behind like eighteen million locked doors. He's cheerful! He's not. He's deeply depressed and his loyalty shows up LOUD when you're not emotionally prepared for it. He's possibly the most devoted companion character in the game.

8. Cole from Dragon Age: He is my son. My treasured baby boy. He loves you. I read Asunder before Inquisition came out so girl I shrieked when he was announced as a featuring character.

9. Nezumi from No. 6 by Atsuko Asano: He's a dick. Pretentious deuteragonist goth boyfriend who quotes classical Western poetry, thinks violence is funny until he sees his Soft, Sweet protagonist engage in it, and commands swarms of bees. His dream is to overthrow the dystopian government.

10. Liu Jianghe from Saved the Public Enemy by Mistake by Liu Muqiao: I'm obsessed with this one lately. Shamelessly promoting this manhua on the Bilibili app. He's my profile icon rn. Unhinged. Not sure what he's capable of. Sweet boy. Keeps making it look like he's the bad guy but all of his decisions are specifically engineered to help the main character fix his life. Everyone is confused and this maniac is cheerful and pretty much lives on the brink of death. Please read it guys it literally only has like 6 fics on AO3 and I want to talk to people about it

[percystrouds]

avan jogia . cis-male . he/him . wasn’t that perseus stroud walking the palace grounds ? it’s nice to see the spy/assassin from the ottola empire out and about on such a fine day as this. i’ve heard from the court spies that they’re notoriously irreverant, whilst also managing to be quite intrepid. the thirty year old is eager to find out who exactly is behind the killings from what’s being said at court. i heard that they themselves are not vrajiit. it’s funny, whenever i think of them, i think of a winning card game when the stakes are too high, a cluster of old wounds twisting like pale vines across his back, a sharp-toothed grin before he speaks - “is that a knife or are you just happy to see me?”. great to see the crow around, isn’t it ?

CHARACTER STATS:

FULL NAME: Perseus (Percy is preferred) Stroud.

AGE: Thirty.

BIRTHDAY: 07 February 120 a.d.

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis-male (he/him).

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Your guess is as good as mine.

VRAJIT: N/A.

RELIGION: N/A.

KINGDOM: Ottola Empire.

THREE POSITIVE TRAITS: Intrepid, Ambitious, Clever

THREE NEGATIVE TRAITS: Irreverant, Selfish, Calculating

CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS: Zevran Arainai (Dragon Age: Origin), Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean), John Murphy (The 100), Billy Butcher (The Boys), James 'Sawyer' Ford (Lost).

MBTI: ESTP

EIGHT TV TROPES: Wild Card, Punch-Clock Villain, Death Seeker, Tattooed Crook, Lovable Rogue, Gallows Humour, Artful Dodger, Card-Carrying Villain

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

HEIGHT: 5′10″

EYE COLOUR: Brown.

HAIR COLOUR + STYLE: Also brown, medium-length, unkempt.

CLOTHING STYLE: Typical style features laced-up leather boots, a blouse in which the buttons have fallen away, a penchant for leather. See here, here and here.

EXTRAS

tw death, loss.

- born to a fisherman and wife, percy grew up more familiar with the smell of sea salt than the lavish perfumes associated with nobility. he saw little of the confines of the city, a stranger to cobbled streets, preferring to sit by the docks and listen to the tales his mother would spin. whilst the family were depicted as penurious, they often fed from the fish which did not sell on market stalls. when the fisherman died - presumably from disease - food became scarce and percy's mothered ushered him to the street to beg.

- eventually, the boy was seized by a passing guard he attempted to pickpocket. they held him by the scruff of his collar and heckled every swing of his arms. the spirit of a feral cat, they would howl. taking pity at the sight of protruding bones and a god awful stench, they returned him to the empire and raised him as their own - or rather, they provided a sword and raised him as a weapon. he slept no better, tossing and turning at the thought of his mother. she was a name on their lips, attached by a thread to the city's brothel. a community which grew familiar with housing the impoverished.

- as he aged with the seasons and both swordsmanship and trickery developed, percy was tasked with far more complex duties - all of which came with the promise of coin. thievery, murder, no challenge too great; dangle a coin purse before him like a thread before a feline. whilst he speaks of this job fondly, disclosing stories around the fire with his fellow rogues, they do not utter the nightmares which plague them; where they're captured at knife-point and the lashes to their backs form scars.

- his latest mission is what excites him most - for none are ever foretold to last quite as long - but a spy for the ottola empire is one which could span years. their curiosity is piqued by what exists within walochnia, tales of vrajit lurking behind these walls, coin so plentiful he'll never feel the ache of hunger again. for now, he pretends to be but a mere merchant - a fisherman by trade, of course. though he can be typically found in the far corners of taverns, hustling strangers out of their coin with his greatest weapon: a full deck of cards.

[galpalaven]

interview with a 'fic' writer

thanks for tagging me isabella!!! @bitchesofostwick

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

35 currently

2. what’s your total AO3 word count?

293,015

caveat - i need you all to know i am in the process of becoming a professional writer and the amount of words i have written in the past like. 5 years is easily like 5 times that number fkdsljl

3. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Echoes (385)

Old World Luxury (229)

Close Call (200)

midnight snack (144)

Sleepless in Skyhold (127)

all of these are old as hell except the fourth one which is a baldur's gate 3 fic lmao. most of my fics average around 30-60

4. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I do! Mostly out of courtesy - they took the time to comment when comment culture is long dead, and I appreciate it especially since I am so inactive on AO3 lmfao

5. what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Injured - I forgot about this fic but HAHA it's about Zevran helping Kira deal with the effects of the Calling. There is no real happy ending. They have no cure yet - it's just a snapshot of the pain she's going through.

6. what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

ohhh it's been long since deleted but a fic of Modern AU! Nox and [redacted] on the night before their wedding having a nightcap to calm their nerves. it got me into my writing program ;w; it's still one of my fave things i have written. i want to write something similar for cove/elara or even for ilya and nox in their book series someday

7. do you write crossovers?

nnnnot technically? though in the bloomic fic i've been working on, penny's friends are implied to be cove and elara from our life, her bff liora is dating baxter from the same game, and dani from our life 2 is also in the friend group. but i wouldnt tag them as a crossover fic bc thats not really the point and its also a very vague reference anyway lmao not to say that i dont think about taking characters from one universe and shoving them into aus all the time tho lmao ALTHOUGH I HAD A VERRRRYYY SPECIFIC AND SELF INDULGENT HARVEST MOON/FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST CROSSOVER THAT NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY LMAO

8. have you ever received hate on a fic?

mmmm i think back when i was posting on deviantart i got some mean comments but on ao3 i have not. i have received - odd comments, though. shout out to the spanking commenter you were something special

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

occasionally, yes, but I've only ever written it for Nox and Ilya and they are the kind of smut fics that are mostly just emotions sdlkfjf however. none of them are on AO3 anymore

10. have you ever had a fic stolen?

yes but i can't remember what exactly happened. it was more of a reupload with a 'credit to x' thing but i did get it taken down. it was like. 7 years ago now fjslkd

11. have you ever had a fic translated?

not unless someone did it without telling me lmao

12. have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope my ass is too controlling and picky for that lmao

13. what’s your all time favorite ship?

is it bad of me to say nox and ilya since they are ocs jflkds im sorry im in original writing hell they are on my Mind

14. what’s a WIP that you want to finish, but don’t think you ever will?

like 75% of the shit on my AO3 is stuff that i had every intention of writing and finishing but never did and probably won't lmfao. i am so sorry.

15. what are your writing strengths?

characterization, emotions, physical descriptions

16. what are your writing weaknesses?

INTRODUCTIONS AND WORLDBUILDING FJKDSLFJS

17. what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Why not? If the characters speak another language and you're doing your proper research to make sure it's correct, go for it.

18. what was the first fandom you wrote for?

....twilight? i think? or maybe the max ride books when i was a kid? not that any of that was published mind they were also very oc-centric lmao

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

i am always writing and i have fics for fandoms you couldnt even imagine no but seriously i am working on some fic rn for Blooming Panic, Our Life, and Andromeda Six bc i have been in a VN mood lately so keep an eye out? question mark? EDIT: actually better answer - Avatar: The Last Airbender. i've been wanting to write zuko/oc fic for ages but havent done it yet and dunno if i ever will

20. what’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I don't go back to it anymore bc it's so old but Echoes was the first baby I ever finished and it sits in a very special place in my heart. The second one was a massive fictober piece for __________ that i have since privated but won me my first and only NaNoWriMo so that's also p special.

[sidhelives]

Writing Tag Game

I was tagged by @kittynomsdeplume, @noire-pandora, AND @hezjena2023. Thank you thank you thank you! I'll tag @the-cryptographer, @frostyfelassan, @piecesofsolaswriting, and @beaubartley.

1.How many works do you have on AO3?

Fourty-Nine. Going for that big five-oh this week.

2.What’s your total AO3 word count?

*checks* 291,655 words

3.What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Listen Closely (Skyrim. Cicero x f!Listener) - 104 Kudos

Reunion (Mass Effect. Shepard x Thane Krios) - 52 Kudos

Care to Dance? (Dragon Age. NSFW. Varric Tethras x Cassandra Pentaghast) - 52 Kudos

A Chance Encounter (Dragon Age. NSFW. The Iron Bull x f!Trevelyan/Solas x f!Trevelyan) - 49 Kudos

The Inquisitor's Intentions (Dragon Age. NSFW. Solas x f!Trevelyan) - 46 Kudos

4. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I didn't used to when I started out, I didn't quite have a good handle on the process. Now I respond to every single one. I want commenters to know how much I appreciate them taking the time to comment and comment more!

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

Ooof. Angtiest? *looks* So I've got some Solavellan pieces in compliations which are pretty angsty, but I tend to have hopeful endings at the very least. I guess "angstiest" ending would be one of these two:

The Scars (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Just (Dragon Age. One Sided Aveline x Isabela)

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Happy endings! Yay! I do a lot of happy endings, but I think happiest would be one of these two:

I Can Only Hope You Won't Be Too Disappointed (Dragon Age. Nathaniel Howe x f!Cousland)

You Composed the Cadence of my Heart (Dragon Age. Isabela x Bethany Hawke)

7. Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't actually! I once accidently referred to Thedas as Tamriel in a fic once, but that's as close as I've gotten.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not in comments or to my face. I'm sure people have said unflattering things about my work, but not to me. Fuck em. I write this shit for me.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I write far more smut than is healthy for someone as Ace as I am. I mostly write f/m stuff, I've done a little f/f (working on one atm), and I've brushed up against m/m in group sex situations. I used to write a lot of m/m a lifetime ago, so I'll probably get back to it at some point.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Le gasp, no. I didn't even know this was a thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Like Hez, @piecesofsolaswriting recorded one of my fics as an audiofile, if that counts:

Take My Hands Podfic (Dragon Age. Fenris x f!Hawke)

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven't. The idea is very appealing though.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

OOOOOOOOOOOOF. Asking the hard questions. Based on my wordcount you would probably guess that it would be Solavellan (and I do love it, don't get me wrong) but I'm very partial to Anders related ships. I've personally written a lot of Anders ships (Including my crackship Anders/Trevelyan which I ADORE) and I just like that boy.

So basically like... I don't know dude. All them.

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

I try not to leave WIPs behind as a rule but I have a couple falling behind that I'm worried about:

a Mass Effect Andromeda fic following Sara from her almost death on Habitat 7 through the game dealing primarily with her relationship with SAM but also her internalized fear of Turians and how it conflicts with her attraction for Vetra and the complexities of the human condition

a Dragon Age fic where Regan Hawke arrives at Skyhold with her entire family (Fenris, their two sons, Bethany, Isabela, and Carver).

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm very good at dialog, particularly banter. Also metaphors.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Transitions are the worst for me. Going from one location/time/situation to another is a chore, I just want to be there (explains why I write so many contextless one-shots). Smut takes me forever to write and I have a very hard time injecting emotion into it.

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

I think it depends on the fic honestly. I use a lot of Elvhen in my fics, any fic I write with Zevran has some Spainish (Antivan), and I've touched French (Orlesian), Tevene, and Qunlot. Sometimes it's translated by the characters, sometimes I provide a glossary in the notes, and sometimes I don't give any translation at all. It depends on the POV and the tone of the work honestly.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Dragon Age. It's all that damn Egg's fault.

19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Ooooof. Favorite Fic... I love everything I've written tbh, so I'm just going to do it by category:

Favorite SFW One-shot:

Between Rocks and Hard Places (Dragon Age) - A character study of Loghain Mac Tir set just after the Landsmeet and taking the Grey.

Favorite NSFW One-shot:

This is How it Starts (Dragon Age. NSFW. Solas x f!Trevelyan) - Desdemona confronts Solas privately and they have a heated discussion.

Favorite Ongoing Long Fic:

In Dreams Awake (Dragon Age. Will be NSFW at some point. Solas x f!Hawke) - After escaping from the Nightmare, Hawke wanders the Fade, searching and hoping for a way out. What she finds is something quite different.

Favorite New Fic (It's my blog I'll put in as many favorites as I want):

I'm Sorry I Ruined Your Party (Dragon Age. Might be NSFW at some point, haven't decided) - A short chaptered, POV switching romp with the DA2 kids surrounding an unexpected arrival in Kirkwall.

[a-drama-addict]

About Me

Got tagged by the lovely @dungeons-and-dragon-age ! Thank you for tagging me this was a lot of fun

1: Why did you choose your url?

I honestly do not remember LMAO. I made the username A Drama Addict ages ago (when I was 13 I think??) I honestly have no idea where it came from

2: Any side blogs? If you have them, name them and why you have them.

I don't have one, I'm planning on making one for The Owl House but this is my main

3: How long have you been on tumblr?

On this blog for only a year, but I've been on Tumblr itself for 2-3 years

4: Do you have a queue tag?

Nope, never felt like doing it

5: Why did you start your blog in the first place?

So I could post Dragon Age stuff somewhere. I used to mainly post on Instagram which is also the place i have the most followers (tho i was a meme account for video games, now i post art there too)

6: Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

Because Zevran is beautiful (also gender envy for him KDKKS)

7: Why did you choose your header?

Hhh Kirkwall (Dragon Age 2 is my favorite game if you haven't noticed)

8: What’s your post with the most notes?

This one! Honestly I love it too so I'm glad it has this many

9: How many mutuals do you have?

Oof not a lot. I think 5 but I could be wrong

10: How many followers do you have?

153! More than I expected lmao

11: How many people do you follow?

37 :'), I am very picky and don't tend to follow people fast. And the people I do follow, I really enjoy their content (or you are one of my beloved mutuals)

12: Have you ever made a shitpost?

I've made a lot of 'em. I'm a meme creator at heart

13: How often do you use tumblr each day?

Maybe 3/4 hours a day. I regularly check it (FOR MY  B E L O V E D  MUTUALS)

14: Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog once? Who won?

Nah I'm not one to get into fights

15: How do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

I ignore them mostly, they're pretty annoying

16: Do you like tag games?

Yes! I love getting tagged in shit, it always makes me excited. I rarely tag people since I'm a nervous wreck

17: Do you like ask games?

Ohoho yes! It usually means I get to ramble about my ocs and I'm living for that (I really should talk about them more)

18.Do you have a crush on a mutual?

Nope, BUT I do have "I want to be actual friends with you, but I'm too nervous to message you. but I hope you'll message me because I think we'd make good friends but I cannot message you because of my anxiety" mutuals. (I'm pretty sure the ppl I'm talking about know who they are and if they dont, I still love 'em)

[milesmentis]

Writer Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @5lazarus! I think everyone i would tag already has been but if you see it and want to fill it out, go crazy!

How many works do you have on AO3? 9

What's your total AO3 word count? 29,457

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? (Edit: answered this for hits not kudos the first time WHOOPS)

Let me be Frank with you ... (43)

Ashkaari (27)

A More Private Celebration (23)

Distraction (12)

Jealous (10)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not? I absolutely do, but I don’t tend to get very many. Dragon Age is a mostly dead fandom so I know there isn’t much activity - it means I treasure the comments I do get <3

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? Almost all of my angst is still in my WIP folder, but of the stuff I’ve published ... probably “Three times Daren Cousland punched Alistair (and one time he didn't)“ which does actually have a happy ending, but it’s also not canon sooooo ...

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending? “Distraction“  because it has the payoff for all the negotiation and emotional honesty the Royal Throuple has to go through to get their happy ending ... and it’s also just sickeningly cute 

Do you write crossovers? I have written one (1) crossover and it is also my highest read fic, even though it’s been unfinished since 2016. I wrote it at the height of my MCU/DCTV brain rot and was the first thing I had written in 5 years at the time

Have you ever received hate on a fic? Nope, because I only write rare pairs for dead or dying fandoms ... they can’t hate what they can’t find!

Do you write smut? If so what kind? I didn’t expect to, but yeah there’s a lot of bonking on my AO3 (and there are two more horny wips and at least one sex scene that’s going in the main plot). It’s mostly Porn with Feelings, Sex as Coping Mechanism / Character Study, and Oral Sex 

Have you ever had a fic stolen? I doubt it

Have you ever had a fic translated? No, but I would be absolutely awed and honored if someone did

Have you ever co-written a fic before? All of the Fusion!Verse stuff is at the least written with input and edits from @cadash-nua but I don’t tend to co-write things with people any more (had some bad experiences with that process in high school) though I’ve been doing a lot of collaborative world-building with @thedascharlatan which has inspired me to maybe try again ...

What’s your all-time favourite ship? That I’ve written? Zevran/Daren/Anora, unquestionably. That I’ve ever read ... Eliot/Hardison/Parker (Leverage) ... I just really love OT3s

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? LOOK ... I WILL FINISH  “Let me be Frank with you ...“ DO YOU HEAR ME! I WILL!!!

(my goal is actually to do a lot of plotting, outlining, etc for FusionVerse in the next few months so that I can hit the ground running with it during NaNoWriMo and use "Frank” as my filler project, so that I don’t get burnt out)

What are your writing strengths? Dialogue, comedy, Noble Shit (tm), and apparently sex

What are your writing weaknesses? Scene. Description. And. Exposition.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I live in terror of it because I am extremely monolingual and I always feel anxious about either option a) using Google translate or b) showing my work to a native speaker

What was the first fandom you wrote for? The first thing I ever wrote and published online was extremely cringe YT personality fluff-shippping. It was on livejournal and it’s fortunately LOST TO THE INTERNET VOID.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? Oh, it’s “Jealous“ by a COUNTRY MILE. It has my highest kudos to hit ratio, but it’s also my least read. I know that the “courtly pining and political maneuvering via ballroom dance” isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m still sad that only 50 people have read it. I promise it’s good, even though it does take place in Orlais ...