#and i just feel like seeing griffons and getting to hold one would be like. peak life for her

[localwhiskeyuncle]

NBC Hannibal not being able to get the rights to Clarice Starling was honestly a blessing in disguise; they were able to take all the best part of both book!Will and Clarice and make the most glorious version of Will Graham possible and it gave us Hannibal's dynamic with Abigail.

Regarding Will - I loved both characters so dearly, so to have them combined is honestly such a treat. He has book!Will's mind and temperament, but Clarice's fire, drive, and sharp sense of humor. I'm not kidding when I say the absolute best bits of each of their personalities were put into TV!Will and my God does he shine it's no wonder Hannibal is obsessed with him.

In the books Hannibal sees the potential in both Will and Clarice, but he misses his chance with Will, he pushes him too far. When Clarice comes along and is just as quick, and damaged, and bright (but younger and easier to mold), he is determined not to let her slip through his fingers like Will did. So with the two characters being of such similar significance to Hannibal, it is so perfect to blend the two of them together and makes all the sense in the world why Hannibal is absolutely bonkers crazy about Will Graham in the show - he's the amalgamation of the two most fascinating, promising people he has ever met in the source material. The show takes his obsession with two people and puts all that passion into an obsession with one person and it becomes, I think, all the more interesting for it.

Book!Hannibal is obsessive anyway (drawing Clarice as Jesus on the watch face, drawing her as a griffon on the copy of The Tattler in Florence, keeping close tabs on her career from another fucking country for seven years, Clarice being pretty much the only person he talked to Barney about, sending Clarice random gifts, etc.) but to have all of that obsession turned onto one person is delicious because Hannibal clearly finds genuine emotional longing/desire to be sort of grotesque but he cannot help but hope.

They also put some of Clarice's character into Miriam Lass (obviously - I would also say that Miriam's circumstances are a parallel to Jame Gumb's victims), but even more important, they gave some of her character to Abigail.

The books baaaaaarely touch on the Shrike and definitely have no mention of Abigail (WHICH SIDE NOTE - since she exists only in this universe she should've been called Hannah it would've tied into the books soooo nicely bc that name holds significance to Clarice and therefore begins to hold significance for Hannibal), but Abigail has arguably one of the most important pieces of Clarice, the one that kept Hannibal's interest aflame even after years of no contact: the parallel to Mischa. In the books his interest in Clarice is, at first, as a surrogate for Mischa. He attributed his connection to Clarice as a connection to Mischa for the longest time, I think partially because it confused him to feel that way for another person. He has displayed empathy at multiple points in the novels but it still doesn’t necessarily come easy to him. Abigail quite obviously steps into the surrogate sister/daughter role in the show and it's interesting to see how that plays out when you very deliberately subtract the (eventual) romance from the equation.

I guess to sum it up while I love Clarice Starling so dearly I'm glad she was not able to be included bc we ended up with much more complex relationships with the characters that do exist in the show

[lunasdestiny]

Do you have any more random bumbleblades headcanons?

Sure!

After watching/reading many romantic themed media, Blades tries to get Bee to do certain things that the love interests do. Such as "he placed a hand on her chin so that she can look at him" or the classic "cups her face and slowly leans in". All attempts failed because Blades wouldn't stop squealing and running off last minute due to overheating. "I WASNT READY YET!!!" Bee cracks up every time.

Blades is handsy to the point it becomes a lil game. If Bee is minding his own business Blades will try to poke or walk his digits on his frame. Bee brushes his servo aside just for Blades to come back. It turns into a thumb war that ends with Bee holding his servo.

Sometimes Blades likes to hold his face too. Especially when doing a check up on him (this way he has an excuse). Bee would just stare into his eyes and smile innocently. Blades squishes his face in retaliation.

Before they got together, after every visit in Griffon Rock Blades goes full crush mode and just reminisces on their interactions when he's alone. Like full on teenager crush mode. Wondering if Bee has anyone already or at least in mind or if he thinks Blades is also pretty. He couldn't even recharge properly for a while. Meanwhile in Bumblebee's POV he is fighting himself "PRIMUS HOW IS HE SO FRAGGING CUTE?!?!?"😭

Bee thinks about Blades a lot when they're not together. With all the stressful things he's been through, thinking about Blades puts him at ease. This is one of the first sweet and kind faces he's met in a long time who is also around his age. And despite the different lives they live they just GET each other. When he's around Blades he feels that he can just EXIST and not worry about Decepticons trying to kill him or the people he cares about. So when things get rough thinking of Blades puts him at ease. Its motivation for him. If he can get through this then he has a chance to see Blades again.

In RBA Blades told that story about Bee winning a race AND catching a thief. He was the loudest one in the crowd. After crossing the finish line, before anyone could talk to him Blades just runs up and hugs Bee as they both spin around. "YOU WERE AMAZING!!" He had to be the first to congratulate his amazing boyfriend.😊

Blades is the one who says "I love you" first. Bee never felt so happy to hear that. He just gives him a good smooch and says he loves him too.

[what-eats-owls]

It matters how you do it

I finished Dragon Age: The Veilguard and had some big feelings about it. Spoilers for basically everything under the cut, and frankly, it won't make sense unless you've finished the game anyway.

First of all: I had a blast with this game. I didn't find Act 1 slow, I did find Act 2 a bit of a whack-a-mole, and then Act 3 kicks you in the kidney (complementary) while insisting it's for your own good.

I've seen some recurring complaints: that it lacks depth/edge/darkness, that it abandons previous lore, that the previous choices don't matter. I don't entirely disagree. To me, it felt like a massive Dragon Age 4 game that pivoted to a different, tighter game after complaints about bloat in Inquisition. The key is that when editing down, there's such a thing as trying to trim the fat and taking a chunk of the roast with it.

I enjoy the concept of Lucanis's character, and the voice actor sold the hell out of him, but the storyline felt like being taken to a museum and allowed to see one (1) beautiful unfinished sculpture. Why did Spite, specifically, work? We know the spirit of Justice became Vengeance by abomination, we knew Solas was Wisdom before he became Pride, so what was Spite before, and why wasn't that tied to Lucanis's own personal arc? (Doubly so if you romance him!)

Similarly, Harding was a delight, and her greenhouse was such a lovely little haven. I would have loved to see more explanation of the connection between plants and the titans, and how Harding's own personal struggles with rage connected to that of the titans. She has every reason to be angry and scared, and the game tells us she pushed that away—but we don't actually see her toxic positivity manifest to that degree, until she abruptly has an angry clone.

On the flip side, I loved the other five character quests, and I felt they had solid, poignant arcs that delivered. I also adored their interactions with the codex—if anything, I wanted to see more of that type of interaction on the screen. You have to fill in a lot of the character work for Rook yourself; Rook has all these interesting potential backgrounds, but I think starting the game playing through those, a la Origins, would have gone miles towards establishing more personal stakes up front and made for a stronger start.

So that's all my nitpicking. But let's talk about the bigger theme: It matters how you do it.

In the first Fade conversation with Solas, he gets so mad when Rook refuses to let him DARVO them about the consequences of his botched ritual. This makes way more sense when you understand he's literally imprisoned by his own regrets, and he needs Rook to have that same kind of regret in order to take his place. His entire arc is about rationalizing binary choices and shitty actions that hurt others in the name of a hypothetical greater good that he wants.

Solas can't engineer every binary choice Rook's forced into, but he uses Varric to maximize Rook's regret. He is trying to quite literally mold Rook into him, and the game is great at presenting this both as a coldblooded manipulation and a broken plea for validation—if you let it. You don't have to give Solas a moment of consideration; you don't have to take time to view his memories, or kill his demons, or listen to those scraps of Mythal still holding onto the good in him. You don't have to do any of it.

But you can. And in the end, it matters.

It matters because for every companion, you can encourage them to either be more nurturing/compassionate or destructive/closed off versions of themselves, and that is frequently tied to continuing or breaking from a cycle. (The exception is either Neve or, presumably, Lucanis, who are forced into the Hardened version depending on which city you save.) These aren't presented as morally opposing choices, just who you want them to be. You can see how the Grey Wardens fucked up bad with griffons and decide they have a better place. You can help Emmrich face his fear by finding deeper meaning in life instead of indefinitely postponing death. You can help them do things differently.

So when you get to the final choice in the game, you may have two options: physically force Solas into saving the Veil, or trick him into it. The kind of binary choice Solas has molded you into making by pelting you with cruelty and manipulation.

Or, if you've taken the time, you can get him to understand he's wrong. You bring out the people who saw the best in him and speak to what he's had to endure, even as you're showing him there's another way. You reach him not as Pride, but as Wisdom. And he goes willingly.

Ultimately, I think DA2 and Inquisition grappled with big questions of oppression and violence, faith and authority. It makes sense for those games to delve into harder, uglier subject matter, and ask you to make binary calls.

But my read of Veilguard is that, at its core, it's about how those decisions are meant to trap you in regret at best, and numb you to rationalizing cruelty at worst. It's why the companion who loses their home city becomes colder, more isolated, in response—more like Solas.

That's why it offers you a third way at the very end, but only if you've worked for it. A better way is possible, yet it has to be more than words. You have to understand where the pain comes from, what maintains and is being maintained by the current cycle. Then, and only then, can you break it.

I can't wait to play it again.

P.S. Utterly obsessed with the Trevisan fish merchant.

[icycoldninja]

Could you please write Dante and/or V with a reader who is a people pleaser with really bad abandonment issues but doesn't really say anything, instead they just curl up in a ball under the covers then cry themselves to sleep and avoid everybody for like a week-

I'm just sad and they are everything to me :/

Hope you're doing absolutely lovely today!!

Yes, I can! I'm sorry to hear about your mood, tho. Hope this makes you feel better.

Dante + V x People pleaser!Reader with abandonment issues headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-Dante hates how you drop everything to make everyone happy.

-He knows why you do it, and understands that you're afraid to disappoint others for fear of getting abandoned, but this is going too far.

-He decided to sit you down one day and give you a talk, not caring whether or not he started to sound like Vergil or not.

-He repeatedly tells you that you shouldn't care what other people think of you. Being abandoned is no fun, he knows, but those people are just going to use you for being so nice to them. Besides, even if they do all leave, he won't.

-Smothers you in cuddles and tight hugs whenever he can to remind you that he loves you.

-When he traps you in his hold, he will NOT let go for any reason, so watch out.

● V ●

-V cannot understand why you try so hard to make people who don't care about you happy.

-He tries to convince you (calmly) to open your eyes and see the truth. There's no need to try and please everyone--you can't, anyway.

-Your sacrifices are largely in vain, and while he would love to tell you this, V knows that doing so might upset you.

-With some spywork from Griffon, V gathers information behind your behavior, eventually realizing that you have some serious abandonment issues, which is why you act this way.

-So, at night, when you think he's asleep, he will curl himself around him and just bask in your presence, reminding you that you're never going to be alone as long as he lives.

-Sometimes he has his familiars join him, which is nice, but can be kind of annoying, especially when Shadow decides your face is a good resting place for its tail.

[sapphim]

Monstrous Wardens Masterpost

A great big collection of text from the Dragon Age games and novels about darkspawn, Grey Wardens, and the Calling, to fuel everyone's monstrous wardens headcanons.

This has actually been sitting in my drafts for like half a year now bc I thought I really should scrounge around for more quotes from Last Flight, Awakening, and Legacy. That... didn't happen, and there's really no sense in holding off longer. If I ever do get around to it, I'll pull more quotes to add. But I consider this complete as is. enjoy~

—

The Song

The Old Gods will call to you, From their ancient prisons they will sing. Dragons with wicked eyes and wicked hearts, On blacken'd wings does deceit take flight, The First of My children, lost to night.

—Canticle of Silence 3:6, Dissonant Verse

     “The Old Gods beckon, as they always have.” The Architect turned and paced to the other side of the cell. The shadows cast on the walls by the glowstone danced ominously. “That is what you hear. To my people, it is a call that we cannot ignore. It whispers to our blood and compels us to seek the Old Gods out. We search and search for their prisons, and when we find one, we touch the face of perfection and thus desecrate it forever.”

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 6

     So close. We nearly reached him. Made it down to what looked like a dwarven thaig where the song was actually audible, real and thrumming through the air, not just in our heads. It rattled through the lyrium pillars and shook the earth beneath our feet to its dreadful tempo.

—[DAI] Note: Ancient Warden Logbook

     There were creatures in that land. Dark things that lurked in the corners. Cole couldn’t see them, and didn’t want to. He worried that they could see him, however. […]      And worse, there was the music. He didn’t know what it was, but it seemed to come from far, far off. It called to him, but not in a pleasant way— it had an urgency that sped his heart and made his blood burn. The dark creatures, the lurkers, they listened to it. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he could feel them out there, craning their necks, raising taloned hands toward that call.

—Dragon Age: Asunder, chapter 9

     As the griffon began to climb through the clouds that followed the Blight, Isseya heard a faint, strange melody seep into her mind. She had no sense of it as actual sound; rather, it seemed to come from within, almost as if she were humming the tune to herself.      She could never have imagined such a song, though. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard. Aching and ethereal, it seemed to pull her toward a memory of nostalgic bliss that she had somehow lost—but that she would do anything to recover. Anything at all. […]      “What was it?” the elf asked, shaken. […]      “The Archdemon.” […]      For the rest of their ride back to Antiva City, Isseya sat small and quiet on Blacktalon’s back, unable to reconcile the horrors of the darkspawn with the sweetness of their song.

—Dragon Age: Last Flight, chapter 3

The Chorus

     The faint sounds of movement ahead got more frequent, and along with them, they began to hear a strange humming. It was deep and alien, a reverberating sound that they felt in their chests and that made their skin crawl. […]      The deep humming was coming from [the creature. It] was moaning softly, almost chanting, and this moan built upon the sounds of many others behind it in the shadows. They hummed in unison, a hushed and deadly whisper the creatures spoke as one. […]      All of them walked as calmly as the first, shambling toward them while moaning and hissing softly. The sound was loud now, reverberating around them like a physical force. […]      They watched the darkspawn advance, their weapons held at the ready. Even with their prey cornered, the creatures did not accelerate. Their hum became louder, reached a hungry, fever pitch.

—Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, chapter 14

     Were they digging? He had the impression that the masses of them were all engaged in some sort of industry, all united in moving great portions of the rock out of the cavern and expanding it even further. Yet there were no sounds of tools crashing against stone, no hammering sounds or grunts of exertion. All he could hear was a rhythmic groan, a keening pitch that it seemed each of the darkspawn contributed to. The sound of it made his skin crawl, and he realized that the chorus in the distance responded to it. Like a cat that arched its back to meet a brushing hand it became ecstatic; it surged and almost overwhelmed his senses.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 6

The Senses

     They were more than simply skilled at fighting darkspawn; they knew them intimately. They sensed their presence, sometimes even gleaned their intent.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 4

     He could feel the darkspawn out there now. Genevieve was right. It just took some time to become acclimated. They were at the edge of his consciousness, lurking in the shadows far out of sight. It was that same feeling when someone was standing behind you, and you didn’t hear them or sense them in any way; you just knew.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 5

     Bregan closed his eyes and carefully reached out with his senses. There were darkspawn all around him. Not in the same room, perhaps, but nearby. He could feel them tickling at the edge of his mind. As always, the sensation came with a feeling of foulness, as if a poison had seeped under his skin.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 2

     “There is a taint that is within the darkspawn […] A darkness that pervades us, compels us, drives us to rail against the light. It is in our blood and corrupts the very world around us.” The creature gestured toward Bregan with a withered, taloned hand. “It is also within your blood. It is what makes you what you are, what you sense in us and we in you.”

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 2

Anders: Hmm. Hawke: What's wrong? Anders: I think [the Grey Wardens are] nearby. Anders: Or it could be darkspawn.

—Dragon Age II

     The hunter had a sensitivity to the taint that went far beyond any tracking ability he might have learned during his time with the Ash Warriors. He was always the first to sense the approach of darkspawn, and he could discern between the various breeds by their scent alone. Some of the Grey Wardens even used to claim that Kell could do the same with them, sense who was who from afar just as if they were darkspawn. If so, the hunter never commented on it.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 11

     She felt Bregan out there, felt him just the same as she felt the darkspawn. Every now and again she would turn a corner in the tunnels and would feel her brother’s presence on the edge of her senses, almost as if his scent had been carried to her somehow on an invisible wind.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 15

The Dreams

Alistair: Oh… and then there were the nightmares. Duncan said it was part of how we sense the darkspawn. We tap into their… well, I don't know what you'd call it. Their “group mind.” Alistair: And when we sleep, it's even worse. You learn to block it out after a while, but at first it's hard. It's supposed to be worse for those who Join during a Blight. How is it for you? Warden: Nightmares… yes, I know what you mean. Alistair: Some people never have much trouble, but that's rare. Others have trouble sleeping their entire life. They're just more sensitive, I suppose. Alistair: Everyone ends up the same, though. Once you reach a certain age, the real nightmares come. That's how a Grey Warden knows his time has come.

—Dragon Age: Origins

     The dream, when it came, was similar to the hundreds of dreams Fiona had suffered since she’d become a Grey Warden. Before, however, it had always felt as if she was looking on the dream from afar, hazy and easy to forget. Now it was crystal clear.      Fiona stood on a battlefield littered with dead men. All of them were soldiers in heavy armor, knights wearing the griffon standard of the order. Each had been brutally slaughtered. The smell of blood and decay hung thick and cloying in the air, the buzzing sound of flies nipping at her senses.      Overhead, the sky filled with an endless, roiling black cloud. It looked like ink spreading slowly in water, a great stain that blotted out the horizon. She had been told about this. The first sign of the Blight, said the Grey Wardens, is found in the clouds. When the mighty dragon rises, its corruption touches the world and spreads.      She was alone on that field of corpses. All alone. The wind picked up, a sickly breeze that carried with it the stench of carrion. A gloom fell upon her, and she stumbled as she watched something rise from out of the field of bodies nearby. It was enormous. A great, black thing that was as cold and terrible as anything she could have imagined.      Fear pulsed through her. Her heart raced, and she looked away. She didn’t want to see it. She threw her hands up in front of her eyes not to see it. Yet still she felt it coming. Her foot caught between two corpses and made her fall back on top of them. Dead flesh pressed against her and still she covered her eyes. Still she felt the darkness surging ever closer to her.      It was coming. And it was coming for her.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 14

The Calling

Hawke: You don't look well, Bethany. Are you injured? Bethany: Injured? I have the darkspawn taint forever in my veins, barely held in check by the Wardens' rituals. Bethany: I will never be well again.

—Dragon Age II

     At first, it was just a whisper. A creak in the door hinge I could put off oiling. But soon, all I could hear was the music. It was there when I swung my staff and wiped the sweat from my brow. It lingered in Lyam's laughter and stalked my dreams. I can't explain the sound—the song—but I knew. It's a poison that grows in the mind, then consumes the body.

—[DAI: The Descent] Codex Entry: Warden Ailsa's Diary

     It scratches at my thoughts, the music almost a voice, at once unearthly and beautiful. I found myself humming it aloud a few days past. Where once it intruded, it now feels a natural part of my mind's course. It coils around memories I hold dear—training with Ser Keller, riding in the moonlight, my mother's face the last time I saw her—and inserts itself into them, so that I could almost swear that music, that sense of a presence watching and calling, had always been a part of what I remember.

—[DAI] Codex Entry: Regarding the Calling

     She had seen enough of the corruption to last a lifetime, and somewhere off in the far distance was that strange sound, the beautiful whispering.      She didn’t want to listen to it, but couldn’t help herself. She closed her eyes and tried to pick out what the whisper was saying. Was it a song? Was it a name? It almost seemed that it was calling out to her, stroking her soul ever so softly. . . .

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 14

     The humming sound, however, was stronger even than before. It was no longer something muted and distant; it was everywhere. It was behind the walls and under the floor; it filled the shadows and caressed his skin. There was a terrible beauty to it now, an awful yearning that pulsated within the sound, a tugging that pulled at the edge of his consciousness and yet frightened and nauseated him at the same time.      The humming had eclipsed any sense he had of the darkspawn. Any attempt he made to reach out with his mind to sense where the creatures were found only a wall of beautiful sound instead. Like a weed, it had insinuated itself into his consciousness, blocking out anything useful.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 6

     The far-off chorus had become a powerful symphony, a great swell of beautiful music that no longer pounded to get inside his head but instead tickled at the edges of his thoughts. It was far easier to ignore, but now he found it distracting. He found himself losing his train of thought whenever he listened.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 10

     The taint fogged her thoughts a little more with each passing morning. Her diary, once a detailed chronicle of every day’s thoughts, went neglected for weeks, sometimes months. She was losing her mind.      She wasn’t the only one, of course. It had gotten harder to tell the reality of the Blight from the horrors of her dreams. Sometimes she wasn’t sure which one she walked through, or which one she fought in. The elf had learned to recognize the confusion that sometimes passed over other senior Wardens’ faces. They, too, heard the Archdemon’s song echoing through their heads, a trifle louder every night. They, too, fought to block it out and to hide the signs from their comrades…

—Dragon Age: Last Flight, chapter 21

     My body is breaking down. The fingernails were the first to go. I started to itch all over, and when I scratched, they peeled back. Clumps of hair fell away. Then clumps of flesh.      I hear a song in my head. It's deafening. The most beautiful thing I've ever heard. But I don't hear it with my ears. It's in my brain. A blissful sound. This must be the call for which the darkspawn yearn, what causes them to dig so feverishly.      I'd still rather die. Suppose that's something.

—[DAI] Codex Entry: To Be Corrupted

     His skin itched terribly underneath those bandages, but he resisted the urge to peel them off. The pain throughout his body was dull but insistent, as if his body protested against this unfamiliar movement. The sluggishness made him wary. There was a thickness to his blood, a deliberateness to his heartbeat that made him feel like something alien was crawling inside of him and sapping his strength.      […His arms] were half covered in dark blotches. At first, he wondered if that was some kind of injury, or perhaps a bloodstain. But then he noticed the texture of the skin within those discolored areas: rough and withered, just as darkspawn flesh was. […]      Every part of his skin that wasn’t covered by the greyed cloth bandages was corrupted. It was like a network of black mold working its way across his entire body, and everywhere it touched he could feel a hot buzzing underneath the flesh. It was difficult to look at.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 6

     The Architect stared into Utha’s eyes and nothing happened at first. Then black veins began to appear along her hand where the darkspawn touched her. They became darker and darker, the veins branching until her entire hand was criss-crossed with them. […]      Her flesh withered and curled, the air filling with the foul stench of decay. […]      The stain on her skin spread, crawling up her neck and covering her face. Her coppery hair began to grey, and then it became white. Her long braid twisted and curled behind her, like a match that was burning itself into a cinder. Her eyes shot open, blood red, and she opened her mouth in a soundless scream... and what wisps remained of her hair simply fell out.      And then it was done.

—Dragon Age: The Calling, chapter 16

Bonus entry that made me go "hey what the fuck"

     What I remember most is its tongue flapping against a row of spiky teeth. I'd heard emissaries possessed the ability to speak, but the words were unnatural. They twisted and lurched as they left the creature's mouth, accompanied with a spray of saliva.      "Have you ever experienced living flesh ground between your teeth?" it asked Mila before biting through her throat.

—[DAI: The Descent] Codex Entry: Darkspawn Emissary

[dalishious]

Veilguard Companion First Impressions

So, I’ve finally recruited all the companions for the Veilguard! And as such, I thought I’d share my initial thoughts on them each.

Please keep in mind that as the title says, these are just my first impressions. I am nowhere near finishing the game yet. My thoughts very well may change after getting to know the characters more as the story progresses. Also, please do not take any opinions you do not share as a personal attack against you.

Bellara

Bellara might be my #1 favourite.

I’ve seen some people just say Bellara is “a Merrill rip-off” but I don’t think that’s fair at all. If all it took was a few similarities to say a character is a rip-off of another character, than I can think of so many boring white cishet male characters who would be guilty of that. But heaven forbid we get more than one elven woman who is passionate about her people’s culture and history!

Frankly, I think Bellara is a breath of fresh air in terms of Dalish characters specifically. Finally, a Dalish elf who isn’t punished for being proudly Dalish by the narrative.

I also really appreciate that so much of her can be easily understood by her backstory, too. Like, her feelings of never being good enough is reflective of the very realistic grief she is experiencing.

Lucanis

If Bellara isn’t my #1 favourite, then Lucanis is. They really both dominate that spot neck in neck. I can’t decide if I want to put him in a jar and shake it to see what happens, or wrap him up tight in a quilt and give him some good coffee.

I’m just a sucker for Lucanis’s character archetype, is the thing. I love taking him out simply because he’s so much fun to have around. And in terms of companion arcs, his is the one I am most intrigued to see where it goes.

Taash

(While I haven’t personally gotten to Taash’s non-binary plot yet, I am aware Taash switches to they/them pronouns, so that’s what I’ll be using.)

The moment I met Taash felt my heart skip a beat. The only thing hotter than their appearance is their voice. I know BioWare probably left Taash out of a lot of the advertising because they wanted to keep Taash’s gender stuff a surprise, but oh my god, because of this I was taken by quite the surprise. And so far Taash seems to be the type to keep a hard outer shell to protect a much softer side, and that is yet another character archetype I really love.

Davrin

My initial gripe about Davrin’s writing being so exclusively about Assan rather than Davrin himself is slowly peeling away, I hope. While I still think its bullshit that you can welcome Assan into the Veilgaurd but not Davrin, at least I’ve finally gotten a few bits of dialogue to get to know more about him finally. I just want to keep this momentum! Because Davrin as a concept has so much potential, in my opinion, and what little bits I have gotten from him have captivated me. But I can’t tell yet if it’s intentionally part of his character that maybe he’s just a closed off person who takes a while to trust others, (a little like Taash?) Or if the writer just cared more about griffons than the actual guy. I’m really, really holding out hope for the former.

Emmrich

Emmrich is so much more charming than I expected, and I found him instantly endearing the moment we met him. I also really like that we’re finally hearing some different stances and insight on death and necromancy than we ever had before from a companion! It makes him feel so fresh and completely new!

Harding

I’ll be real with you: I was not anticipating caring about Harding so much. She was who I was originally least interested in, when the companion line-up was announced. But the direction they’re taking her in has me questioning so much about bigger lore questions.

Unfortunately, I still don’t see much in her except being a vessel for those bigger lore questions, though. Like, Harding as a person has me mildly curious at best.

Neve

I’m really sorry Neve fans, but I just find her really boring so far, in comparison to everyone else. She doesn’t have a lot going on, and what she does have going on, doesn’t really captivate me much. Maybe I was just hoping she’d have stronger stances on things than she does? I don’t know.

It could be that I just really fucked up with Neve, and it won’t be until another playthrough that I’ll get to experience more that will change my mind. Because I will admit I am very good at picking choices she disapproves of, with my first Rook.

[deartys]

Connecting the Evanuris with Spirits and Demons

The Evanuris are very interesting to think about and its neat that Solas gets bigger and has purple eyes in Veilguard, visually similar to the Pride Demon.

Ancient elves might not be spirits no longer but they hold a similar narrow thinking, not too different from their Spirit selves, and their archdemons explore that even further. Now without further ado:

Code- Blue: Canon, Orange: Headcanon

Solas, The Dread Wolf

Archdemon: N/A

Spirit: Wisdom

Demon: Pride

Mythal, the All-Mother

Archdemon: N/A

Spirit: Justice that shattered to both Benevolence and Retribuiton

Demon: Vengeance

Or

Spirit: Love

Demon: Envy

Note: Flemeth mentions that she wants to see Mythal Avenged, Mythal is drawn to those who have been betrayed and/or wronged. She is both called has the Goddess of Love, and Goddess of Justice.

Elgar'nan, God of the Sun

Archdemon: Lusacan, Dragon of Night

Spirit: (edit) Command

Demon: (edit) Tiranny

notes: Any of the vices would apply to him, but he is more complex than Rage, and more blunt than Desire. And i see Hunger as an all consuming need to try fill the void, similar to greed. A tyrant who is never satisfied.

Ghilan'ain, Goddess of the Halla

Archdemon: Razikale, Dragon of Mysteries

Spirit: not originally a Spirit, risen by Andruil

Notes: I just enjoy that originally born from a body is the One that uses flesh like a tool.

Andruil, Goddess of the Hunt

Archdemon: Andoral, Dragon of Slaves

Spirit: Purpose

Demon: Desire

Note: She has a single mindedness to her, and Desire usually works with deals, and she was the one to strike one with Ghilan'ain and rise her to godhood

June, God of Craft

Archdemon: Urthemiel, Dragon of Beauty

Spirit: Learning or Curiosity

Demon: Sloth

Note: He stops being the active creator and becomes the passive watcher

Sylaise, the Hearthkeeper

Archdemon: Toth, Dragon of Fire

Spirit: Valor

Demon: Rage

Note: again, unsure about her Spirit form but Rage is fire and destruction, with no clear goal. Valor creates weapons aided by fire.

Falon'Din, Friend of the Dead

Archdemon : Zazikel , Dragon of Chaos

Spirit: fragmented alongside Dirthamen (probably Compassion or Hope)

Demon: Fear

Note: Terror also applies, being both Fear demons. Compassion makes sense by being able to feel other's pain. His archdemon led the most bloodthirsty blight that led to the griffon extintion.

Dirthamen, Keeper of Secrets

Archdemon: Dumat, Dragon of Silence

Spirit: fragmented alongside Falon'Din (probably Hope or Compassion)

Demon: Despair

Notes: The first archdemon that taugth humans blood magic, the first and longest blight, the God that relished in the Despair his Silence creates.

-

Feel free to comment any further insight, I myself feel unsure about the spirits in many cases

[soupandsorcery]

Beaux wakes up to see five faces hovering over his. All of them look drawn, tired, but there's not a dry eye out of of the lot. Even Davrin, stoic unless he's angry, collected unless he's laughing, looks like he might have recently been crying, and Beaux has to blink several times to get his head on straight.

He was...in the Fade. Right. Solas' prison, a monument of regrets. It was cold there, bitterly so, and every breath felt like glass in his lungs. He remembers Harding's voice, Neve's, urging him on. Varric's, revealing what Beaux probably knew all along.

It still aches, a shard of pain in his chest that he's been ignoring for months now, still digging in deeper, like a splinter.

"Rook?" Bellara breathes, leaning in closer. Her eyes dart anxiously over his face, her hair falling into her eyes. Her bun is uncharacteristically messy, which feels like a strange, yet important thing to notice right now.

"Present," Beaux says. His voice comes out raspy. There's a headache behind his eyes.

"Is it really..." Her eyes well up and she claps a hand over her mouth, pulling away. Emmrich replaces her, relief, worry, and something cautious etched into the lines of his face.

"Rook," he says. "How do you feel?"

Beaux frowns. How does he feel? Numb. Angry. Tired. Aching. Hurt. Yeah, that's a big one. His whole body is one giant scab, throbbing with the pain of it all. But he doesn't have the words for that, so he takes a deep breath. "Fine, I think. A little dizzy, maybe?"

"Here." Davrin is behind him in a second, his strong, broad hands coming to Beaux's shoulders. "Sit up slowly."

"Right." He lets Davrin help him, even though the movement makes the pain explode in his forehead. Everything spins for a minute, and Beaux squeezes his eyes shut.

"Focus on your breathing," says Emmrich's voice. "In, then hold, then out."

Beaux obeys, dragging in a deep breath, expanding his lungs, and holding it for two beats before releasing it in a messy rush.

"Good," from Emmrich. "Again."

It comes easier the second time, and then the third. When he opens his eyes again, the room is still. And he realizes where he is. Lucanis' pantry is warm, bathed in the light of flickering candles and magical lamps. Everyone is packed in, save for Manfred and Assan, but he can hear them having a conversation in squawks and hissed words just outside the door.

"How much do you remember?" this from Taash, standing towards the back of the room, arms folded. Their face is shadowed, both by the light and by the pain they must be feeling.

Maker, they'd come so far only to lose so much.

"All of it," Beaux answers. "Tearstone Island. Neve. Harding." His voice breaks on her name. "Lucanis killed Ghilan'nain, and then Solas—"

There's a broken off noise of anger from Beaux's right, and he turns his head to see Lucanis there. Of all of them, he looks the worst. Shadows under his eyes again, Beaux notes. Those had been going away, once he and Spite made their agreement. He hasn't been sleeping. His hands are clenched at his sides, and his hair is a mess, like he's been dragging his fingers through it.

"Perhaps we should...give them a moment," Emmrich suggests, looking between the two of them. "We can all convene in the library later?"

Davrin hesitates, eyes flicking over Beaux for a second. "We are sure this is Rook, right? We didn't accidentally pull some demon out in his place?"

"What are you suggesting?" Emmrich asks, sounding more than a little affronted.

"Stranger things have happened. To us."

"I don't think a demon would know you secretly asked Lucanis if he thought griffons needed sweaters in the winter," Beaux says.

"I told you than in confidence," Davrin replies, directing the grievance at Lucanis, who can't even manage a rebuttal with how tightly he's wound. "Fine, you're you. Good." He claps Beaux on the back and slides past the others to leave the pantry.

Everyone touches Beaux somehow before they leave. Bellara throws her arms around him, clinging tightly for a second before she's off again. Emmrich touches the back of his hand, giving him a reassuring smile. Taash ruffles his hair, and when Beaux catches their hand, trying to figure out what to say, they shake him off.

"Later," they say, cutting their eyes to Lucanis.

Beaux nods.

The door closes behind them all, and their hushed voices linger in the dining room beyond. It warms Beaux through to know they're not going far.

Lucanis hasn't moved, though. He stands like a statue, eyes staring at the wall, unfocused. There's pain in the way he's holding himself, like if he doesn't hold himself together, he'll shatter into a million pieces. Beaux wonders how often Lucanis has felt like this. How many times he's had to put himself back together after having the rug pulled out from under him. Too many in recent memory.

"Lucanis," he says softly.

The only response is a low sound of not quite distress.

Beaux moves slowly, but with purpose, swinging his legs over the side of the cot, bracing himself on the thin mattress to try to lever himself up to stand.

But Lucanis is there in an instant. Or rather—something shifts, and Spite is there, blocking the way.

"Hello, Spite," Beaux says, smiling up at him. "Will you help me?"

"Smells like the Fade," Spite growls. "Cold. Bitter. Lonely."

"That about sums it up, yeah. It was..." he trails off, shaking his head. "Bad. What's going on in Lucanis' head?"

"Anger. Betrayal. Not again. Loss. Fear. NOT AGAIN."

"Help me?" Beaux asks again, reaching a hand out. Spite takes it, hauling Beaux to his feet. He sways for a second, off balance, and the world goes spinning again. There's a flash where he's almost sick right on the scrubbed wood of the pantry floor, but it passes, thankfully. Spite doesn't let go, and he's grateful for the lifeline. "Okay, let me talk to him."

The purple of those eyes recedes, giving way to deep brown, and Lucanis is there again.

"I thought—" Lucanis says. Falters.

"I know."

"I promised myself, Beaux. I promised you. I would lose no one else. And then Neve. Harding. You were gone."

"I know," Beaux says again. "But you found me. You found me, and I'm here."

He reaches up to cup Lucanis' face in his hands, stroking his thumbs along his beautiful, beautiful cheekbones. Lucanis grips Beaux's wrists, hanging on tight. "You're here," he repeats. "Mierda. When you disappeared, I— I could have killed Solas. I wanted to."

"He has that affect on people." The words are dry as a desert in Beaux's mouth. "How long did he have me trapped there?"

"Weeks," Lucanis says. "I cannot say how many. Days lost their meaning, after a while."

"Weeks?" Beaux sways again, and Lucanis tightens his hold. "Maker, the fucking Fade. It felt like hours for me. I think so anyway? It was hard to tell. I'm so sorry, Lucanis. I never wanted to worry you like that."

"No," Lucanis growls. "You owe me no apologies. If I had been faster—"

"You killed Ghilan'nain. You watched one of your closest friends die to help give you the shot." He thinks back to all those weeks ago, when Lace and Lucanis had been discussing him hiring her to watch his back. None of them could have known just how good she'd be at it. "I knew Solas would betray me before it was all said and done, I just didn't think it would be something like what he did. No one could have predicted that, and this isn't on you."

"He was in your head. He used you. Manipulated you. Then he just disappeared into an eluvian, like he had done nothing. Like it did not matter." Anger sharpens Lucanis' accent, bitter around every word.

"Yes," Beaux says very faintly. "He did."

Something in his voice drains the anger from Lucanis in a rush. He leans forward (well, up and then forward), pressing their foreheads together. "Forgive me," he breathes. "I should not make you dwell on it."

"There's no time for that anyway. If I've been gone for weeks, we have to get back to it. I need to know what's been going on."

Lucanis looks like he's going to argue for all of a second, then he nods. "You need the work to focus you."

"We've always been alike that way."

A smile ghosts over that handsome face, and Lucanis pulls Beaux down into a kiss. It's tender, and nothing has said 'you're home' so much as Lucanis' mouth on his. The last of the chill of the Fade is wicked away, leaving behind only a simmering warmth that spreads all the way down to his toes.

When Lucanis pulls back, he looks less haggard. There's life in his eyes again, at least. "Come," he says. "We will discuss with the team. I will make you something to drink."

He threads their fingers together, and Beaux holds on tight.

[lizzybeeee]

It's just a minor thing, but I'm annoyed at how during those missives about the South falling they start pretending like Skyhold is the only safe place that any of the population can stay in, but like--Chateau Haine was also designed to hold a huge population of people in case of the Blight! This, and a method of getting large quantities of people there using makeshift "aravels", is something that was detailed in Last Flight! The book they heavily referenced for Davrin's mission! If they were going to treat Isseya the Way They Did, they could have at least referenced her ingenuity that rescued so many people before she went mad. It wouldn't have fixed all of it but it would have at least been a nice touch. Hell if they had let us say Hawke survived, they could be responsible for leading people there because they visited Chateau Haine and know about this. It could be another of those "South repelling the Blight" counter things I saw in one of your replies, like how it makes no sense for Orlais to not ally with Ferelden out of "paranoia" in a worldstate where Celene is in charge.

Isseya & Chateau Haine

Loving the idea of Hawke (or maybe even Talis if you didn't anger her!) leading survivors to Chateau Haine!!! That's what the retreat was built for, after all! Since it's connected to Isseya it would provide an in-game reason for the Chateau Haine/aravels to be brought up as well?

I would have loved for their to be more mentions of (pre-mad) Isseya and Garahel in the game - what we see and hear of Isseya is so limited beyond her being the 'griffon boogeyman'' which really does her no justice. While we do get some humanizing moments/dialogue with Davrin, the whole time I was wondering why she was here? Bringing her back just to make her relive her greatest regret - I can get why they chose her, 'thematically', but I thought she had such a satisfying conclusion in the Last Flight. :(

(Also what happened to her when you defeat her? She just lays down and dies? lmao.)

If anything, the entire 'Blighted Weisshaupt' feels like it would better suit the Architect/Awakened darkspawn as some dark reflection of the Grey Wardens? Which was what the Architect was doing in Awakening: the inverse joining ritual, darkspawn consuming blood of the wardens, etc... That entire area looked like it could have been part of Awakening.

2. Skyhold

I was also really puzzled about how Skyhold seems to be the only fortress capable of withholding the darkspawn according to datv? The moment I read that they had brought refugees to Skyhold - as some final refuge from the blight (since Redcliffe and Denerim have both fallen by the last missive) my heart dropped because Skyhold is, comparatively, tiny.

Obviously, BioWare had limitations with their resources/engine and made a Keep that was limited in scope - I know that logically. But Skyhold is no Theirinfall Redoubt, Redcliffe, or Chateu Haine! A new player won't know it's size - but I do! I jumped off every staircase and walkway - I know that place!!! Even in cutscenes it's not shown to be much bigger!

(It's a nitpick, I know, I'm sure there's some logistics/retconning that make this less fatalistic - but how grim is it to imagine that Skyhold, of all places, is somehow large enough to house Ferelden's remaining refugees?)

3. Celene & World States

Like you said about Celene, the idea that she suddenly had such a radical turnaround in her position on foreign relations/policies (for no reason provided outside of paranoia!) was genuinely baffling. I can see it happening for Gaspard or for a world state where all three were forced into a truce - but Celene alone???

In trying to be as vague as possible about the south, they only managed to make it more noticeable that they were avoiding mentioning specific people: 'The leaders of Ferelden' and 'Orlais' rulers'. At the same time they canonize events/people like Harding talking about Blackwall/Thom Ranier and Sera? Two characters you can not recruit?

Losing the DA Keep in this game was a damn shame. It could have been a great way to have past decisions we made come back meaningfully in showing how the south of Thedas can defend itself against the double blight. It's not even a new idea! The comment I made about a 'south repelling the blight' counter was based off of Mass Effect 3 and how they used the galactic readiness meter.

You got a series of messages/cameos relating to quests you did in previous games, with people pledging to help you in taking back earth...it was genuinely heartwarming and rewarding to see how a person I helped two games back came to help Shepard. Certain decisions also could really bite you in the ass and I loved seeing that! It could have been a great way to provide closure for what choices we made through letters/missives/dialogue - showing that our Warden, Hawke, and Inquisitor did made a difference.

(It would also be an incentive to play and buy earlier games - to get a better ending! Unlike datv which really gives no incentive to play previous entries in the series.)

Just off the top of my head:

Bhelen is King -> he allows casteless dwarves to fight the Blight and support the warriors.

Harrowmont is King -> he refuses to let casteless dwarves fight and half the warrior caste dies.

If the warden is a dwarf commoner -> you can have Rica lead a coup and depose Harrowmont, becoming Queen.

If the warden is a dwarf noble -> they kick Harrowmont out and install Gorim as King.

If Branka was left alive -> she goes crazy from the blight and creates red lyrium golems or something else horrifying. To stop the golems the dwarves have to abandon Ortan Thaig.

A Dagna who was supported in her studies manages to create some newfangled rune that helps hold the tide back and she becomes a paragon.

(I recently just finished a dwarf commoner playthrough so i have a lot of dwarven thoughts at the moment lmao)

Thanks for the ask! You got my brain going with this one! :)

[damndirtyheathen]

Introducing...

hey hi hello just throwing my Rook out there for everyone to meet. This is Roran de Riva. She's the MC of my Rookanis fic over on AO3 (linked below) which is my canon playthrough. The fic loosely follows the DAtV plot but with some extra depth added to the romance aspect because Lucanis got cheated on that front. I wanna start sharing the chapters on here as well as AO3 so I thought I'd give a bit of an introduction!

1. Where in Thedas is your Rook from?

Minrathous, Tevinter Imperium

2. What is your character’s alignment?

Chaotic Good. She believes it's better to ask forgiveness than permission and sticks more closely to her own set of morals than societies.

3. Race and subclass?

Human Rogue - Veil Ranger to be specific

4. If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found?

Anywhere with animals. She much prefers the company of animals to humans.

5. What emotion did they usually pick?

Sarcasm. She's fluent in it.

6. What companions are they platonically close with?

Initially, she hit it off with Neve, but after picking Treviso that relationship fell a little flat. Learning that Roran was originally from Tevinter and only spent ten years in Treviso didn't help. She bonded with Taash rather quickly, taking them under her wing as a sort of little sibling. After turning down Davrin's romantic advances, they grew to be good friends.

7. Romantically close with?

Lucanis.

8. Who are they suspicious of?

Everyone upon first meeting, but she warms up pretty quickly.

9. Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction?

Now she does. It was rocky after she went on her sabbatical and mostly just with Viago. She's since forgiven him for sending her away. She's polite to Caterina and the feeling is mutual. The older woman respects her grandson's affections though she still holds a grudge over Roran for botching her first job.

10. Are they proficient in playing any instruments?

Absolutely not. She can fumble her way around a piano but that's about it.

11. Weapon of choice?

Short bow, though she does favor stilettos for close combat

12. What is their orientation?

Pansexual.

13. What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

She started her life as a Siccari, so killing has been a part of her for as long as she can remember. She sees it as necessary but not always evil, and also not always good. She only enjoys it when the target deserves it.

14. What hobbies does your Rook have?

Reading, archery, and horseback riding though she doesn't get to do the latter nearly as much as she used to when she was younger.

15. What NPCs do they like? Which one’s do they dislike?

She has an sibling relationship with Viago, where he is very much the annoying, protective older brother. Teia is like the sister she never had. Outside her faction, she adores Isabela and has often mused at how she should have tried to escape in Kont-aar and become a Lord instead of a Crow. Strife can be frustrating at times because he comes across too seriously for her.

16. Do they have a favorite creature in the Thedas?

Dragons have always fascinated her, along with griffons. Her best birthday ever was her 26th birthday when she got to meet a griffon for the first time (bb Assan). Even if it was ruined by Treviso and Minrathous being attacked only hours later. Her more practical, and more common, favorite creature is a horse.

17. Do they enjoy life as an adventure?

She does more than she thought she would. She grew up a slave and then was in Treviso until she was sent on a sabbatical with Varric. That was the first time she'd really been able to travel and she fell in love with the world.

18. What would your Rook be doing if they weren’t recruited by Varric?

She would have left Treviso and gone wherever the wind took her, likely finding work as a mercenary. After meeting Isabela and the Lords, she likes to think she might have linked up with them, though at the time she had no idea they even existed.

19. How do you think they would meet their end?

Fighting. She'd never go down without a fight.

20. Would they side with Solas or fight him?

Fight him. She only didn't do that or trick him into sealing the veil because of the Inquisitor's request.

21. What is your Rook’s favorite ability?

Rain of Decay

22. What languages is your character fluent in?

Common tongue and Antivan. She knows some old Tevene but has forgotten a lot of it.

23. What do they do after an absolute crisis?

After Minrathous was attacked and destroyed she locked herself in her room for a day and a half. After Weisshaupt fell she shut down and poured herself into her work. She found the latter to be more productive so she's continued that pattern moving forward.

24. Does your character believe in the afterlife?

Before meeting Emmrich, no. Now she entertains the idea.

25. What specialization best represents your Rook?

Veil Ranger. She loves her bows and arrows.

26. What animal best represents your Rook?

She likes to think of herself as a cat - agile, care free, listens when she wants to - but Viago would call her a bull - stubborn, clumsy, brutish.

27. What was their life like before the events of Veilguard?

Born in Minrathous, she was the bastard daughter of a slave and an unknown magister (she never met her father and her mother never spoke of him). She was selected to be trained as part of the Siccari order from a young age and quickly took to her training. At the age of 13, her mother died of illness. No longer feeling obligated to serve the Imperium, she managed to escape the order and stow away on a merchant ship bound for Kont-aar. Her plan was to escape to Rivain and make a life for herself, but she was discovered not even four days into the journey and was added to the ship's inventory of slaves (she hadn't realized what type of merchants they were, she was just focused on getting out of Minrathos). From there she was shoved into a caravan bound for a destination she wasn't important enough to know. The next time she saw daylight, Viago was pulling her and several of the other slaves from the caravan to safety. They hadn't had anything to eat or drink in days and were weak and fatigued because of it. Viago took a special interest in Roran and all but adopted her from that point forward. She knew who the Crows were from her training in Minrathous, but never told Viago about her life in Tevinter other than she was born a slave. He promised to help her start her life anew and invited her to join the Crows and start their training at 14. She accepted the offer and flew through her training, having already had most of it completed in Minrathous by the time she was 12. It only took so long for Viago to offer her her first contract because of sentimentality. He knew she'd had a hard life, though he didn't know the extent of it, and wanted to protect her. So while she had lived a hard life before forming the Veilguard, it had been sheltered for the last ten or so years.

28. Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

She always considered Varric the leader, even though "he" insisted she take the mantle. She may have been calling the shots, but her talks with him were not only to get ideas on how to move forward but to get his approval. After discovering that Solas had tricked her into thinking Varric was still alive, she finally accepted she was a leader and stepped into the role everyone had always seen her in.

29. If you could choose a different faction for your Rook , which one would they have joined and why?

Had she not fled Minrathous, she likely would have joined the Shadow Dragons or whatever similar faction there was at the time for her. Had she escaped in Rivain, she likely would have found her way to the Lords of Fortune when Isabela formed them.

30. What’s your favorite thing about your Rook?

Her ability to let things roll off her shoulders and move on to the next. It's something she didn't have when she joined Varric's team and only developed with the help of the Veilguard. Veilcard credit to @biowarescreenshotsdump

Questions thanks to @pinkhallaclub https://archiveofourown.org/series/4546513

[championofthefade]

Here is what I do like about Veilguard.

Long story short: While I have some gripes about the game, there are the things I do like about Veilguard. I have 150 hours in this game and I’m a slow player. (I also love lore.)

Gameplay! Which surprised me because I didn’t like playing warrior or rogue in the other games. But I think Veilguard does have cool playstyles that I thoroughly enjoy.

My current run is a Nightmare Grey Warden Warrior, that’s going to romance Harding, uses sword and shield. The war hammer is a bit slow to me but I’m definitely going to try it in another run.

(I also have another run going beside this to play a Veil Jumper-Veil Ranger to romance Bellara with as a break from Nightmare.)

I usually pick playing a mage (I like magic), but having played a Rogue Laidir (romanced Neve) and a Mage Ingellvar (romancing Lucanis again) as well has been so much fun!

I don’t do crazy builds because I’m just here for the story, but the combat is genuinely fun to me.

Though I find Lords of Fortune kinda lacking, I enjoy the factions. Mourn Watch is my favorite by far, and I think the leaders/contacts are everything. As someone who has only consumed the games of Dragon Age, these people (Viago & Teia, Evka & Antoine) make me want to pick up the book they are in. (Tevinter Nights I believe.)

I love, love, love, love, LOVE the level designs! Weisshaupt is possibly one of my favorite missions to play, along side anything in Treviso and Blackthorn Manor. They are very special to me! I love exploring areas, and wish they weren’t always level locked but I get it.

Though I haven’t figured out how to fix the annoying garbling audio bug I have in heavily dense areas like Arlathan, Treviso and Minrathous, otherwise I have a good time.

I enjoy the romances as they are, and can acknowledge that they feel flat. I am constantly giggling like a blushing idiot when I flirt with everyone because it’s honestly good for what it is! Yes, I think we’re missing content and the pacing is weird, but I like it because there are little moments where you get the feel of the companions personality. (Davrin’s Thrill of the Chase is honestly a must have every play through until I pull a reverse Zevran on his ass!)

And the different romances have given me seven new ocs to explore and revisit whenever I want!

I’m the kind of person that plays ‘everyone gets a girlfriend unless I have to play a man’. Dorian Pavus is a special case and I would do it again for him. Anything for the archon.

Sidebar: Okay yeah, it’s interesting that if you choose Treviso that Dorian becomes Archon, because if you choose Minrathous you can choose between Dorian and Maevaris. Hearing Mae say this isn’t the South was what made me think more deeply about choosing Dorian for my Laidir run. Because Dorian’s revolution vs Mae’s talks was kinda pointless because they could’ve easily co-piloted change in Tevinter, I mean they support each other no matter what already, why not just co-pilot the big chair? I get Dorian’s POV of everything must go in order to change (echoes of Anders and Divine Leliana) and that’s why I choose Dorian. Because sometimes talk doesn’t work.

Anyway, moving on.

I think of the endings, I like the tricking Solas one and the Solavellan / Inquisitor Friendship ones the most. If my Inquisitor wants to stop Solas, I will just skip using Mythal’s essence altogether for the sake of keeping true to what I headcanon for my oc, you know? (Though, most of my Inquisitors hold Solas in a high regard so it’s rare that I don’t try to save him.)

I like the codex entries, some of them feel very personalized, though I wish Rook had more mentions like the grocery list where they requested chocolate. (Inquisitor’s unhealthy obsession with elfroot makes a comeback?)

Important game information shouldn’t be tucked away in the codex, but it’s still enjoyable to sit and read the little references. (TR signed Rocking Griffons have my heart!!)

I wanted to see more of the Evanuris, and wished we didn’t brush by the revelation we just uncovered the origins of the Chantry. (Poor Harding.) I think we got lucky that the other Evanuris aren’t around anymore. Would’ve been an absolute nightmare to deal with.

I don’t like the dragon fights! How dare the Dragon Age for me to fight the dragons that are coming back! Leave ‘em alone (lovingly).

Yes, I think there are areas where this game needs improvement (lore consistency, player agency, etc.) but I like Veilguard for what it is and can see myself returning to more often than the previous installments.

Veilguard has potential, I just think it’s a matter of time for me to get through the gripes I have with it.

[qualcosadelgenere]

Genuinely wondering what do you think each team of the ffi would react to a female player playing?? I guess a female player in Inazuma Japan??

Hey there! Thank you for your ask 🫶

Well, there would probably be mixed reactions among different teams and even among team members of the same team 🤔

I think it's safe to say that a few oblivious players would probably not even notice, as they are way too focused on other things such as training, winning the next match, etc.

Then again, I feel like most players would simply not care much if one of the others is a girl, a boy, or anything else. They would probably treat her as just another football player from Inazuma Japan, or if anything, they would acknowledge the fact that she's a female player, maybe tease her a bit and then move on.

That being said, players from countries who are infamous or famous for having tons of ladies' men would perhaps be intrigued by a female football player in Inazuma Japan.

In general, this is what I think the FFI teams as a collective would think:

🇬🇧 Knights of Queen: I feel like a lot of them would take the occasion to act all gentlemanly and whatnot around her, to the extent that it would become sort of ridiculous. Like fighting among themselves for who gets to open the door for her, who gets to fetch her ball during training, etc.

The other FFI teams, Inazuma Japan included, would likely look at them like, "Chill, Romeos, chill".

🇩🇪 Brockenborg: Probably they wouldn't mind a bit, treating her as they would do with any other male player. Maybe with a bit more tact, especially in 1 vs 1, but that's about it.

🇫🇷 Griffon Rose: They would be all over her, but not necessarily in the romantic sense. More like out of curiosity and genuine interest.

🇪🇸 Red Matador: A mix between unfazed, friendly, and flirty. Really depends on the player.

🇮🇹 Orpheus: Overall, really friendly, if not a bit on the flirty side. Unfortunately, I can see a few of them holding on to the outdated belief that football is not really a typical girls' sport, but they would still respect her and her skills*.

🇦🇷 The Empire: Somewhat like Orpheus. Very appreciative of her passion and skills, yet not fully able to shake off the notion that women are not as good as men when it comes to football*.

🇧🇷 The Kingdom: Just like Orpheus and The Empire, the Kingdom players would range from flirty to friendly to sceptical. Sadly, even though football is deeply ingrained in Brazilian culture, female football players still get kind of looked down upon*.

🇰🇷 Fire Dragon: They wouldn't have a problem with her specifically, but traditionally, women in South Korea are kind of expected to shy away from sports deemed as masculine such as football because they have pretty strict gender roles. So it's likely that at least a few of them would be confused as to why a girl is willing to sacrifice her reputation to play football with a bunch of guys*.

🇶🇦 Desert Lion: Considering Qatar is fairly conservative when it comes to men and women interacting, and yet they have the only female coach, it's safe to assume they would try to treat her as any other male player while simultaneously adhering to their own cultural and religious practices as much as possible.

Majidi is perhaps the only one I can see actually teasing her (in his usual silly lizard-on-your-shoulder kind of way, not out of actual dislike or anything), but others would be quick to school him back to good manners.

🇦🇺 Big Waves: I'm pretty sure they wouldn't care at all. Game is game, and if she's playing for the opposite team, she's getting brutally shoved around just like anyone else, no mercy.

Outside of matches, they would be their usual Aussie selves, amicable, easy-going, and would chat her ear off.

🇨🇲 🇨🇬 Little Giants: Some might be taken a little aback at first, but I think they would warm up to the idea fast and treat her like any other player.

Rococo understands what it means being made fun of and pushed around for something out of your control, so I believe he would be particularly sweet to her.

🇺🇸 Unicorn: They wouldn't mind too much. Some might even be impressed by the fact that she's the only female player to actively play in the FFI.

🇿🇦 The Great Horn: It wouldn't change how they behave around her. She is still a football player, and especially Abari, who I like to think of as very aware of discrimination of all kinds, would expect his teammates to treat her accordingly.

(*Keep in mind that almost everywhere in the world, female football players are generally looked down upon, not only in the countries I mentioned here.)

[lucianhuntress]

Davrin x Reader: #67 “What does that have to do with me?”

I had no idea what to write here and then it escalated and well, it's something. I've never written Davrin before so here goes ehehehheheheee.... Reader is an Antivan Crow!Rook.

There are a couple of things you miss in the mornings of Treviso—a cup of fresh coffee being one of them. After a long night of doing whatever it was the Antivan Crows required, you'd trudge across the city to unwind after hours of lethal activity.

Sure, sleep would often be a stranger, and Viago would give you an earful every time. Mostly  because you did need to sleep eventually, and he was clearly concerned—but every drop of that coffee was worth it. You could swear it had a magical ability to wash away your nightly sins, like having someone's guts around your dagger night after night.

Even with Lucanis brewing coffee all day, every day, you find yourself daydreaming about the real Treviso experience. And with an Eluvian, grabbing that morning coffee would be easier than ever.

Davrin must have noticed your dreamy gaze as you twirl your spoon in the nearly empty cup, his brows knitting with concern as he wonders what’s gotten into this Antivan Crow sitting at the breakfast table, looking so distracted.

“Rook,” he waves a hand in front of your frozen stare, “you alright?”

You blink, suddenly aware of the heaviness in your eyes—a side effect of staring into nothing for too long.

“Ow, yeah,” you groan at the prickling sensation as you squeeze your eyes shut, earning an amused chuckle from your breakfast company. “Just homesick.”

The worry on his face fades, replaced by amusement as the corners of his lips curl into a tiny smirk. “I actually have something I need to pick up, and you’re the only one around,” he says, motioning to the quiet dining room of the Lighthouse. Emmrich has probably already had breakfast—he gets up at first light, though telling time inside the Fade is a challenge. How that man manages to rise before anyone else is a mystery you’re not ready to tackle this early.

“Sure,” you sigh heavily, taking a bite of toast.

Once you’ve both wrapped up your morning routines, you head for the Crossroads. You let Davrin lead as you have no idea what the Grey Warden is up to. Still, following him and Assan feels like trailing something wild—and it bubbles excitement in your chest.

He stops at a familiar Eluvian. The reflection of Treviso dances on its glassy surface, and you swallow hard.

“Treviso?” The question escapes as an exhale. You haven’t been there in weeks. Surely the Antaam haven’t stirred up anything... right?

“Yeah. I figured you’d be the best person to join me here and…” he trails off, looking away. His ears tint red, but you miss that detail as he scratches the back of his neck.

“And?” you press, crossing your arms. Usually, there’d be at least one more person joining a trip through an Eluvian—especially one where things could go sideways. “Shouldn’t we at least invite Lucanis?”

Instead of answering, Assan jumps through the Eluvian, and Davrin gently grabs your hand to pull you through with him.

Familiar sights flood your vision, and the scent of the canals hits harder after time away.

“I’d rather not invite Lucanis tonight,” Davrin says with a quiet chuckle.

“Just you and me then?” you ask, but then something—or rather, someone—nudges your hand resting at your side.

“And Assan, of course,” you add, glancing down. “Though I doubt people will appreciate a griffon poking around their stalls.”

Assan coos sadly, and you can’t help but feel bad for the adventurous bird-lion.

“Then this is the perfect opportunity for him to learn some table manners,” Davrin quips, wrinkling his nose at his companion.

“Oh, true—Bellara will be thrilled to see him holding a fork and knife,” you jest. Both of you laugh, while Assan seems to spot something flying above.

“By the way,” you say, “you still haven’t explained why we’re here…”

“Ah, that…” he suddenly seems shy—something you never expected from him. He casually points toward the street below.

“What does that have to do with me?” you ask slowly, trying to sound stern and threatening—but the smile breaking across your face gives you away. So much for that Crow charisma.

“I thought you really wanted a cup of that coffee,” he says with a laugh, “and maybe I’d get to see what all the rage is about.”

“Are you sure you’re not one of the ancient elves?” you giggle, and amusement lights up his handsome features. “You Wardens sure miss a lot.”

[enigmatist17]

Boulder hummed as he finished the final touches to his current project, taking great care to store it in Doc Green's storage bay far away from Cece's far too inquisitive hands. He could have left it back at Prof. Baranova's lab, but the inner workings of his new device were fragile, so one trip back to the central lab was the better option.

No need to roll out on an unneeded emergency after all.

Taking a moment to himself, Boulder decided to take a slightly longer route to the firehouse, knowing that Bluestreak and Chase were probably still finishing up their day together. He hadn't seen Chase so happy in a long time, so Boulder tried his best to give the Enforcer the privacy he was afforded on the days he was allowed to see his family. Admittedly, it also helped to quell the slight jealousy that lurked in his spark, not that he would ever speak of such feelings aloud. Boulder and Blades had held a somber evening with Prowl to try and determine what had happened to their own families, but what little records the Enforcer had from the ship he'd arrived on were...sparse at best.

"I am sorry I did not have the information you hoped for." While neither bot knew door lingo very well, the slight drooping as Prowl rested a servo on Blades' shoulder was telling enough.

"We had to try, y'know?" The helicopter smiled weakly, his rotor blades twitching in an effort to hold back his grief. "Thank you, for coming all the way here."

"Think nothing of it, it is the least I could offer."

Blossom Vale was always a nice place to stop, the bulldozer transforming just outside of the park limits with a soft hum. Some of the trees he had helped plant were coming along nicely, Boulder tending to them as he listened to the water crashing along the shoreline. It was nice that Boulder didn't have to hide as an automaton after doing it for so long, he had disliked their time hiding their nature and what they were from those who might not have understood, curbing his curiosity about the planet around them.

Boulder had been reminded far too much about his place in Cybertron's former caste society during those years, and couldn't wait for the day the rest of the world accepted their Cybertronian refugees like Griffon Rock had.

The beep of his comm scattered his processor's train of thought, and Boulder answered it after finding a spot to sit down.

"Hey buddy!" Graham's voice never failed to warm Boulder's spark, his partner always a happy sight to sore optics. "Just checking in, Doc said you left his lab a while ago."

"I'm fine, I just decided to take some time to myself in Blossom Vale."

"How're the trees? I know you mentioned checking up on them." Boulder smiled as he looked over at said trees.

"They're fine, I might add some lavender when the weather is right for planting. Am I needed back at the firehouse?"

"No no, you're fine! Actually, I was wondering if you could stop by the museum on your way back, the greeter AI might need a reboot."

"I can do that." Boulder always did love visiting the museum, the Cybertronian watching some birds fly overhead. "I'll head out soon, Graham, thanks for the tip. Also, don't forget to refuel, I can tell you got lost in your own work." He chuckled at the slight squeak his partner let out, getting up onto his pedes once he was ready. "See you later."

"Later buddy!" The drive to the museum was mostly peaceful, Boulder only stopping to help a driver who had slid off one of the roads into an embankment. Being the middle of the week, the museum was empty, Boulder humming to himself as he entered through the main door and headed to the AI core. There were some voices coming from one of the other rooms, but the rescue bot didn't pay them too much mind as he knelt down by the terminal, a holographic keyboard his size popping up with a wave of his servo as he switched it to maintenance mode.

"Alright, let's see what's going on here." The engineer wiggled his digits, a cursory search not revealing any of the typical errors he was expecting. "Hm, seems like we need to check a little deeper." Diving into the internal files, Boulder found nothing out of the ordinary, figuring Graham probably received a false report as he finished his work and logged out.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No, that would be because there wasn't anything to be found." Boulder chuckled as he resumed the normal programming, getting up onto his pedes. "The displays should work fine now, if you...you..." Whatever Boulder had meant to say just vanished from his processor when he turned to the person he'd been speaking to, amber optics cycling a few times to ensure what he was seeing was real.

It wasn't a human he'd heard; it was other bots.

"I do believe you surprised him a bit too much." A hunter-green mech that was a good helm taller than Boulder shook his helm, an achingly familiar glowing visor taking in the sight of the stunned rescue bot. His construction build frame held deep gouges from fighting far longer than Boulder wanted to comprehend, but the gentle voice was just as he had always remembered it.

"I only asked a question." The second mech scoffed, the golden bot who initially spoke to Boulder cycling his optics with a soft vent. "I suppose, however, even something so simple as a question would be a lot after all this time." He also bore similar gouges like his partner, and to Boulder's dismay, one of his servos appeared to have been half destroyed at one point, now bearing two silver digits made from presumably non-Cybertronian metal.

"Boulder?" The other green bot stepped forward, offering a servo with a soft smile. "Are you alright?"

"I don't - Grapple?" Finally, something escapes his vocalizer, a static-filled name and question all in one.

"The one and only, dear spark." Trembling servos latch onto his, and the older bot clicks in reassurance as he feels the gentle tug on his EM field, enveloping it when Boulder's shoulders slump in relief or grief, Grapple couldn't tell. "We finally found you."

"In a very peaceful place too." The other bot hummed, having moved to keep himself between the door and the two reunited bots. "Though the architecture is a bit simplistic.."

"You haven't seen enough of the island." Boulder vented a few times to calm the myriad of emotions tearing through his processor, holding out a servo with a small smile. "What records we found listed you both as missing..."

"Merely lost in the chaos." The gold bot hummed as he crossed the room, still keeping himself between the door and the others as he gently grasped Boulder's servo. "You look healthy; if you had not, I would've had words with your human charges."

"Partners Hoist, not charges." Grapple chuckled, Boulder cycling his optics in exasperation. "Graham was most helpful in pointing us here, he's smart for such a young organic."

"He's reminded me of you both." Boulder hummed, his engine rumbling as the trio began to slowly wander around the museum, never ones for keeping still. "When did you get to Earth?"

"Not long ago, our ship, unfortunately, was damaged in combat, and we've become planet-bound." Hoist sighed, Grapple giving him a gentle brush of his EM field. "We'd done our best, but Wheeljack is a better mechanic than any of us on board."

"He's still upset about losing part of his medbay, poor dear." Grapple shook his helm, the quiet vent Hoist let out uncommented on. "We were surprised to find Prowl here, and I do believe he was just as surprised to see us, because he immediately told us you were here with the rest of your team."

"Rest assured, they will all be getting check-ups later on." The medic hummed, Boulder chuckling at the thought of Blades and Heatwave trying to avoid their unknown upcoming exams. "We feared the worst when you never returned..."

"We were in stasis to avoid an Energon Eater, we never received a Priority Prime message until recently." Boulder's spark clenched at the memory, but the reassuring pulses that came from the two at his sides chased the negative feeling away. "Is Skids here as well?"

"Boulder..."

Hoist sounds so tired.

"He was true to the end, sweet spark." Grapple speaks for the two who can't, guiding them out and into the back of the museum when he hears some humans entering. The sky has taken on an orange hue as Boulder takes the lead, the two Cybertronains who had taken him in off the streets so long ago following without a word as they eventually arrive at a hill that overlooked the city. Boulder sits between the two larger bots once they picked a spot, helm resting against Grappel's shoulder while Hoist kept an arm around his waist, just watching the sky grow darker with each passing moment.

"When did he...?" His spark reaches out, knowing it won't receive a response from a mech he'd come to call brother a lifetime ago.

"A long time ago, he died helping some Neutrals avoid a Decepticon death squad." A grey frame draped over a sparkling to keep them alive comes to the processor for both mechs, and Hoist lets out a sad trill. "He saved a lot of people."

"That sounds just like him." A sad smile crosses his face plate, Hoist giving him a small squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sweet spark, to know you avoided so much pain and suffering does much to calm the spark." Hoist's engine rumbled as Grapple mirrored the noise, driving away the cold washing over the trio. "We have a second chance, it's enough."

"I agree." Boulder felt their shared bond swell with love as they watched the sun finally dip below the horizon; the twinkling lights from below reminded them of a long-dead Iacon. "Earth can be home, it already has become my home."

"Then consider it ours as well, perhaps I can help bring it a touch of Cybertronian elegance." Grapple trilled, processor already racing with a dozen building designs for this small island alone. "It's been so long since I've been able to build for others."

"I bet Mayor Lusky would be more than happy to let you build." Boulder smiled as Grapple continued to ramble, listening to his adoptive sire's old song and dance as Hoist chuckled to himself, offlining his visor to enjoy the musings.

It was an awfully quiet morning in Griffon Rock the following day, the townsfolk wanting to give the three recharging bots some peace, knowing without question it was a reunion a long time coming.

It was the least they could do.

[fanficbrewery]

Can I request something for Veilguard?

Davrin x gn Qunari reader who's super bothered about being taller than Davrin because they want to be small and holdable

please and thank you and have a good day/night <3

Davrin x gn qunari reader

i thought this idea was super cute. I've always been very tall and was pretty insecure about it as a kid so i get where this request is coming from. as my first request that i have answered i hope i did it justice and that you enjoyed it.<3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you awoke your feet were cold, barely being covered by the blanket covering the rest of your body. You groaned already thinking about your to-do list today. You sit up from the bed, noticing your elven lover missing from your side, likely already awake and making Assans breakfast.

You stand from the bed careful about your large horns making sure they dont scratch the ceiling. Even among other qunari you were considered abnormally tall. When you had meet Taash, another qunari even they were taken aback by your heigh as you loomed over them. The thought made an uncomfortable feeling shiver down your spine.

As you walk out of the room you and Davrin had been sharing since admitting feelings for one another you spot him with Assan. The griffon noticing your presence stands up, quickly walking toward you with Davrin in tow. The small griffon gives you a greeting squawk and purrs as you bend down to pet him. Seeing him like this always reminds you of the first time you had met the pair.

after explaining to Davrin that the blighted camp next to you was like that when you got there you could help noticing the way he eyed you up and down. Not in a flirtatious manner but more calculating every part of you, seeing if he'd be able to hold his own against you if the need arose. And his griffon friend was half hiding behind him. whenever you tried to come closer he would let out a warning squawk almost like a hiss. They were threatened by you... part you you wondered if they would have reacted the same if you were smaller.

"Rook?..Rook!" you were snapped out of your thoughts looking at Davrin surprised. "Sorry did you say something?" you ask slowly standing up from bending down to Assan. " i did but are you alright?" his voice was always deeper in the mornings and you loved it but before you could get distracted by your thoughts once more you forced yourself to answer " yeah im alright whats up?". "I was just asking what you had planned today" Davrin replied walking toward the kitchen.

As you push open the kitchen doors walking inside you reply " I have more work to do as always. I need to go to arlathan today to help the veil jumpers weed out more venatori. I also need to head to treviso to help with the antam situation." Flashes of the antiven crows passes through your mind. The suspicious glances many would give you for being qunari, like they expected you to turn against them at any moment.

"Im guessing you'll need help with that?" Davrin once again pulling you from your thoughts, giving you a knowing smile. "i might need a hand or two" returning Davrins smile with a small one of your own. It was then when you realized you too were alone. "Is no one else up?" you ask looking around. "Nope just us. Bell is still working on the artifact and Lucanis is actually asleep for once so it looks like we're on our own for breakfast". Davrin turns and walks toward the oven, you follow close behind. As you approach, now standing next to him you ask "what should we make? preferably something we know we wont burn". Davrin chuckles at your comment "how about some bacon and eggs? easy to make and its a hearty breakfast". Mmm bacon does sound good right now. "sure bacon and eggs sounds great". Davrin looks up at you "good i'll get the fire going how about you get the eggs and bacon from the pantry?" "sure i can do that".

As you turn one of your horns knocks the pots and pans above you loosening them and causing them to fall. "OW shit.." the pans had fallen directly on Davrins head. Panic flows through you "Shit! Davrin! im so so sorry" you kneel next to him as he holds his head and sighs. "Its ok accidents happen right?" he hisses through the pain. "here let me look" he moves his hands away from his head allowing you to see where he'd been hit. Thankfully there was no bleeding but the area was already raised and starting to bruise. You feel awful, your stupid horns and your stupid height had gotten Davrin hurt and you felt a wave of emotions rush through you.

You turn your head away from him blinking away tears. "Hey rook its ok.." unfortunately for you, you couldn't escape his keen eyes. "No its not!" unable to hold back the tears you feel them fall down your cheeks. "I-I got you hurt all because my stupid fucking horns got in the because I'm to tall and- I'm so sorry Davrin". You could feel Davrins eyes widen at your out burst but you couldn't bring yourself to look at him. "I hate being tall fucking qunari".

"...You know I used to hate being an elf". His comment finally made you look at him with tears in your eyes. "Really?" You know that he disliked certain aspects of being an elf like being so secluded and the 'knife ear' comments but not hating being an elf in general. "Yeah I used to hate it, it always felt like something I needed to hide or be ashamed of" he looked up while speaking like reminiscing about old memories. "Why?" "I think it was a mix of feeling like I failed my family and people being assholes just because my ears are pointy". Davrin always seemed so confident you almost couldn't believe he hated anything about himself

"you know I like you being an elf" you said looking deep into his eyes, the eyes you loved so much."I know you do but I didn't until a few years ago" he gave you a small smile "how did you...get so confident?" You asked voice small very much unlike yourself. "It's something you just have to learn. That you can't change something so big about yourself just like my ears or your horns. And if you don't it just feels like they win" he brought a hand to your cheek. You leaned into it appreciating its warmth "a win for who?" "A win for those who doubted you, a win for those thoughts that make you feel less then you actually are"

he brought his forehead to yours and closed his eyes. It was a small moment of peace in this chaos, where your thoughts went silent and the idea of what's to come faded into the back of your mind. As you parted Davrin gave you a kiss to the lips, a gentle one filled with love and sincerity that you both enjoy each other just the way you are. That there was no reason that either of you needed to change. You parted once more before Davrin stood up with a groan. Following him you ask "do you want me to get Ballara and see if she can do anything about the pain and bump?" "Nah I'll be alright, I just gotta take it easy for a bit".

After breakfast your day went rather smoothly, any thoughts about your height or horns had disappeared you felt more confident after your talk with Davrin. Back at the light house you settle into Davrins bed, Assan laying down just at the foot of the bed. You snuggle under the covers your head on Davrins chest. You begin to doze off, the work and stress of today catching up to you when Davrin whispers in your ear, so quite that you could barely hear it. "I like your height and your horns I mean it.." you smile a small blush coloring your face. "And I love your ears..just as much as I love you"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holy crap I'm so sorry I haven't posted in awhile I've been dealing with no motivation as well as just life stuff in general

Thank you for your request and I hope I did it justice I also hoped you enjoyed reading this

I'll see y'all next time I write

[invinciblerodent]

3 & 11 for the rook/partner ask game! 🩵

Aaahh, my favorites from the list! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank youuu, I'm going to now proceed to rant for at least 45 minutes. ❤️ (This is what you get for taking off my muzzle lol, take this wordsalad please)

Question list here!

3. How long does it take for them to officially get together? Did any of the other Lighthouse members have any suspicions beforehand?

I think they took quite a while! Though I like to alter the canon slightly on this too, and imagine that they start off as friends with benefits, and it deepens almost imperceptibly from there- like they're kind of the last people to actually take the feelings off the high shelf, and acknowledge that yeah, this is something real.

I mean, they start flirting like one minute into knowing each other (plus the little heart icon is there from right then), and they're both people who are more comfortable with more casual, less emotionally involved relationships after all- going by his late lines on how it's discouraged for Wardens to get attached, and her past relationships all going up in smoke (in frankly impressive ways), it just... seems to be better to them both that way. Them putting aside their growing awareness of the reality of their feelings in favor of not rocking the boat, or not having to deal with the resulting shift in worldview, feels pretty appropriate, lol.

That then gives their start a bit of a rocky context, because I like to think that the first time they sleep together is after the scene where they drink together with Lucanis (after having expressed interest, and flirted for what I feel is at least like, 2-3 months' time, maybe? but still with them being very uncertain and bogged down in their issues)- which is somewhat uniquely terrible, because then both can think that it was an alcohol-inspired, spur of the moment thing, that it didn't mean anything, and they can continue to go on just as they did before, pretending to be cool as cucumbers. They've both done this before, it's nothing new or different, business as usual, moving on, ykwim?

Never mind that they both know you're probably not supposed to get a little bit knocked dumb by how the eyes of your booty call/boss/best friend in a while seem to shine a warm silver in the moonlight, or get flutters in your heart watching your favorite sparring partner/casual fuckbuddy/closest thing to a second in command play with his griffon son, ykwim? Like, feeling like your spine is being unzipped when she charges at a darkspawn and the icy fear at seeing her in your mind's eye Blighted and broken is totally normal, friendly concern. As is feeling like you can't breathe, and like there's hot ants crawling all over your skin, when he knocks you on your ass while training because you were too busy looking at the way that little vein throbs in his neck with exertion to notice his right hook. (And now he's pinning you down. And one of his hands is big enough to encircle both your wrists. And Andraste's tits, he smells good all sweaty like that. Yknow, such very friendly thoughts.)

Yeah, that's just a totally average, well-documented side effect of getting dicked down semi-regularly, not at all something to dissect later in your mind. For sure. Who needs to think about your feelings when you can just fuck about your feelings.

... as for the others, I remember that at one point, even before release, I wrote this line that I sort of then attributed to Neve, that goes something like "If you were any more obvious, you would be humping his leg.", and I like to think that that holds up somewhat, lol.

I think with the gossip train that goes on in the Lighthouse, Neve (who is also Ver's designated best friend, an uncomfortably perceptive person, and the one to go out with the two of them most) realizes very quickly that there's something more than their usual ribbing going on. They're being a bit more careful, more awkward.

So she like realizes a day in. Then she tells Lace. Who tells Bellara. Who tells Emmrich, and very soon the "secret" is only a "secret" as far as the two it's about are concerned.

11. Who says "I love you" first? What is the other's reaction? Who thinks it first?

Oh, I kept that the way it is in canon! I love that he says it first, so matter-of-factly in the last second before heading into what's (hopefully) the biggest battle of their lives- and I really like how she's dumbfounded by it only for a moment, before saying it back with that uncertain relief in her voice. I think that's really sweet, and very natural- almost as if he's not even thinking about how it's the first time he's saying it, but rather about how this is the most natural thing to say right now.

And it is. It really is, because all else has already been said, and he's nothing if not a man who takes pride in calling a spade a spade. He doesn't say words recreationally, he's not one to give things names that don't fit- so calling what he is feeling then, love... it's just the most correct thing to call it.

As for who thinks it first, I'm a bit unsure on that, but I'm leaning towards maybe her? And it'd be something very normal, very oddly domestic that sparks it.

I have this thought I think is cute, that as things progress after the commitment scene, they spend more and more evenings together. I like to imagine that one night, fairly late in the game, she starts to get sleepy earlier than him (maybe it was one of the days that was very long for her, but he stayed behind for some reason?), and she climbs into his bed, while he stays up to sit by the fire a bit longer.

It's then, watching just that thin sliver of his profile illuminated and outlined by the firelight, listening to the sound of his knife scraping on a piece of scrapwood, enveloped in his and Assan's warm scent (because there is no way Assan doesn't climb up to curl up at her feet), that she feels completely secure, protected, relaxed even after everything, and thinks, "I love this. I love you", right before drifting to sleep.

.... And then she thinks it again when she opens her eyes in the morning to find his face on the pillow next to hers, and it feels very awkward, and she slips out, letting him sleep and flushing ear to ear, to put a pin in that for now, and grab herself some breakfast. (Followed no doubt very closely by Neve's Maker-damned sharp eye that immediately dissects her discomfort with a surgeon-like accuracy.)(He has an almost equally awkward time waking up alone, to a cold bed, like 20 minutes later. It's a whole thing.)