#asexual inquisitor

[vangold]

I finally managed one I had on my pride flag list for a while. So while I am playing my dorky Rogue Fereldan in our Dragon Age Pen&Paper Group SteampunkCyborg is playing this Dingus here, who happened to end up the Inquisitor in our campaign. Just your regular snakeoil- uh I mean humble, fair-minded merchant from Orzammar. Some call him durak, some call him dingus and his parents call him Dolph UU

Did way too less art with him so far. I'm always a bit worried I screw up the proportions when drawing dwarfes. Tho I think I finally managed it alright with him on this one. :D

[larkaloke]

Yara Trevelyan, human mage (she/her)

Yara Trevelyan is the second character I played through Dragon Age: Inquisition, and her concept was originally just that she was someone who was actually going to believe the whole 'Chosen of Andraste' thing. Which, it turned out, she did. Completely. Even through the end of the game.

Aside from the slight detachment from reality that allows for that belief, Yara is a fairly grounded individual, and fights hard for what she thinks is right.

And since this is part of my yearly Pride Month queue where I post art of my various LGBTQ+ characters, it's worth mentioning that Yara is asexual and aromantic.

[wren--bee]

There's a joke I saw from a neurodivergent person about how they realised they were apparently incapable of making neurotypical characters and... yyyeah! Basically my default is for my characters to be a-spec, because I'm aroace and it's just... my default experience! So when I actually think about it most of my characters are a-spec in some way. (I have two characters for each game but not all of them are a-spec.)

Theron Mahariel - asexual, demiromantic. I actively decided that with how I'd been developing Theron it made sense for him to be ace/demiro. He romances Zevran because they actually connect and is vaguely confused about Zevran hitting on him, and turns down his offers of sleeping together until very, very late in the game. He's fine with sex, just... not that into it. It's sort of like giving a partner a massage- it's a thing to do for a partner that involves intimacy, but isn't something he's interested in doing for his own sake. (He's somewhat manipulative, cares deeply for those he sees as "his people" and not very much for anyone outside that group, and is a blood mage- making Merrill later being cast out of their clan for being a blood mage quite funny to me!) (My other Warden I don't think is a-spec so much as she's impacted by circumstances. But she might maybe be on the aro spectrum? Need to think about that more.)

Derin Hawke - greysexual, gay. Hawke was one of my characters I looked back on when realising I'm aroace and realising that my experiences as an ace person had infiltrated his characterisation to the point where he was not allosexual. I don't think he's ace or demi, he probably experiences sexual attraction occasionally? But really not often. He's a spirit healer/force mage with a deep connection to the Fade and spirits, and is also trained in melee combat, using his staff as a polearm to stay under cover. Romances Fenris (friendship route) and is blue/red personalities, somewhat dour and serious. (My other Hawke is a lesbian, 100% allo.)

Kaaras Adaar - bisexual, aromantic (also non-binary) Another "oh I've accidentally written them aspec"! Adaar's experience of romance is similar to mine- "yay intimacy, but why do I have to define it a specific way? Why can't I just love when it happens?" They do romance Dorian though, they just have a different experience of it than what most might assume. (They also go by he/him specifically with Inquisition stuff, to them being gendered is tied to the role- Inquisitor Adaar is male, but Kaaras is not.) Mage, knight-enchanter built around using the Sword of Tidarion (the two-handed mage sword). Comes to believe in the Maker and that they were chosen, but also sees a reflection of what their parents fled in the Qun in how they're treated as an object as a result. So aware of how they're perceived as a Vashoth mage that they've obsessively focused on being a Very Nice Guy (gender neutral).

Dubheasa (Duv) Lavellan - Greysexual/greyromantic? Maybe? I hadn't really thought about it before? But yeah, in hindsight, she definitely isn't allosexual or alloromantic. I can also see her being taken by surprise by romantic interest, her backstory has one very important romantic relationship and otherwise kind of a lack of interest. So yeah. Dalish mage with a past of being... shall we say... not exactly defying some of the negative assumptions about the Dalish. She's better by the time of Inquisition but definitely still manipulative and distant. Falls in love with Cullen and spends a long time having extremely mixed feelings about it (for obvious reasons!) and just spends the entire game extremely paranoid about when things will go wrong for her and just generally Has A Bad Time.

Esha "Rook" Aldwir - aroace (non-binary) Rook has the closest to my own views on sex and romance, although it wasn't intentional. (Not identical to me! Just closer than other characters.) Romance is great because yay intimacy, they love to feel wanted, but they don't actually expect relationships to be lasting and definitely doesn't get the whole idea of exclusivity- to them everyone should love as much as happens. Sex is good for intimacy and feeling close to someone. They romance both Bellara and Lucanis and it's all about finding a place of comfort and connection to them. They put forward a front of being cheerful and Totally Fine All The Time, but are actually a bit angry, wracked by self-doubt and far more cynical than they want to be. (My other Rook is a lesbian transwoman, allo.) Thank you for giving me a reason to talk about my characters a bit! I should talk about them a lot more than I do. (Also I need more screenshots...)

Shoutout to anyone with a Dragon Age OC who is aro and/or ace by the way!

In fact, feel free to reblog with a screenshot so others know they're not alone!

Here's my asexual Lavellan:

[baphometsss]

I'm also going kind of insane over the romance description for Solas in the customise Inquisitor section of the CC. Like what do you mean 'even the Dread Wolf did not know what it would mean to fall in love'?? I'm frothing at the mouth!!!!

I mean, now it's had a few months to stew, it actually makes perfect sense. Solas doesn't seem to forge relationships in the same way as an elf as he did as a spirit. We know he loved Mythal and Felassan, but his relationships with both had rather different dynamics. Mythal had known him for the longest, and understood his spirit nature better than anyone. They spent a long time reflecting each others' spirits back and forth. Felassan we can assume was another Wisdom spirit (going by his eye colour), which once again tracks because Solas seems to connect with other Wisdom spirits very intensely. Nonetheless, there's a distance between them; they need each other and they share a common cause, and although Solas loved Felassan dearly, he was still able to kill him in The Masked Empire.

However, the thing that these two relationships have in common is that they both relate to Solas's spirit-self. All the dynamics are some kind of echo of how he behaved and related as a spirit. The person he is at the beginning of DAI is who he has been for a very long time. He is, despite everything, a little stagnant.

With the Inquisitor, he literally doesn't have a choice but to change, to connect not just as a spirit but as a man. Prior to that though... remember how spirits are asexual, like Cole is if you don't make him more human? Yeah. I don't doubt that Solas had physical relations with others after manifesting, but I think the feelings would've been absent as he doesn't connect romantically with them; a legacy from his spirit self, which he clings to dearly.

Weirdly enough, I think that this lack of romantic or relationship experience is what the romance in Inquisition actually hinges on. He's only able to take that chance specifically because he doesn't know what romantic love feels like. He may be a manifested Wisdom spirit, but this is something that must be experienced to be understood. He takes the chance in the end because he doesn't know how deeply it will affect him. Also as Wisdom, he can't help but be curious anyway. Clearly he underestimated how much of an impact it would have on him. He didn't expect to be known and loved so fully for who he was, after a life of being forced away from his purpose, who he truly wanted to be. To be given the space to exist as Wisdom is one thing, and certainly it would've been enough for him to maintain his love for his friends in the Inquisition alone, but to be loved for it? To be able to express these new, very earthly and yet somehow still spiritual feelings of love? Everything lining up, singing the same? Things he could never have experienced as a spirit? It's a union of the spirit and body that he likely never felt before. That has to have been overwhelming, a beautiful gift he never expected to receive. 'In all Thedas I never expected to find someone who could draw my attention from the Fade'--quite literally, 'I never thought I would want such an earthly thing'. I'm not surprised he almost threw away his plans for it. It's like a whole new world opening up.

It also makes his 'I would not have you see what I become' line more poignant. He doesn't want this beautiful, unique thing he's found to be marred by the actions he will take. He doesn't want his heart to see the wounds in his soul. So when the Inquisitor says they want to join him, it literally stuns him. When he warns them that he's got a lot of terrible things waiting for him in the Fade, it's his last, weak attempt to make them reconsider before they see the wounds on his soul laid bare. By responding that it won't be so bad if they're with him, the Inquisitor is also saying that being together will heal him, that those wounds will not be so terrible when shared.

That line from the elven poem Trick wrote from Solas to Lavellan: 'do not be sad, my heart, our love's endurance is a blessing, our love will be our joy' everything is so new to him brb crying :'<

[sunshinemage]

OC Kiss Week incoming!

I'll be participating in this OC Kiss Week, following the prompts from this post (courtesy of @ockissweek) 💙

I'm going to do the same as last year, answer asks with little smoochy sketches, so don't hesitate to send your amazing OCs in my askbox with a prompt of your choice between the ones listed on the post (or if you have another idea in mind that doesn't fit any of the prompts, feel free to ask, of course)!

Prompts:

desperate

first

stolen

reunion

worship

forbidden

caught

Now, for the fun part! The actual OC Kiss Week runs from February 10th to February 16th, but I will be answering asks and doing sketches until then! When the actual week starts, I will be picking a random ask each day among the ones in my askbox and do a fully rendered piece for it ^^

Who will be doing the kissing? Well, let me introduce you!

Lelei Haurasha (Dragon Age: the Veilguard)

37, nonbinary (they/them), pansexual Lelei is a Dalish elf from the desert at the west of Orlais. They love exploring new places, especially if it involves tinkering with magical artifacts or discovering new species of plants. They're not the most talkative type, but they love listening to others, especially if they're rambling about something they're passionate about.

_

Nindarhmen Lavellan (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

28 (as of the events of Inquisition), male (he/him), bisexual Do I need to introduce him? Nin is a Dalish elf from the Free Marches. he's a well-spoken, kind and compassionate fire mage who probably has the biggest sweet tooth of all Thedas. He is working as Seneschal of Elvhen Affairs for his husband, Inquisitor Thalon Lavellan ( @ourinquisitorialness) and sometimes describes himself as a scholar.

_

Oya Cenric (Wayfarer IF)

32, nonbinary (they/them or she/her), grey asexual (as she says sometimes: 'romance is complicated, affection isn't'.) Oya is half-Aeda, originated from the Coveran Republic. They like peace, the sea, the blue hour before sunrise. She acts somewhat aloof, unless she knows you well.

_

Rinnariel Haurasha (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

28 (as of the events of Inquisition), female (she/her), bisexual Rinna is Nin's twin sister. She left clan Lavellan at 16 and became a Grey Warden under the orders of Warden Commander Telhara Surana ( @ourinquisitorialness). She is quiet, practical and straight to the point. She hides her playful side really well.

_

Feel free to borrow any of them for OC Kiss Week, and don't hesitate to ask me about them 🥰

[thewardenisonthecase]

OC: Asala Adaar

edit: i was tagged by @championofthefade and since i had already done these and nobody would want me to remake 4 different posts, i just editted this one and tagged you (anneliese, elizabeth and dawn versions here)

General:

Name: Asala Adaar

Alias: Inquisitor, Herald

Gender: cis woman

Age: 33 (dai) // 43 (currently)

Spoken Language: Qunlat (which is her first language) and Trade/common, and she's trying to learn some elven.

Sexual Orientation: asexual

Occupation: Inquisitor and mercenary (retired from both)

Favorite:

Color: Purple

Entertainment: she really liked going to the theater with josie that one time. Watching Solas paint those frescoes.

Pastime: reading

Food: oranges (idk what's the climate in the free marches but i think par vollen or seheron were lowkey tropical enough to have those, so her parents just brought orange seeds and planted them where they lived and otherwise, in inquisiton, she would just make a special request to like get those to her. she just really likes fruit in general)

Drink: orange juice

Have They…

Passed University: uhh no i guess

Had Sex: Yes, mostly when she was a mercenary and afterwards with Blackwall

Had Sex in Public: No

Gotten Tattoos: no

Gotten Piercings: no

Gotten Scarred: yes, from some fights, and most importantly after losing her arm. And then also emotional scars

Had a Broken Heart: Yes, twice by solas, and it never fully healed

Are They…

A cuddler: No, but she will accept it she just wont initiate it (like if she's sleeping with someone and they cuddle her, that's fine)

Scared Easily: Not really

Jealous Easily: No

Trustworthy: Yes, she always keeps her word.

Family

Sibling(s): 1 older brother who was killed by ben hassrath when she was young.

Parents: Hissera and Kost Adaar, both alive. Hissera was a tamassran and Kost was a saarebas.

Children: none

Pets: technically none? I think she would live in a farm post game but she wouldn't consider the animals they keep as her pets, per se.

[bloodycyrano]

Who are your 'cannon' romances in the Dragon age games, and their dynamics? Because for me, it goes like this

Warden: Dalish fem x OC, tragic love story consisting of the Warden being very very toxic but slowly getting better for their lover to give him the best version of herself- Tragic ending, the S/O has to watch their strong, intelligent Warden go mad with the darkspawn taint as they slowly turn into a ghoul and hear the call in their mid 40s, like 15 years into their marriage.

Hawke: Mage, nonbinary and asexual Hawke, romantically involved with Varric as they both sort through their trauma and emotional issues.- They do not enter an established romantic relationship until years after the events of DA2. Ending- Pure fluff ship. Varric was their strongest support system, and now they're even cracking jokes with one another at the hanged man well into their old age.

Inquisitor: Dalish rogue, romanced Fenris (Twisty turny backstory involving being a side character during the events of DA2.) Started very love/hate and very will they won't they. They only enter an established relationship during the events of DAI, because of their extreme awkward slowburn with several love letters involved- except they were both too autistic to realize they were love letters. Ending- Complicated.

[propenseverbosity]

OC Meme: Savar Mercar

(I wasn't tagged, I just wanted to participate ^_^)

GENERAL

Name: Savar'inan Mercar

Alias(es): Rook, SJ, Savar

Gender: Nonbinary

Pronouns: Any

Age: 25 (As of 9:52 Dragon)

Place of birth: Free Marches Tevinter (Or so they were told)

Spoken languages: Trade, Elven, a bit of Tevene (mostly swear words)

Sexual orientation: Demiromantic Asexual

Occupation: Trained as a bard in order to join the Shadow Dragons when their childhood dream of becoming a Crow was shattered by their father. (Long story, but I'm gonna write a fic about it)

FAVOURITE

Color: Blue

Entertainment: Playing the lute (it was their favorite part of bard training)

Pastime: Reading about elven culture. They didn't grow up Dalish, and their parents were humans, so it was the best way they could think of to find some sort of connection to their heritage.

Food: Most breads and cheeses (or anything Lucanis is cooking)

Drink: Antivan hot chocolate (It's just better there... for some reason)

Books: Anything on elven culture. Or dragons, those are cool too.

HAVE THEY

Passed university: Nope. Most of their magic training came from their parents, and all other academic subjects were homeschooled.

Had sex: No.

Had Sex in Public: Very No.

Gotten tattoos: Oh yes. So many. Usually to mark important events in their life, but one was because of a crush. (Surprisingly, not Lucanis)

Gotten piercings: Nope! Not against them, just never got around to it.

Had a broken heart: Not romantically, but their friendship breakup with Tarquin hurt a lot more than they were willing to admit at the time.

Been in love: Just with Lucanis.

ARE THEY

A cuddler: Absolutely. Much to the delight of their favorite touch-starved Crow. They both sleep better in each other's arms.

Scared easily: Depends! Of cultists and blight? Nope. Of spiders and snakes? Yes, very much so.

Jealous easily: A little. Savar doesn't think they're easily jealous until they see someone else flirting with Lucanis and then it's like "Oh... Oh I don't like this feeling at all..."

Trustworthy: Depends on who you ask. (Just don't ask Tarquin and the answer is yes.)

FAMILY

Sibling(s): None. They are, however, related to the Inquisitor without either of their knowledge (for now). Dorian is technically their cousin-in-law.

Parents: The Mercar parents think Savar is dead. After the job in Nessus forced them into hiding, they were told they could never go back home, and have had no contact (aside from the odd covert observation from afar) with their parents since. They send anonymous gold home when they can, as an apology.

Children: Hell no.

Pets: Eventually (post-game) they adopt a mabari with Lucanis. He is their child. (Debating them also adopting a wyvern because the image of a baby wyvern snuggled up to a mabari warms my heart)

[thesummerstorms]

Josephine's in game romance dynamic, with the whole dramatic duel and everything, just does not work for Evanna Trevelyan.

I wish it did though. She's very sweet and it's easier to read as a romance with an asexual character.

But most importantly with my Rook being an Antivan Crow, it would be fun to have the Inquisitor's wife be the respected Antivan ambassador to Orlais/the Inquisition/ Divine Victoria who is also on speaking terms with Viago's father.

---

Inquisitor, witnessing some Crow bullshit and turning to Josephine, ready to ask some questions about What Is Wrong with Antiva: My love ...

Josephine: *ruthlessly arranging the fall of a top ranked Orlesian noble family using one letter, two favors, and blackmail* Yes?

Inquisitor: ... Nevermind.

---

Inquisitor: I've heard something about your struggles with the Antaam in Treviso. I wish I had more resources I could spare in support. My wife and her family are Antivan.

Arsinoë de Riva: *sits up straighter, clearly intrigued* Your wife is Lady Josephine Montilyet, right? We've never met, but the Fifth and Seventh Talons are very complimentary. And it takes a lot to impress Viago.

Inquisitor: ... I feel like I should maybe be worried by that statement.

[scarfacemarston]

hi i saw that you write for pride month and wanted to ask for a asexual female reader/Inquisitor with either arthur morgan or cullan rutherford. Maybe their reaction to it or just some fluff idc. If you decide to write something i'd be very happy but understand if you're not familiar enough with it :)

Happy pride month! ❤

I WAS SO EXCITED TO GET THIS. First of all, I'm ace so seeing someone interested in Ace representation was great. Second of all, you're the first person who has requested Cullen! I've been asking for requests about him for months! So thank you. : D This turned out way longer than I meant to, but I hope you enjoy!

Time passed agonizingly slowly as Cullen tried not to pace in his office, awaiting your return.  How utterly embarrassing for him, but in his defense, he had never felt this way about someone else before. Sure, there was his crush years ago, but that paled compared to how he felt about you.

He kept himself busy the best as he could, pouring over documents, attending meetings, and training recruits, all while ignoring the call of the lyrium on those lonely nights. He would keep his vow to you. He paused as he heard footsteps leading to the heavy wooden door.

"Ser? Commander? The Inquisitor has returned." the carrier said through the door.

"Good. Dismissed." Cullen called. He tried to mask the delight on his features. Yes, he could live without you, but now that you were in his life, he saw what he was truly missing out on.

He chided himself on the virtue of patience…for a moment before making his way through the battlements, trying to appear nonchalant. He struggled to hide the grin from his scarred lips as he saw you riding your horse into Skyhold. Cullen had no idea how you remained so composed even after such a long journey. Cullen made his way towards the gates to meet you when you gave him a tired but pleased smile, which Cullen eagerly returned.

"Inquistor. Welcome back." He breathed. He could have kissed you right then and there, but he hated the attention it would bring.

You reached your hand down to his, giving it a quick squeeze.

"Thank you. I've missed you. Sure, I was in good company with Dorian, Iron Bull, and Varric, but you're the one who was on my mind." You said sincerely, enjoying the hint of pink that spread across the Commander's cheeks. He cleared his throat.

"And I you." He said, squeezing your hand in return.

"Let's catch up tonight in your office? I really need a bath and something to eat." You said. Cullen blinked,

"Oh, of course. I'd imagine you're exhausted, but if you truly wish to meet tonight -" Cullen started.

"I do." you interrupted.

"Then I shall eagerly await you," Cullen said softly as he returned to his office, feeling lighter than he had in days. Still, time seemed to creep by, and the anxiety began to knot in his stomach when he heard the knock on his office's door……..

Later that evening, you crept across the battlements with a robe covering your body. Blessedly, only a few guards were on duty that night, and you were skilled at moving silently.

You knocked on the door lightly, hearing a warm voice on the other side telling you to come in.

Cullen looked up from his papers and smiled.

"You came! I mean, you came." Cullen exclaimed before attempting a more casual demeanor.

You stifled a giggle at the confident Cullen's dorkiness. Seeing him flustered and unsure but so utterly sincere was utterly precious.

"Oh. You're wearing your…night clothing. I see." Cullen trailed off, looking away.

"Of course, I came, but yes, I came in my night clothes; it's late, you know," you said, smiling softly. You paused.

"There was…something I wish to discuss with you," you hesitantly said, playing with the sleeve of your nightshirt.

Cullen's heart dropped to his stomach. Were you going to break it off with him? Well, he couldn't blame you for coming to your senses. It was too much to hope for, but he would do his duty to -

"Can we talk up there? It feels more private there," you said, pointing to his loft. You had been there several times before to care for him while he was recovering from his lyrium withdrawal.

Cullen blinked, confused. At least he tidied there earlier today.

Cullen made his way to the doors, bolting them both shut as he made his way up the ladder, offering you a hand.

Cullen sat on the bed and waited.

"I want to share a bed with you, but I don't want to have sex with you." you blurted out.

Cullen paused before nodding slowly.

"I see. I was unsure whether our relationship would lead to …that. We had not discussed it. I don't know, do people discuss this? Or do things just happen? As you can plainly see, I'm not the most experienced in relationships. My templar and Knight Commander duties left me too busy, and I was too …broken to pursue relationships. I still am, but you see past that, miracle that may be.

But I had my dalliances in the past, but nothing significant." Cullen attempted to explain. He paused, thinking.

"Is this a religious matter? An avoidance of sex until marriage?"

You shook your head negatively.

"No, it's not you. It's me. I just… don't have any interest in sex with anyone. You're handsome, and don't think I'm not attracted to you; I only don't feel any sexual attraction. I have never had one with anyone, and I know myself. I never will feel it with anyone. I know that must feel like a blow to you, but it's who I am. I've always felt this way." You revealed slowly, glancing up to his face. His expression was unreadable but not negative, either.

Cullen shook his head.

"Not every templar has had sexual relations. Some had taken vows of chastity. It sounds like this is a different matter." he said slowly; he took your hand in his.

"And that's okay. I myself had only felt some attraction to someone in the past but to no one else. Not really. I occasionally dabbled, but that was on infrequent occasions. It felt like something I was supposed to do, but honestly, sex wasn't all it was cracked up to be." He said, gently massaging your hand. He pat the bed beside him.

He sighed,

"Forgive me. I'm not used to discussing such intimate matters. I am trying, though." He paused.

"I had hoped that we could share such experiences. I was interested in seeing the difference between what I had experienced in the past compared to what I might feel now."

"I'm so-"

"No. Don't you dare. Don't you dare apologize. This is something that matters to you and as you said, is a part of you. You have accepted me - all of me, and I thank the maker for that every day. Who am I to turn you away?" He interrupted softly.

"I thought you would be upset with me. I've told people in the past, and they always thought I was crazy, a prude, or broken," you whispered.

"They were wrong. A relationship is more than sex. People have sex without relationships, why can't people have relationships without sex? Does this surprise me? Yes, but I've only had sex a handful of times in my life. You matter more than sex." He said, tilting your chin to face him.

"Thank you. You are an incredibly brave woman. I know it musn't have been easy to tell me. I can see the tension leaving your shoulders already." Cullen nodded.

You laughed quietly.

"You have no idea."

Cullen yawned.

"I'm sorry. I know you had a longer more tiring day than I have." Cullen apologized - but really, Cullen had hardly slept at all since you had left.

"Let's both get some sleep…if you're okay with that. I do enjoy our cuddling," you said, shly. Poor Cullen blushed again but said nothing as he removed his boots and armor before ending up with his tunic and breeches. You had laid down already, eager as he climbed into bed. You grinned before immediately snuggling to his chest, sighing in relief. Cullen wrapped his arms around you, feeling bashful all of a sudden.

"Do you …., are you still okay with …kissing? You never seemed to mind."

"Oh, I quite enjoy them, Commander." You teased.

"Is that so, my lady?"

You nodded, trying not to squeal as Cullen pressed his lips slowly yet passionately to yours.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." he grinned before yawning again.

"Now, let's go to sleep."

"A wise idea. Good night, Y/N." He said, blowing out the candle.

"Good night, Cullen." With that, you fell asleep, feeling lighter than you had in days.

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Sword gays showdown, round 3, bracket two

Propaganda:

For Ahsoka:

Girl weilds not one but TWO lightsabers! Look at her go! I know a lot of her fans headcanon her as LGBTQ, especially cuz there's some episodes (especially episodes 5-8 of season 7) where her interactions with other women really give off those vibes. Anyway, back to her swordiness - she kicked Maul's robotic ass even tho he's older and has more experience than her, she demolishes the Inquisitors when she's older in Rebels, and just. Her cute little tricks and quips! I love her.

For Olivier:

She is only female general in her nation, and guards the northern border. She fights with a sword even though there are other people with guns. Olivier is unmarried despite being older (not sure how old exactly, but she is a general, and that takes time). To the best of my knowledge she shows no interest in anyone, thus making it possible to interpret her as aromantic and asexual, or as a lesbian. The bit where Mustang offers to take her on a date and she threatens to eat so much she will bankrupt him is funny.

[theharellan]

Canon Divergences / Interpretation Notes

This is a non-comprehensive of my canon divergent headcanons, divergent worldstate options, and headcanons I would classify as "canon compliant but not explicitly stated so people have come to completely different conclusions than me."

As said, this won't be every headcanon I've ever had or we'd be here hours. Most people I roleplay with don't need to know Solas shaved his head due to sensory issues/grief, that he didn't name his hart but it's now called Elvhen for "fool" just out of habit, etc.

Spoilers for The Veilguard under the cut.

Solas is biromantic/asexual. If you know Solas and Ian (@theshirallen) the former is obvious, the latter is likely unknown.

Solas is agender. He is more likely to out himself to people who speak Elvhen (he doesn't care about pronouns outside of his native tongue), where he'll use any pronouns. Most everyone who knew him in Elvhenan would know this as it is an inherent part of his nature then.

Solas told the truth in Crestwood. No one but Ian knows exactly what was said in Crestwood, although ancient elf agents like Miraen (@ancientimpudence) would know the gist of what happened. Obviously, Solas and Ian never breaking up would be common knowledge (although the fact that it almost happened wouldn't be - even to Solas, honestly). After the reveal of Solas as Fen'Harel, exactly what Ian's nature was (and has been) to Solas may be suspect: was he Solas's agent from the beginning, did he join during Inquisition, etc. Ian also follows Solas through the eluvians, although in verses where the Inquisitor is friendly with them Ian has to make himself an enemy of the state to force Solas's hand.

Dwarves and the beginning. I'm disregarding the idea that the first elves were copying humans, as the game didn't address the idea that the humans being around before the elves being a significant diversion. So unless I'm writing with someone with strong opinions to the contrary, they aren't around until after Solas begins his rebellion. Regardless, Solas was born of burgeoning dwarven wisdom.

Solas and names. After the Titan War, Wisdom is no longer his name, and he cycles through others in a desperate state to find who he is (Fen'samahl, Fen'amelan, etc). He became Pride not out of hubris when the world wasn't exactly as he wanted it, but as an act of rebellion. He rebelled not out of spite for the evanuris declaring themselves divine, but in protest of what they were doing to the people. He named himself as an example of what the elvhen people must do to stand against them: Solas, to stand tall.

Mythal and Solas had an abusive friendship. This post explains well why. I will write with Mythal who have a differing interpretations, but the default is that while Solas still shoulders responsibility for what they did together (and this portrayal note is in no way a means to excuse him) she betrayed him long before he killed her. He also possessed her vallaslin from the period of his physically manifestation to his rebellion.

Solas isn't bringing down the Veil for Mythal. While I think he believes she would agree with him, it is a choice he's making for the people he feels he has failed (living, dead, and metaphysical).

Agents of Fen'Harel are still around. Solas does not conveniently dismiss them right before the plot starts, although given the decentralised nature of them they are not always acting predictably. Those controlled and headed by people closest to him continue to act against the gods, and are available as a faction to Rook's party at the mid-point of the game (the most central figures being Miraen @ancientimpudence and Bruno @ourdawncomes).

The Veil can fall. The default endgame for this blog will be for a Veil-less world. Although, as Solas vowed, it is not his hand that brings it down, but Ian's. In our default verse with Thora Cadash (@ourdawncomes) as the former Inquisitor, offers her own aid through the Titans. Solas, for his part, was nearly talked from the path by Mythal and having a breakdown in the corner. I will eventually do a full write up for this divergence, so I'll leave it here for now, but suffice it to say default canon Solas isn't in fade jail.

[im-out-of-it]

season 1, episode 11 “blood calls to blood”

aka guess who are “siblings” 💀

1. it’s almost funny that Valentine tricks jace this way. like jace thinks it’s his father and he’s so happy but all Valentine is doing is taunting jace and tricking them just so he can have the cup. just like Alec predicted lmao

2. you don’t have to heal jace. you can let him die. we would all be better off

3. I know I post a lot of anti jace stuff but if the writing actually had him being held accountable and he was a decent person, I could get on board. but I can’t. he’s insufferable, toxic, and self involved

4. well, we are back with Alec and Izzy. one shadowhunter trial about to come up 👏🏼

5. “I can’t find jace because I weakened our bond”- yes Alec did weaken it but let’s not just put it all on Alec. parabatai are supposed to have each others back and I haven’t seen jace do that for Alec at all. anytime Alec needs him, jace isn’t there. we don’t know their relationship before episode 1 so maybe he was there but knowing jace, I fucking doubt it lmao

6. “what am I supposed to do, sit here and play solitaire while they find something else to blame me for?”- Izzy. I’m just surprised she knows what that game is 😭 but honestly it’s kind of messed up that clary and Jace got to run off with the mortal cup while Izzy is here almost about to lose her being a shadowhunter. it’s not fair at all. and I think the treatment of jace and clary vs Alec and Izzy is something that doesn’t get discussed much. they hardly are held accountable for anything. they’ve ran off and who is to blame? ALEC. Izzy may have had a hand in helping meliorn but she didn’t do it alone so why is Izzy the one paying the consequences?

7. literally jace could go out and kill a bunch of downworlders and say they attacked me first! and he still would be fine. oh because jace is supposedly the best of us all except he always needs rescuing. Alec has paid the price for so many of jace’s actions.

8. “Izzy, I’m your big brother, please let me help you”-Alec 😭

9. I love that Simon has people helping him out. Luke in season one, Magnus in season two. Magnus had to deal with being a warlock all on his own. Luke had Jocelyn but no one should have to go through their changes on their own ☹️

10. LET JACE DIE! LET JACE DIE! LET JACE DIE!

11. I know Raphael is asexual but I would have been 100% okay with a Raphael and Simon pairing. THEY HAVE CHEMISTRY

12. but I love the importance of the showing making representation matter. we have Magnus who is bisexual, alec is gay, Raphael is asexual, and I can’t think of her name but that officer in season three who is a lesbian as well as aline and Helen. so nice to see 🥹

13. “Funny how those rules for downworlders stop being such a big deal when you need our help.”-ok Raphael tell her off 🔥 literally, what I have been talking about!!!! shadowhunters can break the accords = it’s okay! downworlders breaking accords = they’re evil and must be executed and punished!

14. having Camille only being on the show as temporary was a mistake in my opinion. I’m not saying she needed to be there the whole time but I think she’s a very underrated character who could’ve been more. she didn’t have one entire scene in all of season one that was terrible

15. ah blackmailing, how original

16. how I feel everytime jace gets away with something lmao (I always try to do shadowhunter gifs but I couldn’t resist)

17. Raphael: blackmailing me? how unkind, now stick around new advisor 🥲 raphael doesn’t play any games

18. ah, inquisitor herondale. what a cold bitch she is

19. well jace lives so yay I guess?

20. “this is real clary”-jace. ugh not them putting their whole mouths all over each and making cringe facial expressions 🤢

21. not sorry, I find them so cringe

22. ah, Valentine being Michael wayland being highly suspicious (shit I hope I didn’t ruin this for anyone, SORRY)

23. I love how “Valentine” sees jace following whatever clary says and is thinking hmmmm interesting

24. Izzy is all like if Jocelyn can be on the run then I can, but she had runes and weapons and Luke for starters so it’s not like Jocelyn was alone

okay so this isn’t going to be in order and this post will be more than likely go towards the trial 😌

45. I love the way alec says done and he just stares at Magnus like this man is going to take me for all I’m worth and I’m going to be happy about it 😭

46. the struggle is real for alec because not only is he denying a man who he is most likely having feelings for but he has have the audacity to go back to that same man 😬 and literally ask him for help while also trying to fight his feelings

47. like it’s just got to be hard for alec to be around magnus. I know he’s gay, we know he’s gay, literally the whole world knows he’s gay but alec doesn’t feel comfortable being gay in the shadow world. this is more of an assumption on my part when it comes to Alec. because he’s never dated and we see him “secretly” eyeing other men. which he is rightly validated in because the shadowhunters (more clave) are such oppressive ass judgmental prejudicial dicks who would rather control a being to their mold than have someone be comfortable in who they wish to be. they have this my way or no way thinking of how a shadowhunter should act and be

48. and the show doesn’t really touch up often on what it means to be gay in the shadow world or just different (I mean the books barely did and I would rather cc stay away from all matters because she burns everything she touches so no thanks)

49. also can we talk about how fucking gorgeous Magnus is???????

50. HE KNOWS HE IS FINE AS HELL

51. like how is Alec not drooling over him?????? man he’s got to be using every strength to hold it in and fight it 😭

52. also kind of funny how we’re introduced as jace being the one without emotions and clary as the emotional feeling one and the fact that clary is the one ending valentines reign, and Jace can never handle it

53. I sympathize with Jace losing his parents and having a messed up childhood but I don’t sympathize with someone who has this and uses excuses to be a shitty person. I’m sorry but I never once saw a change in either jace or clary in the show or the books.

54. “You don’t trust Alec so clary means more to you.”- “Michael wayland” ayyyyyy isn’t this what I have been saying this whole time????? dude is reading my mind I swear

55. and now he’s trying to act as though he trusts Alec. “Valentine” is right about something. he has put clary first since she arrived and Alec last. fucking Izzy is about to get deruned and jace and clary are out here basically having the time of their life. I know it’s an exaggeration but what did they think would happen after they saved meliorn????

56. MAGNUS THE LAWYER IS HERE

57. HES IN A SUIT AND TIE ALL READY TO FIGHT FOR THE LOVE OF HIS LIFES SIS AND HE IS ABSOLUTELY THE HOTTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM!!!!!!!!! this is who I need to represent me at any time!!!

58. Magnus: excuse me, your honor but this bitch is irritating the fuck out of me (magnus having to be near Lydia lmao)

okay, so part 3 coming soon 🥰✨

[gaysebastianvael]

First Line Game

Thank you for the tag @thatgaymerguyb! I take my sweet time writing and have not written ten fics yet <3 So I'll do everything I've finished so far.

After the duel, Taliesin is in recovery.

From a short piece post-Arishok duel, exploring the friendship between my Hawke Taliesin and Isabela the day before she plans to leave Kirkwall.

2. In all the years he had known him, he’d never heard Sebastian scream.

Sebhawke, set immediately after The Last Straw. As they flee Kirkwall, Taliesin comforts Sebastian as he mourns.

3. The anger boiled over.

A tense meeting between my Lavellan Somhairle and Solas during Trespasser with a side of Pavellan.

4. The transition from death back to life again was not a peaceful one.

Original backstory exploration for my de Serault Antonin, before The Last Court.

5. Sebastian slept soundly, head resting upon his breast, as Taliesin watched the rain run down the window.

Sebhawke. On a rainy day in Kirkwall, Taliesin thinks about his and Sebastian's chaste marriage as Sebastian sleeps.

6. They met in Honnleath.

Cullen x trans man OC, childhood friends who reunite at Haven in Inquisition.

7. The Lady and Lord de Serault claimed devotion to many things.

More Antonin backstory, set after the previous but written before. His parents paid a great price to bring their son back from the dead.

8. Somhairle loved Dorian with all he had, but at times he wasn’t sure what he had was enough.

Pavellan. The progression on the relationship between Dorian and an asexual Inquisitor.

[sky-scribbles]

20 questions for fic writers

@mirthrilwren tagged me to answer some fic questions, tysm!

How many works do you have on ao3?

35!

What’s your total ao3 word count?

316,894! Gravity, and all that’s born within makes up more than a third of that, which is very funny to me.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Every single one is a Critical Role & Shadowgast fic, mostly written during the great CR hiatus of 2020 where I had nothing to do but think about Essek constantly:

Show me where my skin begins (Essek & Caleb’s relationship explored through touch)

I wake up more awake than I’ve ever been before (AU-ish thing where Essek dies and is revived fighting the Tombtakers)

I shine only with the light you gave me (The Nein attend a Dynasty ball)

Some truths are stubborn as gravity (soulmates au where you can’t lie to your soulmate)

My reasons for defying reason (Essek slowly realsing how much all his friends, and Caleb, love him)

Some of these fics aren't my favourites anymore, but I'm glad people are still enjoying them :')

What fandoms do you write for?

The majority have been CR fics, with a total of 21 – but there are also a handful of Dragon Age and Star Wars: The Old Republic fics, and one single BG3 fic.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Oh, I wish I could. Sadly with my eye condition, just writing and posting the things can be difficult, and I just… can’t, at the moment. I do miss being able to chat more with commenters, and show them how much I appreciate them.

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Definitely And let me speak to th’yet unknowing world – but that’s kind of a cheat, since it’s a retelling of the end of EXU: Calamity, which is a tragedy by definition. Honestly, I don’t tend to write angsty endings; call me a sap, but generally I like to round things off happily, or if not, hopefully. I’ve definitely had some bittersweet finales before, though; it’s my favourite emotion!

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

It’s not the lightest ending, but the happiest ending has to be Gravity. Because… it took so much work to get there. Caleb and Essek end the fic with scars aplenty, but with so much growth behind them, and such a deep understanding of themselves and each other. They really did earn that happy ending.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not in a very long time – and even then, it was back in the old deviantart days when people would come onto your fics and yell ‘I hate [character x]’, rather than being about anything I wrote!

Do you write smut?

There’s a bit of a story here! I have quite recently started posting smut, though I’ve been writing it for a while longer. Thing is, for a long time, I had this irrational fear that if I ever posted smut, people wouldn’t believe I was really ace. (How my brain contrived to believe that when I saw ace writers posting excellent smut on the reg, I do not know.)

But writing a book about asexuality and aromanticism has really strengthened my confidence in being ace and aro whatever way I like. And I do, it turns out, really really enjoy it for all that good vulnerability. Honestly, what is sex for if not for helping characters realise they’re going to be loved and taken care of, even if they don’t feel they deserve it????

Do you write crossovers?

Generally no. Though there was the Inquisitor!Essek AU; I never wrote anything for it, but I did have fun discussing it.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Hae you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, but very very long ago. I’ve had a couple of podfics, too, which were lovely!

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, though @talesofsymphoniac was an absolutely indispensable beta on Gravity and offered some wonderful insights <3 <3

What’s your all time favourite ship?

It’s got to be Shadowgast, hasn’t it? Redemption, themes of self-forgiveness, space magic, yearning… those wizards have got it all.

What’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

To be honest, I don’t think there’s one I want to finish – usually if I abandon a fic, it’s because the inspiration/motivation has run dry. But I do sometimes feel a fond pang for what I called ‘the Essek soup fic’, which could be summarised as ‘three scenes of Essek enjoying soup over his life, except it’s  a way to show his character growth and him slowly letting his friends into his life.’

What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I’m pretty strong when it comes to character analysis. I really enjoy starting a fic, or a chapter, with a specific emotional problem a character needs to overcome, and spending the story digging into how that problem got there and what the character needs to do to start healing.

I’m also quite proud of my ability to take concepts that might come across as a bit silly on the surface, and commit to them wholeheartedly. And let me speak was a retelling of the end of Calamity in Shakesperian verse. The Rook!Blackwall and Inquisitor!Jowan AUs speak for themselves. The Source of Winter (Translated by Rook) was a weird little ‘found document’ fic that I knew only a handful of people would read.

Heck, even a big chunk of Gravity depended on me saying ‘there’s this robot. She’s a consecuted divine soul sorcerer with anxiety’ and trusting that I could convince readers that I wasn’t totally nuts. Given how much people seemed to love Quaera, I reckon I did ok :’)

What are your writing weaknesses?

Gotta say, villains are hard work for me. It’s why, for instance, Trent never showed up in my Shadowgast fics – I can really struggle to write bad guys without them feeling cartoonish to me. For Gravity, it took weeks of planning before I felt I had constructed Brashaar in a way that would be convincing. (Fortunately, I had some help making her, since she was designed from the start of be a foil for both Caleb and Essek, and that gave me a lot of framework to build on.)

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I don’t really feel qualified to offer opinion on this phenomenon in general, but I can say that for myself, I want it to have a purpose. It’s been coming up a bit lately (tho in the context of a conlang) with Taren in my Veilguard fics, because being a translator is a fundamental part of who they are. In the Taren fics I’ve written/am working on, speaking elvhen is often a tool to help them express themself, and part of their journey to connect with the culture that was stolen from them.

First fandom you wrote for?

Torchwood, back when I was very very tiny. God, that show was a weird mess, but it was a very fun weird mess.

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Of course it’s Gravity, and all that’s born within. Three years of work, eighteen chapters, so many complex character arcs and dynamics to explore – and god, it was so, so worth it.

I shall tag my dear @choccy-zefirka, if you'd like to do this!

[theheraldsrest]

MASTERLIST

Rules

Wills and Wonts

(TBA) DA Companions

(TBA) DA2 Companions:

-Gruff Reader confesses crush to Varric

DAI Companions and Advisors:

-Compliments Before/After Romancing

-(Romanced) Cullen, Blackwall, or The Iron Bull seeing The Inquisitor come back after a long journey

-Companions receiving/giving gifts

-(Romanced) Companions being asked to hold something for Inquisitor, then the Inquisitor holds their hand

-(CONTINUED)Non-romanced Companions being asked to hold something for the Inquisitor, then the Inquisitor holds their hand

-Companions reacting to Inquisitor jumping off the balcony at Skyhold

-Companions in a snowball fight

-Varric, Cullen and Solas comforting Lavellan!Inquisitor after they wake in a panic from nightmares

-Companions reacting to an Inquisitor who touches very casually

-Inquisitor bringing back a dragon egg and claiming it as their own child

-Companions (+Scout Harding and Varric) when they realized they were in love

-(Romanced) Companions reacting to Asexual Inquisitor

-Companions asked to watch over your drink

-(Romanced) Companions with a Flirtatious Inquisitor (booty grabs)

-Companions react to a Blind Inquisitor

-(Romanced) Companions proposing to the Inquisitor

-Companions reacting to an Inquisitor who covers their burn marks

-(Romanced) Companions walking in on the Inquisitor changing

-(Platonic and Romanced) Companions (+ Varric) reacting to an exhausted Inquisitor falling asleep

-Companions reacting to Sub-Human Species

-(Platonic and Romanced) Companions reacting to Female!Inquisitor saying she's pregnant

-(Romanced) Companions react to Inquisitor's awkward flirting attempts

-Companions (Romanced Dorian) react to the Male!Inquisitor adopting a child

-Companions reacting to Inquisitor's trained mounts

-(Romanced) Companions react to a drunk Inquisitor celebrating their victory against a dragon

-Companions (+Scout Harding and Krem) react to a rubix cube

-(Platonic and Romanced) Companions reacting to a very loquacious Elf!Inquisitor being silenced

-Companions react to the Inquisitor flying

-Companions react to Teen!Inquisitor

-(Romanced) Companions switching bodies with Inquisitor

-Companions react to Inquisitor losing their arm

-Companions being Competent, Badass, or Admirable

-(Romanced) Companions reacting to the Inquisitor's death

-Companions react to Inquisitor hiding their newest injuries

-Companions react to Mute/Deaf!Inquisitor

-Companions react to Mage!Lavellan!Inquisitor coming out as Trans(Male)

-Companions reacting to sick Mage!Trevelyan!Inquisitor

-(Romanced) Companions reacting to Secret Baby Nug/Mabari Pup

-Companions react to Inquisitor dating Yvette (Josephine’s Sister)

-Companions (+Romanced) reacting to Inquisitor turned into a cat

-(Romanced) Companions react to Inquisitor walking in on Companions Changing

-Companions react to Inquisitor drawing/sketching them

Headcanons:

-Josephine and Fem!Lavellan Headcanons

-Josephine romance with Genderfluid/Non-Binary Inquisitor Headcanons

-Krem Romance Headcanons

Companion Conversations:

-Sera and Dorian are friends

-Mass Effect: Inquisition

NSFW (18+, MINORS DO NOT ENTER):

-NSFW Alphabet for Blackwall

-NSFW Alphabet for Varric

-NSFW Alphabet for Cullen

-NSFW Alphabet for Solas

-NSFW Alphabet for The Iron Bull

-(SLIGHT NSFW)(Romanced) Companions reacting to Inquisitor being extremely flirtatious and wanting some "alone time"

-(SLIGHT NSFW)(Romanced) Companions reacting to Chubby Inquisitor with their first time

-(SLIGHT NSFW)(Romanced) Bull, Cullen, Blackwall and Dorian reacting to Inquisitor flirting

Other:

-Lex and Cabot Inquisitor Introductions

-The Inquisition was your family

-Solas is an Egg

-Cabot questions (Leliana)

-Solas Holmes

-No one likes the The Royal Court

-What goes through Lex's head when writing NSFW

-Lex answering asks

-Cole appreciation post

-Predictions for DA4

-Lex regretting the blog

-Lex remembers we have a blog

-Lex remembers we have a blog Part 2

-Lex remembers we have a blog Part 3, electric boogaloo