#black emporium gift exchange

[black-emporium-exchange]

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR BLACK EMPORIUM!

Yes sweet nuglets, it’s that time of year again: Time to sign up for Black Emporium!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP!

↳ Helpful Links:

Rules & Assignment Requirements || Participation Walkthrough Guide || FAQ || Requests on Ao3 || Tagset || Nominations Spreadsheet || Request Database || Parent Collection (All Past Years) Signups end: July 13th @ 9 AM US Pacific / 12 PM US Eastern / 4 PM UTC+0 || Countdown

↳ Reminders

RULES & ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS: Please take the time to re-read our Rules and the requirements for assignments before signing up. RATINGS: If you are interested in receiving or creating Mature/Explicit level works (see Ao3 rating(s)), you must "opt in" by checking the "E" box for both offers and requests. Please note you must be 18+ to offer/request/create Mature or Explicit level gifts. For a more detailed explanation, click here. TREATS: If you are open to receiving treats, or a specific type of treat (single-recipient, multi-recipient, fanart, fanfic), you must "opt in" by saying so in the sign up description box. This field does not apply to your offers. For a more detailed explanation, click here.

For a how-to-guide of the whole exchange that includes all of the information in this post, please take a look at our Participation Walkthrough Guide and FAQ.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SIGN-UPS BELOW THE CUT:

1. SIGN IN TO AO3

If you don’t have an Ao3 account, contact the mods for help!

2. GO TO THE BLACK EMPORIUM SIGNUP FIELD (LINK)

3. SCROLL TO THE “REQUESTS” FIELD

Once nominations are finished, you'll be able to sign up. In your sign-up, you'll specify the works you'd like to receive and the works you're willing to create. (They do not necessarily have to be the same!)

You must fill out at least three requests and three offers. You may only select each pairing once, but may give multiple ideas per pairing in your prompt.

If you are interested in receiving Mature- or Explicit-rated works, you must be at least 18 years old and opt-in by checking the appropriate box ("E"); this is not a guarantee you will receive a higher level.

You will have to fill out several fields on the sign-up form:

↳ Relationships

Here you can write in the relationships that you wish to request. As long as it is part of the tag set/eligible nominated pairings, it should be able to be selected here.

If your chosen relationship is in the tag-set but isn't auto-completing, this is unfortunately a bug on AO3's end that we cannot fix -- but if you copy and paste your relationship from the tag-set into this field, you should be able to submit. (Please contact moderators via email at blackemporiumexchange@gmail.com if you get an error and let us know what the error was.)

You may list between 1-3 pairings in the same Request field. That does not (necessarily) mean you want all three ships in the same fanwork. We allow multiple pairings in the same Request Field because it allows participants to request up to 30 unique pairings, rather than just 10. Some people group thematically, or by character.

Example of someone requesting three, non-connected pairings. The participant here loosely grouped their "platonic" ships together into one Request Field.

Example of someone requesting a pairing.

↳ Additional Tags

This field is to mark if you're open to receiving fanfiction, fanart, or both (check both boxes), for this request.

Example of someone requesting ONLY fanart for any pairings listed in this Request field.

↳ Ratings (Requests)

If you are open to receiving Mature- or Explicit-rated works, please check the box to indicate your interest. We use the AO3 ratings guide as far as judging what each rating entails.

Any participant under 18 should NOT indicate interest in M or E works, as those are intended for 18+ audiences only.

Please choose your ratings carefully! Indicating interest in receiving higher rating works does not mean you are guaranteed to receive them, just that other people will be allowed to gift them to you in this exchange. If you're not comfortable with that possibility, do not check this box.

This recipient did not check the "Explicit" box; they will not receive any Mature or Explicit level works.

↳ Letter

This is a place to put a link to a letter, if you have one. A letter generally is a completely optional, longer version of the description field, and might include more details you'd like your creator to know, or things like pictures that are hard to paste into the description box.

Letters are commonly hosted on Dreamwidth, Tumblr, Google docs, or other such freely accessible websites.

Please note that the moderators cannot enforce any DNWs you put only in your letter.

Completely optional field. Leave blank if you don't have a letter.

↳ Description

Please feel free to use this field to go into some detail about what you would like; this helps give the creator of your work some different ideas about what they could make for you.

If you are open to treats, please indicate interest. See "Treats" for more.

Examples of prompts or helpful information you could share with your recipient (reminder, your creator is not required to follow your prompts/likes):

General trope likes, e.g., Fluff, First Kiss, Dwarven lore, There Was Only One Bed, Enemies to Lovers, etc.

Stylistic likes, e.g., 2nd person writing, Tarot Card art, chat-fic, etc.

World state options you favor that are relevant to your prompt, e.g., Anora is Queen/Alistair is King, Canon Divergent - Multiple Wardens, Modern AUs, etc.

A sentence or two about why you like the pairing, e.g., "I love Cassandra being flustered around people she likes!"

"What If?" prompts, especially open ended ones, e.g., "What if Blackwall did the Joining ceremony with the Hero of Ferelden in DAO? Or met HoF in the Deep Roads during the Jaws of Hakkon DLC in DAI? Would they have similar perspectives, or different?"

Rating restriction clarifications, e.g., interested in E rated smut, but not E rated violence

Be sure to list your Do Not Wants (DNWs) — if they're not listed in the Description box of your sign up, then the mods cannot enforce your DNWs. If your DNWs are poorly worded or go against exchange rules, they will also be considered unenforceable.

Example Description. This person has NOT opt into treats and cannot receive any. Please see here for more help formulating your DNWs.

4. CONTINUE TO THE “OFFERS” FIELD

The process to Offers is similar to Requests when it comes to pairings and denoting interest in creating fanart and/or fanfic. However, there are a couple differences one should make note of:

↳ Ratings (Offers)

If you are interested in creating Mature- or Explicit-rated works, please check the box to indicate your interest. We use the AO3 ratings guide as far as judging what each rating entails.

Any participant under 18 should NOT indicate in creating M or E works, as those are intended for 18+ audiences only.

Please choose your ratings carefully! You will be matched on this field; if you're not comfortable with receiving prompts that may include NSFW or "E" elements, do not check this box.

↳ "Notes to mods" Field

If you want, you can write notes to the mods, but this isn't required. Some things you might want to include:

If you are under 18 or do not want to receive any "E" requests/prompts from your recipient, please put a simple "No 'E' requests" or in your sign up. This will not disclose your age as we have adult participants who have asked this of mods over the years.

If you're attempting to avoid all spoilers related to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including any details that may be included in a prompt sign-up, please write a note to alert mods.

The AO3 username of any individual(s) you don't want to be matched with. You don't have to provide a reason as to why you don't want to be matched with someone, but we will rely entirely on the name(s) you enter; if you ask not to be matched with FanficWriter69 but you meant FanficWriter96, we can't guarantee you won't get matched. For the sake of everyone's stress level, triple check any names and make sure you're giving us their AO3 username.

Please do not use this field to ask to be matched with a specific person.

↳ "Any Relationship" Box

If you would like, you can offer to create a work for "Any Relationship."

PLEASE ONLY CHECK THIS BOX IF YOU TRULY MEAN ANY RELATIONSHIP.

The only qualifications you can make are the category of pairings (i.e. F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Gen, or Multi) or by DA game (i.e. DAO, DA2, DAI). You cannot differentiate by any other qualification or request.

An example of someone offering to draw fanart for any F/F pairing.

An example of someone offering to create fanart and/or fanfiction for the pairing "Fenris & Donnic Hendyr," but requesting not to be matched with a specific user.

5. A NOTE ON MATCHING

After sign-ups are completed, creators and recipients are matched based on their sign-ups. Matches are one-way; that is, while it is possible A may write for B and B may write for A, you are more likely to have A writing for B, and B writing for C, and C writing for A.

You will be assigned to someone who has at least one request that matches at least one of your offers for the below two fields: relationship pairing and type of fanwork.

You will be matched with someone who requested:

at least one of the pairings for which you offered to write or draw ("Relationship" field), and

at least one type of fanwork you offered ("Additional Tags" field aka fanfic, fanart, or both — if both, you can create an assignment in either format; you are not obligated to create two assignments), and

whether or not you've both indicated interest in Mature- or Explicit-rated content ("E" checkbox)

You are guaranteed to have a match by the end of the date listed under "Assignments" in the schedule. If you do not have a match by then, please contact the mods via email at blackemporiumexchange@gmail.com.

[ciellafanfic]

We're All Wet

By Ciella

Relationship: Zevran Arainai/Dorian Pavus

Summary: A gift for SheenaWilde for the Black Emporium gift exchange.

Zevran is not a very good bodyguard, and his latest attempt to save Dorian's life has gotten them into an unusual situtation.

"Explain to me again how soaking ourselves in a cistern is the best way to hide from assassins," Dorian hissed at Zevran quietly. Even his low voice seemed to echo loudly through the stone corridor.

Leliana had sent the Antivan to foil an assassination plot she'd uncovered. But since his arrival, Dorian had spent far more time narrowly avoiding death than he had being saved from it. Most recently, he'd spent the last hour or so running through the streets of Vyrantium at night after his palanquin had been attacked. His so-called protector had eventually pulled both of them into an open cistern where they now stood chest-deep in cold water, waiting for… something. Dorian wasn't sure how one was supposed to tell if assassins were still chasing you or not, but at this point, he was simply hoping they wouldn't have to spend all night in here.

"I certainly wouldn't think to look for you in here," Zevran responded casually, doing his best to keep his voice soft. "What kind of magister would hide in a cistern? It's not very magisterial, is it?"

Dorian gave him a sour look.

"You're not a very good bodyguard, are you?"

Water splashed as Zevran brought his hand to his chest as if wounded.

"Surely you cannot mean that, my friend. Have I not defended your wellbeing valiantly?"

Dorian took a deep breath through his teeth as the elf finally managed to hit his very last nerve.

"In the last month, I have been poisoned, shot at with arrows, had a woman attempt to garrotte me with a clothesline, and have had not one but two demons sent to me in bottles of wine. And now, after running for my life from yet another attack, you drag me down here, for who knows how long, where I am freezing and… and… wet !"

He tried controlling his voice as much as possible, but he'd definitely been too loud. If the assassins did find them down here, Dorian did not look forward to needing to fight them while wading through someone's drinking water.

"Yes, well, if you recall, I did manage to eliminate most of the perpetrators in those attacks. Also, you are very much still alive. Considering my skills lie more in killing than in saving, I would say I'm doing quite well."

Dorian groaned in frustration and wiped his hand across his face.

"Come now, my friend," Zevran, putting a hand on Dorian's shoulder. "Such a beautiful man should not look so depressed."

Dorian looked down at Zevran's hand and then back at the man.

"Must you do that?" Dorian asked, more defeated than anything.

"Do what?" Zevran responded, all innocence.

If being a poor bodyguard weren't bad enough, the man was an incorrigible flirt. It was charming at first. But then Dorian realized that he did it with quite literally everyone. Granted, Dorian had a tendency to do the same, but he at least had the decency not to look at all of his flirt-ees as if he were ready to jump on top of them right then and there. There had been more than a few times in the past month where Dorian had needed to picture distinctly non-sexual things, such as Corypheus or his great aunt Cordelia, in an attempt to cool himself down after one of Zevran's more enticing innuendos. In most situations, the chilly water they were currently submerged in should have been all he needed, but now Zevran was touching him…

"That," Dorian said, gesturing to all of Zevran. "The flirting and the touches and the… Implications."

Zevran's smile became suddenly predatory as he stepped closer to Dorian.

"And which implications would those be?" he asked.

Dorian took a small step back from him.

"You know very well what I'm talking about," he said, trying not to look directly at Zevran's rather stunning amber eyes but also trying not to look as if he were not looking. "The flirting."

"Ha," Zevran said, his smile turning genuine for a moment. He took another step toward Dorian. "You flirt better than I do most times, which is saying something, considering I'm Antivan. They teach us the art as children, you know."

"Yes," Dorian said, taking another step back. How did someone nearly a head shorter than him manage to feel so intimidating? "But at least I have the decency not to imply that it's something more than flirting."

"Ah, but what if it is something more than flirting? I would think that you would want to imply that, no? For decency's sake?"

Zevran put his hand on Dorian's chest, moving his shirt slightly so that a finger brushed over his bare skin. Dorian shivered. The water was quite cold.

Dorian went to take another step back, but his heel hit a wall behind him, and he realized he'd put himself between a rock and a hard place. He tried not to consider which one was the hard place…

"One would think," he said weakly, "that if it was something… more… that after a month of–"

Dorian cut off sharply as a voice echoed through the cistern.

"Check in here!"

Before Dorian could react, Zevran grabbed his shirt and pulled him under the water. Dorian's heart raced as he floated there beneath the surface, Zevran practically on top of him. He could feel panic begin to rise. Between the attempt on his life, Zevran being… Zevran… and now possibly being found out, he found himself at some limit he hadn't realized he'd had. He was going to need to jump out of the water. He didn't have enough air. His chest was tight, and he could barely see and–

Zevran's lips crushing into his should have been a shock. And it was. But rather than making him even more eager to shoot out of the water, they seemed to have the opposite effect. The kiss was passionate and warm, and he needed more of it. He felt Zevran's legs wrap around his waist, and Dorian pulled him closer. They floated there for… he wasn't sure how long. But all Dorian could feel was Zevran's lips pushing at his own. His tongue slipped through the barrier of his lips, and Dorian found himself trying to navigate, holding his breath as his mouth filled with chill water and Zevran's very needy tongue.

Eventually, there was no putting it off. Dorian had to push himself up, out of the water. A difficult task considering that Zevran was still attached to him. He sucked in air with a gasp while a barely out-of-breath Zevran smiled down at him. They both just stared at each other for a moment. Dorian was listening intently for whoever they'd heard a moment ago. Zevran didn't seem to care all that much if a group of assassins was currently making their way towards them. He truly was a horrible bodyguard.

"I don't hear anyone," Dorian said, his eyes still trained on Zevran's.

"That is quite the shame," he said with his predatory smile. "They are going to miss an outstanding show."

Zevran leaned back down to press his lips against Dorian's again.

[sourfacedlemon]

“a hundred jewels between teeth” 🔒

Written for amarmeme ( @amarmeme ) for the 2024 Black Emporium Exchange ( @black-emporium-exchange )!

It's funny, but Alistair can picture it, a small pale little Morrigan child with enormous bright eyes and ragged clothing, hiding behind some shrubbery and watching an unfamiliar being of beauty and wealth. It's a shockingly cute image.

Less so, the one that follows it. He can see that one as well.

Rating: Teen

Category: F/M

Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins

Relationship: Alistair/Morrigan (Dragon Age)

Additional Tags: Minor Female Aeducan & Alistair (Dragon Age), Morrigan's Golden Mirror, Developing Relationship, Gift Giving, uh-oh that's the sound of a romance being initiated

Words: 2,666

Collections: Black Emporium 2024

[bronsautracks]

I ended up writing a Merrill/Solas and Merrill/Audacity fic and sneakily making a cover for it in my first ever gift exchange @black-emporium-exchange and thought I’d share since I’m sort of back on tumblr now. Sometimes anyway.

[fade-and-loathing-in-thedas]

I had such a great time participating in the @black-emporium-exchange and now that authors have all been revealed, I thought I might share the fics I wrote 😁

In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice.

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Summary: Daveth nearly dies while protecting Amell during a fight, leaving Amell terrified of losing him.

Read it >HERE<

Gifts

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Summary: Lacklon tries to find the perfect gift for Roland.

Read it >HERE<

Warmth of Our Home

Rating: General Audiences

Summary: Saron Mahariel and Morrigan find unexpected solace and strength in the love they've built together, as they navigate the joys and challenges of raising their son, Kieran.

Read it >HERE<

Bittersweet

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Summary: In the quiet of the Inquisition's camp, Linvala Trevelyan grapples with her unspoken love for Cassandra Pentaghast.

Read it >HERE<

Taken by one of Ghilan’nain's Creations

Rating: Explicit

Note: please read all the tags listed on AO3 before reading, it has dark themes and is exactly what it says on the tin.

Rook discovers one of the many secret labs where the false Elven Goddess, Ghilan’nain, conducted her twisted experiments. Trapped in the nightmarish labyrinth, Rook encounters one of the Goddess's monstrous creations. But fear turns to fascination as Rook finds herself drawn to the creature in a perilous dance of terror and desire.

Read it >HERE<

(also, I strongly recommend you go check out the entire collection, there are so many amazing rare pairs!)

[thedastrash]

Happy birthday to me!!!!! 🎁 😍🎁 Thanks so much for the lovely gifts in the Black Emporium exchange @black-emporium-exchange!! I am living for the sapphic vibes in my gifts!!

I requested Lace Harding/Josephine cuz I’m hype on getting to know Lace better & did @sandalinbohemia ever deliver!! They get them both, their voices are fabulous <3

And Leliana/Morrigan hot outdoor camp smut in Morrigan’s pov, which is such a treat!! and I love seeing Leliana desired like that. It also had a note “hello! this is porn! :)” lol which made me laugh way too hard 🤣 thanks @vexatiousvagabond !!

[carnalapples]

black emporium 2023 recs

This is a little late, but I wanted to share some awesome fics from this year's @black-emporium-exchange!

I really loved the gifts I got, which were:

let's dance by dabs_into_oblivion, F!Hawke/Loghain, T

Just a wonderful set of scenes between these two, I really liked the shared history they have with Ferelden and the pain there; it was a wonderful connection!

The Second Stage of Grief by Missjlh, F!Hawke & Aveline, G

I have such a soft spot for the friendship between Hawke and Aveline, especially if she's the one to comfort them after All That Remains. The characterization here is so sweet, with the two of them just knowing each other in such a good way.

There were so many amazing fics this year, and the following are just a handful that stuck with me!

somewhere in the half-light by havvke, M!Cousland/Zevran, M

This was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL work that had me so emotional throughout: amazing characterization, and the relationship between Cousland and Zevran develops so naturally as they work through all of their obstacles. This work has been haunting me since I first read it.

Subtlety by SidheLives, F!Hawke/Loghain, E

Again, wonderful characterization and a plot that had me hooked! Hawke's scheming and the pure friction between her and Loghain were entertaining and clever. This was a very fun read, and the dialogue was amazing.

caging the best of us by SourFacedLemon, Gamlen/Malcolm, T

The headcanon that Gamlen had a little crush on Malcolm before Leandra and all the implications of that, seen in an AU where Malcolm survives rather than Leandra--there is so much possibility in this fic!

falling by havvke, F!Cadash/Cassandra, T

My god, I love Cassandra, and I love how she's portrayed here: wonderfully awkward in the face of a brash Inquisitor, and still such a romantic. A perfect mix of moments that had me laughing out loud, and angst; they're both a little bit of a mess, and their relationship development is just lovely.

a far cry from spring by sweettasteofbitter, Josephine/M!Trevelyan, M

A beautifully tender fic exploring the negotiations of their relationship. The atmosphere is so vivid, and the way Josephine and Trevelyan are so comfortable with each other but still have so much to work through is portrayed so well.

The whole collection is such a treat if you'd like to read more <3 I had such a wonderful time participating!!

[ferindencadash]

It's been a week since the @black-emporium-exchange wrapped up and it was SUCH a blast to participate in!! I'm so glad I signed up!

I only started writing a few months ago, so I was very nervous, but I'm actually so proud of how my contribution turned out! And my recipient was really happy with their gift, which brings me infinite joy.

If you want to check it out, you can find it here:

Featuring MHawke/Varric/Cassandra in some sweet fluffy (with some awkwardness along the way) polyam relationship.

I also received the sweetest gift of a FHawke/Cassandra fic, which you should absolutely read:

And there are SO MANY amazing fics in the collection, like this one that wasn't a gift for me, but sure felt like it:

(Also with FHawke/Cassandra)

And there is some STUNNING fanart too! Like this Josie/Lavellan piece I am RABID over:

I can't wait for next year!! ❤️

[uchidachi]

Dragon Age Exchange Letter 2024

Hello Black Emporium Rare Pair Exchange Writer/Artist!

Thank you for making this gift for me! I know I will love whatever you come up with, but for those who like a little more guidance I have left many prompts in the signup and some general likes & dislikes here.

I'm open to treats of Fic and/or Art and multi-recip treats!

General Likes:  I really like UST and mutual pining, also the corny stuff like “fake married” or “bed sharing” or “arranged marriage” tropes. I LOVE Soulmate AUs more than anything else, I’m an absolute sucker for those. I also like the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope. I also really like cats, so if you give a character a cat, I will be happy

General dislikes: I love angst, but not really hurt/comfort. I love canon deviation and certain AUs, but I really don’t get into any AUs that change the setting for Dragon Age

DNW: any kind of abuse, bathroom kinks, bestiality, crossovers, humiliation, incest, modern AUs, mundane AUs, noncon/dubcon, omegaverse, pregnancy, PWP, second-person POV, underage, whump.

Specific Character/Pairing notes: I tag all my ships on this blog with “character a x character b” in alphabetical order, so if you want to look up what I’ve reblogged/posted on Krem/Harding for instance, look for the tag “harding x krem” and Adaar/Vivienne would be under both “inquisitor x vivienne” and “adaar x vivienne”. OT3s are under the tag “ot3″. A lot of the pairings this year are truly the rarest of rare, so for some of them I may not have any content yet!

For the many Vivienne ships I requested; I do headcanon her and Bastien having an open relationship when they are together, so feel free to use that headcanon if you want!

Now for the spoiler part of the letter. Please let this photo of my cat protect you if you wish to not read Veilguard prompts. Otherwise please scroll past the cat & click read more for more prompts.

Male Adaar/Solas or Female Cadash/Solas - I put this under the spoiler group because I am in love with the idea that maybe Inquisitors who were shot down by Solas during Inquisition get a second chance at romance in Veilguard. Just imagine the possibilities…

Vivienne/Emmrich Volkarin - Well, she does canonically like silver foxes ;)

Davrin & Merrill (Dragon Age) - LET! MERRILL! PET! THE! BABY! GRIFFON! Ok apart from Assan, I really would love to see Merrill able to make friends with another Dalish elf, and as a Grey Warden Davrin is likely less anti-blood-magic than average. Or at least I’m going to headcanon that he is, until proven otherwise. 

Fenris/Neve Gallus - All the joy of pairing Fenris with a mage, with less drama because she’s 100% with him on hunting down maleficars & helping Tevinter slaves. Also I have one word for you: Casefic.

For general Veilguard stuff: I'm planning to play as a lady Rook that is a Dwarven rogue archer named Rhea. If there's a background for Rook that doesn't involve being part of the Carta I'll be over the moon. That's not at all required to include, but I thought I might as well include it

[bigplaceexchange]

Sign Up Walk Through (February Update)

Hey all. Hope you're doing well. I've finally gotten the sign-up form to a place I like it, so I wanted to share a guide to signing up for the exchange.

If you're familiar with other Mass Effect or Dragon Age exchanges like Spec Reqs or the Black Emporium, it works pretty similarly to that, but with some differences.

Guide ahoy.

REQUESTS

The first thing you'll see is your requests area. Here is where you're putting what you'd like to receive from your gifter.

Relationship: You MUST request one relationship. You CAN request up to three. If you're only interested in receiving mshenko (Kaidan/Male Shep) gifts, only click that box. Same with fshenko (Kaidan/Female Shep). Use Kaidan Alenko/Shepard to request non-binary Shepards, or if you don't care about the gender of Shepard.

Additional Tags: This is where you tell us what KIND of gift you'd like. You can pick or the other or both.

Link: This is where you'd link your Tumblr, exchange letter (you might remember my Guide to Letters post), character sheets, ect. This is especially helpful if you're requesting a gift about your OC Shepard. You can link their character sheets here, if you have them. Don't worry, if you have more than one link or OC Shepard, you can always put the extras in the box below.

Information: This is where you tell your gifter what you'd like to receive, as far as tropes, story ideas, ect. You can go into as much or little detail as you like. (Some folks like to let their gifter go hog wild). If you didn't do a letter - or even if you did - this is also a good place to list your DNWs (Do Not Wants). It's VITAL you make sure your DNWs are accessible to your gifter because we cannot take action on stories that include DNWs not listed.

If you have an idea for an OT3 with Kaidan and Shepard, this is also where you'd list it. Remember that your gifter CAN but isn't REQUIRED to create for that.

You can also list other links here, such as tumblr pages, OC character sheets, ect.

OFFERS

Relationship: Again, check the box(es) of which relationships you are willing to create for. If you pick Kaidan/Shepard (shenko) you're saying you're open to creating non-binary Shepards, gender-neutral Shepards, or OC Shepards, if you choose to do so.

Additional Tags: Click one or both of the boxes depending on what type of gift you are willing to create.

Information: Here is where you'll list what you are willing and not willing to create. If you have hard lines on what you won't create (kinks, hurt/no comfort, ect) list it here. This will help us match you with the best possible person. If you're willing to create OC Shepards, put that here. Finally, if you're willing to create poly ships, list that here! Again, OC Sheps and poly relationships aren't requirement.

Finally, don't forget to hit that Submit button! And that's that!

Please reach out to me if you have any questions!!

[black-emporium-exchange]

Works have been revealed!

That's right, you heard it here first. Or second, if you've checked your email and saw a notification about a shiny new gift(s). Or third, if you're part of the Discord and joined in on the celebratory messages. Or possibly even fourth, if you saw it on Dreamwidth.

Regardless, works are now live!

Click here to start reading the 2024 Black Emporium Exchange Collection

Read, kudo, comment galore! A week from now, September 8th, we will reveal creators. If you would still like to post a treat, you may do so at any time—just ping a mod after submitting to make sure we see it in the queue.

If there is a problem with your gift, do NOT message your creator or comment publicly on the work. Contact a mod asap at blackemporiumexchange@gmail.com so we can handle the issue and find a solution.

[datransexchange]

Welcome to the Dragon Age Trans Exchange!

2025 Dates

Nominations: December 9 - December 15 Sign-Ups: December 16 - December 30 Assignments Out: around Jan 4 Assignments Due: February 17 Works Revealed: February 24 Creators Revealed: March 3 *All deadlines are as of 9 AM US Pacific / 12 PM US Eastern / 4 PM UTC+0.

Learn About the Exchange

Rules

FAQ

Creator Expectations

Tutorials

2025 AO3 Collection: The AO3 page for this year's gift exchange!

Other Important Info & Links

Main Collection: Here you can find the AO3 collection for the Dragon Age Trans Exchange!

About

Mod Team

Thanks and Acknowledgements

The Dragon Age Trans Exchange wants to offer thanks to:

various @black-emporium-exchange and @dapolyshipping mods for their help and advice in running this exchange!

@thedaselcor, for the inspiration for this writing event!

[sourfacedlemon]

“past tense, present participle”

Gifted to me for the 2024 Black Emporium Exchange ( @black-emporium-exchange )!

“Well, Mal, if I know one thing for certain,” Cullen said with a sigh, glancing once more out the window to the still waters of undeniably Honnleath’s lake, “we’re not in Kirkwall anymore.”

Cullen and Cadash lose seven years. Without knowledge of the present, attempts are made to reconstruct the past.

Rating: Teen

Category: F/M

Fandom: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition

Relationships: Female Cadash/Cullen Rutherford

Characters: Cullen Rutherford, Female Cadash (Dragon Age), The Iron Bull (Dragon Age), Minor Characters

Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC, Pre-Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Temporary Amnesia, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Lyrium Withdrawal, Mild Dom/sub undertones

Words: 13,296

Collections: Black Emporium 2024

[clarktooncrossing]

Giraffe's Eye View: Christmas Specials Special (2023) | Christmas with the Kranks

Chestnuts are roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost is nipping at your nose. Mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again. All the dogs in the neighborhood somehow learned to bark Jingle Bells in sync. Yet retail workers are still more annoyed with Mariah Carey. Snow is getting shoveled, tossed, and formed into sentient beings leading parades without permits. It makes for an excellent distraction as the Krampus abducts children for bad behavior. Fruitcake is exchanged only to find its permanent home in the garbage. Terrorists have hijacked the Holiday office party right before your boss can give you a Jelly of the Month Club membership as your bonus. And of course, the Turducken has returned to wreak its fiery vengeance upon an unsuspecting world! If all this doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit, perhaps these following Holiday specials will!

Greetings people of today and robots of tomorrow! It is I, Santa Clark, your geeky giraffe friend with a deep love of Christmas! My obsession for the yuletide is rivaled only by Maleficent’s hatred for it, which is saying a lot considering she once teamed up with Mad Madam Mim to kidnap the literal Spirit of Christmas. Yes, that really happened. I know this due to my annual pilgrimage to the Island of Misfit Specials, home to obscure or nerdy festive media ranging from movies, TV episodes, and comics. It’s no easy journey. Constantly I find myself confronted by sinister snowmen, genocidal gingerbread men, and worst of all, crappy commercials. Getting stabbed in the foot by a candy-cane wielding cookie is one thing, but I swear I’ve seen that ad for Wilbur’s White Elephant Gift Emporium more times than I’ve seen Miracle on 34th Street! Sometimes at night I catch myself reciting that jingle. Wilbur’s White Elephant Gift Emporium: Where Christmas meets Convenience! Huh, maybe Maleficent had a point.

Nah, my deep-rooted appreciation for this time of year can weather even the most moronic marketing! It helps that most of the merry media I’ve seen have put me in the perfect Holiday mood! Examples include the time a Ninja Turtle found himself trapped in a truck full of stollen toys, a drunk department store Santa stumbling onto a wish-granting magic bag, Big Bird nearly becoming a popsicle, Gwenpool waking up in a world where Galactus took the place of jolly ol’ Saint Nicholas, a terrifying tree stump trying to slaughter some saps over a stupid ship war, and the year when Death gave the Little Match Girl the greatest gift of all. Needless to say, I thought I had seen it all. That is, until I took my friends on a trip to the Island, tasking them to find me new, strange, seasonal specials to review! Some of them were fair, finding me festive favorites as comforting as coco in front of the fireplace. Others were fiendish, wanting to feed off my misery like Gremlins after midnight. Regardless of how naughty or nice my companions were, I’ve compiled all of their suggestions into a makeshift advent calendar! So stay tuned everyday until Christmas to see how badly my buddies can shred what little sanity I have left.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my buddies gave to me...

Molly may have been malicious when she suggested Barbie Nutcracker. Claire was cruel when she picked a Care Bears special. Yet neither of them ever sent me crappy Christmas content via the mail. Nah, Alec (@burningthrucelluloid) had them covered. When I was leaving to visit my friend Jart at Disney World last year, the masked maniac was nice enough to send me a box full of goodies. It included a Black Panther t-shirt, a copy of Terry Practhett’s The Colour of Magic to read on the plane, and Christmas with the Kranks on DVD. Based on a book by crime novelist John Grisham and directed by legendary filmmaker Chris Columbus, this feature film is infamously known as one of the worst Holiday movies of all time. The crazed cinephile went out of his way to find it at his local pawn shop after I had jokingly remarked how nobody offered me anything challenging to review. He even scribbled “U WERE WARNED!” on the disc in Sharpie. Et tu, Alec?

Well joke’s on you, sucker! Before this my plan was to continue the anime theme with Tokyo Godfathers, the original picture my pal had picked. Him sending me this was clearly his way of saying he had changed his mind. Let it not be said that Santa Clark isn’t one to acquiesce to one’s demands. He is a generously devious soul after all. Message received, Alec. I hope you’re happy.

You’d make for better company than Luthor (Tim Allen) and Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) Krank. The film focuses on this miserable married couple coping with their daughter not being home for the Holidays. Tis’ the season for empty nest syndrome! Luthor, especially exhausted by the hustle and bustle every December brings, calculates they could save over $6,000 by simply skipping it. Much as I love the merry month, I get why it can be tiresome for others. Listening to the same songs on the radio at nausea, combating the crowds at OK Mart only to be told that one thing you were looking for was sold out weeks ago, getting the stink eye from that suspicious mall Santa, having to write numerous reviews to appease your amigos, you’re lucky you don’t drop dead by Boxing Day. It’s why I don’t hold any malice against Luthor when he proposes to his wife they go away on a cruise instead. Really, that sounds like fun. What confuses me is him printing out a letter explaining to his peers what he’s planning to do. Dude, who cares that you’re saying goodbye to the Holidays?

Everybody, apparently. From here on out the entire town harasses this hapless duo over their newly appointed Scrooge status. Companions, coworkers, carolers, random children, Boy Scouts, a pervy priest, the students of Canterlot High, two turtle doves, and worst of all, Dan Akroyd! Dude flings himself at Nora’s car for the sake of a plastic snowman. My guy, you weren’t this obsessed back in Ghostbusters, cool it! She’s not a free-roaming vapor! You are making Michael Meyers look relaxed! Matters are made no better by Luthor acting like a massive douchebag. He gets grumpy over the slightest things, angrily argues with everyone he encounters, denies donations to charities, freezes the sidewalk so others fall over, constantly steps on some stupid cat’s tail, puts his wife through undue stress, it’s hard to believe this guy was once Santa Claus! Although I could see him intentionally pushing Kris Kringle off the roof. Even the Grinch would tell this guy to tone it back a bit. He’s an unlikable hero in a sea full of psychos! The Kranks have disturbed the Christmas cult. Only when they consume the sacred eggnog will the masses be appeased!

All of this comes to a head the morning of Christmas Eve when their daughter (Julie Gonzalo) declares she’s coming home that night with her new fiance. Brilliant move kid, wasting your time and parents’ money by flying down to Peru only to immediately return home. Now you’ve put your loving mother and laudable father through more unnecessary turmoil all because you wanted honeyed ham. Sucks for you, Nora couldn’t get one last minute so she had to settle for smoked trout. Remember folks, that is why you keep a spare can of Who Hash on standby! Meanwhile Luthor’s disastrous attempts at decorating result in him nearly getting arrested or dying. Oh no, and to such a nice person! Jeez, even Karma hates the Kranks. Is it too late to tell your daughter you converted to Judaism? Just when all hope seems lost, Danny Boy detects their desperation and rallies the rest of the community to their cause. They’re more than happy to do so after weeks of relentlessly browbeating the non-believers into conforming, just like Jesus intended! Mr. Krank’s so moved by this act of kindness he gladly gives away his cruise tickets to an elderly couple coping with cancer. An elderly couple whose patriarch has been nothing but snide to Luthor every chance he got. So much so they didn’t even bother attending the party despite literally living across the street. Wow, what a shallow sentiment! Don’t go thinking Luthor did this to be a bigger person either, he only did this after his wife dogged him out for being selfish. Right, how dare he try to take you on a luxury cruise in the Bahamas! Selfish bastard! Nora, do us all a favor and get off your high horse. This movie’s morals are so messed up.

So why can’t I say I hate this?

Yeah, I legit had a fun time watching it. Confounding, innit? My only guess why is because of the A-Tier actors giving their all regardless of the material given. That alone is what elevates the movie from tinsel trash to ‘so bad it’s good’. Still, if you’re looking for something whimsical to watch this winter starring the Tool Man, stick to The Santa Clause. Or if you’re still looking for something fresh, try Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers. Don’t act surprised Alec, I was still gonna talk about it regardless. Just remember this next time you decide to send me garbage! In the meantime, here’s hoping this picture is more pleasant than what I just watched.

Our pleasant picture begins with three homeless bums finding a baby abandoned in the trash. Fa la la la la la la la la! Like I said earlier, this time of year ain’t so merry and bright for everybody. For some it’s a bitter reminder of all the days and dreams gone by, complimented cruelly by the cold. Promises have been broken, relationships were sunk, and no gift Santa brings can cure the heartache. Certainly that’s the case for our three unlikely heroes. The appropriately named Gin (Jon Avner) is a drunken deadbeat dad who never went home after accumulating too much gambling debt. How could a loser like him ever face his daughter again? Runaway teenager Miyuki (Victoria Grace) is also avoiding her family, having stabbed her police officer dad under the assumption he gave away her cat. Cat people, am I right? Joining them is trans woman Hana (Shakina Nayfack), desperate for a family like either of them had. For the record, everybody refers to Hana as a him, but for the sake of being polite I’m going to use they / them pronouns.

They're overjoyed to find the crying child, proclaiming it's their miracle sent by God. In that spirit Hana names the baby Kiyoko, a reference to the Japanese translation of “Silent Night”. Fun fact, when I was born my own mother sang that song to lull me to sleep, so I approve of the name! Such enthusiasm is understandably not shared by Hana’s companions. Together all three Wise Hobos venture forth to find the kid’s real mother, dealing with their own drama along with the Yakuza, a Spanish speaking assassin, a bar full of helpful angels, alley cats, runaway ambulances, weeping red devils, and some brat throwing cards at monsters at a winter carnival. Eh, I’m sure that last one’s not important.

Unlike that woman jumping off a bridge! Yo Clarence, where were you on that one? How do you expect to earn your wings with this lackluster performance? Joseph’s gonna be pissed. Luckily our leads arrive just in time to stop the suicide attempt, discovering the potential jumper is Sachicko (Larissa Gallagher), who they assume to be Kiyoko’s birth mom. Their trek through Tokyo revealed how Sachicko had a hard life already, making up one half of an abusive relationship and losing her house to a fire. And here Luthor Krank was complaining about putting up a plastic snowman. Obviously this woman is a wounded soul in need of sympathy and compassion. A baby, not so much. You’d have to be downright dumb to hand an innocent infant over to someone ready to end it all five seconds ago! Especially when she’s not the real mother. Turns out Sachicko kidnapped Kiyoko after suffering a miscarriage. O, holy crap! Congratulations Alec, you found something that makes DC Holiday Nightmares look cheery. I came here to have fun, spam it! Now I’m watching Gin, Hana, and Miyuki trying to talk this lady down before she jumps off a building with the baby in tow! In the end our trio triumphs and are rewarded by the the child's actual parents to become her godfathers.

In spite of my snark, this movie is magnificent. Ultimately it’s a bittersweet ballad about the hardships that plague all people. Some crumble under the pressure, destroying their lives even if unintentionally. Others rise to the occasion, making the most out of the horrible hand life dealt them. Be them richer or poorer, cynic or optimist, Ellingboe or Krum, we are all united in the daily struggle to just make sense of the world. Let Christmas stand testament to our better angels winning out. Furthermore, let Tokyo Godfathers be an example of what Satoshi can do. If his other work can so effortlessly pull off humor, heartbreak, and amazingly expressive animation like this one, I clearly need to seek out more! No doubt the masked maniac will be waiting to recommend more in the future. Until then, time to lower our standards. So decrees Mrs. Hopewell!

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[aces-to-apples]

"The Warden and the Witch"

Gifted to me for the 2023 Black Emporium Rare Pair Exchange!

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: F/M Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition Relationship: Blackwall/Morrigan (Dragon Age) Characters: Blackwall (Dragon Age), Morrigan (Dragon Age), Kieran (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Family Bonding, Grey Wardens, Forgiveness, Trust Collections: Black Emporium 2023 Words: 1,714 Chapters: 1/1

[lumateranlibrarian]

Black Emporium Exchange 2023 - Requests Letter

New year, new exchange, new prompts?

I got you.

I am what one might call a Dwarves Enthusiast - with a smattering of Adaars thrown in for fun! 

Let’s start off with some possible pairings (these can also be found on the Ao3 signup):

(1.1) Inquisition Pairings

Female Cadash/Cassandra Pentaghast

Female Cadash/Cullen Rutherford

Female Cadash/Lace Harding

Female Cadash/Varric Tethras

Male Cadash/Cassandra Pentaghast

Male Cadash/Lace Harding

Female Adaar/Cassandra Pentaghast

Female Adaar/Cullen Rutherford

Female Adaar/Lace Harding

Cremisius “Krem” Aclassi/Lace Harding

(1.2) Origins Pairings

Female Aeducan/Alistair

Female Aeducan/Female Brosca

Female Aducan/Zevran Arainai

Female Brosca/Alistair

Female Brosca/Zevran Arainai

Next! Some prompts suggestions. I’m happy to receive fics of any rating (gen/teen/mature/explicit). If any of these prompts look good to you, great! If you find yourself with inspiration that’s a little to the left of the intended prompt, that’s okay too - go for it! I’m excited to read whatever you come up with!

(2.1) PG Prompts

Dwarven (or Qunari!) culture/sharing elements of each other’s culture

First meetings

Characters knowing or encountering each other before in-game events

Getting up to trouble while on a mission (canon missions or otherwise)

Getting up to trouble during downtime (at home base or out in the world)

Gift-giving/Gift-receiving

Characters cleaning up nicely

Declarations of Love/Realizations/The “oh. OH.” moment/etc

(2.2) Explicit Prompts

“I can’t believe we survived” sex

First Time (ever OR specifically with their partner)

Stuck in a tight spot (so we have to be quiet/can’t get caught)

And, lastly,

(3.1) Squicks and Hard No’s.

Non-con or dub-con

Adult/minor relationships

Student/teacher relationships

Suicide/self-harm, or mentions of either