#but I'm back on this one! Might bring back Dorian too at some point...maybe

[eyeofthebrainstorm]

Maybe I'm ready to talk about it. Ok. listen, honestly, whatever happens it can't go wrong because it's going to be narratively very compelling.

On one end we have Sam who we know likes to mix things up with characters so there's a good chance he wouldn't want fcg's soul to go back. (I think especially if it's reincarnation - and while it's a very peculiar and interesting situation - I think it's my least favorite outcome).

At the same time though, there was so much more to fcg's story and it's a real pity to let it all go. I think Sam is very curious about that and might come back to see it through for himself and for all of us. Because he cares about critters a lot too. There's a chance Matt and the others will pursue FCG'S backstory without him anyway, but this campaign is so intense and time sensitive that I don't see them taking time off just randomly to go find D (although they might need D for plot reasons, because of the Aeorian technology). I read a post that talked about how resurrection is part of the DND game. It's not cheating or a cheap move, it's something that can be done by the rules. And Matt's homebrew ritual makes it even more relevant so I don't think it's a bad scenario.

I think Sam is going to make a new character. That's the most Sam thing to do. He has to have the most action figure of all (Scanlan- Tary- Veth - Nott ... he has to keep them a even number at this point)

But, maybe he will take some time off and step away from the campaign until the rest find the right way to bring him back (just like Travis and Marisha).

In that case I would love to see Deanna and Frida to come back somehow and get a chance to mourn FCG in game. Also that juicy conflict of Deanna opposing to FCG resurrection because of her personal experience and Frida pushing for it because they want their boyfriend back. I would love to see that.

Or, maybe Dorian comes back for a while because he's an OG Bell's Hells and ORYM DESERVES IT.

But finally, if Sam actually brings back an old character (and I think that's very unlikely): it's not Veth, she's done adventuring we know that from the special, it's not Tary ( it would be incredibly funny but just for like 2 minutes) he's too old and married and stuff. It could be Luc ... But I don't know, I don't think the M9 would allow it.

What I would really love to see is Scanlan Shorthalt. And not just because I love him and miss him everyday. But because it would be crazy to have a Sam Rigel character convince the party not to bring back another Sam Rigel character. Because Scanlan knows about dying and coming back in a way that's not right.

[shivunin]

Hullo!

Here's some characters for you too!

Sera, Flemeth and Anora :3

Thank you, Arja! 💗Ooh these were interesting ones c:

(Character Ask thing)

Sera

First impression: Alas, at first glance I thought she was a manic pixie dream girl.

Impression now: Soooo much more depth than anyone gives her credit for. So much internal tension and so many contradictions. I think her struggle with her own identity as an elf is so fascinating, especially through the lens of the way she talks to a Lavellan at the beginning of the game vs the things she says in Trespasser. The way she talks about the "little people" is so necessary and at odds with the opinions of the rest of the inner circle, her relationship with Dagna is precious to me, and some of the things she says to a befriended Inquisitor during Trespasser bring me to tears. I don't know that she will ever be one of my favorite characters, but I respect and love her anyways. So glad she is a companion.

Favorite moment: Her monologue after the Winter Palace is soooo good, I love it every time.

Idea for a story: Hmm I've thought about writing some things about her and Elowen, actually, because I think their dynamic is interesting. They love each other, they don't want to be around each other, when they're sad they want to hang out, Sera gets her drunk when she's being mopey...they're a hot mess and at some point I'm going to explore it better. Eventually.

Unpopular opinion: Errr idk. I think Sera fans have big brains and nuanced opinions (from my limited exposure). I'm not sure what the popular opinions are?

Favorite relationship: Sera and Dorian. They have some of the funniest dialogue, and though the companions do not exist solely to entertain me (or, wait, i guess they do) the dynamic between these two is so goddamn funny.

They fascinate me

Favorite headcanon: Idk how much is headcanon and how much is canon, but this is twofold: 1) Sera takes the painted box from you in Origins for the Jennies and 2) when Amethyne (the little girl sitting on the ground in the alienage, whose mom dies in the Cousland origin) talks about Sara going away she is actually talking about Sera and they were besties before Sera was adopted by human woman (whose name escapes me)

Flemeth

First impression: OH MY GOD??? AND SHE TURNS INTO A DRAGON?? WHO THE FUCK IS THIS LADY? SURELY SHE MUST BE A MAIN CHARACTER (and then she wasn't)

Impression now: Terrible mother, but oh my god is she serving cunt

Favorite moment: The scene between her, Morrigan, and Keiran. I just think it's an illuminating aspect of the dynamic between the three of them.

Idea for a story: Hmmmmm so....someday I might go back to the Scourge of Sundermount AU and if I ever do there will be a sort of apprenticeship thing with her and Ilriane. Otherwise, I don't necessarily feel the urge to write her.

Unpopular opinion: I think her weird, cryptic manner of speaking in Origins is hilarious and I wish she kept doing it.

Favorite relationship: I mean, limited options, right? Morrigan by default (we see so little of her and Solas/Fen'Harel). Very fucked up dynamic. Morrigan becoming the mother she never had is *chef's kiss* so good though.

Favorite headcanon: She taught Morrigan to talk Like That on purpose because it reminded her of a more familiar time OR for the lols. Her speech patterns aren't super similar in 2 or Inquisition, so it seems like an intentional affectation to me.

Anora (Arja, if you love Anora, I am so sorry in advance)

First impression: Oh, interesting! I guess maybe she's supposed to represent the conflict between having power, keeping it, and doing what's best for the country. I wonder if she'll act against her dad on the Wardens' behalf. Also, great outfit/nice hair.

Impression now: :/ Unfortunately, I take fictional betrayals very personally, so my opinion is clouded by blind rage at being sold out to Cauthrien and then again at the Landsmeet. I'll leave it at that.

Favorite moment: When Loghain is about to die and he says the thing about her being a little girl with skinned knees and for a moment she is just a daughter watching her father about to die. Extremely effective moment of storytelling.

Idea for a story: Well! If I finish writing the scene where Wen breaks her out, Anora will inevitably be there. So probably that.

Unpopular opinion: Oh geez. Well. Idk what the prevailing opinion on Anora is because most of the people I follow seem to like her in general. It's unpopular with myself that I dislike her so intensely, if that isn't a total cop-out to say? She's all the things I usually find compelling (calculating, kind of heartless, extremely competent) and yet...in my first playthrough she fucked me over so thoroughly that I can't get past it or see her any other way. She cannot girlboss, gatekeep, or gaslight her way out of pissing me off.

Favorite relationship: Her and Loghain. No idea what's going on there, but I want to squish them into a glass slide and look at them under a microscope.

Favorite headcanon: 😬 (Again, I'm sorry if you like her, but in my head Zev kills her post-game to avoid any succession issues and as a gift to Wen, who promised Alistair she wouldn't do anything herself. Not that it was a "won't somebody rid me of this upstart priest" situation; I think he also took Anora getting Wen thrown in prison personally, so it's sort of a win-win for him. So by Awakening she is definitely dead; that's the headcanon. But really she poses an issue to succession if she's not queen or dead, because she refuses to forfeit a right to the crown)

[dreadfutures]

happy fridayyyyy💜💜💜 a dadwc prompt for young!Ixchel: her reaction to Fairbanks' death

Thank you mer ;-;

For @dadrunkwriting

Pairing: Charter & Ixchel Lavellen

Warnings: Allusion to Ixchel's death at the end

-:-:-

"—that's all I know at the moment, lumina."

Dorian's voice crested and fell as it came out of the crystal Ixchel held in her hand; he had not ceased pacing since he called her to tell her the news.

She squeezed the crystal to prepare it for her response. "I hope this doesn't bring you too much scrutiny, Dorian," she said softly. "I'm sure it won't take them long to tie Fairbanks to the Inquisition."

"They might not," he mused.

Ixchel leaned her forehead against her window and sighed. "They might not, but we should," she said. "His wife deserves to have a body to bury."

Dorian was quiet a moment, and then the crystal glowed dimly, and he said, "That's very kind of you, Ixchel."

She knew by now how her kindness could inconvenience people, but somehow, when Dorian said it, she did not feel so much a burden. She felt precious for it.

She sighed.

"Thank you, Dor."

"Couldn't you just send the Nightingale's little protege?" Dorian asked, only a tiny bit petulant. "'Oh no, someone has conveniently made this very inconvenient body disappear!'"

"You want me to send another elf to Tevinter?" Ixchel asked flatly.

Dorian's side of the crystal remained painfully silent.

"I love you, lethallin, but I don't want to risk my friend being caught and sold like chattel," she said. "I will ask her what we can organize among our other friends without starting an Exalted March against the northern blood mages. Maybe we can arrange for a pick-up point somewhere. Or maybe Charter can tell Leliana to go get her dead spy herself."

She loosened her fist enough to stop the crystal from transmitting her groan of frustration, and she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Please?" Dorian asked after a moment.

Ixchel snorted. "Anything for you, my lord."

"Ooh! The titles come out, I see. Well then, I will attempt to handle my end of things while you put on your Inquisitor hat, my lady." He paused. "I will call again when I have a safe moment to."

"I hope it's soon," she said.

Dorian sighed. "Me too, lumina."

Ixchel tucked the crystal back into her shirt and headed down from her quarters. She tried not to pay attention to how many of the tower's rooms were empty, but it was inescapable thing as she counted down the floors to where Charter now resided. Cassandra's rooms—cleared out entirely. Josephine and Leliana's were much the same. Varric's still had some of his belongings, so that he might have an excuse to visit (but he hadn't, thus far). Vivienne had never truly moved in to her own, and neither had Thom. Dorian's was exactly the same as he'd left it, but somehow that hurt more.

Solas and Bull had never resided in the tower, but she still thought of them as she descended the stairs. Bull's room in the old guardhouse had never been personal, just like he had never been personal. Bas.

And of course, Solas—

"Ah, my lady," Charter said, interrupting Ixchel's bitter descent. The spy seemed to be returning to her room from the main hall, and she seemed concerned to find Ixchel coming toward her. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes," Ixchel said grimly.

Charter unlocked her door quickly, but Ixchel knew better than to follow. First, the elf had to deactivate several traps and tricks, and once it was safe, she popped her ginger head back out to summon Ixchel inside.

Ixchel immediately went to her usual perch on the heavily-locked chest Charter kept at the foot of her bed, and Charter leaned against her closed door, both for a quick exit and to keep an ear out for eavesdroppers beyond the portal. With a nod from Charter, Ixchel began her story.

She explained what Dorian had relayed, as minimal as it was. As she spoke she toyed with the cords of her necklaces, shifting them around with her one hand until they were tidy and the knots lined up at the back of her neck.

Anxiety mounted within her as she saw Charter's brow crease in the faintest of frowns. Something about this stank, and Ixchel felt that she was becoming too accustomed to the scent of betrayal for it to be healthy.

She wasn't the Inquisitor anymore. She was not supposed to have anything to betray anymore.

But she also was not supposed to be sending people into danger any longer, either.

Charter proposed several plans of action as soon as Ixchel opened the floor to her input, and Ixchel did her best to focus on them. But in the back of her mind, she could not help the risk calculation for each and every option.

When they had settled on something, Charter made no indication that Ixchel should leave. Instead, she went to her desk and began to work on a letter to Leliana, and Ixchel realized with a pang that at some point, her spy had become accustomed to Ixchel's presence in her room. Besides a 'my lady' here and there, the formalities and awkwardness of their early acquaintance were gone.

They were not far apart in age, and now status barely separated them, either.

They were friends.

Ixchel had said as much to Dorian, but perhaps she had never realized that Charter might feel the same about her.

"Wait," Ixchel said suddenly.

She jumped to her feet and joined Charter at her desk, as the woman leaned back in her chair, curiosity the only emotion evident on her face.

Ixchel ducked her head and pulled one of the necklaces off. It got stuck in her hair, but Charter knew better than to try and untangle it for her, and it took only a moment or two before Ixchel had managed to extricate herself.

"Please wear this," Ixchel said, every muscle in her body tensed for rejection. "It was a gift from Zevran Arainai. The former Crow. It's a—"

"A superb lifeward amulet," Charter finished.

Ixchel's jaw snapped shut, tight. She nodded.

Charter covered Ixcehl's hand in her own, not looking at the amulet. "This is a princely gift," Charter said. "I'm humbled by the offer. But the Qun, and Fen'Harel, and the Venatori, and many others still view you as a threat to be elminated, my—"

"If you don't take it, and something happens to you, I assure you I will break it long before the Qun has a chance," Ixchel blurted.

Charter's gaze softened.

"If it will make me more effective in your continued service, then… Thank you, Ixchel," she said, and she took the amulet.

Ixchel did not take another breath until Charter had secured the cord around her neck and tucked the artifact beneath her blouse. Then, Ixchel nearly wilted, and she nodded gratefully at Charter.

-:-:-

When the Inquisitor died, Charter could not help but feel partly responsible. The weight of it hung around her neck like a millstone. Every moment that she lived, the amulet was a reminder that the Inquisitor did not.

Charter knew it was foolish. If Ixchel had wanted this so badly, nothing would have stopped her from taking the necklace off. It would not have leaped out of her drawer, or wherever she would have stuffed it, and absorbed the poison that the former Inquisitor had imbibed.

But it was not really the lifeward amulet's presence on her neck that caused the guilt. It was the words that had accompanied it. The black threat indicated something far more pernicious than an assassination plot, and Charter had not heeded it.

She had been too busy trying to make herself useful. To be effective. To be a tool.

Ixchel Lavellan had given her this amulet as a friend, and Charter had never allowed herself to imagine that could be true.

Ixchel Lavellan had died alone, but she had been dying for some time, Charter thought. And Charter had done nothing to change that.

The Inquisition's last Spymaster brought the news to the feet of Fen'Harel, and if others might have chided her for having a death wish…they would have been right.

But the lifeward amulet broke, instead, when she startled Fen'Harel, and in the end—he allowed her to walk free, her message delivered.

As Charter retraced her steps through the eluvians, and the alleys, and the forest interludes, and made her way back to allied territory, she found herself clutching at her chest not in pain, but for stability.

She was still alive. She had failed the Inquisitor once, but she would not disappoint her again.

[houseaeducan]

part of the reason the oc directory i was trying to make still hasn't happened is bc i feel the need to write down their whole life story AND bc i want to explain their role in their own worldstate and my canon worldstate. but here's an incredibly brief run down of what my different hawkes' roles are in my canon worldstate

caleb - he is hawke. self explanatory

cat - catherine amell in this worldstate, caleb's second cousin and rowan (my amell)'s first! former member of the denerim criminal underworld after losing her family in the blight, moves on to getting rich by scamming rich people. dating isabela who is also dating fenris but she is not dating fenris but she did get platonically married to him for tax reasons. its not that complicated

cassian - older amell brother. mage in the ostwick circle who honestly liked it pretty fine there before the rebellion where he has to sort his shit out. probably does not meet/date fenris in this worldstate but maybe he does I'm not sure on this front

calliope - brought to the ferelden circle young, had a very weird fwb situation for anders for years, blood mage who took part in uldred's rebellion and then took advantage of the confusion to slip out when they finally open the gates back up. by the time they'd rebuilt enough to realize she was missing she was fully in tevinter where she managed to get apprenticed a magister. decided to jump ship in dai era when everyone was getting really into corypheus and she thought that seemed like a bad idea. tried to head to skyhold bc she had vaguely known dorian and thought he could put in a word for her with the inquisition but stopped in kirkwall along the way, met merrill, and had a hallmark storyline abt the power in love except in a wartorn fantasy city actively under siege

camilla - daughter of circle mages she never met, raised by the chantry and ended up joining the templars. knight-captain in starkhaven who ends up serving as an advisor to Sebastian when he retakes the throne and attacks kirkwall, believes Sebastian was sent by andraste to help bring thedas into a new holy age and eventually becomes his queen consort in a chaste marriage. she gets to be a villain in a lot of the post da2 Adventures In My Head. she gets infected by red lyrium and starts wearing increasingly weird gloves and helmets in order to conceal it as it slowly spreads. a lot going on with her!

ava - maybe not her actual name. the c naming convention was an accident at first and then i decided to stick with it as a joke but its maybe not a sustainable one. i made this hawke to help beta test a mod but now i really like her. anyway esteemed member of the fenbela polycule. dating fenris and isabela and maybe cat too I'm not sure on that one. i need to flesh her out in this world but i think she might have been an antivan crow at some point

[stardustedknuckles]

I see some folks getting upset about people who are convinced Travis's characters are going to keep rotating/Chetney can't be his real character etc. and I'm gently perplexed by the bad faith take that engaging with the possible mystery precludes the idea that temporary characters could have anything of value to bring to the story.

I like to play with the idea that Travis isn't done rotating characters because I'm thrilled to see how each one will bring a different dynamic to the gang as they find themselves. I'm fascinated by the effect that sort of switching can have on the sense of identity of a dnd group - what does it look like to get comfortable with transient friends and help? What does it hurt? What does it strengthen? What does it reveal about the group and the individuals within it? It's not quite like guest appearances were in c2, where even the characters knew they were aligning for just a short while. There's no reason Keg wouldn't have been adopted into the Nein in any other format, but since the meta declared she would be temporary the whole vibe was as such. So too with every other guest, because that's how it works.

It's not the same with Travis's characters. All of us and the group were surprised when Bertrand was removed from the equation and it came with some good character moments and a little more groundwork laid. It wasn't cheap - Travis was in on it with Matt! The trust that goes into that kind of setup is remarkable.

So now we have Chetney, who brings a whole other vibe and skillset to the group and who seems to be settling in with the group, namely backing off Dorian and pursuing a meaningful connection there even as he accepts he could be one of them. A heartfelt conversation had between two characters who could go at any moment because the narrative calls for it and not the same way the loss of one of our presumed permanent characters (and they are presumed) would potentially disrupt things.

Or would they? I mean we've been operating under the assumption that six are permanent and two aren't. But what if Dorian leaves with the other two from the exu crew? What if Laudna and Imogen find the answers they're looking for and say farewell? I'm not taking Travis's characters as a joke or cannon fodder. I am looking at the way repetitive loss can fundamentally alter the way we engage with a group setting and already, it would not hit the same if someone were to go down the way Molly did. We are starting on a basis of change. We are disrupting preconceived notions of how this game works from the word go, only this time there's an element of both control and chaos. The players trust Matt and we may not fully know what they've planned with him.

It's not a refusal to engage with characters where they are. It's a study of how the group dynamic changes and shifts with the deliberate narrative randomness and reasonably wondering what's next. Maybe Chetney stays. I think it would be great to have him. Maybe he goes, and maybe so do a few more before things settle.

Or maybe they don't settle at all and that's the point.

If Chetney is a joke character then Travis is in on it and that's fine and it opens up fun possibilities that might be OP or just plain unwieldy on a permanent pc. If he's here to stay, then we've got a solid foundation building around him getting attached to Dorian and the group.

I just wouldn't bet on stability, and the reasoning for that was given to us by a player and the DM himself, not to mention Marisha's iconic words: all bets are off, bro. I don't exactly feel like anyone's doing a disservice to the show by interpreting and incorporating something explicitly planned and the promise of more to come.

[victorianpining]

What music/score choices would you have made in From A Drop Of Water if it was a real filmed season? 👀 the score episode of tjlc explained was always one of my faves and I was curious how you would’ve carried those motifs through!! (Also your playlists for the fic are So Good!! I’ve been listening to them so much!)

P.s. I hope you know your retrospective has launched me fully back into gay- brainrot mode after five years lmaoo, it’s been really fun!! (Also I knew nothing about BBC Dracula going into it and. I think I’ve lost my mind. What The Fuck. They really did that!?!?!?!! Anyway. I hope you have a wonderful day!! Can’t wait to see what you do next!💕)

Ooh interesting question! I have actually have a LOT of thoughts about this (way more than I thought I would when I started writing this answer) so I'm going to put most of the answer under the cut. Before then I'll say I'm glad you enjoyed the playlists and the retrospective! And man Dracula sure is A Show isn't it? (and thank you I am very excited to continue creating!!)

Onto Way Too Many Thoughts About A Hypothetical Score:

So in The Six Thatchers, Opportunities is working kind of as a camouflage for Moriarty so you don't hear his score, except it's also a giveaway since Moriarty is kind of the only character to be consistently associated with soundtrack songs and the lyrics are pretty obviously him. (The soundtrack songs also hopefully serve to make him kind of feel outside the rules of the narrative, since written pieces don't usually have soundtracks. I wanted all the music woven through his scenes to make him feel just slightly Off, he is the virus in the data after all).

Anyway, all that lead in to say that when Mary is walking through the college by herself, I think you'd hear the John or James music again, subtly bringing back that dilemma for her character before it gets overtaken by the lyrics talking about someone doctoring in mathematics, programming computers, and choosing the perfect crime for the perfect situation.

On the rooftop scene at the end of TST I'd want to do a version of the music playing in the Reichenbach roof scene to make that connection more blatant and kind of show you how far they've come since then.

And then for the big reveal at the end of the episode you'd finally get Moriarty's music along with a new play on The Fall theme, the one we have is good but I'd want something less overwhelming and more insidious, more intimate, and still just as unnerving. This new version of that theme is gonna be play for a few other important moments.

As an example, I wouldn't want it to be the same song but I think probably if there were a musical motif for Devil's Foot it should be in the same key or structured similarly as the new fall theme, again just making the connection more explicit, this drug burns out people's sanity, Moriarty is trying to burn out Sherlock's heart, he wants Sherlock to make the same choice as Jack but if he doesn't he plans to force his hand.

John or James music would come back on The Dorian when Mary shows up, I'm basically turning that into Mary's theme.

Then the shack! I think you want no music for that, right? Like all focus should be on what's being said and the silences between and it should feel so close that you can even hear them breathing. I would bring in some music outside when John asks if Sherlock has ever had a boyfriend. That would be a good place to have a subdued version of Sherlock's theme, and maybe, if you could get away with it, you could even call back to the Private Life theme in the score subtly. (Copyright might make that an issue though).

Ideally you'd have the same music playing for both versions of the scene with Sherlock and Culverton, maybe with some new instrumentation in the second version to reflect the new information you have at that point. Then Sherlock opens the box and we get that new fall theme, I'd have it building and building while John reacts to what's happening until you finally get the reveal of what Moriarty wants. And then just keep the intensity going until John finally manages to calm Sherlock down, then either bring in their themes or just let it sit without any music, the calm before the storm.

I have the most ideas for TFP. The first scene of TFP is obviously going to be Moriarty and Mycroft's themes. Like when the stranger comes through the door you hear Mycroft's little motif notes and along with everything else it's just another tip off that you already know who it is.

Back in Baker Street you have that fall theme playing in the background while Sherlock is freaking out, and then when John is alone puzzling over the box you'd hear the danger version of his theme, he's the answer to the puzzle and he doesn't even know it.

There are a lot of directions you could take the music for the scene with Sherlock and Moriarty. I'd probably call back to the music from Reichenbach scene, maybe with more hints of that new version of the Fall theme. When Sherlock realizes there's a fire that would be a good time to bring back the music from the fire scene in TEH, or some music from the pool scene, kind of just musically showing this is all an escalation from something we've already scene.

When Mycroft turns back up you should be hearing Moriarty's theme in the background.

Then when they're on the run again you just bring back those Moriarty and Fall themes, keeping that uneasy feeling going. I'd probably put in a subtle callback to Irene's theme when they arrive at the hotel in Paris since in the film version you couldn't have the line about the furniture reminding John of her house and that's kind of an equivalent hint.

Once Don't Stop Me Now dies out, I'd leave it quiet until Sherlock offers himself up, when you'd get a sad version of John's theme. Then when John offers to stab himself, you'd get a sad version of Sherlock's, until Moriarty gets a hold of him and that slowly morphs into the new fall theme, maybe with the Sherlock music still playing, since both John and Jim are after motivated by their feelings for him in that moment. You'd get a version of the Johnlock theme when Sherlock pulls John back up which would keep playing, slowly getting more hopeful as John has his revelation, but it's interrupted when Mycroft shows up.

Back in Baker Street I would want the music to build very slowly and very subtly. It should feel just like pieces falling into place without you really noticing the shift, like the music was always playing, just like it was a love story the whole time. And it would culminate in that perfect blending of John and Sherlock's themes that is both understated and triumphant. For the epilogue I'd have that same music but with the instrumentation they used for the TAB version of the title theme.

And as one final touch, I'd give The Empty Hearse members a musical motif that is a version of All The Woman from TAB.

[plazmafields]

Dorian chatted aimlessly as he waited for Krem to grab his lunch, Dorian gripping his own loosely and swinging the bag gently at his side. Once Krem was ready, the two men crossed through the office on their way to the cafe. As they passed a large set of frosted glass doors, Dorian heard soft music coming from within. He slowed his pace as he listened, trying to recognize the song.

“What is it?” Krem asked, several feet ahead.

“Oh, nothing, I just…” Dorian drifted off as he read the name on the doors. “I’ve never seen Cullen outside his office. Not in the break room or the cafe.”

Krem scoffed, “Yeah, he doesn’t leave that room. I don’t know if he takes breaks at all. Maybe he just likes to be alone during his breaks? I don’t know, honestly.”

Dorian hummed in acknowledgement, still focused on putting a finger on the strangely familiar music he could faintly hear. After a moment of silence, Krem started walking again.

“You coming?” he called back.

“Yes, I’ll just be a moment. I’ll meet you there.”

Krem shrugged and went off to meet up with their other lunch buddies.

Dorian kept staring at the frosted doors, reading the lettering over and over. Cullen Rutherford, Director of Architecture. Not his boss, per se, but absolutely a few positions over him.

Is it even worth asking? Dorian wondered. I suppose it couldn’t hurt, despite the likelihood of him refusing.

So with a shrug and a confident smile, Dorian drummed a knuckle against the glass and waited for a response. He heard the music stop and Cullen clear his throat before uttering a quiet “enter”.

Dorian opened the door slowly and peaked his head in first. “Mr. Rutherford? Do you have a moment?”

Cullen reeled a little at the formality. “Oh, yes, please, have a seat. And just ‘Cullen’ is fine.”

“Right, Cullen…” Dorian murmured as he sat, taking in the decor. “You have a lovely office, very cosy.” he remarked, noting each side wall had floor to ceiling bookshelves, each nearly full.

Cullen nodded in agreement, shifting the things on his desk.

“Did you do something different with it since I was here last month?”

Cullen chuckled, “No, never.” he looked up from his organization for his eyes to lock with Dorian’s, immediately thrown off course. “Uh, I mean, I have it the way I like it. Maybe, um, it needs something new, I’m not a trinket person, but maybe something. Bookends?”

Dorian grinned, “Maybe.”

After a long quiet moment, Cullen cleared his throat again. “Anyway, sorry, what did you need to talk to me about?”

As he casually glanced around the room once more, Dorian said plainly, “A few of us have formed a… ‘lunch club’, I suppose, where we all go out together or sit in the cafe at lunch and just chat. I was wondering if you wanted to join us today. I know you usually eat in here by yourself.”

Cullen sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, eyes on his desk, “I usually don’t eat. If I’m honest. There’s really no time, I have so much shi--”

Dorian looked at him with a slight smirk, brow quirked.

“...work. A lot of work to do. I’m sorry, maybe I can find time some other...time.”

Dorian could see that Cullen didn’t really want to refuse, but also felt too awkward. 

“Is it the group? I promise there’s only, like, five of us, myself included. You’re never intruding.”

The blond cringed a little, “Maybe? I-I don’t know, I’m not much of a people person, I really--”

“What if it was just you and me?” Dorian cut him off gently.

Cullen’s mouth remained open as his eyes got wider. He quickly took Dorian up and down, then gulped.

Dorian chuckled, “I’ll let you think about it, how about that?”

As he opened the door to leave and find Krem, Dorian turned back and said in a soft tone, “I would really enjoy your company.”

The last thing he saw before shutting the door behind him was a slight blush on Cullen’s cheeks.

---

After a couple of days with no answer, Dorian decided to take it upon himself to buy an extra burrito bowl for Cullen, taking notes from Josephine on what he might like.

“He only comes to the break room when I bring in my pastries.” She had said. “He waits until everyone in the office has had one, then he comes out and takes whatever’s left. He asks me about the sugar cookies sometimes. They’re just butter and sugar, a little vanilla. He seems to like simple flavors, but he’s eaten almost everything I’ve made.”

Playing it safe, Dorian got a very basic bowl without extras, hoping the flavors would be inoffensive.

Once he got back to the office, he went straight to Cullen’s office and knocked, not waiting for a response before barging in. He knew Cullen would be in there, and he wasn’t giving him an option, Cullen was going to eat.

Cullen looked up from his screen with surprise, shocked to see Dorian with two bowls.

“Time for lunch.” Dorian said, placing Cullen’s dish in front of him with a fork and napkin.

Cullen tried to say something, but Dorian cut him off.

“Nope, eat.”

Dorian sat in the adjacent chair and began digging in, only stopping to gesture for Cullen to do the same.

The blond took a tentative bite, humming as he pointed with his fork. “This is really good, but I feel bad. You didn’t have to--”

“I certainly didn’t, but I chose to. And I’d hate to see it go to waste, so don’t feel bad, just eat it.”

Cullen, thrown off guard by Dorian’s bluntness, simply shut up and ate, muttering a quiet “thank you” through bites.

“You’re very welcome. Having work to do is no reason to starve yourself.” Dorian watched with a smile as Cullen clearly enjoyed his meal.

"I'd hardly say I starve myself," Cullen said under his breath. When Dorian gave a skeptical look, he elaborated, "I just, you know, make sure I have a big breakfast, and I eat an apple or something throughout the day. I try to be healthy."

"Skipping meals isn't healthy, darling." Dorian purred to avoid sounding judgemental.

Cullen blushed at being worried over. "No, you're right."

After a long pause, Cullen sheepishly asked, "Mind if I switch on some music?"

"Feel free," Dorian waved dismissively.

Soothing, almost romantic jazz was the first thing to play, Cullen flailing at the keyboard to skip it. "Woah, okay, how about something else?" He laughed nervously.

"No no, I quite enjoy jazz, if you don't mind." Dorian reached over and softly grabbed Cullen's hand to stop him, Cullen looking to their hands and blushing.

"Oh, sure. T-That's fine…"

They simply ate as the song played, Dorian suddenly realizing Cullen was done with his meal.

"Oh, you eat fast, don't you?" Dorian remarked, finally taking in Cullen’s physique. He was muscular, but not ripped; defined, but not toned; sturdy, but not 100% muscle. He was...

"Oh I--" Cullen looked down at his bowl and scrapped every last bit of rice out, "yeah, I'm used to not having a ton of time, I guess."

"I love a man with appetite." He didn't mean to sigh that last word, but Dorian let it slip, immediately clearing his throat in embarrassment.

Cullen swallowed roughly, but just went back to the last statement, "I probably shouldn't eat so fast or I'll mess up my metabolism. And I am getting older…"

Dorian scoffed, "Older? What are you, twenty-six?"

Cullen laughed, "Yeah, I wish. Try thirty-six."

"Are you calling me 'older', Cullen?" Dorian crossed his arms.

Cullen blushed, "W-What, no! I...how old are you?"

"Thirty-seven."

Cullen rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, older than me, maybe, but not older."

Dorian glanced down at Cullen's left hand. "Thirty-six and no wife?"

"Hey, I could ask you the same." Cullen shrunk in his seat; clearly this was a point of contention.

Dorian smirked, "I'm gay, darling."

"Oh…" Cullen blushed a little, "Well, no husband, then?"

Dorian crossed his legs and sat back, "I needed a break after my last boyfriend. He was a bit much: prissy, self-absorbed, disagreeable; it didn't work. We just had too much in common."

Cullen gave a hardy laugh, "I don't think you're disagreeable in the slightest, I think you're very pleasant."

Dorian smiled and tutted with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"And quite handsome, plenty of reason to be self-absorbed."

Taken aback, Dorian looked up with hopeful eyes, looking onto a completely innocent face dawning a sweet smile. Dorian grinned back, "Good of you to notice."

---

As he worked diligently, Dorian's focus was broken by someone sitting on the corner of his desk, arms crossed. He looked up, expecting Krem ready to head to lunch, but instead saw his newest lunch companion, blond curls less contained than usual.

"Ah, Cullen, out of your cave. What can I do for you, my friend?" He turned his chair and crossed his legs.

Cullen smiled softly but avoided Dorian's eyes. "I was wondering--I know it's lunch and you probably have plans to go out already but," his eyes darted up occasionally to check he wasn't losing Dorian's attention, "I was wondering if later, after work, you'd like to go to dinner with me."

The entire room went silent. The click-clacking of keyboards stopped, the fax machine stopped buzzing, and the water cooler stopped bubbling. Out of nowhere, eyes started peering over cubical walls, and people casually migrated in Dorian's direction.

He watched them all from the corner of his eye as everyone in the room waited for his answer. Cullen didn't leave his office, he didn't talk to his coworkers, and he didn't respond to flirting, from anyone.

Until now.

Dorian tried to keep his gulp subtle and quiet. He chuckled awkwardly before responding, "That...that sounds really nice. I'd love to."

The room started moving again, noises continued and people went back to their places.

Cullen grinned, "Great! That's...I'm…" he breathed a calming breath, "I'm so glad."

Laughing im relief, Dorian shook his head before taking a long moment to simply look into Cullen’s eyes. Golden and kind.

Cullen stared back, soft smile still present. "Well," he cleared his throat before standing, "I should get back to work. I'll see you tonight?"

Before Dorian could respond, his hand was in Cullen's, knuckles up, and eyes locked with the blond as he placed a gentle kiss to each one.

"I'm buying this time," Cullen whispered.

[railroad-migraine]

#teatimewithPoet is my new favourite thing, aside from your writing ofc dear <3

Thank you for your kind words though! It honestly made me feel a lot better!

And I totally understand you with the dating this suddenly happening, maybe it's a Uni thing? I'm in my second year and this whole time I've just been mighty confused bc I have people trying to flirt with me and I'm just here like "You're not Mollymauk, Dorian or Ashton, pls leave" (not literally ofc lmao, but you get me)

I think you summed it up beautifully "I don't know what's my type but it's not you" just 10/10

On another #tearant.... guy I mentioned in my previous ask? He was actually a really good friend of mine and my only irl friend who's into CR/DnD 🥲 so now, while I think we sorted it out now, I essentially have no one to talk to it about anymore... sad days are upon us, my friend

Also (by all means feel free to ignore this if its too personal) but are you from the UK by any chance? Some of the terms/replies have those vibes you know

(Also ngl low key waiting for 🌷 anon to spill some tea now too)

- 🌸

Honestly just by bringing up Molly, Dorian, and Ashton again, I'm waiting for some dude whose skin colour reflects that of the rainbow, and happens to have an awesome personality, to walk into one of my lectures any day now lol. I call dibs on the magical looking being please and thanks. Glad I made you feel a smidgen better ^-^

It's unfortunate that pal being the only one who you shared DnD with. But from what I've gathered at uni, is that there are a bunch of nerdy people willing to try it, they just haven't had the opportunity yet. From personal experience, a lotta drama and literature students are into that sorta thing! I wish you luck in introducing new people to the world of Dungeons & Dragons!

And this is the first time someone has ever asked me about where I'm from! I can say that I am not from the UK, but I understand why you might think so! From the way that I type words (eg. colour, favourite) to possible slang/terms I say, my dialect is generally 'British' in origin. Not sure if I wanna reveal my nationality at this point (I love to be open with y'all but I am actually a very private person), but maybe some point in the future! :)

Throwback to me running an art account where people aggressively tried to out guess each other my nationality. None of them guessed right lmao~~~

🌷 or anyone, feel free to sit back and vibe! <3

~ Poet

[pi-creates]

what are all of your canon choices for each s4 episode? like did you kill the walker couple? did you bury ms. martin? did you shoot lilly? did you trust aj? i'm very curious!

Here is where I expose that I was in the minority for a lot of the major choices in TFS...

Episode 1:

I didn’t kill the walker couple. I would have due to remembering that moment in S2 where Clem got attacked going through the security window - but then AJ opened his mouth and I was like “oh no, little buddy...”. People come first, and with no evidence that going through the window would be negative, it seemed like an important empathy teaching moment for AJ. (And if there was a walker in that room I would be screaming how? since the building was locked, the room was locked, and those windows were boarded too well for something to get in)

And I put a stopper on the AJ swears. I know it doesn’t really matter, but having heard toddlers with absolutely filthy language IRL... yeah, I don’t like it. Be a kid for a bit longer, AJ.

Learn to share. AJ hasn’t had to do that before so I get why he has problems with it, but I encouraged him to return everything.

I went hunting with the boys. And then went rabbit shooting with Aasim. Because if you read my last response about shipping... yeah, I wanted to romance the archer boy. To be fair, I just generally agree more with Aasim’s long-term survival plan.

I let Abel take the food. And as foolish as some people might think it is, since he kept emphasising he just wanted dinner I was fine with him taking a portion. We were still getting more food than we had before. Plus yeah, I value life more than the prospect of one more theoretical dinner when we had other sources to use.

And at the end of the episode I appealed to Louis - because yeah, I spent more time with him than Violet. It made more sense with my previous choices.

Episode 2:

Bad, AJ. No assassination headshots under this roof. That is a very quick way to lose friends.

I told AJ to give Louis his gun. I wasn’t under the impression that Louis was going to keep it - though with how long it took for him to give it back I did start doubting myself.

Be nice to James... why wouldn’t you at that point? Though I am still suspicious of where he got that apple...

Buried Ms Martin. This was more about Ruby, and she clearly needed the closure. I don’t think it really is necessary to bury walkers, but people’s feelings on the issue take precedence over my own opinions.

DISCO BROCCOLI SHIRT. AJ’s face was so happy, I had to.

Brick trap... definitely not because it was Aasim’s idea. (actually not sarcasm, it is more practical)

Marry Aasim (duh at this point), Flip Ruby, Kill James... one of those things did end up happening, so foreshadowing I guess.

If you love Ruby so much, go to talk to her, guy. Seriously, I would wingman/wingwoman the hell out of this situation if you want it, Aasim. But you have to take the first step if you want to walk that road.

Piano date. Though I didn’t carve the heart initially... a bit too cheesy for my taste. Though there was smooches, so maybe I’m not immune to cheese.

No, AJ. You don’t get to call dibs on killing people. And no swears. Accidental swears are fine - I’m not going to punish it, but I would rather he not put them into his general language.

Save Louis... and I felt like an absolute dick. Like... this decision was awful to make. Violet came to the rescue when Lilly had the gun on Clem, and it sucks that you can’t return the favour. But like... why did you do this to me, game?

Episode 3:

No Abel torture, not with AJ there. And even if he wasn’t, I don’t think I’d go that far. Maybe I would refuse water and stub out the cigarette - but I wouldn’t hurt him. And yeah, Mercy kill. He wanted that.

James asks me not to kill the walkers, so I don’t kill the walkers. He wants me to listen to his opinions on walkers, so I listen. He wants reassurance that his opinions have a semblance of logic to them?.... uhh, this one is more washy. I say there could be something more to walkers because there very well could be. You can’t say there isn’t, so there also isn’t any reason to shoot him down since it’s all speculative anyway.

Told AJ to leave/run if Clem got bit. I might be the weird one here, but I really couldn’t care less if I was dead or a walker - I don’t think it matters from the bitten person’s perspective. It matters from the safe person’s perspective, and if AJ doesn’t want to be responsible for pulling the trigger, then I don’t want him to feel compelled to. That’s his decision, not mine - but I’d rather him lean more to the changeable option than the unchangeable one.

Party mix - purple lights, classical music, and ‘See you on the other side’. Named that bomb after Willy - felt a little odd to name it after Mitch when it’s Willy’s effort. He did it for Mitch though, so I understand both those decisions.

Let AJ get the jump on Dorian. I did think they were threatening to take off Louis’ full hand though, which would be the equivalent of a death sentence. Glad it wasn’t that serious, but oof. 

...I did what James wanted. Sorry, James. I do stand by this decision anyway... If Clem had the gun, then I’m not sure what I would have picked.But with AJ behind the trigger - no, he isn’t shooting that gun. He’s like 5, he can’t understand the nuance between that situation and the one with Marlon. It just can’t be instilled into his young brain that the ultimate solution to a problem is to kill someone, especially since in both cases the people are (supposedly) unarmed and begging to be let go.

Episode 4:

Trusted AJ. Every decision I had made in regards to AJ was consistent, and so if he was legitimately listening and going to take the advice I had given him, then I shouldn’t be concerned. Also, retroactively seeing how the scene is different if James is alive - I do think my version of that scene is primed to encourage me to trust AJ. The James scene in the cave feels like you’re being encouraged to distrust AJ’s decision making.

We are building a one story house, it’s painted purple and has a mahogany piano where AJ and Clem take lessons from Louis. God, I loved this dialogue moment. It feels like real conversations you have with people playing the “What if-” game.

Sorry about my previous choices, Tenn... I wasn’t happy about that.

Told AJ to leave me there. I stand even further in that corner now that there’s an axe involved. I’ll admit to crying a little bit here... I can’t help it. If a child starts crying (and I mean emotional crying - not a temper tantrum type of cry) then my empathy kicks into overdrive and I cry with them.

(Though I will point out a plot issue here - AJ has never seem amputation work in my game as a means to stop a person dying from a bite. The only way he could come up with that idea is if Clem told him about Reggie in S2... something that happened 5-6 years previous to that point. I don’t think Clem would actually bring that up since there are more occasions in her past where it hasn’t worked, so I have no idea where AJ got the amputation idea from as a potential solution.)

As for the AJ moment with walker Tenn, I distracted Tenn... no point in wasting a bullet, and I still don’t think it’s necessary to kill ‘known’ walkers as if it somehow frees them.

And of course AJ burps at the table, tells Clem she’s the best, and is determined to get her a new foot. Because no matter what, he’s still a 5 year old. 

[scribomaniac]

What about an Elide/Lorcan zombie!AU fic?? I'm thinking like Lorcan + the court are set up in an abandoned prison or something and Lorcan is off on a long mission where he encounters Elide who's survived due to her wits. He tracks her, saves her, and eventually brings her back to the rest of the group. I love a good fear to love story, if you're open to it :)

Thank you for your patience! I got halfway through writing this when COVID-19 hit the fan and my job went berserk. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Lorcan crashed through the trees of the forest without hesitation or caution. In one hand he held a double barrel shotgun, and in the other a bone knife. His long dark hair was greasy and knotted from days of hard work and pursuit. If he had only come back sooner, if he hadn’t left her alone, maybe she’d be washing his hair for him right now. Her nimble fingers would be running through the strands, gently working her own brand of magic on his horrible excuse for a head of hair. 

“Seven days?” She had asked, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. 

He’d nodded, dipping down to kiss her forehead, then her cheek, “Seven days.” Then he kissed her lips.

Seven days--seven goddamned days. That’s all it was supposed to be, all it was supposed to take for him and his Cadre to make it from their fortress to the supply train and back again. Dammit, he swore to himself. How did this happen?

The snapping of a twig was the only warning he got--thrusting his bone knife up and to his right with preternatural accuracy, Lorcan stabbed the crazed zombie through it’s open mouth, the blade cutting through decomposed flesh and straight to the brain stem. Quick as lightning, he snatched his hand back and continued on. 

How did this happen?  He wondered again. Aelin suspected a traitor. The burning behind her eyes was so fierce Lorcan had felt their heat as she cursed whoever was responsible. 

He, Aelin, Rowan, and a few others had ventured out from their haven in an abandoned jail house to replenish their supplies. The train sent by the government only came by four times a year and they needed the medicine it brought. The Cadre always knew the risk they took when venturing out into the forest. Zombies ran rampant in these parts. The government kept claiming they’d fix the mess they’d started, and every few years the army would come out to purge the forest, but the problem never really went away. 

“Who are you?” He asked, his dark eyes warily watching the limping girl before him. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and his leg throbbed with pain. He’d escaped the last zombie horde without a bite, but not without injury. Still, he turned his body side face, not wanting this girl--this enemy--to see his weakness.  She may look as innocent as a deer, but if he learned anything from Lysandra, it was that appearances could be deceiving.

“Put that thing down,” the girl hissed, glaring at his gun. “Do you want to draw them closer?”

Lorcan sneered, “How do I know you’re not one of them?” Zombies, freshly minted ones, at least, kept their wits about them for days--weeks, even--before the hunger consumed them.

Eyebrow twitching, the girl said, “You’re either an idiot,” she paused to take a deep breath, “or a dick.”

Lorcan blinked, “What?”

The girl’s eyes widened, “Duck!” She screamed, and Lorcan acted on instinct. Ducking, just barely, he saw the glint of a knife fly over where his head had just been and straight into the eye of a zombie.

The knife plunged deep into the eye socket, and the zombie crashed down next to Lorcan’s kneeling form in a dead heap. Mouth agape, he looked back to the woman before him. Nostrils flared and lips pursued, she said, “I’m Elide, and I’d like my knife back, thanks very much.”

Lorcan had fallen for her instantly. He’d brought her back to the haven with him, introduced her to the cadre. Elide was sharper than any blade, kinder than a saint, and although that one throw to the eye had been a bit of a lucky shot--”I’d been aiming for it’s mouth,” she’d confessed as she helped him walk home--she was a fighter through and through.

So when he arrived back from their supply run to find the jail house empty of human life and overrun with stumbling zombies, he hadn’t wasted time searching the place. Elide was too smart to stay and try to defend it, especially without the might of the cadre. No, no, Elide would have taken the survivors and gotten out. She had to be out here still. If he could just find her--

Another zombie. This time he’s not able to get his knife up quickly enough. It pins him to the ground, it’s yellow teeth snapping at his throat like a damned piranha. 

It was quiet. Most people had gone to bed long ago, but not them. Elide sat by the window, looking up at the night sky. Lorcan sat nearby at the table, a book opened in his lap, it’s pages left unturned. 

Dark eyes flickering over to him, she asked, “Is there something on my face?” Her nose scrunched up, and Lorcan’s heart stuttered.

“No--no,” he coughed to cover up his stumbled words. “I just had a question,” he said it slowly, because he didn’t really have a question. He just liked looking at her, for some reason. But he couldn’t just tell her that.

Cocking her head to the side, Elide’s brows furrowed as she waited for him to continue. Ears burning red beneath his dark hair, he asked, “How did you survive? On your own?” 

It had been a mystery to him. Not a burning one, but a mystery nevertheless. Most people wouldn’t last a day out in the forest alone. Not when the zombies were drawn to the smell of blood like a shark.

“Zombies, they’re not,” she paused, her lips thinning in thought. “I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think they can smell. I don’t think that’s how they hunt. I mean,” she worried her bottom lip with her teeth, “I’d have died a long time ago, if they could,” she laughed. “I think though,” her dark eyes flitted around the room and then landed back on him, “I think they hunt by sound.”

The crack of a gunshot echoed through the forest. Disrupted birds took their leave of the branches, and the air was knocked from Lorcan’s lungs as he stared up into the eyes of Vaughan. “They’ll have heard that,” Lorcan grimaced, pushing the completely dead corpse off him. Vaughan nodded, then extended a hand to help his friend up.

The two quickly vacated the area, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any movement or sound that indicated a possible threat. 

“The slower you move,” Elide was telling the Cadre her theory as she sat atop a broken and decrepit dryer, “the less sound you make.” Locking eyes with Lorcan first, she then gestured to her ankle, “I’m pretty slow by nature,” she tried to laugh it off, but Lorcan could hear the frustration behind it. “And quiet, which is how I was able to survive outside my uncle’s fortress and make it all the way here.”

“What happened to your uncle’s?” Rowan asked. It was a good question, Lorcan had thought while nodding his head. Perhaps the man had died, or perhaps he’d fallen prey to one of the creatures, or--

“I ran away,” Elide confessed, her chin raised high and her nostrils flared, almost daring anyone to tell her how stupid she’d been. “I’d rather be eaten by a zombie than live one more day under his roof.”

Aelin purred, “Well someone’s got the fighting spirit.”

Elide locked eyes once more with Lorcan, and he knew instantly: he was in love.

They couldn’t take Elide’s advice now, though. The slower they went, the more careful they stepped, meant the longer she was in danger. And that was something Lorcan could not tolerate, not while there was still breath in his lungs and a beat in his heart.

“Here,” Vaughan hissed, coming to an abrupt stop. 

Lorcan bared his teeth, preparing for another wave of zombies, but there was nothing. “Vaughan, we don’t have time--” but his friend merely raised a brow and pointed towards a tree. It was small and glinted in the sunlight, and at once Lorcan knew what it was. Lunging forward, he snatched the small ring from the tree’s skinny twig. “Aelin’s ring.” It had been a gift, a small token of friendship and loyalty between Aelin and Elide. Elide never took it off.

“And more,” Vaughan gestured with his chin. Looking off to the distance, there was another item of jewelry, carefully hanging from a tall branch. 

Lorcan followed the trail, picking up items along the way. First Lysandra’s locket, then one of Dorian’s handkerchiefs, even one of Darrow’s cufflinks; each item led him deeper and deeper into the forest until he and Vaughan finally came to an overgrown and shabby barn.

Breathing hard, Lorcan and Vaughan shared a glance. Behind the barn’s giant door could be their people--could be Elide--but it could also be a massacre. Pulling out his bone knife and taking a deep, settling breath, Lorcan took the final few steps and opened the door.

Warm, strong arms quickly wrapped themselves around his neck. Lorcan raised his knife, preparing to launch a counter attack, when he heard a whispered, “Thank god!”

Dropping his weapon, Lorcan tightly wound his arms around Elide’s waist, bringing her even closer than before. “Elide,” he sighed, burying his face into her neck.

There were some hushed murmurs, a small creak as the door opened further, and Lorcan peeked out from Elide’s dark hair just enough to see the rest of the community coming out from hiding. 

Placing Elide down, Lorcan took her face into his hands and brought their foreheads together. “What happened?” He asked quietly, needing to know. If Aelin was right, if they had been betrayed, there’d be blood to pay.

Covering his hands with her own, Elide shook her head and placed a kiss on the base of his palm, “I’ll explain later.”

Kissing her forehead, he brought her closer, tucking her head against his collar bone. Now he could see properly, how many people were in the barn, how many people Elide had saved with her quick wit and ingenuity. 

“You’re okay,” he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m so--I can’t--” he started then abruptly stopped himself several times until again he said, “You’re okay.”

Elide’s nails dug into his back and even though he could feel the small tremors coursing through her frame, her voice was steady and wry as she asked, “Did you ever doubt me?”

Choking on a laugh, Lorcan stepped back and lifted her chin. Bending down, his lips tenderly kissed hers. There was a great deal of love in the small kiss, as well as a great deal of restraint and promise. Elide smiled, knowing that the kiss was only a precursor to what was to come once they were somewhere safe. 

Pulling away, he swore, “Never again.”

[soartfullydone]

Riven, what would have been your ideal, perfect solution if everyone had actually listened to you? I'm just curious; no one could have handled the Inquisition better than you did. You're amazing and I love you.

And I love you back, friend!

My “ideal, perfect solution” to... which part? The part where I was locked up like a criminal after the Fade spit me out? Well, alright. It was pretty smart of them to do that, even if the charges were all wrong. I would’ve greatly preferred to not be at the Conclave at all, but my Keeper wasn’t about to let his First go, and while I might not be amazing at spying, I am the sneakiest. Funny how it all went tits up anyway.

I suppose... I would’ve liked to toss the whole Herald of Andraste thing and just been recognized as an elf, bored enough and invested enough to save everyone’s arse. At first, I liked the title. Not what it meant, but the way it sounded. “Herald,” “Your Worship,” very impressive, a little kinky. Even I understand the value of a symbol, but I mean, c’mon. I barely give due reverence to my own gods; what would Andraste ever mean to me? But no matter how many entreaties to Andruil or “May the Dread Wolf take you”s I made, all anyone ever wanted to talk about was how their Maker sent me. Would’ve been nice if the Chantry had any legs to stand on for a real fistfight of faith, but felt too much like kicking a dog. By the time I noticed just how far the Herald thing went off the deep end, it was too late to do anything about it other than to be extra irreverent. It’s a wonder that Mother Giselle likes me, but... I’m glad she does. Need more like her.

Would’ve been nice, too, if I could’ve recruited the mages and the templars. I get there’s a war on, but wasn’t bringing them together the whole point of the Conclave? Why does it always have to be a choice, one or the other? It’s ironic that I somehow beat a time-traveling magister to the mages, but I couldn’t do gobshite for the templars, and by ironic, I mean pretty fucking stupid. Of course, if I had managed to blow up Corypheus at Haven in the first place, maybe I could’ve sat them down, said, “I’m the fucker with the magic hand now, so quit acting like a bunch of narcs. We’ve got soup, have some, that red stuff’ll kill ya.” [sighs] The dragon threw the whole thing off. That was cheating. 

Otherwise, I pretty much solved our many problems the way I wanted to. Because magic hand and leadership and so much misplaced trust. Well, except for Stroud and even Gaspard. I... regret that. But I only executed one person! That’s growth for me! And only ‘cause he really asked for it. 

The things I would’ve done differently are the smaller things that might’ve become bigger. Like how I wish I had been unable to understand Vivienne better. Or insisted on bringing our forces to the meeting with the Qunari, hang their paranoia. That way, the Chargers could be alive and Iron Bull could still be one with the Qun he loves so much. If I’d known Cullen liked me sooner, I would’ve spent more time teasing him. I do still wonder about Blackwall, but... Well, let’s just say I don’t take deception and betrayal well. It was for the best. I wish I could’ve helped Leliana see that stabbing doesn’t solve every problem---I’ve tried that---because she would’ve been a brilliant Divine. Cassandra will do great---and I really wanna see her in the robes, she’ll look ridiculous---but Leliana... I think we missed an opportunity there to burn more shit to the ground in clever fashion.

And I really, really wish the orb hadn’t broken. I knew Solas was a bit upset, but not enough to just leave without a word. I feel bad about it. Bad like it’s my fault but also bad like... something’s off. But it’s nearly been two years, so... Maybe I should stop worrying and let it go. Something would’ve happened by now if it was gonna happen. Still, Smartypants could’ve tried talking to me first! We were---are friends [sigh]. Idiot.

Everyone’s gone their own way by this point, even Cole. I’m rather ready for the Inquisition to come to an end myself; it’s mostly just paperwork now. But a bunch of round-eared bastards want us to go to Halamshiral in a few days just to tell me to disband it, so now I’m feeling a wee bit contrary. “Surprise! Indefinite Inquisition! Bet you didn’t expect that. Thanks for the popcorn shrimp.” Ah, Dorian would’ve laughed if he were here. I miss him so much, but don’t tell him I said that. Tevine bastard will never shut up about it. Hmm, I’d better go, though. Josephine looks like she’s gonna pace herself right off the battlements from the stress.

[talesfromthefade]

DWC: I think I'm falling in love with you

Thanks for the prompt Anon! Hope that you enjoy a glimpse into the thoughts of my precious son June Lavellan after Dorian’s encounter with his father in Redcliffe. (for @dadrunkwriting)

June sighs heavily as he takes his leave of the tavern and inn, finding a nearby wall to lean against while he waits for Dorian, curling his fingers into his palm and wishing for a moment he weren’t wearing his gauntlets simply so he could feel the grounding sensation of his nails biting a bit into his skin. He’s terrible at these sorts of things. Emotions, their expression… relationships in general, come to that, he thinks, kicking a nearby pebble with his boot and watching it bounce across the dirt. Was it the right decision? Coming here? He can’t bring himself to regret telling Dorian the truth before doing so, at least as much as he’d known of it. He could never in good conscience have dragged him here under false pretense, however much Mother Giselle and Halward Pavus may have preferred it, but...

That Dorian is gay is hardly a surprise. The mage hasn’t exactly been subtle about flirting with or admiring members of his own sex, himself included, although that seems to have died off a bit in recent weeks. June is… Well, he isn’t entirely sure how exactly he feels about that. Initially it had been something of a relief. His newfound fame is disarming enough, but even so, he’s not unaware of the many reasons why nobody should want him. He doesn’t entirely trust anyone flirting with him not to want something, much less have the first idea how to go about flirting back. It’s this last thought, however, that prompts him to realize that he might actually want to flirt with Dorian. He’s definitely not missed just how attractive the other man is, even without Dorian helpfully pointing as much out. But now the flirting seems to have stopped, or at least become less frequent, June is left to conclude that the other was simply doing so for sport. Regardless, even as often as he misreads and seems to make a mess of his social interactions, June has enough sense to know that now is neither the time nor place to go about asking the mage about it.

The look on Dorian’s face and the way his voice had cracked a little, even just to in passing express how his father had wronged him, however, swims before his eyes, echoes in his mind, and makes his chest ache. June’s never felt anything like this before. For anyone. It’s more than a little unsettling, and made all the more difficult with the thought that whatever this is it isn’t reciprocated. He thinks perhaps he understands Shahari, the young huntress who’d approached him after he joined Clan Lavellan a little better now. Her own words, bitter and hurt in the face of his rejection join the cacophony of voices and noise in his head; that he is too difficult, lucky to be loved by anyone at all, and wonders fleetingly if it’s true.

It’s only a matter of hours back to Skyhold if they push the horses a bit now they’ve found a new path through the Frostbacks. Dorian seems to prefer to spend it in silence, and as alone as is possible with June, Cassandra, and Varric accompanying him, so the elf doesn’t push and allows the other his space. He intends to continue to do so, not to broach the subject or even approach him until Dorian makes the first move to show that he’s ready, before he remembers a book he needed from the library and finds Dorian in his usual alcove silently staring out over the grounds.

“He’s says we’re alike,” Dorian offers up softly, turning to glance at him, before the elf can slip away unnoticed and leave the other man to his thoughts. “Too much pride. Once I would have been overjoyed to hear him say that. Now I’m not certain. I don’t know if I can forgive him,” the mage admits shaking his head, gazing back out the window once more.

“He- tried to change you,” June asks cautiously, curious, but uncertain what manner of unpleasantness and bitter history his questions may bring up for him.

“Out of desperation,” Dorian confirms. ”I wouldn’t put on a show, marry the girl, keep everything unsavory private and locked away. Selfish, I suppose,” the mage assesses with a frown. “Not to want to spend my entire life screaming on the inside.”

No, June thinks, biting his tongue to keep from protesting, from interrupting the other. Not selfish, a little voice insists, and not for the first time since everything that’s happened he fleetingly wishes he could comfort him, that he had more, or any experience really in doing so.

“He was going to do a blood ritual,” Dorian continues, drawing the elf back from his thoughts. “Alter my mind. Make me… acceptable. I found out. I left.”

“Can blood magic actually do that,” June blurts out before he can stop himself, more than a little disturbed by the idea.

“Maybe,” Dorian replies mournfully with a fleeting glance backwards towards him again. “It could also have left me a drooling vegetable. It crushed me to think he found that absurd risk preferable to scandal. Part of me has always hoped he didn’t really want to go through with it. If he had… I can’t even imagine the person I would be now. I wouldn’t like that Dorian,” he frowns sadly. June can’t help but think he likely wouldn’t like that version of the man in front of him nearly so much either.

“Are you alright?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, June slightly regrets them. It’s a stupid question, one with an obvious answer, and yet perhaps not so obvious to him as it should be, as it might be for others, he had to ask, has to know in the other’s own words what’s going on in his mind right now, or at least as much as Dorian is willing to tell him, because the not knowing for certain is infinitely worse.

“No. Not really,” Dorian replies, finally turning his back on the window to face him. “Thank you for bringing me out there. It wasn’t what I expected, but… it’s something. Maker knows what you must think of me now, after that whole display.”

A hundred things. A thousand things, June thinks, but nothing so bad as to earn that sad and doubtful look on the mage’s face. But the elf settles on the truth, or a kernel of it at least. “I think you’re very brave,” June offers, fighting to keep his voice even.

“Brave,” Dorian repeats looking more than a little disarmed and confused by the assessment.

“It’s not easy to abandon tradition and walk your own path,” the elf replies with a slight shrug, earning the slightest twitch of a smile from beneath the other man’s mustache.

“At any rate, time to drink myself into a stupor. It’s been that sort of day,” the mage assesses with a slightly rueful smile. “Join me sometime, if you’ve a mind,” he invites with a nod.

“I’m free now,” June replies with a nod. “If you aren’t tired of my company yet,” he adds a bit uncertainly.

“Yes? Alright, let’s go then. Drinking with the Inquisitor in the middle of the afternoon, this will be a treat,” Dorian grins slightly.

“I- uh, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up,” June adds for the sake of being honest about his drinking abilities as they make their way down the stairs towards the great hall.

“Bit of a lightweight, are we? That’ll just make it more fun. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t hurt yourself or do anything too foolish,” the mage teases. Privately June thinks that that should be his job, or at least that he might like for it to be, not that it is any of his business what sort of mess Dorian makes of himself. He can’t exactly pretend or lie to himself in the wake of realizing his growing feelings for the other man while waiting for him in Redcliffe that he doesn’t get anything out of time spend in the mage’s company, but he hopes perhaps his company might be of some use and comfort to Dorian as well.

[deliriousscenarios]

Aww. I hope you are feeling better now, but not gonna lie I was really happy that I got to lift your mood a bit. Last time I forgot to "sign" but it was me, Adorable Baepsae. I have been doing good, but I'm gonna go cry in a corner because classes are almost starting again. Btw, are you sure your favorite band is BTS? I was pretty sure it was GOT7. 😂 Anyways, you said you like old books, can you tell me some you have read? Bc I really love books, but I'm kind of running out of them?😂 -AB

Hey my sweet baby!! Gosh! Always bringing light into my life, even when I don't know it's you! ^^ thank you so, my sweet A.B!! It sucks you've gotta go back, but I'm sure the rest of the year will fly by and then it'll be summer and you can relax away the stress of your stellar first year ^^ honestly, I'm super proud of you, and I don't doubt for even a second you're gonna ace the second half of the academic year too! Good luck, my babeh, I'll be cheering you on the whole way! 😁😁😁 🎉🎉🎉Lmfao! My love for both groups is so hard to explain, but I promise musically it's BTS. Every comeback they remind me exactly why I rate them so highly (speaking of.... FEBRUARY IS COMING!!!!!! 😱😱😱). Don't get me wrong, Got7 are a close blooming second, and Def Soul almost ties for first. Forgive me, Army, I am not loyal! 😅😅😅 but yeah, for now, it's BTS ^^I do like old books, my sweet, but I probably should have specified, I like the way the old pages smell the most. I find it super soothing, lmfao. I'll recommend a mixture of old and new, if that's okay ^^ also, I think this is gonna be a long list, so I'll put this in a read more ^^ that, and I'm super extra and can't do anything without rambling so forgive me in advance!

(Things in bold = Highly recommend)

A few Golden Oldies/Classics - A Picture of Dorian Grey (Oscar Wilde) - Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy)- Animal Farm (George Orwell)- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll)- Goodnight Mister Tom (Michelle Magorian)(Technically this book came out in the 80's but it's still amazing, and I consider it a classic)- Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)- Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)(Can I just say now, this novel is heartbreaking, but bloody beautiful. I had to read it for GCSE English and I fell in love immediately)- A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)(This is from the 60's but it's another classic. Though prior warning, the storyline is a lot messed up, but it's a really interesting read. It's honestly so good! Way better than the film, and the film wasn't even terrible. It's a pretty easy read too, I literally read it in a day. It's only like 170 something pages ^^)- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Philip K. Dick)(Another one from the 60's but a classic if ever I saw one. This book is the whole reason I got into reading Sci Fi)- Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)- Jaws (Peter Benchley)(This is from the 70's and not quite a classic just yet, despite how famous the film is, but it's actually really good and worth reading at least once ^^)- Wicked (Gregory Maguire)(Now, this book came out in '95, so technically is neither old nor a classic but as far as I'm concerned it's the best classic there's ever gonna be!! I can't even begin to put into words how much I love this book. It's actually really different to the musical (which I also adore with all my heart) and I have to sort of separate them in my head when I watch/read them but it is one my all time favourites. I read the book before watching it, so the book will always have a special place in my heart. I recommend this to absolutely everyone. IT IS AMAZING!!)

I've realised that nearly all the books I've "highly recommended" are actually lacking in the romance department, so incase that's what you were most interested in, my babeh, in this section, I'll only recommend romance ^^

- Dinner With A Vampire (Abigail Gibbs)(Forewarning: Kaspar starts out as a complete and total dick, but I can't help loving him anyway! I have issues apparently)(contains mild smut sort of but isn't supposed to be the main focus, I've just got a one track mind, lmfao)- Experiment in Terror Series (Karina Halle)(Unless you don't like supernatural reads, then I wouldn't touch these with a ten foot barge pole. It can get quite scary ^^)(These also contain smut but in the later books)- Can You Keep A Secret? (Sophie Kinsella)- The Sky is Everywhere (Jandy Nelson)(This book is freaking amazing, but mainly focuses on grief, the actions that can cause us to make and how it effects our lives moving on from it. This book is beautiful but will probably make you bawl your eyes out)- The Duff (Kody Keplinger)- Saving Wishes (G.J. Walker-Smith)(Honestly, I recommend the whole Wishes series. Especially the second book, Second Hearts. It's my favourite out of all of them)- Anna and the French Kiss (Stephanie Perkins)- Fatal Secrets (Richie Tankersley Cusick)(This is a Point Horror which are no longer being punished but, I still really recommend this and loads of others from the Point Horror Publishers, those books are the true definition of my childhood. They're the whole reason I learnt to read ^^)- Soul Love (Lynda Waterhouse)- This Man Trilogy (Jodi Ellen Malpas)(Pretty much published smut, with a pretty awesome plot. If I hadn't read these books, I probably never would've written smut. This was the one that got me hooked on it ^^)- The Fallen Star Series (Jessica Sorensen)(There's an alternative version to this series that the same author has written and they contain smut, but I read this version first and liked it more, so I haven't read past the first book of the others. They might be good though ^^)- Sweet Addiction (Bk1) & Sweet Possession (Bk2) (J. Daniels) (More published smut with a sort of plotline that maybe doesn't seem to go anywhere. From what I can remember I did think the smut was good tho)- Royals Saga (Geneva Lee) (More smut. I've only read the first two, but I thought they were pretty good ^^)- AfterMath (Denise Grover Swank)(Contains mild smut)

A Very Special Mention:- When God Was A Rabbit (Sarah Winman)(This book is not a romance novel, and the subject matter can get really freaking heavy at times, but this book got to me in a way no other book ever has. I'm not saying this is the most amazing book in the world, or anything like that, but personally, it means so much to me. Before I read this, I was so undecided about my future and always second guessing myself, but as soon as I finished it, I knew 100% I wanna be a writer. I don't even know what it was about it, it just hit me and it hit me hard. For that reason alone, this book will always be my all time favourite)

So, yeah... Just a few to get you started, my sweet A.B, lmfao. I jk, obviously I don't expect you to read all of them, but hopefully you'll find one or two in there you might wanna read ^^ ♡