#dad solas fic

[rosella-writes]

RO! GIVE ME CUDDLY SOLAS, RO! I mean, ehem, for today's prompt: Solas x literally anyone for "feeling the rumble of their chest when they talk while cuddling" PLEASE?

@bluewren and @plisuu asked for this too! I decided to keep it platonic and make it Solas and Tulin, since I've wanted an excuse to write this for a while. 💚 Thank youuuuu. For @dadrunkwriting

Relationship: Solas & Tulin, father and son Rating: G Words: 648

~~~

Papae’s voice sounds different in the Waking. 

Of course, now Tulin knew that this was his papae. Before, he had been the Walker, his teacher, the one who’d found him in the Fade and taught him to dream. Tulin had shown him how he’d learned to turn into a mouse, just like Kieran taught him, and he’d sounded just as proud then as he does now. 

Tulin yearns for Solas’s praise. He wants so badly to be near him, but is sure he has to earn it somehow — maybe if he brings an interesting fact he learned, or a new talent, or maybe even a newly-sprouted, rare plant from the garden. His heart still pounds with the knowledge of who he is, and why he’s here, and what he means to Mamae. He’s afraid he’ll do it wrong, whatever it is. 

But Papae seems to be able to tell, and smiles softly at Tulin when he tries to tell him a story Tulin knows Solas already knows. He puts out his hand, as if asking for a hug, but something in his eyes pulls him back. Tulin can tell, right now, that he’s being very careful. 

“Da’len,” he begins, “do you remember the time you showed me how you changed shape?”

Tulin nods and sets aside a tomato sprout in its little cup. It rests just fine on the table in the rotunda — the room Mamae had shut up years ago, only to open it when Papae came back. “I can do it again! It’s easier now. Not as easy as when I’m dreaming but yeah!”

“Do you remember when I held you in my pocket?”

Tulin does. He smiles at the remembrance of how warm and safe he’d felt there. 

Papae sits on the old chaise against the wall, and he crosses one leg over the other and clasps his hands over his knee. His eyes seem old and kind when he nods and says, “Will you show me again? And may I read to you a while in that shape?”

Air whooshes out of Tulin’s lungs. “Oh. Oh yes, that’s okay.”

He’s afraid to show how much he wants that. He doesn’t want to seem too eager, or in too much of a hurry — but he’s never turned so quickly into a mouse before in his life. His fingers itch with the speed with which the magic overtakes them, and the sudden sense of smell almost knocks him dizzy. But before he can orient himself with his new surroundings, a large hand plucks him up from the ground. 

“Incredible, da’len,” Solas hums. “I have not seen such a rapid change since… well, you performed that so naturally I would have thought you had always had the gift.”

The world spins as Solas leans back, and when he’s released, Tulin realises he’s been set upon Papae’s worn-out sweater. Papae’s leaning back in the chaise now, a book in his hands and resting against his belly. Tulin is thrumming with pride, and doesn’t feel so sheepish anymore, so he trots up the length of Papae’s chest and settles under his chin. 

This is nice, he decides as he curls up in the warm curve of Solas’s collar. Not the same as in the dream, but nice. 

Papae keeps his voice low and quiet when he begins to read, as if he’s aware of how sensitive Tulin’s ears are in this shape. His narration of his book is a low rumble, one that Tulin can feel through his whole entire body. He can’t help how sleepy it makes him, even as he tries so so hard to stay awake — he feels safe here, lulled by the vibration of his papae’s voice and the warmth of his shirt and the soft, familiar smell of paper and green, growing things. 

Yes, Papae’s voice sounds different here. But it’s nice. Still nice.

[senseandaccountability]

I know he gets overshadowed by the other guys in this game as far as marketing and fan service and tropes go, but Davrin is A+. Best male romance in fucking forever, so glad he was the first romance path I traveled. 10/10 would do it again. (Will do it again.) He gives insightful, solid commentary on things, has good banter, some believable issues and a lot of shit together. His romance is fun and hot and he flirts well, which is a treasure indeed. He had such sexy vibes with my first Rook that I had to make another short, fat elf for him to lust after. As a mother, I will also say that in the battle for best dad, he wins, hands down. He's nurturing and mature and he questions old ideals. Davrin, the man that you are.

It really got to me that he reminds Rook several times during the final battles that hey, we've got a future to plan. Because they do. The road less traveled led them there, after all. In my headcanon and probably fic, Davrin and Rook populate a recovering Arlathan forest with griffons, stray cats and orphans, help the elves rebuild and settle all over the fucking place and offer hope for the future and from the Fade, Lavellan and Solas watch over them because they’re the People now. 

[phoenixyfriend]

marriage of convenience and hair brushing/braiding for rexwalker, if you feel up to it?

Fanfiction Trope MASH-UP: Send me two (2) tropes from this list + a ship and I’ll describe how I’d combine them in the same story.

This ask meme is from over a year ago. Please don't send new prompts.

52. Marriage of Convenience 94. Hair Brushing/Braiding 

Is it bad that my first thought is actually inspired by the Ob*kin fic Their fragrance came from you? There's a whole thing about Tatooine marriage braids that my mind immediately jumps to lmao

I think... let's say modern AU. Anakin is a single dad, has been for a few years. Padme died in childbirth, and while her will was made out in favor of Anakin and the kids, the executor of her will was her lawyer-mentor, Palpatine, who couldn't touch the trust funds set up for the twins (which are very large, and will become available when they turn 25, but can only be accessed for education costs before then), but did manage to somehow take almost all the liquid assets left for Anakin in bogus fees.

Anakin's still got the house, but as time passes, he's having more and more trouble with paying the property taxes. He's still managing, but the money Padme left for him is slowly dwindling, and the kids are going to start costing more as they get older, and he's already got Ahsoka living with him (she helps out with the kids so he can work, coding from home, since he's paying for her college tuition; she doesn't have to pay rent since she's a commuter student, and she's got a partial scholarship, but that's still a few thousand a year coming out of Anakin's pocket to put his little sister through underrad). Obi-Wan offered to help, but Obi-Wan lives on the other side of town and even tenured professors don't earn that much, compared to Coruscant's standard cost of living, especially since Obi-Wan adopted recently, a little girl called Reva, and--

Anakin's struggling financially, basically, which isn't a new circumstance, but he really doesn't want to lose Padme's house. Worst comes to worst, he can probably sell it back to Sola so it stays in the Naberrie family, and she'll let him keep living there, but... that's not a sure bet. The Naberries are comfortably wealthy, but it's still an entire house.

Rex, a college friend of Anakin's that went to the same aerospace program, comes back to town. He was on a military tour overseas, but got honorably discharged due to a head injury. Anakin offers to let hm sleep in the guest room, since Padme's house (it's still Padme's, in Anakin's mind), is a lot bigger than Cody's apartment, even if there are toddlers at large. Rex initially promises that he'll only stay long enough to find an apartment of his own, except he overhears Anakin on the phone with Obi-Wan about the finance stuff one day, and reaches out to a few people who have been in town more consistently for a better idea of what's going on without getting too deep into Anakin's business.

Rex manages to get a job locally; there's an airfield for hobbyists a few miles out of town, and the place is looking to hire a new engineer on staff to do repairs and checks on the small planes they keep on site. He starts making noises about moving out, and then, 'subtly,' suggests he just stay at Anakin's place and pay rent.

Anakin does not like the idea of Rex paying rent; friends don't do that! Anakin isn't going to make Rex pay rent in Anakin's home.

They don't talk about it for a few days, and then there's... IDK a night 'off,' where Obi-Wan or Sola or Aayla or Beru takes the twins for an evening, and Ahsoka goes out with friends, so Anakin can take some time off from being a Dad and just Relax.

He and Rex break out the wine, get tipsy not truly drunk, and Rex pokes at the 'just stay here' option again. The house is closer to the airfield than most apartments, and Rex can help take some of the weight off of Anakin and Ahsoka's shoulders with regards to childcare! Even if Anakin won't accept him paying rent!

Anakin argues this. Anakin's kids aren't Rex's responsibility, and Anakin doesn't need his charity (which is, of course, how he views Rex's suggestion). They go back and forth on the topic a few times, and then Rex throws out something about getting married 'for lower taxes' and 'it's not rent if it's my house too, right?' and it's. It's a joke.

Except they're both still thinking about it the next morning, with faint (but not faint enough) memories of a tipsy kiss before bed, and--

Months pass with the two of them circling around each other and Rex never quite moves out, and tax season rolls around, and Anakin is stretched so thin, even with all the cuts for children and covering a dependent's tuition and so on.

Rex quietly floats the idea of a convenience marriage again. It doesn't have to mean anything, if Anakin doesn't want it to. It's not an insult to Padme's memory, just a way of keeping her children in the house she chose for them. And it's not charity, because Rex will get tax cuts too, and better health insurance once Anakin can put him on the family plan he's got. It won't do anything for this year, but by the time the next year rolls around, Anakin will have less of a problem paying those taxes, even if that promotion he's been hoping for doesn't come through.

Anakin, eventually, agrees.

Just four months later, they tie the knot. It's a small ceremony, more than just a courthouse and a paper, just to... well, Anakin wants Rex to have this. Leia and Luke don't entirely understand what's going on, but Ahsoka told them that it means Rex is going to be staying for a lot longer than they originally planned, and they're pretty excited about that part. They're four, and 'Daddy's friend that we like a lot is staying' is pretty clear.

They don't have a 'traditional' wedding night, because they're still both looking at this as a platonic thing (it won't stay that way, but it still is for now). They do share a bed, because someone is sleeping in their guest room (IDK who, maybe a guest was too drunk post-wedding to get home and they just offered the room). Anakin's hair is long enough for an evening of people and, importantly, sticky toddler hands to have tangled it. He washes it out, comes to the bed, and looks so tired--because he had to wash the toddlers first--that Rex offers to brush it for him.

It's intimate. Gentlemanly, but intimate. They go to bed with warm cheeks and pounding hearts, and eventually, one of them rolls onto their side to cuddle.

Neither of them get much sleep that night.

[logicaldelta]

The Archival Compendium

A very basic masterlist for my writing pieces! Will be updated as I share more of my works here ^^

Updated 8/11/24

Obey Me! Shall We Date

Wilting Feathers - Fallen Angel Clink is experiencing her first wilting period after her fall from the Celestial Realm, but she's too embarrassed to explain to the demons why she's been missing out on meetings.

Final Fantasy VII

Prince Is Just A Title - Cloud Strife is the crown prince of the kingdom of Nibelheim. After being afflicted with health issues his entire life he's finally convinced his mother to bring him to an alliance meeting based in the kingdom of Gongaga. There he meets Sephiroth, a knight that makes him feel weird.

A Crown of Flowers Upon Your Head - Cloud is haunted by a spectre of the past in a moonlit garden.

DC Comics

Colour Bomb - Batfamily fluff fic

My Dad Doesn't Have Any Friends - Robin!Dick meets the Flash and Superman for the first time

Unexpected Acceptance - Trans Tim reflects on the differences in the way his birth parents and the Batfam treat him after he comes out

Red Vs Blue

WoF Crossover - Delta is a Seawing prince, reluctant to work with others. York is an overly friendly Sandwing assassin.

A Confusing Error - Addie and York are both terrified of Agent Florida, and their fear grows as he introduces them to a young woman that they assume is his daughter.

Cuddly York - Who knew York was so big on physical affection?

My Hero Academia

Laughter in the Cold Fog - Villain!Monoma AU. It's the first day of snowfall since Monoma joined the League of Villains, and Compress is glad to see the kids acting like kids, for once.

Gravity Falls

Lil Gideon - Clink teases Dipper regarding his dislike of Gideon (based right after the Pines first met the guy)

Original Writing

Duality of Gods - After coming to the godly realm you begin to learn more about the deities that reside there. Specifically about Enatras, the dark king, and you grow to care for him.

Misc

Love Is Me - a poem about being aromantic/asexual, and my thoughts on a very common phrase regarding love

Is Hate Enough? - a short piece based on a writing prompt, where an immortal god reflects, somewhat, on his falling out with his brother

Remember Those We've Lost (Final Space) - Charcoal is a Ventrexian rescued from a battlefield where she'd been left for dead. She doesn't realise that her squad left her there on purpose, or that she's been officially declared dead by her people.

Adjustments and Setbacks (Dragon Age) - Solas has been trying his best to help Siraye harness her magic, but each day brings with it new, troubling knowledge about her childhood that not even she seems to know.

[teamdilf]

Me over here editing the last two chapters of a fic I have drafted and making myself cry. 🥲 It’s set in the Rook, No. universe and is a story about Iris and her troubled relationship with her mother, with a side of Solas realizing that he’s kind of, sort of now a dad to a foul-mouthed, smartass young woman.

[musewrangler]

Surprise self-rec time! Pick 3 of your favorite things you’ve written and share them here, then put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate already written fics 💞

Hey thank you Nonny! :D

Hmmm. Always a challenge to pic favorites. xD I shall do my best.

In no particular order:

Brothers In Arms--I remain very happy with all the relationships that developed in this story, both platonic and romantic. It was satisfying on a deep level to allow Max Veers and Firmus Piett to become friends when they were both at the Academy and see how their lives developed from there. Add in Max meeting his wife and Piett being his wingman, as well as two senior officer OCs I made that were hilarious and a shade of things to come for our heroes. This story naturally contains angst because it's me, but it's also very strong in depicting found family and what matters in life.

2. Rebellions Are Built On Hope---I have loved developing a father-daughter relationship between Leia and Piett in my main series--Empire Reimagined. In this AU I decided to go full bore and let Piett adopt Leia when she was eight. It changed SO MANY dynamics in interesting ways, not least of which was meeting Veers when the General was wounded and subsequently captured by Rebel Captain Piett at Hoth. At its core though---it was a wonderful time exploring how Dad coded our Admiral is and I loved doing that.

3. The War In The Shadows---I love WWII. I love Star Wars. So I put them together in this au. I was pleased with the feel of this story because I know the history well and I think I painted the era fairly accurately. By the time I wrote this, I'd also had a lot of time to develop my take on these Star Wars characters so I knew exactly how they would fit in the era. I enjoyed another chance to write Anakin as a good guy as well as develop the romance between Sola Naberrie and Firmus Piett in these circumstances.

[shrinkthisviolet]

Do you have any Star Wars fic recs (with or without OCs, canon or AU, any ship)?

I do!! My AO3 bookmarks are a good place to look, but I'll just hit a few of the highlights (my 10 favorites, though these fics are listed in no particular order):

dreamless nights by @ahsokryze is an amazing Anakin & Ahsoka fic 🥹 so soft and wonderful. Captures the big-brother/little-sister dynamic so so well

bound by the things we choose ‘verse by @nspx is so wonderful!! It tackles such relationships as Leia & Vader, Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan, and Mara & Vader (love that third fic fr)

the skywalker palindrome by @cringewerewolf is the coolest take on time travel EVER 💞 the series page explains it better than I could, but I will say that it’s Anakin and Luke centric.

hendiadys for a dream by @ozvezdja is THE Anidala fic series of all time (especially now i want my letters white again)!! Like omg…bees, you GET IT!! You get them!! Sola’s POV for that first fic is INSPIRED 💞 I am OBSESSED, please go read this fic if you’re even lukewarm towards Anidala

Frozen in Time by @fanfictasia is some of the most heartwrenching Luke & Vader angst I’ve ever read (while also being short, which is an impressive feat). I just…Vader having visits with Luke supervised by Palpatine?? Luke being periodically frozen in carbonite?? THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL

The Tatooine Cycle by @fialleril, because I’d be remiss to exclude them from a SW rec list—their fics are a must-read, their worldbuilding of Tatooine is absolutely amazing 💞

Misunderstandings by Livsy, which tackles Anakin’s oft-neglected (in fandom) slave background!

All The Right Reasons by bethagain is such a sweetly heartwrenching look at Luke & Ben (Solo, not Skywalker), how quickly Luke bonds with his nephew…and how he hesitates at first to train Ben because (“I can’t see through…how much I love him”) 🥺 I just. I can’t. I am MELTING, this is so emotional (and it was written pre-TLJ! A nice bonus for me, as someone who hates how their relationship was handled in that movie)

The King’s Gambit by @elli-incarnate��oh it’s a masterclass. The epitome of Sith Luke fics, and absolutely beautiful to read. Every sentence is written with so much care, Luke/Mara is written wonderfully, and I just…I love it so much. So, so very much 💞 it’s Legends-leaning, but tbh it can be enjoyed without knowing Legends

Enter the Foreign by Viari is for absolutely anyone who loves time-travel fics…especially ones featuring Anakin! You don’t need to be terribly familiar with Legends, though it helps (I’m somewhat familiar, but not totally, and this was accessible to me). The spin-off AUs are such a delight too (and an inspiration for me to write my own 😅), and it’s just so much fun and so clearly a labor of love, and such a sprawling, intricate AU. I can’t recommend it enough.

Adding an 11th because why not:

The Sun in the Storm by @basimibnishaqs is such an adorable Rey-is-Luke’s-daughter fic 🥹 she’s an adorable sweetheart, and Luke is her protective dad, what more could you want?? (Also OP has galaxy-brained takes about Rey & Luke so…you know. There’s that too)

[binabees]

A little re-write for my step-dad Solas fic. I realized I could do better (normalize restarting your fics. Who’s gonna stop you?)

Will be posting frequently over the next month in anticipation for Veilguard. Enjoy!

[fadedsweater]

Hello! For no particular reason whatsoever (jk this is for the Arlathan Exchange), what is Eira Lavellan's canon timeline of events in DAI? How does her relationship with Solas evolve?

Oh hello anon, and thank you for the ask! 👀

Great question! Definitely not helped by the fact that most of my published fics are post-trespasser stuff and aus and smut 😂

This is gonna be a LONG one. So I'm putting it under a cut and tagging it with "OC lore" to make it easy to find. Feel free to skim as needed! Some of this may be a bit repetitive from my exchange letter.

Before I start though, I just want to make it super clear that you absolutely don't have to use my OC, and I will love whatever you make whether it's an OC or a generic Lavellan. 💛

Eira's timeline follows the in-game canon pretty closely, except I usually lengthen the amount of time the events of Inquisition take (because a single year feels very unbelievable to me.)

Before the events of the game start, she's in her mid-thirties, has been the First of her clan for many years, and is probably expecting to become the clan's Keeper in the next few years or so. Her father is a halla keeper and her mother works with textiles. Her name is Eira (loosely translated as "snow" in Elvhen) because she was born during a rare cold snap, during which the snow stuck around for longer than usual.

When she was a child, she thought she'd become a halla keeper like her dad, but then her magic revealed itself and she became the clan's First instead. Her clan travels around the Amaranthine Ocean's coast outside of Wycome, sticking to forests when they aren't trading with humans. They take their halla up into the mountains in the spring to graze and harvest their wool. (I like to imagine halla are similar to different breeds of cashmere goats!)

As the Herald, Eira sides with the mages. She doesn't love being the so-called "Herald of Andraste," but is shrewd about her position -- she has the Anchor, there's a hole in the sky, someone has to deal with (and if she can leverage that position to help her people, she will). She's patient (if at times a bit cold) with her advisors and new companions. She warms up to most everyone eventually (particularly becoming friends with Dorian, Bull, Cole, and Cassandra) but is keenly aware of her position and the weight and baggage that the title of Herald and later Inquisitor hold. I haven't actually decided how she deals with the Winter Palace yet. My gut says she probably finds a way to ally with Briala. Later on she also allies with the wardens, much to Solas’s chagrin.

Other decisions: she becomes a knight enchanter, she saves the Chargers, she (gently) convinces Solas to spare the mages who accidentally kill Wisdom, she keeps Cole as a spirit, she helps Vivienne with the wyvern heart, she helps Cullen stop lyrium, and she forgives Blackwall. She does not drink from the Well (which she later feels regret and grief about). She keeps her vallaslin. Her clan survives the events of Inquisition, and she maintains a good relationship with them.

Her "sit in judgement" decisions rely on empathy and the desire to see people become better. She isn't cruel and doesn't enjoy suffering, and doesn't make decisions out of revenge. She's diplomatic where she can be, and values harm reduction. If someone can be better, and be useful or helpful (like in the case of sparing Alexius and having him study under the Inquisition's watch), she'll pursue that. This of course informs her desire to save Solas at the end of trespasser. She not only sees him as worth saving but as capable of being saved.

I'd say her relationship with Solas also develops pretty closely to what we see in canon. They start as kind of hesitant allies, then become friends, and then realize they have feelings for each other, have the Fade kiss, etc. In the very beginning, they're kind of wary of each other, but Eira soon comes to enjoy talking with Solas. While she does disagree with him on several subjects (like the Dalish), she finds that he's usually open to hearing her out and admitting when he's wrong, which she respects. She almost sees him as an odd sort of puzzle, and is kind of compelled by him, and starts to enjoy their discussions and their arguments. Having spent much of her life aware and embedded in Dalish politics, she's used to dealing with difficult people, so I don't think she's too put off by Solas’s more difficult nature. It helps that he does seem to genuinely care about helping people -- that means a lot to her. Here's a summary (from a wip of course 😂) of that relationship stage from Solas’s POV:

Still they argue often. He challenges her Dalish beliefs about spirits and the Fade, about their gods and their stories, and she challenges his own assumptions in turn. He finds she is not as ignorant as he once feared. He finds instead that her beliefs are nuanced, her opinions carefully crafted and born from research, from a life spent in the scholarly pursuits of magic and history. He begins to enjoy their arguments, their rhetorical sparring and endless discussions. He begins, despite himself, to look forward to them. 

She surprises and confounds him at every junction. He fears, even, that she has become a friend. 

They don't develop a Proper Relationship until after Solas's balcony confession scene, and probably have their first time sometime shortly after that. And while Solas is quick to say "I love you," she's a lot more hesitant. That level of emotional intimacy is a bit difficult for her.

Because of who they both are as people, they're a little cautious and awkward around each other at first. Eira's worst fears revolve around losing control, and so emotional vulnerability can be difficult for her. She's always wary of pushing Solas’s boundaries and is very gentle and careful with him. She probably realizes she loves him sometime mid-game, and probably at a really innocuous moment when they're traveling or something. By the time the Winter Palace happens, I'd say they're very comfortable with each other and at like, the peak point of their relationship in terms of comfort, vulnerability, and trust (it's a smut fic, but this is a pretty good summary of their dynamic at that point.)

To me her relationship with Solas is all about like...two very guarded people who haven't had a relationship in a long time learning to be *people* with each other. With Solas she doesn't have to be the "Inquisitor" (him calling her this post-breakup hurts even more for this reason), and can just be her nerdy awkward self around him. Similarly, Solas can mostly forget his own position while he's with her. They still enjoy the occasional verbal sparring match and banter, but there's an undercurrent of love and trust.

Eira knows throughout most of the relationship that Solas has secrets and a past he won't share. She's patient with him about it, and never pushes him. When he breaks up with her, she assumes it's likely related to that. She's angry and bitter, but she doesn't hate him.

After he leaves, though, she's pretty wrecked and heartbroken. It takes a lot for her to open up and trust someone, so to have him leave (without even saying goodbye!) feels like a stark betrayal. She can't stand the way her friends seem to pity her and feel bad for her, either. Leading up to Trespasser, she sort of just squares that part of herself away and focuses on the Inquisition.

During Trespasser, she learns that Solas is Fen’Harel before he can reveal it to her himself. Her reaction is less shock and horror and more a grim "this makes sense." She's mostly upset that he never trusted her enough to tell her.

Post-Trespasser, she's determined to save both Solas AND the world, in part because it's what she *wants* and in part because she's convinced that its the only way forward. She has a theory that the Veil is already failing, and that if Solas dies bringing it down -- that's just one less powerful ally the world has against the Evanuris and all the other horrors to come.

Post-Tespasser Eira is reclusive, secretive, and kind of a hot mess. She's that meme of the big conspiracy theory board with all the red lines connecting everything.

She disbands the Inquisition, convinced that it only presents Solas more opportunities to spy. She takes heart in Leliana's assurances that they have their own network of contacts and spies, and also in the fact that Cassandra as the Divine is a powerful ally. She spends her time traveling and learning everything she can about the Veil and Solas’s plans, making time for her clan and her friends where she can.

In my happy ending au, I basically skip over how this would all actually resolve because I simply don't have enough information. The basics: she and Solas are together, and the Veil is peacefully coming down, though there may be issues to deal with once that happens. It takes awhile for her to trust him again, and to work through all of her complicated feelings. Their relationship is pretty delicate for awhile, but eventually becomes fairly healthy and loving.

Okay 😂 that was a lot! I hope that answers your questions, and if not feel free to send another ask if you need to! And again, feel free to use your own OC or a generic one! I promise I will love whatever you create 💛💛💛

[greypetrel]

Hello! The prompt 'I'm just a phone call away' with modern AU Aisling? 👀✨

Heeeeey! 💜

Long time no see, uh? Well, here it is. xD Some shenanigans and a more or less direct sequel to this other piece. Wow it's starting to look like a proper fic, go figure.

Anyway, hope you'll like it, it was a will they won't they prompt list and well. (then it more or less follows canon so no, it's NOT gonna be just a phonecall and it's NOT gonna be all right. Sorry Cullen your canon is shit, but in this storyline you'll get therapy)

Also a note: I don't know if the Dream Theatre shaming was just an Italian thing amongst metalheads… But I couldn't resist. (no harsh judgement, Dream Theatre was the band more or less everyone loved to hate, I'm pretty indifferent to them. I don't love them but eh, there's worse).

Tis the prompt list

Two Birds on a Wire (🎶)

'I'm just a phone call away'

The evening was for celebrating. As much as both siblings were extremely stubborn in saying that it was just a dinner, it wasn’t a party, please dads don’t call it a party or you’ll jinx it, none ever really doubted that their letters would have ended in two admissions. Not for the stories they had to include in their motivational essay -even if they both had one, as much as Solas absolutely loathed the need of the essay-, but for their grades and all letters of recommendations of all their professors. And of course, when they had opened their letters and found that they both had been admitted to the faculty they chose, the “normal, absolutely not peculiar Saturday barbecue” had turned instantly into a party. Solas and Varric had been prepared, after all. And it was worth it, seeing the two not-so-little-anymore former balls of destruction hugging each other tight, tension from months of stressing over grades and the uncertainty of the future melting visibly. Aisling of course had cried -she had always been emotional and by now none in their enlarged family got surprised or overly worried by her tears. The surprising thing was that Dorian too had melted a little, cheerful façade cracking a little to show vulnerability. Aisling had hugged him tight, they all four had hugged together -a rarity, these days, they were “too grown up” for hugs they used to say. And then the music had started, all three families easing into a cheerful celebration for yet another set of kids to spread their wings. Raina -back from Kirkwall for the summer- had taken control of the karaoke program, and lead the evening on, as per her usual naturally occupying the centre of attention and dragging people along with whatever she put her mind to. She looked so much like Malcolm.

The evening was still going strong, laughter and cheer and people singing coming into the kitchen from the backdoor, left open to allow people to come and go as they pleased. But right now, there was just Solas in the kitchen, taking a pause from the noise and confusion. He had to admit he quite liked this life, in spite of everything. But sometimes, hosting all the Hawkes and the Rutherfords in the back garden became a little too much and required some personal space to recharge batteries.

Oh, he knew it was ending, he knew that as more and more of the younger members would have found independence and flown away, they all would have missed the confusion, the lack of privacy or quiet, the chaos during weekends when the children all got together in one big, extremely loud group. Nonetheless, he needed just a moment of quiet to recharge batteries.

So, he just grabbed a bottle of liquor, something special he brewed himself with a recipe as old as he was -and that was currently well hidden under too many spells and glyphs, so that the other two mages in the house wouldn’t have been able to reach it. Hopefully. He gave them another couple of weeks before finding a way. And sipped it on his own, in the relative peace of his kitchen, breathing down.

But of course, the house being what it was, the moment of peace couldn’t last: someone stepped fretfully in, and slammed the door, falling down with a humph. From the noise of the steps and the soft tip-tap of bare feet, he knew exactly who it was.

“Ga’son?” He sighed, greeting her and asking if it was all right. Varric may have won the public-school feud, but he insisted on teaching at least Aisling Elvhen himself. Which resulted in teaching Dorian too, because they seldom did anything separated, and if Dorian took some other interests, Solas still insisted with Aisling to use Elvhen when the pair of them were alone. A matter of heritage, she may have grown up amidst humans and dwarves, but he wanted her to know where she came from.

“Din. G’t’lom.” She answered, saying that no, it wasn’t all right.

As he turned towards her, he found her sitting on her butt beside the door, hugging her thighs and face buried between her thighs, he lost all willingness to scold her for the contraction -he hated contractions. He went to crouch before her, rubbing her shoulders in the way she liked.

“What happened?” He asked, calmly, leaving her time to sob a little.

“He’s leaving.”

“Who?”

“Cullen.” She told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He frowned, not understanding what was going on. As far as he knew about them, the boy had had a crush over Aisling since years, but never acted on it. He wasn’t worried, hadn’t been for a minute since she never took notice or showed any signs of being interested too, the boy was trustworthy and the unruly one was Aisling. But leaving? This was new.

“Leaving? Where for?”

“Denerim. In September. Got accepted.”

Ah. That was it. He had been, indeed, extremely slippery over the university speech, never answering directly when asked, and being particularly evasive and ill at ease over the subject. A pity that he wasn’t a liar, and the one that hadn’t suspected anything was Aisling. Naïve Aisling who was too mature out of trauma on certain things, and yet still firmly believed people she liked without questioning.

“Oh. Well, that’s good for him. And Denerim’s not that far away. He’ll be back often, and we can visit.” He tried to reason.

“No, he won’t.”

She started with the same oppositive tone she usually had with him in the last period, full in her rebellious phase. He suspected it was to be expected, he had insistend in teaching the both of them to stand up for themselves and not bend their heads to anyone… But it was tiresome. Now, it surely was.

“I don’t understand if you don’t explain, da’len.”

Being more worried and lenient than irritated at the zillionth little act of rebellion wasn’t so difficult if she was crying, at least.

“H-he got accepted in the military, babae. He won’t be back so often.”

That was a blow and something he didn’t expect. As many qualities he recognized Cullen to have… He was soft, and in the military… It wasn’t the time to dwell on that, or to deconstruct the issue, as much as he wanted to. No. Right now he had an 18-y.-o. in tears at the idea of her best friend leaving, and in need of help in front of him, and she never reacted well in analysing problems that had no numbers.

“Do you need me to call it off? Or tell everyone you’re sick?”

“N-no. I’m…” She sobbed. “I promised him I won’t cry. I told him I was going to the bathroom, I’ll just… Cry a little and get back. I’m ok. It’s just Denerim. Just Denerim. Not far.”

Solas wondered exactly how much time it would have passed since seeing her crying -or her brother, but Dorian was much more private when it came to feelings- would have stopped feeling like someone was stabbing him. She was grown, almost an adult, taking decisions for herself not caring for what everyone think, and yet, when she cried she got back at being a little child, alone in an orphanage. So, he sat beside here and opened his arm in a silent invitation she was quick to accept, in spite of everything, in spite of the fact that they quarreled fiercely but yesterday. She threw herself at him and hugged him, crying on his shoulder as if nothing happened. He sighed, hugging her back and caressing her hair, letting her spill everything out.

“It’s gonna be ok.”

“I know.”

She didn’t sound convinced, and Solas didn’t push the topic further, just offering support.

Five minutes later, the very object of the current drama opened the back door, peeking in with a distressed expression on his face, calling aloud.

“Ash?”

Solas felt the very same becoming rigid in his hold, her breath catching. Hiding them won’t work, he supposed, and as avoidant she was until she had her thoughts collected… Maybe she wouldn’t have reacted badly in him choosing for her.

“Here. We need five minutes, if you want to talk.” He told Cullen directly, and he nodded, mortified as a cat left under the rain. “Go up, boy, it’s ok.”

He hesitated, trying to say something, but thinking better of it, before slowly padding his way to the living room and the stairs, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. Aisling, on her own, didn’t move. She didn’t move in the next minute as he knew she wouldn’t have.

“Go up and talk to him.”

“I don’t want to. Not now. You-”

“Listen to me.” He stopped her, pushing her away enough so he could look at her face. He cupped her cheek, rubbing fat tears away with his thumbs, ignoring the annoyance when he took off some of that horrible blue eye pencil she had used. “You can stay here and cry your heart out and avoid this conversation for this evening, for tomorrow and for the next weeks. That’s fine, if you don’t want to, you can be sad and angry at him, all you like. But if you don’t, da’len… You’ll just waste time you could spend together. Go up, talk to him, tell him you’re sad. Cry now and tomorrow you’ll go all together for a swim in the lake and have a good time. You still have time until he leaves, don’t waste it because you’re afraid of a conversation. You’ll regret not talking to him now, believe me.”

He smiled, waiting for his words to sink in. Telling them the truth had been scary, but Varric was right: it paid off. She knew why and whence these words came from, and knew the truth. Slowly, she melted, blinking away some more tears and sniffing aloud.

“I can’t go to the lake, I’m still grounded.” She complained, whining.

“Well, seen the situation…” He sighed, faking some regret he didn’t really feel. She didn’t need to know how much she had him wrapped on her little finger for real. “…I think you may be un-grounded. If you promise me that you’ll be on your best behaviour and won’t get any more tattoos.”

“Well I’m not getting a Vallas-”

“Any kind of tattoo, ok? Even not-Vallaslin.”

“Ok.” She smiled, shily.

“Deal, then. Best behaviour on my standards.”

He specified, knowing full well that she would have taken that loop to get out of the accord. She giggled waterily and nodded, bending forward and smacking a kiss on his cheek.

“Deal. Thank you babae.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s going to be all right.”

She nodded, not so convinced, and hugged him once more before standing up and, with a deep breath, walking towards the stairs somewhat rigidly. She didn’t bother to turn on the light, and before she disappeared behind the archway that led to the living-room, Solas called her back.

“Aisling.”

“Yes?”

“Door open.”

“BABAE.”

---

Aisling slipped in her room on tiptoes, standing on the threshold and hiding behind the door for a minute, heart beating wishing to just turn back, run away, don’t listen to Solas and hide in the bushes until the lessons started in autumn. She didn’t want to have that conversation, because it wasn’t a conversation she ever planned on having: in her mind, they would all have three have been accepted in Redcliffe and then… She would have had three years to think of a “then”.

And still, the “then” arrived and fell upon her, and the more she thought she didn’t want to cry, she had promised, the more she felt tears pricking on her eyes, as she looked at Cullen’s back, nervously shifting through her cds. The way he always did when he was nervous and needed to find something to occupy himself with.

… The way he always did when they talked of university and she had asked him about what he wanted to do.

Because he knew.

She cleared her throat, and he jumped on the spot, startled. The album he had in his hand fell on the ground, case opening and letting the cd out.

“S-sorry!” He fumbled, and they both crouched down to pick it up.

“It’s nothing…” She looked which cd it was: Dream Theatre. “… It isn’t a good one. Don’t mind it.”

He hummed in affirmation and nodded, waiting for her to put the cd back in the case and closing it. The silence was tense and gloomy, in a way it has never been between them. Not even once, not even when they quarrelled over something. Aisling hated it and she sat on the ground, turning the case around as she tried not to cry, with failing results.

“Shit, I- Ah, I’m sorry, I’ll… I’ll buy it back, I-”

“It’s not for the cd.” She stopped him.

He fell back on his butt as well, back resting on her bookshelf and slouched down forward. So curved, he didn’t seem all that taller than her.

“I-I’m sorry.” She went on, rubbing her eyes angrily with the heels of her hand. “I… I won’t cry starting tomorrow. Leave me this evening and I’ll be fine and smile and laugh, ok? J-just this evening. I’m sorry, I’ll stay up here, you get down and enjoy the party.”

“I am sorry, Ash.”

“Why for. Don’t be.”

“I wanted to tell you, I swear, but…”

She sniffed, still not looking at him, eyes closed as her eyes rubbed away tears, trying to be as quiet in it as possible. Trying to stop didn’t work, so she just let the tears flow as he collected his words.

“… I didn’t want to make you sad.”

She knew the answer and the explanation before he made it. She knew him like the back of her hand, and he her. She nodded and laughed, waterily.

“You’re leaving. Of course, I’m sad. Who’ll protect you from bullies?”

He snorted, at that, pushing on her calf with his foot, delicately in reproach.

“I don’t need you to protect me from bullies anymore.”

“You say that, now. They’ll know of your insane love for Ed Sheeran and you’ll want me there to punch their noses.”

“Will you even reach?”

Her turn to kick his calf playfully, which made him laugh.

“I’ll get a ladder.”

She giggled as well, leaving her foot against the rough texture of his jeans. He let her, and they stay there, looking down at the carpet, without saying anything. From the open window could be heard laughter and merriment from the backyard, the party going on without them, still not enough to fill the heavy silence. It felt final but it wasn’t: they still had weeks since he left, and they had plans even before they knew -now more plans, since she was apparently un-grounded. She shouldn’t feel like it was the ending page of a book, but she did. She wondered if she should tell him something, and what that she hadn’t already. 12 years of friendship and being in close contact almost daily left her without much unsaid that didn’t feel redundant. Still, she felt like she had to tell him something. Something that wasn’t deflecting from what she really felt. It felt too raw, tho, too close for comfort and… And maybe too much. Because honestly she didn’t exactly know how she felt.

“Why military academy?” She asked, instead. “You like history… Why not History?”

He sighed, deeply, sliding his bottom forward and crossing his hands on his belly, looking up at the ceiling, legs long before him, and crossed one ankle over the other. She absent-mindedly turn to lean her legs on his calves, needing the contact even if he furrowed minutely at it and seemed to get more rigid than before.

“I like history, but… With all that’s happening, with the Circles coming back and the situation growing tenser… I don’t know, I want to help.”

“You could help with-”

“I’m not an academic, Ash. I… I like the anecdotes, but I can’t see myself researching forever, my nose stuck in a book. I like the anecdotes, but those alone won’t help many people on their own…”

“… You sound like babae, now.”

 “Well, he’s right.” He snorted.

“You could write. Get into television, speak up.”

“Not my style. Can you see me speaking to a public and riling up a crowd?” He peeked up, with a lopsided smile.

She couldn’t but shake her head, looking down as the realization that no, he would actually be terrible at it, start fumbling after three words and not bring his point across. He hated public speaking. The thought made her want to cry more, since she was running out of reasons to make him stay.

“I want to protect people. Other mages like you and Dorian, not just you when Raleigh calls you freaks.”

“He doesn’t-”

Another eyebrow raised at her, in silence, without the smile tho. She thought about it, and realized that, indeed, Samson hadn’t told them a single word in the last year… Just when Cullen was around. The slurs have been there, but just when they were alone.

“… How long-”

“September.”

“… The black eye wasn’t for football, then?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

He didn’t need to say much else. Aisling cried more: she had believed it without asking, and hadn’t questioned further. Hadn’t noticed anything. She felt stupid, and felt her heart clenching at the idea of the next year without him. Yes, Dorian would have been there but…

“I will miss you. A lot.” She sobbed, and she couldn’t stop, this time, covering her face with both hands. She didn’t know how to word it better, and the lack of words and definitions made her cry even more. She wished this was another math problem: math was simple, math was black and white, there was a correct answer for everything, you just had to think about it better. Here, there wasn’t anything right or wrong, no number to calculate to magically stop crying.

It was also true, tho, that math couldn’t bend forward, fumbling even more, and hug you tight, holding you as you cry, and crying as well.

“It’s just Denerim, Lavellan, I’m not going to war.”

“It’s three hours of train away.”

“We have cellphones, I’ll be just a phonecall away...”

“You hate them! You always forget to answer to messages!” She complained against his shoulder, unwinding her arms to hug him back.

“I’ll make an effort, I promise, just… Please, don’t cry.”

“Look who’s talking…”

In spite of everything they laughed, both crying in earnest nonetheless. They stayed there for a while, just unwinding. He promised her he would have called, again, and she believed him. She wanted to believe him, and so she did.

Luckily, no one commented of their absence, when eventually they got back down, eyes red and puffy and not really wanting to party. Dorian hugged Cullen as well, joking about it as they sat down, as per their usual, on a bench, cuddled all three together and just watching the rest of the party pass by. The next day was for stopping moping around and enjoy the summer, and they all would have put extra effort in having the most fun together. A last summer of freedom, some last weeks of being inseparable and have their parents joke about them and call them the three musketeers.

Some last weeks when no one was just a phone call away.

But now, it was for feeling things and crying, and pretending they were all crying because Raina couldn’t, for the love of her, reach the higher notes of Dancing Queen.

[aicosu]

11 for the ask game

11. Has a fic you’ve written ever caused issues/controversy?

Hmmmmm. I could say Message Sent, but not because the only allegory Bioware left me for modern Dalish was native american. But because I have never recieved more harassment ever, even when I brownfaced for cosplaying, than for not updating that fucking fic.

The backstory being that my grandma died. I had to drive home from LA help with thr funeral. So two months went by without update, then my dad had a heart attack. Twas not a great year. After scores of tumblr asks, reddit callouts, and literal mean comments, I just got super spiteful? Why update when someone badmouthed my grandma for dying and give them what they want? Why update when I was being accused of depriving people of "their coping" it was bad.

After that Sy convinced me to update again, but right after Trespasser came out and tbh i fucking... HATE SOLAS with how they wrote him? It made me really bitter.

Then a reylo plagarized it. Lol. So I wanted nothing to do with it if it was that cursed. Especially since some reylos still post about wishing it wasnt deleted and praising scenes that were stolen from my husbands and Is personal roleplays. Yikes.

Message Sent was a fun prompt turnes nightmare. It doesnt help that next chapters would mean me writing them fucking YELLING at each other. Who wants to get into anger vibes on a tuesday?

[hallahart]

Veilguard thoughts pt 4: up to the first big story choice

I’m a shadow dragon so it wasn’t a HARD choice for me, unfortunately Lucanis hates me now and the prettiest city is nasty which is a bummer.

Davrin… this guy was not on my radar but I’m here for it.

LET ME ROMANCE VORGOTH BIOWARE YOU COWARDS!!!

for real though… if there is not fic… I’ll write it. I have known Vorgoth for 3 lines and if anything happens to him etc

Neve is really lovely so it’s now okay that she stole my look, my class, my faction, and the object of my affections. I have a griffin dad now, I’m not mad stop printing that I’m mad!!

speaking of Neve, I love her friendship with Bellara. I have been the Bellara to so many Neves lmao

My biggest criticism so far is that I want more dialogue! There’s so few investigate options and I want to drill everyone about themselves and the lore. Particularly with companions it feels glaringly brief! I want to get to know these people more.

maevaris the woman that you are. the conversation with her after the dragon choice was really lovely.

loving all the casually trans and nonbinary characters popping up

Solas remains the sexy sad elf he is. Where is your wife sir. I’m glad we’re getting the option to warm up to him. He’s being so nice and cooperative! I’m sure it’s out of the goodness of his heart!

[flame2ashes]

Choose violence ask game, 12 thru 18, go!

This is gonna be Mass Effect and maybe also Dragon Age, sorry not sorry

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

This is so hard to answer because I think every character has its fanbase. But I'm also gonna say Ashley Williams Mass Effect. She's my bestie. She's my sister figure. She's my girlfriend. She deserves better

13. worst blorboficiation

ngl I don't know which one to choose. I want to say Grunt as Shepard's child - baby even - seeing as 1) Grunt is a teenager at best, 2) making "Shepard is Grunt's parent" a blanket characterization is annoying af, and 3) it's always always always always female Shepard who's the parent

(Throwback to that time when I was like "There should be more Shepard is Grunt's dad jokes" and people reblogged it like "How can I make this about female Shepard")

14. that one thing you see in fics all the time

Oh wait yeah there's a reason why I stopped reading Shakarian fic: they kept making it so that Kaidan was Shepard's ex. Stop!!! Leave him out of it!!! I don't read these fics for Shepard to break up with Kaidan on Horizon and then immediately rebound with Garrus!!! Kaidan deserves better than to be some mad ex!!! And Garrus deserves better than to be a rebound!!!

(Not to be like "Shakarians ruined Shakarian" but goddddddddd)

Also I feel like every other DAI fic I clicked on had this: novelization of game scenes. I'm not here to read copy/pasted dialogue!!! If I wanted to I'd just go play the games!!!

Also DAI-related: fics tagged Dorian/Iron Bull and when you click on them they're a background pairing at best. This especially when the other main pairing is a female Inquisitor with either Cullen or Solas. Filter those pairings out and you get a much narrower result. Then again those fics probably make Dorian out to be the Inquisitor's gay best friend anyway fjkdlajfkds

15. that one thing you see in fanart all the time

Not exactly "all the time," but I've seen this trend where Shepards who romance Garrus have his colony markings on their face and it's like. I'm not sure what the intention is for Shepard to have Garrus' colony markings. And I wouldn't really judge it as "cultural appropriation" because it's about a fictional culture. But also why???

Also ensemble fanart that's just the alien characters :(

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

I'm gonna be real. I don't understand why people like the original Citadel Councilors so much. I don't even mean this in a "The Councilors suck because they don't believe you" kind of way, I mean it in the "We literally only see the Councilors in a certain context and nothing really beyond that, why do people want to romance them so much???" It took me a few playthroughs before I actually saved them and it really didn't feel like I missed out on anything, including their characters

Tho I feel like this for a lot of the minor characters lol. Nihlus and Kal'Reegar, at least, have the reason of "They look cool," though I'm also wondering why so many people like them

Also, Garrus as a dom. I have no idea why that's a thing. He would be a service top at best

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

Two things:

1) More fic/art on the civilian perspective. People who see Shepard on TV and are like "Wow that guy kinda sucks". Civilian perspectives on the Reaper War. Civilian perspectives on the post-Reaper War outcome. Do you understand what I meannnnn

2) More post-ME3 fics where Shepard is dead and stays dead. No "Shepard died but everyone tries to figure out how to bring them back to life and it has some hopeful ending that they find Shepard or it ends with Shepard coming back to life" shit. I want ensemble fics on how everyone has to move on from Shepard's death in the midst of a recovering galaxy while it risks yet another mass conflict. Coming to terms with the fact that their saviour was another flawed human being. Using Shepard's memory to further an agenda. Do you understand what I meannnnn

(Though a fic where they try to find Shepard and they realize that Shepard is gone forever...I'd read it 👀)

18. it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

For Mass Effect? I was gonna say human characters, but honestly? Any of the minor species. Volus. Hanar. Batarians. Vorcha. tbf BioWare is also sleeping on them, so it's everyone's fault all around. I remember hearing that there was meant to be lore for the Vorcha but then they cut it. And for what

For Dragon Age? Literally playing as a non-elf character

[adonneniel]

on an even less serious note, my bitterness over Solavellan is exactly what led me to write my Inera/Itachi fic.

rambles under the cut:

can i take such damaged, unhealthy people and create something (at least somewhat) positive? in a broad sense, both Itachi & Solas have similar morals, both have taken those highly questionable morals to extremes "for the greater good." Both are victims of their own arrogance, and others paid the price with their lives and/or futures

but obviously there's a large difference between an ancient, powerful, godlike figure and a child soldier

Solas has agency and complete control over his actions regarding the creation of Veil, and he continues to make mistakes of a similar magnitude, again, of his own free will. No matter his guilt and desire to be proven wrong, he forges ahead with his plans. He makes no real effort to seek others' help and guidance. He's not only arrogant, but stuck in a loop he refuses to break (and he outright says to a befriended Inquisitor that the onus of breaking it is on their shoulders). If he'd treasures the chance to be wrong, for his plans to be thwarted, why is he refusing to take on at least part of the burden? Why is he refusing to listen? Again, self-flagellation without change is pretty much worthless imo.

Itachi, on the other hand, is largely a product of his upbringing. He was groomed, manipulated, and deliberately traumatized (by his own dad even!) from the start. Like. Toddlerhood. While it doesn't let him off the hook, I'm not surprised he turned out so fucked up. He was both victim and perpetrator. And upon his resurrection (and specifically upon hearing how Sasuke turned out), he not only showed self-awareness of his many failures, but realized that he alone was incapable of fixing them. Whether or not you think it was too little too late, he at least made the attempt to change. He's demonstrated that he has the potential for growth.

As for Inera's role in all this...I don't want to give the impression that she's nothing but a stand-in to examine these two characters, even if that's where the idea started. She's very much her own person, and I'm just as interested in using Itachi & Solas as a way to explore and push her as a character. As one of the Dalish, cooperation was a necessity. It's central to how elves as a whole have survived through the ages, and thus it's a core part of how she moves through the world. While she's not entirely free of arrogance, this does lead her to undervalue her contributions in regards to things like her clan or the Inquisition. She's just one person. She couldn't have survived or succeeded without the help of others. What difference does her presence or absence actually make? It makes her an interesting person to pit against lone wolves like Solas and Itachi. (And by tossing her into a whole different universe via crossover shenanigans, it also forces her to confront who she is outside of grander identities. This is only amplified by recent revelations regarding the Evanuris and ancient history. Her perception of the world has been thoroughly trashed. What does that do to her character? To her identity as both and elf and one of the Dalish? Both of which were identities she clung to fiercely as the role of Inquisitor worked to erase her personhood. Is she resentful? Humiliated? Perhaps coping by running away from it altogether? Can she rebuild her sense of self, or will she simply latch onto the next cause to cross her path?)

If you read this far, I love you lmao

[revvethasmythh]

spoilers under the cut because it's endgame stuff!

i was incredibly indignant about getting sent to Mind Prison when it happened (solas, when I GET you--) but it undeniably FUCKED, so i can't be too mad. big fan of the mind prison, every protagonist should get thrown into a fucked up situation like Mind Prison.

Varric's whole situation was not a surprise at all, that felt very much signaled if you've been paying attention (and lol at the dialogue options to be like, "I think I knew". I didn't choose them, because that's not how my rook felt, but *I* knew).

I DID know what would happen to whoever led the distraction team and tbh the choice came earlier than I thought it would and really cemented that it had to be Harding for me. mechanically, you can pry Davrin out of my cold, dead hands. i NEED him in my party, he and lucanis are my best specced team to synergize with my skills. but also, on an emotional and storytelling level, I think losing harding is the BEST thing I could have done, because rook trying to honor her beliefs ("no one is beyond help, rook. i have to believe that, or none of this matters" "I know that the world is good, and that I love the people in it") and how much she believed solas could be redeemed is truly THE thing driving rook toward the redemption ending. rook had been cynical about solas in every conversation with harding on the topic, and harding always cautioned that you need to reach out no matter what. that there's a chance for everyone, even when you think it's long past too late. i don't know if rook if enough of an optimist about people to really believe those things herself, especially after the shit solas pulled, but for harding? to honor the sacrifice she made by doing what she would do? yeah, she can reach out one last time, for her sake.

that said, i am SHATTERD for taash, though. taash had this line where they were like "I knew it was mistake. everyone i love dies." and i was like 😭 oh okay am i just supposed to keep going after that, okay. anyway taash 🤝 the hero of ferelden on me killing off their love interest in pursuit the most personally emotionally satisfying story. i think they should either start a support group, unionize against me, or, frankly, both.

re: the bellara or neve choice, i knew something would happen to the person chosen but not exactly what and i thought I'd spare neve from the Horrors for ONCE in this playthrough but frankly in retrospect i think neve would have preferred being the one taken because she disapproved of me letting bellara deal with the wards and is EXTREMELY Not Good about what went down after. she was fully just IN bellara's room being upset when i went to talk to her. i try to spare her some Horrors and i think i fucked her up even worse, there is no winning here lmao

shoutout to emmrich and davrin, also, because i just KNOW they were Team Dads after everything went down on that island. like, everyone else is a COMPLETE mess. neve is broken about bellara being gone, taash is broken about harding being dead, lucanis is broken about rook being missing--absolute fucking clusterfuck happening in the team, and i just know it took all of davrin and emmrich's combined strength of will to keep the team even a little bit glued together after all that. it really must have been so unbelievably shattering for the team that was left and, yeah, an excellent vein to tap for fic etc.

anyway, on to the last half of the game later today!

not to be dramatic but. Something Happened

[teamdilf]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love 💕

Hmm - let's see here...

Cerberus HR Presents: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - a Miranda Lawson Seminar

Possibly the funniest thing I've ever written and I'm so proud of it. Once in awhile I'll re-read it and it still makes me giggle (yes, I'm the sort who laughs at my own jokes - a trait I gave to Adrien Victus for those familiar with my Mass Effect work).

A Broken Old Estate

Not my first Adrien Victus-focused work but the first one where I really dug into his history and fleshed out the origins of a character with about 10 minutes of screentime in-game. There's one particular chapter that made me cry harder than anything else I've ever written.

The Wolf's Flower

My post-canon Solavellan fic. While no longer canon-compliant, I'm still so proud of how I took little lore hints and common theories to craft a story about how Solas and Iris found one another again and trudged through the smoldering ashes of their romantic relationship.

An Unfortunately Sexy Man

Another comedy work I'm very proud of - this was a gift for the 2023 Spec Reqs exchange. Because the title does not do it justice, here is the summary:

Jarun Tann is an obtuse fool. Unfortunately, he's an obtuse fool that Addison, Kandros and Kesh all have a crush on. The three of them get together to offer one another moral support through what is clearly the very worst thing to have happened thus far in Andromeda.

The Citadel Adventures of Castis Vakarian and Alec Ryder

Around the time I decided to write this fic, I was going through the Castis & Alec tag on AO3, so sure that I'd find a ton of fics exploring their friendship. There was... one or two. Scandalized, I decided to write my own. I adore Garrus' dad - I think he gets hated on unnecessarily in the fandom, and I really wanted to expand on the work I'd already done in other fics developing him as a character. Bonus: this is the first fic Cecilia Vakarian shows up in!

Tagging @thetrashbagswasteland, @sparatus, @outpost51, @daisywalletchains, @ferindencadash