#i smooch you gently on the forehead if you get through all of this sdfjdfsdfj

[choccy-zefirka]

It's a common theme for my Emmrook ships that they bond through a silly hobby that Rook has and hides out of embarrassment, only for someone from the inner circle (usually Emmrich) to discover it and support them; or a silly hobby that Rook does not hide but might not always be taken seriously for, persisting regardless and infecting Emmrich with their enthusiasm.

Specifically:

Evaraas Mercar writes crime serials and submits them anonymously to a Tevinter paper. They are very shy and secretive about this side of themself, until Neve puts two and two together and presents her findings to the book club, and Emmrich realizes that Evaraas has based a character on him. I have written a whole fic about it!

Hjördis Laidir has a flair for the theatrics, specifically dramatic storytelling with magical effects. She takes advantage of camping out in the Fade to put on elaborate shows with spirit actors and illusory backdrops, often featuring parodies of the villains the team once encountered. Other shows are recreations of her escapades with the Lords of Fortune. She does not force anyone to be in the audience, but Manfred and Spite are both delighted to watch, in their own way, as is Bellara. Emmrich, for his own part, is utterly giddy to be swept off in a world of adventure, like an enchanted princess on Hjördis' magic carpet ride. After learning the truth about Varric, Hjördis grows ashamed of her storytelling antics, because she will never measure up to Varric's legacy, but her companions reassure her otherwise.

(She also likes playing board games with Johanna's skull, though she cares more about Rule of Cool than about dice rolls. I don't think Johanna minds, as you can hardly go more Rule of Cool than turning into a giant skeleton).

Sataa Mercar was raised by her overprotective adoptive parents as a very sheltered, airy fairy maiden, learning all the elegant arts like embroidery and music. Later, after running away to join the Shadow Dragons and seeing the true horrors and corruption of Tevinter, she swears off her "frivolous" hobbies as a vestige of her past life. Yet the music room at the Lighthouse beckons her, and eventually, she reveals this terrible secret to Emmrich (at the time, she is not as close to him as to some of her other companions, so it feels less painful to disappoint him). Yet he insists that there is a place for beauty and hope even in a dark, blighted world.

Da'Adahl Laidir is a former Sentinel who stumbled upon a group of treasure hunters in an elven ruin and ended up joining them to see more of the modern world. Like Sataa, she is spreading her wings and discovering herself after a sheltered youth, only in reverse: her mentors, Abelas in particular, insisted that the Thedas of today is a decaying husk, innately grim and filled with untold dangers. Yet she is absolutely delighted to discover all the little things that make everyday people smile. You could say that her hobby is cultural studies, and she is very passionate about it, to the point of being annoying, but thankfully, she has her Yapper Squad (Bellara and Emmrich).

Beata Ingellvar is into fashion and makeup, and also paints a little. Since she favors a flowery pastel aesthetic, with a lot of pink and sunrise hues, and is a gorgeous petite dwarfette with an hourglass figure to boot, many people assume she is too stupid for the serious and important pursuits of a Mourn Watcher. Nonetheless, she asserts herself with spunk and confidence, and Emmrich is there to cheer her on through very rare slips into self-doubt.

Lenore Aldwir has always liked alchemy, and while her hobby was recognized as valuable by the various groups she joined — first the Agents of Fen'Harel, then the Veiljumpers — she never actually *talked* to anyone about it, because past bullying for her appearance has made her withdrawn and guarded, and because some people assume, looking upon her with a mix of fatphobia and ableism, that she is some kind of "not all there" savant and can't actually talk like a "normal person". She has resigned to being dismissed as a stupid, weird creature skulking in the background while normal people live their lives, and rarely speaks up even among her companions. Assan and Manfred are a different story; they will never judge her, and she often rambles to them about the formulas she's mixing while they watch her work. One day, Emmrich comes looking for Manfred and finds him listening, enraptured, to one of Lenore's alchemy lectures. She is mortified, because Emmrich is an actual academic and she is self-taught, and swears she did not mean to disrupt Manfred's studies and steal him away... But her fate is sealed. Emmrich is officially in love.

Vashkost Thorne is a cheery, larger-than-life Grey Warden whom Evka and Antoine rescued from a Tal-Vashoth cult that was trying to achieve ultimate strength by drinking darkspawn blood (not unlike the Antaam would soon do under Ghilan'nain's guidance). A lot about her is inspired by Karlach — the one broken horn, the unrelenting friendliness, the boundless optimism born out of living on borrowed time, the occasional bursts of righteous anger — so her silly little hobby is making plushies, in honor of Clive! I hc that she kisses both Emmrich and Bellara, who get soft, handcrafted gifts. (Manfred gets a teddy bear that's almost as big as he is).

Otrera Aldwir is a Veiljumper for gameplay reasons, but her "true origin" is a former agent of the Inquisition. Harding took her under her wing when, 10 years ago, Otrera was exiled to the surface from Orzammar for catching a glimpse of the sun through the crack caused by the tremors in Descent. Originally, though, Otrera was a very dedicated young member of the Warrior Caste, and trained ardently to protect her city. A cousin of hers was a Silent Sister, and Otrera would often follow her around, acting as her sign language interpreter. This instilled a love of translation and interpreting in her, though right now, she does not allow herself to have hobbies, because whenever she finds a cause to follow, she throws herself all-in, without a moment of rest and reflection. Somebody make her put her sword down and read a nice book of translated dwarven poems or something.

The last two Emmrich kissers without a silly little hobby are Vitaar Laidir, a deliberately crude pirate who secretly longs to be loved (and recently discovered that the Fade shenanigans are turning her into a mage), and Araña de Riva, a mournful and brooding half-elf, half-Qunari assassin who was picked up by the Crows off the streets, where she was doing gymnast and contortionist tricks to earn some coin. I suppose acrobatics/parkour could be her silly little hobby, but she's come associate it too much with her job (which she hates).

Any ideas? :D Assuming you've read thus far.