#illusivesoulwriting

[illusivesoul]

"Together, for Good This Time"

For @lelianazine Leliana's Week Event

Day 7 Prompts: Warden/ Champion / Inquisitor

Words: 740

Read it on AO3

"Serena Brosca returns home."

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The familiar squeaking filled the air, mixing with the noise of metal clanking on metal as the armoured warriour approached the entrance to the villa, creating a disorganized symphony that mixed with the distant noise of waves crashing against the shore. The sound of sniffing and paws scratching wood intensified as soon as she put the large key in the lock and pulled the door on the side of the large wall that surrounded the villa open.

Before she could step inside, a small creature rushed to her excitedly.

"Hey you!" Brosca said as she took the nug that had started scratching her greaves and lifted it in her arms.

"You're Schmooples the Second, I think, unless all your siblings have this same mark here as you do” the woman said as she pointed to the reddish mark along the nugs back “Red doesn't stop gushing about you in her letters. You were this small when I last saw you, like a flea on a bronto" she said as she made her thumb and index fingers almost touch" I knew your dad, you know?"

Brosca gave it a half smile, as memories filled her mind.

"Oh, it's one of those subterranean bunny-pigs! Oh, look at him! Come here you" Leliana said as she kneeled beside the nug, softly scratching his ears as the creature leaned into the touch “Thank you so much, Serena. You made my day”

“You��ll thank me more if you have him for dinner. They taste good with potatoes”“I told you I am not going to eat it!” Leliana wrapped her arms around the nug protectively, an annoyed expression set on her face.

“Well, if you ever changed your mind, you can put some salt and butter on it and…”“Let 's go, Schmooples. You don’t have to listen to this”

The dwarf chuckled as she saw the woman walking back towards her tent with the nug.

“What kind of name is Schmooples anyway?”

The nug chirped in response, almost as if she could see what was going through the dwarf’s minds.

"It would be funny if you understood me" the warden smiled as her gauntleted hand scratched the top of the creature's head.

"What are you, like 8 years old now? You've gotten no bigger though. Don't know if you even get bigger"

"Old nugs are not a common sight in Orzammar, after all. Isn't that right, lady Paragon?"

The anxiety that had been building up in her chest since she started her journey back turned into a firestorm as the sound of that voice, her voice reached her ears. And suddenly her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest.

“Leliana”

“Serena”

Lips curving into a trembling smile, the former warden let the nug down on the floor, tears already threatening to spill forth as her eyes met hers. Leliana had more lines dotting her face, the unavoidable marks of time making themselves seen, gray already settling in and stealing some of the red from her hair. A basket filled with finely cut vegetables and fruit filled her basket hung from her arm, the latest meal for all the ever hungry subterranean bunny pigs, as she had called them all those years ago.

“The small ones are from a litter born 2 months ago, and I know they seem like a lot, but they’re not that… that much trouble to handle…”

Brosca hadn’t expected to be the first to cry, always having prided herself in “bottling up everything”, as Rica liked to say. And yet, by the time she realized what she was doing, Schmooples the Second was hastily devouring the contents in the basket, Leliana having lost all care for it and dropping it as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, the dwarven woman's mouth pressed to hers in a tight kiss, lips on each other amidst a wave of laughs and breaths that spoke of a longing that words couldn't describe.

They parted for air, forehead to forehead, and the laughter came, the joy of finally being together. For good this time.

Serena's fingers traced the crow's feet spreading from the corners of Leliana's eyes.

“Don’t say it”

"You got old"

"Oh, shut up" Leliana answered, followed by a phrase in orlesian that the dwarf couldn’t understand but still made her laugh.

“Where have you been?”

“It’s a long story. We have a lot of catching up to do”

[illusivesoulgaming]

"Directions"

Yesterday I saw an re music video on Youtube and one of the comments said "The alternate reality where the Raccoon City outbreak never happened". That was my inspiration for writing this short little thing.

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Summary: "In a world where the Raccoon City outbreak never happened, a cop in the subway gets asked for directions"

Relationships: Leon/Claire

Word Count: 699

Read on AO3

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The subway never had many people at this hour. All the better for him, he thought as he rubbed his eyes. The hangover from last night’s party with Jim was killing him. Downing half a vodka bottle after losing a coin toss didn’t seem like a good idea today, but it had certainly seemed good enough for him last night.

“Train arriving soon”

The computerized voice and the short jingle made him rub the sides of his head. Everyday he spent posted to the subway, the more he wished to get out of there. But rookies went wherever they were sent, not where they wanted to be.

“Just a few weeks and then we’ll have you in the streets. You’ll like the subway, Leon. Not a lot goes on there” Marvin had said to him. 

“ “Not a lot goes on there” Understatement of the century” the cop said as he stretched his arms, barely containing a yawn as he did. Still had to keep the appearance of professionalism.

“Why does a city of a hundred thousand even have a subway?” Leon said to himself as he watched the few people that went in and out of the arriving trains. There were a lot more around rush hour, but still, he didn’t think it justified the number of trains or even the existence of the system in the city. “And Warren said they’re going to expand it even more next year. Must be laundering money or something. I should look into it”

“Give it up, mayor Warren! You’re under arrest” Leon said with his gun drawn as the door from the mayor’s office fell to the floor after he kicked it, a squad of police officers and the S.T.A.R.S unit behind him backing him up as he entered the office “You’re nothing but Umbrella’s puppet, taking their dirty money in exchange for letting them do as they please with this town, but it ends now!”

And just as he was exiting the building with the mayor in cuffs, ready to give his statement to the waiting reporters and their flashing cameras, a strong pull in his shoulder snapped him back to reality and out from his daydreaming.  

“Hello? Civilian contacting planet cop. Anyone in there receiving me?” 

Leon shook his head as he turned to see a redheaded woman in a leather jacket that left her toned arms exposed, black fingerless gloves and long brown boots staring into his soul with a very annoyed expression set on her face.

“Yes, ma’am, how can I help you?”

“Glad to see the city officers being so aware of their surroundings. Only had to stand here for a minute before you noticed. Do you know what station goes to the police department? I’m going to see my brother?”

“Take the train to Redstone Street Station. Once you exit, it’s only a short walk to the department”

“Good. Thanks” the woman replied “By any chance, do you happen to know if Chris Redfield is currently there?”

“Sure is. At least was when I left 2 hours ago” Mentioning the time made him remember all the hours he still had ahead of him before his shift ended. He complained mentally as usual. "Huh, did Chris ever mention he had a sister? Can't remember"

A bright white light began filling the tunnel, and shortly after the big red train arrived and stopped at the station.

The woman stepped into the train, and shortly before it closed, Leon spoke.

“Hey, tell Chris he still owes me 5 bucks”

The woman chuckled “Will do. He owes me money too. What’s your name?”

But before he could answer, the doors slid close and the train moved away from the station.

“Meh, whatever. I’ll tell Chris the daydreaming blondie cop at the subway station told me that you owe him money” Claire said to herself as she watched Leon slowly fading away into the distance as the train entered the tunnel.

“He’s cute. In that dorky way kind of cute” she thought as she sat down and turned on her walkman, put on her headphones and lost herself in the music as the train took her to her destination.

[illusivesoul]

A Farewell

For @lelianazine Leliana's Week Event

Day 5 Prompts: Ghost/ Divine

Words: 630

Read it on AO3

"Leliana had grown quieter in the weeks after the Inquisition's dissolution was announced. Josephine had noticed"

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“Maker, that was atrocious. Plaidweave in a ball? You’d have been horrified if you had seen it”

Leliana's lips curved slightly upwards, letting out a soft chuckle in response to Josephine before returning her sight to the two moons shining brightly in the clear night sky above the rookery.

Josephine let out a deep breath, that tightness in her chest that had become a constant in all her conversations with Leliana lately returning with force, a growing sadness, a sensation of something having been lost forever without knowing what it was permeating her mind.

“You have been a good friend, Josephine” the spymaster said, her voice almost echoing across the rookery now that there were no crows around, the flame from the candle on the table almost seeming to dance at the sound of the woman’s voice, like a bard enthralling an audience with her tunes “Perhaps the truest friend I’ve ever had, and a better friend than I deserved. I am sorry for all the pain I may have caused you”

The ambassador stretched out her hand, wrapping her fingers with Leliana’s gloved ones  from across the table. She wanted to say something, reassuring words she had told to so many for so long, a vain attempt to reassure both herself and Leliana that everything would be alright. But no words came out, lips parting open but no sound coming from them as tears began rolling down her face.

The spymaster placed her other hand on top of Josephine’s, giving her that empty reassuring smile accompanied by a short nod. “You should rest. You will need all your energies for dealing with the merchants”

Tears were quickly wiped dry by a silk cloth, the ambassador trying to put back on the diplomatic facade she had started to use around Leliana for the past few weeks as she became colder, more distant.

“Yes, of course. See you tomorrow, my dear”

The two of them learned forward, giving two kisses on each other’s cheeks as a farewell, Josephine feeling the borderline unnatural cold from Leliana’s lips seeping into her skin.

As she reached the stairs of the rookery, she turned around and gave one more look at her friend.

Leliana smiled and nodded at her once again, before returning her gaze to the distant and cold night sky.

Josephine nodded back, and continued her descent, the sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that something had been finalized that night, that something would leave alongside the stars and moons once the morning came… and would never return.

The first rays of sunlight creeped over the horizon and through her window when the ambassador bolted up from her bed. She had never tended to oversleep, the burden of responsibilities casted on her shoulders from an early age quickly dissipating any notion of sleeping more than what was strictly necessary, her body honed to wake up at the usual schedule, more often than not before the dwarven clock she always carried with her started emitting noise.

But what had startled her and brought her out from the realm of dreams was not the meeting she would have in a few hours, but a deafening cacophony of caws and beating wings, powerful enough to echo across Skyhold and the valley below before ever so slowly starting to vanish. Josephine scratched her eyes as she looked outside the crystal of her window, her hand instantly covering her mouth in surprise as she saw the flock of crows departing from the tower, spreading from it across all directions in the sky.

As she watched in awe, a familiar scent reached her nose, and her eyes widened as she saw what laid at the feet of the bed.

“Andraste’s Grace? But… I never brought that flower here…”

[illusivesoul]

I'm very interested to hear what your josie leli celene wip is about

Thank you for asking, friend!

Its part of the wider Josiana Divorce story I'm writing. Basically it shows the 3 of them interacting over the years, and how eventually Leliana ends up working as Celene's spymaster post DAi, much to Josie's dismay and its part of what ends up breaking things between them.

[illusivesoul]

Wip Meme

Was tagged by @corpocyborg Thank you :)

I'll tag @celemee @nowandthane @marythegizka and @lyriumlullaby-ao3 Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

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"Have you remained in touch with Cassandra?"

"Yes, her letters complaining about nobility and orlesians and nevarrans are always an amusing read, and we've met whenever I've traveled to Val Royeaux. She's happy, and she keeps Vivienne quite happy too, though she is understandably reserved about the topic"

"The right hand of the Divine has many uses" Leliana tried to keep her mind focused in the warm mental image of Cassandra making Vivienne happy, and not on the bitterness that surrounded the edges of her mind, the poisonous thought that had accompanied her all these years that said that the Sunburst Throne should have been hers "Quite the match they made. I could have given our dear Cassadra some advice had Vivienne not gotten rid of me as quickly as she did"

"You wouldn't have stayed even if she asked you to. You were too stubborn, too proud. You still are, Leliana" Josephine smiled as she slid the desserts tray towards the redhead "Try them"

[illusivesoul]

Throwback Thursday

Was tagged by @imakemywings Thank you :)

I'll tag @quietborderline @corpocyborg @celemee and @mclavellan. Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

A Divine's Hand is a short Justinia/Leliana fic I wrote last year.

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“So to answer your question, Evelyn Trevelyan: yes, it was more than friendship. Friendship is a lacking term to describe the bond that we had. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. There are many things I have to see with to make sure this Inquisition of ours lasts more than a month”

As Leliana retreated to the depths of her tent, she pretended to focus on the papers in front of her, the wood on the sides of the table creaking in protest as she tightened her grip on it, desperate to hold back the tears, the rage, the pain and loss that boiled inside of her. Cause she knew, and she felt it, that if she turned around, she would be met with the sight of Trevelyan smiling mockingly at her, laughing at her pain and reveling in the turmoil she had caused. And through the holes in the fabric of the tent, the green glow of the Breach made itself seen, the embodiment of Justinia’s loss haunting her from the very skies.

But Leliana did not falter. She would not let Justinia’s name be tarnished any further by her weakness.

She had failed her enough already.

[illusivesoul]

Oohh... these WIP titles are intriguing! I find myself particularly drawn to "Cailan had his women... and I had mine", because, you know, it's Anora, but also, I really wonder what Jack and Ash's dynamic would be like!

Thanks for asking :)

Here's a snippet of a ficlet I'm making and its how I feel things would go between Ash and Jack.

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Ashley's back rose ever so slightly with each breath she took, hogging all the sheets like she always did.

It had been a month since they moved in together, and the sight of Ash still made Jack feel that way she loved and hated at the same time. Attached… dependable.

An standard, by the books Alliance soldier who followed rules and regulations like a volus banker followed galactic trade stocks, and herself, a former convict, former pirate, former a lot of things that should have gotten her locked up for several lifetimes, now turned teacher and trainer for the Alliance, with somewhat of an anger issue to boot. They should have gotten along like oil and water, and yet here they were, familiar with each other in more ways than one.

"Knuckle deep knowledge of the Lieutenant Commander" the thought made Jack snort as she finished getting dressed. Had to get moving before Ash got up. She had a gift to collect.

[illusivesoul]

Oh you KNOW i’m gonna ask about that last one!! Pls to tell me of Anora’s conquests plssss 😍

Thank you for asking, friend! Tagging @vulpixelates and @marythegizka here cause you asked about this one too :) This is basically a story of Anora having many encounters with ladies in Thedas over the course of the story of the games.

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"May the summers be fair and the winter storms kind to the petals of this garden, less the memory of what we grew vanishes as tears in the rain"

"My, my, a Rivasalez poem. I had expected many things from you, queen Anora, but antivan poetry was certainly not one of them" the princess consort said as she lifted her half emptied cup, followed by a small nod.

"It is always good to become familiar with the cultures of the places one will visit. But in truth, I've always had a fondness for the poetry of your people. My mother had a large collection of books from some of your most famous poets and writers. There's nothing quite like antivan verses. They're almost as good as your food"

"Ah, so there you have me at a disadvantage. You know so much already about my writers, yet I know so little about yours, or from Ferelden in general. Perhaps we can talk about fereldan culture in depth later this evenning" princess Maria smiled as she stood from her seat, slowly making her way towards Anora as she ran her long fingers along the edge of the ornate wood of the table "Celene had nothing but the highest of praises of the cultural exchange you had with her during your visit to Val Royeaux. I can only hope that we can share as much of our culture with each other as you did with her"

"Quite forward, are you not?" Anora replied, her lips curving into a hint of a smile "But I find your proposal most... agreeable"

"Perfecto! I shall look for you after tonight's meal. Do not overindulge yourself in the banquet. Antivan food is magical, but I suspect you shall enjoy the dessert the most"

[illusivesoul]

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 ❤️

Thank you so much! @judithmactir tagging you here too cause you tagged me in one of these :)

I'll tag @ziskandra @celemee @corpocyborg @quietborderline and @wardenrainwall . Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

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 ❤

My fics under the cut.

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A warden Bethany/Brosca story

A short AU story from Cassandra's pov after the inquisition fails and its taken over by the Chantry

A story in which Briala goes to the Denerim alienage to make an alliance with Shianni

A oneshot of a letter left behind by Leliana after she dissapears some time after being named Divine

A Leliana/Justinia story set in the aftermath of the Conclave explosion and when the Inky asks Leli if she and Justinia were together

[illusivesoul]

Snippet Sunday

Was tagged by @morganaseren Thank you :)

I'll tag @quietborderline @hollyand-writes @timesthatneverwere and @elellan Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

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"Are you done? That little empty box gave you the peace of mind you wanted?" Lavellan replied as he climbed down from the arms of the statue "Get outside. We're leaving" The elf wasn't far away enough for the "bloody shems" he uttered to not reach Leliana's ears. The spymaster let out a deep breath, tightening her grip on the golden box, moving it around in her hands as she vainly hoped to find a secret compartment or a note or anything more. Vivienne placed her hand on Leliana's shoulder, a single act of silent support offered. They had never been friends or gotten along particularly well, but perhaps the Grand Enchanter saw a reflection of herself for a moment in Leliana, or perhaps it was just simple empathy, the spymaster thought. Leliana looked up and gave her a brief, silent smile. Vivienne nodded and walked back towards the entrance. Sitting on the ground, she read the words on the box once more. “The Left Hand should lay down her burdens”. “What more were you hoping for, Leliana? Justinia has released you. Lucky you” As she placed the box beside herself, she noticed the crimson pool of blodo coming from Nathalie’s corpse had almost reached her feet. And then, the lights from the candles started to dim, and the chill going up and down her spine and the way the hairs on the back of her neck were standing made it clear to her that the cold that had started to fill the Chantry was anything but natural.

[illusivesoul]

WIP MEME!

Was tagged by @alyssalenko and @judithmactir Thank you!

I'll tag @master-dellamorte @mightymizora @rawliverandcigarettes and @hannahrama Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

This is from a horror type fic I've been wanting to do for some time about the Yahg that gets loose in Sur'Kesh during the Cerberus attack in ME3.

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"Nothing on the scanner. Unlikely anything would have come this way. Unless tracks were erased"

The sargeant shook his head to remove some of the drops of water from his head "The disturbance of recently moved ground would not have faded so quickly. Place the drones and readjust the antenna. We have to get out of the jungle before it gets dark"

The salarian soldier placed the minuscule machines that were no larger than bugs and visually not different from them on the trees and the leaves of the taller plants, ensuring a direct video broadcast back to base. Readjusting the antenna to its original position, he returned to his commanding officer at a hurried trot, not wanting to linger any longer than he had to in such a remote zone of the perimeter.

The salarian tightened the grip tightened the grip on his Venom shotgun as he threw one quick and final glance at the now beeping anthena before turning back around, the burning sensation of eyes burrowing into his neck and watching his every move becoming unbearable with each passing second.

As the 2 salarians faded from sight, the 8 eyes that had been tracking their every move finally blinked, and the yahg moved silently as he adjusted his position, moving until he was high enough to keep all the drones within his sight. He had learn the pattern of another patrol, now he would learn the behavior of their machines.

[illusivesoul]

2023 Fic Roundup

Was tagged by @imakemywings Thank you :) I'll tag @alyssalenko @celemee @tungstenb @marythegizka and @quietborderline Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

I'll put the blanks here and my answers under the cut. Repeating what imakemywings said: Please note you are by no means required to follow my template or include individual fic stats at all! You can just answer the questions if you prefer .

Total Words Published at end of year: 

Fandoms:

Highest Everything (raw kudos, hits, comments): 

Hits:

Kudos: 

Comments:

New Things I Tried:

Fic I Spent the Most Time On: 

Fic I Spent the Least Time On: 

Favorite Thing I Wrote: 

Favorite Thing(s) I Read:

Writing Goals for 2023: 

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Total Words Published at end of year: 20,727

Fandoms: Dragon Age and Mass Effect as usual. Started writing some other things for other fandoms but haven't posted them yet.

Highest Everything (raw kudos, hits, comments): 

Hits: I have a big femslash collection that I've been doing since 2022, so I'll ignore that one and use the fics that I posted this year alone. Kinktober 2023 - Day 1: "Flashing" (222)

Kudos: Kinktober 2023 - Day 1: "Flashing" (15)

Comments: Neck Massage (3)

New Things I Tried: I wrote a short fic from the perspective of Rendon Howe, which is something I never thought that I would do. But I had fun getting to delve deeper into his character. Also got to write for some new ships like Vido and Zaeed and Bela and Josie.

Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Of Paragons and Dusters. Exchange fics always take a lot of my time lol.

Fic I Spent the Least Time On: Neck Massage \ A short Kaidan\Steve fic.

Favorite Thing I Wrote: A Divine's Hand \ A Leliana\Justinia fic that I really like how it turned out.

Favorite Thing(s) I Read: "Suitable Indeed" A Leliana\Vivienne fic I got for an exchange.

"To Truly Live" a Maric\Loghain fic

"Royal Flush" a collection of Aria\Jack fics

Writing Goals for 2023: To finish some fics I started in 2020. Hoping to finally close them up and have a sort of blank slate lol.

[illusivesoul]

Zero Context WIP Tag Game

Was tagged by @hollyand-writes and @pinkfadespirit Thank you :)

I'll tag @celemee @alyssalenko @imakemywings and @lyriumlullaby-ao3 . Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

Deep breaths, short yet long at the same time. Sweat mixing with the blood running down her face, the rush of the adrenaline dulling the pain of where a guard's blade had left its mark, a mark that would never leave her skin. Another one for the collection. She knew she was home before her eyes processed it, the familiar taste of old dust filling her mouth, the tapping noise of her sandals against the finely detailed and decorated stone floors giving way to the sound of scrapping against the dry earth that soon covered her clothes, body and hair. Dropping down onto the ground, she rested her face against the stone of a crumbling building, catching her breath as her eyes drifted to the statue of the duster Paragon that towered over Dust Town. No one knew if she really had been a Paragon, probably not given the state of disrepair the statue was in, but it still was the closest dusters like her would ever get to having a Paragon of their own.

[illusivesoul]

Heyoooo! I come bearing a prompt: "Sunset in her eyes" for Morrigan and anyone you like.

Hi, friend! Sorry it took me so long, but I finally finished it.

Went with Morrigan and Anora. Once again, I went overboard and the story goes pass the word limit for the ask, so the full thing is here!

The first part of the story under the cut.

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Sunset in her Eyes

Anora had it all planned. The table and bookshelves had been dragged in front of the door as a makeshift barricade, the ache of arm muscles not used to physical effort as they once had been serving as testament to her exertions. The moment one of Howe's men, or if the Maker was feeling kind that day, the bastard Rendon himself walked in to finally get rid of her, she would hit him with the dagger directly in the throat or between the eyes. She'd then grab a weapon and fight her way out. Not a plan worthy of the daughter of Ferelden's greatest general, but it was the only she had. She had not, however, expected the door to start glowing. The spell Howe's mage had cast on the door to lock her in must be going awry. "Or the bastard finally decided to just burn me alive like a coward" Anora told herself as she ducked behind her improvised defenses. "A dagger and tin armour against a mage. How’s that for a challenge, Anora?" The enchanted door began creaking and twisting, the metal and wood groaning as the magic that held them in place was consumed by the fire being thrown from the other side, until they finally gave way with a loud thud that echoed across the room. "And there's that" a woman's voice pierced through the smoke. Sweat rolled down Anora's face as she pressed herself against the wall, her eyes still half closed due to the heat still emanating from the charred door and from the staff of the mage who had just entered the room, the wood filled with carvings and trinkets glowing crimson like the fire they had just helped to create. "You're alright?" Morrigan replied as she stretched her hand towards the queen from the other side of the overturned table. Her heartbeat still beating in her ears, Anora felt bedazzled while looking into Morrigan's eyes, the irises bright like a newly minted sovereign, their yellowish hue singing of mystery and power, the Fade and the Black City echoing distantly in them. "I am unharmed. Thank you" Anora answered as she took Morrigan's hand and stood "You're one of the warden's people, yes?" "I am no one's people, woman. But I am assisting the Warden. For the moment, at least" "You're chasind? You must not know who I am to speak to me so" The woman let out a hearty laugh that dripped with sarcasm "Let me guess. You're lady this and that, married to lord Fancy Shoes, and you've taken offense to being talked to in such a disrespectful way by a southern barbarian. Or you could be the queen we came to rescue. Not that there's much difference between the two, after all. Thought I must say, the queen of Ferelden in a common soldier’s armour is a most amusing sight" Anora felt the bitter sting building up in her stomach. She had always prided herself in being better than most nobles, but the truth in the mage's words had gone past the thick skin she had built from her years at court. "Yes, my offense is great, but I'd prefer to be outraged somewhere where my life isn't at risk. I assume Eamon sent you?" "Most perceptive indeed. The warden is down in the dungeon, taking righteous and glorious revenge against this Howe man" "If the Warden guts Howe, that would be appreciated by most fereldans" Anora replied, her eyes discreetly roaming across the woman's shape "But regardless, I'd be most gratefulif you could get me out of here" "Follow me. Don't get too far. I'd prefer not having to endure another of Cousland's rants as to how careless I was if you were to die under my watch" "I'll be sure to not lose you," Anora discreetly swallowed hard, mentally reprimanding herself over the fact that the sight of the mage's barely covered breasts had replaced all the anger she had felt for Howe by far more improper thoughts.

Morrigan walked out of the room, her latest verbal sparring match with Elissa Cousland leading nowhere as it always did. Yet, it had become a good way to let out her frustrations. She walked across the empty hallways, where no one roamed this late into the night. Well, no one but Elissa on her way to make the bard sing those late night tunes she was so bad at hiding. "At least this time they're on another floor" Morrigan thought before seeing the light coming from the only open door on the corridor. Reaching the entrance, she saw the queen sitting in front of the fireplace, her gaze fixated on the large portrait of the recently deceased king which towered over the room. “Did you love him?” Anora slightly turned her head, just enough to see Morrigan standing by the door. The whisper of a smile formed on the queen’s lips. It was refreshing having someone not constantly treat her with royal deference, though she would not admit it “Love? In a way. We both had many things we loved, and we had been together all our lives. We weren’t unhappy, but… well, I guess we had as good a marriage as we could” “Curious” “Curious why?” “How you grieve for someone you didn't truly love. And if this Cailan was anything like his brother, I find it even harder to see anyone mourning his loss" The queen remained silent for a moment, her gaze returning to the large portrait of Cailan that dominated the room. “Yes… most curious how losing someone you've known so closely for decades may be difficult. Perhaps the sense of familiarity and loss in different in the Wilds” “You could always remarry if the prospect of loneliness troubles you so. Is that not what is expected from you royal women? To be always married and make heirs and their spares?” “If you had a large white beard, I could have sworn I was talking to Eamon” Anora answered as she stood and walked towards the chair by the window that overlooked the courtyard of Eamon's state “Regardless, if Eamon has his way, the throne will go to your friend, Alistair” The chuckle Morrigan let out echoed across the room “Alistair is not my friend” “That much was clear. But at least I made you smile. I imagine that’s quite the achievement in itself. Now, if you were looking for someone to have another shouting match with, since apparently your fight with Elissa didn't leave you sated, I suggest you go to Eamon and tell him that the Theirin bloodline is not a sacred gift from the Maker himself. He will give you all the fighting you could possibly want” "You heard my little disagreement with the warden" Anora chuckled, "I'm sure my father in the royal palace heard it. I learned years ago not to bother arguing with Elissa. She can be somewhat… abrasive" "And here I thought it was gulping down darkspawn blood which had soured her spirits. Interesting to know that she has always been such a delight" The sarcasm was evident in the witch's voice, yet Anora answered nonetheless "Her arguments with my husband were legendary. There ever really was only one thing that made that woman happy. Well, made a lot of women happy, to put it in a way" Morrigan remained silent for a moment, her eyes slightly widening as the realization dawned on her once she saw the coy expression on the queen's face "She bedded you too. My, my. Now it's clear how you endured those years at Cailan's side". "It was always a pleasant time when the Couslands came to Denerim. The downside was having to endure Elissa's manners when outside the bedroom. But enough about that" Anora stood and reapproached the fireplace "In case my head remains on my shoulders after the Landsmeet, how would you like to be the arcane advisor to the court?"

[illusivesoul]

A short fic for ockissweek.

Characters: Javiera De Valterra, Kalzah Sabol

Words: 632

"In which Kalzah comforts Javiera after the destruction of the Conclave"

Javiera is 30 and she was the revered mother of a Chantry in Antiva. Kalzah is is 48, from Rivain, and she was the elder cleric of Javiera's Chantry.

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Javiera's sight was fixated on the fire boiling the stew. The creaking of the old and rusted metal hinges that held the pot as they swinged slightly in the chilling night breeze and the bubbling soup inside seemed to have an almost hypnotic allure, almost strong enough for her not to think about the charred spots on her Chantry robes, consequence of the explosion that had destroyed the Conclave, or the distant greenish hue of the Breach, the doorway into the Fade that sat on top of the Frostback Mountains from where countless demons and other horrours seemed to pour through with each passing minute, eager to destroy a world that only seemed to spiral more and more into chaos with each passing day.

"You feeling alright?"

Annelise shook her head as she snapped out of her thoughts, turning to look at the source of the voice.

"Saw you staring into that pot as if you were looking at Andraste herself. You all right?"

"As well as one can be, considering all that has happened. How about you, Kalzah?"

“Not great, not terrible” The woman shrugged as she sat beside her on the log, folding the lower part of her Chantry robes so that they didn't touch the ground, not missing the chance to complain about her knees as usual. The bags under her eyes told Javiera that she had been getting as much sleep as she was. "Feeling like the world is about to end at any minute, and a strong desire to not let it happen"

"Always the fighter" Annelise said as she wrapped her fingers with hers, resting her head on the woman's shoulders.

"So bold” Kalzah said with a smile before lifting the woman's hand and placing a quick kiss on top of it, like they had done so many other times in those quiet and silent halls of their chantry “What will the Grand Clerics say?”

“Last I heard, there weren’t many Grand Clerics left to complain about us” Javiera sighed “What are we going to do?”

"You know, I think things are going to be alright"

The younger woman chuckled "You always think everything is going to be alright"

"And I'm usually right, no?"

"No, you’re not"

Kalzah began kneading Javiera’s brown hair, her fingers softly massaging her head as she spoke “Look, every few years something happens, a war, a crisis, a dragon attack that makes us feel like this is it, that it is all over. But things always end up getting sorted out. People always fix things somehow”

“There’s a hole in the sky, Kalzah”

Kalzah smiled “Indeed there is, which means it is just going to take a lot of people to fix it. Besides, I’m sure one of your stern talks will be enough to make all these demons and whatnot to go back into the Fade and close the Breach. Your social skills are quite magical”

Javiera stood upright and looked at Kalzah, the black in her eyes meeting the older woman`s deep blue ones, a half smile set on her face “Why are you so ridiculous?”

“Why are you so pretty?” the woman said as she softly ran her thumb across Javiera’s lower lip.

Javiera’s kiss took Kalzah by surprise, but it didn’t take her long to return it, as usual. Javiera’s hands moved into Kalzah’s graying black hair, and pulled her closer. It was a kiss that tasted in equal parts of despair and hope, a kiss that begged for the future they both wanted, and the future they would fight to get.

They parted the kiss for a moment, and rested forehead to forehead with their eyes closed, smiling, the cold of the night mountain air not bothering them anymore.

Everything was going to be alright.

[illusivesoul]

WIP Whenever

Was tagged by @starsandskies and @hollyand-writes Thank you :) I'll tag @dabs-into-oblivion @breadedsinner @mxkelsifer @nowandthane @mxanigel and @cactihazard Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

.

“So to answer your question, Evelyn Trevelyan: yes, it was more than friendship. Friendship is a very lacking term to describe the bond that we had. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. There are many things I have to see with to make sure this Inquisition of ours lasts more than a month”

As Leliana retreated to the depths of her tent, she pretended to focus on the papers in front of her, the wood on the sides of the table creaking in pain as she tightened her grip on it, desperate to hold back the tears, the rage, the pain and loss that boiled inside of her. Cause she knew, and she felt it, that if she turned around, she would be met with the sight of Trevelyan smiling mockingly at her, laughing at her pain and revelling in the turmoil she had caused.

But Leliana did not falter. She would not let Justinia’s name be tarnished any further by her weakness.

She had failed her enough already.