#lothering au

[secretsimpleness]

Brought to you by @butter-and-too-much-bread, who shared to me this idea in... 2020... Warden Cousland, Allison, Sten, Darkspawn 1 and 2 / Dragon Age Origins (c) Bioware

[thornfield13713]

So, for the Handers-in-Lothering thing, what if Marian was pregnant when they got separated?

Hmm.

Marian and Anders are one of the few of my DA pairs I can really consider having kids, though in canon I tend to assume that, if they do, it'll be an adoptive child, due to Anders being a Warden. They're involved in liberating the Circles, doubtless there are a lot of little apprentices with no family, and taking in one or a couple of those might well be something for Anders and Marian to do once things have calmed down a bit and they're no longer constantly chasing all over the place putting out fires - I really hope Veilguard isn't going to walk back Leliana's reforms as Divine, they're one of the few positive things to come out of Inquisition.

But in this case-

Huh, that actually changes a lot.

Starting with this - the dynamic between the Hawke siblings during their first year in Kirkwall completely changes if Marian has to go on maternity leave. I mean, there's already some major changes, since in this 'verse Malcolm lives a bit longer and is thus the one to die to an ogre instead of one of the twins, but here...I tend to assume a fairly long gap between the Hawkes getting to Gwaren and then to Kirkwall - there would be a lot of people leaving, presumably they needed to get money together to pay their passage, and by the time they get to Kirkwall it's already choked with refugees in a way it presumably wouldn't be if they'd got the first boat from Ferelden. Also, this builds in a cushion for Anders to leave the Wardens not quite immediately after the events of Awakening. So, assuming a few months, Marian is showing by the time they get to Kirkwall, and while there are a fair few tasks one can still do in a smuggling operation while pregnant, she's not going to be on the front lines straight away, even if she's back to work inadvisably soon after having her first child (I lean towards a girl, because Anders just has the vibe of a father of daughters). Which means that the twins are pushed forward a bit more in everybody's eyes - it's not just Marian people are noticing, and it's not just her supporting the family - it's all of them supporting each other because they can't afford to do anything else. This is better for Carver, who's finally getting the attention and notice he craves, but worse for Bethany, whose odds of avoiding Templar notice got a lot slimmer. And all that with an additional mouth to feed.

Which- Marian's having a bad enough time in this AU already. She's having a bad time in early DA2 already, but here she's lost her husband and her father in very quick succession, and been through the hellish trauma that is Ostagar. This might lead to a generally looser structure in the Hawke family - Hawke seems to be broadly In Charge in the game, in a way that suggests that they took over pretty smoothly from their dad in the role of paterfamilias, regardless of gender. In Marian's case, I tend to headcanon that happening because Leandra was deeply depressed after Malcolm died and someone had to manage the farm because the twins were still adolescence. Here, while Marian is still the sort of person who feels her responsibilities deeply and takes a lot on herself, the twins are (if barely) adults, and can share some of the weight, even if Marian's personality is always going to mean that she's inclined to take more on herself. Also, she's pregnant, and while that doesn't mean incapable, it does pose some difficulties for anything requiring agility or heavy physical labour once you're far enough along, which working for Athenril definitely would.

And all that before the reunion with Anders, and the revelation that while he thought Marian was dead and was fleeing Templars and being recruited into the Grey Wardens and getting possessed, he missed his daughter's birth and probably a fair chunk of the first year of her life. And- odds are that the kid's a mage. Like- mage dad, Mum's family have magic in their line on both sides...that kid is almost certainly going to be a mage, and everyone in the family knows it, which is going to make getting a title and some money and standing to hide behind even more urgent. So...yeah, that's an interesting one, I'm going to need to let it percolate.

[spainkitty]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Part 1 Chapter 3: hold thy hand, hold it back awhile

More DAO cameos! Including my Cousland, whom I refuse to admit died despite her not becoming the HoF in this 'verse. Nope. I do not see it. Also, Lanil's aggressive affection for her family shows up lol I loved the reunion between her and Jowan. Mostly though, this chapter is just sad and a Major Character death off-screen is mentioned. But it's an apocalyptic future and gets retconned, so I didn't tag it.

[wrdn-tabris]

debating.

[aleyothorncrow]

Raise Up This Gift, I'll Sharpen the Knife: Chpt. 8: Lothering

Rating: M || WC: (4,104/27,989) || Lothering Arc || Chpt: 8/25

(-> Read from the beginning)

Chapter Excerpt:

The one where deathroot grows amongst the wheat.

Only Blackwall gave an unconscious sigh as he stared at the nearby tavern, still full of rowdy laughter and music despite the pitched tents and parked wagons lined all the way up to its door. “Oh? So bread’s off the table, but ale’s still fair game?” Vivienne scoffed, and Mirenan started to scold her with a sharp, ���Viv—” But Blackwall beat her to it. “Ale would at least fill the belly.” Despite the downward furrow of his brow, he didn’t appear to be angry at all with the enchantress. No, it was something between challenge and charm that Mirenan could not put a word to—something in a language she did not know. But Vivienne seemed to understand, and she seemed strangely persuaded. “You know, it might not be a bad idea. And with how popular this establishment appears to be, the price must not be too dear.” She turned to Cullen, who still had the pouch of silver. “You have got to be kidding.” All of Cullen’s resentment toward Vivienne blinded him to whatever persuasion lurked in Blackwall’s eyes. “Do you really expect me to open the purse strings so you can both drown yourselves in drink?”

Chapter-specific tags/warnings below the cut.

Chapter-specific tags: Lavellan POV, Blackwall POV, Cullen, Vivienne, The Iron Bull

Chapter-specific warnings: No warnings for this chapter. :)

[angelicsentinel]

i haven't played this game in at least seven years and I never finished all the dlc but here I am again, like a fool.

[houseaeducan]

i forgot about this but showing you now bc I fr ate this up

Also I made Alison (canon Lothering NPC and Caleb’s ex-fiancé) in the VG CC the other day (and an AU daughter she and Caleb have that he doesn’t find out about until the act 2/3 break) and she honestly turned out sooo good I’ll show you guys when I’m at my computer

[tossawary]

I mentioned before that I think DA2 is perhaps the most appealing to me for a Time Travel AU. This is in part because Hawke as a protagonist doesn't have to worry about an impending apocalypse in the same way that the Warden and the Inquisitor do, so there's arguably more space for slow-moving character work, and I think it would be fun to explore Hawke's relationship to Kirkwall.

You can take Inquisition-era Hawke, sacrifice them in the Fade, and then handwavy magic happens there that sends Hawke back for a Time Travel Redo. (If it's irrelevant to the rest of the story, let's skip going into depth on the time travel method! It does not matter!) If you want to avoid time paradox concerns, given that time magic actually exists in this series, this can actually be a Dimension Travel AU as well, sending a Garrett Hawke back in time to another dimension where there's a Marian Hawke instead or something. Two Hawkes!

I prefer sending a mage Garrett Hawke "back" into this alternate dimension because he is absolutely going to look like his own father, Malcolm, to the young Hawke family trying to escape Lothering. And that's some delicious angst.

Another reason that I think Hawke in particular would be interesting is that I think it would be interesting to have a time-traveler (dimension-traveler) be upfront about what had happened to them. A tired Garrett Hawke reveals at least the basics of the "future" to his friends and family (all of whom are strangers to him and it hurts) because he wants to keep them safe, and then the butterfly effects of canon divergence ripple out from there.

There are so many time travel fics where the protagonist confides in no one or only does so very late in the story. There are often reasons for this. 1) They will not be believed. 2) They are surrounded by enemies. 3) They are focused on changing a very specific event and do not want things to change before that. 3.5) They are unwilling to share their knowledge and give up some measure of control over the future. (These control issues are often in-character!)

Sometimes, I am persuaded by these reasons and find them compelling and sympathetic. Sometimes, I find the protagonist's insistence on doing everything alone frustrating and even cruel.

I think that if Hawke had the chance to do a Time Travel Redo, it would be incredibly cruel if they did not at least TRY to share some of their knowledge with their companions. I don't think Hawke's companions would believe them immediately, of course, but they live in a world with strange magic. If Hawke was willing to be calm and vulnerable, they could at least give their future friends some potential leads in their individual quests (being open about the fact that this world may be different to their own).

Like, let's look at Fenris. Fenris would not trust some strange mage talking about fucking time magic, of course. But after knowing each other for a month or so, Hawke might be able to approach Fenris and say, "Hey, I have a really weird story to tell you." And then Hawke could share what they know about Fenris' past according to their own world, so that Fenris can maybe look into that and prepare himself. Because keeping that information away from Fenris is a dick move! Fenris deserves to be able to decide what to believe, what to investigate, and what to do for himself.

I also don't think I could suspend my disbelief if Hawke let Anders and Justice just... play out again over the course of years. I think most Hawkes wouldn't be able to resist confronting Anders in some way! Even Hawkes who end up saying, "I'm going to personally murder Meredith this time." Is a mage-friendly Hawke just going to let characters like Karl Thekla be made Tranquil and be killed again?

Do Merrill and Isabella and Varric and Aveline not deserve to try and avert some of the tragedies in their own lives?

Like, it is totally reasonable for Hawke to be focused purely on their own family or the companions they like, rather than try to save every person in the city. I think it's more than fine if there are tragedies a protagonist just doesn't care about averting. Hawke is not even going to remember everything.

And it is VERY normal for people not to want to give up some measure of control over their lives, especially someone as traumatized as Hawke. I do often find it realistic that a lot of time traveling characters in fanfiction are kind of "control freaks" who don't want to be vulnerable, even if it's "safe" to be. I'm imagining that this future-sharing from Hawke would stem in large part from 1) exhaustion, 2) loneliness, and 3) Hawke being used to celebrity, due to the "Tale of the Champion", and somewhat blasé by this point about all the fucking shit they've been through.

And I think that spilling everything (or even just the basics) would not necessarily go well for a Hawke. I think Varric would take even limited information about Bartrand's future very badly. As strangers to Hawke, I think all of the companions would be upset and disbelieving. (I'm currently imagining a mage Garrett Hawke who previously romanced Merrill, so that he and Past!Fenris were barely friends, because Fenris didn't like this mage Hawke hanging out with a blood mage and Hawke kind of thought Fenris might turn him in to the Templars someday. Past!Fenris was more Isabella's and Varric's friend.) I think these new companions might go on to make some BIG mistakes trying to avoid the future that Hawke has described, as much as they might avert tragedy.

I also imagine that Hawke's relationship with this new Hawke family might be very strange and awkward, even if both Carver and Bethany live. Garrett looks like Malcolm and everyone thinks it's weird; Leandra is probably the happiest and most practical about it, but Garrett can't forget how his own mother died horribly and also blamed him for his own Bethany's death. Neither Garrett nor Marian know what to do about each other; Marian doesn't like some new person waltzing in and taking control of situations. Garrett unconsciously treats this Carver as older and Carver loves it, but Marian doesn't like it. Bethany likes having a mage sibling, but Garrett is awkward because he's used to Bethany being the Hawke family's perfect dead sister. And Leandra's shitty brother is not fucking helping any of this!!! And what's that about Leandra maybe getting murdered by a serial killer in the future???

By saying all of this, I mean to make clear that I really don't think "communicating" would immediately fix every problem for a perfect "Time Travel Fix-It". I do think it would fix SOME problems. Emotional conversations and immediate canon divergence also appeals to me because I like reading those things.

What I mean to make clear is that I think it would be fun to write something that explores autonomy, authority, agency, and control. There are many issues in the world that stem from people unwilling to give up control of a situation for a variety of reasons, and other issues that stem from people believing they have the authority to dictate other people's lives.

What right would a new Garrett Hawke have to withhold information and try to manipulate all of their strangers' lives? Especially from people like Anders and Fenris, whose stories are so deeply concerned with freedom of choice? To conceal backstory information from someone with amnesia, like Fenris, is a choice, and I think it's a cruel one, even if Fenris might not like what he hears and might react badly. Can Garrett Hawke really claim that he "knows best"? What if he doesn't know what's going on with this version of the world? What do you do when freedom means standing back and allowing some of the people you like and love to make "bad" choices?

Some time travel fics seem to me to be incredibly lonely. The protagonist trusts in no one. The other characters can be written as predictably following a timeline to the point of being shallow caricatures of people. It's just not to my taste.

It could be nice to explore Hawke finding new sides of companions that they missed in their previous "run" (which was very much not perfect and full of strife). It could be nice to explore an exhausted Champion learning to trust in other people and have them step up to help solve these shifting problems. DA games are so much about making choices for everyone around you: on behalf of your companions, on behalf of entire kingdoms, on behalf of the entire world. It might be fun to explore an exhausted older Hawke giving up some control and being pleasantly surprised on some fronts as paths diverge.

[supacutiepie]

My full playthrough verse for Dragon Age is 'What the World Asks of Its Children' and the idea is that we focus on children and how they change dynamics and themes in all four games. (Also I love Dorian and he's the main star for a good portion of the au because he started it with Theia and Ataashi) Origins: Running of the 78% reasonable idea that Aegis is the child being asked to save the world. So her real part of the story will be an after story tale, about her Mother, Edona. DA2: This time, Hawke is the parent and the twins are the children he raises with help from his companions. Hawke is a disabled ex-sexworker doing his very fucking best. (Instead of either Bethany or Carver dying in Lothering, it's Leandra. And the twins are way younger, at like ten or eleven during the opening act) Sort of between DA2 and Inquisition: Dorian and the story about his girls. 'A girl named Dragon': how he gets captured and meets a dying tal-vashoth, and how this ends with him adopting a little girl named Ataashi. And then 'The Ghost of a Girl', how he takes a terrified and mute elf under his coat and they make a little family. Also in this era is Bull's 'Sea of Candles'. where he learns he has a daughter but the human mother wants nothing to do with the child because it kiiiinda ruined her. Tal-Rasani is a treasure. Then we get into Inquisition: Where The Herald is an elvhen hunter named Liora who lost her husband at the conclave and the same day of the explosion she conceives her first child, several months later giving birth to a little girl named Dawn. And how the Inquisition changes when there are four little girls running around and then two angst twin teenagers LMAO PLUS morrigan has kieran. we're all girl dads here. Then to Veilguard: Rook is a Crow turned Warden. She was sweet ona boy several houses above hers, sweet for a long time and he even reciprocated her affections. enough so that they were each others only love - until she found out she was pregnant. His grandmother did not approve of the match at all, so she 'sent away' the girl and the child under the guise of 'its not safe to carry a dellamorte child' and that Rook would be able to deliver the babe somewhere safer. Bull shit. She got like, a month of rest after giving birth before she was ambushed by darkspawn. Caterina didn't know how pregnant Rook was because rook had suspicions about the old crone. So timeline was, Caterina was trying to get rid of both her and the baby. Rook is blighted, found by wardens carrying her newborn through the woods, and saved by the joining. All of this happens pre wigmaker - lucanis thinks his sweetheart was killed on an assignment bc thats what caterina tells everyone. i dont like this woman. cont

SO Lucanis thinks Rook was KIA. Never even knew she was pregnant. And Rook becomes a Warden sorta not her choice but it's what she can do, because she sort of thinks Caterina tried to kill her. So, she works with the Wardens, raises her daughter, and tries to think of a future. She doesn't get a chance to get much information about Antiva in. But she gets a single contact, she gets the news that the 'Demon of Vyrantium' is dead. That her 'Luca' is dead. So, for a year, she thinks Lucanis is dead, and he's thought she was dead for four years. Imagine his shock when she rescues him. Actually imagine VIAGO'S shock when Teia wide eyed and shocked brings Rock and Harding into the Diamond, imagine CATERINA'S shock and disdain, trying to twist it around as though Rook hid the fact she was alive. Rook doesn't mention her daughter, doesn't trust that information to the first talon at all but damn, she tells viago and teia in secret when she can. they agree, its not a safe place. SO... Imagine being Lucanis, first being rescued by the very alive first love you ever had. THEN her telling him not to freak out - but his mini me is five years old and running amok in the lighthouse. And then, imagine seeing some FUCK ASS Warden pick up said lil girl and she squeals about her 'uncle dav!' and oh BOY you thought those two were catty before???? now its a DAD FIGHT (It's not, because literally everyone and the spirits can tell that little girl belongs to Lucanis, but Lucanis is so deep in his head about spite he's terrified she'll get hurt so he tries to remain distanced but this is literally the one thing he's wanted his whole life SOOOO) ((Also, those weeks where rook is gone? Dad Adventures, the estranged father and the step dad LMAOO) ANYWAYS!! I'm going to piece together this big massive au little by little. It's been my little pride and joy for seven, eight, TEN years man.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I'm back on my bullshit thinking about the Hawke siblings again and how much I love a "both twins live" AU... but y'know what I love just a little bit more? An AU where all three Hawke siblings are alive, but one of the twins still get attacked by the ogre in Lothering and is presumed dead when they actually survived.

I like to think that since the narrative in DA2 is framed as a story Varric's telling Cassandra, we can play around with the fact that he's an unreliable narrator. Varric wasn't there in Lothering. He only knows what Hawke told him. It makes for a better story if Leandra, Hawke, and the surviving twin get to huddle around the dead twin and say their goodbyes... especially if they didn't actually get to do that. I mean, a lot of us already have that train of thought when it comes to Leandra's death and Hawke getting some closure through her final words telling them how proud she is. Whose to say Varric didn't do that for the lost twin, as well?

All that to ask what if the ogre attack happened, but the group was so overwhelmed by darkspawn they had to flee further and couldn't check the twin who "died?" Flemeth still showed up, but it was too late to go back and say goodbye.... so Hawke made a deal with the Witch of the Wilds and they all pushed forward to Kirkwall.

Imagine Bethany, left behind with broken bones and bleeding in the sand, fading in and out of consciousness as the remaining darkspawn surround her. She knows how to heal, how to fight back, but she's weakened. Her staff lays out of reach. Air shakes in her lungs. She tries to call for help, but only wheezes come out. Where's her mother? Her siblings? Did the ogre get them, too?

At this point, we all know what happens to the women darkspawn take, and Bethany could've met that fate; she doesn't have the strength to fight back as they drag her away. But before they can bring her underground, she's saved by another group of survivors. Perhaps they're more soldiers fleeing Ostagar, or townsfolk who recognize her from Lothering. They do what they can to treat her wounds but she needs a healer, so they bring her with them to seek refuge in Redcliffe... except they eventually realize she's an apostate. Well, she doesn't seem dangerous, but they still contact the templars.

Bethany wakes in a warm but unfamiliar bed with skilled healers tending to her. Templars hover by the doorway. First Enchanter Irving greets her, gentle in explaining she's safe inside of Kinloch Hold and that she's going to survive. When Bethany asks about her family, he gives her a sympathetic smile and says they only found her.

Bethany, who never took to embracing her magic the way her older sibling did and always felt like it burdened her family... has lost that very family. Could they survive the ogre and darkspawn? Or did the ogre tear them apart, too? How did she survive... but not them? Did the Maker really have such a sense of humor? How else would she end up in the Circle, a place her family went to great lengths to keep her safe from?

She doesn't want to think about it. She hopes they made it to Kirkwall, but the prickle of dread that crawls up her spine knows how unlikely it is. Bethany finds comfort in speaking with the mages who rotate in to heal and bring her food. Some feel trapped by their magic just as she does, but others remind her of her older sibling in the way they embrace their magic, a gift from the Maker. The younger apprentices who aid the mages ask her questions about what lies beyond the walls. The templars mostly keep their distance, but one is friendlier than others. A man with curly blonde hair and a sympathetic view of the mages bothers to speak to her more than his fellows do.

She's still in recovery when Uldred and his blood mages attack the tower, but she survives. Bethany heals, even as she's haunted by nightmares of the ogre wrapping its tainted hand around her body to crush her, flinging her aside to lay among the limp bodies of her family... haunted by the horrors the blood mages unleashed on the tower. She aids in restoring the tower the best she can, and accepts her new home, her new life. When she's well enough, she lights a candle for each of them; her father, mother, her eldest sibling, her twin... she even lights a candle for the family mabari, and prays to the Maker to give them her love as they stand at His side.

The Blight ends. Years pass. Bethany settles into her new life, becoming a fine example for the younger apprentices she mentors. She witnesses wrong doings against her fellow mages, loses friends to their harrowings or tranquility. She accepts what she is, even if bitterly. The Chantry's teachings about magic scar more than enlighten; she sees it in some of her fellow mages, feels it in herself. Secret meetings. Whispers of escape, of freedom. More escape attempts. Harsher restrictions.

Around this time, back in Kirkwall, Knight-Captain Cullen stands where he always does in the Gallows courtyard. He notices Hawke appear with some of their companions. It hurts to think back to Kinloch Hold, but something occurs to him: he knew of another Hawke who was brought to the Circle while he served there. They only spoke once before... well, before. He wonders if there's any relation. When Hawke wanders over to speak to him, as they always do, Cullen brings it up.

Hawke pales. A beat of silence. Cullen recognizes heartbreak; he sees it unfold in their eyes and swell in their throat as they realize that all this time, their baby sister was alive.

Then the day comes where new whispers float among the mages in the Circle. A visit by a Grey Warden. Most, including Bethany, assume he's here to recruit... until Irving comes to her. He says this warden's requested, though more like insisted, he see her now. But then Irving smiles; the warden in question said his name is Warden Carver. He received an urgent letter that his sister is here, alive, and he demands to know if that's true.

Bethany nearly collapses when she sees him.

While the reunion can't last; she can't leave the Circle and he has his calling; the twins embrace, sobbing out apologies and exclamations that they thought the other was gone. Carver tells her of Kirkwall, the expedition that led him to the Grey Wardens, and their older sibling's status as Champion. With a gentleness she never knew her brother to have, he tells her what happened to their mother, and more tears flow freely. Their sibling learned about her from a templar, though Carver grumbles that the bastard could've said something sooner.

There's the Maker's humor again.

...Now flip the script: imagine Carver being left behind instead.

For as strong and passionate as he is, that ogre still picks him up and slams him to the ground. Bones crack. Black splotches flood his vision, agony exploding across his skin. His sword flies from his hand. The soulless bastard tosses Carver aside like he's nothing, and he's left to lay there. His mother's cries muffle in his ear as though he's stuck underwater, sinking slowly into the dark.

It figured, honestly... that he'd survive Ostagar while his fellow soldiers were cut down all around him, that he and his eldest sibling would flee the field when all hope was lost... that he'd make it home to get his family out of Lothering... only to die protecting his mother. And why not? He is a protector. A warrior. It's a honor to die saving those he loved... so why didn't it give him peace?

Carver eventually wakes in the night among the bodies of fallen darkspawn. Everything aches painfully hot and his thoughts reject coherency. He knows his family is gone; they're dead, or they've fled... either way, he's alone; left behind. Something's broken inside of him, but he has just enough will to pull himself up at the sound of approaching footsteps. A group of survivors find him- funny enough, the same group who aided Bethany in an alternate timeline. Imagine that.

That's how Carver ended up in Redcliffe's Chantry with an overworked healer tending to him. He doesn't even flinch when the mage works their magic on him, knowing all too well the sensation of healing magic seeping into his skin, mending the flesh. He tries not to think of Bethany, or what might've happened to her.

The Chantry's overwhelmed with townspeople hiding from a danger outside that he can only assume is darkspawn... except it's not. He wonders how hard he hit his head when he hears the undead have come from the castle to slaughter what they can of the town every night. But then he sees it with his own eyes when one breaks in, taken down by a templar, and never before has he ever felt so useless.

Then the last two remaining Grey Wardens arrive. They're crucial in the final fight against the undead, swearing to enter the castle to stop the attacks at the source. While Carver couldn't participate in the final fight, something he complained loudly about, he did what he could in his condition to help like sharpening swords and handing out supplies. Mostly to keep his sanity and quite his thoughts throughout his recovery.

When the time came, he took up his sword again in the name of all those he lost.

An archdemon was said to be on the horizon, and the Grey Wardens needed everyone they could get to fight. Carver fights in the battle of Denerim where the Hero of Fereldan defeated the archdemon. He cuts his way through every darkspawn he sees. Ostagar flashes red behind his eyes. Lothering clutches at his heart. So much anger and sorrow built up inside him, flooding out in his tears and screams. Blood everywhere. Fire and smoke.

Then it's over.

In the aftermath of the Blight, like so many others, Carver has no home to return to. No family. He thinks to go back to Lothering to help rebuild, only to hear the lands were too tainted. These tainted creatures took everything from him... That's what eventually brings him to Vigil's Keep, standing before the Hero of Fereldan themself, asking to be made a Grey Warden. He already dedicated nearly two years of his life to killing darkspawn, and he had nothing else. Even when faced with the Joining, holding the chalice of darkspawn blood and being told to drink, he didn't flinch.

Life as a Grey Warden isn't as simple as he assumed it would be, but Carver finds purpose in his calling. Over the years, he grows to view his fellow wardens as family. He travels all over Thedas, venturing down into the Deep Roads to help clear out hoards of the darkspawn. But then comes the day he finds himself in Kirkwall, and it doesn't take long before he hears the name Hawke on the lips of the townspeople. His eldest sibling was not only alive, but they're quite popular among the people. But what about Mother? Bethany? He doesn't have to snoop too far to learn templars took Bethany away to the Gallows, and that Leandra Hawke was the final victim in a string of murders committed by a blood mage.

Carver finds himself standing outside the estate, glaring at the door. Furious. Heartbroken. Bitter. He wants to scream. This entire time, they lived. He's torn between wanting to reunite with his older sibling again, to get the truth from them, and wanting to barge into the estate, demanding answers to how they could let the Circle take Bethany... after what Carver sacrificed, how could they let Mother die like that? Was it all pointless in the end?

He leaves without knocking. He can't bring himself to see them. Not that it mattered. Before he could leave Kirkwall, the tensions with the qunari finally overflowed, and chaos fell upon the city. He's forced face to face with his older sibling again, but he wasn't prepared to watch the recognition slowly bloom on their face, or for all his anger to turn to mush. Carver's the first to speak.

"Somehow, I knew it would be you."

.............So, yeah. I really like this idea.

[sweetmage]

Gaze From The Pavement (AO3 Link)

Relationships: Hawke siblings, Hawke & All Companions, eventual M!Hawke/Anders, eventual F!Hawke/Fenris Word Count: 6901 Tags: Magitechnology, dystopia, found family, hurt comfort, organized crime, banter and humor, twin!Hawke AU ⚠️The following tags are TWs for later chapters but are not central themes of the fic: Mentions of abuse (all kinds), mentions of suicidal ideation, canonical major characters death (Leandra, Karl, etc.), unnamed character death, mentions of drugs and addiction. (Please see the AO3 link for the full list of tags and future TWs!) Summary: After Lothering is overrun by 'darkspawn'—mysterious self-replicating organic and mechanical beings from a bygone age—the Hawke family is forced to flee to the towering, smog-filled City of Chains. There, they find themselves embroiled in hard mercenary work, family dysfunction, and the Chantry's high-tech and overbearing systems of surveillance and oppression built upon the backs of generations of Circle slave labor. At least the drinks at the Hanged Man are still cheap... ~~~ The same Thedas we know but set in an AU where the Chantry has forced rapid technological advancements over a few generations by using their Circles to research, develop, and manufacture magitechnology, including those used to further mage oppression and aid them in their grasp for economic and political power. This is a highly canon divergent rewrite of Dragon Age 2, though expect similar themes and a similar tone. The world is bleak but the Kirlwall Crew is making it through together!

[heylavellan]

Happy Friday. "Alright, that's it. You're going to bed, and I'm not taking no for an answer." for Carver and Cullen, maybe? Intrigued by this ship >;3

the easy route is to do templar!carver and cullen in da2. i however am insane and thought up a warden!carver au in inquisition where carver is the warden at skyhold and his sister brought him to support the inquisition. also for @dadrunkwriting

a man's dreams and a dream man

rating: t

words: 1000

notes: idiots to lovers. pre-adamant.

Warden nightmares were bad. The Blight, the darkspawn. That damned song. Nathaniel lied when he said the dreams got better, because they really didn't.

Usually a workout got Carver to a place where resting felt safe. Yet knowing that the siege on Adamant Fortress was in his future kept him awake. At times like these, he wished he regretted going to the Deep Roads. He'd probably have some cushy templar job and be bored out of his mind making sure mages weren't doing blood magic. Maybe he'd be in Starkhaven with most of the other templars.

The thing was, he never regretted for a second making sure his stupid older sister made it out. He hated her then. But he was one of Ferelden's greatest wardens. Apparently, one of the only sane ones out there if his sister had to reach out.

The only thing left to do at this absurd hour in Skyhold was drink. If he was at Soldier's Keep, he'd be drinking with some of the other senior wardens and the seneschal would send another letter to Warden-Commander Howe about his lax leadership. Howe would write him a letter saying he received complaints, and it would be business as usual until another late night party incurred the seneschal's wrath.

Since his wardens weren't here, he had no one to drink with. For Carver, drinking alone was an indignity he refused to suffer. So, to the chapel he went. Quiet prayer always helped him focus his mind. When things were too much for him in Lothering, he always found himself in the chantry, listening to some priest prattle on about the Chant of Light. A habit that stuck, even when he lived at Gamlen's.

Actually, especially when he lived with Gamlen. That shack was worse than most of the Deep Roads.

That evening, it appeared the Commander of the Inquisition had a similar idea. Hunched over in a front pew, blond curls hanging down with his head bowed in prayer.

Knowing that the former Knight-Captain of Kirkwall was the Inquisition's commander set him on edge. But if his mage sister who was practically married to Merrill thought he was fine, he had to be. Even if Felicity was a poor judge of character, she knew who the Commander had been. And if she was willing to put up with him?

It spoke very highly of who he had become.

Carver disliked him on principle at first but... This wasn't the same man he met in Kirkwall. He was calmer, more confident. He radiated authority and competence. Somehow, he made stubble look incredibly attractive. And Carver wasn't sure if he was jealous of him or if he was experiencing his first crush on a man.

It was frustrating and exhilarating in equal parts. With a deep breath, he composed himself and decided he would pray on the pew across the aisle from Cullen. Just before he kneeled, the Commander quietly snored.

Wait, snored? Surely the man wasn't running himself that ragged. Staring meant potentially getting caught, which he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk. But a cranky commander was worse for morale.

Reluctantly, he crouched before Cullen to see if he was actually asleep. Carver regretting knowing what he looked like asleep. Now, he was certain that falling in love with Rutherford was an inevitability.

Cullen unburdened was a wonder. The creases in his forehead were relaxed after a day of wrinkling it in concern and to focus. Thin lips that were begging to be kissed and a thin rivulet of drool falling out of the corner of his mouth.

Felicity had always said he was impulsive, and she was one hundred percent correct. He realised he'd wiped the drool off Cullen's face far too late and poked the proverbial bear. Andraste's ashes, he was never going to live this down.

Cullen woke with a start, looking up at Carver crouched between his legs. "Couldn't believe you were actually sleeping," he stammered out. Smooth, Carver. Really smooth.

Twenty emotions Carver couldn't name crossed Cullen's face as he realised where he was and what the position the two of them were in looked like. "Um, right. Sorry if I disturbed you," he demured, looking away. Carver chose to believe that he was blushing, that the candlelight wasn't playing tricks on him.

"I wasn't sleeping anyway. But you? You should make your way to bed," Carver replied. Cullen opened his mouth to respond, so he kept talking. He was, at least good at that. "I'm not taking no for an answer. Surely your bed is more comfortable than these pews."

Carver hopped to his feet and offered a hand to Cullen. The commander examined him carefully. At that moment, Carver wondered if he had already given away his interest in Cullen. After careful consideration, Cullen took it and rose to his feet.

If they stared into each other's eyes and kept their hands clasped for just a bit too long, neither of them said anything about that. Carver nodded his head in the direction of the chantry doors, and followed Cullen out. The curve of the man's rear didn't escape his notice.

They made quiet conversation as Carver walked him back to his quarters. Before Cullen went inside, Carver grabbed his arm. "Wait. Um, I just. I don't want things to be awkward between us before a bit battle. Grab a drink with me sometime?" he asked, stumbling over his words like he imagined schoolboys did.

"That. Sounds nice," Cullen replied, almost surprised by his answer.

"Good," Carver laughed.

"Great," the commander responded, laughing along too.

"Well," Carver said.

"Tomorrow. For saving me the embarrassment of waking up in the chantry again," Cullen confirmed, nodding to himself.

"Perfect," Carver replied, perhaps a bit too genuinely.

They bade each other good night, and went their separate ways. As Carver fell asleep that night, maybe he thought of steel blue eyes. And maybe, he realised that he really wanted that man. Fuck.

[sundogsandrainbows]

Of Elves And Humans: Redux, Chapter 53: Sounds Of Yesterday, Part II

[QUICK LINK TO THE CHAPTER UPDATE]

STORY SUMMARY: Trust is a delicate flower that needs to get nurtured and time to grow. Even more so love. A tale of two disparate Wardens forced together, of finding a way to overcome the distrust, and their own painful past in the time of the Blight. Very in-depth, character-focused exploration of the Dalish origin/warden, of all DA:O companions, and their relationship dynamics during the Fifth Blight. Follows and expands on canon events; AU in some ways. Multiple POV's, origins, and pairings. Slow burn af. 350k of Aliwarden Blight fic goodness, thus far. 2 treaties done, 1 and a half (Urn) and a lot of DLC content to go.

CHAPTER SUMMARY -- SOUNDS OF YESTERDAY, PART II: In the search for Cailan's chest key, the Wardens find far more than they bargained for in a destroyed, tainted Lothering, but also comfort in each other. Back at camp, Alistair checks in with a devastated Leliana.

Continuation of the previous chapter with lots of new elements and a few action scenes. Also this subplot is all part of Alistair becoming "hardened" (aka taking on more responsibility and standing up for himself) since that is a long development process, not a few magic words like ingame lol.

READ IT HERE || [OR READ FROM THE BEGINNING]

[vigilskeep]

AU where maybe Morri comes to Vigil Keep to help her HoF Bestie/Baby Daddy every now and again but doesn't SAY anything, there's just a kid with her. Who needs to know that kid is a OGB. Who needs to know that the new Kings bastard or Their Commanders kid or even Loghains? Maybe someone (Anders) sees Kieran.

*cut to the future*

Anders: "Wait, you're from Lothering? Ever meet a Morrigan by chance?"

Keir: "You know Morrigan?"

Anders: ".... are you Kierans' father? Morrigans' son?"

Keir: *brain bluescreens a whole decade early over this*

keir is in love with the most jealous man he knows and you people want him to have to answer “i mean, maybe????” to a question like that

[thewardenisonthecase]

Elizabeth Hawke ask -> we've chatted about an AU where Cousland and Alistair meet up earlier and fall in love...have you considered a similar concept for Elizabeth and Fenris? Are they that couple that falls in love in all scenarios?

oh my god wait i actually have to think for this one.

Because like, yes, to some extent, I think Fenris and Elizabeth *could* have fallen in love regardless but in my heart of hearts, I believe that no, they would have not. Like, Anneliese and Alistair? 100% doing the whole 'ill love you in any lifetime and in any timeline'

Elizabeth and Fenris tho? Something about their relationship, to me, is very much it only happened because it was the right place at the right time (even if that place is Kirkwall during DA2). The circumstances, despite shitty, were the right circumstances for their relationship to bloom and I don't know that it would have worked otherwise.

Because these two idiots have so many layers and they're so complicated that they did have to go through all that - even the 3 year breakup - for it to work. If Fenris and Elizabeth had met in prior circumstances, they would have not liked each other, but because they met when they did, things worked out.

(mainly because I don't think they would have trusted each other - Fenris would still be very early on his running away from tevinter and probably on even more of a high alert on mages (and especially on as powerful as elizabeth 'cause she's a dreamer) and Elizabeth, pre-lothering destruction, would be VERY suspicious of 'man who hates mages'

You know those tiktoks that are like "would you be friends with your sibling if they were not your sibling"? Its very much like that but I think there's also a certain beauty to it. Like things happened the way they did because otherwise, you wouldn't have been together. Its almost like destiny, like the circumstances HAD to be these.

[storybookhawke]

Canon-ish AU where Hawke is a vampire (sexy handers edition)

Hawke, a vampire but not a mage, doesn’t approach Anders for maps before Anders sets off to the chantry to rescue Karl. Instead, Hawke tracks the elusive warden down just as he starts fighting the waves of templars. He intervenes just in time, but Anders is gravely injured so he bites him to start the turning process to save his life (since lbr even with justice he wasn’t winning that fight against all those templars).

Anders wakes up in the early morning back at the clinic, with a strange man staring him down from across the room. The man introduces himself simply as Hawke, and explains that he rescued him from the templars who almost certainly would have killed him. Anders asks about the other man there, the tranquil man, and Hawke says it was too late to save him. He was only able to save Anders. It's devastating news to Anders, though in the back of his mind he knew he wasn't going to win, but at least he would have died beside Karl.

Now intertwined by fate, Anders learns exactly how Hawke saved him. He could have sworn he was on death's door! Hawke explains more of what it's like to be a vampire. Sunlight directly touching him will severely burn him, even killing them with prolonged exposure. But the clinic is in Darktown, and most of his life can still be conducted at night. Not to mention, Hawke has invited him on a trip to the Deep Roads, where sunlight never touches so their entire trip would be safe. He owes it to Hawke for saving his life, and he'll hopefully get some funds out of it too.

As vampires, they must drink blood. Hawke finds willing people easily in Kirkwall, but sometimes it's from unwilling victims too. He explains that some people will sell or trade their blood to him, but drinking too much too often will kill his sources. Vampire venom has a aphrodisiac effect on others, so they're so consumed by lust that they don't even notice they're being drained. The unwilling are at least consenting to the rest of it and have a good time. Hawke finds his meals where he can--though the older the vampire, the less they need to drink.

Anders doesn't love the idea of hurting innocents as a healer, so Hawke offers to look around for more people who would willingly sell him their blood. But in the meantime, Hawke says Anders can drink from him directly. Vampires drinking from other vampires doesn't taste as good nor satisfy as long, but it works. As previously warned, Hawke gets the aphrodisiac effect from Anders--flushed red, chest heaving, hard beneath the belt. Their eyes connect, and Anders feels it too, like it's contagious. He offers to help Hawke finish with his mouth, it's only polite, not that it's any chore since Anders finds him super attractive.

Now being available during the same hours, Anders accompanies Hawke about on his business. He learns that Hawke is over a hundred years old, lived all across Ferelden but most recently in Lothering, and escaped the Blight just as many others have. Anders learns about vampire culture, which of course varies depending on the region that the vampire is from, and how vampires don't tend to turn many because of territorial issues. Too many vampires gallivanting around Thedas would eventually spiral out of control, especially with the blood ecosystem, so the remaining vampires tend to only turn their lovers if necessary.