#m!solavelyan

[celiansartblog]

These two have been consuming my brain lately so here's some sketches done between bouts of writing

[plisuu]

not romantic not platonic but a secret third thing (being vulnerable in a way you’ve never been with anyone before)

[s0up-arts]

i am fighting tooth and nail to get out of this art block. save me solas smooches

[nohr-selphias]

Oh man. We were so robbed to not have bi solas

[tortoise-teapot]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by: @queenaeducan Tagging: @broodwolf221 @adelaidejenahrhymes @bashir-my-beloved-my-beloved @tobestik @kcwriter-blog @elvhenprince

I've been writing various scenes of my longfic to practice and hopefully I'll know what I'm doing enough to stitch it all together eventually lol.

Context: Avery, a circle mage and Dreamer, befriends Solas, who is finding his way back to lucid dreaming from his post-Veil-forming dreamless uthenera. After many months of the two meeting in the Fade, and Solas helping him prepare, Avery's long-planned coup begins tomorrow.

The gentle rustling of leaves and contented chirping of creatures is accompanied by the snap of a blade of grass. Avery rolls it between his forefinger and thumb, and when it is reduced to a small grain, he replaces it mindlessly. The mottled Fade sky peeks through the break in the tree canopy, and he studies the swirling colors, admiring the dance of oranges, yellows, and greens. He takes a long breath, then muses,

“This could be the last we see of each other.”

“Each meeting could be our last,” Solas rebuts. A wry glance from Avery pulls a delicate smile from him. “But I understand your sentiment.” 

“Mm.”

Solas studies the other man’s expression; drawn and stale, eyebrows knitted in concentration as he hunts for a satisfactory blade of grass to maim. “You have not felt this before, have you?”

A blush spreads up his neck. “Felt what?”

Solas’ brow hardens, but his eyes remain wide and gentle. “The creeping silence the night before battle.”

“Ah. That’s one way to describe it, I suppose.”

He repositions himself so he is seated facing Avery directly. “You feel differently.”

Their eyes meet at a brush, but Avery’s dart to the grass under Solas’ deliberate attention. He claims another victim and rolls it between his now-stained fingertips, as he had the others. “The ‘creeping silence’ is there. Well put, in fact.” He cracks a grin that does not leave his lips. “But it’s–” he glances up at Solas, and is momentarily lost in his rapt focus. He forgets the joke he was about to make. “It’s not alone.”

Solas’ voice is hardly above a whisper. “Nor are you.”

The glade stills, and details melt away as the pair’s eyes dart across each others’ features. Avery feels a prickling glaze of sweat on his brow from a spike in humidity. He releases hold of the heat in his chest, allowing it to fill his heart before running through his fingers and spilling into the greater Fade with his exhale. The sudden humidity dissipates as quickly as it arrived, but the crisp spring day Avery had intended to replicate remains unseasonably warm. 

With a slight shake of the head and an indeterminate expression, Solas refocuses his attention over Avery’s shoulder into the underbrush, which finds its shape once again.

Avery reclaims his gaze with a steady hand to his chin. “Or you, Solas.”

It feels like drifting. Instinctual. Avery is unsure whether he guides the other man’s lips to his, or if he was already on course. Solas’ mouth opens against the wet brush of his lips. The moment is removed from time or reason.

Avery retreats just far enough away to study his companion’s expression. 

[masquerademage]

solavelyan shippers where we at.

[volkoss]

Author Self-Rec

Last week @solavelyan tagged me to do a fic author self-rec with 5 of my personal favourites, and since they tagged my sideblog, I'm also doing an All Dragon Age edition!

Leaning in very hard on the personal faves angle here, so featuring a lot of The Gallows because it still occupies a lot of my brain space despite my recent Johanna Hezenkoss posting (and my older fics which I still like but I'm not obsessed with). 1. Crescendo | Meresino | 20,298 words | Rated: M

Struggling to control his emotions and magic in the aftermath of his best friend's death, apprentice mage Orsino will need all the help he can get in order to survive his Harrowing. For the better or the worse, newly-minted templar knight Ser Meredith is the one assigned to his case. What could possibly go wrong?

My Meresino magnum opus, written for 2023 Dragon Age Big Bang! Canon compatible, with all the dramatic irony that entails. Crescendo was a prequel to a previously written fic, Precipice, which was based on the idea of Meredith and Orsino being exes and reconnecting when they were older. I'd never fleshed out a backstory I'd made up for a previous story in quite this way before, and it was a really fun and fulfilling experience! 2. the morning after | Cullen & Orsino | 2,143 words | Rated: T

“I dare say you’ll find nobody else willing to fill Knight-Commander Meredith’s shoes," Orsino said. Cullen exhaled heavily. “I know.” Yet, he appeared stricken all the same. “I don’t—I don’t fancy filling them myself, either.”

I'm still obsessed with the fact that despite both their lives being so tangled up in Meredith, Cullen and Orsino do not have any canonical interaction. I also continue to be obsessed with the fact that Cullen just kept... going through the motions post-DA2 until he was rescued by Cassandra Pentaghast. And as a known Orsino Enjoyer, I decided to explore what their dynamic would have been like if Orsino had survived The Last Straw! (Also has a sequel, paying it forward). 3. Compromise | Meresino; Cullen/Meredith | 1,950 words | Rated: M

Sometimes you can't save the woman you love. Sometimes all you can do is stop her.

I still continue to be obsessed with the fact that both Orsino and Cullen's lives are so tangled up with Meredith's: the undeniable eroticism of understanding oneself through the other edition. Yeah, that's it. That's the plot. I think the reason this one in particular lives in my head rent free still is though is that I still love the pacing and the parallels.

4. Guiding Light | Cullen/Meredith | 4,278 words | Rated: E

Cullen was young, weak, and as easy to manipulate as wet clay. But the knight-commander? Knight-Commander Meredith was strong and hard like steel.

Don't be deceived, this is 80% a Cullen Rutherford character study focused on his difficulty in adapting to life at the Gallows. The E rating primarily comes from Meredith Stannard's unconventional nightmare prevention protocol. That being said, do mind the tags!

5. a celebration of being alive | F!Cousland/Loghain | 2,697 words | Rated: E

Loghain thought Cousland deserved better than the attentions of a lecherous old man but she was the one who kept entering his tent.

And now for something completely different! This fic is nearly four years old now, and began my obsession with Dragon Age soul lore, so it continues to hold a special place in my heart. It's also so wild to be reminded of how many different branching pathways they were in Origins to the point where I sometimes get commenters praising me for lines I did not write, oops. (Loghain going No easy way out for me lives rent-free in my head for all time.) Tagging: @choccy-zefirka @gallows-into-oblivion @baejax-the-great @cassandra-pentughasst @rosella-writes and anybody else who might want to do this one!

[rosella-writes]

Sorry but I damn near had an heart attack when I saw you reblogged my m!Solavelyan art because SURELY IT CANNOT BE THE ROSELLA-WRITES FROM THE AO3 FICS IVE DONE NOTHING BUT READ FOR THE PAST MONTH??? Anyway just to say that you're an incredible writer and I love your stuff with my whole heart (maybe I have read through all your dragon age writing several times over) your writing style is actually a big inspiration for me and motivated me to start writing again! I'll stop gushing in your inbox but thank you for the beautiful pieces of writing you put out!!!

This is so?? sweet??? 🥺😭 how did I miss this thank you SO much!! I've hit a bit of a rough patch with writing recently so this is really encouraging, I appreciate you taking the time to reach out to me!

I loved your art and was so excited to see it! You fed me well. I can't wait to see more and hopefully get to read your writing too!

Fun fact: I met my partner @plisuu through his m!solavelyan art and steal the chance to credit him with the inspo for writing the ship whenever I can. 😌

[crackinglamb]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @dreadfutures, thank you! 💕

Tagging @ir0n-angel, @natsora, @lilbittymonster, @maculategiraffe, @bogunicorn, @theluckywizard, @fasterpuddytat and @pikapeppa. No pressure!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

113

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,917,213 as of this morning.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dragon Age, Fallout 4 and Doctor Who are the three current. In the past I've written for Mass Effect, Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood and Borderlands. I have one (1) lonely Wayhaven Chronicles oneshot.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

What a Wicked Game to Play - 1590. This is my epic DA MGIT fic. Solas/OFC, rated E, 412K words.

Twist - 1416. This was my first DA longfic. Carly and Co. show up in the top five again. Solas/OFC, rated E, 197K words.

Junkyard Dogs - 551. My very first fic. Written for FO4 almost 7 years ago. Hancock/F!SoSu, rated E, 107K words.

Twist Some More - 460. An extended epilogue/love letter to Carly and Solas. Rated E, 67K words.

Humans Are Just...Like That - 327. A sorta crack treated seriously oneshot for Mass Effect. It began its life as a long thread in a Discord server. I made a comment to the effect that it should be turned into a fic, and everyone told me to go for it. So I did. FemShep/Garrus in the background, rated T, ~3K words.

(All of these are complete, too.)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Almost always. Even if it's just with emojis. I generally say that I will reply to every comment as long as it's polite.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

No More My Heart Beats Without You, a Solavelyan oneshot. 'Ware the tags. Rated E, 5K words.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

TSM, without a doubt. The entire point of the Twistverse was to write a happy ending Solavellan.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Rarely. I'd say I get more trolling than hate. To date I've only had to moderate one fic to keep it under control.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

*cackles* 51 of 113 of my fics are rated E and another 18 are rated M (although sometimes that's for violence). What kind? Any kind. Explicit, fade to black, character driven, pure PWP, established ship, there's a couple of threesomes in there, a variety of kink...

I am a shameless purveyor of sexual content.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I've only ever written in-franchise crossovers, and I don't think those count.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. People are welcome to as long as they credit back to my original, though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! I've written a couple round-robin style fics with the DAFF crew, and collaborated with my beloved Angel once or twice.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

I'm poly and aro. OTP is not in my vocabulary. 🤣 But I have pairings I return to, time and again. The Doctor/Rose, Hancock/SoSu, Varric/Hawke, Solas/Anyone.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Just Like Fire. It started as a prompt fic when I was in a slump. But now I'm kinda over it and don't really feel like putting in the energy to wrap it up. Solavellan, rated E, 26K words.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, smut, being succinct and bite-sized. Even in the longfics. And of course, canon shall be yeeted.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Endings! OMG, trying to get myself to a conclusion is like pulling teeth.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm eh about it. Sometimes I do it with fantasy languages, sometimes I do it if it's canon (I know, a rarity for me). Sometimes I just don't because it's more work than I care to do. It's case by case.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Fallout 4

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Uh... *forgets everything I've ever written*

Look, I tend to write for me first and foremost, so I reread a lot of my own work and inevitably get sucked into it. I am the target audience, after all. But there's a couple that I've reread the most:

Unexpected - FO4, Kellogg/SoSu, rated E, 30K words. This was my first real attempt at canon divergence and I still love it very much.

Hope Is a Fragile Thing - DA, Solas/OFC, rate T, 13K words. A soft but kinda sad post-canon thing. The goal with it was to both finish the writing before posting a word of it (which is how I do all my work now), and to write a MGIT without explaining how she got there.

Blank template under the cut

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you've written?

[celiansartblog]

Some sketches from their talk in Fade-Haven! If you wanna read that one-shot, head over to Ao3!

Tightrope-walking, or the art of knowing when to jump

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: None

Relationship: Male Inquisitor/Solas (Dragon Age)

Solas brings the newly-appointed Inquisitor to the Fade for a friendly chat, but the conversation quickly gets away from him. He should be used to this by now.

[plisuu]

Happy DADWC! From the Yearning prompt list: you need someone. let me be that person. let me be what you need. For Connor x Solas. I think it fits given the events of Trespasser and afterwards. If the inspiration strikes though! Happy writing!

Thank you for the prompt! I come bearing some post-Veilguard sad soggy yearning.

wc: 380 @dadrunkwriting - veilguard

“You thought I’d just… let you go? After everything?”

Solas stopped, frozen in his tracks. The Black City was a mere step away.

“You always were stubborn, vhenan,” he murmured.

Behind him, Connor flickered in and out of the Fade, visiting through a dream rather than the physical existence Solas now bore. But he was still there, somehow. Solas anchored himself to where he stood. He could not go back now.

“You want to hide, haggard and hurt—the wolf licks his wounds alone. But you don’t have to be alone.”

“Cole,” Solas sighed. “I told you—”

“I asked him to bring me here. And he’s right. You don’t need to do this alone. You shouldn’t do this alone. I may not be… I know I’m not…” Connor’s voice faltered, just slightly. “I’m just human. I don’t understand it all,” Solas could feel the shift in the Fade as Connor waved his hand behind him, gesturing at the Black City, “But I’m willing to learn. I’ve always been.”

“You know that I cannot—”

“I know that you can’t ask for help. I know that your pride would never let you. But I’m still asking, after all these years. Let me help you. If not with the Blight, or the Veil, or the Fade then… I don’t know. You don’t even have to let me help you,” his tone became more urgent, more desperate with each word. “I have nothing left to lose, Solas. The South is… Cullen is…” his voice cracked this time, a dry sob covered by a quick clearing of his throat. “I’d rather be here, anyways. And I know you. You won’t leave it at this.” He chuckled slightly, a sound devoid of any humor, edged with desperation. Solas still did not turn, did not let his posture slump, did not dare move.

“Vhenan, I—”

“Solas, please. If not for you, then… then for me. Please. Indulge me in this. At least with your company now and then. Something. Anything.”

The Fade echoed his plea, the ragged shudders of breath after battle filling the space between them, Connor’s resilience wavering as his dreaming form did.

“Please, think about it. Don’t suffer alone… don’t let me suffer alone.”

And then he was gone, leaving Solas in heavy silence.

[celiansartblog]

“Sweet talker.” Kaelhen's voice is low, warm with some much affection that Solas might choke on it.

This conversation has quickly deviated from what Solas had intended it to be. He should be used to being thrown off by the man by now, yet he had hoped that bringing him into this realm that is so familiar and known to him, he might keep a better control of their interaction.

Alas, there he is again, feeling wrong footed and unbalanced by the mortal he finds himself relentlessly captivated by.

---

Solas brings the newly-appointed Inquisitor to the Fade for a friendly chat, but the conversation quickly gets away from him. He should be used to this by now.

Wanna read about it?? Head to Ao3!

Tightrope-walking, or the art of knowing when to jump

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: None

Relationship: Male Inquisitor/Solas (Dragon Age)

Also I gotta give the biggest shout-out to @daitranscripts because that blog is a life-saver when wanting to write scenes inspired from in-game dialogue. I can't believe I ever used to watch and rewatch youtube videos of the scenes and jot down the dialogue.

[celiansartblog]

Absence makes the heart fonder, or at least the tea more tolerable

The Inquisitor is gone on an expedition and did not bring Solas along. At first, it's rather pleasant to have so much time on his hands but after a while, he has to grapple with just how used he is to having to man around.

Ao3 Link

Word count : 2.2k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: None

Relationship: Male Trevelyan/Solas

“I see you've taken my tea recommendations to heart.”

Solas nearly -and shamefully- jumps out of his skin at the voice. It's late enough that he wasn't expecting anyone to be by.

The dim light of his candle bathes the painted walls of the rotunda in a soft, orange glow. In that soft, intimate atmosphere, Kaelhen stands leaning against the stone of the doorway, still in his field gear, a weary but genuine grin illuminating his features.

Solas can't fight the smile that tugs at his lips as he puts down the heavy treaty he’d been pouring over all evening, trying -and failing- to quell the excited racing of his heart at the thought that the first thing Kaelhen had done upon returning was to come see him.

“Inquisitor,” he can’t keep fondness from colouring his tone, smoothing his hand down the cover of his book. “Welcome back.”

I just wanted to make that elf pine a little (a lot)

[plisuu]

Happy DADWC! For Connor X Solas: [PRIDE]: after the receiver succeeds in a remarkable achievement, the sender cups their face and tilts their foreheads together to express how proud they are of them.

The Inquisitor goes dragon hunting (the prompt got away from me a little bit hahah)

wc: 800 @dadrunkwriting

Fighting dragons was no simple matter. Or it was, but the difference between simplicity and ease had never been more apparent than when they faced down the great beast in Ferelden.

It was a magnificent thing, all fire and fury—not unlike their Inquisitor, Solas supposed, as Connor’s sword sparked off scales, steel wreathed in flame—but the fight had dragged on longer than sustainable. The Iron Bull had fallen more times than he could count, Vivienne giving the Qunari the polite courtesy of health potions as she flitted in and out of the fray. Her own mana slowly waned as she began to stay further and further back, relying more on glyphs and spells than her conjured blade.

Despite his fading companions, Connor remained firmly planted beneath the dragon’s bulk, concealed by dense clouds of dust and the spray of ichor that poured from where his blade had sunk into its thigh. Solas’s barriers had long since reached their limits, each one weaker than the last as he struggled to stay standing against the pull of beating wings… but he continued to cast, relying on the faint push and pull of the Fade to pinpoint his target amid the whirling wind and debris. The Inquisitor still fought, so Solas still protected him, replacing each barrier steadily as they blinked out, one after the other.

They emerged victorious, of course. Bull was hollering on the far side of the fallen Frostback, axe lifted in victory, shouting in Qunlat. Vivienne carefully plucked the cork from a potion as she stepped around a puddle of viscera, taking care to give Bull a wide berth while he flung gore off the end of his weapon.

Solas picked his way across the battlefield, pulling a lyrium potion he had been saving for this moment from his pouch—surely the Inquisitor would need it after such a sustained battle. Connor stood unmoving beside the dragon’s corpse, shoulders hunched and leaning heavily on his sword, his armor coated in a sheen of blood.

He mumbled something as Solas approached, muffled by his helm.

“Inquisitor, here. Your mana…” he trailed off, bottle held aloft as Connor lifted his head at last, finally tearing his gaze from the creature they had slain. He slowly removed his helmet, his hair drenched in sweat that had plastered itself to his forehead.

“…We did it.”

Solas looked down at the dragon—the deep wounds and scorched scales, mangled by Connor’s blade—and nodded.

“Yes. An impressive feat, even for a skilled warrior.”

Connor tossed his helmet and blade aside, turning to face Solas. His cheeks were pink with exertion and he breathed heavily, but instead of the exhaustion Solas expected, he only found exhilaration in the Connor’s expression.

“We did it,” he repeated, louder this time, and Solas was suddenly lifted into the air, enveloped in an embrace that stole the air from his lungs as he was crushed against Connor’s breastplate. He was set back on his feet unceremoniously, unsteady and off-balance from the sudden movement after what must have been hours of exertion. Connor began to pace, brimming with an exuberance that Solas had never seen from him before, nearly bouncing with excited energy. The lyrium potion lay forgotten, its contents spilled across the ground.

“Solas, did you see? Maker, I thought I’d get trampled! It was so… The fire—no, the… the everything. That was…” He stopped in his tracks, turning to face Solas again, his eyes bright with pride and delight as he stepped forward again. Solas prepared himself for another of Connor’s utterly crushing hugs, but it never came. Instead, he was surprised by the feeling of rough leather against his cheeks and damp skin against his.

“That was incredible,” Connor whispered, impossibly close as he pressed their foreheads together. “I… Thank you.”

Solas’s his words caught in his throat as Connor’s hands cupped his face. They shook violently—from lack of lyrium, mana depletion, or residual adrenaline, Solas wasn’t sure—and he wanted nothing more than to place his own upon them.

“For what, Inquisitor?” he asked instead. His chest felt tight, as if he had forgotten how to breathe. “You are the one who fought, not I.”

“For being here. For helping.” Connor paused for a moment, eyes closed. Solas could smell the mint he chewed on his breath, with the sharp bite of lyrium just past it. “For… everything,” he finished, eyes crinkling with a smile as he moved away at last.

“Boss, this is the greatest day of my life!” Bull’s voice bellowed as he joined them, clasping Connor on the shoulder and pulling him away. Their conversation turned to celebrations and ale while Solas stood stunned, unsure of what just occurred, the warmth of the Inquisitor’s touch lingering on his skin.

[plisuu]

You have become important to me, more important than I could have imagined.

[plisuu]

Happy DADWC day :D how about [ TEARS ] for sender to hold receiver while they cry after sex. for Connor/Solas?

Well. You asked for it >:] Enjoy my specialty: very sad Connor ft. very soft Solas

tw: implied past non-consent/revoked consent, trans inquisitor

wc: 400 rating: E @dadrunkwriting

The way Solas touched him was gentle—tentative, as if Connor might break under the slightest pressure. It made him feel fragile. It made him feel…

It made him feel.

He bit back a moan as delicate fingers traced along his side, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Solas was warm between his thighs, skin slick where hips slotted together. His panted breaths were quiet between them, and Connor clutched Solas close as a whine slipped from gritted teeth, his eyes squeezed shut from the pleasure and as if it might shield him from Solas’s soft and searching stare.

Their gasps and groans grew into a desperate harmony with their movements, where flesh and muscle and fingers intertwined. Connor felt the coil of tension build into anxiety, an ache in his core at every caress of Solas’s fingers, every gesture one of careful consideration. He wondered when that gentle touch would turn to one of greed as Solas’s earlier control began slip—wondered when the softness would turn to heedless desire as Solas’s breath grew ragged and mumbled in elven against Connor’s mouth, the words meaningless but laden with need.

Connor knew it wouldn’t happen—not here, not with Solas, but… what if… what if?

Solas’s pace quickened. It was too much to feel, too much to bear as past partners pressed against him with each stroke of Solas’s weight. Connor’s whines turned to whimpers, the cresting sensations lost to tumultuous thought, a spiral of fears and memories of those who expected too much, who took and took with callous-coarse grip made for swords and not skin with no care for what—or who—lay beneath them.

The tears fell hot, trailing down his cheek and into to the curls at the nape of his neck, joined by the warmth of breath chasing them, kissing the damp lines across his face. Connor didn’t know when he had stopped, only that Solas held him now, hands running through his hair, pushing strands away from his face.

“Vhenan—”

“I’m… sorry,” Connor whispered, tucking his face into Solas’s chest, curling into him as tightly as he could, trying to still his shaking hands.

“No,” Solas murmured back, concern and care and grief and guilt in his gaze. He pulled Connor closer despite the catch of sweat-sticky skin, cradling his head in his arms. “Ir abelas, vhenan. You have nothing to apologize for.”