#many thanks to my lovely sherry for making these readable

[thebookworm0001]

Crestwood - Banter update

Summary: The companions react to the end of Solas and Ellana's relationship.

Cassandra: Solas, I was wondering if I could give you some advice.

Solas: You have given sound wisdom in the past. I would value any advice you had to share now.

Cassandra: You should not let fear stand in the way of your happiness. I do not know what has passed between you and the Inquisitor, but I can see that it has hurt you both. If it can be mended… 

Ellana: Cassandra…

Solas: It is not so simple as that, Seeker.

Cassandra: Are you certain? How many lives could have been saved if we had been willing to reach out and truly listen to the concerns of the mages and templars? Perhaps we would not be where we are had we not been afraid of the answers. 

Cassandra: There are many things in this life that men have decided are too complicated to solve when, in truth, the only thing keeping us from making meaningful change has been our fear. I would not see you make that same mistake if it can be helped. 

Cassandra: You are a man who holds many things close, Solas. I understand if you worry what vulnerability could mean. But you should not let that hold you back from what good this world has to offer.

Solas: I- Thank you.

Solas: I appreciate your insight, Seeker. 

Dorian: You know, I once knew someone who rented out the entirety of the finest restaurant in Minrathous for their partner. Hired a band, filled the room with perpetually-blooming flowers - it was quite the affair. Had the whole Magisterium aflutter with rumors of engagement. 

Dorian: Turns out they’d been planning to end things for well over a month and hadn’t known how else to go about it. Truly, I’ve never seen a relationship implode so spectacularly. And I’ve been witness to my parents’ marriage for the past 30 years.

Dorian: Had I known someone would try and replicate that disaster, I might’ve suggested they take another approach. Self-immolation, perhaps. It would have gone over better.

Ellana: There’s no need for this.

Dorian: Oh, there certainly is.

Solas: I am well aware of my mistakes, Dorain. I should not have allowed things to go as far as they did. For that I am sorry, more than you know.

Dorian: And that makes it all better, doesn't it?

Blackwall: Are you alright, my Lady? You took quite the hit back there.

Ellana: I’m fine. It’s not the first time I’ve taken a blow. 

Blackwall: No, it isn’t. That doesn’t mean this one isn’t worth tending to. Wounds like that tend to fester if you don’t get to them in time. Take it from me. 

Ellana: It’ll heal, Thom. Vivienne can give me something for it when we get back to camp, anyway. 

Blackwall: You know, not long after Blackwall found me - the real Blackwall - we ran into some bandits. Took a rather nasty cut on my leg in the fighting. 

Blackwall: I’d wanted to keep moving, bandage it long enough to get where we were going. 

Ellana: I’m guessing the good Warden didn’t care much for that plan?

Blackwall: Not at all. Threatened to drug me if that’s what it took to get the damn thing cleaned out. And good thing he did too - might’ve lost the leg to infection otherwise. 

Blackwall: Took me a while to realize that’s what I was hoping for. Maybe even to lose more than the leg. 

Blackwall: I’m not saying that’s where you’re at. But you don’t need to nurse your wounds alone. We’re all here for you.

Ellana: Oh. 

Ellana: I suppose the story was a bit much to be just about some bruised ribs.

Blackwall: I’m not much of a healer. I can’t hear your hurts like Cole or guck with the Fade like- uh, well. But if there’s anything I can do…

Ellana: There isn’t. But I appreciate it, Thom. Truly.

Ellana: Varric, did they ever tell you what changed? Fenris and Hawke, I mean. I know what you wrote in The Tale of the Champion, but…

Varric: Surprised they got back together? So were they, I think. Big sweeping confessions, eleventh hour realizations, heart-breaking proclamations? It’s the kind of mushy crap you usually only ever see in romance serials. Great for sales. Not exactly realistic by most accounts.

Varric: The breakup didn’t have much to do with them as it did all the other crap. Fenris needed time to work through what it meant to be free, to chart his own course without self-sabotaging. And Hawke? Well, she’s got a savior complex a mile wide on her best days.

Varric: Hard to let yourself have a happily ever after when you don’t trust it’ll stick. Harder still when you don’t think you deserve it. 

Varric: Eventually, Fenris figured out how to stop looking over his shoulder long enough to realize we had his back, and Hawke learned to let other people save her every once in a while. Both are still pretty shit at it, but they’re trying. More than you can say for most people.

Ellana: And here I thought all you needed to do was share a bedroll. No wonder Cassandra likes your romance serial, Mr. Tethras.

Varric: I still can’t believe she likes that trash. Truly the worst of all my work. Including the stuff I didn’t write.

Varric: But here’s the thing, Violet. Break-ups feel a lot better in stories. You get all that hindsight up front, so you see the signs. Or you realize what you missed after the fact and feel a little stupid. You may even be happy you were caught off-guard if the author did their job right.

Varric: Real life? You miss the small things. Or ignore them because it’s easier that way. Then one day it’s all piled up and you wonder how the hell you never saw it coming. And if somebody’s smug about pulling one over on you, it usually means they’re a dick. Most of the time, though, everybody’s just sad.

Ellana: Is that supposed to make me feel better?

Varric: Nah, it’s just true. But you know what? End result is still the same - big reunion or well-earned revenge rebound, you still find what you need. Unless you shack up with a god, then you start a new religion. Don’t think we have to worry about that though. 

Varric: You’ll figure yourselves out, Violet. 

Ellana: Like you and Bianca did?

Varric: Well. What’s a bit of hope without a cautionary tale to go with it?

[harrydracobang]

Harry/Draco Big Bang Fic & Art: I'll Take Care Of You, Baby (Teen)

Title: I'll Take Care Of You, Baby Author: @foularcadebanana Artist(s): @sirene312 and @protosstar Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Pansy Parkinson/Blaise Zabini Other Key Characters: Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, the baby, Luna Lovegood, Theodore Nott Rating: Teen Word Count: ~71k Era: Post-Hogwarts Content/Warnings: This fic has emotional infidelity, not between Harry and Draco, but it is there. Summary: Due to an unexpected turn of events, Harry and Draco have to share an apartment as temporary roommates, but their situation only gets more complicated with the arrival and presence of a baby. How will these two boys manage to make it through a month of living with each other, when they also have to take care of a baby?

“Potter!” An irritating, prissy voice called from somewhere. “Potter, open the door!” Harry quickly crossed the distance to the door. What he saw promptly made him freeze on the spot. At the entrance to their home, on their very doorstep, was a basket with white cushions and a pillow, and placed in the middle of all of that cosiness, wrapped up in a soft, white blanket, was a baby. A baby.   Author’s Notes: I would like to thank the BB mods @writcraft and @gracerene09 for working so hard and organising this fest. You made me feel so at ease, even though I was a first timer, and were so lenient! I would also like to thank @violetclarity who has been a constant support by my side from the very beginning. She read he first half of this fic and was the best alpha I could have asked for! I love you so, so much. @gnarf, although she came in a little late, I want to thank for constantly pushing me to write and complete this fic using any means possible. You are the best friend I could hope to have, and always so encouraging! Also, you get all of the credit for helping me with my summary. Most of all, though, I would like to thank Sophia (@unicornsandphoenix) for being the most amazing beta I could ever hope to have. She was the one who made this fic readable and she gets all of the credit, because she did it despite being very busy. I would also like to thank both my artists. Sirene (@sirene312) you are amazing and I love talking to you. Your art always manages to blow my mind and especially the two pieces you drew for me! Sophia (@protosstar), I had so much fun collabing with you and talking to you and your art is the absolute best. I hope you know that. Lastly, I put my all into this fic and this amazing fest, so I hope all of you readers enjoy what I have written, because I know I most certainly did! Artist’s Notes: 

Sirene312 - Firstly, I'd like to give the biggest shout out to Sherry for not only being a brilliant writer but also an absolute sweetheart that deserves all the love! I hope you will enjoy her story and the illustrations made by me and Sophia! Also special thanks to our mods Grace and Writcraft for organizing this awesome fest! i'm glad to have had the opportunity of being part of this along with so many talented artists and writers!

Protostar - I immensely enjoyed creating my pieces for this collaboration. Reading a story, knowing that you will be illustrating parts of it, creates a completely different experience than just being a normal reader and it made me appreciate the writing, and dedication put into the story, so much more. I put my heart into trying to capture the mood of the writing in both my pieces and as a result both were incredibly fun to plan and create, and I hope my love for this story and project comes through in them.

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