#oc: elise amell

[emerald-amidst-gold]

WIP Wednesday

Hello, all! Happy Wednesday, and I hope everyone’s had a decent week so far! :D I’ve still been getting over a lingering head cold, so what I have to share is short! Writing is hard when your brain is laced with cold medicine. X’D

Thank you @noire-pandora for the tag! <3

So, I’ve been replaying through Dragon Age in anticipation and as such, the idea cauldron has been bubbling! May I present my dear Warden daughter! *flourishes with hands*

---

Elise hated letters.

The sight of the Vigil’s carrier bird filled her with dread on any given day, reminding her of the world outside and all its fatal trappings. Sometimes messages only relayed the going-ons of farmholds, small scouting patrols, or the city of Amaranthine’s reconstruction. Those forms of letters only made her sigh with equal parts anxiety and exasperation.

Anxiety, for had she lost a group of men, squandered their lives chasing false leads of darkspawn that still lurked and ravaged? Exasperation, for the nobles of the Bannorn were relentless in their pursuit to see her crushed, to the garden she was attempting to revitalize trampled, entirely forgetting it was they who nearly destroyed themselves and all of Ferelden with their petty politics. She enjoyed neither feeling, but be it anxiety or exasperation, she would not forsake her duty, her commitment. She was Warden-Commander, and she had faced far worse to bow her head like she used to, locked away with nary a thought beyond stone walls and blazing insignias. Sadly, there was…one form of insignia that would forever take her back to the days of meekness, of crippling anxiety, of near subservience.

And that insignia was the crest of the Crown–of Fereldan royalty.

Elise currently sat upon the battlements of Vigil’s Keep, bundled up in the thickness of velvet and heavy fur. She leant her back upon one of the stone blocks, body wedged in the narrow, but not too narrow space afforded for the placement of archers and their bows. The position she was in, legs pulled up to her chest and arms tucked into her sides, would make most people cringe, thinking it uncomfortable. However, she found safety in it; she always had.

Only a year hence had she done the same in the Circle Tower, seeking out the quietest, smallest, most unnoticeable nooks in the library, and whittling away the dull hours between lessons and never-ending scrutiny with a pile of tomes and scrolls. Jowan or Anders would eventually find her, eyes full of exasperation and voices full of reprimand, but eventually, they would only smile. Elise missed those days, when the cage was still gilded, still pure to her eyes…

But, the crest between her hands, wax deep upon parchment, reminded her that there was no going back. Not to the Circle, not to its libraries, and not to the arms of the lov–of the king she so firmly scorned. Decisions had been made, a life had been spared, and she would not regret either. Death would not and should not be delivered with death; that was her firm belief. Although, every letter she received from Denerim made her feel as if she were dying a slow, painful one.

And perhaps that was the point. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth…

Elise let out a shaky sigh, a puff of cool air exiting past her lips. She wasn’t cold, really; she had gotten used to the coast’s winters, and how frigid their winds could be. It was more that she was...composing herself. Oh, she hated letters. If only she could burn this one to ash, but she couldn’t–she couldn’t.

“Why do we continue this battle, Alistair? Why is it you who writes these letters? Why not let Anora?” Elise whispered to the chilled air, tilting her back so that her gaze was skyward and her head rested upon stone. She let her fingers curl around brittle parchment, letting the sound of it satisfy her need to destroy it. “...And why do I keep reading them, abundantly aware of what they’ll say?”

Elise let out another shuddering sigh, gently shaking her head against stone, and not at all bothered by how the length of her hair caught upon grain. Any amount of discomfort didn’t compare to the amount she felt when reading any letters from Alistair. The ink that stained them was irate every time, words upon words of veiled disdain. Each sentence pretended to be formal at its base, but she read between each and felt their fire, their pain. Every letter was a hate letter to her, to what she had done at the Landsmeet, but Elise read every. single. one. She had to read them, but Maker, how she wished she didn’t have to.

How she wished she could burn them.

I heard there’s remaining darkspawn parties along the coast. I wish I could help, but royal obligations and all that take precedent.

Elise’s fingers tightened around parchment, visualizing the words in her head if not with her eyes. So much was unsaid in that tiny sentence, but she knew the words even if Alistair hadn’t the heart to write them. How she desired to tear vellum to shreds, to watch each torn piece flutter away...

I guess I should start addressing these letters to ‘Warden-Commander Amell’. That’s your rank now, right? I bet Duncan would be proud.

Her hands began to shake, tremble. Duncan–Warden-Commander before she. Her mentor, the one who took her from the tower and showed her a world she had only ever envisioned in her dreams. A man who had met his end due to the actions of the general she had chosen to save. Would he be proud of her? Would he have looked on with a smile instead of a sneer of anger? Would he have nodded at her, and said, ‘I understand.’? She didn’t know... What she did know was that all that was needed was a spark of will, a thought of flame, and all of it would be gone.

Anora mentioned Loghain was at the Vigil when she arrived. Had nice chat with him, she said. She also mentioned the Wardens had taken some heavy losses, nearly getting wiped out a second time. Sounds like your general is doing what he does best.

Elise let out a heavy breath, pulling in on her legs up further. She leant forward, squeezing her eyes shut and burrowing her face into her knees. The letter was tucked between her thighs, crumpling up, but not burning how she wished it would. She didn’t need to hold back anymore, or keep her head down, or her mouth shut, or her hands still. If she wanted to burn it, she could! Just like if she wanted to spare someone, she could! Death would not be delivered with death! Loghain had deserved another chance! Just like Jowan had! Each had done what they believed had to be done! Whether it was wrong or right was a matter of perspective, a difference in morality! They weren’t murderers or beasts or traitors! They had been people backed into a corner, people who had had their sense of love and protection spiral out of control! Maybe if they had had received support sooner, then the lives at Ostagar would have been spared, the templars would have been none the wiser to Lily and Jowan! But, no. Each only received judgment, persecution.

Just like she was through rigid ink and paper she could not find the will to burn. How she hated letters...

---

All my children torture themselves in some way. *side eyes* 

Tagging (no pressure!): @oxygenforthewicked @little-lightning-lavellan @dungeons-and-dragon-age @dreadfutures @rosella-writes @for-the-ninth @fiadhaisteach and anyone else! <3

[galadrielkenobi]

Decided to make icons of my ocs on picrew :3

Galadriel Amell ~ April Hawke ~ Elise Trevelyan

[thecookiealchemist]

Dragon Age OCs: Worldstate One 

[bitchesofostwick]

OC Biographies

tagged by @cullenvhenan​ <3 tagging @inquisitors-mabari​ @dickeybbqpit​ @your-local-reaver​ @veridium​ @stella-minerva​  long post so it’s under the read more :)

Emilia Cousland

The Basics

Full name: Emilia Elise Cousland

Codename or nickname: Alistair calls her “Em”

Birth date: 9:11 Dragon (in Cassus, as she is a capricorn)

Birthplace: Highever, Ferelden

Nationality: Fereldan

Organization/group: Grey Wardens, Ferelden

Former affiliates: Teyrnir of Highever

Family & Friends

Father: Bryce Cousland

Mother: Eleanor Cousland

Siblings: Fergus and Oriana (sister-in-law)

Other relatives: Oren (nephew)

Spouse: Alistair

Children: None

Description

Height: 5′4″

Weight: unknown

Hair color: Chestnut brown

Eye color: Deep blue

Skin color: White

Any scars: One on her cheek, others on her arms from the Blight

Any tattoos: none

Any piercings: Earlobes

Other notable features: Freckles across her nose and cheekbones

Random facts: Allergic to cats (press F), dual wielder but excels at throwing knives, hot-tempered and severe

Aurelia Hawke

The Basics

Full name: Aurelia Hawke

Codename or nickname: Red (from Varric), Hawke to everyone except Fenris (but even Fenris usually calls her Hawke unless he’s mad or feeling sawftttt)

Birth date: 9:07 Dragon (in Umbralis, as she is a sagittarius)

Birthplace: Near Amaranthine

Nationality: Fereldan

Organization/group: None 

Former affiliates: None

Family & Friends

Father: Malcolm Hawke

Mother: Leandra Hawke

Siblings: Carver and Bethany

Other relatives: Gamlen and other Amells

Spouse: None (although she and Fenris are partners for life)

Children: None

Description

Height: 5′7″

Weight: unknown

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Blue-gray

Skin color: White

Any scars: Yes, various minor scars on her body from combat

Any tattoos: None

Any piercings: Several ear piercings and a nose ring

Other notable features: Freckles all over her face, unkempt hair that’s usually long (but she cuts it while she and Fenris aren’t speaking in

Random facts: Skilled in archery and knives, sarcastic and biting, an extremely loyal friend

Ellinor Trevelyan

The Basics

Full name: Ellinor Aria Trevelyan

Codename or nickname: Ell (to Avery), Ellie (to the rest of her family and Sera and Dagna), Lin (to Cullen), and Swift (to Varric)

Birth date: 9:15 Dragon (in Parvulis, as she is a virgo)

Birthplace: Ostwick

Nationality: Free Marcher

Organization/group: Inquisition

Former affiliates: None

Family & Friends

Father: Jaime Trevelyan

Mother: Rosalind Trevelyan

Siblings: Bryony, Reilly, Lyssa, and Avery

Other relatives: Various, including an Aunt Aria in Teventer, from whom she gets her middle name

Spouse: Cullen

Children: possible...

Description

Height: 5′3″

Weight: Unknown

Hair color: Dark brown

Eye color: Brown

Skin color: Golden tan

Any scars: Two burn scars on her wrists, dragon scars on her stomach and back

Any tattoos: None

Any piercings: Earlobes

Other notable features: Biracial (some Asian-coded features, such as her eyes and nose)

Random facts: Feisty, once an excellent player in the Game, adores dancing, musically inclined

Rae Jung

The Basics

Full name: Rae Erin Jung

Codename or nickname: Captain, to friends

Birth date: November 5, 2256 (a scorpio)

Birthplace: New Rochelle, NY (Earth)

Nationality: American

Organization/group: The Unreliable

Former affiliates: None

Family & Friends

Father: Jung Jae-woo

Mother: Alice Jung

Siblings: None

Other relatives: Various Jungs on her father’s side and Callahans on her mother’s side

Spouse: Max if they ever finish being dumbasses

Children: undecided

Description

Height: 5′4″

Weight: unknown

Hair color: Naturally brown, but dyed pink

Eye color: Brown

Skin color: Light tan

Any scars: None

Any tattoos: A little cat face with whiskers on her ribs

Any piercings: Ears and a nose ring

Other notable features: Biracial

Random facts: Hot mess, gets Asian glow, used to BMX race on Earth

[nykoswrites]

da ocs

origins

guinevere cousland, nathra surana, saeris surana, thalia cousland, casimir amell, fennas mahariel

ii

adair hawke, odessa hawke, edgar hawke, samuel hawke

inquisition

athera lavellan, hae’ra/mylaela lavellan, mafalda lavellan, enfenim lavellan, linnae lavellan, diana trevelyan, anna trevelyan, elise trevelyan, asala adaar, olenda cadash, lori (a cook at haven/skyhold), rasa (spirit of purpose), ylva magnhilddotten (avvar)

dinan lavellan, mana lavellan, harel lavellan, mihren lavellan, daniel trevelyan, james trevelyan, oliver trevelyan, katari adaar, maraas adaar, varrow cadash

[nilesdaughter]

Dragon Age Questionnaire

Tagged by the ever-lovely @lakambaeni​! I’m sorry it always takes me forever to get to your tags.

Tagging: @battlefox​, @tyishi​, @aurianavaloria​, and any other DA fans that follow me! But, as always, there’s no obligation to fill the tag :)

01) Favourite game of the series? I think DAI is my favorite in the series, because it was the one that really pulled me into the fandom.

02) How did you discover Dragon Age? As is usual for my entrance to fandom, it started with blogs I follow starting to share content about the game. (This was a little bit before DAI dropped.) It seemed cool, and @likhoradka​ had made a quick Handers comic that amused me, but I didn’t really get into it until @battlefox​ lent me a copy of DA2 so that I could see what all the hype was about.

03) How many times you’ve played the games? I’ve played all three games through to completion once; with DAO, I played most of the DLCs that were concurrent to the base game, but I only played the vanilla games for DA2 and DAI. HOWEVER, I have started several additional playthroughs, to the point where I have a small army of characters.

04) Favourite race to play as? Elves! Though, to be fair, this is a bias I generally have in fantasy settings.

05) Favourite class? Mages, because, again, the bias followed me from the fantasy setting in general.

06) Do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time? I try to play to each character, but I still usually end up making the same decisions (so far).

07) Go-to adventuring group?

DAO: Alistair/Dog, Leliana, Zevran

DA2: Varric, Fenris, Anders

DAI: Since this is the one that I have the most characters in, this is more varied depending on the playthrough, but my PERSONAL favorite combination is Varric, Dorian, and Iron Bull.

08) Which of your characters did you put the most thought into? Definitely Enansal, even though she’s just a glorified self-insert. I just write about her the most.

09) Favourite romance? Probably Cullen, but that’s because I’ve done that one twice.

10) Have you read any of the comics/books? I haven’t got a chance to, yet! I did buy myself a copy of “Asunder,” but I haven’t had time to actually read it.

11) If you read them, which was your favourite book? TBD ;)

12) Favourite DLCs? I mean, I do love “The Stone Prisoner,” because it gives you Shale, and I love them so much.

13) Things that annoy you. Mooostly the fandom. This is why I keep to myself and my little corner amongst the lovely people behind @dadrunkwriting and @asiansofthedas.

14) Orlais or Ferelden? Ferelden, because it’s always given me Celtic vibes and therefore reminds of Ireland :)

15) Templars or mages? Mages.

16) If you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one? I personally have them existing in parallel universes. However, I like the idea that all of the DAO characters end up joining the Wardens at some point or another. I also do have two separate Tabris playthroughs that have become my “Tabris twins” headcanon.

17) What did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc)

Veleda’s mabari is Rowan. Since my first playthrough with Sylvia was with the vanilla game, she didn’t have her mabari, so I still haven’t thought of a name. Enansal and Cullen name their mabari Buster. Most of my other playthroughs have named mabari, though, but I have way too many to name them all haha I also never named any mounts, probably because I didn’t know that they could be named!

18) Have you installed any mods? I wish I could, but I definitely don’t have the space or know-how to install them.

19) Did your Warden want to become a Grey Warden? Veleda definitely did not. She was actually more than happy to stay in the Circle, because she definitely started out as a huge Loyalist, and was upset that she was basically forced into leaving with Duncan. She was eventually glad for the opportunity to live in the “outside world” though.

20) Hawke’s personality? Sylvia ended up being true blue lol

21) Did you make matching armor for your companions in Inquisition? No. I usually prioritized stats (and sometimes individual colors).

22) If your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change?

Veleda: She wouldn’t have betrayed Jowan. Being away from the Circle made her realize that she should have put more value in his friendship.

Sylvia: Even if it ultimately spared his life, she always regrets NOT taking Carver to the Deep Roads with her, because she hates the time that they spent apart.

Elera: She never would have left her Clan prior to the events of DAI.

Enansal: She wishes she never had gotten involved with Aaric.

23) Do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon? Not particularly? I’d say my biggest canon-breaking content is my Tabris twins and my Kremquisitor playthrough.

24) Are any of your character(s) based on someone? Aisling Tabris, Sylvia Hawke, and Enansal Lavellan are all self-inserts, technically >_> Nan is the one that is most like me, though. Ash is my go-to persona when I make new characters, and Sylvia is really only a self-insert in the sense that all of her dialogue choices were based on what *I* would do in that situation.

25) Who did you leave in the Fade? Stroud, because holy frick, I could not break Varric’s heart like that.

26) Favourite mount? N/A

[theharellan]

RP POSITIVITY MEME

DAY 05: favorite multimuses

i’ve been trying to bring multimuses in on past days b/c i want to acknowledge certain characters on said blogs, but here i’ll just highlight the blogs as a whole!

@aniente​ - muses: ameridan, merrill, evangeline, gatt, adrian, dalish, missne (oc), sabriel (oc)

a dragon age multimuse who i featured a couple times b/c i just. really admire their choice of muses as well as the writing! there’s not a muse on here i don’t love, even those like adrian that i’m not overly familiar with given i’ve yet to finish asunder. i can feel ciri’s passion when they write about each of their muses, and it invests me in each one. i’d honestly love a thread w/ each of their muses one day. gotta catch ‘em all. 

@burnsbriiight​ - muses: mai (a:tla), kitty pryde (x-men), marie-elise (da oc), annuneth (da oc), patricia anne (da oc), adahleni (da oc)

first, it was apparently rachel’s birthday the other day, so happy birthday! second, mai is one of my a:tla faves (i actually rped her back in the day) and although i just followed this multimuse i’m excited to see her rps w/ mai. she’s an underrated character.

@centuriesuntold - muses: all the doctors. every one.

i’ve been following this blog since my mass effect days, back when they were bowtied, and they provided a lot of rly inspirational posts to anons and such on their dash! seeing them again, only now with more doctors, was a very exciting experience!!! it’s not something i’d seen before in the dw fandom, and i’ve adored what i’ve seen from them, even as someone who is only familiar with new doctor who.

@dryhtenhold - muses: gareth cousland (oc), ves aeducan (oc), eleanor cousland, agravaine ker (oc), tamar (oc), loghain mac tir

i’ve only listed erran’s primary dragon age characters, but she rps tolkien as well as having a list of secondary muses! her ocs have interesting and complex backstories that really dig deep into dragon age lore, specifically fereldan lore and the civil war. they are such natural parts of the lore that i had to mark them (oc) otherwise you might confuse them with canons like eleanor and loghain.

@kaleiidoscopehearts​ - isabela, miryin brosca, peebee (mass effect), bolin (lok), sally malik (being human), azalea gothel (descendents oc), artemis crook (young justice), amellia smollet (treasure planet)

multifandom, and some are fandoms i’m unfamliar with, which just goes to show how talented they are b/c i’m v selective with non-da multimuses! i’ve talked about peebee and miryin, but i also have been v pleased with seeing bolin on my dash! he was one of my faves from lok. and every time an isabela hits on solas another five minutes are added to my life.

@lcgacyofages - ceridwen mahariel, atena hawke, myrrdin lavellan, zoria amell, dazbo amell, aurora amell, ronina lavellan, seigfried trevelyan, etienne de rousseau, xora orsiniel pharare, arik tabris, hildegard cadash

a blog full of lovely ocs based upon the pc backstories given to us in-game (for the most part!). don’t let the names fool you, though, as not all of them are the heroes. some are companion ocs, which are honestly some of my fave ocs in darp!

@mercysought - priestess (oc), maxima aurum (oc), himsulem (oc), manala (oc), anora theirin, emilie de clair (oc), abel de clair (oc), laone shatterspine (oc), moe (star wars oc)

there isn’t a muse here who isn’t fascinating and beautifully written. with the exception of moe, they’re all dragon age characters, and while i haven’t rped with all of them yet i hope to one day. skells is a wonderful writer and i’m glad a multimuse has enabled her to have more characters b/c that’s what we deserve.

@mindsmade - cremisius acclassi, liam kosta (mass effect), aiden shepard (me), gil brodie (me), celebrian (tolkien), and more!

also featuring more tolkien muses and characters from the good wife and mythological characters! i mentioned this the other day, but i adore their ship on liam with the aforementioned peebee! there’s not a muse listed here who isn’t worth reading about, even as someone unfamiliar with the expanded tolkien universe.

@teleidoscopic - khaliya lavellan, raleigh samson, morrigan, sera, zenyatta (ovw), jameson locke (halo), EDI (mass effect), ashley williams (mass effect), the black box (halo), john hancock (fallout 4), red (transistor)

i’ve been following pastry’s rp blogs for... idk... seven years now? a lot. a lot of years. i’ve seen a few of these muses in action on single-muse blogs, so i’m glad they can return in multimuse form. pastry’s samson and ashley in particular are old favourites, but looking at this list pastry has the magic ability to pull my faves out in general (i would die for zenyatta. and probably deserve it after how many times i’ve gotten him killed playing him...). 

@tothezeros - morrigan, minaeve, raleigh samson, melchior heeren (oc), cornelia solette (oc), clancy griffin (oc), corin thenn (oc), sylvus varnehn (oc)

again, i decided to only list the dragon age muses to save me from tabbing back and forth, but this blog has so many fun muses aside from that! like spyro, taking me back to the days i would ask my dad to take me and my brother to a clubhouse so we could play one of the games on the ps2. and christopher robin! as for their dragon age muses, i’ve thoroughly enjoyed them. i still have a few to get to know, but their samson and minaeve are great, and i’ve known clancy for a few years now! it’s comforting to see him on my dash after all this time. 

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Thank you @dungeons-and-dragon-age for the tag for this picrew! These picrews get cuter and cuter every time! X3

So, respectively and to the surprise of no one, we have~

Fane Lavellan - Will he ever smile? Will I ever let him smile in one of these? ...To be determined. >:3 Floofy haired dragon! X3

Mhairi Lavellan - I adore this one out of the whole batch! Mhairi’s pretty easy to make since her color palette is light and pastel, and it compliments her fairer features. ...And she’s just a little baby. uwu

Elise Amell - I love when I’m able to hide away an eye with hair, and it fits Elise perfectly. Her hair is a double edge sword. It was used as a means to break the mold, to be different when everything seemed the same in the Circle, but it also served to hide her when she absolutely needed to. 

“The Enchanters used to compliment my hair. They said it made me ‘different’, and at times, it almost seemed that they were...fearful of that trait. In me. In them. In anyone, really. Being different in the Circle meant you would become a target.”, Elise said, running her brush reverently, ritualistically through her hair. She glanced up to gauge Nathaniel’s reaction, and could only smile at the look of quiet curiosity in his eyes and on his face.

“A target for the templars? Demons?”, he asked, one dark eyebrow raised as he regarded her from across the room.

Elise shook her head. “No. A target for the Chantry. A step over the line, a word out of place in their tenets, and you were deemed maleficarum. Blood magic or no. You were different, therefore you were free. And Maker forbid a mage have a simple freedom such as styling their hair.”, she explained, frowning a bit. 

Once upon a time, she had been no different than how many were still; unaware and starving for the Chantry’s rhetoric and ‘certainty’. Elise didn’t see other mages and apprentices as foolish for that; it was all they knew. However, she would no longer keep her head down and her lips shut, obedient and meek. Not after Jowan, bloodied and branded by mistakes born of desperation and fear. Not after Anders, isolated and continuously hunted and hunted and hunted until he had been dragged back to the tower by his robes. And for what? For being mages, for being different, that’s what. No, she knew better now and she would never lose her way in the dark again. She would be different. She would let her hair flow as it was meant to.

She would be seen, magic and all.

“And yet, you still let it grow.”, Nathaniel added after a few moments of silence between them, the sound of her brush gliding and running at a methodically, leisurely pace. Elise noticed how his eyes followed the strokes, a small smile playing on his lips, but from what, she didn’t know exactly, so she merely offered one of her own soft smiles.

“I did, and while I regret many things, I will never regret that.”, Elise declared, softly, but firmly before allowing her voice to drop to a whisper for only them. “..I am who I am, and the Chantry has taken enough from me. I won’t let them take away more due to their own assumptions of things they couldn’t possibly understand.”

....I share. :3 (it popped in my head! SHHHH!)

Anyways, I shall taaagggg! @oxygenforthewicked @the-dreadful-canine​ @noire-pandora​ and anyone one else that’d like to CREATE! >:D

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Thank you @blueheaded and @dungeons-and-dragon-age for the tags for this adorable, ADORABLE picrew! X3

Fane Lavellan - My demi boy in all his uwu goodness! This picrew had his exact eye tone and when I saw it I was like, “FINALLY!” Dragon boy’s abilities be going off because he’s trying to understand why he’s continually subjected to recreation. 

Mhairi Lavellan - I love my girl so much. You look at her and then you look at Fane, and you question, “Are they related? Truly?”. The answer is yes, but also no. >:3 She’s just here for a good time! X3

Elise Amell - Concerned Grey Warden. Acclaimed Hero of Ferelden. Former lover of the King of Ferelden. Current Warden Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine. ‘Ellie’ to her found family and current lover. But, most importantly, she is my raven with silver wings! X3 She’s not concerned. Well, this time. Nathaniel just flirts with her and she flusters like a spooked bird! PFFT!

Tagging (with no pressure, but a lot of love! X3): @noire-pandora @oxygenforthewicked @little-lightning-lavellan @the-dreadful-canine​ @rozhevisny​ @thelittlestboi​ and anyone else who’d wish to share their ADORABLE children! :D

[emerald-amidst-gold]

You know I always love hearing about Fane, but how bout Elise this time (or both if ya wanna!)? 🍓 >:3

Everybody is just filing in! I love it! And I love the diversity! >:D

Hmm, Elise this time, huh? I can do that~! >:3 (And at the end, I'll throw in one fact about Fane for you to ponder over~)

--Elise is a scrap-booker. She likes to collect things from the outdoors and preserve them (leaves, flowers, butterflies, etc.). She wants to record every thing she witnesses, so she'll always have it in case she were to be confined again. :3

--She's the quiet type. A lot of that has to due with Elise believes, at the beginning of the Blight, anyways, that she had to keep her head down, her voice tucked away. Talking to other mages and enchanters was one thing. But to those not possessing magic? No-no. Obviously, she realizes that's not the case, but...the Chantry is a manipulative piece of trash. :D

--Hopeless romantic. Hands down. Elise gets very caught up in the moment and romanticizes a lot of things because her only source of those types of things were books. She learns that love isn't always kind, but it can be forgiving. :3

--Very proficient in lightning spells and healing. In my play through, Elise was an Arcane Warrior/Spirit Healer. In the Awakening DLC I tacked on Battlemage to bring her full circle and to represent she's not going to shy away from battle or danger any longer.

--Favorite color is purple, deep purple! She always likes maroon! They're two colors that compliment Elise's hair and her hair is...a big deal to her. Not because of vanity, but because it symbolizes freedom to her.

--Even though Bioware denied us the right, Elise ends up with Nathaniel because yes. We like healing in this house as much as we like pain, okay?! X'D

--Anders is a practical big brother to Elise and in this world state of mine...heh, losing family is decimating.

--Her nickname from Anders is 'Ellie' and Nate likes to call her, 'My raven'.

--Learns a bit of swordsmanship during the Blight from Alistair, but gravitates towards daggers later on since they're easier to handle. Zev and Leliana helped with that.

--Has used blood magic and Elise feels no regret over it. Elise thinks like Solas, Merrill, Fane, so on, so forth. Magic is magic. It's not inherently evil nor is it rainbows and sunshine. It's a tool and the hand that wields it is responsible for what it does. She used blood magic during the Blight, during a very, very hairy fight and it put some strain on her relationship with both Alistair and Wynne. Especially Wynne.

--Her mabari is named 'Archon'! Elise has always had a fascination with Tevinter and so she thought it was fitting since mabari originally came from the Imperium.

--She's 18 at the start of the Blight.

--Frequently writes to Zevran, Leliana, and Morrigan. Yeah, you heard me. Morrigan and Elise are practical sister at the end, and Morrigan at least allows her to send letters and promises to do the same.

--Has a very rocky relationship with the Crown. Not Anora. Anora and Elise are very civil with each other. It's, um...Alistair. *makes a face that says, 'It bad.'*

--Knows a bit of Antivan thanks to Zevran~

And there we go! My daughter! Elise is my one true Warden, even though I have another that I've fleshed out a bit, but have never shared anything about. Suffice it to say, he's very similar to Fane, but...you know? Here. Imagine if Cyfrin and Fane were one person. That's Ashton. Minus the theatrics, of course.

As promised, a little, teasing bit of information about Fane. >:3

--Fane's hair color used to be black. *drops mic and walks away*

Thank you, my friend! I hope you enjoy my dear Warden! <3

[emerald-amidst-gold]

The Raven with Silver Wings

I’m having so much fun writing Elise! She’s so different than Fane, and I thought that that would make it hard to write her, but it may have been just what I needed to get me inspired again!

As such, I wrote a really, really, really long story with every member of the Awakening crew because Elise found a second family with all of them when her first was whisked away by either her decisions or general life and pursuits. (And bonus Nathaniel x Warden because HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ROMANCEABLE DAMMIT!)

***

The Raven with Silver Wings

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Nathaniel Howe/Warden Amell

Warnings: None

Word count: We don’t talk about it. *smiles*

***

“Has anyone ever told you that your hair’s really pretty, Commander?”

Elise was currently rearranging the books along the far wall of the main hall when the question was asked, her task halted as she turned to look over her shoulder, but saw no one. She looked around a bit, still seeing no one before the clearing of a throat had her shooting her gaze downwards from where she was standing on a small stool. 

“Oh! Sigrun!”, Elise said, gingerly making her way down the small ladder to speak with her dwarven friend more personally. “I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there!” Quite literally. How she continued to forget she had dwarves as Wardens was a mystery. She had constantly done the same thing in Orzammar, and she had known there were dwarves around her.

“It’s all good, Commander!”, Sigrun assured with a small laugh, tattoos on her face wrinkling from her smile. “If I’m easy to miss by your sharp senses, then that means I’m doing something right with my training!”, a sense of pride from the dwarven woman making Elise smile despite the guilt she felt. Sigrun was always so boisterous and lively, not at all someone she would have associated with the Legion when they first met.

“I’m still sorry. I tend to get wrapped up in whatever I’m doing and forget where I am.”, Elise apologized, dusting off her trousers from where she had leaned against the bookshelf. Sigrun tilted her head.

“What exactly were you doing up there?”, she asked, curious eyes looking up at where she had been fussing. “Cleaning?”

Elise nodded, smiling. “Pretty much. I always dusted the shelves in the Circle when I had time between lessons.”, she said, voice taking on a somber tone as she remembered her old home, sorrow and longing intermixing. “I used to find lost books and scrolls, and it was relaxing for me.”

A look of understanding crossed Sigrun’s face. “Ahh, so it’s like a hobby?”, she said, head tilting once more. That constant curiosity and interest always made Elise happy. It reminded her of the children in the Circle, wide eyed and in awe of new findings. She knew Sigrun was no child, but her exuberance reminded her of one sometimes.

Elise hummed, lifting a hand to wiggle her hand back and forth. “Sort of.”, she agreed, somber tone dispersing with the light banter. “I certainly wouldn’t categorize it as a chore or arduous task, so hobby would work!” 

Her dwarven compatriot hummed, tapping her chin in thought. “Kind of like how Anders tries to collect cats every time we’re out.” 

Elise blinked, brows furrowing. “How..so?”, she asked slowly. She didn’t see the correlation. Anders’...habit of trying to start a shelter in the Vigil wasn’t really a ‘hobby’ it was more of… Honestly, she didn’t know. It was intense, though. 

And arduous for the rest of us. She thought with increasing exasperation, remembering the last time the Keep had been almost flooded with stray cats and kittens. Elise adored Anders like a brother, but, sometimes, he was too much, but in an endearing way. An exhausting, tiring, endearing way.

Sigrun shrugged with a smile. “He says cats relax him. Cleaning bookshelves relaxes you!”, she said, clapping her hands together which made Elise startle a bit. “Put those two together, and voila! Hobby!”, she declared, nodding with pride at her connection. 

Elise blinked, mouth gaping a bit before simply nodding. She guessed she could see the connection now, but...you know what? She was just going to let the Legionnaire have this one. She looked so happy, so proud, and it would be wrong to spoil that with harsh reality. The reality that Anders’ ‘hobby’ was more of an obsession. One that had Nathaniel nearly strangling the mage after finding a slew of kittens hidden in one of the sheds. Those happenings usually resulted in her having to mediate between the two men lest she be short two Wardens. Thankfully, Nathaniel always relented quickly when she gave him ‘the look’. The one she reserved for when she was deathly serious, but Anders knew her better, knowing how she was as a child in the Circle, so he poked, teased, and literally, pinched her cheeks with little coos of, ‘Little Ellie is all grown up~ I’m so proud~!’. 

Those happenings usually abated when she pulled out electricity, and then Nathaniel had to be the mediator as he physically took her from the room. 

Despite her exasperation at the memory, Elise could only smile with a shake of her head before stilling, noticing Sigurn was watching her with another curious glint in her eyes. Another bout of connecting the dots, would it be?

“Sigrun?”, she asked, tilting her head a bit to where her long hair cascaded over her shoulder. She had decided to leave it out of her braids today, finding it easier and healthier, sometimes, to leave it freely flowing. She absently brought a hand up to card through the raven waves, blinking when Sigrun’s face lit up, eyes following the action. What was that look about?

“I said it earlier, but your hair is suuuuper pretty! And long!”, the dwarven woman exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across her face. “How do you get it that long?”, another question, another bout of dizzying, but welcome concepts.

Elise chuckled softly, understanding now. “A lot of time. A lot of brushing. And a loooot of staying away from large amounts of fire.”, she divulged, twirling a lock around a finger out of habit and running a pad of a finger against a tip, feeling its paintbrush type softness was slightly rough. She would need to trim it soon. “Why do you ask? Thinking about growing out your locks~?”, she asked, eyes flitting along Sigrun’s own head of short, raven hair. 

Sigrun let out a laugh, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, Ancestors, no! I’d probably trip over it if my hair was as long as your’s!”, she said, smiling all the while. “I was just wondering if there was a story behind it!”

Elise tilted her head, still playing with the ends of her hair. “Story?”, she inquired. A story..behind her hair? That was an interesting question.

“Yeah! Most things have a story tied to them! Like is there a reason you like your hair long, or do you just like it...well, long!”, an innocent question filled with new world wonder and unwavering friendliness, two things that made Elise feel like she was right where she belonged, but right now, she also felt warm as her hair undoubtedly held a story within shimmering raven that sometimes glinted with deep blue.

Elise brought the bulk of her hair forward, combing through it with a nostalgic smile. “I guess, in a way, I wanted to be..different.”, she said, deftly beginning to braid a tiny piece. “In the Circle, you were allowed long hair, but it was advised against due to fire and chemical components potentially scorching it, and in turn, your head. If you had it, you tied it up to keep it safe.”, she moved onto another small braid, eyes going hooded with contentment as noire locks glided through her fingers.

“So, you wanted to be a little rebel?”, Sigrun questioned, smile softening as she could tell the memory and reasoning was indeed a story.

Elise nodded, moving onto the next braid. “The Circle was my home. I had a better time than most within its walls, but such isolation, disconnection, makes you yearn to break the mold.”, she said, stopping her braiding for a moment to close her eyes, willing away memories of blindness and blood before reopening them to resume. “I wanted something that defined me as me, and the Enchanters always complimented my hair, so I let it shape me. I was the tower’s ‘little raven’, even though my wings were clipped.”

“But not anymore, right?”, her friend and ally offered, a knowing smile on her face as glittering eyes regarded her with respect and awe. Elise honestly felt as if she didn’t deserve such...loyalty, but she was grateful for it when her own had been severely tested in the past.

She nodded with a warmer smile. “Right. I’m not grounded anymore.”, she affirmed, sighing with contentment as she combed out each braid gingerly, silky locks like water on her fingers. “I’m free to flow as freely as my hair does.”

“That’s the Commander I know and love!”, Sigrun cried with exuberance before leaning towards her a bit, lips pursed with a question. Elise blinked before laughing softly. This woman would always keep her on her toes, wouldn’t she?

“You can touch it if you want?”, she offered, already knowing precisely what the dwarven woman wanted with how two of her fingers tapped together as well as how her gaze was fixated on the shimmering wave of her hair. She wasn’t put off by people wanting to touch her hair, as long as they asked, of course. 

“Can I?!”, Sigrun cried in disbelief, eyes like saucers as her hands stilled in their anxious butting.

Elise nodded, giggling. “Mm-hm! Maybe one morning you could help me brush it?”, she offered more, tilting her head and smiling as wide eyes went even wider. She hoped the orbs wouldn’t dislodge from how large they seemed. That would not be a pretty sight. Then again, nothing was worse than Broodmothers. Broodmothers were...awful. The image nearly made Elise shudder, but was able to ward it off as Sigurn bounded up to her, nodding her head all the while.

“You..”, the dwarven woman said as she bounced towards her. “Are..”, another bounce, another step. “The..”, another, larger bounce closing the distance between them. “Best!”, a cry of praise as careful, but excited hands came to tentatively stroke at a few locks, mouth going agape.

Elise couldn’t help but laugh, leaning down a bit more to give Sigrun better access. “I don’t know about that, but thank you all the same, Sigrun. I really don’t deserve everyone here..”, she admitted, gaze shifting downwards sheepishly and with gentle shame. The hand petting her hair stilled, coming up to lightly tap her cheek in reprimand. She blinked, shifting her gaze back to see exuberance and joy replaced with firmness and admonishment.

“You deserve every bit, Commander.”, Sigrun told her, putting her hands on her hips. “Sod what everyone else says, you’ve done more than they deserve! You’re funny, kind, sharp, bright, and one hell of a Warden! You killed an Archdemon, for crying out loud!”, the praise continued, Elise feeling her cheeks heat up at the fierceness as they were delivered. “And you gave me a chance when I was so ready to scurry off and die in the dark, forgotten and unmourned like the Legion’s oath declares.”, fierce tone turning somber, but grateful. “So, don’t talk like you don’t matter, either. Because it’s not the truth.”

Elise stared in awe at the woman before her before her face broke out into a wobbly grin, tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. She was going to start balling! She had felt this companionship before with Leli, with Morrigan, with Zev, even with Sten and Shale, and Oghren, too, but she had nearly forgotten what it felt like after nearly two years disconnected from them all! Oghren was still with her, thankfully, but the only others she had managed to keep in contact with was Zev and Leli, Morrigan’s whereabouts unknown, as well as Shale’s, and Sten back home where he always wanted to go. Loghain, someone she never believed she would grow close to, but had, was off in Orlais, her influence and own personal pleas unable to keep him where he belonged. And Wynne and Alistair...well, those were strained when they had otherwise been full of affection and warmth, and it was why she felt she didn’t deserve another chance of...of a family. But yet, here it was, as surely as the Vigil was physically.

Elise sniffled a bit, a few tears escaping. “T..Thank you, Sigrun.”, he said, eternally grateful as more tears escaped. 

Sigrun’s eyes widened in panic and concern, hands flailing around her. “Ahh, you’re crying? Did I say something wrong?! I said something wrong, didn’t I?!” 

Elise shook her head, laughing, full of light and air. “No, no!”, she assured, wiping at her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt. “You said everything right. I promise.” It was what she needed to hear, having begun her hobby of cleaning as a way to distract herself from such distressing feelings. Sigrun visibly relaxed, letting out a heavy sigh before giving her a relieved smile.

“Ohh, good! I got worried!”, the rogue exclaimed, reaching up to give her arm a pat and a rub. “I’ll keep the mushy stuff to a minimum from now on, though! I don’t like seeing you cry, even if they are ‘happy’ tears.”, making air quotes around the word ‘happy’. 

Elise giggled, steadily calming down to where she wasn’t sniffling anymore. “Wouldn’t want the Legion thinking you’ve gone soft, would we?”, she teased. 

“Definitely not! That’ll get me kicked out!”, a joke in reciprocation making them both laugh before a large clattering sound came from beyond one of the adjacent doors, both she and Sigurn jumping in surprise. “Uhh, what was that?”, Sigrun asked, hands already inching towards one of her daggers. Elise, herself, could feel sparks dancing across her fingertips, readying to unleash a bolt on a darkspawn before a cacophony of voices had her magic dissolving back into the Veil in an instant.

She only wished it would have been a darkspawn. 

“Give me the cat, Anders!”, Nathaniel’s voice boomed from behind the door, furious clambering of two pairs of feet signaling a pursuit. 

“Her name is Madame Whiskers McMeow, and you’ll address her as such!”, Anders’ voice came next, indignant and appalled by the lack of courtesy before a squawk rang true. “Ah! Not the robes, not the robes!”

“Then give me the--Justice, move!”, her Second’s voice addressing another, meaning there was even more to the picture than either she or Sigrun could see, and truthfully, maybe they both didn’t want to see. 

“This is unjust treatment, son of Howe.”, Justice’s voice sounded in its normal, but odd echoing way, the vocal cords powered by Fade energy rather than by natural force. “The creature has done no harm; it should be allowed to stay.”

“Hah! Two against one! I win!”, Anders barked, pride oozing from his voice.

“You didn’t even know what a cat was the other day, so you can’t say it stays!”

“It is wrong to throw a helpless creature out into the elements when it has done no crime except existing!”, a bellow making the walls echo with its timbre. “The Warden-Commander brought you in, did she not?!” Elise shook her head, not even part of the conversation beyond the door, but feeling the need to declare so. She wanted no part of this!

“I’m not a stray cat! And don’t bring Elise into this!”, Nathaniel defended her, unknowing that she was waiting beyond the door when this ‘catfight’ would come rolling to where she and Sigrun were still standing, but with twitching lips, trying not to smile or laugh.

“She is the figure of authority within the Vigil, yes? Then she should be the judge!”

“Ohh, no, no, no!”, Anders butt in again rapidly. “Ellie’ll make me get rid of Madame Whiskers McMeow to a farmhold again! I’m with dour sour on that one!” 

Elise felt her eyebrow twitch at the insult in Anders’ voice. What was wrong with a farmhold?! There were plenty of mice for the cats! She would love to keep each kitten and cat the mage brought back, but it wasn’t safe! At least in the wild they could scurry off and hide!

“Don’t try and kiss up to me, Anders!”

“Oh, I’m not the one who gets your kisses, even though I--!”, a screech cutting Anders’ typical poking as a ripping sound made Elise wince and slowly shut her eyes, knowing precisely what that was. “The robes! Not the robes! These cost a fortune!”

“The healer’s bill is going to cost a fortune if you don’t give me the damn cat!”, more clattering and shattering glass vibrating through the Keep at those words. Elise shot a glance down at Sigrun, the woman giving her a shrug and pout that said, ‘I dunno.’

“Are you imbeciles done tearing up the Vigil with your barbarism?!”, another voice, one that Elise immediately recognized as Velanna’s, rang with authority and sheer disgust. The fun never ended it seemed. 

“Not even close!”, Anders quipped in sing song, but screeched again as another tear occurred. “Do you really want me naked?!”

“No, we do not.”, Justice denied flatly before his voice rose. “Cease this onslaught, Howe!”

“Not until he gives me the CAT!”, Nathaniel roared. 

“This is unjust!”

“Yeah, it is! I feel like I’m being chased by templars again, except more exciting!”

“Do I need to summon the earth to shut you all up!?”

Elise stood transfixed, eyes glued to the door as the commotion grew closer and closer to where she and Sigrun were. She cast her gaze downwards a few times as if to say, ‘Should I?’ Sigrun only shrugged like before, but smirked as she tried to hold back a laugh from the whole situation. She wished she could feel such mirth, but she only felt tired from how much of a mess the room beyond would be once she opened the door. Elise sighed as the raucous noise continued, coming to a decision. 

“I am the Commander, aren’t I?”, she bemoaned, dragging her feet along the plush carpets that would indelibly be sullied the moment she opened the door, but she placed her hand on the handle all the same, a crash making it rattle before a sigh passed her lips again. The movement of Sigrun running to the side to not get caught in the tidal wave had a slight smirk forming on her lips, but she schooled it as the handle was turned. “This is more dread inducing than the Archdemon was..”

The moment Elise began to open the door, she had to stagger back, succeeding in tripping and falling rump first onto the stone floor with a wince as two male bodies, a fluffy white cat held up in the one with a bored expression on its pretty face, and the other pinning that one down with furious glint in steel colored eyes, face hard, came tumbling through its opening. 

“The cat, Anders!”, Nathaniel commanded, pressing his elbow into the mage’s shoulder blades to keep him in place. Anders only let out a laugh before releasing the cat, who bolted like a snowy flurry into the recesses of the Keep.

“Be free, Madame Whiskers McMeow! Bend to no one!”, the mage cackled in victory as Elise saw Nathaniel’s face go deadpan with silent fury and aggravation. Oh, that wasn’t a good look. She knew that look, and it was usually reserved for the haughty recruits.

“I’m going to kill you.”, a threat coming out like a hiss, to which Ander only laughed again, lifting his blonde head, ponytail almost completely undone just like his robes almost were. Elise had to flit her gaze about to not land upon unmentionables.

“Do it.”, Anders challenged, smirk on his face. “You won’t~! Not when your lady love is watching~”, amber eyes flashed over to her, seemingly knowing she was there the whole time. 

Nathaniel’s furious expression fell at that, grey eyes instantly flitting about until it caught sight of her, the orbs widening when they saw her on the ground.

“El--Warden-Commander!”, Nathaniel corrected his exclamation deftly, but only because he probably knew she was not in the mood for sweet nothings as she could feel her face give ‘the look’. “This is..uh..”

“His fault!”, Anders piped up and was rewarded with a sharp push of Nathaniel’s elbow in his shoulder blades. “Eee, easy with the massage!”

Elise sighed, face going lax as she fell backwards onto the floor. She couldn’t keep up the bravado any longer as a bubbling, warm, tight feeling began to fill her chest with light. 

“El!”, Nathaniel’s voice came again, formality thrown to the wind as hurried footsteps rushed over to her, Anders letting out an ‘oof’.

“Looks like you’ve successfully broken our Warden-Commander.”, Velanna’s voice came from the open door, dry and just as exhausted as Elise felt, even as her chest tightened further with air. Why did she feel so...light while feeling so tired?

“She held on longer than most of those who claimed to be just and righteous. I cannot help but applaud her tenacity when dealing with such adversities.”, Justice’s voice came next, also from the door. 

“Oh, she’s fine!”, Anders assured, a slight wince escaping his lips as Elise heard him shift, supposedly looking to sit up. “She’s just about to laugh is all!” Was that what she was about to do? It kind of felt like it, but..

“What--?”, Nathaniel began to question, but was cut off as a loud crash came from down the hall, the door behind them swinging open to hit the stone wall harshly. 

Elise let her head lull backwards to see Oghren staggering through the threshold, a tankard in one hand and eyes wide with panic, but she felt anything but alarmed as the words that poured from his mouth, as surely as the mug of ale in his hand did, had her breaking.

“The schleets are real! I saw them! I sodding saw them!”, Oghren exclaimed, eyes darting around before they landed on his trousers which were...around his ankles before he let out a screech, shuffling back through the door while screaming. A collective series of groans echoed through the room before they silenced when Elise let out a loud screech of laughter, making her roll over on her side as the force shook her. 

“O..Oh..Oh, Maker!”, she howled, tears kissing the corners of her eyes as she dissolved into snorts and giggles. “Ah..ahahaha!”, curling up more as her stomach began to hurt, but she didn’t care! She felt so light, so happy! It was wonderful even though the Keep was a mess! 

“See?”, Anders’s voice broke through her laughter filled hearing, only making her laugh more at its familiarity and warmth. “Told you she was gonna laugh like a banshee.”

“Humans.”, Velanna scoffed, but her tone was fond. “I’m going back to work.”, footsteps issuing her departure.

“Peculiar. She seemingly cannot breathe, but continues to engage in the act. I will have to think on this.”, Justice mused, muttering a bit more as his footsteps, too, ebbed away from her hearing.

“Okay, Commander~”, Anders drawled, coming into her tear veiled view, a friendly smirk on his face and hands on his hips as amber eyes gazed down at her warmly. “Might want to let yourself breathe. I have some amazing magical powers, I know, but I don’t dabble in necromancy!”, he joked, only succeeding in making her laugh more. Sweet Andraste! She felt like she was going to puke, but again, she didn’t care! She hadn’t laughed like this, loudly screeching and tears in her eyes, since before the Blight!

“Ahaha!”, Elise cackled, rolling over onto her other side so harshly that warm, sturdy hands had to stop her from going too far. She looked up to see Nathaniel regarding her warmly, a smirk replacing the furious scowl she had seen earlier. It made her break out into girlish giggles, face heating up from the general sight of her lover. 

“A mess.”, Nathaniel said with a shake of his head, a smirk turning into a smile as he kept a hand on her shaking shoulder. “What will the nobility say?”

“T..That..ahah..I..I’m o..obviously..having..having a good time!”, Elise managed to get out, sucking in deep breaths to calm herself. Oh, yeah, she needed to breathe! She felt dizzy and light and flighty, but also happy, undeniably happy!

“That you are, my love.”, the man next to her giggling form said, rolling his eyes with that quip of fondness and adoration. 

“Ooo, that look in grey eyes tells me some alone time is necessary!”, Anders piped up, deftly dodging a swipe from Nathaniel, backpedaling to stand next to where Sigrun was watching the whole display with amusement and smile. “Don’t you say, Sigrun?”, the mage winking at the dwarven woman.

“Oh, yeah, definitely!”, Sigrun said, nodding sagely before grabbing a hold of Anders’ arm to disappear through the door with a wave. “Have fun, you two! I’m gonna go get this weirdo in some clothes and get him started on cleaning up!”

“Wait, what?!”, a squawk from Anders nearly sent her into a fit of giggles again, but a finger against her lips had them simmering down with a shaky, content sigh. 

Elise laid on the floor as only she and Nathaniel remained, but she felt anything but abandoned, knowing her allies, her friends, her family was lurking within, bright, alive, and present with their myriad of personalities and peculiarities. Her family was strange, but then again, her whole life to this point had been strange. She let out another sigh, eyes hooded as she gazed up at her Second, who was watching her with so much affection and warmth that Elise felt that she could nearly burst from all the emotions running through her. 

“All good? Do I need to do mouth to mouth?”, he offered with a raised eyebrow, grey eyes simmering like hot coals and expression carrying that same heat. Elise giggled, slowly pushing herself up to sit before him on equal ground. 

“Mm, I don’t think so, but you could, if you’re really worried~”, she teased, inching closer to fall into awaiting arms, their warmth and stability making her heart race, but wonderfully so.

“Just for peace of mind, I’ll do it.”, Nathaniel declared with a drop in his voice, brushing a bit of her disheveled hair away from her face as he pulled her closer, immediately capturing her lips in a kiss that had residual mirth fluttering away to allow soft want and desire to take center stage.

Elise let out a tiny hum, fully intent on losing herself in the kiss as it left her feeling even lighter, soft where the edges were sharp, and unbelievably warm, but the cute, but small sound of ‘Mrow!’ had her pulling away to look down, feeling Nathaniel continue his kisses, but against the side of her hair, completely unphased by why she had disconnected.

“Why, hello, Madame Whiskers McMeow~”, Elise greeted the petite, fluffy white cat with large gold eyes looking up at them with a smile, tail swishing majestically. She let out a soft laugh when the cat ‘Mrow’d’ again, patting the chest she was resting against. “Aww, I like her!”

“We are not keeping another one, El.”, Nathaniel growled against the side of her head, giving her a light squeeze.

“Ser Pounce a Lot could use a lady!”, she argued, feeling far more amenable than usual to have another family member. “Then they could have babies!”, excitement filling her with a gasp as she whipped her head up to look at her Second, some of her hair smacking him in the face to which she reached up to dislodge some. “Oops! Sorry..”, turning sheepish with her apology. Yeah, she really needed to trim her hair. 

“Do you really want to keep her, or are you just being ‘spur of the moment El’?”, Nathaniel asked with that same deadpan expression, but there was a spark of mirth and relent within piercing steel. 

Elise nodded, smiling. “I do. We have the room, and she seems a stalwart breed~”, she cooed, turning her attention back to the Madame, reaching down to scratch under her chin softly. She giggled softly when a resounding purr followed from that. “Who’s a pretty kitty~? I’m going to a commission you a collar with a griffin bell~”

“You’re worse than Anders.”, her bastion grumbled, but let her go, knowing when he was bested and when to surrender to her will. “But fine. If it makes you happy, I’ll resist the urge to strangle the mage, but I’m not going to be the one to tell him we’re keeping her.” Elise let out a laugh, turning her gaze away from fluffy snow as it wandered away, instinctual curiosity taking hold of a feline mind. 

“Every one here makes me happy.”, she told the man gazing down at her with all the love and respect she could only have dreamed of once upon a time. “Including you, unfortunately~”, reaching up to poke at a nose with a cheeky grin. She let out a resounding laugh when her poked bear let out a growl and grabbed a hold of her hand, smirking goodnaturedly all the while. 

“That’s toeing the line towards beratement, Commander.”, Nathaniel quipped, giving her a hand a light kiss. “Do I need to report to Weisshaupt to have your cat owning privileges revoked?”

“I’ve heard worse threats from a genlock, Howe~”, Elise punched back, leaning up to lay a soft kiss upon smirking lips. “Don’t make me get the electricity out~”, a tease, a promise as sparking as the affinity for which was her primary weapon. 

“What if I want you to get the electricity out?”, a firmer kiss against her lips making Elise sigh, the sparks beginning to ignite as she was pulled closer, tighter, and a hand laid upon her back. 

“Then..”, she purred as surely as the cats within their halls. “...be a good Warden and go clean up your mess~”, the request a warning amid heat and euphoric promises. The adjacent room was still a mess after all, and she wasn’t going to clean it up, no matter how many kisses Nathaniel gave her. Elise watched as her Second blinked, haze dispersing from the order before he let out a tired sigh, shaking his head with a chuckle soon after.

“As you say, Commander.”

Elise smiled cheerily. “Love you~!”, she chirped. Another chuckle, another light kiss against her temple making her melt was all the reciprocation she needed. 

Within the halls of duty and sacrifice, where countless potential family members had been lost to cruel fate or just bad luck, she was loved and she loved in turn. And she felt no shame in that. Painful longing and bitter memories would test that, but would never make it untrue. She was free to fly as much as raven locks did, even as they housed the inevitable end they all faced, but never alone. Never alone, never again. No matter what the end would bring, only light would guide her into darkness, blue and silver swarming her vision as the family stood, waiting, with outstretched arms for her to fall into them when her wings could no longer carry her. Until then, she would fly, she would glide, and she would shield those who had defied fate to stand beside her. This was her home, for now and forever.

***

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Ohh maybe 1, 2, 3, and 28? 👀

*takes a sip from my can of soda* Ahhh~! Caffeine for the soul~ >:3

But you know what's better for the soul? Questions! Curiosity! RAMBLING ABOUT CHILDREN! >:D Let's GOOOO!

1. What would your Warden generally think of your Hawke and your inquisitor?

Rylen: 

Now, I kind of see Elise eventually meeting or at least, reaching out to Rylen after the events in Kirkwall. After all, she’s an Amell, and so is Hawke. They’re literally the only family each other has (that’s not ‘found’ family, that is.). So, I think Elise would reach out through a letter or somehow manage a visit to her cousin and...connect. She would see him as inspiring; Rylen always manages a smile and a quip. However, if they were to spend more and more time interacting with each other, Elise would see that Hawke isn’t very well put together, especially after the Chantry explosion. She would question why Rylen chose the templars, why he executed Anders who was a like a brother to her, but eventually she would come to understand the whys. Elise would see it as no different as when she decided to spare Loghain at the Landsmeet; they did what they believed to be right and what would be best in that very moment. Both Rylen and Elise sacrificed their own happiness for the benefit of others, and were still blamed for future complications and there’s something comforting in a finding another who can relate. :3

Fane:

So, I actually have some later fic ideas for a confrontation between Elise and Fane (after Trespasser, kind of Pre-DA4 shenanas~), and suffice it to say, these two have similar ways of thinking, but their methods are entirely different. Fane is rash, prone to barreling head first into conflict without thinking about those around him. Elise is analytical, always assessing and placing the pieces in her head to make sure everyone comes out alive. This isn’t to say Fane doesn’t care about his comrades; he does. There’s countless, countless times he takes a blow for someone else without batting an eye or thinking that he could die. He just doesn’t plan; he acts. Fane can get lost in the moment of battle, in the heady scent of chaos and blood. Elise, at first meeting him, would see him as any typical warrior; eager for battle and a garden of death. But if they were to sit down and talk...I think she might find him endearing and fascinating. More or less she would think, ‘He’s so mature for someone so young. I mean, he’s twenty-four, but...he speaks as if he’s older. His speech is manicured, measured as if decided upon carefully. And his eyes...there’s pain, a deep, deep pain. Like some of the older Wardens, those just hearing the Calling. But also...hope? Conviction? Who are you, Inquisitor? What has the world done to you?’

2. What would your Hawke generally think of your warden and your Inquisitor?

Elise:

Rylen would probably have the same opinion of Elise as she does with him. They’re family, split apart due the misconceptions and fear, and my Hawke cherishes family. He lost everyone else he could rightly consider family. Fenris, Varric, Sebastian, Isabela, and Merrill are the only people he can call family now. (Anders and Aveline are complicated. I won’t go into that can of worms. For now~ >:3) He would definitely feel a level of guilt for what he had to do in Kirkwall with Anders, with the mages, with...everything, but Rylen just tries to make it through another day. If he and Elise started to interact I think it would be extremely beneficial to Rylen. Elise is patient, sometimes stern, and not afraid to lay all the facts out. Rylen would admire that since he’s had to go through life wearing a mask, a smile, a facade just to placate someone else. He would see Elise as another sister and his opinion of her would probably be along the lines of, ‘I won’t let another member of my family be torn from me. Father, Bethany, Carver...Mother.. I failed them. I won’t fail her. I won’t fail her. She’s bright and she keeps her head held high. Heh, now I see how she killed an Archdemon and lived to tell the tale. ...Bet the lightning has something to do with that, too.’

Fane: 

Rylen and Fane, in my head, actually hit it off from the get go. They’ve both had to take mantles of power, even though they never, never wanted to. Though, for different reasons, of course. But Rylen would find Fane inspiring and wholly capable of doing what must be done. He’d be kind of put off that most of his well thought out jokes and pokes would fall flat on Fane, but eventually, Rylen would see why that is. (Draconic nature withstanding.) Also, once my Hawke found out Fane is dragon?  OHHHH, BUDDY. There would be yelling and screeching and cries of, ‘WHY DO I KEEP MEETING DRAGONS, FENRIS?! FIRST THE WITCH, NOW THE INQUISITOR?! ..I’m done. I’m putting my daggers down and stealing away into the mountains. Varric, you wanna come with? I know you’re fed up with this shit, too! Don’t lie! DON’T. LIE.’

3. What would your Inquisitor generally think of your warden and your Hawke?

Elise:

Fane would probably think of Elise as...interesting. Not in a bad way. Just...interesting. Fane isn’t comfortable with Wardens after Adamant. He learns that he can hear the corruption inside of them and that terrifies him. And confuses him. And makes him go, ‘What the fuck am I? I don’t even know anymore. Why do I try?’ But, if he were to get over that and, like I said with Elise, talk? He would have another perspective of the men and women that had let fear take them by the throat. It wouldn’t change his feelings regarding the Wardens entirely, but one level mind, one open mind, is enough to make Fane tap into his nature and consider other sides of a very, very large cube.

‘She’s more...quiet than the others. Maybe because it’s just her? No...Loghain was still loud as fuck when it was just him, so why? Ugh, I’m so sick of these puzzles. At least she’s more stable, but I can see the pain in her eyes; green like mine, but missing the gold. Maybe the Taint is stronger than she thinks? Perhaps, but still she fights, still she claws her way towards something that may be impossible. ...Hmph. How typical. A similarity. This world continues to confound.’

Rylen:

Fane respects Rylen after spending some time to feel him out, know his cues, and piece together which is his actual face. Once that happens, Fane can move into respect with my Hawke. These two have a fairly similar moral compass; pragmatism regarding most decisions. Again, they both have been thrust into a position without asking for it, so that would be a stepping stone upon the bonding path. All in all, Fane’s general opinion of Rylen would be, ‘He’s worn that mask of smiles and bright, grey eyes for too long. It’s cracking at the edges, wearing down to mere mortar. Then again, I have my own mask. I’m in no position to judge and condemn, but...it’s worrying. Even the strongest wings can be torn and all that greets is the earth below. I hope your wings don’t falter, Champion. It would be disappointing for the world to lose someone who cares when those who should are content to point the finger towards anyone but themselves.’

28. What is their favourite location within their own game and what would be their favourite in each others?

Fane: The Emprise du Lion! Snowwwww! Coooold! Ice dragooooon! >:3 ...minus the red lyrium. *snorts* 

Origins: Hmm, I think Fane would like the Brecilian Forest. He enjoys forests as much as he enjoys the cold, the ice, and the snow. He likes the animals, even though he tries not to interfere with them, and he likes the quiet. No chattering, no demands. Only trees, leaves, and the occasional whistle of wind. Also, Fane likes to investigate ancient ruins. He’s not interested in the history, really. He just wants to see if he can find any remnants about his kin that the elves may have left behind. :3

DA2: Probably Sundermount since again, wilderness. Fane doesn’t do too well in crowded areas and Kirkwall would make his heart rate sky rocket. Not just because of the people, but because of the size. Those cramped streets of Lowtown would just make him...eugh. *shivers*

Elise: She adores Orzammar! Especially the Shaperate! The dwarves fascinate Elise since not many tomes in the Circle went into depth about them! :D And if we want to with Awakening areas, I would saaaay...Amaranthine. She’s always like towns and cities due to not being able to experience them until the Blight! :3

Inquisition: Elise would adore the Frostback Basin. Like, really enjoy it! All that flora and Avaar culture and wilderness? MMMM!

DA2: Definitely the Wounded Coast. Hands down. My daughter enjoys the sea so much. The salt in the air, the feel of sand, and the pretty, pretty shells and rolling waves? Every Circle mages’ wet dream. *waggles eyebrows*

Rylen: So, if we’re not talking like open world areas in the game, I would definitely say Rylen’s favorite place is the Hanged Man. The man needs a drink to deal with Kirkwall. Just saying. It’s also where he can just...be himself with the people who know him. 

Inquisition: Hinterlands. He’s a FERELDAN. He wants his MABARI to RUN in native land! He wants to...go home. ;3;

Origins: I like to think the Hawke family went all over Ferelden before settling in Lothering. I mean, they kind of do, but maybe for more than a few months at a time? So, Rylen would enjoy Denerim. He likes to go where people are, where life is. He likes crowds because he can blend into them and not be tracked down until he wants to be tracked down. ...My Hawke just wants to live in peace with his glowy elf husband and run a mabari ranch. Is that too much to ask, Bioware?! Let Hawke REST!

Woo! That was FUN! It really got me thinking, too! X3 Thank you so much, friend! <3

[emerald-amidst-gold]

My DAUGHTER

I did it. My first of Elise and by extension, Nathaniel. I hope I did him justice, but I’ll get the hang of it if not! 

FLUFF for your PLEASURE!

****

Elise sat along the battlements, the cool stone and fresh breeze helping ground her, even as her hands shook from the letter lodged between her fingers. She knew reading any letters from him would elicit these feelings and reactions in her, but she had no choice but to read them. They were business, they were important, and they hurt because of how much veiled anger was housed within indifferent scribbles. 

“It’s been over a year, and I still can’t stop shaking every time I read these letters.”, Elise said to herself, lifting a hand to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear and then using it to resituate her fur cloak. It was spring, but near the sea it was always a bit cooler, especially in Ferelden. 

“Warden-Commander?”

Elise blinked, startling a bit and almost losing the thin paper in her hands to the wind as she whipped her head back and forth. Who had..? Her silent question was answered as her gaze landed upon Nathaniel, seeming to have just rounded the corner from the quiet look of surprise at seeing her upon his face. He was dressed in the basic Warden scout armor, but had forgone the heavy plating for a comfortability, and donned a light fur cloak much like she did, much like they all did, actually. The look of shock dissipated into a thoughtful expression, but she still sat with her mouth slightly agape and letter clutched to her chest, hands still trembling slightly.

“Oh!”, she squeaked after a little longer at staring at one another, turning her gaze down to her boots, tapping the heels together idly. “Um, hello..”, her voice a murmur, as the continued feeling of her Second’s gaze had her flushing lightly. Hopefully, it would just be taken as the wind irritating her cheeks. That’s all it was, after all!

A quiet chuckle and the drag of boots had Elise relaxing and tensing at the same time. 

“Are you a mouse now? How the mighty have fallen.”, her Second teased, voice louder now that he was closer, her senses telling her that he was only a few feet from where she was seated. Elise lifted her head to give the man before her a small glare, not even caring if he could see her blush now.

“No, I’m not a mouse.”, she denied, pulling the letter from her chest and immediately regretting it as her hands began to shake again. “I’m just..”, she sighed, unable to get the words out and opting to just stare up hopelessly at someone who had thus far stood by her despite every decision, every hiccup. Nathaniel’s expression softened a bit, normally stern lines smoothing out as he slowly came to sit beside her on the stone slabs.

“You’re shaking..”, he pointed out, leaning towards her a bit, but not touching her despite seeming like he wanted to. “Are you cold? The Vigil does get especially windy this time of year.”

Elise shook her head, raising a trembling hand to push her hair from her face. She needed to trim it, or at least style it differently, at this rate. 

“Not really.”, she said, glancing back down at the letter in one hand as she fisted the other in her cloak for a lifeline. “I was...reading a letter.”, the words finally taking shape from her lips. She glanced back up when Nathaniel let out a hum in understanding, his own gaze looking at the worried piece of parchment in her ungloved, pale hand.

“I guess it’s from...you know who, then?”, he asked, knowing far more than Elise had divulged, but that was her own doing since the rumor mill was deep and its wheat spread like wildfire.

Elise sighed. “Yes.”, slumping down a bit on the stone and resting her back against one of the vertical slabs. “It’s almost been a year and I still…”, she trailed off, mouth forming into a hard line that made her lips seem almost nonexistent. She hated this feeling of being lost and adrift. Ever since the Landsmeet she had felt this way, and she had no one to blame but herself. She didn’t regret what she had decided, never, but venomous words had cut deeper than a hurlock’s blade did. 

Elise nearly felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes until a light nudge from a sturdy shoulder had her blinking them away, looking up to see Nathaniel regarding her calmly, but with quiet warmth, almost as if he was worried such heat would have her jumping back in fear of being burnt. But she wanted, desperately wanted, to be burnt, to feel something other than cold anger from inked words upon indifferent filigree. She wanted to be...to be looked at like Nathaniel was looking at her right now, gentle and honest, no anger, no scorn, no betrayal. 

She wanted to be wrapped in this calming fire, and cleansed like Andraste had been cleansed with love and understanding.

“N..Nate..”, Elise stuttered, the sound of the letter tearing from her grip barely reaching her ears as finally, finally, she felt gloved hands, the fingers bare, but the palm covered, gingerly wrap around hers to dislodged them from the object of her distress. 

“Let it go, El.”, Nathaniel whispered her nickname, calm and steady as each of his fingers pried one of her’s open and away from the past. “I know it’s hard, but you can decide when enough’s enough.”, the sound of cloth and leather shifting telling her that her Second had moved closer, but only just. 

The tears forgotten began to make a reappearance as Elise watched deft fingers unlock her fingers like they unlocked chests without fuss, without judgement. She wanted to lock those fingers around her own and never let go, but would she be foolish to do so? Would she drive them away with welling meaning decisions born from a want not to continue killing?!

“I can’t..”, Elise whispered out shakily, beginning to lean towards the warmth Nathaniel was exuding, tears fattening at the corner of her eyes as she squeezed them shut. “I..I can’t..!”, hands upon her own successfully managing to make her drop the letter, the breeze finishing the job by shoving it down the walkway. She nearly burst as a heavy, warm arm came around, cloak and all, to pull her into more heat and stability. 

“You can.”, the affirmation firm, encouraging, and deep as Elise felt a weight atop her head, a cheek resting against it, but she couldn’t be bothered to wax poetic about it as she began to sob. “He has no control over you here, or anywhere. You’re a Grey Warden, and an admirable woman.”, Nathaniel told her, the feel of his cheek being replaced by his nose as it burrowed into a raven’s nest. 

Elise shifted against the stone at that, practically throwing herself into a sturdy chest that was so different, so foreign, but so right, and wrapping her arms around it to greedily suck in all the heat and acceptance it had to offer. Her hair stuck her face as tears rolled down from tightly shut eyes, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care! She just wanted to forget it all, to be burnt so badly that all the memories of honeyed eyes regarding her with pain and betrayal melted away like wax!

“A..Admirable?”, she squeezed out between sobs, nearly wailing as she felt Nathaniel throw caution to the wind and embrace her, albeit it loosely in case she wanted to escape. “I..I..I made a decision and...and..it only caused p..pain!”, the words a choked cry as the tears flowed. Why couldn’t she stop crying?! She didn’t want to cry! She had cried enough in the last two years!

A soft exhale of air had Elise shivering as Nathaniel let out a quiet sigh, one hand tenderly stroking her back in a soothing fashion. Like a cat, she arched into a bit, wanting something, anything to make her understand.

“Maybe, but that’s not your fault, El.”, he whispered, arms tightening around her as she sniffled like a child. “You don’t have control over how someone will respond to what you decide. They’re responsible for their own actions, and you shouldn’t feel guilt over it.”, one arm shifting to card through her long hair, smoothing it out along the middle of her back. 

“You didn’t see the heartbreak in his eyes, Nate!’, Elise spat around tears and sobs, turning her head up from the pillow of blue and silver that meant so much to her to connect gazes with someone who was slowly crossing into the same category once again. And that scared her, but she couldn’t pull away! “He..He loved me, and I..I gutted him as if I had a sword..”

“If he truly loved you, Elise, would he have said things he had? Would he have gutted you just as you gutted him?”, her Second offered, eyes flashing with anger, but not towards her. “Would he have abandoned you to face the Archdemon alone? Would he have married a woman right in front of you, even though it was solely political? Would he have ignored the heartbreak in your eyes?!”

Her eyes went wide at that, tears halting and mouth going agape. She felt her fingers curl into the blue cotton under her hands, feeling the rapid beat of a heart as the body that bore it tried to compose itself. The words had struck deep, but not to inflict harm. They were said to make her wake up, and she had, if only for the moment. 

“...No.”, Elise whispered shakily, taking in a deep breath to try and calm herself more. “No, he wouldn’t have.”, she repeated more resolutely. She was such a mess these days, wasn’t she? 

Sharp eyes gazed down at her with fierceness and resolve, a handsome face stern, but caring around her. In the lull of the moment, Elise couldn’t help but reach up and attempt to smooth out furrowed, raven brows with two fingers, their owner blinking in surprise and tensing a bit. A watery giggle left her lips at that, melancholy momentarily forgotten for lightness.

“S..Sorry.”, Elise apologized, feeling her cheeks heat up a bit as she retracted her hand with a shy smile. Yup, a mess. She was a mess of fluttering emotions. Surprise drained away from Nathaniel’s expression, something like a silent battle going on in his mind as his eyes hardened a bit before he opened his mouth to speak.

“I..didn’t mind it.”, he admitted, hardness softening to fill her with more warmth, just as the arms still around her were. “I could stand to be less intense. We can’t all walk around here being like Justice.”, a smirk playing on his lips as Elise let out another soft giggle. 

“Oh, Justice isn’t that bad!”, she argued, slapping the chest she was reclining against with a larger smile when Nathaniel raised an eyebrow at her. “He’s a spirit! He gets a rain check!”, another laugh leaving her as her bastion against the storm rolled his eyes, smirk growing.

“So if you’re a spirit, you can be as brooding as you want? Good to know.”, he quipped dryly, eyes calm where they were otherwise tumultuous due to cold anger. “I don’t think I’m eager to possess a half rotted corpse, though.”

Elise only laughed again before lifting a bit of her cloak to wipe at her eyes. This was actually making her feel a bit better. For all his blase, Nathaniel had a special brand of humor that always had her sprawled across the table during dinner, stomach hurting and gasping for breath. It was so different from-- She shook her head a bit, scowling a little. No, she wouldn’t compare. That wasn’t fair on either person. Each person was individual, and each responded to experiences, jokes, and statements differently. 

Just like Nate said.. Elise thought, watching with curiosity as said man was currently staring out over the battlements, eyes hooded and face relaxed despite the intimacy they were locked in. And strangely, she felt just as relaxed when otherwise she would have believed herself to combust with a blush and sputtering. Maybe she had changed. Maybe...maybe she could let go..?

Maybe she could hold tight to a hand that let her.

“Um..”, Elise uttered, tapping a few fingers against Nathanie’s chest, succeeding in turning his distant gaze back to her, expression thoughtful, eyebrows slightly raised. She froze a bit at that intensity before finding her voice again. “Thank you..for slapping some sense into me. It’s..not always that pathetic, but sometimes...the letters get to be a bit much..”, she said. She knew it was no excuse to ball, but it was something.

Nathaniel’s expression turned a bit confused before he let out a small sigh, smirk reappearing upon his lips. “I could use the letters as target practice, if you want.”, he joked, but something in his tone had Elise believing he might actually do such a thing. 

She shook her head with a smile, lightness replacing dark. “While that might be fun to watch, I have to have my fun, too.”, she said, wiggling her fingers in front of him. “Namely, fire~”

Nathaniel’s face went deadpan. “The last time you used fire, the drapes in the main hall looked like charred wood.”

“Okay, that was only one time!”, she squawked, pushing herself up a bit to try and glared down into blank eyes, the body before her barely budging. 

“One time’s enough for everyone.”

“At least I didn’t shoot Oghren in the ass during a skirmish!”, she shot back, but knew it fell flat as Nathaniel gave her a look that said, ‘Is that a problem?’ She scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “Don’t give me that look!”

“What look?”, he responded flippantly, face still blank, but Elise could see the cracks as a corner of a lip twitched. She leaned down a bit so that their faces were mere inches apart, putting on her best Warden-Commander expression. 

“You know what look, Nathaniel Howe.”, she said sternly, but nearly cracked when an amused snort left the aforementioned man, a cough following to cover up the sound, but she had caught it.

“With all due respect, Commander, I don’t think I do.”, he played coy, the two of them jostling a bit as his face inched closer to her own, but Elise didn’t falter, even as she felt a soft blush heat up her face. “Care to educate me?”

“And how do you think I’d be able to do that?”, she voiced the question, a sense of heated tension wrapping around her like the warmth of their combined bodies and cloaks. “I don’t have a mirror on hand, unfortunately.”

“You’ll think of something, I’m sure.”, a push, a gentle shove as a soft expression turned softer, sharp eyes flitting downwards before catching themselves and reconnecting with her own. However, Elise felt caught herself doing the same, but hesitated on what her mind wished to act upon. 

Was it really okay? Could she have this? Could she...let the past be the past and stride into the future, hand in hand? All those questions, and no conclusive answers. Dangerous for a mage of the Circle, but she wasn’t that any longer. She was a Warden, a woman, and she wanted to start acting like one.

“Um..”, Elise started, swallowing around a lump in her throat as intense eyes gazed up at her, just now realizing there was a warmth on the small of her back to steady her. “Do you…”, she started to ask, but was abruptly cut off as a loud howl came from her stomach, gnawing hunger severing the thread of intimacy and confusing feelings. 

Elise felt her face flush ten shades darker, the heat almost unbearable, as she scrambled away from Nathaniel, the man wearing a knowing smirk, but a somewhat disappointed look in his eyes which was quickly flushed away with gentleness towards her. 

“Hungry?”, he asked, already starting to stand up from his stone seat and stretching as he did so, body locked up from sitting for too long. 

Elise only stared at her feet, clacking her heels together in embarrassment. Maker, she was such a mess!

“Mm..”, she offered with a tiny nod, face still feeling like a raging inferno and eyes glued to her rapidly tapping feet until a hand, palm side up, came into her line of sight. She blinked, clacking stopping as her thoughts did, turning her gaze upwards to see Nathaniel giving her an uncommonly gentle smile, his features seeming so much younger and sharper. 

He’s...everything I never imagined I would want, but do.. The thought made her tense up in fear, but immediately relaxed when she felt Nathaniel take a hold of one her hands, strong fingers curling around her own delicate ones to give it a light squeeze. 

And she responded back with one of her own eliciting an even softer expression from her dour Warden. It made her heart soar to new, exciting heights without fear, without dread.

“Shall I treat the lady to dinner?”, Nathaniel asked her with a hum, lifting her hand lay a barely perceivable kiss upon it, but she could feel it with acute awareness, the foreign, seemingly forgotten sensation making her toes curl within her boots and face burst into flames. 

“U..Uh-huh!”, Elise squeaked out, nodding rapidly to the point she was making herself dizzy, but she didn’t care. Nathaniel’s smirk grew from around her knuckles, giving her hand a light tug.

“You’ll have to stand first.”, he pointed out before humming as he stood up straight, still holding her hand. “Or..do I have to carry you?” 

Elise spluttered a bit before hopping up, nearly falling into the man before her, but was steadied with a hand upon her shoulder. She immediately drew her cloak up over her nose, attempting to hide her blush from her Second as his thumb idly stroked the back of her hand, his smirk never vanishing despite her actions. An absolute mess! That’s what she was! But..why did she want to be one with him?

“I can walk, I can walk..”, she muttered, voice muffled from the fabric as she began to walk towards the entrance to the Keep, but was immediately pulled back with little effort, tripping over her heels a bit to where she was falling backwards into a firm chest. 

“Ah!”, a cry slipped from her due to surprise, but she went silent as intensity and tender warmth regarded her once more, a pleading question desiring an answer within razor eyes. It made her melt into the body behind her, fumbling with the hand in her own to finally interlock fingers how she had wanted so desperately before, and their counterpart responded with just as much fiery desperation.

“Do you want to let go?”, the question was a whisper, a double edged sword, but Elise felt no danger from it as she squeezed the hand clinging to her own, shaking her head slowly with a tender smile.

“No.”, she said, pulling their joined hands up to hug them close to her chest. “Do you?”, fear making her wary, souring the intimate moment, but sweetness encased her like a sugar coating as a soft kiss, more of a brushing of lips against her forehead, had sighing out in relief, nearly crying anew. 

“No.”, Nathaniel whispered against her hairline, taking in a deep breath through his nose as he drew her closer, squeezing her hand firmly. “Never…”, he shifted his head, leaning down a bit to where their noses were nearly touching. “Never..”, the desire repeated, certain and assured.

Elise let out a shaky sigh, eyes going hooded as their foreheads touched. “Do you..want to try?”, she asked, hoping he would pick up on what she wanted without context. She needed to know, needed to realize she could...could want this and not be slapped for it.

“I do. I’ve wanted to try for a while.”, the response instant, easy, the head against her’s tilting a bit for a better angle, but to what, she wasn’t sure as fear, hope, and joy mixed in her heart and mind, dulling its edge and there was no whetstone to sharpen it anew.

Elise bit into her bottom lip a bit, heat pooling in her body when she saw hazy eyes follow the movement easily. “R..Really?”, she asked, still doubtful, still leery. 

Nathaniel nodded, patient and calm despite the heat in his gaze. “Yes. Really.”, he assured, his free hand coming up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, grazing the lobe with his fingers to which she shivered with a sharp, quiet intake of breath. “I won’t push you, though. Despite what I said earlier, I know it isn’t easy to let go of the past. And if that means I wait, then I wait.”, the words a promise wrapped in deepness and velvet. 

Elise could only smile, shaking her head slowly once more. This man could be extremely devoted, couldn’t he? Of course, he could. She knew that from the moment they met, and he further proved that to her with his dedication as a Warden. He did everything without complaint, but wasn’t afraid to question a decision if it made him feel uneasy. He looked out for his companions, even as he appeared to be uninterested in befriending them. He was proud of what his family was before the war, before the Blight, but was willing to accept that the past could never truly be the same, but that he could paint a different picture with his own actions. 

Nathaniel was her Second, her rock to lean on, one of her closest friends despite the shaky beginnings, and her…

...hand to hold when darkness was the only thing waiting in the end and he would never abandon her to it.

“You don’t have to wait.”, Elise blurted out, desperation overriding fear as she turned to face Nathaniel, his eyes slightly wide and eyebrows raised in shock, but she kept her resolve. “I want to..to try. Now. Now, in the present, and in the future, and...and for however long we have.”, she watched as their joined hands began to shake, but from her or him, she wasn’t sure. “I..never thought I’d..I’d be able to..”, tears pooling around her eyes as quiet sobs began to escape her again. No, no! Why did she always have to cry?!

An airy, soft laugh had Elise burrowing into blue and silver once again, a gentle embrace encapsulating her with no hesitation this time and a firmer, more defined kiss against the crown of her head had the tears picking up as relief and joy, two things she thought she’d forgotten about, filled her heart to bursting.

“You’re a mess.”, Nathaniel said around another laugh, but the words held no disdain, no accusation, only affection. “But that’s what I like about you.”, the words chosen carefully, knowing the line was thin, even as it thickened. This was fresh, new and they both knew that. So, Elise could let out a wobbly, but genuine laugh as she peered through a watery veil into grey eyes. 

“What a way with words.”, she teased around sniffles, reaching up to poke at a nose and was rewarded with a blank stare with hidden mirth in its depths. “But that’s what I like about you.”, reciprocation laced with sugar.

“That I’m blunt?”

“That you’re honest.”, she corrected, smiling more at the resounding chuckle.

“You’re something else.”, Nathaniel said with a shake of his head, but it was fond, not chastising.

“You wandered into my dungeon, Howe~ Remember that~”, Elise sang, rocking on her heels and smiling with a lightness she hadn’t felt in months. 

It was so nice to feel...found, unafraid. There would undoubtedly be days where she tripped up, fell in the mud, but there would be a hand waiting to pick her back up, and she would do the same for the man who was once an enemy, but was now one of her most cherished friends.

And a little something more, but again, it was new, fresh, she was ready to try, but not outright dive into the ocean. Not yet, anyways. That would come in time, when letters didn’t make her hands shake and her heart heavy with memories of yelling, snapping, and betrayal. But for now, she would try, and traverse this sandy shore, hand in hand with someone new, but somehow felt like he’d been with her since the beginning of it all.

“And you..”, Nathaniel began, pulling her close with a light growl that made her nearly burst out in giggles. “...let me out, so you have no one to blame for this but yourself, my lady.”, he teased, the title like silk as he brought their hands up to lay another kiss upon her’s. She flushed a bit, but didn’t short circuit like before, only leaning into the body before her more.

“I think I can live with that decision, thank you very much!”, Elise chirped, the two of them locking eyes with electricity and piercing accuracy before the sound of her stomach growling again had her sheepishly turning her own away. “I can’t live without food, though.” Blasted Grey Warden hunger! It always snuck up on her at the worst of times! 

Her Second chuckled, stepping back from her a bit, but not releasing her hand. “The offer for dinner still applies, just so you know.”, he said with a raised eyebrow, lighting tugging on her hand as he began to move towards the door, knowing she would follow. 

“It better be a feast at this rate.”, she grumbled, putting her free hand on her stomach as she followed as if on auto pilot, another growl sounding like an angry mabari. “Three feasts, actually.”

The only response Elise got was a laugh and roll of grey eyes as Nathaniel led her along the battlement, and all she could do was stare down at their interlocked hands, face warm and cheeks nearly aching with a smile as she realized she would not longer have to rely on a piece of paper filled with echoes of the past to fill them.

***

I’m crying. This was so much fucking fun to write. AGHDHKG! *screams like a dinosaur*

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Hi! For the Dragon Age Asks: Warden + Companions :)

What did your Warden think of Wynne’s views on the Circle? Did they have different experiences regarding the Circle?

What was your Warden’s position on the Chantry? Were they wary of Leliana due to their religious beliefs or lack thereof?

What became of Alistair after the Landsmeet? How did your Warden feel about their decision of Alistair’s future?

How close was your Warden to Morrigan? Did your Warden respect her abilities as a witch of the wilds?

What was the relationship between your Warden and Oghren? Were they friendly or merely reluctant companions?

Was your Warden amused by Sten’s love of cookies?

Why, hello there! Sorry for the lateness of this! Some of them I had to sit on, but I got it now! Let's gooooo! >:D

What did your Warden think of Wynne's views on the Circle? Did they have different experiences regarding the Circle?

So, Elise and Wynne were acquainted with each other before the Blight, of course. However, Elise was the kind of apprentice that dutifully listened and only asked questions when she was truly lost. The two women got along for the most part, but Elise had...views regarding the Circle that would greatly challenge Wynne's.

Elise sees the Circle as a good 'idea', something that could work in theory. What I mean by that is, Elise sees the foundation trying to be built, but the materials of what makes a sturdy foundation a sturdy foundation are lacking. She supports the idea of mages having an institution of learning, a place they can feel safe and proud of their powers, but she doesn't believe the Chantry should have a say in anything that anyone does; mage or no. Elise thinks more in lines of how Tevinter operates; Circles being academies that mages can go to and from without a templar on their heels.

'People fear us because they've never been taught not to. They've never seen the beauty of magic, the healing and the benign rituals. They only hear of fireballs, arcs of lightning, and a man being encased in winter's embrace. They only hear of the gluttony of demons, not the kindness of the spirits. They don't know because the Chantry won't let them." Elise sighed, gazing down at her hand as she ushered forth a sliver of magic. It glowed a faint blue, soothing and calm. "...The Circle was my home, Wynne. Not the Chantry. You might see them as one and the same, but they're not."

What was your Warden’s position on the Chantry? Were they wary of Leliana due to their religious beliefs or lack thereof?

So, to reference the above question, Elise's position with the Chantry is shaky. She doesn't believe in the Chantry. She believes in the Maker, his creation and his gift, and in Andraste, her role and her tenet. Elise sees the Chantry as something that needs harsh reform, but she knows she's not the one that can technically do that. The people, she believes, need to make their voices known. Not just the mages or the elves or any lesser rung person. The nobles, others in the hierarchy, those of empires, need to speak. Elise wants the Chantry to stand for what it began with, she wants people to find safety in it; mages and commonfolk alike. But, she knows it'll take a long time and a lot of work to correct poisoned mindsets.

And regarding Leliana, Elise isn't uncomfortable with her views. She respects them, and she's happy that Leli was able to find comfort where she couldn't while still retaining her own views on the matter.

What became of Alistair after the Landsmeet? How did your Warden feel about their decision of Alistair’s future?

Alistair became King with Anora. *laughs nervously*

Elise was already for Alistair being King, and she did actually speak to him about many times. Like, what he wanted, what he thought was best, if it could help Ferelden as much as everyone hoped, etc. Alistair was wary, but in my playthrough, I had hardened him. In my mind, Alistair and Elise find middle ground with the whole situation and the idea was to...continue their relationship after the fact. They wanted to stay together, to make it work.

GUESS HOW THAT TURNED OUT?

When Elise spoke to Anora alone, heard her side and saw her love for her father, she...faltered. She realized that she was being selfish, that she was doing what was best for her, not for Ferelden or the people suffering due to the Civil War and the Blight. In that moment, Elise's whole world shifted and she knew that she had to give up the one thing she wanted this one time.

And she did. It broke her heart, stabbed a knife in her chest, but Elise pushed through it and tore the blade out without flinching, even when the Landsmeet reached its climax and she made her decision. This time, without speaking about it to Alistair.

How close was your Warden to Morrigan? Did your Warden respect her abilities as a witch of the wilds?

Elise and Morrigan were literally sisters by the end of the Blight. It was rocky at first due to how quiet and seemingly meek Elise was and how that bothered Morrigan, the mage thinking it was purely from subserviance, but they grew close once Elise began to open up. Honestly, Morrigan was surprised that Elise had actually tip toed around her because she wanted to learn. Elise wasn't too keen on shape shifting, but she was eager to learn about more offensive spells since she was a bit shaky on them at the beginning. She did enjoy seeing what forms Morrigan could take though! Which again, made Morrigan go, '...What is this creature?' XD

I already have it in my head that Elise will meet Kieran one day, and it won't hurt her as much as she thought it might. Because really, she doesn't see 'Alistair and Morrigan's child', she sees 'her sister's' child.

What was the relationship between your Warden and Oghren? Were they friendly or merely reluctant companions?

Elise and Oghren were friendly! She did sometimes get annoyed with his more...bleh remarks or his drinking, but she knew why those things happened. If anything, she tried to help Oghren work through them bit by bit. When Elise saw him at the Vigil, she literally cried. Not lying. XD

...She also made sure he was going in the right direction during battle. That happened a lot.

Was your Warden amused by Sten’s love of cookies?

Elise did find it amusing, but mainly, she found it warming! Here was this seemingly harsh, aloof, and intolerable Qunari warrior, and he liked cookies. Let's just say, Elise enjoyed the look on Sten's face when she'd offer a tiny satchel without a word, but with a knowing smile. She likes to make people feel welcome, even if she's unsure of how to do that sometimes. :3

[emerald-amidst-gold]

18 19 20 27 28 from the protag questions <3

Ooooo! Lots of goodies! o3o You all spoil me~! X3

Thank you so much! Let's get into it! >:D

18. What is the biggest similarity between your protagonists?

Grey morality. PFFFFT!

I'm serious. I have a habit of creating characters that have questionable methods to situations, but yet can be empathized with or even sympathized with. Fane, Rylen, and Elise all do what they have to do, and it's up to the audience to formulate whether or not they agree or disagree with their personalities and actions.

I'll say this once because I've had people in the past kind of...bash me for it, but just because your character has a specific view does not necessarily mean you as the creator share that same view. That isn't me throwing swings out at self-inserts or characters that are reflections of their creators, this is just how I feel in response to my own characters. I try to disconnect from my characters because I want them to be their own. I build the foundation, give them a name, a history, or a family to influence them, but I don't steer their minds, their decisions. They flow the way they want to flow. Simple as that. Fane is the OC that is most reflective of me, but not with everything. He has his own methods, own reasons for thinking the way that he does and so do I.

I think it has a lot of my fixation on making characters teeter has to do with how I interact with the world in real life. I just...don't see black and white. I give everything the benefit of the doubt and I hold my ground concerning my views even if others might see them as 'wrong' or 'controversial'. I'm horribly analytical and I'm always like, 'But what if...'. That's just...me. XD

But yeah! Grey characters are my vice and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right most of the time, but I try! :3

19. What is the biggest difference between your protagonists?

Mainly how they approach situations and their feelings surrounding leadership.

Fane is rash, doesn't plan, doesn't think everything through before acting or he just outright chooses not to. He tends to make decisions on his own, but mainly only in battle. In more diplomatic settings, Fane is the master of deferral. XD He divvies out tasks that he feels aren't his area from either a lack of interest, a lack of confidence in himself, or just feeling that someone else would be the better option.

Rylen has his moments of brashness, but he's pretty subdued, go with the flow type of deal, but most who know him intimately know he's pretty high strung when it comes to matters where his voice has power. Man's a ball of stress and anxiety. PFFT!

Elise is the calmest out of the three. It was practically trained into her in the Circle. She's also just inherently docile, but after the Blight she does have moments of being feral and unhinged. That mostly happens if one of her companions are in danger or if her own life is threatened. She's not afraid to make her voice heard, either. Generally, Elise is soft spoken, but she will stand up for herself and other people, despite the grief it could cause her.

20. Who handles responsibility the best? And who handles it the worst?

If Fane puts his mind to it, he can handle responsibility pretty well. His want to involve himself deeply in matters doesn't happen until after Adamant and only gets stronger and stronger after Trespasser. Fane is a force when he wants to be and Solas tries to draw that out, to make him realize he can do whatever he puts his mind to. However, Elise would be the best in terms of responsibility. She had a lot in the Circle, even more during the Blight, and a substantial amount as Warden-Commander. Does she wish she could rest? Of course! But she doesn't complain because she knows she can make change. Rylen's okay with responsibility; he becomes Viscount after all. But, he is prone to slacking off at times, but really only after the Chantry explosion. The guy is TIRED. What can I say? XD

All in all, none of them bad at handling responsibility. They just have different ways that they go about it! :D

27. What would their fears on the graves in the fade during Here Lies The Abyss be?

Yes, yes, yes, YES! The question! The big question! The question that leads to Fane and Solas' first kiss! AHAHAHAH! >:D

Elise - Betrayal. This is more in terms of Elise towards herself and her own actions. She's afraid that everything she's ever done has been one great betrayal to everyone and everything she has ever cared about. She had no choice but to witness Jowan become Tranquil, Alistair, so hurt and angered by her decision at the Landsmeet, abandoned her to face the possibility of the death alone, her faith was sundered after the Broken Circle, making her fear her magic for the first time in her life and making her wonder when she would become the very monsters she had just finished killing. The list goes on. Elise made so many decisions in service to the world, but she silently wonders when it'll all come crashing down around her, when everyone will leave her because they'd been betrayed.

Rylen - Wasn't enough. Rylen wrestles constantly with the fact that he's never been strong enough. He wasn't strong enough for Carver; the ogre ripping him from their family and pounding into pulp. He wasn't strong enough for Bethany; unable to protect her from the templars, so he opted to take her to the Deep Roads, thinking it would be safer, but it wasn't. He wasn't strong enough for his mother; his eyes focused on the horizon rather than the ground that began it all.

And he hadn't been strong enough to end Corypheus for good. We all know what happened wasn't Hawke's fault, but Rylen the master of blaming himself for everything, so that's one event he dwells about every. day. every. night.

Last, but not least, FANE. *sounds the horns* You ready? You ready?! >:D

Fane - To be forgotten. That's right.

That's Fane's biggest, deepest fear; to be forgotten. I know there's only been a few chapters of my main fic that kind of reference this, but you know how Fane constantly says to himself, 'I wish I could be forgotten. It would be better if I would just disappear and be forgotten.'? Yeah, it's a front. He's trying to convince himself that that's what he wants, but in actuality, it's reversed. He's terrified, terrified of being forgotten by the world, by his sister, by the Inquisition...

...by Solas. That's the worst person who could forget Fane. And around the time of Adamant, Solas and Fane being the stubborn fools that they are, act as if they haven't known each other for fucking centuries even though the truth literally screamed at them after Haven. They were lost together in the mountains with that truth hanging between them, and still they ignored it because it hurt and they both felt they didn't deserve the hope that they could be together. Fane attempts to unearth some lost memories, some lingering feelings, but Solas wasn't ready and guided them away from that unopened bag, refusing to let Fane in on his agenda or allowing him to help in any way. It gets to a point where Fane starts to believe Solas doesn't actually recall their relationship, who he is and he spirals pretty bad in the Raw Fade when that tombstone is glaring at him.

When Solas sees it...he cracks. Quietly, in his mind, but he realizes how stupid he'd been, how stupid they had been. The truth was looking at him in two tones and he ignored it out of fear. It's what spurs Solas to take Fane into the Fade and show his dragon the place where he had endeavored to make sure the other would never be forgotten. Solas also makes it clear that he had never forgot Fane, ever.

"I could never forget you, my dragon. Your memory lingered within the halls of my mind even as I slumbered. I am but a fool, a fearful fool. I thought it kinder to let you live a new life, unburdened by my burdens. I do not wish for the past to repeat itself, to see two tones ebb away and breath leave your lungs once more.", Solas said, eyes downcast, pained grimace housing sorrow, grief, and despair in its curves. "...But, it is not kinder. It is more agonizing to try and forget than it is to remember. Though, I have never tried to erase you from my memory nor have I tried to abandon what I felt for you--what I feel for you.'

Fane frowned, tugging on the mage's forearms to bring him closer, urgently, but timidly; Solas didn't even protest, but his eyes remained downcast. "What do you feel, Solas?", he asked and received no answer. "What do you feel, Solas?! What can't you forget?!", he repeated, voice echoing off the halls of death and remembrance. He needed these words, he needed to know!

What did the sky feel?! What did it remember?! He just wanted one damned answer in this upside down world!

Solas' eyes shut slowly, chest rising with a deep inhale. "I..", he started, but paused again, face twitching with hesitance and reservation. "No, it's not--!"

Fane growled low. "Enough! If you won't tell me,", he barked, yanking Solas forward by his arms, barely registering the grunt of surprise that left his lips, and shot his hands up to hold a bewildered face. "...then show me!"

I tease~ >:3

-----

28. What is their favourite location within their own game and what would be their favourite in each others?

I answered this ooooonnnneee HERE! >:D (I would just copy and paste, but it LONG. ADHDKS)

And there we have it! Beautiful! Perfect! And FUN! X3

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Thank you @blueheaded for the tag! <3 I made my children with this picrew!

Fane Lavellan - He has a knife. What more can I say except...RUN. Fane + sharp objects = NO. 

Mhairi Lavellan - Completely oblivious that her brother wants to shank an Orlesian. ...Or the Chantry. ...Or all of Thedas. Oh, hey, My! Did you know your brother is a--! *SLAPPED*

Elise Amell - El.exe has stopped working, and is trying to process the extent of Thedas after the Blight. ...She is not impressed, but she’ll just take her drink and go. >:3

Tagging: @the-dreadful-canine @noire-pandora @oxygenforthewicked @shift-shaping @little-lightning-lavellan @varric-tethras-editor @rozhevisny and anyone else who’d like to make their BABIES! <3 (no pressure and I’m sorry if I forgot anyone! Just woke up from working the graveyard shift~ Hehe~)