#or maybe it's my dragon age special interest | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vampkittyxoxo · 6 months ago

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Hello there!!!!

I am a big fan of your work and I was wondering if it would be possible for you to write romantic relationship hcs for draco? Any pronouns are welcomed and appreciated!

Of course, I do hope not to pressure you! Please do take your time! And of course, if you do not wish to do this request, that is perfectly alright!!! 😁

-🌮

(btw sorry if my request is incoherent😓)

Thank you all for your requests!! I’ve gotten many people asking for Draco!

And may I say thank you for all the compliments!! You are all so sweet!!

I wasn’t sure if the unlabeled requests wanted romantic or just general hcs so I wrote both.

This is also my third time writing this because tumblr keeps refreshing the app if I even change the app for a second, so sorry if this feels rushed!

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Draco romantic/general headcanons

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

~ Obviously, his favorite genre is metal. That doesn’t mean he likes all metal though— he can’t stand sludge metal or glam metal. However, he loves power metal and alternative metal!

~ I’d assume he’s around 23-24 in age, given that he had to have had time to build up his audience and find his sound.

~ Draco would be a bit on the tall side, maybe around 6’3-6’5 (roughly 190-196 cm). He has a nice build that comes naturally from a fast metabolism.

~ Admittedly… He really wants to start drawing. However, Draco thinks he’s too old to start now, so he opts for doodling dragons and wyverns in his free time.

~ Draco has quite a special interest in dragons… and of course, the obligatory hyperfixation on Wings of Fire in middle school. I mean, it was bad. He was telling all his friends about it, made every class project somehow correlate to Wings of Fire, and even wrote... fanfiction.... granted it was terrible considering he was 12. (I am not speaking from past experience with warrior cats.... no....)

~ He has a pretty decently sized vocabulary. This is mostly from reading lots of poetry and literature to help him with lyrics, but he is also smarter than he looks.

~ Draco has always been bad at making friends despite being popular now. He doesn't know how to talk to people for the first time and isn't sure what's all socially acceptable and what isn't. In middle school, he had a small group of four people, himself included, but he was always the odd one out. Then, in high school, he went through three different friend groups of varying sizes. It was very hard for him to maintain friendships, meaning lots of lunch periods were spent alone.

~ He was a theatre kid. I stand by this. Before he got actually good at singing, he practiced by getting supporting roles in school plays during high school.

Romantic Headcanons

~ Yes, he's popular. No, he's never had a real partner. You're what he considers his first.

~ Draco is very, very nervous at the start. The first time he saw you, even if you were dressed lazily, he was awestruck. Given his past with friends, he was very hesitant to talk to you. But God, the way you smiled at him, he forgot all about his past and made conversation.

~ While in the talking/friend stage, he gushes about you through song lyrics he writes in his journal. He would never show you or even tell you about it, though. Maybe 40 years past marriage, on his death bed he would...

~ As friends, Draco tells you about his music (if you're already not a fan... if you are a fan, that's another bullet point). If you react positively, he feels so validated and falls for you even harder.

~ Had you already known he's decently popular, Draco worries that you're only talking to him because of that fame. He obsesses over this fear for a week before finally giving in and asking for assurance.

~ He waits forever to ask you out-- he really wants to make sure you're giving signs that you like him before he does anything. And when he does, he doesn't make it a huge deal. After he takes you home one night, while saying your goodbyes, he pauses to ask if you would be his partner. When you say yes, he has to contain every ounce of his excitement to not look weird or desperate.

~ At the beginning, he's very hesitant to make any big steps forward. You're his first real partner, after all. He starts small with hand-holding, then gradually works up to other forms of affection.

~ He loves touching you, though. Even hand-holding is enough to get him flustered and giggling. He cuddles with you when watching shows or movies, before you're about to go to bed, or any other time he can make an excuse to hold you (or be held by you...). He's mostly the big spoon-- he loves the feeling of protecting you, so to speak-- but he enjoys being held every once in a while.

~ His main love languages are physical touch and quality time. Considering he probably gets gifts all the time from fans, gifts don't mean anything super special to him as it would to most normal people. He does appreciate it when you praise him or reassure him that he's not a bad person/musical artist/etc.

~ Draco will take you on every tour he goes on-- if you want to come with him that is. If you decide to go, he'll show you around every town you stop in, spoil you with good food and small presents, and make sure your trip is just as fun as his. Obviously, you get right up to that barricade at his shows.

~ He would discuss this with you first, but if you were comfortable with it, he would totally bring you up to the stage so you could sing the backing vocals for a song. He would introduce you as his partner (sorry to the other fans in the crowd... sorry Edgar...) and he would make sure the crowd likes you.

~ If you decide to stay home, he's facetiming you every chance he gets. He would probably set his phone up somewhere on the stage so you can watch the show as well. He misses you lots and lots and lots whenever he's away.

~ Draco has definitely written a few songs about you. He just prays you two never break up, because some are his most popular songs...

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

This is all I can think of right now... if I ever come up with more I'll make a new post. Requests are open <3

#draco brawl stars #brawl stars #brawl stars x reader #draco brawl stars x reader #brawl stars draco x reader #draco x reader

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kaija-rayne-author · 1 month ago

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Dragon Age Veilguard wrap up review and final thoughts

So… I wrote that string of reviews (section one starts here) while I was playing the game. I’d write them either before or after logging in for the day, so I wouldn’t forget anything I wanted to mention.

Spoilers for Dragon Age Veilguard. Tried to keep them to a minimum, but they’re there.

My thoughts on breaking the media blackout I stayed under while I played Veilguard to completion.

A little about me. I’m an editor by trade. I’m an author and a reviewer. I’m a pretty heavily left leaning, queer as fuck, non-binary person, so I’m not one of the awful reviewers who are causing so many problems from what I’ve heard. No one paid me for a review or to write anything. I’ve played the game to completion and watched the credits all the way through to that awful last scene. These are just my thoughts and my knowledge. And honestly? My broken heart.

I’m just someone who has absolutely loved Dragon Age from the moment I first turned on DAO. Because I’m an editor and a writer… my reviews tend to be more in depth than an average person’s? Maybe? I have a medical background (Forensic Anthropologist) and I legitimately read encyclopedias for fun.

In case you haven’t guessed yet. I’m autistic/ADHD (AuDHD). Dragon Age has been a hyperfocus/special interest of mine for years. I’m absolutely a lore fiend. I probably know more about the lore than many people actually working at BioWare. Especially if Veilguard is anything to judge by.

Also, this is all my off the cuff writing. I haven't the time, energy, or desire to edit them.

The problem with Dragon Age Veilguard… well. There’re a lot of problems with it. I think what it really comes down to is poor adhesion to the established lore, a crappy fighting and levelling system, and poor writing. And with Trick Weekes as Lead Writer? I never in a million years would’ve thought I’d have to say that about Veilguard.

I’ve enjoyed Weekes’ writing for a few years now. Two of my favourite Dragon Age books are by them. I really wish I could write a positive review for Veilguard. But I just can’t.

There were some things I liked about it. I liked some of the mechanics. Ziplines and the Elven light puzzles were pretty awesome. I liked how some of the streamlining made the game better. I liked how the logs were a lot easier to walk across than they were in any of the previous games. Some of the characters grew on me despite their poor writing. I liked the map when I was at the Lighthouse. Being able to see when and where a companion wanted to talk to me was great. I liked the wardrobe and how nice and easy it made changing how your gear looked. There were probably a few other things I liked. I tried to be scrupulous in my review series on saying both the positive and the negative. So if you’ve got the time to read that long thing, it’s probably worth it if you’re on the fence about buying and playing it.

And if you had a hand in making that travesty of a CRPG? You really should read it. For professional development, if nothing else.

If you’re Solavellan? I’ll just flat out tell you not to. It’s not worth it. There is no happy ending for Solas and Inky. There’s no intimate scene. Every single thing most Solavellan’s have been hoping for… for ten bloody years? It’s not there. And in fact, they did Solas so dirty. There were memories of him. I wanted memories! I did not want memories of every awful thing he’d ever been forced to do as a rebel leader. They hammered home how awful Solas was with a freaking jackhammer.

As a diehard DA fan and a committed Solavellan? It was an outright painful game to play. It really hurt. And then to see his horrific wolf form (he honestly looks like a Chinese crested dog on a really bad day. I really wish I were joking.) And then to not have anything resembling a happy ending? It’s not worth your time, and it definitely isn’t worth your money. Fanfic writers will have to heal our broken hearts, because Weekes certainly did not.

No. Trick Weekes. That was not even a suggestion of a happy ending. And I will honestly never trust you again after you actually tweeted that to me. You gave me hope. And there was no reason to hope.

So… yeah. I’ll never be able to cover all the bad in Veilguard in a short (ish) review. I’m trying to keep this short!

I’m not good at that. For what it’s worth. XD.

The Lore.

There is so much Lore they had to use for inspiration. Three full games, five books, six comics, at least two coffee table/art books and probably stuff I don’t know about. They had all of that to use as inspiration. What little they did use? Was so twisted it was hardly recognizable. I went into more detail in the longer review series so I won’t here. But they hardly used the amazing amount of Lore at all. They shoved it under the rug of bad writing to make a very unsightly lump to anyone with eyes to see it.

It’s almost like they were so eager to shuffle Solas off so they could move on to writing a new game in a different age that they just… I don’t even know. Treated him poorly doesn’t begin to cover it. Screwed up the story by sidelining a plot-necessary character also doesn’t cover it. Which as both an editor and an author, I really do not understand. You don’t do that with such a plot heavy character. It leaves the consumers unhappy.

After the game play reveal. I honestly didn’t have a lot of hope. I knew Varric’s fate even before that. (It’s not good. In case you’re wondering.) Becoming an editor has absolutely ruined me by making it easy to guess what’s going to happen.

The Writing.

I’ve actually heard and seen the writers saying they were pleased with how the characters came out. Professionally? And as kindly as I possibly can? May I suggest you all learn how to write better? Most of those characters and the plot were just so poorly written. The romances were ridiculous. And I’m a romance author? So I kinda know what I’m talking about? At every juncture, you all chose the most basic, most puerile options. The only surprises for me in that game were how you completely ignored the Lore and how bad the writing was.

I think Veilguard would’ve been perfectly fine as a non-Dragon Age action RPG. And for anyone who loves it for that… I’m truly happy for you.

But that’s not how it was marketed. It had all the right Dragon Age voice actors, character names, location names… but that is not Dragon Age. You’d need to actually use the lore for that. They did not. Or if they used a little? It was heavily retconned and twisted out of recognition. The only thing even remotely close to being like a Dragon Age game were the settings, environments, and scenery. Those were phenomenal and the only thing that held that travesty of a game together. Everything else? Goddess. How do you fail so horribly at something when you have every resource you could possibly need to make it good?

Because it could actually have been good. It could’ve been phenomenal. If they’d actually written that game for Dragon Age fans? You know… us middle-aged or slightly younger/older gamers who’ve lusted for another DA game for years? If they’d paid attention even a little bit to the Lore? If they hadn’t side-lined a plot-important character? If they hadn’t retconned soooo much that I often felt like I had whiplash playing it? If they hadn’t stripped it down to the very bare bones of mediocrity? If they hadn’t basically made it for children? While condescending to them? (Heads up… kids hate being condescended to.)

If they hadn’t nerfed rogues so badly that I don’t know why they bothered to call them rogues at all? You cannot pick locks, hide in shadows, sneak, set or disarm traps, brew potions or bombs… absolutely none of the fun stuff that makes a rogue a rogue is in Veilguard. If you’re a rogue player? Skip it. You’ll just be as disappointed as I am.

Nor can you garden. You can’t make potions or bombs or… anything. You can’t craft anything yourself. You go to someone called The Caretaker at the Lighthouse and use everything you’ve collected by smashing far too many barrels (why… why with the barrels?) for them to upgrade your stuff. You can’t really dress up your companions in funny clothing or armour. They’ve scraped most of the detail out of Veilguard like they were carving a pumpkin and had to get the guts out. The problem is? Those guts are needed for any story. It’s called world building.

Get this. BioWare… BIOWARE removed blood splatter from Veilguard. There’s no toggle I can find that makes it even possible. They truly made this game for kids and not for the middle-aged gamers who… y’know… usually have money to spend on games. Do NOT ask me how that made any kind of sense. Their logo for at least two games was a blood splatter Dragon ffs. And now there’s no blood splatter option in game. I just absolutely cannot understand it.

The fighting system.

Dear gods. The fighting system. So first? They tied how often your companions get skill points to how high their bond is with you. You increase your bond with them by taking them with you (and you can only take two) and doing their quests, etc. But do you know what that means in functionality? If you’re not a tank player? You’re basically cream cheese. I’m not a professional gamer. But gaming is my number one form of entertainment. I play on hard/ultra hard for most games I play. And a lot of them are live-fighting types like DAV was trying to be.

Guess whose rogue had a permanent tattoo of ‘I have aggro please come eat me now’ on their forehead? Mine. I have a very intimate understanding of the inside animations of the dragon’s mouths. If they’re going to keep that crappy leveling system, the least they could do is let us all have the ‘no death’ toggle on every level. Won’t matter to me because I can’t imagine ever playing it again.

I lost 14 hours of my life with the crashing, glitching, and reloading I had to go through to get the damned thing to even run. (And it’s not my computer. It has an ssd. The video drivers are all updated and up to snuff. It’s around a little over midway between necessary and recommended specs. It’s just a shitty game.) It’s a shame I can’t charge BioWare for those lost hours of my life. How could they have possibly thought that this game was ready for release?

If you want to know the rest of the negatives (and a few more positives) the whole review series is where you’ll find them.

But between the actual craptastic showing of Veilguard and that last scene taking all the agency away from every character who ever came before? Oh, and with the bad guys from across the sea wearing something an awful lot like a burqa? You know… the long black robes and veils many Afghani people and other Muslims wear? Nah. I’m done. Finite. I may occasionally enjoy the first three games. But Veilguard does not exist for me. And anything they make going forward doesn’t exist for me. That last scene… WTAF were they thinking? I actually can’t believe out of all the people who must have worked on that game that no one else made that connection about maybe insinuating that people wearing black robes and veils who live on the other side of the sea are evil is maybe a bad thing!?

I just can’t anymore. If you’re looking for a no-brain needed, kid oriented, action RPG (they really did simplify this soooo much for children that it’s absolutely condescending) then you’ll probably be fine with it.

If you love the Lore as much as you love the world? If you play rated M games with romanceable companions for the intimate scenes and the romance? (You’ll be disappointed.) If you have a few thoughts on whether it’s a great idea to remove the agency of all previous characters in the entire series as being bad? If you think maybe it’s a bad idea to insinuate people in burqas are evil? If you play anything other than a tank? Veilguard is not a game for you.

#da veilguard #dragonage #veilguard #dragon age veilguard #solas #dragon age #bioware critical #bioware #Veilguard #Review #Dragon Age Veilguard Review #Game Review

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tales-of-wocdes · 2 months ago

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Hi! I hope you have a nice day.(I apologize in advance for the long text) Your IF is truly amazing, both in writing and story, and interesting characters. I'm madly waiting for the continuation!!! I wish you a lot of inspiration and strength💕💕💕 So I really have a lot of questions (if some have already been asked, sorry). Also, if you can't answer some questions because of spoilers or something else, that's okay. English is not my native language so all text was translated with the help of a translator so sorry for the mistakes.

Do Custodians and Protectors have days off? Since taking care of children is really hard work (especially if they are little rascals). Maybe on the day off they could visit relatives (or were they all orphans too?) then just go visit friends. And the child they are assigned to would be looked after by other Custodian and Protector.

I saw posts where MC steals cookies, could we steal them (or just ask) for someone? Like, Havard had a lot of work and MC was being looked after by Custodian Ethel, and they decided to bring Hvard some snacks(cookies) and leave them on the table. We could also bribe Lexia with cookies so that she wouldn't tell Havard that MC ate cookies before eating. (Or her was accomplice in the theft and MC shared cookies with her)

Dragons are big, scary and can roar. And if MC has a dragon heritage, then that means they (even though they are not as big and scary as they think) can also roar. And during training with Lexia, they can try to scare her with their menacing roar!! (which would actually be super cute and not scary)🥰.Or just scare away people that they are afraid of or don't like

Until what age can children stay in an orphanage? And how will children with elven, dragon or kitsune heritage start? Do they have the same age of majority as humans, or is it different? Will the children stay in the orphanage until they can find a place to live and a job, or will they be given both? And can they themselves become new Custodians or Protectors?

Are love affairs forbidden between Custodians and Protectors? Or between two Custodians or Protectors? And what if they start a relationship with someone outside the orphanage? Since it can distract them from their work, so it can be forbidden? (they can also quarrel and this can affect their work together) And if they have a child, how will the ancients react to this? (They built an orphanage for children who faced the cruelty of the world and were left all alone, and then suddenly children with both parents appeared in the orphanage) 🤔

I really hope that our MC at a later stage of the game will be able to tell Havard and Lexia that he loves them (or even call Havard dad and Lexia mom). I really, really love these two wonderful people ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you for the enthusiasm! And the praise! It is rather incredible and surreal to hear :D

There is lots of text under the line, and you are asking some things that I have not considered in too much detail :D Since there is so much text here, I will not do snippets here.

Q1: Of course they have days off. You pretty much hit the nail on the head with how I imagine it goes. A rotation and collaboration between the staff will help, and there should be enough people to go around to take care of the kids. I also have some plans for "special" caretakers for some instances...

The Custodians and Protectors are not all orphans, though some of them are. Out of the current cast (Havard, Lexia, Alessa, Sandor), only Lexia is an orphan (I think I mentioned it in the second interlude so it should not be a spoiler).

Q2: That is adorable. I will put it in the notes for the demo or maybe make a snippet later.

Q3: That would be adorable :D Adding that to my notes as well or make a snippet later.

Q4: Until they are ready to be independent, there is no specific age. As adults, they may become Custodians or Protectors if they so choose (See pinned post... The IF is named this way for a reason.).

We can assume that those with strong immortal heritage will live longer though it is debatable by how much for the current story, everyone here so far (aside from the Ancient) is also part human here and the heritage features are supposed to be inherited from far back.

Still, let us assume people with different heritages develop at the same rate as everyone else (and pretty much have to assume or otherwise we get into too much trouble with timelines and stuff). I view this as a function of the environment. I.e. being surrounded by other children and adults of a very mixed heritage will adjust their perception of time. A sort of "life in your years vs. the years in your life thing." As in, if an immortal is surrounded by mortals they will experience life at the same rate as those mortals in the moment. If an immortal is surrounded by other immortals, everything slows down. (I am using an immortal here as a catch all word for every species that just lives a very long life.) Alternatively, we could assume that the human blood has diluted the immortal blood too much (but I don't like this as much now, it made more sense when everyone could have one heritage feature but not so much now that you can have many).

The orphanage attempts to make the orphans into functional members of society that should be able to find jobs and places to live. However, of course they will help if needed. The children will eventually get a sort of "apprenticeship/summer work" type of thing that could help them.

Q5: Affairs are not forbidden between Custodians, Protectors, each other, or with someone from the Outside (with some caveats on the last one i.e. no access to the orphanage for outsiders no matter who you are dating). The expectation is that everyone does their duty, and acts like an professional adult though. The children come first, and you don't ignore that if you want to stay at the orphanage as a custodian or protector. However here I stress that the Ancients do not expect this to be a huge issue, they chose all of these people themselves. The Ancients are far from infallible but they have their moments.

Still let's assume that some... non ideal relationships happen. If relationship drama interferes with the duty, the relationship is expected to end on good terms. Or at least terms that do not affect the duties of the affected parties. If not, both participants get kicked out of their respective orders. The Ancients have no patience for such things (read as petty mortal shit) when it comes to the orphanage where the expectations have been quite clearly laid out.

The Ancients would have no issues with children in the orphanage as long as they are not given special treatment. If the parents cannot agree to this, then they may be excused of duty until they are ready to return. And parental leave is a thing in during the ~2 years after birth (I might have decided that right now). It might even be a good thing to have some people who could act as wet nurses on orphanage staff if any really young orphans are found.

Q6: I would imagine MC will be able to do that if they so choose :D

#tales of wocdes #the silver protector #interactive fiction #wip #twine game #twine wip #fantasy #interactive novel #twine story

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basket-of-cats-and-witches · 25 days ago

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Dragon Age OCs

This will be an extensive post so obviously I'm going to put it under a read more and also tag it with spoilers... because not everyone has finished Veilguard!

That being said, I've put everything in order of most recent game to the earliest, that way if you're only interested in what weird shit I'm cooking for Veilguard, it'll be right there at the top.

EDIT: this got long. This post is Veilguard only. I'll put Origins and Dragon Age 2 in a different one.

This is mostly for my own personal reference as I continue to write banter and fanfiction, but I like posting it where people can see it if they get curious. This is all subject to change, as OCs can (and should) change as their writers do. That's progress and growth, babey.

Maybe someday I'll even include screenshots of my OCs. Dragon Age Origins my crusty beloved.

Don't care about this post but you're curious about the OC template I made? Just scroll to the bottom of the post!

Anyways, onto OC rambling!

Veilguard

Lanalath De Riva (he/they)

My currently canon playthrough. Not my current playthrough, just my canon Rook atm. This might change with time.

🐦‍⬛Stats🐦‍⬛

Age: 29

Race: Elf, non-Dalish

Faction: Antivan Crows my beloved

Class: Sword and Orb mage.

Specialization: Spellblade, lightning and fire focused. This was nuts to run, and I did it by accident.

Romance: Lucanis the disaster that you are

Birthplace: Seheron

Brief backstory:

Ngl this one was a hassle to work out. Originally Lana was a Lords of Fortune named Monarch, only I did a full playthrough and then realized Lana fit the Crows far better. And then I changed their entire backstory bc it no longer fit 😭

So Lana is, as you read, from Seheron originally. This is partially due to The Iron Bull's influence, I hyperfixated pretty hard during Inquisition.

Lana's one of many in that shitshow of a war-torn nation, probably made exceptionally worse now that the Antaam's separated from the Qun. Bioware give us more world politics and lore.

Their story is pretty straight to the point, and very DA2 and DAO inspired. In the endless war between Tevinter and the Qunari, some magister decided that a feral elf child from Seheron would make an excellent gift, and kidnapped them. Lana (a la Anders vibes) stubbornly refused to give their birthname, and was renamed by another elven slave aboard the ship.

This slaver ship got sunk before it could make it to port, and Lana was one of the ones that survived.

Through sheer luck, they made it to Antiva, and barely scraping by, made it to sixteen years of age.

And then a young Viago fell out of a window directly on top of them trying to escape someone inevitably trying to kill him, and a friendship was formed.

Lana stayed glued to his side since then, being his loyal shadow, until the Crows gave up trying to separate the two and just recruited Lana instead.

Viago's "canonically" (via datamined information) 32ish, so there's only a three year difference, making them have an incredibly strong rapport.

As a result of their childhood, Lana speaks fluent Qunlat and Antivan, and a handful of Tevene. This means the Crows send them to deal with the Antaam when needs must.

What happens if Lana doesn't become Rook/doesn't romance Lucanis:

It takes an incredibly long time, but Teia and Viago eventually get Lana into their bed (and into their hearts). Lana remains Viago's shadow, and helps Taash guide those who choose to split from the Antaam into better lives. Also helps deal with the sudden influx of Tal-Vashoth in Antiva. Even after the Antaam, you know population statistics are going to drastically change.

Other OCs Lana knows: Kaarash-Taar (later documented), Ghil'danan (later documented), Wren (later documented), and Riesel (later documented).

Ghil'danan Ingellvar (he/him, ftm)

My favorite punching bag. Idk why I love traumatizing him specifically so much, but I do. I've written considerably more for him than I have my other OCs, and I'm almost done with my playthrough of him. And by almost I mean like. Post the two dragon fight.

🪲Stats🪲

Age: 32

Race: Elf, alienage

Faction: Mourn Watch! My favorite goths.

Class: Warrior, sword and shield

Specialization: Reaper. It made sense for Mourn Watch. Surprisingly, not my favorite, though the death tornado is cool.

Romance: Emmrich, my beloved. I keep wanting to spell it "Emmerich". Old classy goth x Grungepunk goth energy. Sorry, dad.

Birthplace: Denerim! *Rubs hands together evilly*

Backstory:

I'll...try and keep this one short. I've been hyperfixating on him lately so his stuff's gotten out of control.

Ghil was born in the Denerim alienage, pre-blight. Raised briefly by his mother, he wasn't born Ghil'danan, it was the name he took later on.

Ghil's father was out of the picture from the start. His mother shared stories of his father growing up, so he's aware neither of them wanted to part, but there was a lot of baggage and kids learn young not to press on things that make their parents cry later.

Fast forward to the events of DA:O.

Ghil is more or less raised with Shanni as a sort of sister figure. Events begin steamrolling, his mother is one of the elves sold to Tevinter by Loghain (when I catch you Loghain Loghain when I catch you), and he's witness to all the horror of The Wedding. Those of you who played City Elf origin know what I'm talking about.

Ghil develops a hatred of Shems (he gets better, but those scars run deep, and I don't blame him), and things get dicey with Shanni. I'm tiptoeing around it because origins was very direct with Shanni's alcoholism.

The blight hits, the Alienage gets overrun, and Ghil flees. He loses Shanni in the chaos, and gets temporarily picked up and thrown into a tree by the overhead Archdemon, therefore cementing his fear of dragons and heights.

He obviously survives the fall, and runs past a human girl pinned in place by an ogre that was killed by a piece of fallen rubble.

He hesitates. Remembers that his mother would have wanted him to be kind to those in need, and with a LOT of effort, saves the girl.

They flee the city together. He learns her name is Wren, an orphan. Ghil is twelve as of the fall of Denerim. Wren is seven.

I'm not gonna get into the more mary sue aspects of Ghil's personality, but needless to say, it turns out Wren has the blight, Ghil willingly makes a deal with a spirit to transfer his brand spanking new magic to her to postpone her blighted condition, and they make it into Nevarra by sneaking through the Orlesian border. This is not easy, but they're children so it's easy...er. Easier.

Mourn Watch goes "hey that's some interesting magic you've got there" and takes Wren in who's like "hey fuck you take my brother too" and they're like "these two are definitely not related but okay"

And then they attend schooling together, until a few years later when Wren's condition begins to worsen again, because it's the BLIGHT, and she gets recruited into the Wardens.

This is where Wren and Ghil's paths split. More later on Wren. For now, my punching bag.

With Ghil's genius, fierce sister out of the way, he gets bullied RELENTLESSLY. Ghil's a smart cookie, but his grades begin to drop and he fully introverts.

Then, Hezenkoss takes him in as her student. Sort of. He's technically her student, but moreso she wanted a henchman to narrate at, and he got stuck doing a lot of manual labor.

Hezenkoss gets him trained up as a Reaper, especially as he shoots up like a weed and becomes The Second Tallest Elf Ever (I'm looking at you, Halsin Baldurs Gate 3), and transitions. Hezenkoss doesn't notice. He's not her Archnemesis Emmrich, so she doesn't care.

She also doesn't notice when he anonymously tips off the Mourn Watch that she's up to shit. Someone had to be the whistleblower, that's all I'm saying.

And from there, he graduates into a proper member of the Mourn Watch.

After a chance encounter with Professor Volkarin in the Memorial Gardens (with the tissue box, a la Clue), Volkarin comforts a grieving eighteen year old who has incredibly complicated feelings about the death of Shanni and being completely alone in the Mourn Watch.

Volkarin is unaware that this not only revives passion in the Mourn Watch in the Youth (this is actually pre-transition, oops), but plants the seeds of a budding affection.

Ghil then spends the next fourteen years trying to forget his first crush, fails miserably, wrecks several relationships in the process, and changes completely by getting tattoos and pretty much only ever hanging out with the dead.

And Myrna and Vorgoth.

Then the events of the game happen, and oh no! Guess there are Still Feelings for Volkarin, and now Ghil is helpless to fall head over heels in a proper, adult love.

What happens if Ghil isn't Rook/doesn't romance Emmrich?:

Let's be honest. Ghil would always romance Emmrich. But in the course of "never became Rook and Emmrich old man yaoi'd with Strife", it's...hm. A bit sad.

Wren dies in the end (unless she's Rook). So Ghil fully closes off to the living, and spends the rest of his life with the dead. He still has a living friend in Lana, of course (to be explained in Wren's backstory), but that's the most of it. I'd like to hope that Ghil falls in love with someone else. Do I, the writer, think he will? No. Ghil has been spending fourteen years trying to fight his own heart. He's one of those people who wants to move on but just can't. It's the inherent tragedy of his life.

Where the hell is Ghil's dad in all this?:

He's one of the Greater Dead. Literally cannot leave the Necropolis, got the love of his life pregnant and kicked it. Ghil has no idea, and Etheldredd also has no idea that his child is a part of the Mourn Watch.

The Necropolis is vast. Maybe they'll find each other posthumously.

Other OCs Ghil knows:

Lana, Wren (to be documented, but also duh), Riesel (to be documented). Very vaguely Din, a HoF OC, because she was at The Wedding and lived in the same alienage.

Wren (she/they)

She's baby and I love her. Too bad I'm addicted to the inherent tragedy of the plot. I'm not goth for nothing.

🦅Stats🦅

Age: 27

Race: Human!

Faction: Grey Wardens, my favorite narrative punching bag. Or Bioware's, besides the elves.

Class: Mage, whackin' stick staff.

Specialization: Death Caller! I haven't played it yet but I plan to for her playthrough. Seemed appropriate.

Romance: Undecided. Maybe Bellara, because Neve's already planned for someone else and I managed to make Harding disapprove of me A LOT in the beginning of my Wren Run.

Taash is also definitely on the table. As I said, undecided.

Birthplace: Denerim! Same as Ghil.

Backstory:

The majority of Wren's early childhood can be referenced in Ghil's long-winded backstory. So this'll hopefully be shorter.

Wren was the illicit bastard of a Chantry sister and a Templar. Thus, she got dropped off on the orphanage's steps and summarily forgotten.

Despite this, Wren had a pretty happy childhood! Sure there was the occasional haunting and blood magic and slew of murders in Denerim, but that's pretty normal.

...right?

She knows who her father is, simply because his conscience is more guilty than her mother's. Her father stopped by to check up on the orphanage regularly on his circuit, and she often got cheap gifts from a father who was rarely there.

Still, she dreamed of being a Templar when she grew up.

Flash forward, Denerim, the Blight, everyone dies, and she finds a brother in Ghil'danan.

For a while, Wren remains one of the top students in the Mourn Watch. She grows up, attends lectures by Volkarin who becomes a mentor figure to her, and perfects her magecraft.

And then, her blight symptoms get worse.

Wren collapses on her way to class, and is found by a Grey Warden, who offers to recruit her and stay the Blight's hand a while longer.

She agrees. (This is where her particular backstory gets a fuckton of content warnings, so I'm going to keep it light. To be blunt, my OCs are often a dumping ground for trauma, and Wren got a lot of the heavier ones. Trigger warning for grooming and abuse. There'll be red text like this when trigger warnings are over.)

Wren is trained specifically by one Warden, the one who saved her. He's an older Weisshaupt veteran who's well-respected, and encourages her as she grows.

And when she turns eighteen, he tells her that due to her young age, it could reflect poorly on him that he made her do the Joining so young. He tells her that if she wants to remain a Grey Warden she'll marry him, and she owes him for it because he saves her life.

And for a few years, this works. She endures a very abusive relationship.

And then, Ghil finds out.

Because of her Warden husband's venerated status, he's hard to bring to justice, so Ghil just takes the swifter path.

He hires a Crow, a young one named Lana De Riva, and although they're reluctant when they find out it's a Warden that's the target, context for the hit makes them agree.

And together, they make it seem like an accident.

Wren's highly conflicted at first, but over time, settles into her new, freed role. She becomes a Warden librarian, for lack of a better term, and finds herself. She still keeps a low profile in the worries that someone will find out what her brother did, but remains relatively at peace even as her Calling slowly creeps closer.

What happens if Wren isn't Rook/doesn't romance anyone?:

Well, Wren's a strong independent nonbinary who don't need no man, but she's also got the constitution of wet paper in a typhoon. So when she's not Rook, she participates in Weisshaupt. While she survives, the aftereffects of adding more blight to her system is what eventually does her in, much to Ghil's grief.

I like to think she becomes a spirit of Kindness or Joy. Or good ol' fashioned Wisdom.

Did the Templar father make it?:

If he did I'd make him kick it at Therinfal Redoubt. But no he doesn't. Wren still has his Templar cloak that he gave her, once. She's got mixed feelings on her father.

OCs that Wren knows: Ghil (duh), and Lana.

In the circumstances where she dies, Lana and Ghil pull a favor with Riesel to get her HoF father to accompany Wren to the Deep Roads, as he's her idol and an uncorrupted part of the Wardens. So technically, she meets Lithe Surana, my DA:O OC and canon HoF.

Kaarash-Taar (he/him)

Finally, a bulwark of maturity and a breath of fresh air in the Trauma Squad. I'm very excited to play Kaarash in a later playthrough. Because I've been focused on the Traumatized Three, I haven't given too much thought to him yet. Just basic sketches of ideas.

🐍Stats🐍

Age: 31

Race: Qunari, Vashoth

Faction: Shadow Dragons

Class: Warrior, two-handed

Specialization: Slayer, I think! Give me back Reaver, Bioware.

Romance: Neve. Honestly bc I'm a gay transman I almost never go for the female LIs, but Neve... she's cool as hell. I wanna see what she's like. Incidentally when I made Kaarash I forgot Neve belonged to the Shadow Dragons factions LMAO

Birthplace: he doesn't know! Most of his young life was spent at sea.

Backstory:

Kaarash-Taar is an orphan, picked up by an old Tal-Vashoth sailor nicknamed Beres.

Beres, who grew up under the Qun, did what any ex-beresaad would do - drag the kid onto his Captain's ship and teach him the ways of the world and the Qun.

Ironically, this happened to be Isabela's ship.

Beres was a part of Isabela's old crew, pre DA2 events. He heavily respected his captain, and expected the same of his adoptive son.

When Isabela's ship was wrecked in the reefs, Beres and his young son survived, being taken aboard a ship while adrift at sea.

This was seen as a miracle, until they learned it was a slaver's ship, and the two were supposed to be cargo.

That didn't go to plan. Years of work as Beresaad and then with Isabela made Beres a wickedly sharp warrior, and Kaarash was much the same way. They managed to corral the slaves, enact a plan to overthrow the slavers, and successfully executed it, taking over the ship.

For the first time, Beres was a captain, and for nearly ten years Kaarash stayed by his father's side.

Later, when it turned out Isabela was alive, Beres joined his crew to hers and went back under her captaincy. But by this point, Kaarash was a young adult and hotblooded, feeling the energy of the revolutions happening around him.

Around this time he separated from them, drifting from place to place, helping refugees and freeing slaves. Around this time, he met Riesel, a young elven woman with an impressive family legacy, and decided to travel together in search of like-minded people.

Eventually, they found it in the Shadow Dragons.

While Beres doesn't necessarily agree with his son's revolutionary actions (he thinks it'll get Kaarash killed), he reluctantly supports his son nonetheless. After all, Kaarash has proven time and time again to be a tactical leader, and as time passed on, cool-headed under pressure.

What if Kaarash doesn't become Rook/doesn't romance anyone?:

He's still fighting with the Shadow Dragons. Maybe he'll romance Hal or something, that guy's fried fish does seem like it's worth being a little gay for.

OCs he knows: Riesel, Lana. Technically he knows Ghil, but like. Distantly. They don't talk, really, but they get along well enough.

Riesel (she/they/doesn't care)

Riesel's actually the oldest in terms of how long she's been in my brain for! I made her back in 2018, when I played Dragon Age Origins for the first time. She was baby then. Now, like many of us who did the math and realized our Wardens' children are grown adults in Veilguard, she's a fully fleshed out OC.

She's also probably the only one I'm not going to do a playthrough for, because....well, maybe. Idk. We'll see.

🐍Stats🐍

Age: 28ish

Race: Elf (non-Dalish)

Faction: Shadow Dragons

Class: Rogue, stabby

Specialization: Duelist! It looks incredibly fun and fits her backstory.

Romance: If she absolutely had to romance someone from the party, it would be Davrin, I think. He's got his shit mostly....together.....and Emmrich's too old for her tastes.

Otherwise she'd romance, idk, the Viper or something. Or Tarquin AND the Viper, which would drive her father to an early Calling.

Birthplace: Amaranthine City. For those of you who played Dragon Age: Awakening, you know where this is going. Probably.

Backstory:

*cracks knuckles excitedly*

Riesel was born to two loving, wonderful elven parents doing their best in an arling that hates elves. Like most of Ferelden. And the rest of Thedas, unless you're Bioware and suddenly pretend that the racism from your last three games doesn't exist.

And then, her parents died in the assault on Amaranthine city.

She was left wandering the rubble, crying loudly and dragging along a stuffed nug, until some tall man in shiny armor came and picked her up and tried to help her locate her family.

And he did, but they were in less than stellar condition, so he said "I guess you're mine now" and swept her away.

His husband, the ex-Crow, was exasperated but too smitten with his new spouse to tell his darling Warden "no".

(but really, Zevran did actually want to take care of her as much as Lithe Surana did.)

And so the pair raised their little girl lovingly. Riesel grew up fluent in Orlesian and Antivan, learned to throw knives, and sneak around so that her fathers didn't know what she was getting into.

(They did, but only interrupted when it was actually dangerous.)

Over time she learned a few rules.

1. Never be a Crow, Marry a Crow, or Hire a Crow. Fuck them Crows.

2. No joining the Grey Wardens. There are no griffons, and it'll make your uncle Alistair really sad.

These truths were ingrained in Riesel, and eventually she grew up to be a relatively responsible and level-headed adult. Who wanted to be a Grey Warden, but wasn't allowed to, so she settled for the next best thing.

The Friends of Red Jenny. This is who she was with before she met her best friend Kaarash-Taar.

Together, they traveled together to try and help people while her dads were away trying to cure the Blight, and eventually the pair joined the Shadow Dragons together, remaining a bombastic dynamic duo.

What happens if she doesn't become Rook/doesn't romance anyone?:

Romance is dead, or will be shortly, if Zevran has anything to say about his precious baby's relationships. Also Riesel doesn't care. Regardless, she's off saving people with the Shadow Dragons and doing things that will definitely send her parents to an early grave.

OCs she knows: Lana, Kaarash-Taar, Ghil, and Wren if Wren goes through the Calling.

TEMPLATE IN CASE YOU WANNA WRITE YOUR OC SHENANIGANS

Name:

Age:

Race:

Faction:

Class:

Specialization:

Romance:

Birthplace:

Backstory:

What happens if [pronouns] doesn't become Rook/doesn't romance someone?:

Other OCs they have connections to:

-----------------

Anyway, that's it for this humongous OC dump! I hope you enjoyed, and if you use the template, feel free to tag me in it! I love hearing about people's OCs.

Have a good night, and happy Dragon Age!

#my writing #OCs #ghil'danan for oc tagging #wren for oc tagging #Lanalath for OC tagging #Kaarash-Taar for OC tagging #Riesel Surana for OC tagging #dragon age veilguard #veilguard spoilers #dragon age veilguard spoilers #dav spoilers #dav #datv spoilers #datv #dragon age origins #warden surana #dragon age rook

18 notes · View notes

witchthewriter · 2 years ago

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𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐃 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: minor spoilers, everyone is over the age of 18. Their names are linked with my fancast as well xx

Warnings: kidnapping, well more so mentions of kidnapping?

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

𝐑𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐫𝐚

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Confident & Flirty (Rhaenyra) x Has Never Been Flirted With Before, Thinks They're Just Being Nice (You)

・It was her father’s idea to cease the feud and move forward. To start fresh.

・To have the both of you ... spend time together.

・ You to visit King’s Landing and Rhaenyra to visit your home

・Rhaenyra was adamant that she was still able to choose her partner, so this is what Viserys came up with

・Platonic, romantic, it didn’t matter what came out of the time together, just as long as things were learnt and traditions were honoured

・Daemon wasn’t happy with this, but Rhaenyra...well she was fine with it

・Until she realised just how sheltered you grew up, and knew you weren’t going to be as wild as she

・There was a mutual understanding about your new “friendship”, that you both played along while everyone was watching but when their backs were turned, you acted as you pleased

・Both of you thought the other was weird in some way

・But with time, you... fell into platonic love

・Protecting the other from slanderous accusations as well

・You did each other’s hair, picked clothing for one another

・Opened up about your thoughts, your feelings - not just about this situation but about ... everything. The world and all its wonders, its evils.

・Talking about your maesters and what you’ve been taught - how you’ve been taught, what your favourite things are/your special interests

・The absolute best thing that happened was riding Syrax though

・The dragon, a gorgeous burnt orange beauty, was hesitant for the first half an hour.

・It was well known that Syrax was a tad ... moody

・The weather had to be right for her to go out flying

・So when you sat down on the sandy, dusty ground of the dragonpit and ...spoke to her, she was rather startled

“...had a good sleep Syrax?”

・You said it so casually

・Rhaenyra burst into laughter, but made sure you wouldn’ be able to hear her. She wasn’t expecting this interaction. Her fearsome dragon, crouching down to look you in the eye, her tail flicking back and forth. Like some sort of interested cat.

・But you continued on, not caring about the world around you

“To be honest, I didn’t. I’ve been a bit nervous about today. And it’s completely okay if you don’t want to take me up.”

・But Syrax was more than happy to take you flying, in fact, she flew farther and longer than usual

・It was one of the best experiences you had ever had

・And soon Rhaenyra’s romantic love followed

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐧

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Excited ALL. THE. TIME. (Harwin) X Oh God I Cannot Be Falling In Love With This Dipshit (You)

(think Jamie x Claire from Outlander)

・Harwin saw your family’s feud as kinda stupid. He isn’t the type of guy to hold grudges.

・So when you came into court, with a scowl and a mean look in your eyes, he knew you were going to be fun

・He wouldn’t leave you alone

・This hulk of a man, with a tinge of red on his cheeks would always find you during feasts and banquets - any reason for celebration, he would be right by your side

・You were fighting feelings inside of you every time Harwin was around

・The way he winked at you from across the hall, always asked for a dance during feasts (even when no one else was dancing), even when you were outside sitting on one of the benches; he would silently sit down beside you and bump his knee to yours

・It was an internal fight every. single. time.

・In the beginning you thought maybe he was just teasing you, trying to rile you up, get a rise out of you. Maybe even get you into his bed and then shame you

・But Harwin was ... so different. To all the other men at court. Or that you’d met. Even different to your family; your brothers, your father.

・You knew there was some sort of golden light, or ... good seed, inside him. You knew you could truly trust him

・And so you did

・You started to open up to Harwin; stopping the insults and cold exterior

・He didn’t even make fun of you for it -

・For changing how you interacted with him. Because he knew something about you too. That you were different; like him.

・You were thankful for that. There was something about opening up that was difficult for you. And having that grace was one of the reason’s why ... you loved Harwin

・There were times when Harwin’s father shook his head and sighed, knowing that your own father (who was the enforcer of the hatred toward the other) would explode if he found out

・And one day he did

・But you knew exactly who you needed to go to. You knew exactly where to run

・Harwin’s arms were waiting for you, as soon as he saw your face he knew

𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐬

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Menace To Society (You) x Living Moral Compass (Jace)

・You Confessed Your Love When Thinking He Was Unconscious. There was a lot of history between the two of you - not family related, but friendship related

・You were set to marry someone else and Jacaerys felt like his heart had shattered well and truly

・It was your wedding night, and right before you were going to say your vows, the enemy had hit

・They took the wedding as the weakest moment to attack

・And the pillar that had crumbled atop Jace made you scream

・Running to him, nearly tripping over the rocks on the floor, you pushed everything that was on him to the side and started to cry

・You sobbed and sobbed, while holding his body in your hands

・The blood running down his face, you used your clothes to clean him up

“Don’t die on me, don’t you die on me Jacaerys Targaryen. I love you too much.”

・Magic words

・Fated words actually

・Because it was destined that the two of you were to be together. Although no one but the stars and the ancestors knew

・Your fiance was shocked by your confession; disgusted, betrayed, but they understood. To some degree, they understood.

・After the battle had been won, thanks to Daemon and Caraxes, Rhaenyra smiled at the memory. The way you so desperately needed Jace to live.

・It wasn’t until Jace was in recovery, conscious and healing when Rhaenyra told him what you’d confessed. He had been completely out of it when you’d said those words.

・Before he had woke, you’d visited him everyday. Bringing flowers, momentos, things you thought he’d like

・You sat and spoke to him, read to him

・But when he awoke, you couldn’t bear to see the look on his face. To look him in the eyes.

・Rhaenyra had to practically drag you to see him

・Yet, when you did, you ran to each other and embraced so strongly that you nearly fell over

𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Both Wary of Love & Don’t Think This Can Be Real

・Wary doesn’t describe how distant Alicent was with you

・She truly thought of you as an enemy. And when Alicent sees someone as such, well, the interaction is never pleasant

・Because when the two of you were together, something lit up

・It was a pull from both of you; magnetism, and it took everything not to take each other when you were alone

・But your families had a firm disdain for each other. Which didn’t make sense for the Hightowers’ as they tried to get on with everybody

・And it wasn’t until you and Alicent kept up your interactions that your family were forced to confront their hatred

・You and Alicent continually went behind their backs because your curiosity outweighed your dislike

・Why did your families hate each other? Where did it start? Why can’t it stop?

・The usual obedient Alicent was heavily influenced by you. Who had a warriors heart - you were brave, braver than many family members who came before you

・And you built a bridge with Alicent.

・Even if she didn’t want to, you were adamant that you could rectify the wrongs that had plagued your family for generations

・Because if you didn’t, then your family would crumble into nothing

・Alicent didn’t know this. That you had more motive than curiosity to build friendship

・And she did eventually find out the true meaning behind your interactions

・But instead of being angry, she shocked herself by being ... impressed

・You had a drive that she had seen. But that drive wasn’t to better yourself, but to keep your family alive

・She loved it. Ambition, but not for yourself. For the ones you loved.

・And that’s why she went against her father’s wishes, and kept seeing you.

・The two of you were practically super sleuthing as neither of your family members’ would tell the same version of events

・So digging up you went, searching for answers, interviewing family and trying not to be too suspicious

・And during this time, Alicent started to develop a crush on you. A hardcore crush on you...

・Otto soon found out and banned you from seeing each other.

・But one taste of rebellion and that’s all Alicent needed to go against her father’s wishes ... again

・After finding out what actually happened, you went to Alicent to show her your findings and when you explained what happened, she flung her arms around you and gave you a kiss

𝐃𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Complete And Utter Badass, Rather Monstrous (Daemon) x Their Ray Of Light Who Has Them Wrapped Around Their Finger (You)

・Only someone as badass as you could grab Daemon’s attention and hold it (not that you cared much for it)

・He had seen you on the battle field, a bow and arrow in hand

・Taking down enemies left and right, and when you entered the battle, every strike ran true. There wasn’t a man alive whenever you swung your sword

・There was something so invigorating about seeing your body move in such violent and graceful ways

・Daemon knew that no matter where you came from or who you were, you were going to be his

・So it was a shock to find that you were on the opposing side of the battle

・You hated the Targaryens, namely Daemon who had inadvertedly taken your family from you

・But Daemon saw your abilities and knew he could make you into one of the best fighters there ever was

・So he ... kidnapped you

・Only to explain why he thought you’d be one of the best warriors Westeros has ever seen

・Under his guidance of course

・It wasn’t until the third night that you accepted. He thought it was because of the ... benefits, that you had accepted. But no, it was because you secretly wanted to slaughter him and his entire family

・However, you played along. Under the gauise of wanting to expand your prospects. You had terms, and the main was that he was never to come near you with desire

・All was going well; he taught you a lot. Not just about combat, but about yourself, the world and challenged what you thought you knew

・Your family history wasn’t as straightforward as you had believed. And what more, was that the Targaryens barely had anything to do with your family’s downfall.

・It had been your own kin who had slain one another

・Brother had turned on brother, and it left you with nothing but a fable

・Daemon had given you this information because he knew you weren’t training just for the sake of glory. You had something planned and he needed you to know the truth before you took action

・It was difficult to deny your feelings growing for Daemon, whose personality seemed to mesh with yours so well, that even Viserys saw a difference in him

・It was astonishing to see what a focused Daemon could do, and the worries that Viserys had were gone, when he saw how far you’d come

・You became a beacon for Daemon; someone he could go to not to talk, but to train. To let off steam, to go on adventures with (under the pretense off “teaching” you something)

・Caraxes became very familiar with you, and would actively seek you out as well, as he was so disliked amongst the other dragons, that companionship was sparse

・The bond between both beings meant that you often forgot your hatred, which had lessened with each day

・You soon saw Daemon as a companion, a friend; someone who saw all of you and didn’t shy away. He saw all your darkness, your rage, your violence, chaos, confusion. Everything. He saw everything.

・And he didn’t shy away

・What brought you together was that you reciprocated this

・You saw Daemon’s violence and didn’t blink an eye (NEVER towards you though)

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐚

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Always Bringing Them Rocks They Think They Would Like x Keeps The Rocks

・Your grandfather had a long lasting hatred for the Targaryens. It was personal, but it kept your family at a distance

・But your fascination with the Targaryens was always prevalent throughout your childhood

・And whenever you brought them up, your family would shush you. Telling you that you aren’t supposed to ask anything about them

・But it wasn’t until after your grandfather’s death that your family was invited to court by Viserys

・As it turns out, Viserys had been sending invitations for years but your grandfather was declining every single one

・And when your family finally accepted, Viserys ordered there to be a huge feast awaiting for your arrival

・You weren’t expecting this, but your eager eyes were looking for something in particular.

・But you didn’t expect that certain thing to be kept chained in a pit

・When you were in the throne room, being introduced to Viserys’ children, the news about the dragons was disappointing

・And a young Targaryen woman shared that same disappointment

・Around the same age as you, the two of you would have quickly been pushed together. To get to know each other, but both your families knew how ... peculiar you both were, and were adamant that the two of you should be left apart. Since they were scared their offspring would say or do the wrong thing

・But somehow you bumped into each other in the castle halls, and in the garden, and somehow ... in the dragonpit

・Soon you came to know Heleana. Both her physical and emotional quirks

・ And gods, Heleana was one of the sweetest people you have ever met. She wasn’t like the rest of the people you had come across.

・She understood how your brain worked and you understood hers

・The white-haired woman’s love for you came about because you actually listened to her. You always wanted to know what she thought, what she felt.

・You actively asked her about her visions, and you believed her.

𝐀𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝

(𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒘)

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Tough on the Outside, Soft on the Inside (Aemond) x The Top (You)

・Aemond was never the type of person to go against his family’s wishes - especially his mother’s.

・So when he found you underneath his bed, waiting to attack, he found it quite amusing.

“Your name, what is it?” He had snarled, still in his night clothes.

“My name is of no importance to a dead man.”

“I see no dead men here.”

・And then somehow he had you pinned on the floor, knife at your throat and white hair like a curtain. All you could see was Aemond’s face; pink tight-lips, pale face, his one good blue eye and his other eye socket was empty, his sapphire orb lay on his bedside table.

・Your body reacted in a way you did not wish it to

・You blushed

“Big bad assassin,” Aemond whispered, the cold blade still pressed against your throat. You could feel his weight and as you started to whisper back, you used it to your advantage.

・Moving your legs so they were around his waist, you stunned him with a kiss and in one fluid moment, you flipped him over and pinned his arms above his head

“Remember,” you panted, “I’m always on top.”

・It was then that Aemond realised he was in trouble

・Because your blade didn’t slice, nor did it cut. It clattered to the side as you got up and left

・The next day your House was introduced to court and Aemond did everything he could not to react

・You were the direct heir to your House, and when you spotted Aemond in the Throne room, all you could do was smirk. He had no idea. No idea that you were now going to live in King’s Landing - in the castle itself

・Those months were excruciating for Aemond, not just because he thought you were going to kill him at any moment, but because you acted as if he was nothing at all. Nothing more than a Prince.

・You bowed when you walked passed him, stood when he entered a room

・It became a common occurence for Aemond to look under the bed. To see if his little nightmare was real

・And all the while, you watched from afar, a delighted smile on your face

・It took 6 months of Aemond to make his move. It had to be well thought out of course

・He couldn’t just try anything. No. It needed to be the perfect plan, one that would both out and villainise you

・But again, unbeknownst to the One Eyed Prince, you were three steps ahead

・He hated you; he loved this game even though he tried to hide it and in turn ... he ... loved ... you

・It was a horrible realisation. One that Aegon, of all people, pointed out to him

・And Aemond avoided you (yes, like the plague)

・It took two weeks, that’s all he could bare - of not looking at you, not hearing your voice, your laugh

・And when he went to leave his chambers to seek you out, you were already at his door...

𝐃𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Arranged Marriage

・He had been sent to Oldtown and had no idea that you would be there too

・Otto had arranged your marriage; your father agreeing to it only under the circumstances of equal opportunity

・You were emblazed with anger

・And on your wedding day, you had screamed and cried and fought until it was time to walk down the aisle

・Your father explained how important this marriage was. This alliance would bring safety to your House, and it was in that moment that you knew what you had to do

・You had never seen Daeron before, but heard of the story of how he got his name, “The Daring.”

・And the fact that it was nationally know that he was the most likeable out of the Targaryen brothers...

・You knew your father had bargained for him rather than Aemond, who was harsh and unforgiving

・Daeron stood at the end of the aisle, a charming smile on his boyish face.

・ I can do this, you thought triumphantly, I can, I will.

・When the ceremony was over and the reception was done, you were escorted to your marriage bed with Daeron, who had made every effort to make you feel comfortable

・While alone together, in your shared room, with the fire blazing, Daeron’s kind smile did not change. There was no flip of personality or loss of kindness.

・You soon realised that what you saw in Daeron is what is truly there

・And you felt safe with him

・Which made it even harder to hate him.

・With each insult you slung his way, he seemed to side step it

・And when you realised that the Prince wasn’t going to hurt you, or take you away from your family or traditions...things started to change for you. You saw him as he is. Golden hearted.

・Life with Daeron is full of sunshine, blue skies and love

・Meeting Tessarion was a big experience and one that you will never forget.

・Through the bond she knew your relationship with Daeron, and was apprehensive about you but allowed you to clamber onto her anyway.

・Considering she was one of the younger dragons, she had incredible speed and stamina.

・That ride bonded all three of you. Making you feel closer to Daeron, wanting him...the seed of desire had started to grow

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stashandtell · 3 months ago

Text

Some Recommendations for Fics That Influenced My Weasley-Ship Rankings

I ranked all my favorite Hermione/X Weasley Sibiling in my most recent post Nobody Asked For This: My Rankings of the Hermione x Weasley Ships with REASONS. Here are some recs to back my completely biased opinons. And now, you can read my fic, Ranking the Weasleys on AO3! - - - - As I sometimes mention on the internet, I keep a WILDLY long and fairly detailed spreadsheet of all the fanfics I've read. I've not been in the fandom long at all but due to life circumstances, I've had too much time on my hands since diving in and have allowed this special interest to wash over me and my whole life like the warm, scented water in the Prefects' giant bathtub. (I hit over 800 works read on my spreadsheet a few days ago and am going to do a numerical analysis and breakdown no one requested, so come back for the data if you're curious.) I've pulled some of my fave fics for my main Hermione x Weasley Sibling pairings -- though I have SO MANY MORE. All of these are mid-length to longfics (~30K-100k+ words, except for one) and are complete, unless noted. Normally I'd copy-and-paste the author's summary but since I'm going to be recommending many here-- I'll give you my 1-3 sentence take on the fic and encourage you to read the author's summary and tags. We're going in descending birth-order by sibling here to keep things tidy: Billmione: What's nuts to me about the Billmione ship is that I don't have a ton of fics I would enthusiastically recommend that explain why I love this pairing so much. I'm not a huge werewolf-ish fan, the age-gap isn't something that inspires my reading that much, and, to be completely honest, sometimes Bill is dry toast in a fic and replaceable with almost any other character. That said, for those of us who love a rare-pair, we feast on the scraps. We love the moments that fuel our headcanons and it's the cumulative experience of developing our own understanding of these characters that drives us into the arms of these fics more than anything. I had a difficult time pulling general recs for this ship, only because so few encapsulate what's I love about Hermione and Bill together (in my mind) in a singular work. I'll keep searching though and plug away at adding my 3 Billmione WIPs to offerings out there, to keep the flag flying. To be perfectly clear: These are GREAT fics I highly recommend. I just don't think of any one of them as the touchstone fic for my love of this pair (imo.) Still Strong by DietCokeofEvil, inspired by I Am Strong by floatsdelicately

Word Count: 38,780 / 19 Chapters

Summary: When Ron leaves Hermione without an explanation a month before their wedding, Bill returns the friendship and care she gave him when he and Fleur separated. They fall in love and build a life together.

My Comments: I read I Am Strong first and I have to say, I loved the two stories together. It's maybe even worth reading I Am Strong before Still Strong because that's how the publishing/inspiration-order goes.

Through the Ages by LadyBlack3

Word Count: 30,301 / 11 Chapters

Summary: Hermione and Bill team up to help research possible causes for a disease spreading through Charlie's dragon reserve and find themselves drawn to each other.

My Comments: This is a fun fic with a plot that keeps things moving. I love them coming together as full-fledged adults with their own lives.

I was torn on recommending Cairo Nights by GillianSteele instead of Through the Ages because they're both excellent examples of this ship, so I'll drop it here as an honorable mention if you're looking for more!

- - - - Charmione: There are SO MANY good Charmiones on my list but I need limits. I would say none of these are exactly emblematic of the typical well-loved Charmione fics, as they don't spend time on the Reserve-- but if you're looking for more recs, feel free to ask me on tumblr or leave a comment and I can happily suggest many more. Last Christmas by KittenShift17

Word Count: 17,079 / One Shot

Summary: Last Christmas, Hermione drunkenly snogged Charlie when she mistook him for Ron and shortly after she broke up with him. This Christmas, she's back at the Burrow and anxious to see Charlie again after thinking about him all year.

My Comments: This was one of the very first Charmione works I read and I recommend it to most my friends looking to get into the ship. As a hefty one-shot, it's a pretty satisfying fic with great Weasley banter and it's on my list of fics to re-read this winter when it's time to get cozy around the holidays. If you like this, check out I Saw Mummy (mind the tag) by Amebb42. Last Christmas is the shortest of all the fics I'm recommending.

Creature Comforts by neilstic

Word Count: 34,588 / 5 Chapters

Summary: Hermione and Charlie are both Hogwarts professors and are into each other. They are also good friends who get to do some fun time travel exploration thanks to the secrets of the castle.

My Comments: This fic is SO well written and snort-out-loud funny. I think of it often and it's not the typical Charmione fic, which is why I wanted to shout it out.

The Eventually Ever After Series by Huffleclaws19 deserves an appreciation post on its own and I HIGHLY recommend it of you're a fan of Charmione and Theomione. It's worth reading it in order. Merry Christmas to Me (the first in the series) is already on my Top-Tier List of all-time faves but the whole series arc is so, so good. Consider this a MOST honorable mention.

- - - - Permione: The Always Series by Simply_Lovely_Reader consists of two stories: Unlikely, which is Hermione's POV and Possibly, which is Percy's.

Word Count: Unlikely - 15,537 / 11 Chapters Possibly - 26,754 / 13 Chapters

Summary: Percy catches Hermione pleasuring herself to thoughts of him in his bed in the Burrow immediately before they start working together at the Ministry. Romance and pining occur.

My Comments: I was overjoyed to find that there was a Percy POV fic for this story but if you only pick one, read Unlikley, which is Hermione's POV.

Reflector by Calebski

Word Count: 39,692 / 7 Chapters

Summary: Hermione seeks Percy's help in finding career her path after the war they're both so changed by. He finds himself seeking her out as well as they develop a friendship and so much more.

My Comments: This author wrote one of my all-time top 3, won't-shut-up-about-my-love-for-it fics, Flourishing Devotion, a Nevmione canon re-write. I really dig their style (Venus Flytrap, another Nevmione is great too.) This Permione delivered.

- - - - Fremione: Fremione recommendations tend to fall in to a few buckets, which often overlap 1) Fred Lives 2) Fred Dies, per the canon 3) Canon rewrites of Fred & Hermione developing feelings during the Hogwarts years There are several WONDERFUL canon re-writes I'll include a few as honorable mentions.

Salve Amor by moonfairy13

Word Count: 31,974 / 20 Chapters

Summary: Hermione saves Fred's life with a bonding spell that can only be cast by someone who carries love for the person they're saving. She doesn't want Fred to know or feel tied to her so of course miscommunications and meddling ensue.

My Comments: The author, moonfairy13, has so many great fics worth checking out. What was great about this one is that the whole fic centers around the Fred Lives turning point.

I Can Love You Like That by LSU Sweetie

Word Count: 31,357 / 12 Chapters

Summary: Fred and Hermione are the last two single people in their friend group at the winter holidays. Hermione wants a relationship and is interested in Fred but has also started to get gifts from a secret admirer.

My Comments: I love a grown-up Fred and Hermione. LSUsweetie has some great works with different pairings and I particularly absolutely freaking loved Festive Fates. This is worth reading because the pairing is undisclosed, so you gotta read it to find out. Paraphrasing the author's summary: Hermione ends up pregnant after a night with a mystery man at New Year's Eve masquerade party right before she has to leave for a year-long work assignment. When she returns the following Christmas, she brings a baby with red hair to the Burrow and hopes to find answers.

Honorable Mentions, Canon Rewrites:

Don't You Know You've Got the Best of Me by raquains

Deal or No Deal by LetticeDouffet

Steel and Soft Smiles by TricksterGhost7 and its companion work, Little Glimpses

Oh So Many Years by fanfictionaries*

The Two Dropouts by tryingsss*

*Denotes a partial canon rewrite (aka ends early or starts later) - - - - Geormione: There were several great Geormione pieces I wanted to recommend but both of my recs relate to navigating Fred's death in very personal ways. That has tended to be the majority of what I've been reading in the Geormione space though there are other dimensions to this ship worth checking out. Like Fremione, there are some great canon-rewrites as well.

I have not started tackling the behemoth that is The Arithmancer by White_Squirrel yet or the rest of the series, though it's queued up as a reward once I finish some very longfics I'm working through... so I know I've read a lower % of the total completed fics on AO3 in the "Hermione Granger/George Weasley" relationship tag than Billmione, Charmione, and Fremione.

To Those Who Wait by Fictionallizzy

Word Count: 56,233 / 9 Chapters

Summary: After Fred's death, Hermione and George spend a forbidden night together which leads to much more than they both expected.

My Comments: In my ridiculous spreadsheet, I give a rating for my personal love of the story and another for the spice level. This is one that has 5/5 on both counts, the smut smuts 💋 and there's some juicy angst in there (my fave.)

In Case You Don't Life Forever by xLoveMx

Word Count: 24,724 / 12 Chapters

Summary: After the battle, Hermione and George are together and apart in their grief. She tries to prepare WWW to reopen and they finds she has to deal with Fred's ghost literally and metaphorically.

My Comments: I've read a few ghost!fred fics but I really loved this one. It was hard to select just one George-Falling-In-Love-While-Grieving fic and the extra dimension Fred's ghost added to this story made it stand out for a recommendation.

- - - - Multi-Weasley Pairings: In fics with multi-Weasley ships, they tend to fall into three buckets: 1) Siblings in competition 2) Love triangle or triad (v-shaped or triangle-shaped) 3) Reverse harems or multiple hookup partners I basically had to read through the majority of all the enticing completed long fics with ALL of the individual siblings I wanted to read paired with Hermione before I started reading multi-Weasley fics. BUT I'm glad I went there because there are some really interesting works that I enjoyed. Here's a fic rec for each bucket: 1) Siblings in Competition: Yours Til The Stars Fall From The Sky by Ronsboggart

Pairings: Fremione, Charmione

Word Count: 64,178 / 7 Chapters

Summary: Hermione and Fred are going to be together until a chance meeting at the World Quidditch Cups finds her and Charlie inexplicably drawn to each other.

My Comments: Mind the tags! This fic definitely has the underage warning on it, which I totally understand isn't everyone's thing. That said, the story of Fred and Hermione falling for each other despite the magnet-pull of Charlie really got me on board with reading Fremione works. Truthfully, I sort of didn't "get" the appeal of Fred until I read this story and for that I'm so grateful. I ended up loving the characterization of Fred and Hermione's love so much in this fic, it's definitely worth it imo.

Honorable Mention: Hot Girl Summer (shorter one-shot) by Anonymous 2) Love Triangle / Triad (V-Shaped): Hic Scunt Dracones by Amebb42 & ShadowAlt

Pairings: Billmione, Charmione

Word Count: 118,498 / 29 Chapters

Summary: On a curse-breaking expedition in a tropical paradise, Charlie, Bill, and Hermione find themselves working a case that puts them face to face with old magic. Both brothers find they care for the same woman and try to encourage her to choose between them.

My Comments: If you read my Ranking the Weasleys post, you know that I don't give a toss about dragons half the time and I REALLY loved the dragon storyline here. I sing the praises of Amebb42 in just a bit but ShadowAlt also has great stories. I enjoyed reading their author's notes in this too.

3) Reverse Harem: Where the Heart Is by Mother_of_Chaos

Pairings: Billmione, Charmione, Fremione, Geormione

Word Count: 40827 / 12 Chapters

Summary: Hermione, who has special abilities and works as an Unspeakable, receives a claiming werewolf bite while helping save a member of the Weasley family and becomes part of their pack.

My Comments: This work was recently completed this past August and was inspired by The Weasley Pack by Mrsmarauders02. Both are worth reading and center around werewolf and pack power. Mind the tags!

Reverse Harem Honorable Mention: Weasley Magic by Amebb42 I included only completed fics here but I have to shoutout the WIP that lives in head rent-free on a regular basis and that's Weasley Magic by Amebb42. This author has so many great works worth reading but this fic completely sold me on the Weasley reverse harem structure and inspired me to give other works a try. Plus, it's not based on a werewolf pack. Yes, the smut is smutty which is great fun, however, all of the characters are so well developed in this massive ensemble work. The Molly bashing-to-redemption is one of my favorite kinds of family angst and there are more relationships beyond Hermione + all of the Weasley siblings that adds delicious complexity to the story. Most importantly, the world mechanics, especially when it come to the Wizengamot, the inherited Weasley family magic itself, and Bill's new status is so, so interesting! I live for this fic . - - - - As For All The Other Hermione x Weasley Family Member Ships: You'll note from my post "Nobody Asked For This: My Rankings of the Hermione x Weasley Ships With REASONS" I don't consider myself well-read in ships with Hermione/Ginny or Hermione/Ron or some of the other family members, so no recommendations at this time. If you have recs, please share! I'd love to know what I'm missing out on or what your fave works are for different pairings.

Don't forget to check out the newest fic, Ranking the Weasleys on AO3!

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 5 months ago

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In The Cherry Blossom Grove

I'm going to write a short one shot I say before typing 5 pages. A TyZula thing for @sillybillylulu

Fun fact: My initial premise was that Azula finds TyLee who had been turned into a deer. It somehow became not that at all. Like at all. There is no trace of the initial idea. Whack.

Summary: TyLee runs away and Azula attempts to get her to go back home.

She has a habit of disappearing. Once upon a time, Azula imagined that it concerned people. They used to send guards for her, a whole team of them to search for her until they found her. Usually she would be curled up in the shade of a dragon maple or nestled deep in a berry bush with a tattered and stained dress and twigs in her hair.

Concern waned with age and frequency. The more she left, the less they cared, having grown used to it by now. And the older she got the more capable they decided that she was and therefore a search party would just be a waste of time and resources. She would come back on her own.

But it was nice. Nice to have a reminder that people cared enough for her to look for her.

These days no one looks for her at all.

No one cares for her at all.

She has been gone for years now.

She thinks that Zuzu and mother had tried seeking her out during the first year and maybe somewhat into the second year. But then their interest fizzled out and they had lives to get back to. Lives that moved on oh so easily without her.

And she knows that they didn’t try all that hard because she is right here. Right here in Caldera City. She visits often and she does so without disguise. But nobody spots her in the crowd because nobody is looking.

Not for her anyways. There is one out and they are looking for TyLee, the name sends a shiver through her. A shiver of longing and a flutter of sadness. She wonders if TyLee had ever looked for her.

She is looking for TyLee. Looking and wondering if TyLee would even want to be found by her. She can imagine that TyLee might run further if she was the one to find her. But is she even on the run? It isn’t exactly unlike her, she had run away to join the circus and shape out her own identity. But she, as far as everyone knows, is content with her position as a Kyoshi Warrior. Azula has her doubts, the girl is once again part of a matched set. Really, how much longer could she endure that.

Of course Azula can’t rule out that TyLee had been abducted either by human or by spirit hands…

What is she thinking? It isn’t her place to go find TyLee so what is the point in speculation. There is none at all she concludes. Unless, of course, she did do some digging. Just to see. If she finds TyLee she doesn’t have to approach her.

She can have her peek and move on.

But what for?

Would it not just be something painful?

But Azula has always been something of a curious person. And so she sets out. Out to that place that she knows TyLee likes to go to when she wants to be alone. When she wants to think. When she wants to let that bubbly, chipper facade crumble for just a moment.

She promises herself that no matter what she sees, if she sees anything at all, she will turn the other way. It will be better for the both of them if she does.

People can say what they want of her; that she is ruthless and hateful. That she is devoid of empathy and can cling fast to a good grudge.

They have never seen her around the people that she cares for. The people that she loves but without know exactly how to do so.

She promises, oh she promises, that whatever she sees or dosn’t see, she will turn back or stop looking altogether.

But when it comes down to it, she knows that she is lying.

She has plenty of ground to cover and hours that have yet to pass her by. But TyLee is in her special spot in the cherry blossom grove. The one that is hidden behind towering temple ruins. The one that only the two of them know of.

She is there. She has been there for days.

.oOo.

Silly thing to do, it is. TyLee knows it and Azula knows it. She knows that Azula is aware because Azula lingers behind the tree well after TyLee calls out that she knows Azula is there. And she is certain that Azula wanted her to know, at least to some degree.

Finally Azula comes out from behind the tree she had been propping herself up against. “What are you doing here?” She asks as though she isn’t the one intruding on a private moment.

“I think that it makes more sense for me to ask you that. What do you want Azula?”

“Zuzu’s got a whole search party looking for you in Caldera City. They think that you’ve been captured…” she trails off only to add, “probably by me.”

“So what concern of yours is that?”

She shrugs. “I guess that it isn’t.” She pauses. “Other than that they might speculate that I’ve taken you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go back before they find you.”

“Do you want to go back?” Azula makes herself comfortable on one of several large stones.

“If you’re going to ask me to run away with you…”

“I asked you if you really want to go back? Or would you rather tell them that you still need to find your own way?’

“Why do you care, Azula?”

Another shrug. TyLee wishes that she didn’t know what that shrug meant. She wishes that she didn’t know that Azula still cares very much for her in spite of everything. And she wishes that she didn’t still care for Azula. Wishes that she wasn’t concerned about where Azula was sleeping and finding food. Whether or not she is lonely. And she is almost certainly lonely, she wouldn’t be lingering otherwise.

“If you don’t want to be a Kyoshi Warrior anymore just say so.” She says with a lazy flick of her bangs. “If you can tell me that you…are no longer interested then you’ll have no problem with them.”

“I don’t want to disappoint everyone.”

“Oh who cares.” Azula says in that tone that TyLee also wishes that she didn’t understand. The one that indicates that Azula cares very deeply. “It isn’t so bad…” she doesn’t say it out loud but TyLee can fill in the blanks; it isn’t so bad being a disappointment. “You get used to it after a while.”

It isn’t something that TyLee wants to get used to. It isn’t something that she believes that Azula has truly gotten used to. TyLee’s instincts compel her to reassure Azula that she isn’t a disappointment but Azula has disappointed her.

She watches Azula stare at her palms, occasionally flexing her fingers. “I miss talking to you TyLee. To people in general, but mostly you. I miss being at home…”

TyLee’s tummy flutters. She had always speculated as much but she had never imagined that Azula would say it out loud. And maybe that is what she was waiting for. Just to hear Azula say that she misses people. But no. She also has to hear…

“I’m…I’m sorry, TyLee. I cared about you and Mai. But I don’t know how to care about people because…”

No one ever cared about her. “We cared about you.”

“I think that it was too late by then. After Zuzu got banished…” She seems to stare off. “It’s in the heart of a volcano but the palace still managed to get so cold. So big.”

TyLee chews her lower lip. She can’t say that she knows what that is like. She has always been surrounded by people. So many people that it was almost overwhelming. So many people that she has to have her own secret place in a cherry tree grove.

“You should go back, TyLee. At least let them know that you’re okay. They’re worried about you.”

Azula herself doesn’t have anyone who asks about her. Who worries about whether or not she comes back. And if TyLee lets her disappear into the jungle now there is a real chance that she won’t see her again. Either Azula will perish at the beautiful but brutal hands of nature or her own hands or she will find herself some cozy place to start over. Some place where she can assume a new name and her old one can be forgotten—forgotten as much as a princess can be anyhow.

Maybe she will come back around once or twice but eventually, when she assesses that there is nothing really worthwhile to come back to, she will disappear. For good. Off into a huge world whose every corner can never be explored by any one person in one lifetime.

“I’ll go back if you do.”

“Wh-what.”

Seldom does she get to see Azula taken aback. “I’ll go back to the palace right now if you come with me.”

“And if I don’t?”

It is TyLee’s turn to shrug. “Nothing I guess. I’ll just be here and you’ll go wherever you go.”

“I can’t go back there. They’ll put me back in that insufferable institution or, at this point, some dingey prison cell. I’ll die free and with some dignity out here before I…”

“They’re not going to throw you in prison.” TyLee promises. “Believe it or not Zuko does wonder about you sometimes.” Not often but every now and then when he is in one of his darker moods. His grimly contemplative moods. “Deep down he misses you. I think that he wants to know what your family will be like now that your father isn’t there…”

“It will be very lonely.” Azula replies. “Mother will dote on Zuzu and I’ll be an afterthought.”

Before she can stop herself she confesses, “you won’t be an afterthought to me, Azula.”

At this she swallows had.

At this she crumbles.

TyLee wonders just how long it has been since anyone has told Azula that they are worried about her or implied that they would put her first.

She really ought not but TyLee puts her arms around Azula. Her heart crumbles at the feeling of Azula’s ribcage so prominent against her own. “We really should get you home, being out here is hard on you, I can tell.” Hard on her physically and probably absolutely exhausting mentally. To be so very alone.

And alone with thoughts and memories as dark as Azula’s…

“Can you come home with me?”

“I don’t want to go to prison.”

“You won’t. I promise.” She insists again. “And even if you do, I’m a Kyoshi Warrior and I can request to guard your cell.” She says it in jest but Azula seems to take it with some serious contemplation.

“I miss talking with you…”

TyLee can see it turning over in her mind. See her weighting what is better, dying free and alone or living imprisoned with kind company. Even TyLee can agree that both are bleak in their own way.

“I’ll go with you.” She pauses. “But only because you need to go home. It’s not all that great to stay out here for so long.”

And so it is that Azula shows herself so openly to Caldera City for the first time in years. And she does so with TyLee in her arms. TyLee who is very good at faking injuries for attention. Or, in this particular instance, to give Azula an opening. A way to show people that she isn’t all that bad, isn’t the terror that they have been making her out to be. Perhaps she isn’t really saving TyLee from the wild, but there is something that she has saved today.

She has saved TyLee’s drive, her ability to declare that she does want to leave the Kyoshi Warriors and continue to find her own path.

And maybe she and Azula will venture off together after all. After the princess is well fed and fully recovered. After she has a chance to see if being off on her own for that long has given her enough time to think and change.

Maybe the two of them will discover who they are together.

#avatar the last airbender #azula #tylee #tyzula #fanfiction #one shot

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neonscandal · 4 months ago

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Manga With Me: JJK Crackpot Conspiracy That Makes Little to No Difference (While Maybe Making A Big Difference)

At this point, we're all aware that I, as the nerd aunt, watch a lot of my favorite anime with my niece and nephew and, against the better judgement of most adults, that includes JJK. During this rewatch, I noticed something that sparked an Aha! moment and now we all have to suffer that together.

Unrelated since I just wanted a Mahito gif but kinda related. This gif from S2E9 shows Mahito grabbing the red dragon mahjong piece. That of benevolence. 👀

⚠️: Spoiler warning through season 2 of JJK.

Ever since finding out that there are only five more chapters to JJK, I have not known peace. Which means I need to word vomit all the things that have been bouncing around my noodle expeditiously. This hypothesis, while making little impact on the chapters that remain, is still harrowing if you think about it too much, which I clearly have so follow me down this winding path. It's a little long but may be diabolically on point.

BASIS OF KNOWLEDGE

Let's start with what we know:

Curses are formed by the negative emotions humans harbor.

There are two canonically acknowledged events that created huge shifts in the balance between sorcerers, humans, and curses: Gojo's birth as a Six Eyes and Limitless user and Sukuna's awakening when Yuji ate the first finger.

The antiquated way the jujutsu society measures power plateaus at "special grade" which puts Gojo on equal footing with Geto even though power wise they aren't comparable. This is not to call Geto weak but, instead, to show that even in high school, the power scaling was faulty and left layers of nuance out of the equation.

HOWEVER, by the time Megumi, Yuji and Nobara enter Jujutsu Tech, some curses had evolved to verbally communicate complex articulations i.e. Mahito and Jogo.

Critically, throughout my constant poring over JJK I've gone back and forth on the why this is but the truth is in the rewatch and so is the outlier. The Earth (Jogo), the Forest (Hanami) and the Sea (Dagon) are highlighted to be the product of that which humans have always feared. This is where things get interesting and ultimately disproves one of my favorite fan theories that Dagon is a manifestation of Riko Amanai after death. Ancient curses, undoubtedly Special grade given the widespread fear they're born from and constantly replenished by. Bearing that in mind and with respect to Japan being regularly devastated by natural disasters, we as the readers can infer their relative power but also surmise that it is their age and subsequent fear that they garner that would eventually evolve them to where we see them now.

If Gojo's birth or Sukuna's awakening were the precipice for this evolution, wouldn't Dagon also be a conscious, articulate curse? Even Hanami is still in a middle ground of communicative competence. Notably, this is where the theory is born.

In this moment, Mahito is pleased to call these ancient beings friends. In explaining the way of the world to Junpei, Mahito goes on to say:

"There are spirits known as Special grade potential spirits. Cursed spirits are a culmination of cursed energy leaked from humans. An image of fear shared by the masses, even if not real... can manifest as a powerful curse."

Which we know to be true but... what fear does Mahito represent to be able to rub shoulders with the likes of such insurmountable curses?

It can't be that simple, can it? We've seen the curses yielded by abandoned, spooky and collectively stressful locations like schools and they don't hold a candle to Mahito.

THE MENACE MAHITO

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Fear the day that Yuji Itadori's heart breaks because the ensuing curse or subsequent rampage... his strength has been foreshadowed to be devastating. However, our focus in this analysis recognizes all the above and hypothesizes the origin of Mahito and their inextricable link to one another.

Ideologically, Mahito and Yuji are diametrically opposed in their assessment of life. Not really a spoiler to say that in recent chapters, Yuji's own words completely contrast Mahito's understanding of the world in his curious observation of it. 💡 If you want more insight into Mahito, the first light novel has an interesting vignette into him as a character and his motives that I didn't talk about.

Following the events of season 2, Mahito has deliberately dealt three critical hits to Yuji Itadori's soul. Delights in it, in fact. Junpei, Nanami, Nobara. Out of the ensemble cast of villains, only one character is responsible for all of the most gut wrenching losses in Jujutsu Kaisen (shout out to Mechamaru for that matter, too). It should be said that Mahito's own power, manipulating souls and recognizing the boundaries therein is, in my opinion, integral to the overall story.

Especially since we know, early on, that Yuji, as Sukuna's vessel, is a bad match-up for Mahito. It isn't until recent chapters that we recognize why that is even though it's been spoonfed to us.

Mahito vs. Yuji, Mahito's attempts to transfigure Yuji have no effect except getting into Sukuna's bad graces.

After years apart, Yuji instantaneously recognizes Yuko Ozawa despite massive cosmetic changes. (Massive shout out to the dude dressed as Nanami at Risucon that I nerded out about this with at my booth.) I feel like her introduction isn't for nothing. I assumed we'd see her again because that's how JJK typically rolls but what if she's already served her purpose?

⚠️ Implied spoiler: In later battles, Yuji is able to tune into the soul of his "opponent"

WILD CARD STRETCH: There's someone else in universe who can seemingly see a person's soul and it's Gojo.

ORIGIN HYPOTHESIS

Okay so, after all this, what is the point? Mahito is an anomaly of a curse and for him to have inflicted such big name carnage in terms of the plot shouldn't be ignored either.

At the beginning, I acknowledged the two main events that caused a major shift in jujutsu society as we know it. But in truth, there's one more major event that has been intrinsically woven throughout the fabric of this story. That being the death of Riko Amanai and Gojo's subsequent transcendence.

Due to the shift caused by Gojo's power up, the volume of curses that sprung up became burdensome that summer. Causing a further divide between Gojo and Geto and, ultimately, part of the wedge that sent Geto down his path to destruction. But, if Gojo's birth caused the scales to tip... how could the universe (encompassing sorcerers, humans, and curses) restore balance from an unmitigated windfall of power?

Spawning another aberration: Mahito.

Where curses are typically a byproduct of humans and beholden, in some way, to the conditions of their negative emotions, Mahito doesn't really strike me as something specific enough to be as strong as they are without some significant origin. Jogo, Dagon and Hanami all have physical attributes that are a nod to what they hail from.

While there could be cultural nuance or lore that I don't have access to as a Western reader, Mahito's heterochromia, patchwork skin and, at times, seemingly horse-like legs don't really strike me as a well known allusion to anything else. What if that's the point? What if he's not the product of human fear or negative emotions? What if he's actually the evolution of sorcerer's negative fears and emotions as a subsequent counter balance to Gojo?

EVIDENCE

As the initial fight between Nanami and Mahito unfolds, during his extrapolation of Mahito, is it not weird that even he thinks to compare them?

JJK exposition is typically executed so nonchalantly, in conversations that go right over the reader's head... until the moment it lands. So even offhand comments here and there tend to foreshadow something or someone that becomes critical to the plot:

The Occult Club's conspiracy about spirits on the field making people sick immediately shown to be true when Megumi shows up which demonstrated an existing sensitivity to the supernatural and ultimately ties in to Yuji's gigantic reveal of a back story which suggests even if he wasn't "in the know" he was always doomed for a life in jujutsu society.

Yuji's grandfather, on his death bed, trying to explain to Yuji about his parents falling on obstinate ears. LITTLE DID WE KNOW.

Megumi mutters to himself about Maki (as "Zenin") long before she becomes a pillar in the story, comparing Yuji to her in terms of birth/power. Meanwhile, Maki is cast as a reiteration of Toji and razes hell upon the birth line that created them both (if Itafushi is next gen SatoSugu, Maki is a restorative for Toji).

Megumi talks about Okkotsu being the only second year he respects. Those caught up on the manga are aware of Okkotsu's behemoth importance well beyond his role in JJK 0.

During the juvenile detention center arc, again, Megumi refers to the juvenile who killed a young girl while driving without a license and fan theories suggest that this could very well be the man who killed Rika Orimoto.

Frequently, we get a pin-size remark that casually provides some surface context but it never feels without reason and more than half of these are in the very first episode. It's also interesting that these expository moments are usually handled by largely straight laced Megumi or people like Yuji's grandfather and Nanami. Like Gege can only trust the plot in their overly serious and curmudgeon-y hands 😂

Cut back to Nanami's fight, Mahito's playfully torturous curiosity and taunts are that of someone who knows they've already won. Even as Nanami's cursed energy exponentially increases in overtime, Mahito is simply awed but not deterred from the fight trusting in the inevitability of their strength over that of any human's or sorcerer's.

Even this mirthful moment reminds me of Gojo testing Nobara outside of that apartment complex where he facilitated her first experience with a Tokyo curse. To see if she's really crazy because that's what survives as a sorcerer. But it gives way to another interesting piece of evidence.

In Nanami's assessment of Mahito, he surmises that, despite the strength of the curses it's a child. Relatively "young" compared to the ancient curses of the Earth, the Forest and the Sea and, yet, capable to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Isn't that odd? Can't just be born of undirected hate. After all, even Mahito's conversation about Love, Hate and Indifference in the scheme of Mahito's origin seems to muddle the fact that most people are satisfied with indifference until possessed by something else... like revenge. A convenient solution Mahito offers Junpei after this exchange and what ultimately set Junpei as a pawn in his larger plan.

Junpei: Don't you think that whoever first said "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference"... must be rotting in hell? There's no way hating people is better than feeling indifferent toward them. The opposite of 'like' is 'hate'. Complicating simple answers for the sake of meaning is such a Japanese thing to do. Mahito: People like wordplay. After all, people can't live without making excuses.

As their fight concludes in a draw, Nanami further exposes a possible timeline for Mahito's materialization which is why I've historically assumed it was in line with Sukuna's awakening but, to scale, that would have precipitated a grossly exacerbated evolution to the unfathomable body count Nanami surmises.

I can't help but note Nanami's reference to greedily enjoying one's growth is also on par with Gojo's attitude about power and encouragement to Megumi to "be greedier". Not only with how he fights but how he lives which is being echoed in the current events of the manga.

After all, nothing is included for no reason.

All things considered, Mahito's impression of their own strength and confidence very much puts me in the mind of Satoru Gojo pre-death of Riko Amanai but especially after his resurrection and mastery of reversed curse energy and optimizing Limitless. Gojo never really loses his playfulness but Gojo also never really gives in to the seduction of his own power quite as much. I mean, until he meets a foe he can go all out against.

So what if, in response to Gojo's insane and unprecedented power up, Mahito is born? What if Gojo precipitates a curse born of unheard of origins, that of sorcerer's negative emotions. A product of sorcerer's jealousy toward his strength, a product of Geto's own envy, a product of Gojo's guilt or shame in being left behind? Is it possible that the timeline Nanami surmises correlates with the events of the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc(s)?

Are Gojo's similarity to Mahito only surface level? In many ways, we've seen where this generation of first and second years are a second chance at resolving that which Gojo and Geto put into action with their own hubris. How similar paths they have walked but where Gojo's cultivation of Megumi in response to his own loss is coupled with the temperament of Yuji's soul and yields different results. There were many points in Gojo and Geto's history where things could have gone differently but their missteps landed jujutsu society where we are now.

But is that enough? Or is Mahito further punishment for SatoSugu's confidence before the fall? One that burdens the first current years as a test of their resolve?

Imagine if SatoSugu had just kissed and made up before. Where would we be now?

SUMMARY

TL;DNR: At the root of everything, including societal collapse, it all traces back to Gojo (and Geto) and, as we've known all along, Itafushi has the power to restore what was lost.

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thedragonagebigbang · 4 months ago

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Bang Creator Interview: Tumblr: @vivispec | AO3: Vivispec

The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Dema, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!

Top 10 Reasons You Should Actually Contact The Ex Whose Life You Ruined– Number 1 Will Shock You!

Vivi and Dema talk OCs, Whumptober, and how to write while driving

Dema: Good morning! It is I, Dema, here for our interview.

Vivi: Good morning!

Dema: Since this is a fandom event I'd like to start there! How long have you been involved in the Dragon Age fandom? What drew you to it?

Vivi: I've been into Dragon Age since Origins came out-- I actually have fanfic I wrote for it when I was 12 on my Grandmother's computer, it's very bad-- but I didn't actually start getting involved in the fandom until much more recently. I'm kind of a fandom lurker in general, and didn't start posting fanfic or really engaging in the fandom until about 2022.

As for what drew me to it, the series has held a special place in my heart for a very long time, but playing Inquisition for the first time in 2020 kinda broke my brain (affectionate). I went into a Solasmance blind and have never been the same since

Dema: Oh, I too have the Solasmance hooks in me, I understand. Does that make DA:O and DA:I roughly tied for your favorite? Or do you have a strong favorite?

Vivi: This question is honestly the bane of my existence, because I have so much trouble choosing. DA:O definitely has more nostalgia, but DA:I is the one I engage with and write about the most. I think, if I had to choose at gunpoint, I'd actually say DA:2 is my favorite, but that's by the thinnest and blurriest margin.

Dema: Haha, yes. It's a bit of a "choose your favorite child" question. I will not hold you at gunpoint.

Vivi: Much appreciated.

Dema: Is it Solas in particular that inspires you to write in the DA:I timeline the most?

Vivi: He's definitely a contributing factor, and what started me down that road, but I think my love for writing DA:I is mostly tied to my Inquisitor, actually. She's maybe one of my favorite OCs I've ever made.

Dema: DA is such a great sandbox for OCs. Tell me about your Inquisitor! What makes her a favorite?

Vivi: Her name is Viera'vun, a Dalish hunter. She's a pathfinder more than anything else, incredibly observant, and very down-to-earth once she's settled in as Herald. I love figuring out how a Dalish elf with no exposure to this world she's been suddenly thrust into would react, and how she would keep herself safe-- in Viera's case, she becomes really good at picking up on the little things and using them to her advantage, and standing her ground. One of my favorite things about her is actually the dynamic she has with her hunting partner, Iloniyn-- they're platonic soulmates, one of my favorite tropes to write, and having him there as her rock once he joins her at Skyhold definitely gives her stable footing as she tackles becoming the Inquisitor.

Dema: She sounds lovely, and I can see how those themes would provide a lot of creative inspiration! Dalish Inquisitors in particular have such an interesting dynamic. How do Viera'vun and Iloniyn navigate the religious affiliations of the Inquisition?

Vivi: Viera uses it to her advantage, as best that she can. She doesn't believe in it of course and isn't shy to say so, but when holding her tongue and letting others make their own assumptions would help her out, she's not opposed to begrudgingly doing so. I think the biggest thing is that she knows how, historically, elves have been treated by the Chantry, and that she likely won't be immune to being killed or erased by them. Still, as long as she's around and has power, she's going to use it for her and her people.

Dema: Oh, she sounds so savvy! I love her already. Since we've been discussing OCs, especially in the context of the Dragon Age universe, I'm curious how you go about creating them. For example, was Viera an in-game Inquisitor? Or did you make her specifically for writing with? And was she typical of your process?

Vivi: In general, my OCs start in-game. Even Iloniyn was originally an alt Inquisitor that I fell in love with, and wanted to use in writing! When I replay roleplaying games with some element of character creation, I tend to give my PCs a gimmick so they don't all play the same-- Iloniyn's whole shtick was he didn't want to be there and was very vocal about it, and one of my Warden's always chooses the lie option if it's available to her. Viera was my first playthrough of the game so she didn't have a gimmick. I let the game shape who she was as I played it and tweaked it in post, adding more backstory and personality once I knew the general arc of the story, and where she was going to end up. Then, I did what I do with all of my OCs to flesh them out: drop them into increasingly terrible situations to figure out how they tick! She got the worst of it, I did Whumptober the year I started writing her. 31 days of horror for that poor lady

Dema: Hey, the meat grinder tells us what they're made of!

Vivi: Exactly! You get it.

Dema: Were those mostly one-shots?

Vivi: Yes they were! 60k worth of one-shots. Most were about her, but she definitely wasn't the only one. I even dipped my toes into Ancient Elvhenan for that event, it was a lot of fun filling those prompts!

Dema: Oh wow, 60k in 31 days! So you are no stranger to writing a lot of words in a set timeframe.

Vivi: No stranger at all, though I don't think I have that sort of stamina any longer. Still not entirely sure how I did it. I've done three other Big Bangs since as well, finishing four pieces across them.

Dema: What keeps you coming back to Bangs?

Vivi: I wouldn't finish pieces otherwise. I'm a notorious WIP collector, so having incentive to finish my pieces is always nice. Plus, I love getting to work alongside artists, and see how they interpret what I write! Collaborations make it all feel so much more official.

Dema: Having only participated in Bangs as an artist, I'm so impressed and inspired by the dedication you have to the challenge. It's a big number!

Vivi: Aw thank you, on the opposite side of the event I'm always impressed by the artists and their illustrations! It's amazing what we both are able to do in the timeframe given, thank you for your service.

Dema: I love it! From the artist's perspective, it's an interesting way to engage with a fic as a prompt, and the inspiration comes from the story and the collaborative effort. As a writer, is there anything in particular you're drawing inspiration from as you develop your idea for a long fic like this? Without being too specific about this idea, of course.

Vivi: Honestly, ideas just kinda hit me during my morning commute, while I stare aimlessly at the road ahead of me. Because of that, I tend to record myself talking in the car, despite the fact that I probably look like I've lost it just a little bit. Just talking through my thoughts on where my OCs and the companion characters are or what they're doing during specific times generally gives me a lot to think and write about, but mostly I pull my inspiration from their interpersonal relationships. That is what this series is built off of, and what I love about it!

Dema: I think that is a brilliant strategy. In the last minutes, and just for fun: can you come up with a click-bait title for your fic? Without giving anything major away, of course.

Vivi: Top 10 Reasons You Should Actually Contact The Ex Whose Life You Ruined-- Number 1 Will Shock You!

Dema: HAHA, Perfect. Thank you so much for your time, Vivi!

Vivi: Thank you! This was a lot of fun.

#fandom big bang #dragon age #dragon age fanfic #2024 interviews #writer interviews

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