#please do not eat solas we need him for the story

[rooksolas]

An Analysis and Reinterpretaion of Veilguard Solas, as a Man, Broken

I have been through many stages of grief with Solas' character as portrayed in Veilguard. I have bargained, I have argued, and I have finally reached acceptance, through much thought and consideration, by coming to an understanding that the Solas we see in Veilguard is completely different from the one we see at the end of Trespasser: I'd like to analyze Veilguard Solas from a different perspective, and discuss an interpretation of this Solas, as a man who has already given up on his journey, but is bound to continue, fueled by his regrets and pride.

(Please note, I am fully aware this essay is fueled by a fair amount of copium, but I am taking the writing in Veilguard at face value and in good faith. While I have my criticisms with the writing, I have made peace with the story the devs have provided to us with the resources they were given, and I'll be engaging with it accordingly, filling in gaps where I can. Will I be reaching, at times? Yes, but sometimes we need to reach to find closure.)

Truly, many thoughts, and an unbelievable amount of spoilers under the cut:

I'd like to consider, for this reinterpretation, at the end of Trespasser, Solas regrets leaving the Inquisitor, and not allowing himself to stop his path of destruction there, almost immediately. For all the masking he does, putting forward that he has the strength to betray them and destroy the world, once he is alone, he regrets it so deeply it breaks him, fully. HERE is when he actually decides to stop his quest to tear down the Veil- though he cannot admit that to himself, or anyone. He is still too proud to stray from his path, but his mind has already been changed, based on his time in the Inquisition, and his re-connection with the Inquisitor.

Solas continues through the next 10 years, too prideful to stray from his path, but unable to fully commit or put effort into his plans. He gains the respect of the Agents of Fen'harel, but walks away from them. He completes the lyrium dagger, as the Evanuris do need to be moved to a different prison , but he delays and delays and delays the moment of his ritual. He visits the Inquisitor in dreams, mournfully. He eats alone in the Crossroads. He writes the Inquisitor a letter, but cannot even muster the strength to send it.

In previous versions of the game, we can find concept art that depicts Solas manipulating Tevinter and the Qunari into an all-out war so he can perform a blood magic ritual as a last resort. Veilguard Solas is not that Solas. He's simply not willing to go that far for his goal, anymore. He walks forward, each trudging step taking him towards the inevitable end.

He learns that his friend Varric is currently searching for him, and that he's connected with someone named Rook. He learns about this "Rook", but does nothing to stop them from approaching his ritual. No wards to protect him, no traps, save for the demons spilling out. He left a perfect Eluvian path from Minrathous straight to his ritual site in Arlathan.

Perhaps a part of Solas wants to be destroyed, wants a hero to come fell him. Perhaps he feels that is the way out. Not consciously, not fully, but perhaps that's why he leaves himself so open.

When Varric approaches him, Solas does not use his power to turn him to stone. He also does not let him convince him, however- after all, he's already resigned to this fate. He's told the love of his life that even their words cannot stray him from his path, so he does not stop his actions here. He begins his ritual, and the fight with Varric ensues. He kills Varric, his friend, and it feels inevitable: just another murder in the path of blood the Dread Wolf walks. Mythal, Felassan, Varric.

The worst possible thing for Solas to experience in this moment, I would say, would be to be stuck in a place where he is incapable of action, and is forced to face monuments of his past failures with every passing, endless second, without even the escape of sleep to give him respite. Does he see the faces of those he loved? The people he knew, before the Veil was created: the ones he feels he has failed, yet again, by wishing to give up the fight? Does he see Felassan, desperately trying to convince him that the elves of today are people, and deserve a world to live in? Does he slowly come to realize he believes him, now?

As Ghilan'nain and Elgarnan have escaped, however, Solas is forced to change. When he and Rook share the Fade, he does what he is very practiced in doing: he puts on a mask. He becomes the trickster god Rook expects, and is startled by them matching his wit and passion.

He, effectively, Locks In, because he knows what the Evanuris will do to this world. On one hand, there's the element of Solas not wanting people to suffer, even if he's going to destroy their world (as seen in his handling of the Qunari invasion in Trespasser, etc.) But for this reading, I think there is another, unconcious reason for him to help: he expects this world to remain, and does not Want it destroyed. (There's also a secret, third reason: fuck the Evanuris we need to Get those guys) (and FUCK Elgarnan in particular).

So he helps Rook on their journey, all the while planning for a way out of this hell-prison, where he has to face everything he's ever done in every moment Rook is not present. While Solas presents the Varric hallucination as manipulation, and I believe it is, I also interpret it as a half-baked apology on Solas' end. Regret that he took Varric from this world, and from Rook, and letting him live on in this strange, twisted way, for both himself and Rook. Funny that Varric tells Solas that none of his plans work out, and even his plan to recreate Varric fails because of his regret and love for his friend.

So, Solas helps Rook. He guides them through their path, he encourages when necessary, he prods when Rook needs to show commitment. While we don't know how much Solas can see through Rook's eyes, he is at least aware of their party, and watches them grow, along with Rook. Does their connection with their teammates remind him of anyone? Does he see their friendship, their passion to save the world, and is forced to face the question of his commitment to destroying this world one more time?

While Solas does, on occasion, try to let Rook in on his thought process, the idea of joining Solas or completely seeing his point in tearing down the Veil is absent from the game. Again, if we're just interpreting what's in the game, I think that perhaps, Solas does not offer that option or insight to his path because he does not Want to convince Rook. It is possible, in Trespasser, for the Inquisitor to ask to join him, but he denies them. This is a similar denial, though we can interpret his complete absence of this choice as Solas' true unwillingness to tear down the Veil. If this Solas was ruthless? Would he not worm his way into Rook's head, and find a way to pull them closer to his side? But he does not- doesn't even try. Perhaps, yes, because he knows Rook would say no- but also, perhaps, because he does not want to give them that option, for fear he would succeed.

He helps them rescue the Dalish, and faces off against Elgarnan, all while Rook continues on their path, learning more about Solas through the Crossroads. While I won't go into too much detail of the murals, as many people have discussed Solas' past and his relationships, I think Mythal and his relationship to her is very important. I think sometimes, interpretations of her relationship with him are very one-sided, and I think an important aspect of Solas' character is that his choices are his own. He can be manipulated into them, especially when he is younger, but Solas is not capable of viewing those choices as coerced. He is Wisdom, he is Pride, and he believes that everything he does is of his accord: that's why he holds every action as his own regret. He regrets joining the world in physical form, he regrets stealing the Titan's dreams from them, but he lets the burden of guilt fall on him, even if the blame lies jointly with someone else. This is part of his Pride, the part of him that he cannot see is acting god-like, that his actions are worthy and correct because he feels their consequences so deeply. It is of course, not grounded in reality, but he is so deep in his regrets that he cannot see that his burden does not make him any more righteous than any other. That is, of course, until his burden breaks him, collapses on top of him.

All throughout the game, Solas plots to exit the Fade Prison, and succeeds after Rook kills Ghilan'nain. He throws them in his place, and adds that life to his list of regrets once more. But I think it's interesting what Solas does directly after this- he goes to the Shadow Dragons and provides aid. He HAS the lyrium dagger. The world is in chaos! Even with the threat of Elgarnan, I think it's fascinating that Solas does not take the chance to tear down the Veil, then, and instead goes directly to being the Fen'harel we all know and love: helping people harmed by Elgarnan's tyranny. I'll admit this is a bit of a weaker argument: you could fully say that Solas would not tear down the Veil while Elgarnan is still alive (or is physically unable to, due to Elgarnan's life force sustaining the Veil, though he tries the same thing at the beginning of the game), but I find it fascinating.

I also find it fascinating that in Solas' conversation with Rook, he does frame his actions as 'trying to save the world'- not HIS world, no reference to the world pre-Veil, the world he currently finds himself in. Could this be more manipulation tactics on Rook? Yes, and it probably is! But it is fascinating.

He continues to lie to Rook, and goes so far to swears above all else, very emphatically, that the Veil will not come down by his hand. We learn later that he is lying, that this is one more betrayal, but it does make me wonder if, for just a moment, he believed it. Maybe, in that moment, there was a small part of him that exhaled, that accepted that he could finally give up this path, to stop Elgarnan. Perhaps, even in that moment, he considered a world where he was free, even if he knew it was a lie, that Elgarnan's death would bring forth what the Dread Wolf desired anyway.

In the final scene, Rook defeats Elgarnan, and Solas reveals his betrayal. I have watched this sequence so many times, and I am going to mainly be discussing the redeem ending (and of course, the Inquisitor joining him in the Fade).

Solas, at this point, is on the verge of collapse: beaten and broken, and, almost apologetically, reveals his final betrayal to Rook. The way his lines are delivered in this scene are so exhausted, as if he is compelled to do this final, terrible act. As if, despite his regrets, fate has brought him so close to his goal that he cannot bear to stop now. His arguments are weak. He cannot even bring himself to finish justifying his actions. Compared to his detailed explanations he provided the Inquisitor, all Rook gets is "When you see the old world restored…" He can't even bring himself to finish his sentence. He must simply act, because that is what the Dread Wolf has wanted, for so long, and he is finally here, and there is nothing else for him to do.

When Rook freely gives him the Lyrium dagger, and asks him to stop… I truly believe he almost does. He stares at the dagger, holds it gingerly, fiddles with it. Walks towards the steps alone, slowly, thinking. Considering. Weighing his arguments. For a moment, Rook has him. Then, his next line.

"To stop those would dishonor those I have wronged to come this far."

This line solidifies Veilguard Solas for me. It is directly referencing the Inquisitor. This Solas is changed- he is no longer doing this for his people. He understands this world is worth saving, but cannot bring himself to stop. He has lied, and cheated, and betrayed again and again and again. This is the path he chose- to stop now would mean it was useless. Pointless. More regret for him to settle deep within himself. He cannot bring himself to stop, even when he agrees with Rook- because of his pride, and his regret.

But the Inquisitor is there, to staunch his pride. They forgive him, completely and fully. They look at him, and say the time he spent, the people he harmed: they matter. Of course they mattered. But it is not too late to revert to mortality. You do not have to act as a god, any longer. I forgive you as a man. I am here, and I see through your pride, and I forgive you. Let the world forgive you, too.

And this does affect him. This does bring him closer, but it is not enough. His pride has fallen, but his regrets, his endless regrets, will not let him escape. There is simply too much pain in his heart, for the elven people, for what they have lost, and for Mythal, his oldest friend, who betrayed him in turn, who was killed by the Evanuris and killed by him. In this section, she represents everything lost: he is speaking both of literal Mythal, and of the Elven world in general.

When Mythal appears, it breaks him. I'd like to propose a different interpretation to this scene than its face meaning. Mythal is literally his god, his creator, his friend, all of these things, and she is before him, and he weeps. He offers her the Lyrium dagger to kill him, but she stays her hand. Instead, she offers to share the blame with Solas, and releases him from her service. I think there's another element to be discussed here. I don't think it's a literal 'release of service', but, an absolution for Solas' regrets.

Solas has never been part of the Evanuris, or the Forgotten Ones. He has always been a man among gods, and a god among men. Mythal's speech to Solas reads to me as her encouraging Solas to move forward, that what happened in the past is past, and that he is not bound to his sins any more. Mythal, Solas' goddess, who he literally killed, tells Solas that he is released from her service, released from the service of the Elven people, and that he can move forward, without regret. She, a god, forgives him, a man, and tells him he is free.

Immediately, the Inquisitor reinforces this statment:

"There is no fate but the love we share"

The fate that was writ for Solas: the need to tear down the Veil, to make up for all of his regrets, has been broken. "The love we share" can be, literally, the love Solas and Lavellan share, but can also be read as love for the world, that he discovered through his journeys and his experiences with the Inquisitor and Rook. They and he both know that love is real, and is the first step forward to his future.

When he cuts his hand, he almost cannot believe it himself. He turns to the Veil tear, and to those around him, and, so quickly it almost reads as impulsive, he cuts himself. As if he knows: if he does not do it now, he will not have the strength to. As if he is scared that he will fall into his pride and his regrets again. But he succeeds: he cuts himself willingly, he makes his final choice, and he accepts it, finally.

He makes the choice to atone: not bound by his regrets, but for the love for this world, a world he is finally choosing. And when the Inquisitor joins him, he is not too proud to deny them again. He is a man, once again, a man capable of change, of love, and of a new fate.

Veilguard Solas is not Trespasser Solas. While I will always be sad we did not get that version, the regretful but cuthroat, sentimental yet steady Solas that we expected and deserved, I have come to an understanding with Veilguard Solas. I see him as a man that has already resigned to his failure, but is pushed forward by his pride and regret, searching for a way to stop. And I am glad he does, and I am glad that he gets a happy ending. I am glad we have an ending to his story, even if the story is different than what we expected.

[temperqnce]

Hey if anybody has big feelings and questions and needs to talk about what we find out in the end - related to deception and death - please DM me because I need somebody to talk to I feel so insane about it

Specifics under the cut

Okay one: you’re telling me I never noticed he doesn’t eat. I never noticed nobody visiting him. I never mentioned talking to him to anyone. Nobody ever said out loud that he died. Heard the story and gave us condolences. I never asked him about the fact that he doesn’t do anything but lay there. Nobody notices me talking to nothing. I don’t try to convince him to come down to group dinners and complain to everyone afterwards that he’s being stubborn or something.

It just hurts. Like I knew his death was coming, in the end. But to find out he’s been gone the whole time. I just feel so stupid for not seeing the signs. How hurt and reactive Lace was afterwards. The way she and Neve talk about him, in past tense, so mournfully. How they never look at him. Nobody does. And how weird solas is about it all. I should have known.

I’m grieving so hard, y’all. It makes playing the game and engaging in fanfiction difficult considering two of my Rooks are his kids. I’ve adored Varric for what, 13 years now? My Hawke’s soulmate. And he dies and she’s not there and can’t know and won’t know until it’s all over? What are we varrichawkes supposed to do in these trying times??!!?!?!

[thechosenof]

Interlude- The Pride of Hope

The Fade is a floating abyss of endless night and darkness. It is where demons and spirits alike reside. It is not a place for the likes of mortals. 

“Please help us.” A voice called out in the distance. A man. His voice sounded sweet, like a dark and heavy chocolate that the mortals eat. The spirits sparked to life, demons growling faintly at the new intrusion.

“I call on any of you that will hear me. The world will end if we do not stop the Gods.” The voice came again. Fearful. Fear is not good in a place such as this. A spirit, older than the rest, followed the voice to where an elf stood tall.

‘One of us. One of us. One of us.’ Spirits chanted.

“I hear you, Pride. Tell me why a spirit such as yourself would ask for help.” A voice answered him all around and nowhere all at once. The man let out a breath he had been holding.

“The elves that call themselves Gods, they are releasing a blight and killing thousands. Elves are imprisoned and tortured. We need your help.”

“I do not see anything about the mortal world that is worth saving. Why should I help you?”

The man tensed. Steeling his eyes, he looked at the void where he assumed the spirit to be.

“Because you are exactly what we need. We need you to inspire the elves to fight back. I need you to guide me on how to stop the Evanuris. Without help, we have no hope.” 

A pause. A second. A moment. A minute.

Then an airy try at what the mortals call a ‘laugh’. “Alright, Pride. If Hope is what you need, then Hope you shall receive.”

A/N: Hi guys! Here's a snippet into my new story that I'm working on! It's going to be an OC x Solas fic with a bit of Inquisitor x Solas. This storyline takes place during the war during the Evanuris up to Veilguard so here's a quick spoiler warning just as a heads up. I'm super excited for this one, it's got a bit of everything and I can see this fic taking a while to complete. See ya!

[liaragaming]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Origins. My husband encouraged me to play it, saying that he thought I would like it. And then I loved it more than he did. lol!

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Inquisition. That cast of characters just sucked me in.

3. Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

I tend to switch it up. Origins, I played rogue because that was recommended to me. Exodus (DA2), I played warrior because I wanted Bethany in my party. And then Inquisition, I was like, well, I haven't done mage, so I'll do it. Thinking of going full circle and going rogue again in Veilguard.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

That's a little difficult to get into since we don't know what will be important. But:

Romanced Solas / vowed to save him

Leliana Divine

Inquisitor didn't drink from the Well

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

I can get overwhelmed in the character creator. I tend to start with a preset and then customize it a bit and then jump into the game. I'll make tweaks to the character overtime though as I play. I prefer coming up with a my own name though, just because I don't want my character to share the same name as other players. And I will spend hours on that.

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Waiting for more information, but I'm thinking elven and red head. I like the idea of a non-magic user who joined the Veil Jumpers. Just because you can't use magic, doesn't mean you can't be fascinated with it.

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

FENRIS! I need, need, need Fenris!

Dorian feels like a given.

There's more, but those two are tops!

What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

Veil Jumpers!

But also, all of them, to be honest. I can't wait to learn more about each one.

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

I was thinking Bellara because I like elves. And then I heard about Lucanis being the angst romance, and I'm a sucker for that (as long as it end happily - I'm already in hell over Solavellan). But then I heard Emmrich is a total nerd and loves learning - and like... I don't know anymore!

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

It was Tevinter, but now... Arlathan forest? I also really want to see Rivain and learn more about the culture there.

There's so many place we'll be visiting. I'm excited for them all!

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

Resolution to the Solas romance. I've been in hell for 10 years! Please release me from this prison!

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

Anyone dying. Please Bioware. DO NOT give me the Hawke / Warden choice again.

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

The theme of regret. I can't wait to dive into that.

Developing a relationship between Rook and Solas. I have no idea how that is going to work, but I am so excited.

The Lighthouse. Just... gimmie.

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Solas and Ghilan'nan were a thing (mine).

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

All of it. All the lore, all the stories, all the characters. I just eat it up.

Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

Very excited for all the companion fanart and meta that is going to come out. Also all the fanfic I'm sure I'm going to write.

Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

Reading through Tevinter Nights now. Then going through the World of Thedas books. I WISH I had time to add the comics in there as well.

Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[yfipdragonage]

Your fave is problematic: Solas

ruined eggs for me

I used to eat boiled eggs for breakfast

now I can’t even look at eggs without thinking of him

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry

please release me from this hell

I just want to eat eggs in peace

I just want to enjoy eggs again

[mlm-writer]

Curing Cullen (Cullen x M!Reader)

Kinktober Day 22: Sex Pollen

Pairing: Bottom Cullen Rutherford (Inquisition ver.) x  Top Qunari Male Reader (NOT trans-friendly) Rating: Explicit Words: 1798 Summary: Cullen accidentally gets a dosage of interrogation drugs, of which the only cure is Qunari semen or death. Fucking the inquisitor beats death any day. Note: This mf got such a fuckin glow up and I am so fuckin gay for him why is he straight this is an atrocity. LOOK HOW FUCKIN PRETTY HE IS I AM IN LOVE Tags: Action, canon-typical violence, no beta we die like men, beign liberal with canon, anal fingering, anal sex, creampie, dubious consent (because he is drugged ya know), bit fluffy, riding and did you know bulls have a dick of 30-40 inch? That’s dick the size of a child wtf. 

A quick favour, that was all it was supposed to be. The cargo was apparently very precious and no one was told what it was. You never wanted to get involved with the Ben-Hassrath, but with Bull at your side there was little choice, not that you wanted him gone. On the contrary, having another Qunari around was a great help on some days. 

Things went south, however, as you got ambushed by an unforeseen force. The human bandits were oddly organised and in an awfully great number. You casted a wall of ice to slow them down, but they came from all sides. You decided to give up the cargo and save both your and Bull’s men. You fade stepped towards Cullen, the commander assisting to tag along since it was a sensitive mission. “Commander, we need to go.” Cullen showed you a displeased look, but he nodded, agreeing with your assessment. 

“We can take at least one of the boxes with us. Save some of the cargo,” he insisted, “cover me.” You wanted to protest, but he was already dashing towards the cart. You casted a barrier around him as he left, followed by a lighting chain, stunning the enemies around him. Cullen came running back with a box that sounded like it contained potions. It was a clever choice. You basically lifted him up and ordered your people to retreat as you summoned some mist to cover your paths. 

An arrow grazed your leg as you ran. You slipped in your step and you dropped both yourself and Cullen to the ground. There was the sound of wood breaking and glass shattering, before you hit your head on a rock and the scenery went dark. 

You shock awake, getting a feeling of deja vu. You recognised your bedroom at Skyhold. You rubbed your forehead, feeling a bandage right below your horns. You climbed out, wobbling down the many, many stairs to the main hall. Your mind was on Cullen. It was known amongst the inner circle that you two had a… thing... Going on. It was complicated, but that didn’t stop you from worrying. Varric saw you emerge from your room and rushed to your side. “Hey, you gave us quite the shock there.” 

You forced a chuckle out. “After all I have been through, one fall on the head isn’t going to do me in.” Varric nodded, looking at you with those eyes that looked for more. “Really, I am fine. Where is Cullen? He was with me.” Varric gave you an even worse look and dragged you to Solas’ room. He looked at you as he always did. It was hard to read him, most of the time. 

“Good, you’re here. My potion is keeping Cullen alive right now, but he needs you, were he to survive.” At least you could adore his bedside manners. You wanted to ask him more, but he handed you a paper and walked away to have another look at one of the shards you found. The paper was an itinerary of what was in the box you tried to save. With red encircled there was a concoction of concentrated Qunari pheromones, Witherstalk and Felandaris, used in several torture techniques, since the only thing that got it out of your system was rectically administrated Qunari sperm.

“Please, don’t tell me that Cullen got any of this stuff on him.” Solas said nothing. 

“Well then I won’t tell you, but he still needs your help,” Varric cut in when Solas remained quiet. It suddenly dawned on you why Cullen would need you specifically. When it came to healing magic, you were not the expert, but when it came to a source of Qunari sperm, the options were you and Bull. The thought of Bull doing it made you cringe and you put the paper back on the table, before running out the door. You runned over the bridge and slammed the door to Cullen’s room open. You heard pained moans at the left, where Cullen laid on a mattress they had dragged from somewhere to here. Probably no one could get him up the ladder to his bed. 

You crouched down next to him. You tried to get the hair out of his face, but he moaned at the slightest touch. “There you are,” he mused as he gave you the most undignifying bedroom eyes you had ever seen. “Bull informed me of my… status,” he tried. Clearly Cullen was still Cullen, which was a good sign. Either Solas has done some outstanding magic or Cullen was really muscling through the potion well. “This was not how I expected to have sex with you for the first time, but you should take me up that ladder right now.” He was panting, covered in sweat and he looked even more tiny without his armour. 

“You know we don’t need to have sex, right? I could just…”

“I want to. I’ve thought about sex with you so many times, you have no idea.” 

You already felt sorry for him when he got his full mind back. He would be so embarrassed, but you couldn’t die of secondhand embarrassment right now. You hoisted him over your shoulder, noticing his cock poking through his breeches as you climbed the ladder. Maybe this was not the most practical interior design choice. You were glad that at least now the roof was fixed and a fireplace installed. You casted a fire there, the room feeling a little warmer immediately. Cullen was rutting against your shoulder, but you didn’t blame him. You placed him on the bed and he pulled you down. You had kissed before. Varric even ran into you two making out. You would probably have made it official then, were it not for Varric’s interruption. 

However, this was nothing like anything you’ve done before. Cullen was insistent, a desperate man. His lips moved against yours as if he was trying to eat you. A primal noise left him as he tried to rid you of your clothing as soon as possible. You didn’t know what came over you, but you ripped his shirt in half, throwing it off the bed. With a rough tug, his breeches went off and you had beautiful access to everything that was Cullen. You wanted to take your time with him, but you feared there was no time for that. You conjured a substance to provide lubrication in one hand and raised his legs with the other. You toyed with his hole, coaxing it open. 

Cullen mewled as you put his legs over your shoulders and touched his cock. You pleased him with both hands, trying to take the edge off for him. He was like a cat in heat. He was so vocal and you wondered if he was the same when he wasn’t drugged. When you could push three fingers inside, you let your breeches fall to the floor and kicked them off your feet. Your cock stood big and glistening with precum between you. It wasn’t very thick, but the length was easily 20 inch at least. Cullen stared at it with an odd mixture of dread and lust. You cursed yourself for thinking it was hot. “Don’t worry, a shallow injection will be enough. You don’t need to take my full length.” 

You moved him closer to the edge of the bed and rested his legs on your waist. The tip of your cock was pressed against his stretched hole. You looked up at him and he gave you an insistent nod. You pushed inside, careful to only go a few inches deep, but he felt so good and hot around you, it was hard to restrain yourself. Your slow fucked him with the tip, breathing heavily as it took all your self-restraint to not just plow into him until he swore he met the Maker. “Inquisitor,” Cullen moaned, really testing your self-control. Using titles in the bedroom was definitely your kink and Cullen played into it like a charm. “Can I…” 

You stopped when he didn’t finish. You bent forward, cupping his cheek to get his attention. “What do you want? Just name it, commander.” Cullen caressed your cheek and licked his dry lips. He swallowed the lump in his throat and you watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. 

“Sit on the bed. I’d… like to be on top.” You licked your lips at the thought. You gently pulled out and sat down, resting against the headboard. Culled straddled you and he was so beautiful. His scarred skin told the stories of many battles. His hands ghosted around your horns. “May I?” You usually didn’t like people touching them, since they were a little more sensitive than those of other Qunari, but with the idea in mind of what was to come, you wanted his hands on them now. You nodded and sighed in pleasure as Cullen leveraged himself on your horns as he lowered his body against the tip of your huge cock. 

Cullen hissed as you breached him again. You stared at him as he took you deeper than you thought he would. You groaned as he managed to impale himself halfway your length, before he raised up just a little. Cullen deep-fucked himself on your cock, taking half of it inside and moaning like a song that you never wanted to end. You placed your hands on his hips, helping him at first, but soon enough you lifted and lowered him like a toy on your cock. Cullen’s hands fell down to your shoulders, where his fingers dug into your skin. You growled as lust took over and you were chasing your orgasm with his hole. 

Another few thrusts and you held him in place as you spilled your seed inside him. You watched as Cullen let go with one hand and stroked himself. He spilled between your bodies, getting semen on both your torsos. When he was done, you were still pumping him full with the last bits of your load. You slid down the headboard and laid him down on your chest, cock still deep inside him as he rested on top of you, bodies sticking together with his semen. 

No words were exchanged as you let your semen do its work counteracting the potion. You stroked his back and hair, basking in the afterglow of an amazing orgasm. “Could we… switch positions next time?” You looked down and chuckled, humming affirmatively. A human topping a Qunari was a funny idea, but with Cullen, you were long happy he considered a next time and when that time would come, you wouldn’t care how it would go, as long as it was with your favourite commander. 

[gradiebby]

Live Blogging My Dragon Age Inquisition Play Through (FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME).

Spends 20 minutes making a Keep Import cause priorities 👏🏻

Immediately makes a Dalish elf mage with big ears and pretty face tattoos.

Ew the fade. I hate the fade.

Bugs. Gross.

Glowy pointy hat lady is gonna save me.

I have awakened in chains.

Glowy hand. 😲

Sees Cassandra: you're gonna be my best friend by the end of this bitch. Just wait.

Don't kill me, Cassandra, I'm needed.

Thank you Leliana.

Glowy pointy hat lady is the woman I recall.

Don't decide my guilt. I didn't do it.

You make my pulse come faster lady. Them cheekbones 😍

Bridge Explosion 💥

MAGE STAFF HOMIE

Don't point that sword at me.

I'll make you come willingly, Cassandra.

Finds first Elfroot plant. It begins.

YOU DIDN'T FLANK THEM CASS.

Hello, I'm a mage, I too attack from a distance.

There's a lot of things falling from the murder hole.

Who's fighting, you ask?

Sees Varric: YAY

Sees Solas: HISSES.

Don't touch me you bald egg.

Close the rift. CLOSE THE RIFT. If they only knew about you egghead.

Varric speaks: stares at magnificent chest hair.

Obviously points out Bianca.

Ew the egg speaks.

Yes let's shut the egg up and go the forward camp with the excited Bianca.

Don't tell me to move quickly egghead, I'll smite you.

I'm glad we brought you now, Varric.

Don't question my clan egghead.

I fully intend to ignore you until you hate me, you dirty egg.

Varric and his story spinning will forever be my favorite, more believable for the win.

Premature execution made me LOL.

Varric reassuring Cass about Leliana is also the best thing ever.

Shut up egg.

Close my first rift..

My useful hand is gonna save the world, Varric, just you wait.

LELIANA BABY

Ew. It's this guy. He's annoying. Imma call him Chancellor Dilehole.

Criminal. Eat me.

Glorified clerk 🖕🏻

Shove your attitude where the sun don't shine bro, we're gonna stop this.

Hi, yes, see my glowing ass hand? I'll fuck you up.

Time to go save the squad that got lost on the mountain path. Cause it gets me Varric approval.

Time to find out what was detaining the missing soldiers. Let go.

Creepy mine caves.

What's over there? More demons.

Found the missing soldiers!

Fade rift #2.

Shut up egg.

Please don't thank me, I just wanted Varric to like me.

Bossy Cassandra is the Best Cassandra.

... don't socialize with the egg, Varric.

But yes there's definitely better ways to make things explode that doesn't include demons.

Glowy green mountain sides to match the murder hand. ✨Aesthetic✨

Far up is an understatement Varric.

Bossy Cassandra is back and telling everyone what to do.

Do I appear ready, Cassandra? Just YEET me into the swirly green murder hole. No big deal.

Hears the big bads voice: DICKHEAD.

Stands directly on top of the red lyruim to make Varric talk.

The dickhead is talking again.

The murder hole is making images appear for everyone to see how innocent I am.

He said slay the elf bro, I obviously didn't do this.

I. DON'T. REMEMBER.

Shut up egg.

Demons is the theme of this game Cass. Get used to it.

MURDER HOLE BARFED OUT A BIG ONE.

Drinks health potion, proceeds to toss bottle on the ground.

Murder hole = rift #3 closed.

I have awakened!

Hello elf friend, do not be afraid. I too am a simple elf.

KOed for 3 days, excellent.

Collect every single thing you see. Need them XP points.

Hello Haven, you've upgraded from Origins.

Awkward that everyone is just staring at me. I just woke up from a 3 day siesta, what if I had to pee?

Chancellor Dilehole and Cassandra are arguing over my fate. Should probably stop eavesdropping and go have a say.

Ha, you don't get to arrest me Chancellor Dilehole. Cassandra said nope.

Leliana coming with the facts.

Now I'm chosen? Nah pimp, I'm a elf.

They really wanna yeet me into the murder hole.

Cassandra dropped the book and said get the hell out bro.

Imma shake that hand bro. Imma be your leader. Just wait.

Let's go. Opening scene time bro.

Release the crows, Leliana.

You nail that door, Cullen, I'm coming for you later.

Chancellor Dilehole doesn't look happy.

Cassandra is a proud and fine piece of ass walking through Haven.

JOSEPHINE, I SEE YOU BABY.

[emerald-amidst-gold]

So, I’m just laying here, casually eating a bagel and I can’t help but just think about Fane’s name. To be honest, Fane has had various names before I even decided on the one he has now. 

As a little treat, let me go down the list:

Ferox (I have no clue where it came from. I just thought it sounded cool. XD)

Faelyn (More elven, less random, but it still didn’t fit for me.)

Feron (Keeping with the ‘F’ trend at least, right?)

Feris (I guess I wanted to go to a carnival.)

Fayn (I was close with this one! Same pronunciation, but I didn’t like the spelling)

And then, as a happenstance, I was playing ‘Divinity: Original Sin 2′ and those who’ve played it know about the Eternal, Fane, right? That’s when it all clicked. That’s when I decided on Fane’s canon name. I just thought it was perfect, and now, here we are~

BUT THEN! I went further because Fane’s character went further beyond being just a Dalish elf or what I had originally planned, which was to make Fane a reincarnation of a sort. 

I was working on my original, original story called ‘Sanguine Promise’, and a lot of the terminology that I use has Latin roots. Obviously, it’s simplistic and I twist a few things to make them ‘fit’, but the core word is Latin. 

For example, I needed a name for a city, or rather, the entire faction of three in my story that lined the oceans of the republic. I started at the base and said, ‘Okay, let’s see what blue translates to.’ I searched and ‘blue’ translates to ‘caeruleum’ in Latin, and it was perfect! Why? Well, two reasons: this faction has those who harbor royalty in their blood, from the lowest peasant to the purest bred noble; they all bear royal blood. So, the ‘rule’ in word was just a happy coincidence, but I thought it was neat! Secondly, the name encompassed the blue of the sea as well as the intricately woven detail of royalty which is referred to as ‘blue bloods’ which in my original story is highly important. Hence, ‘Sanguine Promise’.

So, taking that into account, I played around with more words, created more locations, more ‘lore’, and then I came back to Fane, who was the main protag in this story of mine. As I said, blood was the determining theme, but mainly its hue. There are four types: red (obviously), blue, white, and finally, black. Three factions bear three of the four types of blood hue, and they range from what I’ve labeled as ‘Viscous’ and ‘Fluid’. The higher the viscosity of your blood, the higher you are in society. The more fluid your blood is, the lower you are in society. Each faction has a caste system, but each revile the fourth and rarest blood hue: black.  

My playing of words continued and I looked up the definition for ‘black’ in Latin which has multiple translations, but the one that caught my eye was ‘ater’ (ah-ter). I was like, ‘...Wait. WAIT.’ And I’m no linguist, so take what I do with a grain of salt, but I was like, “Fane has black blood. Ater means black, so if I add...ian to the end then..AH! YES!” And voila, Aterian was born because ‘ian’ means ‘belonging to’, so if I take ‘black’ and ‘belonging to’ and squish them together I have a rough, sloppy translation of a name that means, ‘One who belongs to black’ or, how I like to put it, ‘Blackened One’. 

I haven’t used Fane’s other name in my DA stories lately, and there’s a major reason for that. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I’ve changed some things that happen later in his story. ‘Fane’ is a name his father gave him, and I just recently pieced together a huge coincidence with that name and it has me shocked and pleased. Also, I realized a plot hole in that Solas wouldn’t possibly know Fane’s other name because they were unable to speak to each other, and that’s why I decided that the regarding term for Fane from Solas would be ‘ma’isenatha’ or ‘my dragon’ until the name was uncovered or given later on down the line. 

The translation for Fane’s other name still applies to Dragon Age verse though. It’s why I’m like jumping in my seat half the time and saying, ‘Just write a fucking Post-Trespasser AU! That’s where all your ideas come into play! We know what happens during Inquisition, but that’s also important! FUCK!’ And if you can’t tell, I’m very bad about keeping my mouth shut concerning my stories because I’m just excited and I like to share. XD

But! All in all, that’s the origins of Fane’s name or rather, names. Fane and Aterian. Two sides of a very, very complicated coin. >:3

[championofsanghelios]

Personal AU Story - “Home”

A little story from my Sidlink archives. Again this one is set in an AU. There will be some TL:DR and notes at the end, so scroll down if you wanna understand what's going on here.

This was written by me, remember...so expect the usual errors, typos and word bugs (bzz.)

|HOME|

It was one of those rare moments where Link could be at peace. He couldn't actively recall the last time he'd been able to relax and let loose, which said a great deal for his lifestyle. Having the entirety of Time itself under ones charge tended to be a little taxing on occasion.

Whenever he had moments like this he'd come back here, to the Zora's Domain, a place he called home, a place he truly felt safe enough in to relax. Somewhere he could just be himself, no Inheritor, no grandeur, no nothing. One of his favorite things to do upon returning and catching up with everyone there was to take a swim in the thermal baths in the guards barracks. These pools were unique in that their inflow systems directly connected to the Domain's heat springs, sourced from Mount Lanayru, a network of channels that ran across the entire region, heated by the very molten innards of Solae itself.

This allowed for the installment of a vent regulator system, a small valve on the end of the pool which allow whoever was using it to adjust the heat levels from freezing cold to considerably hot. Link's personal preference was cold initially, with the gradual increase of temperature as he swam, relinquishing himself of any pent-up energy that remained in his bones.

By the end of it, he was usually exhausted to enough to retire to his room and collapse into his bed, which after the recent period away from it all, was a prospect he found too tempting to pass up on.

However as he's preparing to haul himself out of the waters and dry off, he's interrupted by the sound of the barracks door in the other room opening up. He doesn't bat an eye-lid to this, it was probably one of the Guards returning from their assigned post, or a shift-change in progress...usual business.

Which means it's no surprise...that he's surprised...when a familiar voice calls to him from the rooms entrance. So startles him does it that he lets out a near squeal, leaping up from where he is sitting and clambering to fetch the Master Sword which is laying among his personal effects.

All it takes is one glance however to realize who it is and that he really shouldn't be afraid at all. Sidon filled the opening in the door, wearing his full royal regalia, minus his crown, which according to him was "a dreadful thing, all spiky and weighted." It also had a habit of giving him headaches, something which in Zora was more pronounced and extreme than in their Hylian counterparts...something about their brains being wired differently

The King let's out a hearty laugh at the look he receives, which is one of both relief and irritation. "That has to be the best one I've heard come out of you yet."

Pushing himself away from the door frame, he walks over to him, taking in his form and scent with a deep breath through his gills. "I see you've taken a liking to this place..."

"I like the thermal regulation." Link says, placing the Master Sword down next to his armor, which had been dumped rather hap-hazard on the floor near the wall. "Loosens up the limbs...and the core."

His hand runs over his abdomen as he speaks, something that Sidon can't help but observe as well. "You've gotten thinner."

"I've always been thin." Link sighs, looking down at himself. The only thing he was wearing were his shorts, those old, but very durable shorts that clung to him tightly. "Part of the problem with having your processes time-locked is that it's difficult to put on any real weight...or bulk up or anything like that."

He looks up at the King, pointing at him. "I sometimes wish I could have muscular structure like you do...but it's far from the realms of possibility."

"Then just remove the time-lock." Sidon says, stepping closer to him, his large hand coming to rest on his arm, it left arm, it was a subconscious movement, they'd not seen each other in quite some time...it had been a couple of months for him, but Usurper knows how long it had been for Link.

He never showed any signs of age, or wear...even if it was blatantly obvious. Link was able to integrate right back into the world like he was gone. At first this was a confusing and at times infuriating quirk about their relationship...particularly for Sidon who needed him around, despite always insisting that he could come and go as he pleased...so long as he stayed alive. It was a mutual agreement.

Link would head out for a while, do his job as the Inheritor, then return to the Domain for a few weeks and just...be himself. No worries, No stresses, No nothing. It was an arrangement that, so far, worked and Sidon looked forwards to their time together increasingly each time.

Link also needed Sidon too. Life as a Time traveler was a hectic and at times hard existence. So the option of coming back to something stable, and normal was a real help. Sidon didn't know it, but Link looked forwards to these moments just as much as he did, if not more...they restored normalcy to his life and added contrast. Nothing was more relieving and cathartic than saving all of creation for the billionth time only to head home and crawl into the arms of his King, his worrisome, adorkable fish husband. It was what he lived to do.

Which is precisely why after a moments silence, the Inheritor closes the gap between them and practically jumps into his arms, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him as best he can, despite their size difference.

"Oh I've missed you..." Link says into his chest, he would have fallen asleep here if he wanted too, but he needed to get his stuff over to his room before he did that. "...you have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this."

"Me too." Sidon beams, holding onto him as if he would drop to the ground when he let go. "It's been a quiet old place without you around...most boring."

"I think I might stick around a little longer this time." Link glances up at him. "And I really mean it...I-...well I need a break."

"Give it 2 weeks, you'll be practically clawing at the walls." Sidon shakes his head with a chuckle. "Stay as long as you wish, husband...it's your choice."

SOME TIME LATER

"...and that's not discounting the Lynel ambush we had in the forests of the Central Plains." Prince Akau says with a sigh, taking a drink from his goblet. "If it hadn't been for Emmet and his quick thinking, we'd all be dead."

"You boys took on 3 Lynel?" Link raises an eyebrow across the dinner-table, currently the middle of eating a bowl of something he couldn't pronounce the name of properly, only that it was amazing and he could eat it forever. He glances at Sidon who is at the head of the table, listening intently and nursing a full belly of steamed salmon. "Seriously?"

"Yes, he has the scars on his chest to show for it." the King nods. "He left a boy and came back a man."

"Says you." Akau snorts, placing his goblet down and sitting forwards. "I still don't believe there could have been an Oktoroc that big..."

"One of these days I'll have your father take you back to that day and show you in person." Sidon let's out a quiet belch, covering his mouth with his left hand as to hide it some. "You wouldn't be so incredulous then would you?"

"We've already been back there twice." Link shakes his head. "It's unlikely I could even find us a good vantage point."

"It's amazing." Sidon can't help but smile at his current thought. "I was fighting that thing to the death, completely oblivious that my future husband and myself were watching from a distance and loving every second of it...twice might I add."

He looks at Link fondly. "To think it was you...of all the people I met."

"Ghirahim once told me that people who are destined or fated to meet, shall." Link finishes the contents of his bowl, dropping the silver spoon into it and sitting back on his chair. "I guess you could call it a matter of fate, huh?"

"The best kind of fate there is..." Sidon says, his eyes flitting over him for a second. "I can't imagine knowing you and not falling in love with you."

"I once visited a timeline where you were never born..." Link shrugs. "It was just Mipha and your Father...it just felt off, really off."

"I hope to one day travel time." Akau says across from him. "I wonder what it's like."

"It's great." Link smiles, genuinely, warmly. "It's so...wonderful and exciting..."

His smile fades however as the reality hits him. "...but it's also a terrible burden...a responsibility that if abused, could spell disaster for everyone and everything that has ever lived."

"Will I be your Inheritor?" Akau asks next, something that seems to grab the attention of the King who looked like he was about to doze off. "Will I claim that blade when you are gone?"

"I don't know..." Link shakes his head, he was being truthful when he said that. There was no way of telling who would come after him. If it would be Akau, or anyone. It wasn't his place to know. "The Sword doesn't have the final say anymore thanks to 'Dorf...I guess we'll see when I die."

"That's unlikely to happen anytime soon." Sidon shuffles on his chair.

"You never know." Link looks his way. "I could die tomorrow."

"No." Sidon shakes his head quickly. "You're not going to die before me..."

"Me too." Akau adds. "It's unlikely I'll ever see that Sword in my hand..."

"Really?" Link suddenly stands up, walking across the room to the door, which he'd left the Sword of Time sitting by, along with the Master Sword. He picks it up in it's scabbard and paces over to where he's sitting.

Turning it in his hands, he holds it out for him to take. "Let's see if it would accept you then."

"Seriously?" Akau glances at the blade, then to the King who nods his head encouragingly. Taking the scabbard from Link he places his hand around the hilt and pulls the blade out fast. It was light in his hand and seemed to resonate with his touch. "Whoa...it's lighter than it looks."

"No." Link shakes his head. "It's not light at all...it's just light for you."

"For me?" Akau looks along the length of the blade. He'd seen his Father using it before, creating portals that led to Usurper knows where, and he'd always wondered how it worked, how it charged up and what use it had outside of time-travel. "What do you mean?"

"It sees you as an ally." Link explains, gesturing to blade. "It recognizes my blood within you...and it accepts you as one of it's wielders. Just like it does Sidon, Ganondorf, Zelda...and others."

"But not it's Master...right?" Sidon asks, a knowing smile on his face. "It doesn't recognize anyone as it's Master but-"

Akau gasps as Link raises his hand, the Sword of Time flies out of his hand and he catches it by the hilt mid-way. "Good Goddess above."

"No." Link does the same with the scabbard, to Akau's increasing wonder and amusement. He slots the blade back into it's scabbard before tossing it over his shoulder onto his back. "That title is reserved for I, and I alone."

It had been too long since Link felt like this. Since he could just let go and come apart without any feeling of guilt or burden. Many of the people he'd met in his travels had commented about his inability to relax, or indulge in himself, in his own desires and needs...and they had a point...he really did find it hard, namely because he believed his job came first. He was their protector, their guardian, their servant. What he wanted and needed wasn't important when time and history itself was at stake...

...this was one of the many reasons why he looked so much forward to coming home, to spending time at the Domain with his family and his friends. He had a chance to stop playing the role of the hero, the role of the ancient traveler who stopped horrible events from claiming everything, and just be...Link.

Sidon was one of his biggest comforts. He'd always been like this, from the moment they met on that bridge so long ago to right now in this very moment. Gentle, Tender...and oh so soft.

Despite popular belief about Zora scales, Sidon wasn't nearly as tough and "sharp" as many would claim him to be. If anything he was much softer, smoother, and oh so warm. Sure he was "a fish" but he was warm-blooded, and that made snuggling such a delight.

It was a strange juxtaposition. Often it felt to Link like he was holding onto the world and everything in it, hugging it close and keeping everyone who inhabited it comforted and reassured. Telling them it would be okay, even when he wasn't sure if it would be...telling them that time moved on and losses, though not forgotten, got easier and wounds healed.

But here he was, in the worlds arms. Sidon was one of the most important things in his life, he was his world...and there weren't enough words in the common vernacular to describe just how much he adored him. He often got misty eyed just thinking about how much he cherished him, and felt cherished in return whenever he came home.

Sidon was like a love-sponge. He'd soak up all of his affection and pent-up need and become all water-logged and dredged. Only to need one squeeze, or in Link's case a cuddle, for everything to come flooding back out, but ten-fold.

He wasn't aware of what brought them together, but whatever it was, be it fate, divine intervention, coincidence or just luck, something Link rarely believed in, there was no denying that Sidon was the best thing that ever happened to him. He found a companion in him, a friend, a confidant, a lover and later...a husband and King in...he was perfect.

"...I like this." Sidon says after a long silence. "I love these moments. You and me, and the stars."

He says this as he looks out of the Kings suite onto the mountain landscapes that encompass the entire Domain. In his previous room, now Akau's, he hadn't been able to see the skies, but up here in what was originally his Father's suite, everything could be seen.

Link was laying atop him, mainly across his chest, with his head resting in the crook of his neck. This is often how their nights of reunion and love-making ended, with the two of them just laying in the water...sleeping off their exhaustion.

At some point Link would be moved, as almost every time he would awaken the next morning, he'd be in the bed just across the room. Sidon always took care of him, and preferred to tuck him where he would be warm, rather than let him catch a chill in the pool. Not that he could given just how warm they were right now.

"You said you were going to stay a little longer this time..." Sidon comments, reaching up, his large hand running through the Inheritor's hair. "Is there any particular reason why?"

"No..." Link replies, or moreover drones into his neck. He turns his head slightly opening his eyes and looking out over the balconies ahead at the starry sky above the mountains. "I just think I should stick around longer..."

"You think?" Sidon asks next, his hand slipping down to his back.

"Sometimes you just need to stop running, you know?" Link says, taking in a deep breath which turns to a yawn half-way. "...I think now would be a good time for that...I want to do it...I...I need to do it."

"It would be nice to have you back...as I've said." the King smiles at the thought, with Link around more he'd be able to involve him more in the day to day running of the Domain. "But you don't have to be bound here. It's your choice."

"No..." Link shifts a little, looking up at him. "I mean it. I want to stick around some more. Spend time with you, Akau and...everyone else."

"Okay..." Sidon's smile widens to a grin. "I'd like that, Link."

"Yeah..." Link lowers his head, kissing him on the neck. "...me too."

...

TL:DR

LINK WANTS TO TAKE A BREAK FROM BEING INHERITOR TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY BACK AT THE DOMAIN. SIDON IS VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS, AKAU TOO.

NOTES AND OTHER STUFF

This story takes place some centuries after the birth of Prince Akau, Sidon and Link's Son, who has now, much like his Father before him, embraced and taken on the role of Crown Prince.

In this story, Sidon has been King of Zorana for a while, and he and Link are married. This takes place after a major incident in my personal story-arc called "the Resurrection". (Perhaps I'll explain later, for now just know that time has passed and things are slightly different now.)

The Sword of Time, I've mentioned this before. But to give you a basic run down of it. It's a blade that was once weilded by the Hero of Time. When Link became his Inheritor, he was given the blade, along with the responsibilities of keeping the timelines of Solae safe and protected.

Solae is the name of the world that the events of the Legend of Zelda take place on. This not an official canon, just one I made up for my own world. It gives a name to the place they inhabit, and opens the way for other worlds and such.

(Side Note: I have a map of the entire land-mass of Solae, including the Kingdoms of Hyrule, Termina, Ardenfall and others. I'll see about posting it at a later date.)

Link and Sidon HAVE DEFINITELY traveled through time in the past. I like to think they have done this several times, namely for romantic purposes.

Akau MAY or MAY NOT be Link's successor as the Inheritor of Time. It all depends on where the story goes. I've not actually written that far yet.

There's a mention of the Sword Demon Ghirahim in there at one point. He plays a key-part in my AU versions of the Linked Universe characters. (Again, I'll get to that another time.)

[ill-heart]

Party Banter #2

 (I had fun writting party banter with my Inquisitor... So, here I am again. I’m sorry, I’m a sucker for cute or tragic talk.)

Varric : How is it going, Cupcake ?

Dam : What do you mean ?

Varric : The entire population of Thedas wants to know how Buttercup and you are doing together.

Dam : Oh really ? The world really wants to know or… is it just you, for your book ?

Varric : Oh Cupcake, I can’t hide anything from you…

Dam : *giggles*

Varric : So, can my curiosity and my readers’s one can be satisfied ?

Dam : Only if you satisfy mine…

Varric : You really want to know more about me ? I’m flattered !

Dam : No… Well… I want to know more about you… And Hawke.

Varric : I…

Dam : There is something between you two, right ?

Varric : I’m terribly sorry, Cupcake, but this is the one story I will never tell.

Dam : Didn’t you say the same thing about Bianca ?

Varric : *laughs* You got me here, Cupcake.

 **

 Dam : I know you wanted to prove to Orlesians we weren’t together, but…

Dorian : Yes, my dear ?

Dam : Were you, and Iron, forced to have sex when we stopped at Val Royeaux ?

Dorian : It is not my fault, my dear. Bull is… very persuasive about this kind of stuff.

Iron Bull : You didn’t say that when I asked you what you wanted… It was like you begged me to rip off your clothes and put somes chains on your…

Dam : Okay, boys ! I don’t want to know, I’ve heard enough.

Dorian : I didn’t say a thing when Sera made you scream like a virgin.

Dam : Dorian ?

Dorian : Yes, my dear ?

Dam : Shut up.

Dorian : *giggles* I won’t make promises.

��**

 Iron Bull : Tell me, boss, why did you choose Knight Enchanter as a specialization ?

Dam : Well, you might find it silly…

Iron Bull : Let me be the judge of that.

Dam : *sighs* When I was a kid, I wanted to be a knight. My uncle was one of them and… I admired him when I was younger. He was really good with a sword, so I’d liked to watch his trainings.

Iron Bull : Hm…

Dam : I guess, I’m not good as him, right ?

Iron Bull : Yeah, you’re bad. Really bad.

Dam : *giggles nervously* Well… At least, the dragon didn’t eat me.

Iron Bull : He was about to, boss. You’re lucky Varric was near by to save your ass.

Dam : Yes, I know… I…

Iron Bull : But I can train you, if you want, boss.

Dam : Really ?

Iron Bull : Of course, and I’m sure Krem could learn a lot of things with you. He needs to fight someone else.

Dam : I can’t wait to start !

Iron Bull : *laughs* You won’t be happy for long. Krem is good, and he won’t give you a chance to win. So… Your ass will be kick everyday.

Dam : Well, I think I can survive him !

Iron Bull : We’ll see, boss. We’ll see.

 **

 (After Here Lies the Abyss)

 Cassandra : Inquisitor, can I ask you something ?

Dam : Well, I guess I can’t say no, right ?

Cassandra : Yes, of course, you can. It’s just…

Dam : If it’s about Sera or Varric, I think we shouldn’t waste our time talking, Cass’. We can’t get along about them.

Cassandra : I know, I just want to know why you decide to save Hawke and let Stroud in the Fade. I don’t want to judge you or anything, but I don’t understand why you save him when the Grey Wardens needed Stroud.

Dam : What can I say, Cass’ ? That I’m sorry ? That I’m just a stupid mage who shouldn’t take responsabilities because everyone seems to think I can’t see the consequences of it ? That I couldn’t sacrificed Hawke because I thought of Varric’s pain if I leave his closest friend in the Fade ? You know what ? If you think you can do better than me, take my place, all the responsabilities and we will see if you can handle it !

Cassandra : I’m…

Dam : I don’t want to hear you, so just leave me alone for once.

Cassandra : …

Dam : …

Cassandra : I’m sorry, Inquisitor. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings or act like I’m judging your decision. I won’t do it again, you have my word.

Dam : Whatever you say, I don’t care.

 **

 (After Here Lies the Abyss)

 Cole : You are not alone.

Dam : Please, Cole, I’m not in the mood today.

Cole : You did your best in the Fade. Stroud didn’t blame you, he was happy to stay behind and fight Nightmare. He wanted to prove that Grey Wardens can be trust. He wanted to do it.

Dam : … I…

Cole : They all know you did you best back there. They know you had a difficult decision to make, and they will never blame you too.

Dam : …

Cole : You don’t have to regret anything. If you do that, your brain will exploded and you might hurt yourself and the ones who like you.

Dam : *laughs* Brains can’t explose, Cole.

Cole : No one will forgive you if you die. Sera will yell at everyone, I can feel it. Cassandra will become a demon and no one will be able to stop her fury. Dorian will burn everything. It will be like a storm of fire which will consume them all.

Dam : I… I’m sorry.

Cole : Those words aren’t needed. Friends don’t want to hear them. They want you to smile, and shine because they think you deserve it.  

Dam : Well, I will try my best. Thanks, Cole.

 **

 Dam : That dress you weared last evening…

Vivienne : Yes, darling ?

Dam : It was… beautiful.

Vivienne : You impress me, darling. I didn’t though you have some… taste in fashion.

Dam : I have, but… I… I’m afraid dress can’t suit me well.

Vivienne : Oh darling *laughs*, if you weren’t so stupid, I would say you are cute.

Dam : *giggles* I know, it’s silly, however I can’t help it.

Vivienne : Maybe, I can take you to shops next time we stop at Val Royeaux. I know a lot of people who would enjoy creating dresses for the Inquisitor.

Dam : Isn’t… it a trick to humiliate me ?

Vivienne : Please, darling, I would never do such a thing. I’m not like some of your… friends.

Dam : I prefer to be sure, before I accept you offer.

Vivienne : Don’t worry about that, I will make a beauty out of you.

Dam : Good luck with that, Vivienne.

 **

 Dam : Your paintings are gorgeous, Solas.

Solas : You would have love the ancient elven’s paintings then. Most of it were as huge and as beautiful as Skyhold is now.

Dam : I’m jealous, I have to admit it.

Solas : *laughs* You shouldn’t be, Inquisitor, you can’t be good at everything.

Dam : I know, however I’m happy to have you by my side. I can appreciate your skills and the stories which lies within. Besides, your last painting… does it represent our battle in the Fade ?

Solas : Kind off. I tried to portray what you saw back there. I wish I could have seen it with my own eyes.

Dam : Next time I’m planning to join the Fade, I promise you will be the first to know.

Solas : *laughs* It’s kind of you, even if it certainly won’t happen again.

Dam : Who knows ? We could be surprise.

 **

 Dam : You are a good man.

Blackwall : You… hm… Why now ?

Dam : I don’t know, I just thought about all the times you are kind to people, and I wanted to tell you what I…

Blackwall : I’m not so…

Dam : Don’t say it, Blakwall. Don’t deny it in front of me. You are kind with others people, even if you don’t believe it.

Blackwall : You flatter me, my lady, but I think you overestimate me.

Dam : Blackwall ?

Blackwall : Yes ?

Dam : Next time you doubt about your kindness, I will punch your face like no one, not even your father, ever did.

Blackwall : Well, you are a… lively woman, Inquisitor *laughs*. I understand why Sera loves you.

Dam : I just know when I’m right about someone. Don’t you ever forget that.

 **

 Sera : Sunny… I love you and all this bullshit but…

Dam : Hm hm ?

Sera : Can’t you change it ?

Dam : Change what ?

Sera : You know… This thing.

Dam : Yes ?

Sera : This horse ! I mean, a horse isn’t supposed to have a fucking sword in the head and walk around like it’s nothing ! It’s… not normal !

Dam : But, love, just look at her ! She is beautiful. I can’t betray her trust, Laëtie won’t forgive me.

Sera : Laë… Wait, don’t tell me you gave a name to this thing ?

Blackwall : She did that weeks ago, Sera.

Sera : Sweet Andraste tits ! I will never put my butt on this… demon.

Dam : As long as I can ride Laëtie, I’m okay.

Sera : *whispers* I’m the one you should ride.

[himluv]

The Morning After

Have a little ficlet to tide you over :) This is set the day after Indulgence. Enjoy!

The sudden flash of sunlight on her eyelids made Riallan groan.

“Ah, yes, my dulcet darling,” said Dorian, entirely too loud. “Rise and shine. I’ve brought you breakfast, though it’s well past the hour.”

She sat up, her nose scrunched and eyes blinking against the sun. “Dorian? What are you--”

He sat at the little table next to the windows, the gauzy drapes thrown wide to let in the light and show off the Orlesian countryside. The de Chalons manor was exquisite in its expensive austerity, and though the room felt almost as barren as her quarters back in Skyhold, she had to admit the bed was comfy.

Dorian glared at her, arms crossed and one leg hanging over his knee. His foot bounced with either agitation or anticipation, she couldn’t quite tell. “You’ve been keeping secrets from me,” he said.  

She scrubbed her hands over her face. “Is that what this is about?”

“Obviously.” He gave a pointed look at the chair across from him. “Now, will you join me for a, albeit late, breakfast?”

It seemed she had little choice in the matter, and besides, the coffee and jam on the platter smelled lovely.  She stood from the bed and stretched, uncaring that she wore only her small clothes, then pulled on a large linen tunic. It was worn, one of her favorites, and hung down to her mid-thigh.

Dorian gave her a critical look as she joined him at the table. “Is that one of his shirts?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. I’ve had this for years.” She poured a cup of coffee and spread jam on a delicate little biscuit. She even managed to take a bite before Dorian’s impatient silence became deafening.

She sighed. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” He took a strand of grapes and plucked them from the vine one by one. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

“The beginning…” When even was that? She’d had feelings for Solas before they’d started visiting one another in the Fade. So, maybe the beginning was when he started showing an interest. But he’d flirted with her in Haven, commented on her indomitable focus and made the tips of her ears burn with the force of her blush.

“That long ago, was it?”

“No. I mean, yes?” She shrugged. “We just sort of fell into it.”

“You fell into tangling tongues in the Winter Palace?”

She glared at him. “No. That was very much on purpose.” She took another bite of her biscuit and used it as an excuse to find something to say. “We always got along. We flirted, talked, he was someone I trusted.”

“A confidant.”

Riallan nodded. “Exactly. It wasn’t until we got to Skyhold that we kissed.” She left out that it had happened in the Fade. She didn’t really want to discuss the details of that. “But then he asked for time.”

“Time for what?” Dorian sipped his coffee, careful not to splash any on his mustache.

“I think he’s been alone for a really long time and he needed to think about whether or not he wanted a relationship.”

“Well he obviously made up his mind,” he said with a wicked little smile.

“Yeah. After two months.”

Dorian dropped his biscuit, it fell against the porcelain plate with a heavy thunk. “Two months?”

She nodded.

“And you didn’t come talk to me?”

She hadn’t even considered it. “What was there to talk about? We kissed, it was good, I wanted more but he wasn’t sure. Until he made up his mind, there wasn’t anything to say.”

He gave her a bewildered look. “Do the Dalish not gossip?”

“Of course we do,” she laughed. “But, we’re both private people. He had doubts, which for Solas is a big deal. I wasn’t going to betray his trust by talking about it with someone.”

“Maker, I forget what a good person you are sometimes.” He took a bite of hs biscuit and moaned. “This country might be full of backstabbing assholes, but kaffas, the food is good!”

They laughed at that, and she took advantage of the break in their conversation to eat a few grapes and a slice of cheese.

“So… he made up his mind?”

“Obviously,” she said, smiling when he rolled her eyes.

“You’re going to make me drag it out of you, aren’t you?”

She sipped her coffee. “I know how much you like interrogating your friends.”

He grinned. “How long have you been together?”

She had to think about it. “Just over a month.”

His eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “And no one knows?”

She tilted her head back and forth. “I think Varric suspects, but we haven’t told anyone.” She gave him a stern look. “We’d like to keep it that way.”

“Probably shouldn’t makeout in public spaces, then.” He took a drink of his coffee, his face suddenly serious. “You know you can tell me things, right?”

“Dorian, I—”

“It’s just, you’re my best friend. Possibly my only friend. I know I’m not good at,” he waved the fingers of one hand, “emotions, but I am here for you when you need me.”

She reached across the table and put her hand on his. “I know, Dorian. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to cut you out.”

“All right, then.” He settled back into his chair, doing a little shoulder shimmy to get comfortable. “Tell me, under that stoic, apostate hobo appearance, is there a fiery passion?”

“Dorian!”

“That’s a yes, then?”

She laughed. “You’re disgusting.”

“That Dalish accent is so cute, you pronounced hilarious wrong. Now answer the question!” His smile was infectious, even if the subject matter embarrassed her to speak of.

“I don’t know. I think so.”

“You don’t know?”

Riallan looked down into her mug. “We haven’t… you know.” She cleared her throat. “We’re taking it slow.”

“What I saw last night did not look ‘slow’.” He spread jam on two more biscuits and handed one to her.

“Yes. It was new territory for us. Thank you so much for interrupting.” She glared at him, then popped a grape into her mouth.

“Ah. So he’s taking it slow, while you slowly go insane.” He smirked.

“No,” she lied. “I’m respecting his boundaries, just like I would expect him to respect mine.”

Dorian raised a brow at her. “You have boundaries?”

She feigned offense, a hand to her chest. “A few!” Riallan might blush and stumble over her words in social situations, but once she connected with someone, that anxiety fell away. She wasn’t shy about her preferences when it came to sharing a bed, just shy getting someone to come to bed with her in the first place.

“What do you think is holding him back?”

She had no idea how to answer that question. There was so much about Solas she didn’t know. She knew the important things, the things that made up a person. She knew he was kind, intelligent, artistic, and passionate. She knew he cared about her, more than she had ever dared hope for, and she knew he could be tender and terrifying in turns. She’d heard his laughter and witnessed his grief, and she’d shared the times in between.

But she didn’t know the facts of the man. He was so good at avoiding the details of his life, glossing over them with stories of the Fade and vague responses to any pointed questions. She didn’t know where he was really from, when he was born, Creators she didn’t even know how old he was! And all of that suggested something traumatic he wanted to escape.

“I think it has to be something from his past,” she said. “Even with me he hesitates to give any concrete details about his life before the Inquisition.”

“That doesn’t bother you?” Dorian said it in a way that made it clear that it would very much bother him.

She thought about it, but ultimately shrugged. “No? We all have pasts, we have things we regret or are ashamed of. I know I like the person here, now.” She smiled, but fought the urge to look away. “And I do like him, a lot.”

“Oh, that is a dangerous look, dearest.” He dabbed at his mouth with the cloth napkin. “Poor Blackwall’s going to be devastated.”

She winced. Riallan knew the Warden had an interest in her, and while she appreciated the man as a friend and fighter, she didn’t have any feelings for him in that way. “Blackwall suffers from an ill-placed sense of hero worship,” she said. “He’ll recover. Besides,” she gave Dorian the sternest look she could muster. “He’s not going to know, because no one is going to tell him. Or anyone else for that matter.”

“Oh, please.” He rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to threaten me.”

She blinked. “I don’t?”

“Maker, no!” The grin he gave her then was positively wicked. “The longer I keep this secret, the longer I get to tease Solas with no one the wiser.” He raised his mug in salute to her. “It might as well be Satinalia!”

She groaned, but it turned into a chuckle halfway through. She had to admit, the potential comedy might be worth Solas’ slight discomfort. She was about to say as much when a knock came at the door.

“Inquisitor?” Josephine called. “We are preparing to leave shortly. Do you require assistance?”

Dorian snorted and tossed his napkin onto the table. “That’s my cue.” He stood from the table and paused to kiss Riallan on the forehead. “Well, I suppose I’m happy for you. Just, guard that heart a little, will you? I don’t want to have to curse our resident Fade expert.”

She laughed and shooed him out of the room. She couldn’t wait to get back to Skyhold and have some proper privacy. And if last night’s indulgence was any indication, maybe she’d be able to convince Solas to join her.

And this time not just in her dreams.

[pikapeppa]

Character Interview: Athera Lavellan

Tagged by @faerieavalon​​ @serial-chillr​​ @elveny​​ recently! I did this before for Rynne Hawke, so maybe I’ll try it with one of my lesser-known OCs?

Meet Athera Lavellan, Inquisitor and unfortunate romancer of Abelas. Art by @froschkuss​​!

[The interviewer is ushered into the rotunda at Skyhold, where the Inquisitor can be found sitting cross-legged on the couch and eating roasted peanuts while listening to two tall male elves discussing magic. One of the elves is bald and kind-looking; the other wears a hood and looks quite forbidding. As the interviewer approaches, the Inquisitor pops up from the couch and hastily puts the peanuts aside before holding out a hand to the interviewer.]

Thanks for coming! Well, actually, you asked me to talk to you, so maybe you should be thanking me.

[The bald elf coughs quietly, and the angry hooded one smirks. The Inquisitor grimaces at the interviewer.] 

Sorry. Sometimes I put my foot in it. They’re here to make sure I don’t make a complete idiot of myself.

name ➔ Athera Lavellan! It’s nice to meet you. Er, who are you?

are you single ➔ [her face turns bright red] Oh. Ha. Hahaha. Right into it, huh? 

[She glances at the hooded elf, who is watching her very intently. A moment later, she looks at the interviewer again, and her voice is confident.] 

No. I’m not single.  

are you happy ➔ Um, yes! I’m going to go with yes. 

are you angry ➔ No, of course not! This is just what I look like when I’m hungry.

[The hooded elf speaks: “Should I bring you some cake?”]

Would you? That would be amazing. Oh, you’re being sarcastic. [laughs] Can you bring me some cake anyway? Please? 

[He sighs, then bows his head and turns away. The Inquisitor reaches out and grabs his hand.]

Wait, I was kidding! I’m not some Orlesian noble, you don’t have to fetch me cake.

[The bald elf speaks: “I will go find some cake.” The Inquisitor laughs.]

Oh please, Solas, we all know that’s just an excuse for you to eat all the cake by yourself. 

are your parents still married ➔ yes, actually! And happily so. I... fenedhis, I should probably write to them. It’s been a whole week since the last letter.

NINE FACTS

birthplace ➔ I was born in a forest a small ways outside of Markham.

hair color ➔ It’s brown and full of spirits. 

[The hooded elf silently runs his hand over her hair, and she leans into his shoulder.]

eye color ➔ Grey!

birthday ➔ Haring 10. I’m a winter child. 

mood ➔ Hungry. 

[She smiles mischievously at Solas, who lifts his eyes to the ceiling before leaving the rotunda. The hooded elf snorts softly before speaking: “I am surprised he is taking your request seriously.”]

Well, I am the Inquisitor. He has to listen to me. [laughs] Gods, what a terrible thing to say. Don’t publish that. Oh, I guess I still have some peanuts here. Maybe he didn’t have to leave to get the cake... 

[She slowly sidles over to the couch and picks up the peanuts, then slowly and guiltily starts munching them. The hooded elf clears his throat.]

gender ➔ Female.

summer or winter ➔ Winter. I just love a layer of crisp cold snow like a blanket on everything. It’s like the whole world becomes new again. 

morning or afternoon ➔ Mornings! They’re a fresh new start.

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ [Her face turns bright red again. She starts to laugh. The hooded elf watches her with a very serious look on his face.]

Gods, what is taking Solas so long with that cake?

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ Oh thank Mythal, an easy question. No. That’s always just your trousers talking. 

who ended your last relationship ➔ [sigh] He did. But it was for the best. I was too young to know what I was doing. [Looks at the hooded elf.] I know what I’m doing now. 

[He studies her in silence. His face remains very serious. He tucks a strand of hair over her ear.]

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ Me? Ha! No. I’ve been dumped on my ear every time. Varric should write a farce about me. 

are you afraid of commitments ➔ No. Commitments are what give our lives their meaning.

[The hooded elf bows his head slightly.]

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ Of course! Here’s some proof. [She hugs the hooded elf around the waist, and after a moment’s hesitation, he hugs her in turn.]

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ Not that I know of. That’s why it’s called a secret, isn’t it?

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ [She freezes for a split second, then laughs lightly.] Not yet. 

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ I’ve never had one without the other, so... love?

lemonade or iced tea ➔ Iced tea! No one ever makes the lemonade sweet enough for my liking.

cats or dogs ➔ Dogs. They’re very loyal and steadfast. And they make me think of the old stories of the Emerald Knights and their guardian wolves. 

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ [tilts head thoughtfully] A few good friends. A few who know you well are better than a bunch who know you only a little.

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ [smiles at the hooded elf] A night in, for sure.

day or night ➔ day! I’m a sunshine sort of girl. 

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ Mmm, I don’t think.... well, not unless you count -- um... [She looks at the hooded elf with a sheepish smile.] The kitchen? When, er, Solas, um...

[The hooded elf looks briefly discomfited. The Inquisitor turns to the interviewer with a sickly smile and reddened cheeks.]

Let’s move on, maybe?

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ Oh gods, yes. Especially in this tower. I’d probably be better off flinging myself from the rookery into the Solas’s office rather than taking the stairs.

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ [The Inquisitor freezes. The hooded elf’s expression becomes intimidatingly blank. The Inquisitor looks up, and her smile is gone.]

Yes. 

wanted to disappear ➔ [She's quiet for a moment. The hooded elf frowns slightly.] 

It... I can’t disappear. I’m needed here.

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ [She looks up at the hooded elf and studies his face for a minute] Eyes. You smile with your eyes more than your mouth.

[The hooded elf smirks very faintly. The Inquisitor chuckles.]

If that’s your attempt to prove that you can smile with your mouth, you didn’t prove it very well. 

shorter or taller ➔ Taller!

intelligence or attraction ➔ Intelligence, for sure.

hook-up or relationship ➔ Relationship. I’ve always been a relationship sort of girl. Even when... well, never mind. [She shifts closer to the hooded elf and leans against his side.]

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ Yes! I really miss them, actually. 

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ Um... [She shoves a handful of peanuts into her mouth and mumbles something incomprehensible while shrugging.]

have you ever run away from home ➔ No. I wouldn’t have left my clan at all if they hadn’t wanted someone to come here and keep an eye on the Conclave. But honestly, now that I’ve been away, I think... I’m... I’m not glad, exactly, but I’m... it’s been an important experience. 

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ No.

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ No, not at all! 

[The hooded elf speaks: “What about that shem who-”]

Abelas! [clears her throat] Friends and colleagues aren’t the same thing. You don’t have to like everyone you work with. [pokes Abelas with her elbow] You didn’t like me at first. 

[Abelas speaks again: “At first, no.” His tone has softened, and he runs a hand over her hair. She smiles and wraps an arm around his waist.]

Not the smoothest answer, but I’ll forgive it.

do you consider all of your friends to be good friends ➔ Yes!

who is your best friend ➔ Varric, for sure. Oh but wait, there’s Solas... 

[Solas calls out from the doorway: “Did you call for me?” He’s carrying a small platter of Orlesian petit fours, and the Inquisitor brightens up as she spots him.]

You actually brought cake! And you didn’t eat them all! Oh, you’re definitely my best friend, then.

who knows everything about you ➔ Does anyone really know everything about anyone? I don’t think it’s possible. So the answer to this one would have to be... no one. 

[Solas offers the platter of petit fours to her. She picks one and pops it in her mouth whole. Solas and Abelas each select a cake and take a small bite, and the Inquisitor grimaces.]

You two know that they make those cakes small on purpose so you can eat them all in one bite, right?

[Solas replies: “Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The diminutive size of these cakes is purely aesthetic.” Abelas chimes in: “They also taste better if you take the time to savour them.” The Inquisitor laughs and loops her hands companionably through their elbows.]

Oh, please. Nobody has time for that.

**************************

Athera and Abelas’s smutty and romantic but ultimately tragic adventures can be read here on AO3. 

[theheraldsrest]

“Inquisitor bringing back a dragon egg and claiming it as their own child”

Yeeeaaahh It’s been a bit since we’ve made any posts. Our schedules have cleared up a bit and we should be able to post more, and this time on an actual schedule. I’ll be posting on Mondays-Tuesdays and Cabot will be posting on Wednesdays. Here you go, our first ask back!

-Lord Lex

Cullen

-”No no no NO! Absolutely not! We are not going to be raising a DRAGON in Skyhold! A dragon destroyed Haven, and that one wasn’t even on our side! How in the name of the Maker are you going to train that thing?! This is absolutely ridiculous, what are you thinking?! How-”

-You have to survive his rant first but, to be fair, he has good reason to worry

-If you keep it, he doesn’t argue with your decision, but you have noticed that Skyhold is being more fortified, people are being the taught on how to “take care” of a dragon, while others are being taught how to actually take care of a dragon

-Cullen sees this turning out two ways: One, this could actually be a great benefit to the Inquisition or Two, the Inquisitor has finally gone insane and this is just the Maker’s way of punishing Cullen for existing

Josephine

-”Haha, very clever joke, Inquisitor! You actually had me there for a moment! Hahaha...ha...he...you’re not joking, are you? Oh Maker…”

-Takes a lot of convincing to get her to actually allow you to keep it. Is even a little proud that you made a list of pros and cons

-Tries to even change your mind with other “pet” ideas. Just do what Leliana’s done and get pet nugs. They’re vicious enough if you train them. Or mabari, mabari are good pets, love cuddles. Or how about-?

-Is ever so slightly curious about how this will turn out though, even hires people who are dragon experts to help make sure it’s safe and well taken care of

Leliana

-”A dragon? That...actually could be very resourceful.”

-Unlike her co-workers, she finds this to be a rather interesting and fun idea that could really help the inquisition

-Does pass along notes about its growth to researchers and caregivers. Kinda wants to help in the process of raising and training it. How different can it be from nugs?

-Very. Very different. Nugs don’t breathe fire, for one.

Vivienne

-”Put it back, dear. We don’t need to add on another dangerous creature with horrible, destructive capabilities to our little group. We already have Cassandra.”

-It’s like a very tired mother telling their child to put back the puppy. The fire breathing, 200 ton puppy.

-Keeps talking about your image, trying to raise such a thing after the several encounters you’ve had with dragons ended with you almost dead

-Actually, no, go right ahead. She’d love to see what’d happen. Don’t worry, you’ll do fiiiine.

Varric

-*Currently having Vietnam flashbacks* “Please no.”

-He’s kinda split. On one hand, he doesn’t want to deal with this. On the other, imagine the stories he could write

-He thinks he needs to stop telling dragon jokes because the first time he said he had expected Corypheus to pull a dragon out of his ass and he did. Made the same joke about the Inquisitor…

-Comes to like the idea when he sees the Inquisitor treating it like a mabari. Who’s a good, man-eating, electricity-breathing dragon? Yes it’s you!

Cole

-”Your child? But...it’s a dragon? How do you make it your child? It’s rather big. Warm and happy, it doesn’t know about the outside yet or what’s waiting for it...I think you’d make a great mother dragon.”

-He’s a little confused, but he’s got the spirit. (Get it? No? Ok, I’ll see myself out) He has no problems with this

-It actually helps a lot that Cole can tell you if he's upset or not happy. Gives you an idea of the mood swings it has

-Cole is confused on why you keep calling it ‘one’ of your children. Who are the rest? Varric puts emphasis on Kid when he’s talking to Cole.

Solas

-*Solas Disapproves*

-What could go wrong? He has a list. What if it doesn’t listen? What if it’s uncontrollable? How do you expect to raise it? What are you even going to feed it? People? Your enemies? Where are you going to keep it? What if it causes more damage than the one Corypheus had? What if-?

-If he can’t convince you to put it back, he does try to help you with it. Hell, (if your inquisitor drank from the Well) you were able to control the ancient dragon, this one shouldn’t be much harder

-He gives it pet names, favors calling it names associated to the type it is. For example, a fire one would be nicknamed Little Burner or Little Light, a cold one would be Frost or Snowflake.

Cassandra

-*Cassandra Greatly Disapproves*

-Makes you put it back, she doesn’t even want to hear the ridiculous reasoning for why you want it as a ‘child’. You already have destructive children and their names are Varric, Sera, Bull, and Cole.

-There is absolutely no way in whatever realms that exist is she going to allow this to happen, the absolute absurdity of the whole idea is- Somehow you got it to Skyhold and it’s name is now Fluffy.

-Maker, give her strength to put up with you. She might see you as a great leader, but sometimes you can make some really stupid decisions.

The Iron Bull

-”This is one of the most dangerous ideas I’ve ever heard. Can I help raise it?”

-You don’t even have to ask, he’s helping to carry the egg, talking about different ways it could be used whether for battle or for intimidation

-He’s dedicating his time to this creature and has actually done some reading up on how to properly care for it

-If you’re not careful, it starts to think Bull’s it’s mother, following him around and chirping. The Chargers have taken to calling him Mama Bull. 

Dorian

-”That’s a brilliant idea, Inquisitor! And after that, we’ll go raise Corypheus from the dead and ask him to join us for afternoon tea! Oh, why not invite my mother as well! Why not just summon Andraste herself?!”

-Safe to say, he thinks this is one of your worst ideas. But he’s not gonna stop you. What? It’s gonna be funny watching you try and raise this creature

-Said he wanted nothing to do with it, but still comes around to make sure you haven’t killed it. And that it’s properly being covered. And that you’re not breaking it.

-He adores it, though, once it’s born. Won’t admit it, but the baby talk gives it away

Sera

-”This. Is going to be. The BEST joke. Ever!”

-Keep Sera away from it, she’s almost broke it several times, either by trying to carry it or rapping her knuckles against it

-It’s like a little kid waiting for their baby sibling to be born: she’s drawn pictures of it eating people and taking a shit on nobles, she keeps talking about what all they can do with a dragon on their side including blowing stuff up

-Has nicknamed it PeeWee. No reason whatsoever.

Blackwall

-*very deep sigh* “Please, please say you’re joking.”

-You’re not joking? Andraste, he’s too old for this. It’s like the Inquisitor is trying to give him a heart attack wherever he goes

-He doesn’t really give his opinion but you do see him give the egg a weary look every once in awhile

-Comes to actually enjoy the little thing, feeding it bits of food because ‘it gave me the look’ or petting it and telling it that it’s very handsome/beautiful

[darksunrising]

Sola Gratia (14/?)

Masterlist

Rating / Warnings : No particular warning.

Fandom : Bram Stoker’s Dracula, BBC’s Dracula, various Dracula and vampire lore.

Part 14/? (2638 words)

Author’s notes : I’m back, babey ! Anyway, here is the Second Act Opening (yeah, changed the Act stuff, i am unreliable at best.)

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The ride to Vlad's estate was eerily silent. Nestled on the backseat, hugging my knees to my chest, I tried to find some comfort in the pale light of the moon, bathing the countryside in a silver haze. I felt like I was wrapped in cotton, sounds coming off muffled to my ears, filled with the low humming of the car. Vlad and Carmilla were whispering to each other, and beside me, Leah seemed completely lost in thought. She had a lot to process, after all. Maybe I should have told her sooner...

To the valleys succeeded an endless plain, covered in fields and woods, and the occasional farm. Not that far over the horizon, I could barely make out the dark, shimmering line of the sea. It grew as we left the main road, following a smaller one, that soon converted to a paved path, barely large enough to let the car pass. We crossed a large iron gate, opening a mossy stone wall. The inside was wild, the wind sweeping across tall grass, overrun by wild flowers and poppies. Tall umbrella pines cast a moving shadow under the full moon. At the end of the path stood a large house, practically a mansion. The walls were white, large limestone blocks neatly laid out at the corners, while the most part were rough stones, held together with a thick layer of white mortar. A large portion of the wall was overrun with ivy.

The car stopped. I unfolded myself and tried to get out once before I remembered to take off my seatbelt, then trying to adjust my bodice to accommodate the now half open corset. Gods, my kingdom for a change of clothes. A quick look beyond the house confirmed that It was built over a cliff, the sound of the waves crashing down below soothing me like a lullaby. Leah's arm curling around mine quickly set me back into the present situation, and I took hold of her hand, hoping to be reassuring. We followed Vlad through the main door, which he closed behind us.

A good number of cardboard and wooden boxes piled up in the hall, unopened. Vlad apologized for the mess, arguing he didn't expect company so soon after moving. Still, everything except for the main hall was pristine, the furniture very well assorted, much more than in his Romanian residence. I figured he must have picked everything himself, as it all seemed in good accord with his usual sense of style. In the living room, I went to the windows, which opened on a large terrace, directly giving out onto the sea. Vlad's voice, softly calling out to me, had me turn back, and sit with them around the coffee table.

Leah was nervously fidgeting with one of the ribbons of her dress. Where should we even start ? I was obviously not the only one wondering about that, as the silence had now been so long it was far over the limits of awkwardness.

“So, who's gonna tell me what the fuck is going on ?”, Leah finally blurted out.

“It's... a long story”, I started, hesitant.

“Long as in 'it started during my mystery trip to Romania I was suspiciously evasive about'—long ?”, she retorted in an accusatory tone.

“Yeah. At least that.”

She leaned back into her seat, staring at me. She didn't even look mad, she just looked disappointed, which was worse. Since we met, I never hid anything from her. I could say safely that she knew more about me that I did, and I never had felt the need to not tell her something. These last months, not talking to her had been a torture. She had been my absolute best friend for years, I hated lying to her. I hated it.

And so I told her. About everything. From the beginning. Vlad had a few protests during my recalling of the Romania Events, and Carmilla looked pretty entertained by it. I could swear I heard her laugh when I told how I stabbed Vlad in the end. Leah listened intently, not once looking away from me. When I stopped, she seemed to take a moment, and looked around the room. Calmly, without a word, she stood up, and took a step toward Vlad's seat. She extended a hand, and swiftly reached for his sword, that he had set aside before sitting. Unsheathing it in an ample, yet controlled movement, she brought the tip under Vlad's throat so fast even he didn't have time to react. Surprise probably helped on that endeavor, still she had him tilt his head up, flat of the blade pushing under his chin.

Her expression was terrible, calm, controlled, yet I had never seen her eyes so dark, her lips pinched so tight. Vlad didn't move.

“You... Have hurt the one I love most, beyond all that I could imagine”, she stated, her voice trembling with anger. “You have made her suffer, and now, you tell me she could be in even greater danger because of your fucking dad or some bullshit ?!”

Her hand was steady, yet I could feel like the only reason she didn't ram the blade through his throat was because she knew it wouldn't do much of anything. I stepped closer to her, and wrapped my hand around hers. She held the grip so tight her knuckles were bone-white. I had her lower the sword, which she immediately dropped, and turned to look at me, eyes watering up.

“I-I'm so sorry, Eris, if I had known... I would never... Fuck, he could've... He could've...”

She held my hands enclosed in hers, and lost her words into incoherent sobbing for a second. Bringing my hands to her face, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and took a moment to calm herself down. Still holding my hand, she turned her attention back to Vlad.

“I was too quick to give you my trust. That won't happen twice”, she told him, glaring. “You put us into this mess, and you'd better handle it.”

“I intend to !”

“I'm not finished”, she snapped. “If anything, I mean anything happens to Eris, I will hold you personally responsible, and I'll have your dismembered limbs impaled in my backyard.”

Carmilla giggled, to which Leah snapped and promised her the same fate.

“Now, you're gonna drive us home, and I don't wanna see either of your faces again, at least not until you handled the problem.”

“You can't be serious, you'll be safer here-”, Vlad started.

“Safer ? With you ?” She had a dry laugh. “Well, isn't that the funniest thing you've ever said.”

“At least, stay the night”, he insisted, looking over to me for backup. “I will drive you back as soon as you'd like in the morning.”

She was about to protest, and I caught her arm, interrupting her. “Leah, it's late, we're both tired. Let's just go to sleep, right ?”

She took a second, and gave in, nodding. She insisted we slept together, even though the house had a good number of guest rooms, which was, in retrospect, pretty funny for someone who didn't need sleep. He guided us to the room he had prepared for me, initially. It had to be about half my apartment's size, and included a tower at the corner. Huge bay windows gave onto a balcony giving out a magnificent view over the sea.

Vlad cleared his throat. “You will find a change of clothes in the wardrobe.” Leah gave him another killer look, arms crossed over her chest. He took his leave, but not before placing a light hand on my back.

If you can slip away, I would like to talk to you.

Ah, the most terrifying thing to hear. Despite that, the way his voice filled my mind was warm, and comforting. I silently nodded, and he took his leave, his fingers trailing along my back, almost as if he resented to break contact. As soon as the door closed, Leah had a long sigh, and dropped on the bed.

“I can't believe you kept this to yourself so long”, she told me. She sounded almost hurt. “I mean, why didn't you tell me anything ?”

I joined her on the opposite side, my head laying next to her. “I didn't know how to. I felt you'd be safer if you didn't know.”

“But you weren't !”, she protested. “You could have been hurt, again, all because I had no idea what kind of monster-”

“He's not a monster”, I cut her off, almost without thinking about it.

She took a pause, turning her face towards mine, an expression of disbelief painted over her features, eyebrows furrowed in a way that didn't suit her kind face.

“Eris, please don't tell me you believe that !”

“I do. I'll give you that the conditions of our meeting were, well, less than ideal, but ever since he came here, he did nothing but try to make amends.” She groaned. “Come on”, I insisted. “You've seen it, he's been nothing but kind, and thoughtful, and actually a great help for my thesis.”

“He also eats people, Eris”, she remarked.

“He told me he didn't kill anyone since he got here, and I believe him.”

“Because he actually is trustworthy, or just because you want to believe him?”

By all means, she wasn't wrong. I mean none of her worries were anything I hadn't thought of myself. I sat up, and started un-lacing my bodice.

“You don't know him like I do”, I told her, softly, knowing this wouldn't do anything to convince her. “Let's just go to sleep, for now, I'm exhausted.”

She reluctantly agreed, and we disrobed, significantly faster than we dressed up. I though my corset would be ruined, but only the lacing on the back was cleanly cut, without even a dent in the ivory silk. In the wardrobe, I was almost surprised to find modern clothing. For the most part, he had my sense of style pretty well figured-out. Not finding any underwear was disappointing, as I had followed Leah's advice on not wearing a bra underneath the corset, but also a bit reassuring, to be honest. Leah opted for a simple plaid shirt, that would have been a bit large on me, and therefore fell almost to her knees. I found an oversize black pajama ensemble, made of the softest wooly cotton. I joined Leah under the covers, and didn't have to wait long until she dozed off, her breathing becoming more regular, and calm.

I carefully removed myself from the bed, and slipped into a large dressing gown. I slowly opened the door, trying not to make the floorboards or the hinges creak. I only opened it enough to shuffle through, and exited into the corridor.

The silence was only disturbed by the muffled sound of the waves, and my own breathing. I didn't turn on any lights, as the full moon was well enough to see perfectly well. I wandered back to the living room, and walked to the bay windows. One was open, leaving a cool breeze inside. Wrapping myself tighter in my robe, I stepped outside, wincing at the feeling of cold stone under my feet. Over at the corner of the terrace, Vlad was leaning onto the balustrade, his hair disheveled by the soft wind. He also had a change of clothes, and had only kept his trousers, his shirt, and his cape, thrown over his shoulders. I suspected this was mostly a question of style, as I doubted he could even feel the cold. His gaze seemed lost over the horizon, watching the moon go down on the ocean. As I approached him, he turned his attention to me, smiling.

“I knew you were good at sneaking around.”

“Please, I bet you could hear me breathing from the other side of the house.”

“Breathing, not so much, but I can hear your heart.” He was leaning on his elbow, head cocked to the side. Arrogant. I sighed, and took in the mesmerizing view a moment. No signs of cars, lamps, or electric poles in sight. Only the moon, and the ocean's soothing voices.

“Do you like the house ?”, he asked, softly as not to disturb my reverie.

“I love it.”

He laughed at the speed of my reply. “Well, I hoped you would.” He took a pause. “I am sorry about Leah, however. I know you did not want her dragged into all of this, and because of my blindness, she has-”

Before he could finish, I set the tips of my fingers on his mouth, effectively closing it.

“If anything, it's my fault. I should have told her a while ago, I just never had the courage to do it...”

He took my hand in his, strangely warm, contrary to what I expected. I felt my heart sink into my chest as a question rose to my  mind.

“Vlad, I...”, I started, hesitant. He nodded slightly, encouraging me to continue. “What Carmilla said, back on the overlook...”

I became physically incapable of saying one more word, my heart beating out of my chest for no reason. No reason at all.

“You want to know if she was right ?”

Gods, that voice, that deep, silky voice. Maybe it was on purpose that he talked in a hushed tones, maybe to drive me mad, or not outshine the ocean singing below. I nodded, unable to look him in the eyes. He called out my name, barely a whisper. He let go of my hand, only to pull me closer, an arm around my waist, his other hand cupping my cheek. So warm... He took a moment, playing with a strand of my hair, sliding a finger along my jawline, and slowly running his hand along my neck. I couldn't help a gasp as a sharp nail traced over my veins. He hummed, seemingly amused with my reaction.

“Are you still scared of me ?”, he asked.

I couldn't tell if he really spoke, or if I heard him in my mind.

“No”, I breathed out.

Really ?

His lips brushed past mine, then on my jawline, and my neck. In a very poor instinct, I let my head fall back. The somewhat familiar feeling of his sharp teeth on my skin sent shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes.

“I trust you”, I whispered, leaning back onto the balustrade.

He opened his mouth, letting me feel his hot breath on my cold neck. For a second, his fangs pressed against my skin, soon replaced by a kiss, on the crook of my jaw, right below the ear. I giggled, and he closed his arms around my waist. Expectantly, he seemed to wait, for permission. For mercy.

I wasn't too long to grant it. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I closed the final space between us. As soon as my lips touched his, my heart stopped a moment, or several. I felt him sigh a second, and pull me closer. He was slow, intimate, perfect in every way. I felt electricity run through my body. His lips parted mine, and-

Everything was red.

The sea lapping at my ankles, the sky bursting with gold and blood under a starry indigo. Everything was the same as I last left. I turned around, and found him standing back.

“Here ?”

“I told you before, wherever you want to be.”

I ran to him, and threw my hands around his neck, and he wrapped his around me, lifting me off the ground.

“Makes sense it's with you, then”, I whispered, and kissed him again.

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Taglist : @carydorse @angelicdestieldemon @bloodhon3yx @thewondernanazombie @battocar @moony691 @mjlock @thebeautyofdisorder @festering-queen @paracosmfantasy @lost-girl-inc

[in-arlathan]

Born Wilder

Wow, writing this little something of a fic took way longer than I expected, but I got there in the end. I really needed to get this story out of my system to get my fanfiction mojo flowing again.

This one-shot features my Elenara Lavellan and her companions Varric, Cassandra and Solas in the Hinterlands. After writing Solavellan romance with no specific Lavellan, it’s was so nice to write with one of my OCs again.

Sadly, Elenara and Solas are far away from their relationship in this one, so no sappy romance here, but I enjoyed exploring her thoughts on the Inquisition and being a Dalish among humans before she became Inquisitor. Also, some friendly bonding with Varric at the end, which is always good. Happy reading! :)

Read it on AO3

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“So, Chuckles,” Varric said, “is it true you spend most of your time in the Fade?”

 “As much as is possible, yes,” Solas answered with a curious side-glance. “The Fade contains a wealth of knowledge for those who know where to look.”

The dwarf scoffed. “I don't know how you dream, let alone wander around in there. Especially when the shit that comes out of the Fade generally seems... pretty cranky.”

“So are humans, but we continue to interact with them…,” Solas replied with a smile tugging at his lips. “When we must.”

“Point taken,” Varric said.

Cassandra made a disgruntled face. “If you gentlemen are quite finished…”

“Come now, seeker…”

Elenara smiled, despite only half-listening to her companions. She was too busy keeping an eye out for rebel mages or rogue templars in the surrounding forest. It hadn’t been long since the party had stumbled in a battle between both sides and she was not keen to repeat that experience just yet.

They had spent the last week traversing the Hinterlands, running errands on behalf of the Inquisition. Every now and then, Solas or Cassandra urged her to call the retreat, get back to Haven and move on to Val Royeaux to speak to the remaining clerics of the Chantry. Elenara, on the other hand, didn’t want to rush the matter. She was rather happy to be out in the wilderness again, even as an envoy of the Inquisition. The rustling leaves and whispering wind reminded her of a time when everything had been much simpler. Before the sky had been torn apart.

If only she could remember what had happened at the conclave…

 Elenara squared her shoulders, wiping sweat from her brow with one hand. Dwelling on the matter was no use. Her memories wouldn’t return just because she wanted them to. The only choice she had was to focus on what was before her: the refugees that required her help. She had decided that their lives mattered more than her knowing what had transpired at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. And so she hurried through the Hinterlands, doing everything she could to make them feel safe and protected. As if somehow, through her own actions, she could feel safe and protected, too.

Her companions didn’t seem to take much liking to the remote wilderness, though. Varric used any chance he got to complain about the weather, the people, the food, and the lack of proper ale. Even Cassandra, who had been at odds with the dwarf since Elenara met her, seemed to agree with him, but she did not voice her contempt as loudly as he did. Only Solas kept quiet and dismissed any of her questions if he felt ill at ease. “What we accomplish here will one day serve us in our mission to seal the Breach,” he said. “That is more important than my personal comfort.” 

“We’re almost there,” Elenara said when they finally exited the woods and the friendly conversation between her companions came to an end. Looking around carefully, she felt a shiver crawl down her spine. Her gaze was fixed on a small hillside by Dwarfson’s Pass where they had set up camp the night before. It was not much, just a few bedrolls arranged around a campfire, plus a chest in which they had stored some of their supplies. Nothing of value or importance that would draw the attention of scavengers or bandits. And yet, Elenara couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“Hurry,” she shouted and started into a run, racing up the hill with her senses on high alert. Behind her, she could hear Varric groan with exhaustion as he tried to keep up with Solas and Cassandra who followed Elenara with relative ease.

“Shit,” was all she said when their camp came into view.

The bedrolls lay scattered and had clearly been searched, and the chest with their supplies was missing. Whoever robbed than even took the bushels of elf root they had hung on a small rag to dry them before transport.

Cassandra, Solas, and Varric reached the camp shortly after, looking around in confusion. The dwarf swore under his breath, as he searched his bedroll. “Those bastards took my notes,” he exclaimed. “I stored them in a small compartment … ah, nevermind.”

“I’m sorry,” Elenara said and meant it.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Varric said with a handwave. “This should teach me not to leave my writing lying about while I run off to kill people.”

“Do any of you have any supplies with you?” Cassandra asked.

Solas checked his backpack, as well as the small bags on his belts. “Sadly, no,” he told the seeker. “I thought I had some bread left, but come to think of it, I must have placed it in the chest with the rest of our supplies.”

“I only have two bottles of dwarven ale from last night,” Varric added after a quick glance into his baggage. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“Great!” Cassandra growled. “What a perfect mess. The sun is already setting. It’ll be dark before we have the chance to get to Winter Watch Tower to ask for help.”

“I guess you are correct,” Elenara admitted. “But we don’t need to get to the fortress to sustain ourselves.”

Varric raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you suggest, Lavellan? Lie in wait for some travelers to ask them for help?”

“Creators, no.” Elenara shook her head, slightly amused. “You really don’t spend much time out in the wilds, do you?”

“Not, if I can avoid it,” Varric said.

“Well, I’ll take care of this,” she announced and checked her quiver and bow. She had enough arrows left, and the rope in her backpack would come in handy when making snares. “I suggest you go and search for wood to make a fire with before it’s dark. I’ll be back in no time.”

With that, she turned on her heels and made her way down the hill again. The prospect of being alone in the woods – truly alone – made her feel giddy and foolish like a little girl. Keeper Deshanna wouldn’t have liked it.  

She was already half-way down the hill when behind her Solas asked. “Where are you going, lethallin?”

Elenara turned to smile at the apostate. “The wilderness contains a wealth of sustenance for those who know where to look,” she said and spread her arms wide.

***

She returned to the camp with two small nugs as her prey. The dead animals were dangling for a piece of rope she had used to tie them together. She hadn’t even needed her arrows to kill them. All she had done was laying out a few snares in the undergrowth and wait for the creatures to walk into her traps. For an experienced hunter like her, it had been an easy task, as simple as putting on clothes. Still, Cassandra and Varric eyed her suspiciously when she presented the animals to them.

“Our dinner,” she told them and dropped the nugs next to the fire.

Varric stared at her in disbelieve.

“That was remarkably quick,” Cassandra said, brows furrowed. “You’ve been away for what… three hours?”

Elenara made a vague gesture. “Give or take.”

She relieved herself of her backpack, quiver, and bow, and placed all of her belongings on her bedroll. Her companions had used her absence to rearrange the camp and get a decent fire burning. Solas was stoking the embers with a stick, making the flames grow higher while Elenara searched for her hunting knife.

“Nugs are fine and all,” Varric said, nibbling at one of the bottles of dwarven ale he'd carried around with him all day, “but how exactly are we going to eat them?”

Solas let out a soft laugh but didn’t dare look up from the dancing flames.

“Anything on your mind, Chuckles?” Varric growled.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” the apostate said, lips still pursed in a smile.

“Sure.”

Elenara found the hunting knife in her backpack and removed it from the leather sheath she stored it in. The steel blade reflected the light of the campfire as she turned it in her hand, marveling at its beauty. It had been a gift, given to her by her childhood friend Erendir when she had come of age. “It’ll serve you good, wherever you go,” he’d said.

She wondered where he was now. What he might think of her.

I will do everything within my power to keep you and the clan safe, she thought and turned her gaze to the sky. The Breach was only a faint shimmer in the darkness but she could feel it lingering on, waiting for her to return to Haven.

Focus on what is before you, she reminded herself, sat down cross-legged and freed one of the nugs from the rope. Without giving it much thought, she pierced through the skin of the animal with her blade and made a set of cuts. She stripped the skin from the nug with a quick  thrust  , and Varric made a disgusted sound.

“Andraste’s ass, Lavellan!” he exclaimed, leaning away from her with one hand raised as if he was trying to defend himself against an attacker. “Please tell me, you did not just do that!”

Elenara grinned. She liked Varric, but he had lived behind the walls of Kirkwall for far too long. With his fondness for city living, he could barely manage to endure a bit of rain without complaining. To shock him like this was mildly amusing to her, to say the least.

“Where did you think meat comes from, Varric?” Cassandra asked. When the dwarf didn’t answer, the seeker turned her eyes back to the nug and pressed her lips into a thin line. “Though, I do admit it looks more… invasive than I expected."

“You'll get used to it.” Elenara put a stick through the skinned nug and placed it on the fire, then picked up the second one. “There’s something satisfying about it, too. To know that you brought in the food to sustain yourself.”

“I’d rather bring in more bottles of these, thank you very much,” Varric said, waving around the dwarven ale.

“As a merchant, you certainly enjoy that privilege,” Solas admitted and stopped stoking the fire. He sat down and wrapped his arms around his legs, regarding Varric intently. “You are a successful businessman, are you not? Besides being a well-renowned author, I mean.”

“And here I was, thinking you didn’t mind what’s happening in the real world, Chuckles,” Varric said gleefully. “You continue to surprise me.”

And so the two of them picked up their conversation of Solas’s exploration of the Fade as if no time had passed. Elenara would’ve been happy to listen to them while she waited for the meat to be roasted by the fire. As distant as the elven apostate behaved towards her, she enjoyed Solas’s tales about memories he had found in ancient dreams. But this night, all she could think about was how strange the life of the Dalish must seem to other people if even an experienced adventurer such as Varric was grossed out by something so mundane as preparing the meat for cooking.

Taking care of her food – be it meat or bread or berries – was as natural as breathing to her. It was a necessity when spending your life as a traveler. But that wasn’t the only thing she had learned with her clan. She knew how to weave and knit and sew. Or how to read tracks and take care of the halla in their little pens. She even helped repair the aravels on more than one occasion. And she’d done all of it gladly to serve the Lavellan clan. Such hardship had seemed like a small price to pay if it meant that her family stayed safe and fed, and she’d spent a lot of time practicing and making use of her talents.

With the Inquisition, however, none of these talents seemed to matter anymore. Every morning she awoke in her cabin in Haven, a servant had already made breakfast for her. Before she had time to finish the meal, someone else showed up to bring her new clothing or clean the room for her. She’d known that humans lived very differently compared to the Dalish, and when she joined the Inquisition, she had been sure she could attune to this new lifestyle. And yet, after weeks, it still felt so inherently wrong that she ran off into the forest to hunt on her own at first chance. Out there in the woods, the world had finally made sense to her once more.

Like so many Dalish, she’d been born out in the wilderness. Roaming the vast plains and lush forests of the Free Marches had been second nature to her ever since she had come into this world. And although there had been a time when she had wished she could venture away from the clan to explore some old ruin or seek out education form human scholars, she never truly wanted to leave her old life behind. It was ingrained in her mind and body, her very being. It was who she was.

She only hoped she could go back to the life she lived before when the Breach was sealed.

“Hey, Lavellan,” Varric roared. “Are you still with us?”

Elenara blinked. “Wh–what?”

The dwarf laughed. “You must have been very far away,” he said and tapped a finger to his temple. “I asked you three times if you wanted to share a story with us, but you wouldn’t respond.”

“Oh.” She shifted on her bedroll, trying to push the feeling of embarrassment aside. “Really? I’m sorry. I was… distracted.”

“Yeah, I could see that,“ Varric replied with a roguish grin on his face. “So, do you have a story to share?”

She looked around, taken aback by the dwarf's request. Even Solas and Cassandra seemed interested in what she had to say, which only added to her confusion.

“Why would you care to hear it?” she asked suspiciously.

“We all have something that defines us. Some story we tell ourselves about who we are and who we want to be.” Varric gestured towards Cassandra. “The seeker, for instance, talks about duty all the time, because that is what defines her. Chuckles here can’t shut up about the Veil and the Fade, because that is what defines him.”

Solas narrowed his eyes. “I don’t always talk about the Fade.”

Varric gave the apostate a skeptical look, then turned his attention back to Elenara. “Point is, Lavellan, besides you spying on the conclave and doing your best to seal the Breach, I couldn’t help but notice that we don’t really know much about you.”

“Won’t you be disgusted by the barbaric Dalish customs?” she asked pointedly and nodded towards the nugs that still roasted over the fire.

“You take me far too seriously, Lavellan.” Varric laughed again. “One more reason why we should get better acquainted, don’t you think?”

A faint smile tugged at Elenara’s lips. “There is one story, actually.”

“That’s great.” Varric took a sip from his bottle. “Let’s hear it. The meal won’t be ready for another hour anyway, I guess."

Elenara stretched out on her bedroll, head propped on one hand. “One day, the clan was camped outside of Starkhaven…”

[dabunny90]

With Friends Like These

Ellie was walking and exploring the area Skyhold. The place was huge and in need of repairs. She always got lost. Smiling when she found a big tree that she could climb in and climb she did. Especially when she heard the Chantry mother from the Hinderlands come by. She stayed quiet and hid among the branches, until she was gone. The woman was always looking for her. Every other day, it was something to complain. If being the Inquisitor was such the issue, why doesn’t she leave?, Ellie thought.

Further up in the tree, she heard movement. Ellie was about to leave, when something grey and white jumped down on her chest, knocking her out of the tree. Ellie instinctively wrapped her arms around the creature as she closed her eyes. Ellie half expected to hit the ground, but opened her eyes after a moment. Cole stood there holding her. She looked down in her arms to see a small fennec in her arms. Shaking in fear.

Cole sits her down on the ground as she sits the little fox on the ground. “Thank you, Cole.” Ellie says as she watches the fennec closely. “You’re welcome, Ellie.” He says. They sit on the ground and play with fox. “It’s nice to sit down and forget about being Inquisitor for a minute.” Ellie sighs with a soft smile. She pulls out some berries and nuts. She lays them down on a handkerchief for the fox. Cautiously, the little fox eats them and barks happily. “She likes you. You’re small like her.” Cole says, obviously reading the fox’s thoughts. “Well, I like her too.” Ellie coos. “She doesn’t want to leave your side. She wants to stay here with you.” Cole states, reaching down and scratching behind her ear. She barks happily. “I’ve never had a pet before. I don’t even know what to feed her.” Ellie says in wonder why this little fox wants to stay with her.

“That’s easy. She can eat berries, bugs and reptiles.” Cole says with a slight smile. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what he is thinking. “I can help feed and water her on the days you are not here and don’t take me along for missions.” Cole explains while reading her thoughts. “Okay, I guess it’s settle.” Ellie stands up with a bright happy smile. The fennec jumps on her shoulders and chirps happily. “What shall I call you? How about Fen?” Ellie asks. The fox barks again in approval. “She likes that name. Says we can even call her Fenny too.” Cole smiles. Cole and Ellie walk off and explore the rest of Skyhold together with little Fenny on Ellie’s shoulders.

Since Ellie had the next few days, she walked around with Fenny at her side. They spent the better of one day hanging around Iron Bull. At first Fen had issues trusting him and tried to bite him twice. Cole explained it was because Bull was so big and she felt threatened. But after an hour, she warmed up to the Qunari and even went to sleep on his lap. That’s when Ellie took the chance to train some with Cole. They each taught each other some useful tricks for battle.

The next day, Ellie ran into Solas. Fen ran up to him and barked happily. “What curious little friend you got there?” Solas chuckles softly. He leans down and picks her. They spent most of their time together in his little office below the library. He told her many stories of his time in the fade. Fenny wondered around the room. Even managed to get up on the scaffolding. Ellie climbed up there and got her down when she started to whimper. “Cole told me that you had a pet. She suits you.” Solas says as he goes back to painting.

Ellie went off to find Varric later that evening. She found him at the local tavern. “Inquisitor, join us for drinks and a game of Wicked Grace.” Gatsi offers. She sits down on the other side of Varric. Fenny sits on her lap. “So the rumors are true. You did get yourself a pet.” Varric laughs as he deals the cards. “Yeah, she kind of chose me. You can even ask Cole.” Ellie says with a smile. “She’s cute.” Gatsi says. They played cards and drunk on into the night. Bull even joined them at one point, which switched from Ellie’s lap to his. Bull carried both Ellie and Fenny back to her quarters. Fenny went and jumped on her spot on the small couch in the room. As Bull was getting ready to walk out of the room. “Stay, please.” Ellie whines sleepily. Bull laughs, “This is a first. I’ve never stayed in a woman’s quarters without there being sex involved but very well, Ellie, I’ll stay.” He lays down in the bed beside her. She snuggles into his waiting arms and almost immediately falls asleep.

For him this brings back memories of a couple months ago, when she found them after everything that happened at Haven, how he held her then too. He was having a hard time figuring out the feelings that he felt when he held her close. He had overheard Cole and Solas talking about how she has nightmares. Watching her sleep now, you would never have guessed. Even the strongest people have their weaknesses. His was losing her. Her’s was failure and not being able to do everything in her power to protect those closest to her. He groans and tries to go to sleep too. He knows that tomorrow is gonna be a busy day for him. He has to train his Chargers. He feels something jump on the bed and looks down to see that little fox curl at his feet.

The next morning, Ellie wakes up to there being a note on the pillow beside. Ellie, I’m sorry I’m not here when you wake up. I had to wake up early and train my Chargers. I took Fenny with me so don’t worry about her. Come get her down at where my training area is. I’ll make it up to you tonight. I swear. Sincerely, Iron Bull. Ellie smiled as she read that. There’s was also a cup of hot coffee waiting for her. Cole, she thought. “Thank you.” She whispered, quietly. When she finished her coffee. She got out of bed and went to her vanity. About the time she sat down in the chair, Dorian busts through her door. 

He walks over to her. “Just woke up?” He asks. She nods. He grabs the brush out of her hand and started brushing her long red hair. She yawns again. Cole appears out nowhere with another cup of coffee. He takes the empty cup and disappears. Dorian just rolls his eyes and continues to brush her hair. “What’s your plans for the day?” He asks. He starts to braid it down her back. “Nothing. Thought about hanging out with you in the library. I got to get Fen from Bull. Apparently he stayed with me last night.” She said. “Wait! Did you all do anything?” He ask, in his usual teasing manner. “No. I still got my clothes and there’s no bruises.” I laughed. He laughs with me. “Good point.” He says. He walks over to my dresser. He pulls a dark green tunic and brown pants. He lays out my favorite boots. “The green and browns compliment your skin tone and hair color.”’ He smiles. 

Two hours later, Dorian was carrying me back to the library. The Chantry mother glared at us as I laid my head against his back. “Damn you, Bull.” I curse angrily. Dorian just laughs. “I can’t believe he made you train with Dalish and Sera. I know you were interested in using a bow but geez.” He says. He drops me off in one of the chairs. Fenny jumps in my lap and goes to sleep. “So what are we doing?” He asks. “Well, for one: I want to learn all I can about Corypheus.” I said. “Then?” He urges. I hand him the letter that Bull left on my pillow. “Oh.” Is Dorian says. No smart remarks or teasing jokes. “Confused as I am?” I asked. He nods. “Let’s start with find about that demon first.” Dorian offers. We spent the better part of the day researching all we could. Hawke, Varric and Solas even came by and helped the best they could. Then as the sun started to go down, we headed back to my quarters. Fenny following close to us.