#rpgwarrior4824

[baejax-the-great]

Top 10 Dragon Age fics that you've read.

Thank you! Not in any particular order-- I like all of these fics. 

1. We the Sunset by Stonelions (Dorian X Cullen)

2. I Come to You with Nothing by CommonEvilMastermind (Solas x Lavellan)

3. Strange Places: Fenris and Amabel Hawke (Fenris x Hawke) This is cheating because it is a series, but otherwise the list would just be @aban-asaara‘s work. 

4. Mend, You Homespun Sorrow by @loquaciousquark (Fenris x Hawke)

5. Sunshine in the Dark by Kauri (Bethany x Alistair)

6. Promise What You Will by @smutnug (Cousland x Alistair)

7. Under Good Regulation by @wardsarefunctioning (Trevelyan x Solas)

8. Three by @ellstersmash (Solas x Lavellan)

9. A Lesson in Drowning by @theherocomplex (Fenris x Hawke)

10. Discordance by @tortuosity-writes (Isabela x Hawke)

[theoriginalladya]

For the angsty prompts. 2 for any pairing of your choice.

from this list

On AO3 here

Oh, thank you so much for this one!  It triggered my orignial (canon) Shepard in my head, and she jumped onto it so fast my head is still spinning!  Have a bit of Serafina Shepard and Kaidan.

~~~

Back on the SR1, the Normandy’s mess was located just outside of the Captain’s quarters.  Midnight runs for a quick snack or cup of hot tea by the commander usually went unnoticed except by those few who were on duty.  The only person she ever came into contact with on a regular basis was Kaidan, and they developed an unspoken routine between them.  She would make tea and take a seat at one of the tables; he would grab a cup of coffee and join her.  Their talks centered around a variety of topics during that mission, but gradually, each one brought them closer together.  It was unexpected, but times like that had helped her through some difficult times, and she’d come to value them.

This time around, it is far more difficult to find the peace and serenity she needs.  Two decks separate her cabin from the mess.  Two decks with near constant flow of foot traffic, of personnel on duty, and a much larger crew deck, and by association, mess on warship now busier than ever and never, ever, seems to sleep.  She doesn’t resent the change – not really – but it makes slipping in and out of the mess to grab a cup of tea to chase away the nightmares far more of a challenge than it used to be.

“Shepard.”

She’s staring at the kettle, as if willing the water to boil will make it happen faster when Kaidan walks up.  She darts a quick look over at him, tilts her head slightly in greeting, but otherwise remains silent.  His presence back aboard the ship is welcome, there’s no doubt about that, but since his return there’s an uneasy tension between them that stems not just from their past together, but also from the way events of the Cerberus coup attempt played out. That tension isn’t something she is in the mood to deal with right now.

Somewhere nearby something crashes to the ground, rattling against the deck plating, followed by a pair of voices arguing over whose fault it is.  Shepard stiffens, winces, but holds herself in check.  Barely.  In the next heartbeat, the kettle starts to whistle and she scrambles to pour her tea.

A hand gently touches her shoulder.  A soft tremor ripples through her.  “Hey, you okay?”

She sets the kettle back, turns off the burner and nods once.  “I’m … I’m good.”  But even she hears the hoarse rasp in her voice that indicates she’s anything but.  

Her hand shakes as she reaches for her mug, and she wonders if she’ll be able to carry it without sloshing the liquid over the edge and burning her hand. Kaidan comes to her assistance, lifting it and offering her a reassuring smile.  As their eyes meet, he murmurs, “Come on, I know a place that’s a bit quieter.” With a nod, she does.

It takes mere moments to arrive at the observation deck, but it’s empty when the door opens, and she doesn’t fail to notice that he locks it behind them. Ignoring the lights for now, he leads her over to the bench that has the best view of the passing stars and sits. She follows and glides into the seat beside him.  It’s awkward for a moment; aside from her visit to the hospital to see him, this is the closest they’ve sat by one another in three years, but that eases a little when he hands over the mug of tea and she wraps both hands around it. Cautiously, she takes a sip.

He breathes in deeply.  “Lavender?”

A conversation back on the SR1, one of their first, comes to mind.  I never did like chamomile, but lavender is just as calming.  Her lips twitch slightly at the corners.  “You remember.”

He leans forward and rests his arms across his legs as he stares out the window. “Difficult to forget,” he admits. He tilts his head so he can see her. “Having nightmares again?”

Her head drops and she stares into the tea.  “You … remember that, too.”

“Gellix was a hard mission,” he says.  “Scientists, families, children … all of them coming under attack like that.”  He half turns in the seat to face her.  “Which dream was it this time?  Something from the beacon?”

She snorts softly and shakes her head.  “No, those are under control now, thanks to Javik’s help.”

Silence fills the space between them for a moment, two, before Kaidan tries again. “Mind if I ask what?”

Shepard inhales softly through her nose and releases it slowly.  “Mindoir.  Akuze.  Alchera.”  Her voice is but a whisper, barely audible, but he is focused on her and she can see his eyes widen with each one named.  Another sigh, this one far more ragged and raw, rattles through her lungs.  “I’ve lost everything.  I keep losing everything.”  

It’s a struggle to fight back the emotion, now that they are openly discussing it, and one lone tear escapes to trickle down the side of her nose.  Out of instinct, she presumes, his hand rises to brush it away.  Only he has ever witnessed her like this, at least in more recent times.  Only he understands just how deep the pain still grips. She lifts her free hand and wraps it around his wrist, gently tugging it away from her face; not because she doesn’t want his touch – she does, she’s been trying to find a way to navigate that awkward road back to having something with him, at least – but because she leans toward him and rests her forehead against his.  Her eyes close for a moment, her breathing hitches softly when he doesn’t pull back.  “Kaidan,” she breathes, a hint of desperation in her words, “I don’t want to lose anyone else!”

His arms move around her, careful of the tea she still holds, faster than it takes for her to open her eyes again.  Over her hair, across her shoulders, down her arms until he sets the tea aside and takes her hands in his, bringing them both to his lips.  He places a gentle kiss on the back of the knuckles before murmuring, “You haven’t lost me yet, and you won’t if I have anything to say about it.”

Tugging one hand free, she moves it so her fingers cover his lips to silence him. As declarations go, it gives her a fair idea that he’s of the same mind as she is, but they exist in a galaxy at war, and things are far more complicated now than they were three years ago. It’s going to take time – time they don’t really have – and patience to work their way back … is it worth it?

He kisses her fingertips, a hint of a smile curving up as her gaze darts back to his.  She’s forgotten this impish side to him when they’re alone.  Her heart aches just a bit more … but it’s such a sweet ache, so familiar, almost like coming home.  How can she ignore it?  Lowering her hand, she ghosts a kiss across his lips before sitting back.  

He’s the first to recover and speak.  “We’re headed to the Citadel, right?”

“Yes.”

The thumb of his left hand starts lightly tracing patterns on the back of her right hand which he still holds.  “Sounds like you could use a sanity check.  Meet me at Apollo’s for dinner?  I hear they still have steak.”

She laughs – for the first time in what feels like forever, an honest to goodness, deep from the belly laugh.  And it feels … good.  “Sounds like a plan, major,” she agrees with a smile.

He hands her tea back over and they both turn to look out at the stars in silence, but this time they sit side by side, his arm around her shoulders.  The tension and awkwardness are gone, and while their situation might not be exactly as things had been three years ago, it’s a far sight better than it was just three minutes ago…  

[starsandskies]

How are you doing? What is your favourite characters from the Witcher fandoms?

Hey! I’m fine, thanks! Just chilling and awaiting Spain’s next lockdown, lol. 

So, let’s see... not counting Geralt because he’s the protagonist and an obvious fav, so.

Iorveth

Eskel

Zoltan

Yennefer

Regis

This is so hard, though! I’d like to add Cerys, Vesemir, Lambert... fhsjadhhdf I love them all. 

Anyway, thank you so much for asking! ♥♥♥

[coryfirelion]

Hey, happy fanfic writer's appreciation day. You're one of the most supportive person in the fandom I've seen. I appreciate all your support, more than I could possibly say. Thank you for also being there for me. You're writing is amazing. And I'm looking forward to what you have planned in the future.

😭 My heart just melted 💜 Thank you for been an awesome friend and an equally incredible person 💞 Your work is lovely!! (And I'm waiting with anticipation your next work 👀 Ellana, Marsilla *wink* *wink* *wink* No pressure, it's just the one I'm more looking foward to read 😅 😉) Thank you again 😭 (I still cannot believe I'm mutual with so many incredible people, including, of course, you 😊) As for my plans to the future... I need to get rid of my one shot ideas so they let me work in my long fics in peace 😂😉 (and no, i didn't forget about the idea of the Gen book you inspired 😉) Probably I'm repeting myself a lot, but you're not gonna get rid of me, before a writer, I'm a fangirl, so YOU are stuck with me XD

[ripley95]

Fanfic Author asks, L, T, U, and V.

Thank you so much for the ask! These were really fun.

L. favourite fic of yours?

I answered this one here

T. when did you start reading fanfic?

The first time I ever started reading fanfic was in 2008. It was right after I played the first Mass Effect game for the first time. I was so enthralled, I just had to have more of the story. The problem with that was I was in school for Digital Animation at the time, and I very easily felt myself getting addicted to fanfiction. My education starting to suffer so after a few months, I cut myself off completely. I didn’t read fanfiction again until 2017. Playing Mass Effect Andromeda renewed my love for Mass Effect in general, but also my love for fanfiction.

U. when did you start writing fanfic?

The very first time I wrote fanfiction is a bit of a funny story, I think. I didn’t know what fanfiction was, but I had a creative writing assignment in high school. I was very into the show “Alias” at the time and wanted to write my own episode for it. I made the mistake of not changing any names or anything and my teacher found me out. He hadn’t really watched the show, but he knew enough about it to catch on, so he was actually worried that I plagiarized. Luckily, he ended up giving me the benefit of the doubt because I was one of those good student types. By the time I knew what fanfiction was and did it purposely, I tried to write a story in 2008 when I got into reading it. I think I only wrote the first chapter at the time. It was a story where Anderson and Dr. Chakwas had a romantic history together but didn’t meet again until joining the Normandy for its first mission. It was before all of the books were out to flesh out Anderson’s history more, so I didn’t know about Kahlee or anything. For whatever reason, I kind of clung onto them as a ship at the time when no one else had. That story never saw the light of day, though.

V. post the last sentence you wrote.

I’m going to go with the second to last sentence because the last sentence kind of gives away a punch line in a potentially upcoming fic. Here it is:

From behind the hologram, she could see Kaidan barely able to contain himself, burying his head in a pillow, his body silently convulsing with laughter.

Thanks again so much for the ask!!

From the fanfic author asks: Feel free to ask

[natsora]

Behind the scenes asks. 14, 15, 16, and 17.

Thank you for the ask!

14 - If you were stuck on a desert island with only two characters, which would you pick?

Answered here.

15 - A Hollywood producer tells you that they want to film just one of your fics. Which fic would you want it to be?

Oh man... I want to be greedy and ask for Cetus. It can be a 5 season 10 episode show! There is a lot to cover with a big cast. Going from Ryder's POV to the people on the Tempest, the shit that's happening in the Nexus and all that. Ooooh what a thought. 

16 - What is your most underrated fic?

Right now, Memini. I wish it has more people would read it. Like it is my crowning achievement of the entire Bad Things Happen bingo card. The other has to be Pictures on the Wall. A zombie AU with Shep and Ryder what's not to love? 

17 - What fic are you most proud of?

Hmmm... I think Ace. It's the most personal and it seemed to have resonated with many. I'm happy to have it out there and maybe adding just a little bit into the ace representation in the DA fandom. 

Behind the Scenes of Fic Writing

[swaps55]

B, H, K, and N.

Thank you!!!!

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?

[hastily shoves Sonata under the bed]

Uh uh. Don’t have any idea where you got that idea from. I have no idea what it’s like to not realize you’re in love with your best friend.

H: How would you describe your style?

I try very hard to make emotional spaces in my fic feel like something the reader can reach out and physically touch. I don’t always succeed, but I try.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

The angstiest fic is this one.

But idea? Well, writing Sonata presented me with a “found family” opportunity for Shepard that I am not going to let go of. But I then had a realization it means Shepard will ultimately grieve three father figures. His real father, Anderson, and Mr. Alenko. I had to lie down and stare at the ceiling for a while after that one.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

Mass Effect with space dragons.

[autodiscothings]

🌹

He often asked why I wanted him, a doubt fuelled by his own brand of self loathing; it flickered like a broken neon sign even when our bodies lay spent from the showing, too bright to ignore.

Taken from:  For every “🌹” received in my inbox i’ll post one random sentence of a random WIP i’m currently writing.

[baejax-the-great]

Work In-progress guessing game: Lie, Cry, drink, and trust.

Lie (Bethistair, Chapter 12): 

“What could he do to you that’s worse than sending you to Orlais?”

Filomena didn’t respond, but her face had gone ashen. Bethany didn’t need much of an imagination to guess what kind of a man her father was. She’d met enough terrified women in her life in Lothering, Kirkwall, Amaranthine.

“Give me the vial,” she ordered, hand out to receive it. Filomena hesitated, looking truly miserable. “If you give it to me, then you can tell him you gave me the poison, and it won’t be a lie.”

Cry (Unnamed FenHawke WIP):

Crying in front of Leandra was akin to crying in front of a wooden chair. He could rage or sob or scream profanities. He could break every piece of furniture in the room, smashing it to pieces. He could pound the floor with his fists until they bled and the bones of his knuckles cracked under the weight of it. She would continue embroidering, silently, no judgment or pity or sympathy, not even annoyed at the noise. It was Porthos who arrived in worry, licking Fenris across the face until he could do nothing but wrap his arms around the dog, two hundred pounds that could not be easily shoved away exhausted as he was.

Drink (A different unnamed FenHawke WIP):

“What I meant to say was that you are a rare kind of person. Someone with your talents and spirit is wasted on this city.”

“I suppose that could mean I’m wonderful, but it sounds more like Kirkwall is just shit. Nobody forced you to stay here, you know.”  

“Upon arriving to the city, I met someone remarkable. I was ready to stop running, and I thought a place that shaped a woman such as her must be worthy.” He finished his drink, a long draught that did nearly nothing to slake his thirst. “I was misled.”

“Careful, Fenris. You’re dangerously close to sounding like you admire me.”

“Yes,” he nodded, wondering if the light in her eyes was only reflected candlelight, or a natural glowing from within, “I suppose that is what I sound like.”

She blinked, her eyelashes fluttering, but his gaze dropped to her lips.

Trust (Unnamed FenHawke WIP): 

“I absolutely adore them,” Hawke gushed, ushering Merrill inside and continuing to limp with her one-booted foot, “But I’m afraid it’s not my birthday.”

Merrill followed her to the kitchen, where Hawke placed the flowers in water.

“Are you certain? Oh, but it must be. Meredith has told the whole city. She’s declared it a feast day in honor of our Champion. There’s food and drink and activities?”

Hawke scoffed. “I would never tell Meredith my birthday. Can’t trust her with personal information like that. No telling what she’d do with it.”

Fenris cleared his throat. “It appears she’s declared a holiday with it.” Hawke narrowed her eyes at him. He succeeded at hiding a smile as he asked, “Hawke, is there a chance you would tell Meredith a false date for your birthday?”

[theoriginalladya]

rpgwarrior4824

I loved the angst!😭 I love how caring Kaidan is here.

~~~

Thank you!  Serafina and Kaidan were my first pairing I ever played in Mass Effect, and I’m delighted they came back for a visit.  It’s been far too long since she’s spoken to me!  They have a past outside of what we see in the games, and their journey through the games wasn’t easy.  I should probably dust them off and get back to finishing up their story ...

[catherea]

How are you doing? What are you're favourite things to do?

How I am doing:

I'm doing well enough after a fairly scary week and a half. I live in an area where the biggest Oregon Wildfire was spreading to, but thankfully we had a ton of rain on Friday. Yesterday was also my birthday!

Favorite things to do:

I mostly just play video games and watch Achievement Hunter content. Occasionally doing some art, and fanfic writing, in short lived spurts. I used to paint 3D miniatures a few years ago, but that got expensive as a hobby

[coryfirelion]

Talk about a piece you're writing or going to write that you're really excited about.

OK! Well, right now i’m working on a tale more than fic, i’m really excited about writing it, and i’m hoping it will turn out the best way possible because it is a gift <3 n.n

[natsora]

Hey, I just want to say Happy Fanfic writer's appreciation day. Thank you for being such an amazing person in the fandom. You know how much I love your stories. Thank you for being such an amazing friend too. I wish you the best!

Thank you so much! I’m really happy to have met you and become your friend. You’ve always been supportive and a super positive presence in fandom. We’re lucky to have you here writing for Dragon age and Mass Effect fandoms, contributing your awesome ideas here. Happy Fanfic writer's appreciation day to you too!

[ripley95]

☆ Put this star into the inbox of your favourite blogs. It's time to spread positivity!🖤🖤🖤

*Hugs* Thank you! You’re a favourite blog of mine too! Not to mention an amazing friend too!

[obvidalous]

I'm here for another ask about PF Reyes. If this is going into spoiler too much or something feel free to ignore or give little detail. I don't know. Anyway I've been wondering while I was reading a meme you did, is the Ryder twins in this Universe of PF Reyes? Or did they stay behind in the Milky Way? Do they know PF Reyes?

Yes, both the twins have a part to play in this story, not a major one of course but they definitely are part of my PF Reyes’ story!

(I don’t have a screenshot of default twins’ appearance, pic found on this website)

They came to Andromeda with their father, but in this AU the Ryder twins’ stasis pods are damaged during the collision between the Hyperion and the Scourge, and therefore they wake up only about a month later. They finally meet PF Reyes for the first time on the Nexus, right after he settles the first outpost on Eos. But things are a little bit tense because by that time Reyes has had access to some of Alec’s memories already (since he’s the one connected with SAM, Reyes is the only one who can gather those memories…) and that won’t be easy for the twins, especially for Scott who resents that a lot.

Things don’t go well between him and Reyes because Scott feels like Reyes should never have been appointed Pathfinder. But he doesn’t know the whole story between Alec and Reyes, which go way back to past events in the Milky Way (but I won’t say no more about that, because spoilers xD). 

Sara is a lot easier to deal with, she actually has a *little* crush on Reyes, haha. Even though nothing will ever happen between her and Reyes, he gives her a very interesting position on a planet named Kadara… and by doing so, he ensures his own dominion over the Port. Even in this AU, Reyes will always be the king of Kadara!!

I hope this satisfies a bit your curiosity! And thank you so much for asking!! 😘

[allisondraste]

Fanfiction asks. 1, 3, 4, and 6.

Thank you so much for the ask!  Great minds must really think alike because I’ve answered all of them but #3 already ;D

1. What made you start writing fanfic?3. Describe the differences between your first fanfic and your most recent fanfic. 

 I’ve been writing fanfiction sporadically on and off for a lot of my life, but I didn’t really get serious about it until the last few years, so I’m going to focus on the differences between my first fic(s) in my adult life and my most recent fanfic.  While I only rejoined tumblr DA fandom in like 2017/18, I first got my tumblr start as a  sideblog called accidental-apostate back when DAI was new.  Despite having played the games my whole life, I only fell in with fandom at that point and I was deeply in the metaphorical place known as “solavellan hell.”  Back then I wrote my stories to be in line with fandom trends, with things that I saw were popular, that I thought would help me to fit in and belong in the fandom and not necessarily what I wanted to write or what I even felt comfortable writing!  That was anything from crackfic where the Inquisition crew was turned into babies by some magical fluke (It’s called Babequisition and it is the only fic I have still left up on my AO3 from that era because it’s wild XD) to incredibly explicit yet also still remarkably crackish smut that has since been taken down, not because it wasn’t good, but because it wasn’t me.   Flash forward to my most recent fic which is Temperance (which I’m certain everyone is tired of hearing about).  I decided to write a story that was completely and wholly for me, something I would want to read if I were to sit down and read something.  It’s a rarepair with a minor character from a DLC as the star,  and it was about best friends falling in love and being separated and finding one another again.  It’s about family, friendship, forgiveness, posttraumatic growth, etc.  I wrote about things that are important to me, not what I thought would be popular, and for that reason it’s different from my first fic, and it’s something I’m actually proud of 4. Do you think your style has changed over time? How so?6. Name 3 stories you found easy to write.